The Baltimore Ravens wasted yet another second-half lead by surrendering five touchdowns in two quarters against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, and franchise great Ed Reed knows who’s to blame.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Reed kept it blunt and to the point while watching his old team squander a 13-point lead over their AFC North rivals to lose 35-13 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, October 25.
Reed exclaimed, “Wow, terrible coaching decisions week in week out crazy!”
While he didn’t reference any specific calls, arguably the greatest free safety in NFL history drew attention to something Ravens’ rookie head coach Jesse Minter won’t welcome.
The Bengals out-coached the Ravens in every phase after halftime. Cincy adjusted to take away what worked for the Ravens during the opening two quarters, and Minter and his staff had no answers once their team lost momentum.
It was a case of history repeating itself for Minter and his staff. They oversaw the Ravens blow a 10-0 lead to lose to another division rival, the Cleveland Browns, in Week 6.
Doubling down on this frailty was enough for a franchise icon to lose his cool.
Ed Reed Knows Ravens Lost the Coaching Battle
Reed knows what he saw. The Ravens lost all of the meaningful mental and physical battles once the Bengals started their comeback.
Things were different in the first half when Minter’s defense posted a shutout. The Ravens smothered Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow with relentless, smartly designed and targeted pressure.
As Stats & Scheme newsletter writer Tej Seth pointed out, “The Ravens pass rush absolutely destroyed the left side of the Bengals offensive line in the first half They had a 53.5% pressure rate (+14.5% above league average) with the average time to pressure being 2.6 seconds (per @SumerSports) Trey Hendrickson has been great and Minter is sending pass rushers from the second level as well.”
They had a 53.5% pressure rate (+14.5% above league average) with the average time to pressure being 2.6 seconds (per @SumerSports)
Trey Hendrickson has been great and Minter
Burrow was under duress, but he had the freedom of the field to throw four touchdown passes in the second half. Pressure disappeared once the Bengals began securing the left side.
Minter and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver had no answers, despite pledging to use Hendrickson more creatively.
There was nothing creative about how the Ravens approached things on offense. Not even after Zay Flowers scorched the Bengals for 104 receiving yards off just five catches in the first half, including this 48-yard score.
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Flowers was running riot, but he made a mere three receptions for 33 yards after the break. The Bengals began to double Flowers, but the Ravens and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley continued to throw his way.
Things were just as predictable when Ravens’ offensive coordinator Declan Doyle let struggling running back Derrick Henry continue to toil in short-yardage situations.
Henry’s been “terrible” on short-yardage runs this season, but he still got three in a row during the first half. The two-time NFL rushing champion was stuffed on every one, and the Ravens wasted points when they were dominant.
Allowing such curious play-calling to continue is an indictment of Minter’s command of the big picture details. He’s taking on a lot of responsibility for the first time, but worrying patterns are already emerging for Minter.
Jesse Minter’s Falling Into Damaging Pattern
Wasting leads was a problem before Minter replaced Harbaugh, but the pattern is continuing. So is the trend of Minter’s Ravens getting thoroughly dominated after halftime.
That’s the time when good coaches make the right adjustments, but “The Ravens have now been outscored 34-0 in the 2nd half in AFC North play,” per The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer.
Minter’s losing control when sketchy play-calling, poor execution and mental mistakes undermine the Ravens. In the process, the 43-year-old is confirming the worst fears of some about his ceiling as a head coach.
The Ravens’ ceiling for this season is giving way as they repeat their tired tendency to collapse, both on the sideline and between the hashmarks, when holding a lead.
Ravens’ Great Ed Reed Calls Out ‘Terrible,’ ‘Crazy’ Problem After Defeat vs. Bengals