Rashod Bateman Is Making Most Of Opportunities

Bateman’s most important play came in the fourth quarter with less than a minute remaining. Baltimore trailed by eight and needed both a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game. Tyler Huntley took the snap and hit Bateman on a quick in-breaking route. Bateman secured the pass, immediately turned to his right to evade an off-balance Mike Hughes and accelerated upfield before being brought down near the goal line.

The 20-yard reception put Baltimore in position to finish the drive, tie the game, and eventually force overtime. Bateman has not typically been one of Baltimore’s biggest yards-after-catch threats, but on this play he created the extra yardage the Ravens desperately needed.

Walker remained a prominent part of the offense, playing 59% of Baltimore’s snaps against Atlanta. However, unlike the previous matchup against Tennessee, the Ravens also kept Bateman heavily involved. That could suggest Baltimore is willing to find room for both vertical threats rather than making their roles mutually exclusive, giving an offense that already ranks third in explosive play rate more ways to attack defenses vertically.