Ravens’ Week 12 snap counts vs Steelers: A host of unfamiliar faces

The result was not what the Baltimore Ravens wanted. But given the depleted roster heading into the long-delayed Week 12 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 19-14 loss was far from a disaster.

The loss drops Baltimore to 6-5 on the season, which means they can no longer win the AFC North. It also drops them two games behind the Cleveland Browns in the division. With a third consecutive loss, a season that started so promisingly is beginning to unravel for the Ravens.

It’s near impossible to make heads or tails of the snap counts this week thanks to so many new faces getting their first playing time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But for as disappointing as the final score was, getting an in-game look at what the young players can do is something that should help Baltimore in the long-term.

Let’s dive into the Ravens’ offensive and defensive snap counts from Week 12.

Ravens offensive snap counts vs. Steelers

Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Griffin III started the game at quarterback for the Ravens and completed seven of his 12 pass attempts for just 33 yards while leading the team in rushing with 68 yards on seven attempts. But Trace McSorley also played nine snaps, rushing three times for 16 yards and attempting six passes. Only two were completed but included a 70-yard touchdown pass. Gus Edwards earned the start at running back, but he only played 28 of the Ravens' 54 snaps. Justice Hill played on 26. They both saw nine carries, with Hill by far outproducing Edwards 35-10. Edwards did manage to find the end zone. Four members of Baltimore's offensive line managed to play every snap, with Orlando Brown, Bradley Bozeman, Ben Powers, and Trystan Colon-Castillo in on all 54 offensive plays. D.J. Fluker played 34, while Tyre Phillips was in for 20 as they rotated at right tackle. Marquise Brown and Devin Duvernay led the Ravens in terms of snaps played. Brown played 42-of-54 while Duvernay was not far behind with 41. Brown had his most productive game for some time, reeling in four of his eight targets for 85 yards and a score. Admittedly, 70 of the yards came on the touchdown. Duvernay was second on the team with three targets, all of which he caught for 20 yards. Dez Bryant played 59% of the snaps, but his 32 plays saw him targeted just twice. He did not record a single catch. With no Mark Andrews, the tight end duties were split between Luke Willson, Eric Tomlinson, and Sean Culkin. Wilson played 37 snaps, a 69% share, while Tomlinson and Culkin each played 16. The trio combined for two targets, both going to Willson, which fell incomplete. Here's the full snap count for the offense:

Ravens defensive snap counts vs. Steelers

Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In an uncertain world, the Ravens can at least be certain of some things. The sturdy nature of their defensive backfield is one such thing. Chuck Clark and Marlon Humphrey played all 72 of the Ravens' defensive snaps while DeShon Elliott and Marcus Peters missed only six snaps combined. Clark led the team with 13 combined tackles including one for a loss, while Humphrey had two pass breakups and forced two fumbles. Jimmy Smith was limited by an injury he suffered in the first half and was restricted to just 14 snaps. Veteran Tramon Williams played on 62% of the plays and laid two hits on Ben Roethlisberger. Patrick Queen led the linebackers in defensive plays, appearing on 92% of the plays on his way to eight combined tackles. L.J. Fort had the next highest workload, playing on 32 of the 72 defensive plays. Chris Board out-snapped rookie Malik Harrison 16-10. With no Brandon Williams, Justin Ellis plugged the gap at nose tackle on 48 of the plays, a share of 67%. Derek Wolfe enjoyed a snap share of 81%, with his 58 plays bringing him four combined tackles including one for a loss. Yannick Ngakoue was quiet once again, despite playing 43 snaps. He had a single pass breakup to show for his efforts. Tyus Bowser led the way among the outside linebackers in more ways than one. He played the most snaps with 53, had three quarterback hits, a pass breakup, and an interception. Jaylon Ferguson also had a quarterback hit.