It was a new season for Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman. On Sunday, he could have turned the corner.
Bateman, the No. 27 overall pick in the draft, held a career-high seven for 103 yards in a 24-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and came within a few inches of his first-round shot. This marked the former Minnesota star’s first 100-yard game in the NFL.
Surprisingly, the new player’s game came with star defender Lamar Jackson out for a long time in the afternoon after an ankle sprain at the start of the second quarter.
Substitute defender Tyler Huntley often looked at Bateman when he needed a big game. In the fourth quarter, Bateman caught a 36-yard pass from the left side line over Greedy Williams at the corner and fell into the final zone, but fell down the 1-meter line. Returning Latavius Murray scored one goal after one game to reduce the Crows ’score to 24-15, 8:56.
At the end of the game, Batman also had a hard time. In the fourth and 6th of the Browns ’38-yard line, he made a 30-yard shot from his left shoulder and set the Ravens in the 10th. Tough tip Mark Andrew caught an 8-yard pass in the next game. Make 24-22 with 1:17.
The Crows also called Batman’s number with a line play. With Baltimore finishing fourth and 6th in their 45th minute, a minute before – after Baltimore had restored their first successful shot in 20 years – Hunty threw a quick pass to Batman, he missed the sticks.
“I told her exactly [that] I know he’s going to play for me, “Huntley said of Batman after the game. “I know if I give them a chance, all my receivers will play for me. I have to give them a chance.”
Batman has been waiting for this opportunity for most of the season. An injury sustained at the start of the training session led to surgery, which left the receiver out of the field for up to 6 weeks against the Los Angeles Chargers. Although his initial numbers were dazzling, Bateman’s first 11 catches fell for the first time.
He has 39 catches for 301 yards this season, averaging 12.0 yards per receiver. After Sunday’s game, he said he was starting to feel comfortable about coordinator Greg Roman’s role in the attack.
“I’m just doing my job, continuing to play for the team,” he said. “I hope I can keep it going.”
He needs to find a way to do that with Huntley. But Bateman, like his teammates, believes in a free agent who has not passed the former draft.
“It’s never been easy, especially watching [No.] 8 [Jackson] “Come down, but we knew Snoop was ready,” Bateman said. “He proved it in the pre-season. He proved that when he came out on top with the “W” in Chicago. We believe in Snoop just as much as we do [Jackson]. He knows we have a back, just as we have a back. ”
