The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-31 in Week 7.

RSR employees react to the victory here.

Rob Shields

What was a great win that turned into another game that leaves you with a little “Wtf was that?” feeling after the game? The Ravens had a 34-10 lead and were feeling great. But then the offense got sweet and stupid for no reason, which led to a blunder and then the floodgates opened a little. Yes, some of it was garbage time and most of it seems inconsequential, but the Ravens gave up 202 yards on their first three drives and then shut down the Bucs until the fourth quarter.

And in addition to the defense giving up and the one bad play by the offense that allowed the Bucs to get back in the game, there’s another onside kick that goes against the Ravens due to poor execution (and a great kick by TB). .

They keep making mistake after mistake and those are the things that lead to losing to KC in January.

Yes, the offense is elite and they have another game about running over 100 yards faster than the other team, but the penalties, ST errors, and defense’s tendency to give up big plays needs to stop. They can’t win in January if they play like that.

Chris Schisler

I’m in love with this team. I love this team almost as much as NFL officials love throwing laundry in the MNF competition. This reminds me of the Dolphins game last year. Just like in that game, the defense had no answer early on and it ended in a stunning win for the Ravens.

Marlon Humphrey changed the nature of this game. His two interceptions before he left the game due to injury were more than crucial. The first pick was in the end zone and he did a phenomenal job using his eyes to get into position. This was a veteran piece of all veteran pieces.

Lamar Jackson was absolutely incredible. After taking a few very rough-looking sacks, he dismantled the Buccaneers. It was like a game of purple blackjack. They flashed, Jackson scored. The connection between Lamar and Mark Andrews looked dated, like they could do it in their sleep. Rashod Bateman’s beautiful deep route was the Ravens’ mic drop moment.

Things got interesting in the wrong way when Jackson’s errant reverse pass to Zay Flowers resulted in a turnover. The Buccaneers made it a two-point game, requiring Tampa Bay to convert two points.

The bottom line is that this game looked like it was going to be terrible for Baltimore. They looked unprepared and fell behind 0:10. The Ravens turned on the Jets and a couple of big runs from Derrick Henry ultimately put the game away. The game became more interesting than it needed to be. The onside kick team needs practice, but the Ravens were in full control. Look, you’re trying to be objective, write about the facts and be really analytical. My question is, how can you not completely fall in love with this team? You just can’t say enough about the Ravens right now.

Jared Pinder

Tonight on Peyton and Eli’s broadcast, Bill Belichick said that the only team that can beat the Ravens is the Ravens. That’s the best way to describe this team, a team that is incredibly talented but something is holding them back. They make more mental mistakes than a team this good should make, and it’s frustrating.

On the bright side, the offense once again looked great and the defense made some plays.

But the main problem with this team is still the terrible mental mistakes. This team is good, good enough to make a Super Bowl, but they need to work these issues out, man, no excuses.

Kevin McNelis

Man, the first quarter seems like an eternity now, doesn’t it? Isn’t it nice to watch a team make adjustments?

The Ravens were hit hard early in the game, but they fought back with a vengeance on the back of a Jackson 5 and two picks from Marlon Humphrey (who we all REALLY hope is okay) and surpassed his previous season high in picks. With Rashod Bateman’s long TD reception, we saw the game get pretty out of control. I really love watching these guys keep the offense going.

We were expecting an offensive shootout, but as the game progressed it really became a one-sided affair and the Ravens scored a whopping 41 points after a scoreless first quarter.

Baltimore has now won its last six games against the 2002 Buccaneers, and the Ravens have now won five straight.

Ben Dachiw

In case anyone is wondering, there are six players in NFL history who have won the MVP title three times. Just some food for thought.

Defensive issues aside, this offense is simply unstoppable. They can kill you in a million different ways and have the talent on the depth chart to support their number eight golden goose.

Unfortunately, something still doesn’t feel right. The team hasn’t lost a game in over a month, they’re dominating playoff teams, and yet the little voice in the back of my head is still talking about the AFC Championship. That’s the problem. No matter how good Lamar Jackson and the Ravens look over the next two months, none of it really matters unless they can beat this Missouri team.

I like what I see. I’m incredibly optimistic about what I see, but the Ravens are still two games behind the team they’re trying to catch.

Nick Polinsky

I think it’s safe to say that this offense is, without a doubt, the most dangerous Ravens offense we’ve ever seen. Lamar Jackson had two MVP seasons, but we’ve never seen the offense like this. The King’s new addition to the backcourt has moved mountains; Derrick Henry is almost unstoppable and Lamar Jackson does whatever he wants at will. Everything clicks offensively – please just stop holding.

After the defense struggled early, the secondary got stronger with Marlon Humphrey making two crucial plays to put possession back in the Ravens’ hands. The pass rush picked up pace later in the game, but early on it seemed like Baker had Mayfield in the pocket for far too long. Luckily everything seemed to work itself out in the end and there was a nice win on Monday.

It feels like a repeating trend, with the Ravens struggling early, losing to a terrible opponent, and then steamrolling everyone in their path as the regular season progresses. This team has a real chance, and if everything stays largely the same, it should be fun to watch the rest of the way.

Darin McCann

In this article we get confirmation of some of the trends we’ve been seeing all season. The Ravens build a lead with Lamar, which they would then like to extend with Derrick Henry. The offense repeatedly found itself in unfavorable situations due to penalties – but still got out of trouble relatively easily. The defense can come from a unit that vacillates somewhere between competence and a disorganized mass of poor communication and confusion. And the Ravens recover with onside kicks like my daughter picks up her socks. They don’t do that.

And, oh yeah… the combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry has the potential to be one of the most dynamic duos the National Football League has ever seen.

Let’s throw a few flowers to Rashod Bateman, Marlon Humphrey, Odafe Oweh and Justice Hill – who all left their mark on this album.

Derek Arnold

After coming out of the game flat and falling behind 10-0, the Ravens bounced back in a big way. We have to thank Baker Mayfield for his generosity because his first interception against Marlon Humphrey was a terrible decision. Of course, kudos goes to Marlo for the capitalization. The second was helped by some pressure at the top, but before those interceptions the Ravens couldn’t stop a nosebleed. We have to commend Humphrey for being opportunistic (especially since Ar’Darius let a pick slip through Washington’s fingers for the second straight game a week later), and we all hope he just falls foul of Nate Wiggins has gone and that he will be fine again after some ice cream.

What is there to say about the Ravens offense? They cannot be stopped, only slowed down. Derrick Henry managed another 80-yard run, Lamar Jackson is a willing downfield blocker who threw another five touchdowns in prime time, Mark Andrews is BACK, Justin Tucker is BACK, Rashod Bateman is HERE, Zay Flowers is Zay Flowers… them come in Sometimes they go their own way, which is frustrating – look at the 2nd-and-2 sequence in the 2nd quarter that went backwards and the reverse pass that led to a turnover – but ultimately show again and again that you can do whatever you want if you have to.

Ed Reed on the ManningCast was asked by Peyton if the Ravens gave up easy touchdowns late. Ed said: “It’s game over for them. They don’t understand right now what it means to finish and be a championship team.”

John Harbaugh’s team needs to take this message to heart.

Nikhil Mehta

Lamar Jackson got hit a couple times by the Bucs on his first drive, went to the sideline to figure it out, and played nearly flawless football the rest of the way. Tampa Bay had no answer for his composure in the pocket or his mobility outside of it. The playmakers took turns taking the spotlight: two touchdowns for Mark Andrews, plenty of YAC from Justice Hill and of course the deep bomb for Rashod Bateman that will be the enduring highlight of the game. And of course, Derrick Henry entered the game in the second half to threaten the defense, giving Baltimore a comfortable cushion as the Bucs attempted a comeback.

And they did so again, cutting the Ravens’ lead to just 10 points by the end of the game. That’s partly due to Zach Orr’s conservative play, but the defense was still leaky in the back end against a solid Buccaneers offense. Their route combinations put the secondary in distress, but the Ravens imposed their will at the catch point with several big hits and two interceptions from Marlon Humphrey that completely changed the outcome of the first half. The pass rush couldn’t get off the ground without a blitz against a talented Tampa Bay OL, and the Ravens struggled more after the catch than in previous games.

But 41 away points in prime time is never something to sneeze at, especially against a 4-2 Bucs team that beat the Commanders and Lions earlier in the year. Jackson’s dominance against the NFC continues and the Ravens are on Cleveland.

Chad Racine

That was really a fun game. A slow start, but by the time the Ravens got rolling, the stadium was empty. Lamar and Henry seem almost unstoppable. The defense just has to catch up a little.