The Ravens' 35-13 loss to the Bengals left us with more questions than answers about the current state of the roster. After holding Cincinnati scoreless in the first half, Baltimore surrendered five second-half touchdowns, raising questions about the team's consistency and effort. Despite the disappointing result, several players continued to play with a high motor throughout the game. Cam Jurgens provided much-needed stability along the interior offensive line in his first start as a Raven, Travis Jones reminded everyone of his ability to dominate in the trenches, and Ethan Burke stepped into an important role following Tavius Robinson's season-ending injury.
67 snaps | 26 run blocking | 41 pass blocking | 1 pressure allowed
Jurgens made his first start for Baltimore since being acquired from Philadelphia on October 7th, providing some much-needed stability to an interior offensive line that has struggled throughout the season.
One of the most noticeable aspects of his performance was his football IQ and awareness in pass protection. The center's responsibilities extend well beyond snapping the football, as he is tasked with setting protections, identifying pressure and assisting neighboring offensive linemen. On multiple reps, Jurgens demonstrated his awareness against stunts and loops, absorbing contact and passing off defenders to prevent free rushers from reaching the quarterback. In one-on-one situations, he displayed a calm demeanor and a reliable anchor, allowing just one pressure across 41 pass-blocking snaps.
Jurgens also flashed his core strength and ability to operate in space. On one rep, he tossed a Bengals defender to the ground before releasing into space on a screen. In the run game, he consistently worked to establish favorable angles, flip his hips and seal rushing lanes for the ball carrier.
Jurgens isn't necessarily an overwhelming power blocker, but his ability to steal leverage, reach his landmarks and position his body between the defender and the ball carrier makes him an excellent fit for Baltimore's rushing attack. His presence provides immediate stability to the offensive line while giving the Ravens a potential long-term answer at center for years to come.
17 snaps | 11 run defense | 6 pass rush | 1 pressure | 2 stops
Burke's performance against Cincinnati may not jump off the stat sheet, but his contributions came in an important role for Baltimore's defense.
With Tavius Robinson suffering a season-ending pectoral injury, the Ravens needed another versatile edge defender capable of holding up against the run, and Burke demonstrated that he can fill that responsibility. His alignment versatility allows him to operate as a 7-technique outside the tight end or reduce inside into 5-technique and 4i alignments.
On one rep, Burke aligned across from the tight end, established a firm point of attack, maintained vision into the backfield and disengaged to make a tackle for a minimal gain. On another, he absorbed contact from a tight end with momentum, worked off the block and made another stop near the line of scrimmage.
As a pass rusher, Burke also demonstrated his motor and ability to generate pressure through pursuit. On one rep, Burrow escaped to his left, but Burke continued working toward the quarterback and nearly finished the play with a sack. Had he secured the tackle, Burke would have recorded three sacks over the last two weeks, highlighting his recent emergence as a contributor.
While his pass-rush repertoire remains a work in progress, his ability to play multiple alignments, maintain gap integrity and pursue quarterbacks outside the pocket provides Baltimore with valuable defensive versatility. Burke's role may not receive much attention, but his contributions against the run will be important as the Ravens navigate the remainder of the season without Robinson.
32 snaps | 11 run defense | 21 pass rush | 3 pressures | 2 stops
Jones has had a relatively quiet start to the 2026 season after establishing himself as one of Baltimore's most productive interior pass rushers last year. Part of that can be attributed to his responsibilities within Jesse Minter's defensive front, where he has frequently been asked to two-gap and occupy blockers rather than attack upfield.
Against Cincinnati, Jones finally had opportunities to play more aggressively, and his combination of play strength and explosiveness was on full display. On one rep, he deployed a hump move to drive the guard backward into Burrow's lap, forcing the quarterback to escape the pocket. On another, Jones utilized an outside-arm swipe to clear the guard's hands, create displacement and transition into power to generate pressure. His ability to combine technical hand usage with overwhelming strength makes him a difficult matchup for interior offensive linemen.
Jones was equally impressive against the run, displaying the ability to both penetrate the backfield and control blockers at the point of attack. On one rep, he utilized a swipe move to defeat his blocker and penetrate into the backfield for a tackle for loss. On another, he stacked the center, maintained leverage and peeked into the backfield before disengaging to limit the runner to a minimal gain.
Jones' ability to collapse the interior of the pocket is particularly valuable for Baltimore's edge rushers, as forcing quarterbacks to drift outside their protection creates additional opportunities for sacks. If Jones can consistently generate this level of interior disruption, it will have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the entire defensive front moving forward.
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