Unsung Heroes From The Ravens’ Week 5 Win Over Falcons

The Baltimore Ravens received impressive performances from several unheralded players Sunday in their fourth win of the 2026 season

Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten (70) reacts to an offisides penalty during overtime against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Week 5, the Baltimore Ravens came out on top in their first primetime game of the season with a 30-23 overtime victory over the previously surging Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. While they were one of three AFC North teams to emerge victorious this past week, since the Cleveland Browns were the only ones who didn't, they now sit alone atop the division standings at 4-1.

In a game where they came in not favored to win with their star quarterback and pass rusher out, the Ravens never led at any point during regulation and mounted an impressive late rally to earn their third straight win.

The Ravens were able to secure the victory thanks to some underrated yet impactful performances from a handful of well-known starters and some of their less-heralded players making plays in all three phases of the game.

Offensive line

Going up against the top-ranked defense in the league in terms of applying pressure and stopping the run, this unit held up in pass protection when it mattered most and imposed its will when it came to run-blocking. The Falcons went from allowing 193 rushing yards in their first four games combined to letting the Ravens rack up a season-high 208 yards in one night, and the big boys in the trenches deserve just as much, if not even more, credit as the stars of the game such as backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Derrick Henry.

Two players who deserve special recognition for their performance and grit are rookie interior lineman Olaivavega Ioane and third-year right tackle Roger Rosengarten. The first-round offensive guard was stellar in his second straight start at center, aside from a couple of off-target snaps, and Rosengarten showed some excellent situational awareness after briefly leaving the game when he wisely leapt out of his stance when a Falcons defensive player jumped into the neutral zone before the snap. In doing so, he drew five-yard penalties on two separate occasions, and while that might not sound like a big deal, when mounting a comeback while short-handed on the road, every inch and yard counts and can be the difference between being on the outskirts or just within comfortable field goal range.

Defensive line

Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) and defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens faced another tall task with a second-ranked rushing attack through four weeks and one of the best pass-protecting offensive lines in the league. After a shaky start to the season, in which this unit was still getting healthy and gelling, it played its best game to date under a national spotlight. The collective effort it took to bottle up arguably the most explosive running back in the game, Bijan Robinson, to 86 yards on 17 carries began with how the Ravens played up front in the trenches along the interior.

The combination and rotation of Pro Bowlers Nnamdi Madubuike and Calais Campbell, with fellow starter Travis Jones and a handful of snaps from John Jenkins and Broderick Washington, not only led the charge to stuff the run but also applied some nice interior pressure as well. Madubuike was getting constant penetration into the backfield, registering a quarterback hit and nearly had a couple of sacks. Campbell had his best game of the season in his second stint with the team, recording a pair of tackles, both of which were solos, and one went for a loss as he received the highest overall grade of any player on either side of the ball from Pro Football Focus with an 85.1.

Calais Campbell is still a dawg in his 283rd career NFL game. pic.twitter.com/QwXOk1ZAAy

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) October 12, 2026

RB Rasheen Ali

Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (26) celebrates with long snapper Nick Moore (46) after a play during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the third-year pro didn't see a single snap on offense for the fifth week in a row as Henry and fellow veteran Justice Hill split backfield duties, he still made his presence felt in a noticeable way as one of the Ravens' most active and impactful special teams players. Ali's 17 snaps in the third phase of the game tied veteran safety K'Von Wallace for the fourth-most on the team; he led all players in special teams tackles with both a season and career single-game high of three total, including a pair of solos.

CB Marlon Humphrey

Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) and Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After battling through a hamstring and calf injury that caused him to leave last week's game early and limited him during the week of preparation, the four-time Pro Bowler was not only one of three players who played 100% of the Ravens' defensive snaps, but he also made some key plays. While he was one of several defensive backs who got picked on at times and gave up some conversions in coverage, he was highly impactful when sent on well-timed blitzes.

Humphrey recorded a quarterback hit and applied quick pressure on a huge fourth-and-short stop in the third quarter that resulted in a completion to a diving tight end who was tackled short of the line to gain by rookie outside linebacker Zion Young. He finished with four total tackles, including two solos, and was the Ravens' fifth-highest-graded defender with an overall grade of 67.

The @Ravens defense gets the stop on 4th down!@BALvsATL on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/0UrbWMHtd4

— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2026

LS Nick Moore

Oct 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baltimore Ravens long snapper Nick Moore (46) tackles Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (14) during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton was far from the only Georgia native on the team who had an impact and made their presence felt in this game. On a day in which long-snapping was under a microscope around the league after botched and high snaps led to disaster, the seventh-year veteran was on point all game for the Ravens, delivering accurate snaps to rookie punter Ryan Eckley to boot away and get in place for second-year kicker Tyler Loop to drill through the uprights. Moore's most notable play of the night was the physical solo tackle me made on the Ravens' second punt of the game in the second quarter for his second of the season in his first time playing in the 2018 SEC Championship as a senior at the University of Georgia.