The Ravens have struggled to establish an effective running attack so far this season.
Entering Week 8, Baltimore has the league’s 22nd-ranked rushing offense.
Alex Collins, who had a breakout season in 2017 after being promoted from the practice squad, has 309 yards on 27 carries, which ranks 27th among the league’s runners. His primary backup, Javorius Allen, is primarily used in short-yardage situations.
As a result, there was some scuttlebutt about the Ravens acquiring a running back before the 4 p.m. trade deadline on Oct. 30.
However, that scenario appears unlikely because of the limited options:
— The best player potentially available is Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who has yet to report to the team. However, even if Pittsburgh does decide to trade the dynamic playmaker, he won’t be going to the team’s biggest rival. So, forget that option.
— The Bills might have been willing to part with LeSean McCoy (63 carries, 244 yards, 1 TD), but he was injured Sunday against the Colts. His off-the-field-issues would also preclude the Ravens from making a move for him.
— There was some talk that Lamar Miller (95 carries, 371 yards, 1 TD) of the Texans could be available. However, Houston has won four straight games and sits top the AFC South, so they might more willing to buy than sell at the trade deadline.
— Ameer Abdullah, a second round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has been used sparingly in Detroit with Kerryon Johnson carrying the load. The question is whether Abdullah (1 yard, 1 carry) is an upgrade over the running backs on the Ravens 53-man roster.
— LeGarrette Blount (57 carries, 167 yards, 3 TDs) could be a short-term answer if Detroit looks to make a move. Blount is 31 years old and is eligible for free agency after the season. The Lions, though, are 3-3 and still very much alive in the NFC North. He does not appear to be any type of answer in Baltimore.
The lack of options means the Ravens will likely move forward with their current group of players. Coach John Harbaugh still has faith in the running backs on the roster, and has attributed some of the struggles to the performance of opposing defenses.
“I think the team’s we’ve played that’s the way they play defense — they commit to stopping the run,” he said.
However, that has been a mixed strategy for the opposition.
The Ravens have managed to put together a successful passing attack when teams try to make them one-dimensional. Quarterback Joe Flacco is ranked fifth in the NFL with 2,067 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Receiver John Brown has caught 28 passes for 558 yards and four touchdowns.
Still, Harbaugh knows the team will have to get more yards from the running game for long-term success. As a result, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has tried to be more creative with his play-calling. Some of the jet sweeps when the receivers carry the ball have been effective.
“The only thing that really stops them in their tracks is [if] you have an edge player that runs up the field and stands right in front of him, and he’s coming across there,” Harbaugh said. “You set him up with different blocking schemes and different actions in the backfield.
“They have a lot of responsibilities at defensive end and outside linebacker, in terms of stopping different plays, that don’t entail running up the field. So most of the times it’s kind of a surprise tactic. If they know it’s coming, they’re going to stop it. But you also use that to camouflage other plays, so you run the jet-sweep-fake and you run other plays.”
That type of creativity could be vital to boost the running attack moving forward.
