Brown: Lamar Jackson was asked about the decline in rushing attempts and designed runs last week. He is averaging a career-low 5.6 rushing attempts per game. That's significantly fewer than his career average of 9.6, or last season's average of 8.2 attempts per game.
"I'm going to do whatever it takes to win," Jackson said. "I don't really pay attention to the number of rushes I have.
"We have Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell, Justice [Hill] and Rasheen Ali; we have all these guys to run the ball – and sometimes Zay [Flowers] – so, I don't really worry about it, as long as we're winning."
I think Jackson running less is part of his evolution as a quarterback. In three of his first four seasons, he averaged more than 10 carries per game, but he hasn't averaged double figures in carries since 2021.
As he ages, I think Jackson will continue to rely more on his arm and less on his legs. He's great enough to do that. So far this season, he has completed a career-high 68% of his passes. He's completed at least 66.7% over the past three seasons and has become one of the NFL's most accurate passers, something many didn't expect when he first entered the league.
Jackson is still a running threat, but he missed three games this season (hamstring) and one practice last week (knee). Only Jackson knows exactly how he feels physically, but if the Ravens keep winning with him running less, I see no problem with that. Save Jackson's dynamic runs for the stretch run and hopefully the playoffs, when the Ravens will need them most.
Mink: Nearly every question this week is about the possibility of offensive line changes, so I'll weigh in. Jackson has been sacked 23 times in seven games this season – the same number of times he was sacked all of last season. The Ravens offense has multiple issues it's trying to fix, including being more productive in the red zone and running the ball with more consistency. Protecting Jackson better is certainly on the list.
First, every sack should not be blamed on the offensive line or on the guards, Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees. The film shows a variety of causes, and the Ravens need to improve across the board.
Second, if the Ravens felt like there was a better starting five or solution at guard, they would absolutely use it. For example, just last year, the Ravens shook up the offensive line by inserting rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle and making Patrick Mekari the permanent left guard. While continuity is valued, coaches are not afraid to make changes and will do whatever it takes to give the team the best chance to win.
Ravens coaches, who meticulously study not just every game rep but also practice rep, have not felt Ben Cleveland or rookie Emery Jones Jr. are better guard options at this time. There's no game tape of Jones yet after he lost his entire summer while recovering from shoulder surgery, so it's understandable to wonder how he'd fair. Only coaches can make the determination of when he's ready for his first game action.
Third, I keep hearing that "it can't get worse." It most certainly can. Out of 64 starting guards around the NFL, Vorhees ranks No. 34 and Faalele is No. 43, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens' guards are doing good things, too.
Some of the guards with lower PFF grades this season include Mekari, another former Raven in John Simpson, first-round pick Grey Zabel, and expensive free-agent signing Mekhi Becton.
I understand the frustration with the pass protection, and some of the clips circling on social media (not the best source of reality) are difficult to watch. Seeing Myles Garrett rack up four sacks Sunday poured salt in the wound. That Garrett guy is pretty darn good. The Ravens need to improve in pass protection for this offense to hit its stride. I'm not going to rule out the possibility of making changes, but I trust the evaluation of the Ravens' coaches on the situation.
Brown: If the Ravens' defensive line stays healthy, it may be difficult for Peebles to see action. He has not played since Week 5, and Baltimore's defensive line has been balling out.
Taven Bryan, who was signed to the 53-man roster last week, has made a significant contribution over the last four games. John Jenkins earned Baltimore's second-highest defensive grade (91.4) from Pro Football Focus against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Travis Jones has been playing some of the best football of his career recently, according to Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr. Brent Urban had three tackles, including one for loss, against the Browns while playing 25.5% of the defensive snaps.
Peebles is a promising rookie who got valuable playing experience in the first five games. He's waiting if called upon, but with the Ravens riding a four-game winning streak, I think they'll ride with the defensive line rotation they've been using.
Mink: The Ravens will have to decide this offseason on whether they will keep Cooper Rush for another year as Jackson's backup. Rush has fallen to third on the quarterback depth chart behind Tyler Huntley, which the Ravens didn't anticipate when they signed Rush to a two-year deal worth a reported $6.2 million. According to OvertheCap.com, the Ravens could save $2.1 million next year by making Rush a post-June 1 cut.
As always, the Ravens will do their homework on the draft-eligible quarterbacks and I do think they could draft one on Day 3. Baltimore reportedly was prepared to draft Sanders in the fifth round last year. That was after signing Rush.
The Ravens could keep rolling with Huntley, but I do think there's also a desire to get a long-term, cheaper backup behind Jackson that the Ravens can develop. It didn't work out with Devin Leary as a sixth-round pick in 2024, but it absolutely worked with Tyrod Taylor in the sixth round in 2011. The Ravens will try to replicate that success.
