At this point in his career, Joe Flacco is not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, yet for some reason, the Ravens have been asking him to carry the offense this season. The Ravens also do not have th WRs to run a pass-first offense. Derrick Mason is the only legitimate starting WR on this team. Yet, Flacco is averaging 35 and a half passes a game (282 through a half season). The only QBs with more pass attempts than Flacco are Manning, Brady, Matt Schaub, Kurt Warner, and Jay Cutler, who mostly play for teams that have struggled to run the football.
What is truly outrageous about this is that it is completely unnecessary. The Ravens have 3 of the best RBs in the NFL. Yet, Ray Rice has taken the entire workload in recent weeks and is on pace for a pathetic total of around 200 carries. The Ravens are on pace to run the ball about 200 fewer times than last year.
Ray Rice is one of the best players in the NFL and certainly belongs in the Pro Bowl. Rice has around 1000 yards from scrimmage already. After Derrick Mason, Rice is the 2nd leading WR, mostly catching screen passes and other short routes.
Although Willis McGahee got out to a great start this season, scoring 2 TDs in each of the Ravens first 3 games, he has disappeared in the last 5 games. The Ravens keep talking about how they want to get him more carries, but due to their pass-first offense, they are unable to give him the carries. The Ravens also have LeRon McClain, who ought to return to his 2008 role as the closer (to borrow a baseball term), running out the clock in the 4th quarter when the Ravens have the ball and the lead.
The Ravens ought to be running the football 40 times a game with their backfield. This would buy Flacco the time he needs to complete passes and would buy the defense the time it needs to rest so that it can stop the other team.
Isn’t it insane to be one of the most pass-happy teams in the NFL, especially without the WRs to run a pass-first offense? The Pittsburgh Steelers have the WRs to run this type of offense (Ward, Holmes, and Wallace). The Ravens have the most RB depth in the NFL and ought to be using it.
Obviously, the adjustment does not need to be made in time for the Cleveland game, as the Ravens should be able to dispose of the hapless Browns with the pass-first offense. However, wouldn’t it be a nice surprise to come out against the Indianapolis Colts and test that defense, which is lacking critical run-stopper Bob Sanders? Wouldn’t it be nice if the Ravens could finally win one against the hated Colts?
50-50
eagles4life | Nov 12, 2009