An unmentioned story during the Baltimore Ravens’ 1-3 start to the season has been the absence of Dennis Pitta.
Have you found yourself asking yourself whether this offense would be better with Pitta at any point this season?
Probably not.
While no single tight end on the roster has hit full stride yet, Crockett Gillmore and rookies Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle have all aggregated their abilities to offer the Ravens a promising young trio of diverse tight ends.
With Gillmore sidelined against the Pittsburgh Steelers, both rookie tight ends, Williams and Boyle stepped up when called upon. They both posted two receptions on offense, and also contributed to Baltimore’s success on the ground.
One-fourth of the way through their first season, both rookies have proven themselves as encouraging prospects who should jell well with Gillmore beyond 2015.
How has the rookie duo made its impact this season?
Williams has contributed in the passing game in a similar way to Pitta. He finds soft spots in the secondary, and can also haul in passes in coverage as a “security blanket” for quarterback Joe Flacco.
Against Pittsburgh, Williams flaunted this ability.
Here, Williams positions himself in a pocket of the secondary for Flacco.
Flacco correctly locks in on Williams, but an inaccurate throw forces Williams off course, requiring him to extend to his right to haul in the pass.
Williams effortlessly makes the reception, however, and properly secures the ball in anticipation of the oncoming defender. The catch is nice, but finishing the play provided the Ravens with an important first down.
This is the type of play that Pitta routinely made. Throw in the emerging Gillmore when healthy, and the tight ends have all grounds covered for Marc Trestman’s offensive game plans.
Earning the backseat in offseason fanfare to Williams was Boyle, as the fifth-round pick was expected to make the team, but was not predicted to make much of a year-one impact as the third tight end.
But for the first instance in quite some time, the Ravens offense has the luxury of incorporating a third tight end into the rotation on a weekly basis.
Along with blocking aptitude, Boyle’s short-yardage dependability as a pass catcher has already stood out.
Here, in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Boyle’s offers a quick block on defensive end Carlos Dunlap before proceeding out to the flat.
After a fake handoff, Flacco sees the easy pitch-and-catch develop, and locks in on Boyle.
Hauling in the pass near the line of scrimmage, Boyle would gain a mere two or three yards if not for extra effort after the catch. Thanks to his athleticism, Boyle offers the best of both worlds with the ball in his hands.
First, instead of simply using his size to drive through cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick‘s tackle attempt, Boyle easily leaps over the defender.
After the leap to gain extra yardage, Boyle takes a trick out of the Kyle Juszczyk book of how to finish plays, and drops his shoulder to gain more ground.
Boyle was dead to rights for a maximum gain of three yards before doubling the yardage thanks to added effort. It is a lot easier to convert a 2nd and 4 than it is to convert a 2nd and 7.
Plays like these add up, and the fact that Boyle is in Trestman’s back pocket as an easy target in the flat to give Flacco a simple completion and keep the offense moving is a desirable facet to have on offense.
Neither Williams nor Boyle have had a breakout game a la Gillmore’s Week 2 performance against the Oakland Raiders, but the small dosage of quality play thus far from the rookie tight ends offers optimism that both will turn out to be quality draft selections by general manager Ozzie Newsome.
