Street Talk

Ravens Need to Stretch Better to Improve Offense

by Eric Buckner

September 20, 2007
4:00 am

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Weâ€™re 2 weeks into the 2007 NFL season and the local newspapers, internet sites, and radio talk shows are chock full of discussion about whatâ€™s wrong with the Ravens.

Fans of the team have been vocally critical of the play calling. Some have suggested that Brian Billick has no â€œfeel for the gameâ€ and his inability to adequately manage the clock has left the team vulnerable. Some want Willis McGahee to receive more touches, particularly in short yardage and goal line situations when the team has eschewed the run almost exclusively opting to pass for the required yardage.

Then there are the comments made about our QB. Is McNair capable of throwing the deep ball? Can Kyle Boller do anything more than manage a conservative game plan without making the egregious turnovers that lead to losses? How can we possibly compete with the Patriots, Chargers, and Colts when those games surface in late November? All of this has led to a state of semi-panic, leaving an already finicky fan base to conclude that the sky is falling.

In looking more closely at what actually happens on the field, the disturbing trend that leads to all of this is how simple it is for the opposition to defend the Ravens offense. Simple, you say? Yes, oh so simple.

Just stack the box to take away the run and deploy your linebackers and secondary strategically to minimize the impact of the dink and dunk attack promulgated by the offensive coaching staff. So what if Matt Stover gets them 3 field goals? Play a cover 2 zone and watch the Ravens self destruct. It worked for Indianapolis in the playoffs last year.

The Ravens have no legitimate consistent deep threat on their roster. The one guy that can get deep, Demetrius Williams has a mere 4 catches for a 17.0 yards per catch average, a nice average but he ranks 37th in the AFC in receiving yards.

After just 2 weeks, Williams’ numbers sit behind receivers with such household names as Vincent Jackson, Ronald Curry, Brandon Marshall, Roydell Williams, and Marcedes Lewis.

What about Mark Clayton you say? 1 catch for -1 yard against the Jets. Wow! Our top receiver? That would be Derrick Mason with 15 catches for a mere 8.7 yards per catch and he ranks 16th in the AFC in receiving yards. Compare his average to that of the real top receivers in the AFC; Chad Johnson (19.0), Randy Moss (16.9), and Andre Johnson (18.7) and you begin to see the problem. Still not convinced? Open the link below and see how poorly the Ravens receiversâ€™ productivity stacks up against their AFC brethren.

Receiving yards: AFC 2007 YTD

Folks, nothing will change until the coaching staff figures out how to incorporate a consistent medium to long range threat into the offensive game plan. Until that happens, the opposing defenses will take advantage of this obvious shortcoming — even defenses as poor as the Bengals.

Message to Brian Billick: Itâ€™s time to stretch your brain.

It’s time to stretch the field!

Photo by Sabina Moran

Eric Buckner

Eric Buckner is a native of Baltimore and has lived in the area his entire life. A graduate of Towson University , Eric has been a student of professional football since the day he wept in his grandfather's bedroom after the Baltimore Colts were upset by the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. A loyal fan of the Colts and subsequently the Ravens, Eric's passion for the NFL is unwavering as evidenced by his near flawless attendance record at Ravens' games. He's missed only one preseason game -- back in 2005. We'll cut him some slack since he was on his honeymoon. You won't find Eric slacking when it comes to covering the AFC North for ProFootball24x7.com.