With the AFC North division the most crowded in the NFL, the Ravens’ bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for a team that is experiencing some hiccups on both sides of the football.
From an X’s and O’s standpoint, the bye week is more about the coaching staff tinkering with playbooks and coverages to determine what has and hasn’t worked over the team’s 10 games to this point.
On offense, Gary Kubiak acknowledged the fact the Ravens have struggled in certain areas. He understands the importance of making sure the team improves, particularly when it comes to moving the chains on third down and protecting the football heading into proverbial crunch time of the NFL season.
“The past three or four weeks, the two places that we’ve failed [are] third downs, which we had been a very good third-down team through the first six, seven weeks; we’ve tailed off the last few weeks,” Kubiak said on Tuesday. “We struggled, so we’re trying to … We have to get that back on course, because that’s what keeps you on the field. And then protecting the ball has been a big issue, but we did bounce back last week.
“We can get that handled. So, those are a couple things we’re addressing right now, but really, I think the most important thing you do right now is you look and say, ‘OK, this is what we do well, and we’re fixing to go on a big six-week run here. So, let’s make sure we stay true to what we’re doing well.’ And that’s what John [Harbaugh] wants us to do, so that’s kind of what I’m really trying to figure out and isolate down. When the players come back Monday, [I want to] make sure I have them very comfortable as we move forward, because we have some tough places to play and some tough people to play.”
On defense, the reoccurring theme seems to be giving up the big plays late in games over the past several seasons. Coordinator Dean Pees will do his best with his personnel over the final six weeks in limiting such plays, that have cost the Ravens victories in the first ten.
“Big plays,” Pees said on Tuesday when asked about the improvements he is looking to make. “We have to continue [the performance from] this last game. I can’t remember what game it was – Pittsburgh, second game, right? No big plays. How’d it end up? How’d this game end up? No big plays. It’s not magic. There’s no secret.
“If you don’t give up big plays generally in a game … You watch that Monday night game last night, [and] what was it? Big plays after big plays. People are putting up big numbers, because they’re putting up big plays. Make a team drive the distance on you, and maybe they’ll make a mistake. Even if sometimes what happens is you get a penalty, and all of a sudden now it’s second-and-15. Well, that’s a whole different game. Let them make the mistakes. Make them drive the field on you. They’re going to complete some out routes. I wasn’t upset with any of those comebacks that the new quarterback from the Titans threw. [Zach Mettenberger] threw a couple good balls right on the sideline, guy catches it, [and I said], ‘Hey, play the next play.’ Those are not the plays that are going to kill you. The ones over the top do. If I had one thing that I’d say about self-scout, that’s it. I’m upstairs right now, Patrick [Gleason, assistant director of PR] had to come up and get me, because I was deep into it, big plays and why they happened. And that’s what we really have to emphasize here in the off week.”
For the players, it’s drastically different. Most use the bye week in order to rest up and get healthy while spending time with family escaping the everyday grind of the season.
“Resting, getting a lot of body work in, getting my old body fresh for the stretch run here,” Owen Daniels responded when asked about his bye week plans. ” [I’m] going back to Houston for a couple days and just relaxing with my wife and enjoying some time together.”
For veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs the bye week is about returning fresh for one final run to the playoffs.
“We have the opportunity to get some guys healthy, get rested up,” Sizzle stated. “When we come back, we have six games left – three home, three away – and we’re feeling very optimistic about them. So, it’s definitely a good time to have the bye though.”
Through 10 weeks of the season, the Ravens have certainly stared adversity in the eye on more than one occasion. From season-ending injuries to Dennis Pitta and Jimmy Smith to a questionable secondary that had the organization combing the free agent wire daily, the road to 6-4 has been a rough one.
Still, they’re very much in the thick of things. With Pittsburgh and Cincinnati yet to clash, a Week 17 game left against Cleveland, and games against fellow AFC Wild Card contenders Miami and San Diego, the Ravens very likely “control their own destiny.” It’s up to them to decide just exactly what that destiny will be.
It all starts in New Orleans after the bye.
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