Getty Ravens are waiving veteran LB Josh Bynes and signing DT Isaiah Mack.
The Baltimore Ravens made a handful of roster transitions ahead of their Week 16 interconference matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. With six-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell ruled out for this game with a knee injury, the team added more depth to their defensive line by signing fourth-year pro Isaiah Mack to the 53-man roster. To make room for him, they waived veteran inside linebacker Josh Bynes.
We have signed DT Isaiah Mack to the 53-man roster and waived LB Josh Bynes.
Mack has been on the Ravens’ practice squad for all but one game this season with his lone appearance coming in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which he saw 14 snaps on defense.
The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent spent most of his first three seasons in the league with the Tennessee Titans first joined the team last season. He appeared in two games and recorded three total tackles including one for a loss, a sack, and a quarterback in 31 defensive snaps.
Bynes was in his third stint with the team after originally coming into the league and making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011. The 12th-year veteran started the first seven games for the team but hasn’t been active for a game since. His starting spot on defense was taken over by midseason trade acquisition Roquon Smith who was just named to his first career Pro Bowl.
The Ravens also have several younger players at the position that play special teams with Malik Harrison, Kristian Welch, Del’Shawn Phillips, and undrafted rookie Josh Ross who has been on injured reserve since September and was recently designated to return to practice.
Ravens Elevate Offensive Depth From Practice Squad
After ruling out star quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third straight game and placing wide receiver Devin Duvernay on injured reserve earlier in the week the team called up a couple players from the practice squad to provide depth at both positions.
We have elevated WR Andy Isabella and QB Anthony Brown from the practice squad for Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Undrafted rookie Anthony Brown will serve as the backup signal caller behind third-year pro Tyler Huntley for the third week in a row. This will mark his third and final standard elevation which is significant because if Jackson doesn’t return next week, the team will be forced to either sign Brown to the 53-man roster or turn to veteran journeyman backup Brett Hundley to be their backup for another week or two until the former league MVP is ready to play again.
This will mark fourth-year pro Andy Isabella’s first time being called up for game action since signing with the Ravens on October 6, 2022. The Ravens didn’t just lose another wideout when Duvernay suffered his broken foot. They lost a dynamic offensive weapon with the speed to threaten opposing defenses vertically and laterally as well as one of the league’s best return specialists who just got voted to his second straight Pro Bowl.
While Isabella isn’t an exact replacement for Duvernay, the former second-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals has the speed to get to the edge as well as stretch the field and can help fill his particular role in the Ravens on jet sweeps especially. He can also be a factor in the return game with a career average of 20.8 yards on kick returns.
Top 3 Ravens Storylines for Week 16 vs. Falcons
How much will the weather impact the game?
Saturday’s game is expected to be one of the coldest in franchise history with the chance of swirling winds which will make it feel even colder on the field and around the stadium. In his Thursday press conference on December 22, 2022, head coach John Harbaugh said that the weather conditions are “definitely going to be a factor” but that the team would also not use it as an excuse to underperform.
“It’s definitely going to be a factor.”
Coach Harbaugh on the weather for Saturday’s game:
The players are ready to embrace the elements and some are even excited to play in a colder-than-usual game. Despite being born and raised in the south, Smith looks forward to playing in these projected conditions because it makes life miserable for opposing offenses.
Roquan Smith says he kind of likes playing in the cold weather. His reasoning? 👇
“People in general don’t like really getting hit when it’s cold so I try to become a predator then and try to get guys and hit them then, because they don’t really want to be hit.”
Will the Ravens commit to the run?
Inclement weather typically forces teams to rely more on their ground game and be less reluctant to pass, especially whenever the wind is involved. This plays right into the strength of the Ravens’ offense which ranks second in the league in rushing yards (2,306) and yards per carry (5.3) and is tied for first in rushing first downs (144) per Pro Football Reference. It will also be to the detriment of the Falcons’ woeful run defense which is ranked No. 26 by run DVOA per Football Outsiders.
The Ravens were on the verge of rushing for over 200 yards for the second straight game against the Cleveland Browns last week before offensive coordinator Greg Roman completely abandoned the run in the fourth quarter despite only being down by 10 points. Since his return to the active roster from injured reserve, third-year running back J.K. Dobbins has been the best and most productive running back in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks first in rushing yards (245), yards per carry (8.8), runs of 10-plus yards (7), and overall PFF grade (86.7).
JK Dobbins over the past two weeks:
⚫️ 245 rushing yards (1st)
🟣 8.8 yards per carry (1st)
⚫️ 7 runs of 10+ yards (1st)
🟣 86.7 PFF grade (1st)
While the Ravens shouldn’t try to run him into the ground because they still have another stud in Gus ‘The Bus’ Edwards, there is no reason why he should not set a new career-high for carries in a single game this week. His current career-high is just 15 carries according to Pro Football Reference. If he gets anywhere between 17-21, he’ll more than likely rush for over 100 yards for the third straight game and could threaten to reach the 200-yard mark that he has been eying and inching closer to the healthier he gets.
Will Tyler Huntley bounce back?
As ideal and preferable as it would be for the Ravens to be able to move the ball up and down the field at will against a poor Falcons run defense, there will be instances when they will need to throw the ball. When that time comes, Huntley will need to be more decisive, accurate, and careful with the ball. He has thrown two interceptions to no touchdowns as the offense has continued to struggle mightily to get the ball in the end zone.
In his Thursday press conference, Huntley said that an “emphasis” was put on finishing drives in the red zone during the week of practice and they are hoping that it pays off on Saturday. In order to ensure that happens, he will need to make sure he does his part to avoid turnovers and negative plays by throwing the ball away instead of taking a sack or running out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve just got to continue to practice like we’ve been doing, working on our emphasis, and when we get out there, we’ve got to put it all on the line and go get us some touchdowns; that’s all that matters,” Huntley said in a press conference on December 22, 2022. “It’s literally the game of inches, so between a fourth down and a touchdown down there, it’s just that big.”
Key Ravens Matchups for Week 15 vs. Browns
Marlon Humphrey v Drake London
With their Pro Bowl wide receiver/tight end hybrid, Kyle Pitts, on injured reserve, the Falcons’ best pass catcher is their top-10 pick from this year’s draft. London has been one of the best rookie wide receivers in the league this year but he will be facing arguably his toughest test of the season when he lines up against Humphrey.
The Ravens’ three-time Pro Bowl cornerback has been absolutely lights out in coverage this year and his prowess for playing with great physicality makes him a great matchup against a big-bodied receiver like London. According to Pro Football Focus, he has yet to allow a touchdown and has a passer rating allowed of just 67.6.
Marlon Humphrey this season:
⚫️ 76.3 PFF grade
🟣 0 TDs allowed
⚫️ 3 INTs
🟣 4 forced incompletions
⚫️ 67.6 passer rating allowed
Pro Bowl-worthy 👑
If the Ravens don’t elect to have Humphrey follow him around the lineup whether he lines up inside or out, expect to see Atlanta try to go after second-year pro Brandon Stephens who is filling in for three-time Pro Bowler Marcus Peters who is out with a calf injury.
Tyler Linerbaum v Grady Jarrett
The Ravens’ first-round rookie has been one of the best centers in the league in his first season and the Pro Bowl snub will have a chance to prove it again this week against one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. Jarrett is a two-time Pro Bowler himself and was arguably a snub from this year’s all-star roster as he is having another strong season with six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits through 14 games according to Pro Football Reference.
Linderbaum has gone up against and had a lot of success against some of the league’s best this year and will get another tough test with Garrett. Even though the Ravens aren’t likely to air the ball out much in this game, this battle in the trenches will still be a fun one to watch on run plays.
Cam Heyward thought he was going to get Tyler Linderbaum when he shifted right over top the rookie. Nope.
Ravens front seven v Falcons run game
As potent and productive as their own rushing offense has been this season, the Ravens will face a Falcon’s rushing attack that is right behind them in rushing yards (2,297) and yards per carry (5.0) and actually has scored one more rushing touchdown (14) than they have (13) per PFR. Thankfully, their run defense is the second-best unit in the league against the run but they will be missing a huge piece of that equation from both a literal and schematic standpoint with Campbell out.
Atlanta has a hard-running two-headed monster in their backfield with veteran Cordarrelle Patterson and rookie Tyler Allgeier who each has over 600 yards rushing this year. The dominant inside linebacker duo of Smith and ascending third-year pro Patrick Queen who was arguably snubbed from the Pro Bowl as well will have their hands full with a creative running game designed by Falcons head coach Arthur Smith that does a good job of getting their ball carriers to the second level.
If the Ravens can bottle up or at least limit the Falcons’ rush offense, they will force rookie quarterback, Desmond Ridder, to try to air it out in a bad weather game in just his second career start. Inside a dome against the New Orleans Saints last week, he went 13-of-26 for just 97 yards and was sacked four times. He’ll be going up against a Baltimore defense that ranks fourth in takeaways (23) and fifth in sacks (42) per PFR.