It’s been a bit of a rough week for the Ravens. Some new injuries are popping up daily (though if you look around the league, they’re doing alright overall). A former Raven who would have been a great fit got traded to the Falcons. Brandon Aiyuk has seemingly been almost traded to the Steelers for the last two weeks now, and to top it off, the unfortunate news about Coach Joe D and Mark Andrews’ car accident.
Things could be worse, but we needed something to bring the vibes back. Luckily, we got some great news:
Nate Wiggins back in action. pic.twitter.com/zhVTT8fDh7
— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) August 15, 2024
This is what we needed to raise our spirits. I have seen everything I needed to see from Nate Wiggins this pre-season. John, please, I beg you, don’t put this man in another fake game.
On that note, I absolutely loved what I saw from him in game one. He showed everything that made him such a special athlete at the corner position: the speed, the loose hips, the ability to turn and run and play press with his back turned to the quarterback.
If he stays healthy, he will be a top corner in this league for a while. He reminds me so much of Jaire Alexander.
When discussing how the NFL will go this year, we must also consider the new kickoff rules being implemented.
Justin Tucker was asked about how he is preparing for them.
Justin Tucker said he expects to have eight or nine different types of kickoffs entering the season. pic.twitter.com/P700Ioh3BT
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) August 15, 2024
Our Own Nikhil Mehta said he compared his new kicks to different golf clubs; honestly, that is the best way to describe what Tucker is trying to do. These new rules are testing the kicker’s accuracy, not kick power, which is interesting.
There will undoubtedly be an adjustment period for the whole league, not just Tucker. But honestly, for Ravens fans, there is no need to worry. Had we had a kicker without Tucker’s pedigree, I would have worried. It sounds like Tucker did practice these new kicks for the season, and because he is the G.O.A.T, I would trust his judgment about kicks and kickoffs over everyone else on the planet.
With Camp winding down, my mind has started to race and ponder a potential breakout for a specific offensive player:
Isaiah Likely breakout loading? 👀@minakimes joins @TheoAshNFL to discuss #NFL breakout candidates with Pro Bowl potential. 🚀
Stream the NEW episode of Your Football Opinion: https://t.co/t0YBYzPV4n pic.twitter.com/DDXezjiVEJ
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 15, 2024
Here is the situation: the Ravens will need help getting the passing game going at some point. Whether it is due to injuries or because that third receiver spot isn’t being productive, if this happens, I suspect the Ravens will get Isaiah Likely on the field and targeted more. The problem is that Likely and Andrews have never been productive on the field together. Todd Monken has to find a way to get these two rolling simultaneously. The best way to do this is to eliminate that third receiver spot and move to more two tight-end sets.
It’s a challenge for sure, but not impossible. Who knows, maybe Monken is already planning to do more of that this year.
The Ravens play the Falcons tomorrow, and I’d also like to see if Dez Walker can get going on offense.
What will you be watching for?
One Response
I have few questions about the defense. I’ll be watching the QB play and OL.
Will any of these QBs improve upon last week. If not then maybe we should think about looking for a better backup QB.
Will our OL continue to show signs of improvement. The more reps these guys get together, the better they should get. Looking to see if they continue to improve. It’s vital to our success.