Ravens Week 6 Report Card: Pass rush, offensive weapons excel vs. Commanders

Quarterback: A

Gone were Lamar Jackson's fumbled snaps and extended plays from his dazzling shootout against the Bengals, replaced by a poised, efficient performance that calmly ripped apart the Commanders defense. Jackson registered 0.40 EPA per dropback and a whopping 12.4 yards per attempt against a 40.6% Washington blitz rate, per NextGen Stats. He consistently made the right pre-snap adjustments and threw pinpoint passes downfield. His one blemish was an opening-drive overthrow that ricocheted off of Mark Andrews' outstretched hands for Jackson's second interception of the season. He responded with three scores in Baltimore's next four possessions before mounting several long drives to kill the game in the second half.

Running backs: A

Derrick Henry entered the MVP conversation after his 132 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, increasing his league lead in both categories. The Commanders clogged the middle early on, but playcall adjustments from Todd Monken optimized Henry's effectiveness as he once again served as a bludgeoning closer in the second half. Justice Hill only gained four yards on two touches, both season-lows, but he stayed tough in pass protection throughout the game.

Wide receivers: A

Zay Flowers set another career-high in receiving yards with 132, burning the Commanders' secondary before and after the catch. He will see fewer targets when a matchup calls for a run-heavy game plan, but he's proven he can be the focal point through the air when called upon. Rashod Bateman continued his elite separation with a season-high 71 yards on four receptions, all of which he converted into first downs. Baltimore's other wideouts are still struggling to get touches in a crowded offense, but Nelson Agholor's 25-yard catch-and-run set up the Ravens' second touchdown in the second quarter.

Tight Ends: A

Mark Andrews' season-high 66 receiving yards included a leaping 13-yard grab for his first touchdown of the year that served as an excellent reminder of his chemistry with Jackson. Add another solid run-blocking performance, and it finally looks like Andrews is his Pro Bowl self again. Patrick Ricard's presence on the field force Washington into base personnel, opening up play action opportunities in the passing game. Isaiah Likely only caught two passes for 27 yards – his fourth straight game under 30 yards – but he's a willing and able run blocker who helps make the ground game tick. Same goes for Charlie Kolar, who only ran one route but continued his role as a hard-working inline blocker.

Offensive Line: A-

Daniel Faalele put together his most complete performance over the year, allowing zero pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and executing a variety of blocking concepts throughout the game. He blocked well in space as a puller, got downfield on screens, and sealed off outside zone runs with a newfound understanding of how to use his size to his advantage. The rest of the offensive line did well to adjust to the Commanders' aggressive blitzing, though Roger Rosengarten struggling in pure dropback situations. As usual, Tyler Linderbaum was the star of the trenches, consistently displacing Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen in the run game.

Defensive line: A

The Ravens grinded the Commanders' second-ranked rushing attack to a halt in Week 6, led by strong efforts from Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones. With Broderick Washington sidelined, Michael Pierce and Brent Urban chipped in their usual rotational efforts to hold the Commanders to just 2.9 yards per rush. That has come to be the expectation for Baltimore's elite run defense, but the defensive line's efforts to contain Jayden Daniels were an impressive, team-oriented execution of a clear and effective game plan. Daniels was consistently pushed back in the pocket without any scrambling lanes past the line of scrimmage, keeping his legs from being a major factor in the game.

Edge rushers: B+

Like Jones and Madubuike, Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy did their usual jobs against the run while keeping Daniels contained off the edge. At times, they sacrificed quick attempts at pressure to get downfield and cut off any escape routes to the outside, cohesively working with the interior rushers to minimize Daniels' scrambling. Yannick Ngakoue recorded three pressures on eight pass-rushing snaps, per Pro Football Focus, earning a promotion to the active roster in the process. Tavius Robinson continues to play well in a rotational role, but David Ojabo has been quiet since his explosive Week 1 performance.

Inside linebackers: B+

Roquan Smith continued to destroy the run and added some efficient blitzing in Week 6, but he was still caught in coverage over the middle for 62 yards on five targets. It's less an issue of poor performance than it is of outsized responsibility, though. Smith's constant mugging of the A gap requires him to race off the line of scrimmage to cover large open spaces across the middle. Trenton Simpson continued to tackle well against the run and looked smooth and comfortable in coverage, a positive sign for a Ravens defense that needs to close the middle of the field. He is still searching for the splash plays that will maximize his effectiveness on the field, but he is a capable, consistent contributor in his current role.

Cornerbacks: C+

Brandon Stephens was as tight in coverage as ever, but struggled to get his head around and locate the ball at the catch point, giving up several touch catches to Washington's receivers. Nate Wiggins surrendered 71 yards on eight targets, but stepped up against the run and performed better when he was able to settle into a matchup against Noah Brown. His quick recovery from a minor injury and high snape share made it clear that Wiggins is a key member of the secondary, and the Ravens are willing to accept a few rookie mistakes in return for his development and playmaking. Marlon Humphrey was a menace out of the slot, racking up five stops in another excellent performance.

Safeties:

Kyle Hamilton continues to buoy this group with his superb sideline-to-sideline defense, allowing just one target on 38 coverage snaps with his usual downhill disruption as a blitzer and run defender. Marcus Williams struggled once again, though perhaps not quite as much as previous games. He was still caught out of position on Terry McLaurin's red zone touchdown, stepping too far up from his deep safety post and watching the ball go over hsi head. Eddie Jackson still isn't playing up to his career standards in coverage, and the continued solid play of Ar'Darius Washington should have Zach Orr reevaluating his safety rotation.