It seems like it has been quite some time since the Ravens fell to the Dolphins in Miami by the score of 22-10. It was a game during which the Ravens were poorly prepared and clearly one during which John Harbaugh and his staff were completely out-coached by Brian Flores’ staff – one that has been under close scrutiny in South Florida given their underachieving team.
One of the Ravens biggest problems from the jump this season, has been their offensive line. They’ve lacked continuity, they’ve been without their best lineman in the form of Ronnie Stanley and their most consistent performer, Patrick Mekari, has been out since suffering an ankle injury against the Bengals on October 24.
The patchwork of the O-line continues by necessity. If Mekari can go in Chicago, that allows the Ravens to move Tyre Phillips inside to left guard in place of the struggling Ben Powers. Both should bolster the results of offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris’ unit. The Ravens also signed Cedric Ogbuehi to their practice squad but he’s yet to see any action. If Mekari remains sidelined against the Bears, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the former Seahawk at right tackle.
These Truths are Undeniable
If the Ravens are going to have a meaningful stretch run they will have to clean up a few things:
Communication
Entering their game against the Ravens on last Thursday night the Dolphins had produced exactly zero plays of 50+ yards. Against the Ravens they connected on two such plays in the same game. The Ravens defense has been far too generous with big plays allowed, yielding 7 such plays through nine games while producing none. Time and again the Ravens defensive philanthropy has been the result of some very bad communication breakdowns in the secondary. Surprisingly, Chuck Clark has been at the center of a few. Teams will study the plays that triggered the breakdowns and do what they can to recreate more going forward.
Slow Starts
The Ravens are built to play with a lead. It makes things more comfortable for a suspect O-line and it allows for a bit more patience from Greg Roman in the run game, a staple of a successful Ravens offense. But when a team averages 3 points in the first quarter, the challenges widen and deepen for the Ravens. A possible solution is the no huddle offense, a drum I’ve been beating since the Ravens come-from-behind win against the Colts.
No huddle would be a friend to the O-line. It would wear down opposing pass rushers and it would handcuff the opponent’s ability to make pre-snap adjustments plus it would help to keep schemed substitution packages on the sideline. The pace also seems to marry up nicely with Lamar’s skillset.
Forcing Turnovers
The best teams in the league typically force more turnovers than they commit. Through 9 games the Ravens are at -5 in that category. Typically turnovers result from impact plays at the line of scrimmage, intense pressure on the quarterback or via physical tackling. The Ravens have plenty of room to improve in all these areas and if they do, they should see the turnover ratio tilt in their favor.
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The Bell Tolls No More in Baltimore
Le’Veon Bell was a Ravens nemesis for years. We all hoped that Bell might tap into his impressive array of talents while in Baltimore but those talents have eroded thanks to the undefeated Father Time (who might be Tom Brady’s great grandfather). As a Raven, Bell had just 83 yards on 31 carries and caught only one pass for -1 yard.
His talents on the surface, never seemed to match up with what the Ravens do offensively. Yet I was hopeful that Greg Roman would find a way to put Bell in positions to succeed, particularly as a pass catcher. It never materialized for the 29-year-old Bell and now he’s moving on, an indicator that Latavius Murray may be ready, that Ty’Son Williams will see more playing time, or that Nate McCrary may be elevated on Sunday in Chicago.
As Bell says goodbye, he does so with class. It’s nice to see the elevation of the man, the maturity, even though his game has taken a different direction. All the best to Le’Veon in his future endeavors.
this hurts, but it’s been a blessing to be here to say the least, i’ve enjoyed every second of this short period & gotta whole new meaning of what this city is like & it’s a great place to be 🖤💜 I appreciate Eric Decasta & John Harbaugh for the opportunity to be called an Raven pic.twitter.com/428poGYsNO
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) November 16, 2021
