• Ronnie Stanley put together his best game of the season: He didn't allow any quarterback pressure across 23 pass-blocking snaps and earned a solid 74.7 run-blocking grade.
• Odell Beckham Jr. saw a light workload: Despite expectations that the veteran would ramp up in the postseason, Baltimore limited him to only 20 snaps in the win over Houston.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The Baltimore Ravens will host the AFC championship game after their 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round.
They are one win away from a Super Bowl appearance, now tasked with getting past Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are the five things we learned from the Ravens' divisional-round victory.
Second-half adjustments in the passing game were key
Ravens fans would be forgiven for heading into halftime with a sense of déjà vu from past playoff losses, with the offense sputtering and struggling to deal with the Texans' blitz-heavy approach. The team clearly made some adjustments at the break, scoring a touchdown on three straight drives out of halftime.
The biggest change was in how quickly Lamar Jackson released the ball. In the first half, the Ravens averaged 3.9 seconds to throw, to scramble or for a sack, with 83.3% of Jackson’s dropbacks taking 2.6 seconds or longer. In the second half, that average dropped to 2.5 seconds. Just 34.6% of Jackson's dropbacks took 2.5 seconds or longer.
Lamar Jackson silenced his playoff doubters
Jackson came into this game trying to bust the narrative that he couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. Any lingering questions should be put to bed after a dominant second half in which he took over the game. His passing numbers were modest — 16-of-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns — but he added another 100 yards and two scores on the ground, forcing three missed tackles in the process.
His 252 total yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers are one way to quiet doubters. Jackson looked calm and composed all second half as the Ravens pulled away from the Texans. Over his past four games, Jackson not only leads all quarterbacks in PFF grade (92.8), but he also leads the position with an 89.3 PFF passing grade. His 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate is the sixth lowest among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in that span.
Ronnie Stanley had the best game of his season to date
The left tackle hasn’t been the same player since suffering a devastating injury during the 2020 season, but he has been a starting-caliber player at the position, with his 74.0 PFF pass-blocking grade on the year ranking 19th among left tackles.
The divisional round was Stanley's highest-graded performance of the year (80.5). From 23 pass-blocking snaps, the former sixth-overall pick out of Notre Dame didn’t allow a single sack, hit or hurry. His 74.7 PFF run-blocking grade was his best mark since a Week 6 win over the Tennessee Titans in London.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s usage didn’t spike despite expectations
Surprisingly, Odell Beckham’s workload did not increase against the Texans. The Ravens have managed his usage throughout the year, with the high-profile free agent signing not topping 40 offensive snaps in a game since the season opener, also against the Texans.
In the divisional round, he was on the field for 20 snaps, including only eight in the passing game. He saw six snaps in the second half, with his final rep coming on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Perhaps Beckham picked up an injury during the game, something he has dealt with throughout the season, or it may have had to do with the Ravens using heavier personnel in the second half. He was out-targeted by three other wide receivers, tight end Isaiah Likely and running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Jadeveon Clowney came up big against the run
Much has been made of Jadeveon Clowney since he joined the team in August, with the former No. 1 overall pick earning a career-high 80.8 PFF pass-rushing grade after tallying 10 sacks, 10 hits and 53 hurries. Those 73 total pressures from 506 pass-rushing snaps — including the playoffs — also form a career-best mark.
It was Clowney's work against the run on a limited snap count that stood out from the win over the Texans. He finished the game with a pair of tackles resulting in a defensive stop and earned a positive grade on four of his seven snaps against the run.
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