Ravens vs. Broncos final: MVP, 7 Winners and 5 Losers

Dec 4, 2022 - 11:09 PM

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Following the Ravens’ 10-9 victory over the Denver Broncos, here are my picks for MVP, winners and losers.

MVP: QB Tyler Huntley

Anytime a backup quarterback can come in and lead the offense to a win, they’re the MVP. But, Huntley’s game against a strong defense was a respectable model of efficiency. Huntley went 27-of-32 for 187 yards and one interception. On the ground, Huntley added another 41 yards on ten rushes, including a fourth-down conversion on 4th & 2 and the game-winning two-yard touchdown.

“Just like practice, came in, got the reps that I did and I appreciate them,” Huntley said on his mindset when he entered the field.

Winners

RB Kenyan Drake — The swing pass turned into a wheel route was a thing of beauty for both Huntley and Drake. It would’ve been easy for Drake to sit back and kind of ball-watch. Instead, he read the backer jump in after Huntley’s pump-fake and bolted upfield to get the first down and put the Ravens on the 2-yard line.

TE Mark Andrews — On the final drive, Andrews demonstrated how valuable he is and how challenging it is to defend him. His first key play was under center where Andrews fought through the defense to convert a 4th & inches where he was initially stopped. Three plays later he fought through a harsh helmet-to-helmet hit from Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton to earn 15 penalty yards. Three plays after that, defenders against Andrews drew their second flag when Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II was flagged for defensive pass interference for another 17 yards.

“We’ll take that win,” Andrews said following the game. “No matter how it comes we’ll take that all day. We know our times coming, things are going to start clicking.”

Play Clock Conversation — All week, play clock issues were talked about and analyzed by media outlets surrounding the Ravens. On Sunday, the clock issues were absent.

P Jordan Stout — That was one heck of a game from Stout, booting five of his six punts inside Denver’s 20-yard line. In a game that would be defined by defense and special teams, the rookie outdueled Denver’s punter.

K Justin Tucker — Nothing like a refreshing reminder that Tucker’s ability from deep range can’t simply be replicated. When kicker Brandon McManus swung the leg from 63-yards out, he was yards shy of converting the attempt.

OLB Odafe Oweh — The sophomore linebacker’s faced a lot of criticism this season after struggling to produce sacks. This week, Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald came to his defense saying he’s doing all the right things and they’re happy with where he’s at. Today, he broke through and sacked Russell Wilson on a critical third down to get the Ravens the ball back.

Fourth-Down Conversions — Though the Ravens struggled on third down (3/13), they succeeded on all three fourth-down conversions.

Losers

WR James Proche — Regarding the double-reverse pass play, there must be instruction about not throwing it if it isn’t open. But, the pass was thrown into double coverage anyway and Broncos safety Jeffrey Simmons picked his second ball without a shred of difficulty.

RB Gus Edwards — The bulldozing back finished with 12 yards on six carries. Just not his day in a game that you’d expect him to be more a part of the success formula.

OT Daniel Faalele — The rookie tackle did not perform well today, as he was beat for at least one sack and a handful of pressures.

Offensive Line — As a group they allowed numerous pressures and sacks which saw Jackson exit the game due to injury and Huntley sprinting out of the pocket seeking extra time to find a teammate downfield.

Injuries — The Ravens may be down two starters as both Lamar Jackson and Patrick Queen deal with injuries that have their status unknown for Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.