Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Jim ZipCode
Ravens Pass-Catchers Ready for a Huge Postseason?
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through the Regular Season Not gonna lie, I am still riding high off the Ravens’ conference-clinching win over the Dolphins. It’s been two weeks and I’ve been gloating and celebrating the whole time. Have you ever seen a game where the starting QB had more TD passes than incompletions?? Four TDs to three incompletions! Unbelievable. That performance put the capstone on the Ravens’ 16-game performance. (We’ll call that the season. Week 18 finale vs Pittsburgh in the rain?
Pass-Catchers Report: Poor Tackle Play, Lamar's MVP Case, Super Bowl Preview?
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 14 Games Maturity is difficult to measure. There aren’t any numbers or statistics to define it. The most we can usually say is that we know it when we see it. But it also shows up when we have something to compare with. Last year I hammered Lamar for a lack of “poise” and “composure” at the end of the week 6 loss to the Giants. In Sunday’s game against Jacksonville, Lamar was constantly harassed and under pressure.
How About a Little Less Throwing to Win, Todd?
Did you know that Lamar Jackson‘s 43 pass attempts against the Rams tied his career-high for regular season attempts? Lamar Jackson had attempted 43 passes in three previous regular season games. In 2019 Week 3, Lamar threw 43 times at Kansas City in a loss. In 2021 Lamar threw 43 times twice; first in the record-setting game vs Indy Week 5, then in the Thursday night road loss at Miami Week 9. Those two games were highs and lows.
Tucker's (Previous) Record More Impressive Than You Realize
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 12 Games Last week I wrapped up the column with this about the Chargers: the Ravens will “probably kill them. … a bad defense … John Harbaugh teams don’t usually lose when they have an extra-days-rest advantage. … I suppose that’s an over-confident and presumptive tone [but] I’m feeling it, man!” Next time I get cocky about an easy Ravens upcoming win, please slap me upside the head. There is nothing more predictable in the life of a Ravens fan.
Pass-Catchers Report: LJ Better Than you Realized vs. Cincy
How good was Lamar Jackson in the passing game last Thursday against the Bengals? His actual passing stats were 16 of 26 (61.5%) for 264 yards (10.2 yards-per) with 2 TDs and zero INTs, for a passer rating of 121.3. That’s excellent, of course. But! Three of those attempts were throwaways: no receiver targeted, Lamar was just throwing it out of bounds due to pressure (Q1 2:58, Q2 13:26, Q2 1:30).
How Good are the Ravens? (And Why Doesn't it FEEL Like It...)
Here’s how much of a worry-weenie I am: You know how NFL teams from the West Coast typically struggle in 1PM games on the East Coast? From 2003 through 2019, home teams went 138-95 (.592) in those games. I had been taking some comfort in that thought, leading up to Sunday’s game. I woke up Sunday morning, stretched, and enjoyed the feeling of having slept in a little but it was still (relatively) early.
Do We Believe the Stat that Says the Ravens are the Best?
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 8 Weeks The Cardinals did something different on defense against the Ravens, that I haven’t seen other opponents do, and I think it really gave them trouble. On early downs in the first half, the Cards dropped EIGHT defenders into zone coverage, rushed only three, and waited for the Ravens to go somewhere. I stole a couple screencaps from Cole Jackson to give a sense of it (I hope he doesn’t mind!). These aren’t from the exact downs I mentioned, but they show the idea.
Monken Marrying Old & New Seamlessly So Far
Now THAT was an extremely satisfying game. I didn’t realize until the announcers pointed it out, but that was the Ravens’ third trip to Cincy in their last four games. It’s a relief that finally they were able to go in there with their “A” personnel, and convert the W. This was a fine outing for Lamar Jackson. But it wasn’t over-the-top. He’s had more overtly impressive games, in my opinion.
Monken Shows Off One of His Strengths in Week 1
Ravens Pass Catchers Through Week 1 “Workmanlike.” That’s my word for the Ravens’ win over the Texans in Week 1. It was a workmanlike performance. A good team hosted a bad team, and they took care of business. After halftime, the Ravens slowly & steadily pulled away; from about midway through the third quarter the game was never really in doubt. Not pretty, but effective. It wasn’t what I expected; honestly I was disappointed. I expected the Ravens to come out with explosive fireworks on offense.
Excited About the Offense? You Will be After You Read This!
What can we expect from the Ravens pass-catchers this year? And why are some Offensive Coordinators like theorists and others are like engineers? Hello, and welcome to another NFL season! This is a weekly column using stats to examine the performance of the Ravens pass-catchers. And normally I would wait until after the games start – when there are actual stats to work with! – to write about that performance. But I am way too excited by all the changes they’ve made this year. Aren’t you??
Even Roman's Staunchest Defenders Admit: He Had to Go
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 2023 The Ravens played their hearts out in an epic playoff matchup; a true battle in a rivalry game, that showcased toughness and desire and physicality. They lost on a devastating & disastrous big-play turnover, a play that will be remembered for years around the NFL.
Out to Lunch: Team MVP Roquan Smith Makes it Official
Ambassador of Quan Today is a big day for #RavensFlock. We’ll all find out this afternoon whether or not Lamar Jackson takes to the practice field, which will … Read More →
Out to Lunch: You Gotta Fight For Your Right to...Flip a Coin
The Art of Deception John Harbaugh will never be forthcoming with information that he believes might strategically aid an opponent. Unfortunately this behavior extends to injuries. Harbaugh is very … Read More →
Battle Plans: The Only Key is Not to Tip Your Hand
The Art of Deception John Harbaugh will never be forthcoming with information that he believes might strategically aid an opponent. Unfortunately this behavior extends to injuries. Harbaugh is very … Read More →
Out to Lunch: Ed Reed, Head Coach!
Congrats Ed Reed Great players don’t always make the best coaches. Maybe things came too easily to them and that elevates their expectations from players they coach. Maybe … Read More →
Battle Plans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17
Lamarless The Ravens have shown they can win games when Lamar Jackson is not the starting quarterback. It hasn’t been pretty and all of the victories … Read More →
Eric DeCosta's Blind Spots
Thundering Herd Ravens rushing offense is finding footing as pass game falters It’s no secret that the Ravens’ passing attack has been, well, awful. It’s been remarkably … Read More →
Battle Plans: Keys to Sweeping Cleveland
Belichick Stuck it to Baltimore Bill Belichick has been known to do whatever he can, within the rules or otherwise, to give his team a competitive advantage. He’s also not … Read More →
OTL: Belichick Stuck it to Baltimore
Battle Plans: Keys to Sweeping Cleveland As we’ve reached the first time the Ravens face a divisional opponent for the second time, I’ll need to reintroduce to you my format for … Read More →
The "OPS" of Running the Football? (Lamar Still the Best)
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 13 Games (and some other stuff) Would you believe that The Play Of The Game was a three-yard gain on first down? Ravens-Steelers matchups always feature unexpected moments of drama. This one came after Ravens starting QB Tyler Huntley got knocked out of the game and Steelers backup QB Mitchell Trubisky had shown he could drive his team from the Pittsburgh 11 all the way to the front of the goal, before Marcus Williams dramatically intercepted him.
Ravens v. Steelers: An Important Game That is Missing Its Usual Intensity
In Defense of Greg Roman… Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 12 Games Two weeks ago I complained about a “disappointing win” against the Panthers. The Ravens followed that up with a disheartening … Read More →
Pass-Catchers Report: In Defense of Greg Roman
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 12 Games Two weeks ago I complained about a “disappointing win” against the Panthers. The Ravens followed that up with a disheartening loss against the Jags, teaching me to keep my fool mouth shut about wins. Say what you will about the Ravens’ painful, skin-of-their-teeth win over the Broncos; it was much better than losing. The Denver Broncos may have the best defense in the AFC.
Out to Lunch: Ravens-Steelers as a Thanksgiving Tradition?
This Wednesday brought good news about a player many seem to have forgotten about, as free agent acquisition S Marcus Williams returned to practice: In his first two games as a Raven, Williams played extremely well, notching three interceptions and proving that GM Eric DeCosta made the right call getting the defense a true ball hawk at the back end of the secondary.
TL's TAKES: From OBJ to The Wrath of Peters and Many Points in Between
And Many Points in Between The Wide Receiver Room It’s a debate that has raged on for nearly the franchise’s entire existence. What are the Ravens going to do about the wide receiver room? Draft picks haven’t worked out so well for the better part of two decades. First round capital was spent on players like Travis Taylor, Mark Clayton, Breshad Perriman, Marquise Brown and most recently Rashod Bateman. Drafting talented pass catchers has been the organization’s Achilles heel.
Out to Lunch: First Look at Roquan the Raven
Wednesday was a fun one for the 5-3 Ravens, who had their annual team picture day in Owings Mills. It’s always nice to see clips and throwaway pictures of the players really being themselves, but my personal favorite is always the team’s college graduates photo. It’s awesome seeing so many players with degrees, but I also just enjoy recalling where certain ones went to school. Take a look for yourself, there might be some surprises.
Out to Lunch: JPP Provides Instant Pass Rush, with Help on the Way
Wednesday brought good news for Baltimore Ravens fans, particularly those concerned about the pass rush and linebacker positions. Two players with differing levels of NFL experience and success returned from injuries requiring intense recovery at the team’s practice in Owings Mills. The Ravens players were surely happy to have Bowser backs, but the front office must have been more excited for the first appearance from second-round pick David Ojabo.
HANG ON! (Pass Rush) Help Is On Its Way!
Bowser, Ojabo In, Boyle Out? When the Miami Dolphins prepared their game plan for the Ravens in 2021, then head coach Brian Flores apparently found a weakness in the Ravens offense that he sought to exploit. Flores’ scheme worked wonders against a quarterback who had shredded the Dolphins defense to the tune of 59 points just two seasons prior. The Dolphins defenders held the Ravens to 304 total net yards on their way to a 22-10 victory.
OTL: Chasing Chase
Kicking things off today, it’s worth sharing the message Ravens legend OJ Brigance sent to the team for his birthday last week. Baltimore’s social media team, as always, did a fantastic job capturing the moment: While it may not have been enough to capture a victory over the Bills last Sunday, it’s an amazing team moment nonetheless. Brigance continues to be a beacon in Baltimore, an inspiration that goes far beyond football.
Out to Lunch: Can Ravens Seize Another Opportunity vs. Buffalo?
“Don’t wait for the right opportunity; create it.” -George Bernard Shaw If these first few weeks of Ravens football have taught us anything, it’s that good things happen when you seize your opportunities, and bad things happen when you don’t. Week 1 encapsulated what this team can do when it creates its own opportunities, and Week 2 showed what happens when they let an opportunity slip away. Sunday’s game was a case study both of those lessons.
Out to Lunch: Stanley's Return Imminent?
With hump day beyond us, it’s time to turn our attention away from the debacle that came against the Miami Dolphins, and toward a fresh start. Baltimore’s season isn’t over, believe it or not. Remember just last year, the Ravens started 1-1 and had an AFC-leading 8-3 record before Lamar Jackson got hurt. Jackson did wear an arm sleeve at Wednesday’s practice, indicating some sort of discomfort after taking some shots against Miami.
BATTLE PLANS: A Game of Chess With The Hoodie
Offense 1. Pre Snap to Post Snap Recognition in Obvious Passing Situations Since 2017, New England head coach Bill Belichick hasn’t had an official defensive coordinator. Regardless of who else influences the defensive game planning and play calling in New England, it’s still Belichick at the controls. The latest committee involved in helping devise the game plan is Belichick’s sons – Steve and Brian – and former Patriot linebacker Jerrod Mayo. It’s ultimately Belichick’s show, and for good reason.
RBs Offer Little on the Ground, Even Less Through the Air
Ravens Pass-Catchers Through 2 Weeks This is a hard one to write. The loss to Miami is among the most disappointing regular-season losses in Ravens history. It’s probably the biggest 4th-quarter defensive collapse in Ravens history. The tone I feel like hitting in a column for that game is a glum, dour, everything-sucks tone. But. This is a column focused on the passing game performance and receiving statistics. And the fact is, the passing game had a great day on Sunday.
Out to Lunch: Yanda Next Raven to Enter Ring of Honor
Victory Wednesday! Hello there, Ravens Flock, and welcome to the Wednesday edition of Out to Lunch. We have all sorts of good news to take a look at following the Baltimore Ravens’ first win of the 2022 season over the New York Jets. Naturally, there are a lot more positive tweets and stories to look at from the internet for our Ravens than there are negative following a pretty impressive 24-9 victory over the Jets.
Our Beloved Goose is Gone
Fan Favorite Tony Siragusa Passes As reported by TMZ and shared with RSR by multiple sources, Tony Siragusa has passed away at the age of 55. Details of Tony’s death are forthcoming. Tony for Ravens fans was much like Art Donovan was to fans of the Baltimore Colts. He was an instigator, a practical joker, an outspoken leader – a gentle giant.
The Shocking Loss of Jaylon Ferguson
Tony Lombardi Tony is the founder of EutawStreetReport.com and RussellStreetReport.com. His work has been featured on various sports websites and he hosts The Front Office, Battle Plans and Word on The Street podcasts. Among his favorite things in life are his wife, kids, family, friends, The Beatles, Breaking Bad, Gladiator, The Godfather, Guinness, orange crushes, meatballs and Key West, not necessarily in that order. Follow Tony on Twitter @RSRLombardi.
Ravens Receiving Report: Passing Game Goes Silent in Second Half
Ravens Receiving Report: Week 18 The 2021 Ravens must be approaching some kind of record for narrow losses in a season. Most losses in one-score game or something. Four of the losses in this five-game losing streak have been one-score games. I flip-flop between being frustrated at them for not closing the deal, or proud of them for keeping games close against very tough competition (Packers, Rams). Maybe John Harbaugh feels the same way. But it’s not really a “moral victory” league.
POLL: Should the Ravens Honor Ben Roethlisberger During His Final Curtain Call?
Tony Lombardi Tony is the founder of EutawStreetReport.com and RussellStreetReport.com. His work has been featured on various sports websites and he hosts The Front Office, Battle Plans and Word on The Street podcasts. Among his favorite things in life are his wife, kids, family, friends, The Beatles, Breaking Bad, Gladiator, The Godfather, Guinness, orange crushes, meatballs and Key West, not necessarily in that order. Follow Tony on Twitter @RSRLombardi.
FLOCK FORECAST: Ravens v. Steelers
Ava Krivosh Ava Krivosh is a fourth-year sports journalism student at the University of Florida. She plans on graduating in December 2021. With her high morale, as well as a passion for sports and storytelling, she is eager to gain more experience in order to grow her knowledge of the sports industry. Being from Bel Air, she grew up an avid fan of the Ravens and the Orioles. Her love for Baltimore sports inspired her to study sports journalism. She currently creates the Flock Forecast videos weekly.
Bold Predictions for Ravens-Steelers in Week 18
The Ravens host their archrivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Week 18 showdown that could determine a wildcard participant if either teams gets a massive amount of help from other teams. The Ravens hope to end a five-game skid and avoid back-to-back seasons of being swept by Pittsburgh. How will it play out? Here are the RSR Staff’s Bold Predictions… Tony Lombardi This season seems like Groundhog Day and feels as if it has been a struggle in perpetuity.
Knee-Jerk Reactions to 20-19 Loss to Rams
The Ravens lost to the Los Angeles Rams 20-19 in Week 17. RSR staff react to the loss here. Derek Arnold Of course, on the day the defense finally shows up and balls out, racking up three turnovers and scoring their first TD of the season, the offense completely fails to live up to their end of the bargain. Chuck Clark found his hands! Brandon Williams and Jaylon Ferguson were in the backfield! Jimmy Smith, Brandon Stephens, and Tavon Young all had huge tackles! It wasn’t enough.
REPORT CARD: Rams Win 20-19 in Another Heartbreaker For The Ravens
You ever find yourself having a great day, and then something rears its ugly head and steals your newfound joy? Well, that was today for Ravens fans, as a fun, entertaining afternoon finished up with receiving a group wedgie on the playground as the cute girl from your history class joined in on the laughter. It was one more day of heartache. One more day of frustration.
How to Bet Ravens vs. Rams (NFL Week 17)
The Baltimore Ravens will host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and the Ravens are in desperate need of a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Once 8-3 and largely in charge of their own playoff destiny, the Ravens somehow went 0-for-December and now, at 8-7, are on the outside looking in at the postseason places.
The Victory Team Keys to Victory vs. Los Angeles
This is the short version of BATTLE PLANS. For the full version, click here. For the podcast, click here. It feels like it’s over. It’s not. But it sure does feel like it. Maybe that’s because the Rams are a tough out that the Ravens absolutely must have.
Injury Report: Ravens vs. Rams (Game Status/Friday)
Dev Panchwagh and Tony Lombardi, with the very capable assistance from James Ogden, discuss the few positives we can glean from the debacle against the …
Offense "Looks" Better, but Lacks Explosive Plays without Lamar
Ravens Receiving Report – Week 17 It was interesting to watch the Greg Roman offense being operated by an old veteran QB. The ball came out on time. There were open receivers; Josh Johnson was only sacked once. It “looked” like a normal NFL passing game. Johnson completed 70% of his passes, same as Tyler Huntley did against Green Bay, but with a decent yards-per-attempt (7.6, equal to Lamar Jackson’s on the year).
Ravens Receiving Report: Brown's Struggles Continue
Ravens Receiving Report: Week 16 The Ravens nearly beat the Packers! Just a successful 2-pt conversion away! That would have been a hell of a statement win. It’s emblematic of this Ravens season. “Almost!” It would’ve been amazing to see what the healthy version of this Ravens squad could have done this season. Tyler Huntley completed 70% of his passes in this game, but his play was nowhere near as good as that stat would suggest.
Lamar Jackson Needs to Start Taking the Easy Yards
Ravens Receiving Report: Week 14 Nothing’s more irritating in my life as a sports fan, than the Ravens losing to the Steelers. And in a game so winnable! During the broadcast, Tony Romo was on Lamar Jackson for not getting the ball out early. It’s true: Lamar has been unwilling or unable to take the hot read in obvious “hot” situations. Here are some examples: Lamar reads left to right. Doesn’t like the window to Bateman. Doesn’t want to hit Andrews underneath. Watt forces Jackson to move.
Receiving Report: What Do Joe & Lamar Have in Common?
The Ravens ground out an exciting win over a divisional opponent, on the strength of suffocating play from their defense. They’re currently #1 in the AFC by virtue of tiebreakers, and control their own destiny. This is a column about passing offense, so it won’t be as positive as the big picture would indicate. The game was Lamar Jackson’s worst as a pro by passer rating (in a regular season start). A rating of 46.5! Four INTs! Dreadful. He knows it, too.
Ravens Receiving Report: Huntley Dinks, Dunks...and Finds Watkins
It’s good to get a win in a road game with your backup QB. It reinforces how resilient these Ravens have been this season. And Tyler Huntley showed a lot of poise and heart in the game. I want to take a minute to use Huntley’s performance as a way to talk about the difference between completion percentage and accuracy. It’s probably going to sound like I’m slamming Huntley, and I really don’t mean that. I just want to amplify the differences between him and Lamar Jackson, as passers.
Lotta Chances, Few Results for Pass-Catchers vs. Miami
Brutal. The Miami game was the Ravens’ worst performance on offense this season. It was their lowest regular-season point total of the Lamar era; their only lower score in the past four regular seasons was the nine points they put up at Cleveland in 2018 game five, when Joe Flacco was the starter. Worse was the playoff loss to Buffalo this past season, when they were held to three points.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Jim
Contact Jim, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack