| 2021 Baltimore Ravens season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Steve Bisciotti |
| Head Coach | John Harbaugh |
| General Manager | Eric DeCosta |
| Home Field | M&T Bank Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–1 |
| Place | 3rd AFC North |
| Playoff Finish | |
| Timeline | |
| Previous Season | Next Season |
| 2020 | 2022 |
The 2021 season is the Baltimore Ravens' 26th season in the National Football League and their fourteenth under head coach John Harbaugh.
On August 23, the Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh claimed the record of consecutive preseason wins with 20, overtaking Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers record with a win over the Washington Football Team.[1]
Offseason[]
Players added[]
| Position | Player | Tag | 2020 Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Kevin Zeitler | UFA (Cut) | NY Giants | March 15 |
| TE | Josh Oliver | Traded | Jacksonville | March 17 |
| FS | Geno Stone | UFA | Houston | March 23 |
| WR | Sammy Watkins | UFA | Kansas City | March 26 |
| OT | Alejandro Villanueva | UFA | Pittsburgh | May 4 |
| WR | Devin Gray | UFA | Atlanta | June 3 |
| OT | Ja'Wuan James | UFA (Cut) | Denver | June 7 |
| DE | Chris Smith | UFA | Las Vegas | July 27 |
| DE | Justin Houston | UFA | Indianapolis | July 31 |
| RB | Le'Veon Bell | UFA | Kansas City | September 7 |
| RB | Devonta Freeman | UFA | NY Giants | September 9 |
| RB | Latavius Murray | UFA (Cut) | New Orleans | September 10 |
Players lost[]
| Position | Player | Tag | 2021 Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Robert Griffin III | Waived | January 18 | |
| WR | De'Anthony Thomas | Waived | January 18 | |
| CB | Tramon Williams | Waived | Retired | January 18 |
| RB | Mark Ingram Jr. | Waived | Houston | January 19 |
| OLB | Matthew Judon | UFA | New England | March 15 |
| EDGE | Yannick Ngakoue | UFA | Las Vegas | March 15 |
| WR | Chris Moore | UFA | Houston | March 15 |
| DE | Jihad Ward | UFA | Jacksonville | March 16 |
| LS | Morgan Cox | UFA | Tennessee | March 17 |
| C | Matt Skura | UFA | NY Giants | March 18 |
| S | Jayron Kearse | UFA | Dallas | March 24 |
| WR | Willie Snead | UFA | Las Vegas | March 26 |
| OT | Orlando Brown Jr. | Traded | Kansas City | April 23 |
| OLB | Chauncey Rivers | Waived | Green Bay | August 4 |
| TE | Jake Breeland | Waived/Injured | August 9 | |
| CB | Davontae Harris | Waived | San Francisco | August 15 |
| TE | Eli Wolf | Waived | August 15 | |
| CB | Shaun Wade | Traded | New England | August 26 |
| C | Greg Mancz | Traded | Miami | August 28 |
| OG | Ben Bredeson | Traded | NY Giants | August 31 |
| SS | Nigel Warrior | Waived | Seattle | August 31 |
2021 NFL Draft[]
- Main article: 2021 NFL Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Rashod Bateman | WR | Minnesota |
| 31 | Odafe Oweh | OLB | Penn State | |
| 3 | 94 | Ben Cleveland | OG | Georgia |
| 104 | Brandon Stephens | CB | SMU | |
| 4 | 131 | Tylan Wallace | WR | Oklahoma State |
| 5 | 160 | Shaun Wade | CB | Ohio State |
| 171 | Daelin Hayes | OLB | Notre Dame | |
| 184 | Ben Mason | FB | Michigan |
Notes
- Baltimore traded offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., their 2021 second-round selection (No. 58) and a 2022 sixth-round selection to Kansas City for their 2021 first-round selection (No. 31), 2021 third-round selection (No. 94), 2021 fourth-round selection (No. 136), and a 2022 fifth-round selection.[2]
- Baltimore traded its third-round selection (No. 91) and a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for linebacker Yannick Ngakoue.
- Baltimore received compensatory third-round selections in 2021 (No. 104) and 2022 when its assistant head coach and passing game coordinator David Culley was hired by Houston as head coach.[3]
- Baltimore traded the fourth-round selection it had earlier acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 136) and its own sixth-round selection (No. 210) to Arizona for their 5th round selection (No. 160) and a 2022 fourth-round pick.[4]
- Baltimore received a compensatory fifth-round selection (No. 184) in 2021 due to the loss of DT Michael Pierce in free agency the previous offseason.
Undrafted free agent signings[]
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Ar'Darius Washington | S | TCU |
| Adrian Ealy | OT | Oklahoma |
| Tony Poljan | TE | Virginia |
| Sam Cooper | OG | Merrimack |
| Foster Sarell | OT | Stanford |
| Xavier Kelly | DT | Arkansas |
| Blake Gallagher | LB | Northwestern |
| Nate McCrary | RB | Saginaw Valley State |
| Donte Sylencieux | WR | Graceland |
| Barrington Wade | LB | Iowa |
| Kenji Bahar | QB | Monmouth |
| Jake Verity | K | East Carolina |
| Jovan Swann | DL | Indiana |
Staff[]
Baltimore Ravens current staff
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Current roster[]
Baltimore Ravens current roster
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
Linebackers
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Linebackers (cont'd)
Defensive Backs
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Defensive Backs (cont'd)
Special Teams
Reserve Lists Practice Squad
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Practice Squad (cont'd)
Unrestricted FAs
Restricted FAs
Exclusive-Rights FAs
| ||||
Preseason[]
The Ravens' preseason opponents and schedule were announced in the spring.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 14 | New Orleans | W 17–14 | 1–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 21 | at Carolina | W 20–3 | 2–0 | B of A Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | at Washington | W 37–3 | 3–0 | FedExField | Recap |
Note
- The Ravens' three preseason victories extended their preseason winning streak to 20 games (an NFL record).[5]
Regular season[]
Schedule[]
The Ravens' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12, and is subject to change, pending developments in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | TV | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | 8:15 p.m. | at Las Vegas | L 27–33 (OT) | 0–1 | Allegiant Stadium | ESPN/ABC | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | 8:20 p.m. | Kansas City | W 36–35 | 1–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | 1:00 p.m. | at Detroit | W 19–17 | 2–1 | Ford Field | CBS | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | 4:25 p.m. | at Denver | Mile High | CBS | |||
| 5 | October 11 | 8:15 p.m. | Indianapolis | M&T Bank Stadium | ESPN | |||
| 6 | October 17 | 1:00 p.m. | LA Chargers | M&T Bank Stadium | CBS | |||
| 7 | October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | Cincinnati | M&T Bank Stadium | CBS | |||
| 8 | Bye | |||||||
| 9 | November 7 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | M&T Bank Stadium | Fox | |||
| 10 | November 11 | 8:20 p.m. | at Miami | Hard Rock Stadium | Fox/NFLN/Prime Video | |||
| 11 | November 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at Chicago | Soldier Field | CBS | |||
| 12 | November 28 | 8:20 p.m. | Cleveland | M&T Bank Stadium | NBC | |||
| 13 | December 5 | 4:25 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | Heinz Field | CBS | |||
| 14 | December 12 | 1:00 p.m. | at Cleveland | FirstEnergy Stadium | CBS | |||
| 15 | December 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Green Bay | M&T Bank Stadium | Fox | |||
| 16 | December 26 | 1:00 p.m. | at Cincinnati | Paul Brown Stadium | CBS | |||
| 17 | January 2 | 4:25 p.m. | LA Rams | M&T Bank Stadium | Fox | |||
| 18 | January 9 | 1:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh | M&T Bank Stadium | CBS | |||
Notes:
- Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
- Networks and times from Weeks 6–18 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling; Week 10 is exempt, as it occurs on a Thursday.
- Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.
Game summaries[]
Week 1: Las Vegas Raiders 33, Baltimore Ravens 27 (OT)[]
Week 1: Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
|
The Ravens blew multiple fourth quarter leads and lost in overtime 27–33 to the Raiders on Monday Night Football.
The Raiders received the opening kickoff and moved into Baltimore territory before a shotgun snap that was not expected by Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr led to a 15-yard loss. As a result of the play, the Raiders were forced to punt. The Ravens were unable to do much with the ball and punted as well. A three-and-out series by the Raiders gave the ball to the Ravens at their own 35. The Ravens moved into Raider territory, but were faced with a fourth and one at the Raider 35-yard line. Ty'Son Williams broke through the line on the fourth down play for a 35-yard touchdown run to give Baltimore a 7–0 lead. The teams exchanged punts on their next possessions before the Ravens moved into Raider territory again. Lamar Jackson hit Marquise Brown on a 10-yard touchdown pass with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter and it appeared the Raiders might get blown out. However, on the ensuing possession, Carr was finally able to connect with tight end Darren Waller and move the ball to the Ravens two-yard line before Josh Jacobs scored to cut the lead in half, 14–7. The Ravens again moved into Raider territory with less than two minutes left in the half, but were stopped short on fourth down and turned the ball over to Las Vegas. Carr quickly moved the Raiders to the Baltimore 14-yard line, but had to settle for a Daniel Carlson 34-yard field goal as the half ended leaving the score 14–10 at halftime.
In the second half, the team exchanged punts again before the Ravens connected on a 40-yard field goal by Justin Tucker to move the lead back to seven at 17–10. The Raiders looked to answer by moving in to Raven territory, but were stuffed on a fourth-and-one at the Raven 13. The teams again exchanged punts as the game moved to the fourth quarter. The Ravens took over with 13:23 remaining in the quarter, but Jackson scrambled and had the ball knocked out of his hands and fumbled with the Raiders' Denzel Perryman recovering the ball at the Baltimore 41. Four plays later, Jacobs scored on a 25-yard run to tie the game at 17. The Ravens quickly answered as Latavius Murray scored on an eight-yard touchdown run to give the Ravens a 24–17 lead with about six minutes remaining. Carr moved the Raiders down field and, with just under four minutes left, hit Waller for a 10-yard touchdown pass to again tie the game. Baltimore responded by moving into Raider territory, but were unable to get a first down on a third-down play at the Vegas 31 and were forced to settle for a field goal with 37 seconds remaining. Carr, with no timeouts, hit Bryan Edwards for a 20-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing possession. After a spike to stop the clock, Carr hit Edwards again for 18 yards to move the ball to the Raven 37. Carlson then hit a 55-yard field to tie the game at 27. With two second remaining in the quarter, the Ravens took a knee to settle for overtime.
In overtime, the Raiders won the toss and moved into Raven territory on a pass by Carr to Hunter Renfrow. Renfrow appeared to step out of bounds at least once on the 27-yard play, but no review was made. Two plays later, Carr, backpedaling to avoid the rush, threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Edwards to apparently win the game. As players celebrated on the field, the play was reviewed and it was determined Edwards was down near the one-yard line, overturning the touchdown. After clearing the field, Carr was stuffed on sneak attempt. Rookie right tackle Alex Leatherwood then committed a false start penalty and the ball was moved back outside the five-yard line. Following an incompletion, Carr's next pass went through the hands of Willie Snead and bounced off a DeShon Elliott's helmet before being intercepted by Anthony Averett in the end zone for a touchback. After the Ravens took over at the 20, Jackson fumbled again which was again recovered by the Raiders. Following a one-yard run to the Ravens' 26, the Raiders belatedly decided to attempt a field goal. However, due to the slow decision, Carlson did not get on the field in time and the Raiders, who had used their two timeouts on the prior possession, committed a delay of game penalty. Jon Gruden decided to not try the field goal on the next play and Carr, under pressure and backpedaling, threw to a wide open Zay Jones for a 31-yard touchdown to end the game.
With the heartbreaking upset loss, the Ravens fell to 0–1 for the first time since 2015. This game marked the 12th game with an upset in Week 1 during the 2021 NFL season an NFL record.
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens 36, Kansas City Chiefs 35[]
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
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The Ravens overcame two 11–point 2nd half deficits to stun the Chiefs 36–35 on Sunday Night Football, avoiding an 0–2 start. Lamar Jackson ran for two fourth quarter touchdowns on consecutive drives, overcoming two first quarter interceptions, the former of which was a Pick 6, by Tyrann Mathieu. Kansas City then drove into field goal range, but rookie OLB Odafe Oweh forced and recovered a fumble by Clyde Edwards-Helaire at the Baltimore 34-yard line with 1:20 left to go in the game. The Ravens then forced the Chiefs to use all 3 timeouts before Jackson sealed it with a 2-yard run on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 43. It was Jackson's first ever win over Patrick Mahomes as well as the largest deficit he's overcome in his career. With the win, the Ravens improved to 1–1.
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens 19, Detroit Lions 17[]
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions – Game summary
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The Ravens survived a fourth quarter rally by the Detroit Lions to win 19–17 at Ford Field. After trailing 7–16 going into the fourth quarter, the Lions scored 10 unanswered points, taking the lead with 1:04 left to play on a Ryan Santoso 35-yard field goal. On the ensuing possession, the Ravens faced a 4th & 19 deep in their own territory with less than 30 seconds to go, but Lamar Jackson found Sammy Watkins for a long gain out to the Lions 48 yard line. After spiking the ball, Jackson took four more seconds off the clock by throwing the ball out of bounds, leaving only three seconds on the clock. However, the referees missed that the play clock expired before the play, which should been a five-yard penalty for delay of game. Longtime Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who missed a 49–yard field goal earlier, then hit an NFL-record 66-yard field goal as time expired to win the game.
Week 4: at Denver Broncos[]
Week 4: Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos – Game summary
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Standings[]
Division[]
Template:2021 AFC North standings
Conference[]
Template:2021 AFC standings
References[]
- ↑ Ravens secure NFL record 20th-straight preseason win (in en-US) (2021-08-29).
- ↑ Chiefs acquire OT Orlando Brown in trade with Ravens. NFL (23 April 2021). Retrieved on 23 April 2021.
- ↑ "Texans set to hire Ravens assistant David Culley as head coach", NFL, January 27, 2021.
- ↑ Ravens trade No. 136 pick, receive No. 160 in swap with Cardinals. RavensWire (May 1, 2021). Retrieved on May 1, 2021.
- ↑ Ravens secure NFL record 20th-straight preseason win (29 August 2021).