Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens' 31-17 win over Washington

Here’s how the Ravens graded out at each position after a 31-17 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday at FedEx Field.

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson completed some excellent passes on the run while showing good touch. The 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews while scrambling in the second quarter was a real beauty. But he missed some open receivers and was careless with his ball-handling. Jackson twice overthrew receivers on potential touchdowns. He is still the biggest weapon on offense, as evidenced by a 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Grade: B

Receivers

Nearly a week after disappearing in the game against Kansas City, Marquise Brown played well and had four catches for 86 yards. More importantly, he started gaining yards after the catch, something that is desperately needed in this offense. Andrews also redeemed himself with three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Miles Boykin got involved with two catches, and that’s a plus for this team. Grade: B

Running backs

There still hasn’t been one running back to emerge from this group to command the bulk of the work. Gus Edwards led all Ravens running backs with 38 yards on nine carries, but it takes the running game a half to heat up every game. Mark Ingram II had 34 yards on eight carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Fullback Patrick Ricard could open a Waffle House after Sunday’s game because he pancaked a lot Washington players. Grade: C+

Offensive line

Like the running game, this group didn’t heat up until the second half. The Ravens had the equivalent of two new players in the starting group. With left tackle Ronnie Stanley out with a shoulder injury, Orlando Brown Jr. was moved from right tackle to the left side, and veteran D.J. Fluker was inserted at Brown’s old spot. Both played reasonably well. The Ravens also got strong games from their guards, Bradley Bozeman and rookie Tyre Phillips. Grade: B-

Defensive line

The Ravens were solid up front, but expectations were higher for this group at the beginning of the year. The Ravens flow well but are slow to get off blocks. Very seldom do the linemen get penetration to interrupt running plays, and they still don’t get much pressure on the quarterback, even though end Calais Campbell keeps knocking down passes. Campbell led the linemen in tackles with four. This group didn’t have a sack or a hit on the quarterback. Grade: C+

Linebackers

Outside linebacker Matthew Judon had his first two sacks of the season. It was predictable he would have a big day against Washington, but maybe it’s the start of something bigger. Judon also hit quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. five times, and his fellow outside linebackers added two more hits. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen showed why the Ravens selected him in the first round in April because he made 12 tackles and was all over the field. However, his pass coverage has become a liability at this point in the season. Grade: B

Secondary

Overall, the Ravens didn’t get challenged much down the field. Washington was content to throw short passes over the middle and in the flats. The Ravens, though, need to improve their tackling because several of those quick screens turned into big gains for Washington. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey forced a fumble that eventually led to a Ravens touchdown. Safety Chuck Clark made six tackles, some of which saved touchdowns. Cornerback Marcus Peters had two penalties early in the game, but had a better second half. Grade: B

Special teams

The Ravens, who are known for some gimmick plays on special teams, pulled off a fake punt in the first half that eventually led to a touchdown and turned the game dramatically in their favor. The Ravens didn’t have any big returns, as they did against Kansas City, but they covered returns extremely well. Washington averaged only 15 yards on two kickoff returns and lost 3 yards on its only punt return. Justin Tucker made a 46-yard field goal, and Sam Koch averaged 47 yards per punt. Grade: A

Coaching

The Ravens rebounded and had a solid effort against an inferior Washington team. That’s a major plus, especially after the team’s poor showing against the Chiefs on Monday night. The Ravens ran an assortment of blitzes and pressures that kept Washington off balance, but defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale will have to work on tackling. Somehow, coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have to get the Ravens to come out stronger in the first half. Grade: B

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