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          NFL Nation

          Ticked-off Ravens pass rush roughs up Joe Burrow with seven sacks

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2020, 08:11 PM
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          BALTIMORE -- Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee acknowledged the Baltimore Ravens’ pass-rushers were “pissed off” when looking at their sacks.

          In Sunday’s 27-3 win, the Ravens took out their anger out on Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, turning the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft into an in-the-pocket piñata. One by one, Ravens defenders took their hits as seven different players recorded a sack.

          The Ravens' seven sacks were their most since October 2018 against the Titans. Baltimore, which is 4-1 for the first time since its 2012 Super Bowl season, finished with nearly as many quarterback hits (15) as completions allowed (19).

          The Ravens held Burrow, who became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in three consecutive games last week, to 183 yards passing.

          The Ravens had struggled to get their pass rush on track this season, entering Sunday’s game with nine sacks in the first four games. Baltimore sent pressure from all angles and all positions to take advantage of a poor Cincinnati offensive line and get clean shots on Burrow.

          Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale was relentless in sending pressure, especially with blitzing his defensive backs. Every starter in the secondary — cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, and safeties DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark — all recorded sacks.

          Burrow is the latest young quarterback to get roughed up in Baltimore. The Ravens are now 18-2 against rookie quarterbacks at home.

          Describe the game in two words: Fast start. The Ravens jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, which is familiar territory. In Lamar Jackson’s four starts against the Bengals, the Ravens have outscored them 45-7, in the first quarter.

          Promising trend: Turnovers, lots of them. Baltimore forced three turnovers, extending the NFL’s longest active streak to 18 straight games with at least one. Rookie middle linebacker Patrick Queen got the better of his reunion with LSU teammate Burrow. After hitting Burrow so hard to cause a fumble in the first half, Queen picked up a loose ball in the fourth quarter and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. It marked Baltimore's second defensive touchdown of the season.

          QB breakdown: Jackson looked like a quarterback who hardly practiced. He was held out Wednesday with a sore knee and was forced to go home Thursday with a stomach issue. The reigning NFL MVP was wild on most of his throws, connecting on 51.3% of his passes (19-of-37), the third-worst completion rate of his three-year NFL career. Jackson did convert in the red zone, where he threw touchdown passes to tight end Mark Andrews (five yards) and wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (2 yards). He finished 19-of-37 for 180 yards with 3 yards rushing, the lowest total of his career.