Ravens infected with mediocrity entering the bye
What can be said about the Baltimore Ravens that hasn’t already been pointed out? Rooting for a comeback – after they bounced the Miami Dolphins in a 40-0 shutout – over a Tennessee Titans team that has been unpredictable seemed like the right thing to do if you’re an AFC North fan. Unfortunately, in what very well may have been a ‘must win’ if the Ravens hoped to jump into the Wild Card mix, the infection of mediocrity that has needed a heavy dose of antibiotics simply spread even further and has set in as the team hopes for a miracle cure during their ‘bye’ in Week 10.
A total breakdown underway
There has been a ton of heavy finger-pointing during the 2017 NFL regular season at the Ravens offense. After nine weeks of play, those fingers are wagging decidedly and for good reason; this team does not have an effective offense, period.
Ozzie Newsome has an impressive resume and has been one of the best general mangers in the league. Unfortunately, Newsome focused so hard on the defensive side of the ball that he simply did not address the offense in the NFL Draft. The last time he really took an opportunity on creating a real star was in grabbing Breshad Perrioman – and that hasn’t worked out as planned. Head coach John Harbaugh is as successful at picking offensive coordinators that can get things on the upswing as Newsome is at selecting good receivers. In other words, they have created a team that is so unevenly balanced that it is no wonder they can’t be successful in scoring offensive touchdowns or winning games.
Too many times this season the Ravens have counted on their defense to keep them in a game because the offense – from Joe Flacco to Perriman to Jeremy Maclin, Ben Watson and the offensive line – have received terrible play calling from Marty Mornhinweg (especially on third-downs) or can not find a way to elevate their play as individuals or as a unit. Drops, poor passes, forcing Flacco to remain in the pocket, a nearly non-existent run game, failed conversions … it has been devastating and will remain so unless there are some major changes made during the bye week.
To win, Ravens need to step free from the past
Remember when Flacco was “Joe Cool”? If you are a Ravens or AFC North fan, of course you do; but how long are you going to hang on to the old Joe before you hope he becomes cool, again? Remember when the Ravens were a perennial threat in the AFC and were hard-charging to playoff berths nearly every year? The last time Baltimore made it to the playoffs was 2014. If this team wants to win, they will need to utilize the bye week to step from the shroud of past success and create something tangible and special that cures what ails them. If they can’t dig deep and find that ‘something’, they’ll miss the playoffs for the third season in a row.
We need to do things, obviously, a little bit better … You can’t play too much worse than we’ve been playing, and we’ve obviously still been in a lot of football games. – J. Flacco
But, how can they do that with one week away from the playing field against an opponent? Here are some keys to moving things along:
Step up play in the defensive backfield
What you see on the field or television screen does not always translate onto a stats sheet, but if you were to pull out a box score and analyze the numbers closely, the Ravens have an issue at the back end of their defense that has become a hindrance. Yes, Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson have had some splash plays at the safety position, but overall they have been disappointing week-to-week in overall play.
I feel like we have to win out and that is the goal. Let the run happen and let the story be about us and the magical run that we had. Why can’t it be us? – E. Weddle
Against the run, Weddle and Jefferson have dropped from elite to hit-and-miss coverage. These two guys need to work with the rest of the defense and figure out what schemes are causing them to be unable to keep opposing rushers from breaking big plays. They need to work on communication with the corners as well as the linebackers who drop into coverage. In other words, as veterans, they need to step up their play and use the week to get back to being formidable on the back end. The run Weddle and the Ravens need to take is the one they get away from their opponents.
Mix up who carries the ‘rock’
The Ray Rice era is over. For many of us, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, the Ravens didn’t address the run game much better than they did the receiving situation. They did bring Alex Collins in and he’s ranked behind just one player – Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) – for lead in the league in yards-per-carry at 5.6. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in 2016. Yes, Collins started on the Ravens practice squad before the season kicked off. But, without Danny Woodhead in the lineup, it’d be silly to not mix more Collins into the run game and give this Baltimore offense an ability to open up the offensive playbook.
After all, why not? The Ravens may get Woodhead back and a healthy Terrance West would be a plus, but with the league’s 31st-ranked rushing attack, it’s time they find a way to mix up who carries the rock moving forward.
I’ve been in this league long enough; you know anything can happen coming down the stretch … Things can start clicking for you. But we need to win football games and we need to make it happen on our side of the ball. – J. Flacco
Get healthy and clean up the play on both sides of the ball
Harbaugh told the media that he has no doubts that his team has the personnel to be successful, but that there is room to make corrections. That may be a big understatement. The team still has playoff hopes, but they’ll need to utilize the bye to get healthy and clean up their play on both sides of the ball. Better offensive production, less penalties, smart play – all key. “We’ve got to get on a roll,” he said. Getting thing started will take everything this team has. Is it out of the question? No. It comes down to whether this squad can get up out of their sick bed, allow a fever of winning consume them and face the adversity head on. If they can’t do all of that, then Baltimore will continue to see the infection of mediocrity turn into a season-ending cancer.
"We've got to get on a roll." #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/67DufnQvKC
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 6, 2017
