Baltimore Ravens 19, Cincinnati Bengals 14
Here are the top-graded players and biggest storylines from Baltimore’s Week 12 win over Cincinnati.
Quarterback grade: Joe Flacco, 81.6
Flacco posted a solid grade by employing a very conservative gameplan to perfection. He attempted just six passes that traveled at least 10 yards through the air (completing three), and completed 23 of 25 aimed throws under 10 yards. He also rushed for a first down, forcing a missed tackle along the way.
Top offensive grades:
OT Ricky Wagner, 84.6
QB Joe Flacco, 81.6
C Jeremy Zuttah, 81.2
FB Kyle Juszczyk, 79.9
OG Vladimir Ducasse, 76.2
Ricky Wagner leads strong all-around offensive line performance
Wagner posted the highest overall game grade for either roster, as he allowed just one hurry and posted an excellent 87.2 run-blocking grade. As a whole, Baltimore’s offensive line gave up just four QB hurries with no sacks or hits (the lone sack for Cincinnati was charged to Flacco). Another sign of the strong O-line play was the fact that 42.7 percent of the Ravens’ yardage on designed runs came after contact, compared to last week’s 71.0 percent against the Cowboys.
Top defensive grades:
S Eric Weddle, 80.8
ILB CJ Mosley, 80.0
S Lardarius Webb, 78.4
OLB Elvis Dumervil, 77.9
NT Brandon Williams, 77.3
Lardarius Webb and Tavon Young hold their own on the back end
Webb and Young were each targeted nine times by Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton, and combined they gave up 10 catches for just 97 yards and had three breakups. The duo also combined for 13 solo tackles, with Webb’s eight leading the Ravens for the game. OLBs Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs were strong on the pass-rush, as they combined for three sacks, four hurries, and a batted pass.
Quarterback grade: Andy Dalton, 49.1
While his overall numbers are hurt by a drop, four throwaways, and four passes batted at the line of scrimmage, Dalton still failed to impress in his first game without WR A.J. Green or RB Giovani Bernard. In particular, he struggled on 14 pressured dropbacks, as he completed just five of 10 throws against the rush for 37 yards, and took three sacks. When the Ravens blitzed, he took two sacks and posted a QB rating of just 54.3.
Top offensive grades:
TE Tyler Eifert, 81.4
C Russell Bodine, 79.9
OT Andrew Whitworth, 73.9
OG Kevin Zeitler, 72.3
WR Tyler Boyd, 69.0
Poor play at right tackle kills Bengals' pass game
Cincinnati’s rotation at RT did not work today, as Cedric Ogbuehi gave up two sacks and three hurries on 31 pass protection reps, while Eric Winston gave up two hurries on his 26 pass protection snaps. The Bengals needed their wide receivers to step up in A.J. Green’s absence, but did not get much production from Tyler Boyd or Brandon LaFell. Each had one reception for over 20 yards, but outside of those two plays, the duo snagged just six of their remaining 13 targets for 55 yards.
Top defensive grades:
OLB Vontaze Burfict, 84.3
CB Dre Kirkpatrick, 82.3
CB Joshua Shaw, 81.3
CB Adam Jones, 80.4
DE Carlos Dunlap, 80.4
Poor tackling allows Ravens to move the ball with consistency
The Bengals’ defense missed a total of 10 tackles on the day, with three players tallying at least two. OLB Vontaze Burfict was one of the defenders with multiple whiffs, but he did lead the team in solo tackles (10) and defensive stops (seven). Kirkpatrick was the only CB not to give up a reception on every target against him, as Flacco completed just three of six throws into his coverage for 37 yards.
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
With three first-half field goals over 50 yards—four total for the game—Tucker is the easy choice, with no clear standouts on either roster.
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