Corday Gaskins
The Baltimore Ravens kicked off their 2018 season on September 9th at home at M&T Bank Stadium against the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens Defeated the Bills 43-3 on the rainy home opener.
Currently, Baltimore is coming off an upsetting loss to their division rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals Defeated the Ravens 34-23.
The Bengals and Ravens have a long history with each other and Baltimore hasn't made the playoffs in four years. The Ravens finished the 2017 season with a record of 9-7.
The Bengals were the reason The Ravens missed out on the playoffs during the 2017 season when Baltimore lost in their last game when Wide-Receiver Tyler Boyd scored a walk-off 49-yard Touchdown.
The loss kept the ravens from making the playoffs.
The Touchdown by Tyler Boyd enabled the Buffalo Bills to take the Ravens playoff slot in the 2017 Post Season.
The Ravens were also without their 2018 first round pick Tight-End Hayden Hurst in the first two games after suffering an injury. Hurst suffered a stress fracture in his foot and underwent surgery on his birthday August 24th. Hurst is expected to miss three-to-four weeks.
The Ravens drafted another Tight-End named Mark Andrews in the third round of the 2018 draft. Mark Andrews will have a huge role until Hurst gets back.
Mark Andrews was impressive against The Bengals. Andrews finished with 3 catches for 17 yards and a touchdown. "Andrews will help fill the void," said Clifton Brown, a Baltimore Ravens Staff Writer to Baltimoreravens.com.
General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg brought in some new pieces to the Ravens’ Offense through free agency. The Ravens have acquired Wide-Receivers, Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead.
Former Arizona Cardinals Receiver John Brown is expected to play a big role this year in the Ravens Offense. He finished his first two games as a Raven with 7 catches for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"He's better than advertised -- probably even better than what the tape showed, I would say. He's been a complete receiver for us," said John Harbaugh, The Baltimore Ravens head coach to Baltimoreravens.com.
Baltimore will be looking to bounce back after the loss to Cincinnati. The Ravens had a lot of ups and downs during week 2. For a portion of the game, The Ravens lost their Pro Bowl Linebacker C.J Mosley, due to a bone bruise. As a result, The Ravens allowed the Bengals Wide Receiver A.J Green to score 3 touchdowns; While Joe Flacco threw 2 interceptions.
Although The Ravens performed badly, there’s still a chance they will have a successful season based on their performance against The Buffalo Bills in week 1.
Quarterback Joe Flacco played a fantastic game against The Bills. Flacco completed the game with 236 passing yards and 25/34 completions. Flacco is getting along well with his new targets. “I feel really good [with them]. I’ve said it all along,” Flacco said to Baltmoreravens.com.
Baltimore's defense had a stellar performance versus The Bills. The Ravens held the Bills Offense to only 3 points. The Ravens Defense ended the game with 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 down stops.
The Ravens defense was also without their starting cornerback Jimmy Smith for the first two games. The NFL has suspended Jimmy Smith for 4 games. Smith violated the league's personal conduct policy relating to a continuous custody disagreement with his former girlfriend.
Jimmy Smith and Hayden Hurst will be back in the lineup soon to help contribute to the Ravens.
The Ravens will be facing the Denver Broncos in week 3 of the season.
