NORTHBROOK, Ill. (STATS) – Cincinnati’s offensive line helped put the Bengals in position to end a disappointing season on a high note against division rival and playoff-bound Baltimore.
Once again, costly turnovers ultimately put them out of tune.
Cincinnati graded out with a Week 17-best 107.5 in the New York Life Protection Index on Sunday against the Ravens but turned the ball over five times and lost 13-7.
The New York Life Protection Index is a proprietary formula created by STATS LLC which measures pass protection by using metrics such as length of passes, penalties by offensive lineman, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns.
Carson Palmer was rarely pressured in the pocket Sunday, getting hurried only once and never being sacked. He threw for 305 yards – 190 through the air before a catch – on 49 attempts. Two of his passes were intercepted, however, and he lost a fumble after scrambling to pick up a first down late in the first half.
Jerome Simpson, who caught a team high and personal-best 12 passes for 123 yards, also fumbled twice.
Cincinnati finished the season with 34 turnovers, the sixth-highest total in the league.
“This was a game we had a chance to win, and we just didn’t finish it,” said Palmer, who wasn’t sacked in the final three weeks of the season after being sacked three times in each of his previous three games. “You can’t have five turnovers and expect to win, especially when you’re playing here in Baltimore.”
While the Bengals did an excellent job up front against the Ravens’ defense, Baltimore’s offensive line didn’t have as much success.
Although the Ravens were already assured a third straight trip to the postseason before kickoff and their chances of winning the AFC North faded quickly with Pittsburgh building an early lead over Cleveland, coach John Harbaugh kept his starters in the entire game with hopes of building some momentum for the playoffs.
Instead, Baltimore seems to have some things to clean up on the offensive line.
The Ravens had a minus-9.6 in the NYLPI against the Bengals as the line gave up four sacks and allowed Joe Flacco to be knocked down six times. They also had four false starts despite playing at home, where crowd noise shouldn’t be a factor.
This is the third time in four games the Ravens ranked poorly in the NYLPI, grading out with a 34.5 in an overtime win over Houston in Week 14 and a 17.4 in a victory over New Orleans the following Sunday. They’ve allowed 12 sacks, 17 quarterback knockdowns and committed eight false start penalties in those three games, a concerning trend for Harbaugh heading into Sunday’s showdown with AFC West champion Kansas City.
“Offensively, I’m disappointed with some of the things we did,” Harbaugh said. “I’m a little bit frustrated with some of those things, but we have to find a way to win the next game.”
At least the Ravens have a next game.
The Texans, who finished second in the Week 17 NYLPI with a season-high 106.9 in their 34-17 win over Jacksonville, have never reached the playoffs in their nine seasons of existence.
Against the Jaguars, who still had a shot of winning the AFC South, Houston’s line didn’t allow a sack or quarterback knockdown, and weren’t flagged for a single false start or holding penalty. Matt Schaub, who completed 18 of 22 passes for 253 yards, was hurried just once.
Schaub finished the season throwing for 4,370 yards, and has passed for 9,170 yards over the past two seasons, becoming the sixth quarterback to reach 9,000 yards in a two-year span.
“Throwing the ball and my offensive line, tight ends, backs, and protection allowed me that opportunity. That’s a team thing,” said Schaub, who was sacked 32 times on the season. “The offensive line has been huge this year, all year.”
The Texans finished the season ranked sixth in the NYLPI at 72.6.
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