OTL: Mike MacDonald’s Cup Runneth Over

The Injury Report on Wednesday was a bit much, with some names resting and others dealing with nagging injuries. Luckily for us, many did return to practice on Thursday and look good to go.

RB Gus Edwards (toe), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder), LT Ronnie Stanley (shoulder) and OLB Odafe Oweh (knee/ankle) all returned to practice today.

Not practicing: RT Morgan Moses (shoulder), CB Rock Ya-Sin (illness), G Ben Cleveland. Cleveland is a new absence.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 2, 2023

With such a big game coming up this week, we need all hands on deck. It’s also good to see that Rock Ya-Sin is only out due to an illness. We will be working with a full hand against a formidable opponent.

Marcus Williams returned to practice this week, but has been limited so far. The question becomes, how do you get Williams into an already crowded secondary with everyone playing well? We got our Answer:

Mike Macdonald called the looming return of Marcus Williams a “good problem to have.”

Ravens have embraced three-safety looks in the past, and Macdonald hinted that guys soon could be moving around. pic.twitter.com/V0HNcBhpxa

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) November 2, 2023

While the Ravens could be running more three-safety sets, the best solution might be moving Kyle Hamilton into the slot and Geno Stone to strong safety. Of course, we saw what an injured Williams looks like on run plays (it isn’t pretty), so maybe a rotation on early downs with Williams coming in on more obvious passing situations is in order. Mike Macdonald likes to mix and match his chess pieces. A full set, especially with Stone playing as well as he is, is a scary proposition for opposing offenses.

Speaking of playing well, many fans are barking about OBJ’s lack of production and how it seems like Lamar Jackson is trying to force-feed him the ball. On the topic of target shares, Odell had this to say:

OBJ: "I can count on two hands how many people in this locker room need to get the ball. There’s a lot of guys. There’s only one football and there’s seven, eight guys that are looking to get it and we’re all hungry and we’re all happy for each other when the next man gets it."

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 2, 2023

It may be easy for him to say this because Lamar does target him a ton in games. Still, it’s nice for a player like Odell, who got slapped with the “Diva” tag early on in his career that still follows him to this day, to comment on this. Even if he didn’t totally mean what he said, just hearing him say it was enough. The Ravens have a ton on their plate right now, and they don’t have enough time in a football game to appease everyone. Some say they should run more, some say they should throw to Zay Flowers more, some say Odell is underutilized, or Rashod Bateman is not getting enough targets. At the end of the day, while these concerns are noted, it is impossible to please everyone in an offense that spreads the ball out, likes to run and has a top-tier tight end.

Although Jackson has said he is trying to get Beckham a touchdown, the WR seems to have other things on his mind.

Odell Beckham Jr.: "I didn't come here with the expectation that I'm going for 2,000 yards. We're trying to win a Super Bowl."

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 2, 2023

Again, divas don’t make comments like this. I don’t want to try to read the guy’s mind, but I believe him. At the end of the day, OBJ wants to win. Whether that is drawing PIs or opening up the offense for others, Odell doesn’t seem concerned about his stats. Yes, it seems he wants a touchdown, but that frustrated Odell clip was due to his getting mugged again with the chance to score. While those help the team, Odell isn’t getting the ball at the goal line as the Ravens have Gus Edwards, who can eat in short-yardage situations. OBJ can certainly care a ton about winning while still being frustrated that he hasn’t found the end zone yet.

Interesting comment on @RSRLombardi's latest.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/ehL1q8BD9b

— Russell St. Report (@RussellStReport) November 1, 2023

It isn’t complicated, Ravens fans. Is OBJ slightly overpaid if we look at his stat sheet and nothing else? You know what, sure, but acting like he doesn’t have a role or he is washed is wrong.

This game could be where we see OBJ get that touchdown he has been waiting for, and if he does, it could set off a big run for him as we get later in the season. Then nobody will care about his September/October stats.