Analysis
10/25/22
11 min read
Ravens vs. Buccaneers Week 8 Scouting Report: Grades and Key Matchups
The Scouting Report for Thursday night’s Ravens vs. Buccaneers game is produced by The 33rd Team’s Scouting Department, led by former Eagles, Cardinals, and Ravens personnel executive T.J. McCreight and assisted by scouts Justin Casey, Kevin Cohn and Evan Pritt.
Tom Brady vs. Lamar Jackson
- This is a matchup between two quarterbacks with incredibly different styles, but who have seen success doing it their way. Brady is your traditional pocket passer, who uses his instincts and quick release to play successful football in today’s high-speed NFL.
- Jackson is your new school, athletic, bounce out of the pocket and beat pressure with his legs type of QB. Both have seen success and both are playing at a productive level.
- Brady is resetting the standard for longevity in professional sports. In his 23rd season at age 45, we continue to wait for the Brady drop-off but sometimes it feels like it may never come. It’s no secret Tampa Bay's offense has gotten off to a slow start, but for a 45-year-old to still be playing at this level is a pretty amazing accomplishment in itself.
- Ability wise there has been no drop-off for Brady. He still possesses good arm strength with good zip and the ability to drive the ball down the field. He can put the ball in tight windows and still has a beautiful arching deep ball.
- He has lethal accuracy, especially over the middle of the field. Brady does a good job moving vertically in the pocket. He has good awareness to feel the rush and gets rid of the ball with an extremely quick release.
- He has never done a great job moving when he has to go laterally, but he does show good accuracy when throwing on the move. The issue with the Bucs' offense is Brady is not getting as much time to throw. Oftentimes you'll see him look for his first read and then immediately go to his check down. This has caused the offense to go stagnant and struggle to move the ball down the field.
- Even with the combination of a banged-up offensive line and a lack of explosive run-after-the-catch receivers, the Bucs' offense needs to get going if they want a chance to make some noise late in the season. With a bad division and Brady still playing at a high level, they have a chance to right the ship. Father time is undefeated, but Brady is putting up one heck of a fight.
- Jackson is the opposite of Brady. Jackson is a freaky athlete who is explosive and has sudden quickness. He has elite speed and is dangerous with his legs from anywhere on the field. He is a threat to take off and you have to account for it every play.
- Jackson is a good passer, which makes him even more dangerous. He has a great arm with great zip and the ability to drive the ball down the field. He throws the deep ball effortlessly with a quick flick of his wrist.
- He has good accuracy and can fit the ball into tight windows. He will have some misses, especially on the deep ball, but for the most part, he is accurate.
- He has made a more conscious effort to hang in the pocket and try to make throws this season rather than just taking off when his first read isn’t there. His ability to use his legs helps create off-schedule production when his first reads aren’t there. He does a good job mixing in improvisational runs and using his legs to set up the pass.
- Jackson is also exceptional on designed running plays. They often line him up in the shotgun and attack with read-option plays where he can make a decision and go. He has elite vision and instincts to find holes and exploit the defense. This part of his game gives the defense added pressure.
- Both players are talented in what they do. They understand their strengths and use them to their advantage. Jackson has a complete set of skills that the Ravens do an incredible job taking advantage of.
- Brady uses his great instincts and football intelligence to identify defenses pre-snap and make quick decisions as to where the ball needs to go. His quick release helps compensate for his lack of mobility, which gives him the ability to be successful in today’s NFL.
Mike Evans vs. Marcus Peters and Baltimore Secondary
- On the season, Evans has caught 33 passes (tied for 25th), 13.8 average yards per catch (26th) and three touchdowns (tied for 12th).
- In the loss against the Panthers last week, Evans caught nine passes for 96 yards and had a huge drop that would have been a walk-in touchdown.
- The former first-round pick is in his ninth season and scored 14 touchdowns in 2021. He has never had a season with less than 1,000 yards receiving and averages 15.3 yards per catch for his career.
- Evans understands how to use his size to his advantage. Like a basketball player, he uses his big frame to box out defenders and uses his hands and ball skills to win against smaller defenders.
- What also makes a big difference in his game is his arm length (over 35 inches). His length makes him play even taller than his 6-foot-5-inch frame – he plays big and you can’t underestimate what the results are when competing against a corner that is under six foot – it is a huge advantage.
- Evans has deceptive speed, he gobbles up ground with his long strides and runs much faster than you think. He has good feet, balance and body control to come in and out of his cuts.
- He is a forgiving target for the quarterback. For a quarterback, it makes a big difference when you are throwing to a wideout with outstanding size since there is much more room for error.
- He's especially dangerous from the slot running deep on a seam route. Because of his toughness and willingness to take a hit and hold on- he is extremely dangerous on that route from the inside and Tom Brady can deliver the ball accurately.
- Another aspect of his game that sticks out to me is his sideline awareness. He has a good feel for the boundary and his hands and feet work together very well. If the defender is playing loose it is an easy play and a free 10 yards.
- Marcus Peters, who mainly plays outside on the left side, has the athleticism and overall movement skills to take away some of Evans’ comeback routes at the boundary. Peters has very good feet, balance and body control and can run with people vertically. I do worry about Peters getting pushed around a bit by the bigger, more physical Evans.
- When you study Peters one thing that sticks out is his tackling. On more than one occasion he has turned down plays in the open field and will make a ‘business decision’. Last week he wanted nothing to do with David Njoku when he had the ball in the open field.
- Look for the Bucs to work to exploit slot corner Damarion Williams. Williams lacks the size, length and strength to go toe-to-toe with Evans from the inside. Evans will use his hands and big frame to deftly push and get Williams off balance.
- As you watch this game on Thursday, take notice of safety Chuck Clark. Clark is one of the better players in the back end when it comes to recognizing a route or route combination and then planting and driving on the play in front.
- Look for the Ravens to give help over the top with Chuck Clark and the other safety, Geno Stone.
Mark Andrews vs. Tampa Defense
- Andrews was limited in practice last week with a knee injury but he was active and still played 88% of the snaps vs Cleveland. He had no catches and just two targets. It was his first game without a catch since 2018 and the fewest targets he’s had in a game since his rookie season in 2018.
- Despite last week’s performance, he still ranks 11th in receptions (39), 18th in receiving yards (455), fourth in receiving TDs (5), fourth in red zone targets (12) and fourth in team target percentage (31.4%).
- Andrews doesn’t wow you with explosive athleticism, but he is a fluid mover who knows how to use his big body. He has a very good feel for uncovering vs. zone and he has great awareness for how to get in Jackson’s field of vision when he scrambles. He’s crafty in his contested releases and uses his body well to fight through attempted re-routes by defenders. He has good enough body control to adjust to off-target throws, and he has good-but-not-great hands (three drops this year). He’s not a violent runner with the ball in his hands, but he doesn’t go to the ground without a fight. He’s bigger than just about any defender he faces in coverage and he doesn’t rely on speed or quickness to get open.
- They will “sneak” him under center in short-yardage situations for sneaks, and they added a wrinkle last week with him pitching it to Jackson who was lined up behind him. He also lined up next to Jackson in shotgun and took the handoff to convert a third-and-short.
- Quarterbacks are 36 of 45 (80%) for 372 yards passing and a QB rating of 104.8 when targeting the tight end against the Tampa Bay defense this season.
- Tampa Bay’s two inside linebackers, Devin White and Lavonte David have played every snap so far this season. They both have outstanding instincts and burst to close down on receivers. They are not going to give up a lot after the catch.
- Tampa has already faced Travis Kelce this season, and he aligns in a variety of spots similar to Andrews. They did use a DE to re-route Kelce when he was aligned with a tight split, so they might try to mix it up against Andrews in a similar fashion. Kelce is a more explosive athlete and dynamic hands catcher than Andrews. He beat David for a touchdown with a fake that got David to sit down in coverage, and he later beat White down the seam for a 22-yard gain on third down with perfect ball placement by Mahomes and Kelce’s rare ability to adjust.
- Tampa is a heavy zone team, so they rely on communication in their secondary. They have been beaten at times in the secondary lately which can lead to busts. You saw that happen against the Steelers on a 45-yard completion to TE Connor Heyward and last week against Carolina when rookie CB Zyon McCollum was beaten by TE Tommy Tremble for a 29-yard TD.
- Safety/Nickel Antoine Winfield Jr. would have factored into coverage on Andrews, but he was knocked out of the game against Carolina with a concussion, so he is unlikely to be available on the short week. He had been one of their most active playmakers on defense this season and one of the real tone-setters for a group that has allowed more than 21 points in only one game this season (vs. KC).
- Veteran safety Logan Ryan is already out with foot surgery, and two of their top three corners, Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting missed last week. If they are down again, they will have just two of their top six secondary players that they started the season with. That was one of the strengths of their team and allowed Todd Bowles a lot of flexibility.
- While Tampa’s secondary is beaten up, Baltimore has not exactly been lighting it up through the air of late. If Andrews is healthy, he will probably get his averages, but he is not going to scare White and David. What they can’t do is lose him if Jackson escapes the pocket.
Ravens’ Keys to Victory
- Play coverage against Brady and be very selective of when and how much pressure to bring. Brady can quickly recognize a blitz and make you pay for it.
- Stay on schedule in order to maximize Jackson’s skill set.
Buccaneers’ Keys to Victory
- Take a page out of the Cleveland Browns' playbook to limit Mark Andrews’ production and targets.
- Focus on special teams and make sure that you are buttoned up. The Ravens will find your weak link and attack him. They very rarely lose the battle on special teams, and they have one of the best returners in the game in Devin Duvernay.
