Isaiah Likely wasn’t the only rookie who thrived for the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. Likely stepped up when Mark Andrews was injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his efforts were supported by a first-year player who did the ugly but necessary work in Thursday night’s 27-22 win.
This rookie wasn’t motivated by picking up the slack for an injured All-Pro. Instead, he was inspired by the urging of a fired-up veteran who knew how the Ravens could beat the Bucs.
Fortunately, head coach John Harbaugh and his staff took heed of the veteran’s words. In the process, they helped a key member of this year’s draft class to dominate.
9-Year Pro Set the Tone for Ravens
Tyler Linderbaum had been quietly improving before Week 8, but the 25th-overall pick in this year’s draft enjoyed a breakout game in Tampa. The catalyst for his dominant effort was a shift in how the Ravens attacked the Buccaneers’ defense, a change inspired by former New York Jets right tackle Morgan Moses.
Likely caught six of Lamar Jackson’s passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, but the tight end would have had more had it not been for Moses. It was the nine-year pro Likely heard “shouting to the sideline to run the ball in the second half,” per Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun.
Moses’ words found their mark because the Ravens ran the ball 26 times in the second half at Raymond James Stadium after just seven attempts before the break, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Those extra attempts yielded significant gains and Moses knew why, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley:
In all, the Ravens amassed 204 yards on the ground after halftime. The run-heavy approach was welcomed by Linderbaum and Moses, with the latter thriving clearing rushing lanes, according to Pro Football Focus: “Moses was impressive in pass protection, allowing just one pressure across 41 pass-blocking snaps, but he really seemed to make a difference as a run-blocker, notching a 90.0-plus grade on first review.”
Moses graded higher, but Linderbaum earned the highlights and most of the plaudits, particularly for the way he manhandled one member of the Bucs’ front seven.
Devin White’s Night to Forget
Linderbaum (64) got the Ravens started on the right foot by moving inside linebacker Devin White back several yards on a read-option run from Jackson. The pancake block was highlighted by former NFL guard Geoff Schwartz, while Zrebiec revealed Harbaugh credited it as the play that “set the tone for the Ravens in the second half.”
White’s a Pro-Bowler not used to being mauled so easily, but the feeling soon became familiar thanks to Linderbaum. The ex-Iowa pivotman bullied White for most of the second half, with Ravens beat writer Bo Smolka saying Linderbaum used No. 45 as “his own personal blocking sled.”
That pattern continued even when Jackson wasn’t the one carrying the ball. Linderbaum also put White on skates for this dash by Gus Edwards, highlighted by Nate Tice of The Athletic:
As Tice noted, Linderbaum’s quickness to the second level was impressive. So was his knack for clamping onto his man and finishing the block with more than a little nastiness.
Those qualities weren’t just reserved for White. Linderbaum also made plays moving laterally, like on this pin-and-pull blocking scheme, highlighted by NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, to free Kenyan Drake for a big run.
As Baldinger pointed out, Linderbaum “does everything with leverage.” Fittingly, Moses’ (78) down block at right tackle helped allow Linderbaum to pull into space:
Brute force was the defining feature of the Ravens’ win. The game was the first time this season the Ravens looked like themselves. Namely, a team that plays resilient, opportunistic defense, complemented by a physical, ball-control offense.
Linderbaum was the driving force behind the Ravens rediscovering their throwback roots. His blocks brought the running game to life and made Jackson a better quarterback.
While Jackson threw 30 passes in the first half, he only aired it out eight times the rest of the way, but was more efficient for it, per Next Gen Stats:
Just like in the running game, Jackson is benefiting from what Linderbaum can do in pass protection. The first-year center has allowed just one sack through eight games. Stats like this are why many, including Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, think Linderbaum “probably has been the best rookie OL this season.”
Strength and skill in the trenches is the platform for the Ravens’ brutal brand of football. It’s why general manager Eric DeCosta used a first-round pick on Linderbaum, a price that’s beginning to look like a bargain.
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