Baltimore Ravens: Elvis Dumervil is not the only one to blame for loss
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Ravens loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars is the most crushing game of the 2015 season. Elvis Dumervil is taking most of the blame for how the game ended, but his 15-yard face mask was not the only play that cost the Ravens their third win.
Joe Flacco turned the ball over on the first three drives of the second half. Jeremy Ross gave Jacksonville the ball deep in Ravens territory following a muffed punt. Kendrick Lewis had a game-ending interception sail right into his arms, but couldn’t haul in the football. Lewis makes that play and that’s the ball game.
Then there is the question of whether the Jaguars even got that final play off. Watching the game live, the first thing most of the fans surrounding said that the clock was at zero before the Jags snapped the ball. Some Ravens were even celebrating as the clock seemed to expire. You be the judge.
Dumervil kept fighting, but clearly grabbed Blake Bortles‘ face mask to draw the flag. Jason Myers then hit the 53-yard field goal to give Jacksonville the win in the most unusual of circumstances. The 70,000 in attendance rushed out of the stadium in disgust.
It’s been a rather cruel season to be associated with the Ravens. This team is lacking a killer instinct and it has shown late in games. Baltimore just cannot do anything right when it matters most. Shocking for a bunch of guys who are used to winning.
This loss should put an end to any playoff chatter and the focus onto the upcoming NFL draft. The Ravens would hold the No. 3 pick if the season ended today. They could go a variety of ways with that pick, whether it be a left tackle, pass rusher or some kind of playmaker on offense.
While this season definitely has not gone according to plan, this is not the third worst team in the NFL. Regardless of what people may want, the Ravens should get a few more wins down the stretch, pushing them back in the draft. This is not the NBA. Football teams don’t tank games.
The Ravens are not playing winning football. They have squandered away too many opportunities to win games. Flacco has been anything but Joe Cool this season. This is not what we have come to expect from a John Harbaugh-led team. It’s difficult to watch.
Next: Ravens Lacking That Killer Instinct
The Ravens will host the St. Louis Rams this week and the schedule does not let up from there. Harbaugh and Flacco are not going to lay down to their opponents and will continue to fight for wins. We can only hope that this team starts to show some kind of life over the next two months to give us something to look forward to next season.