Joe Flacco takes his place in the shotgun, fires out a few “ready’s” and receives the ball from center Jeremy Zuttah. Joe Cool moves to his right and launches a pass to wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. for a 15 yard gain and a first down.
The above scenario has taken place over and over again during the past two weeks.
In fact of Flacco’s 94 combined pass attempts between Oakland and Sunday’s loss to the Bengals, 33 were aimed at veteran Smith Sr., who’s 336 receiving yards have been crucial to the Ravens 1064 total offensive yards registered through three weeks of the season.
Beyond the relentless blue collared Smith Sr., the rest of the wide receiver targets are a true cluster. Sitting at 0-3 with an early week divisional match-up, it’s time to utilize the receivers not wearing No. 89.
Here’s what offensive coordinator Marc Trestman had to say following practice about his wide receiver group outside of Smith Sr.
“You just want to make sure that you’re targeting guys [and] you give guys opportunities. It has just worked out that way for the first three weeks. Steve [Smith Sr.] is really the premier receiver that we do have. But on the other side of it, we’re still working and trying to utilize each and every guy to have some targets during the course of the game and make plays. Kamar [Aiken] a week ago had four or five very important catches for us in Oakland. I think that has been a little bit forgotten. Marlon [Brown] has made some plays. Marlon made a key play for us in the game last week catching that third down-and-long along our sideline. He ran a great route, made a great catch. They’ll continue to work in [the offense] and certainly be part of what we do. I think as we get into the flow and we continue to move forward, I’m hopeful that will happen.”
Here’s a look at how “frequently” Joe Flacco has targeted the other “guys”…
Kamar Aiken
Getting the nod opposite Smith Sr., the journeyman wideout has struggled out of the shoot to open the season. After a training camp filled with promise, the 6’2, 220 pound Aiken is showing why he has bounced around the league.
Through the first three weeks of the season, Aiken has taken the field for 162 total plays (113 passing, 49 run blocking.) Last week against the Bengals he took 63 of the Ravens 75 total offensive snaps despite being targeted just once late in the third quarter. Aiken failed to make the catch on 2nd & 21 from the CIN 38-yard line.
He received no other targets throughout the remainder of the game.
Aiken’s six receptions for 88 yards are the third-most receiving yards on the roster entering week four.
Marlon Brown
After seeing his playing time decrease with the addition of Steve Smith Sr. last season, the undrafted wide receiver remains an enigma. Healthy since the start of the season, Brown is a typical Marc Trestman big-bodied type player yet fails to use his size on most occasions.
Brown played a favorable 161 snaps just one shy of Aiken including 70 in week two and 57 on Sunday. Brown was targeted four times in both those games recording two catches in each for a combined 41 total yards. He also hauled in both of his targets in week one against Denver for 25 yards.
The former Georgia Bulldog continues to get overlooked in the red zone despite his seven touchdown receptions in 2013, his rookie year.
Brown has 66 yards receiving on six receptions.
Michael Campanaro
“Michael Campanaro is a jack of all trades. He was a slot guy in college, but he’s learning to play on the outside pretty well.” Said Steve Smith Sr. about the shifty second-year receiver out of Wake Forest.
Despite the positive words from the leader of the receiving corps, Campanaro has been MIA in the Ravens offensive game plan for much of the young season playing a grand total of 40 snaps through three weeks.
The solid route runner saw just two targets in week one (one catch) and two targets in week three (two catches) while not seeing a target in week two’s abysmal loss in Oakland. Campanaro has three catches for 19 total yards.
While splitting time as the teams kick returner and punt returner, Campanaro needs to be utilized more frequently and the Ravens did so on one play Sunday using the 5’9, 185 pound receiver on an end-around run for eight yards.
Darren Waller
The biggest receiver on the Ravens roster standing at 6-6, the rookie Waller is raw but showed potential in spurts throughout training camp and the preseason.
Waller has been active for the first three games of the season but has only saw two offensive snaps in the first three weeks, both of them coming in week two against the Raiders. The rookie failed to haul in his two targets in that game and didn’t see any targets before or after week two.
Waller has speed which is something the Ravens are lacking in their receiving unit with Breshad Perriman still sidelined. While not seeing but a few offensive snaps, the big receiver has been used exclusively as a gunner on special teams. Makes sense right?
Whether or not Trestman stays true to his word or not, the Ravens certainly have to weigh their options when it comes to targets and snap counts as it relates to their receiving corps. They certainly can’t keep relying on Smith Sr. to continually carry the unit.
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