6 winners, 5 losers from Ravens’ 33-27 loss to Raiders in Week 1
The Baltimore Ravens came out on the losing end of an instant classic during Week 1 of the 2021 season, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders by the final score of 33-27. It was a tough game to lose, and puts Baltimore at 0-1 heading into a big Week 2 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
There were plenty of winners and losers from this game, as the Ravens had multiple positives and negatives to take away from it. Some players performed very well while others had a tough time. It was Week 1, so some sloppiness was expected, but still it was a bit of a surprise to see some struggle as much as they did.
Below we look at five winners and four losers from the Ravens’ opening week loss to the Raiders.
Winner: WR Marquise Brown
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Brown got off to a fast start in his new No. 5 jersey, picking up where he left off with quarterback Lamar Jackson. The wide receiver caught six passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, showing that his rapport with Jackson hasn't lost a step. He got open, showed his speed, and found holes in the defense, putting together a strong opening performance.
Winner: WR Sammy Watkins
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Watkins made a good first impression in a Ravens' uniform, hauling in four receptions and leading Baltimore in receiving yards with 96. He and Lamar Jackson connected on a huge 49-yard pass late in the game, which set up a Justin Tucker field goal to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. He showed what he can bring to the Ravens' offense, and is off to a good start with the team.
Loser: TE Mark Andrews
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Andrews was a non-factor in Baltimore's Week 1 loss to Las Vegas, as he only caught three passes for 20 yards and also had a play late in the game where he was unable to hold onto a ball that would have given the Ravens a first down. It was a rough game for Andrews, and with his new extension he is expected to produce more than he did. However, the Raiders were keying in on Andrews and paying a lot of attention to him, so it was difficult for the tight end to find a lot of room to work with.
Loser: OL Ronnie Stanley
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Stanley struggled in his return to action after suffering a serious ankle injury in the middle of the 2020 season. He was constantly beaten off of the edge by multiple Las Vegas defenders, including Yannick Ngakoue, Maxx Crosby, and Carl Nassib. It was expected that Stanley would go through some rough stretches as he gets used to being back on the field, but the star definitely struggled more than expected.
Loser: OL Alejandro Villanueva
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Villanueva was a question mark heading into this game, and his production coming out of it was not encouraging. He was beaten over and over again by the Raiders defense, even getting put on his back at times by the Las Vegas pass rushers. Hopefully he will be able to turn it around next week against the Chiefs.
Winner: OL Bradley Bozeman
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Bozeman has moved back to his college position at center, and in his first game he did not disappoint. Overall the center played well in both the run and pass game, and also didn't have any issues snapping the football to Lamar Jackson. It was refreshing to see solid play at the center position for the Ravens, and hopefully Bozeman can continue to build on his opening performance of the 2021 season.
Loser: The Ravens' pass rush
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Baltimore's pass rush had a very up-and-down game, but for the most part it faltered when it was needed most. The unit accumulated three total sacks, but even when they were sending blitz after blitz late in the game, no pressure was getting to Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The pass rush must perform a lot better in the future if the team wants to make opposing offenses uncomfortable.
Winner: OLB Odafe Oweh
(AP Photo/David Becker)
Oweh impressed in his NFL debut, accumulating two total tackles and a sack. While those box score stats don't necessarily pop off of the screen, Oweh was disruptive, looked confident, and was able to generate some pressure. He looked a lot more polished than many anticipated, and he turned in a very solid performance in his first NFL game.
Winner: CB Marlon Humphrey
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Many look to the last play of the game where Humphrey got beaten by Las Vegas wide receiver Zay Jones for the game-winning touchdown. However, he got picked by his own teammate, leaving Jones wide open. Overall, Humphrey played an extremely good game, sticking to his assignment whether it was wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, tight end Darren Waller or others.
Winner: CB Anthony Averett
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In Week 1, Averett did a great job filling in for injured cornerback Marcus Peters. He finished the game with seven total tackles and an interception, sticking to his assignments for the most part. It was a good start to the season for the cornerback, and hopefully his performance is a sign of things to come for Baltimore.
Loser: CB Tavon Young
(AP Photo/David Becker)
Young struggled in his first action since suffering a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. He was repeatedly picked on early in the game, and also had two pass interference penalties called on him. Some rust for Young was expected, but the cornerback will have to be better in order to make a big impact on the field this season.
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