So, I have been tasked to respond to Adam’s weekly Purple Patrol article. This week, Adam is essentially attacking a segment of the fanbase, in particular the mindset of those fans. I have no argument against what he is saying.
I feel sometimes the fans forget that you can only commit so much money and so many roster spots to one position/positional group. You can’t ignore things but you can’t address everything either. I think all forms of perspective are lost play to play, much less week to week.
There is no doubt that injuries, whether this year’s or last year’s, are still hurting the team and there is no doubt that the front office has given out some questionable mid-level contracts. What there should be no doubt about is that they have a very good roster with some high-level playmaking talent and a roster that is good enough to win a Super Bowl.
Where I am going to slightly differ from Adam is my issues with this team aren’t regular-season related. I think they have a roster that can be a top four AFC team. I think they can win the division and I think they can be dangerous heading into the playoffs.
However, that is where my confidence stops. I just have no faith in this team to go deep in the playoffs. There is no doubt that luck is an enormous part of winning in sports. It’s a dirty word that fans of the winning team never want to admit, but it’s 100% accurate and it’s something you just need to embrace.
However, throwing luck out the window for a moment, there are just certain things you need to do to win in the playoffs and two of the biggest are rush the passer and have an explosive passing game.
Now, we will see what happens with the passing game. With (likely) heavy input and game planning from Tee Martin and Keith Williams, the passing game looks better. Lamar Jackson is making all the throws, he’s making the calls at the line and just looks comfortable in the pocket. However, this was the case up until the Miami game last year and then things fell apart. I need to see Jackson and this offense do this, not only in the regular season, but in the playoffs too.
Defensively, the pass rush doesn’t look good. I think the upside is there for it to be good but it’s not close right now. You have ends with upside and the up the middle pass rush should be good, although the Michael Pierce injury (whatever it is and however long he will be out) hurts there. However, the Ravens just haven’t done a great job at developing pass rushers and prioritizing the pass rush enough over the years.
I saw a stat yesterday about Josh Allen and his play in the Miami game. When Miami blitzed him, he torched them. When they didn’t, he completed just 59% of his passes and really struggled. The Ravens have to be able to drop seven guys into coverage and get pressure with the front four. That is how you beat the elite quarterbacks. Except the Ravens struggle to get pressure with five guys, much less four.
For me, I really liked what they did in the offseason and I really like the potential and upside of this team but I fear that the organizational philosophy and coaching will ultimately hold them back. While I agree that the fans are inconsistent and crazy week to week, I think it’s fair to question the longer term bigger picture of this team and worry if they have enough.
Remember, if/when they sign Lamar, it just gets harder to win from there.
