Six Ravens Players Off to Good Starts This Season
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker looked at what has gone well and what hasn't for the Ravens during the first four weeks of the season.
There's been plenty of attention on the latter, so let's focus on the former to inject some positivity into your morning. Wacker identified six Ravens players who are performing at a high level:
QB Lamar Jackson
"His 10 touchdown passes this season lead the NFL. He's also tops in yards per attempt (9.1), passer rating (130.5) and has completed a career-high 71.6% of his passes."
WR Zay Flowers
"The third-year receiver who is coming off a Pro Bowl season has 23 catches for 305 yards and one touchdown. He has also been one of the top separators in the league, with 24 snaps with separation in 51 opportunities en route to three games with at least seven catches."
LT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum
"A Pro Bowl selection last season, Stanley, now in his 10th season, is the 17th-highest graded tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (minimum 75% of snaps), while Linderbaum, also a Pro Bowl selection last year, is the highest graded player at his position in the league."
K Tyler Loop and P Jordan Stout
"Loop has made all seven field goal attempts, including a long of 52 yards, while Stout is averaging a career-best 51.5 yards per boot."
Unfortunately, even these kudos come with concerns. Half of the players mentioned above are among 14 players on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.
Jackson (hamstring) and Stanley (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, and Linderbaum (calf) was limited.
Dan Orlovsky Says Ravens Have 'Lost Their Identity'
The Ravens have long been regarded as a physical team that excels at running the ball, and that was especially true last season with the addition of bruising running back Derrick Henry.
The offense has looked different this season, and ESPN's Dan Orlovsky questioned why the Ravens have been running less, especially on early downs.
"So far this season through four games, the Ravens have lost their identity and lost their way as an organization as a football team," Orlovsky said on "NFL Live." "They're not physical anymore on either side. Going back to last week's Kansas City game, Henry carried the ball six times on first and second down. The Ravens have gotten a little pass-happy on offense.
"If you look at the carries in comparison to last year and where he is this year, on first and second down, that's where you should be feeding him the football, allowing him to have an impact."
After rushing 18 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opener against the Buffalo Bills, Henry has 31 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown in three games since.
Henry's 12.3 carries per game are well below his average last season (19.1) and the fewest carries per game he's averaged since his second NFL season in 2017 (11.0), when he split carries with DeMarco Murray on the Tennessee Titans.
ESPN Writers Assess Panic Level for Ravens
ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler each rated the level of panic for the Ravens (1-3) on a 1-to-10 scale heading into Week 5.
"I say 5, but it's important to note that that's a really high number in Baltimore, where there's typically not much panic at all," Graziano wrote. "This defense has had no answers for anyone but the Browns, and with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the season and a ton of other injuries (Nate Wiggins, Roquan Smith, Ar'Darius Washington, the list goes on and on) on that side of the ball, where are the answers going to come from? Add Lamar Jackson's hamstring injury, and now you have a potential for disaster. If Jackson misses significant time, this season could go downhill quickly.
"I am guessing the panic meter about the Ravens outside the building – among fans and those of us who analyze objectively – is closer to 10 right now. But the Ravens count on the strength and steadiness of Head Coach John Harbaugh, General Manager Eric DeCosta and their internal leadership structure to solve problems and get them through tough times. You can bet they're scouring for answers, internally and externally."
Fowler wrote: "I'll go 6. It's worth remembering in times like this that Jackson has a .717 career winning percentage as a starter. That's a Tom Brady-like figure. Assuming Jackson does not miss significant time, the Ravens have a path to a backdoor playoff spot.
"All three losses are to elite teams with championship hopes. It's not like the Ravens are blowing leads to winless teams. The offense is still trying to find its rhythm with personnel groupings – when to play big people for the run game (such as two or three tight ends) vs. playing through receivers and the passing game more often. There's enough talent on offense to make it work regardless. But this defense is galaxies away from the once-proud unit that charged Super Bowl runs."
Pundits Propose Trades Ravens Should Make Before Deadline
The season is only a month old, but pundits are already looking ahead to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra identified each team's biggest need, and for the Ravens, it's help on the defensive line.
"Lamar Jackson's uncertain status will suck up all the oxygen, but this injury-ravaged D is in dire straits," Patra wrote. "And even with a slew of absences in the secondary, the front is the most pressing concern. Nnamdi Madubuike's season-ending injury was a major blow; with Travis Jones and Kyle Van Noy also banged up, the D-line is a shell of itself. Toss in Roquan Smith's injury, and it's clear the run D needs help, fast."
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano named one trade every team should make before the deadline. Verderame views the Ravens as sellers. His proposal has Baltimore sending tight end Mark Andrews to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round pick.
"The Ravens might be cursed this year, and unloading a 30-year-old, soon-to-be free agent for a draft pick may be wise," Verderame wrote. "Baltimore also has Isaiah Likely, who is clearly Andrews' successor. With Likely now healthy from a broken foot, Andrews is expendable. He also has 15 catches for 128 yards, and would be an upgrade in Seattle over AJ Barner."
Quick Hits
Yesterday's Most Read: Ravens Sign Veteran Cornerback to Practice Squad
- Jackson is No. 3 in ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s quarter-season MVP rankings.
- Special teams ace Jake Hummel was named to Pro Football Focus’ First-Quarter All-Pro team. Safety Kyle Hamilton made the second team.
