There’s a world of trouble in Ravens land. Let’s face it. The prospects for the 2022 Ravens have diminished to such a degree that it’s almost impossible to foresee a happy ending. And I don’t mean winning a Super Bowl championship. It’s hard to see how this group – such as it is – can win another game. I don’t think this dire forecast is a bridge too far.
There are so many problems heading into the season finale that it’s almost hard to pick a starting point. But pick I must so I’ll go with the obvious starting point.
Quarterback – Do the Ravens Have One?
No. Some reports indicate that Lamar’s knee was too swollen as recently as last week. The odds of him being fully ready to play in week one of the playoffs are very low. And I don’t think the Ravens will chance further injury to him if he’s not completely mobile. Heading into the off-season there’s just too much at risk for the organization (not to mention the player) if Jackson suffers a more severe injury.
Then there’s tendonitis-in-the-right-shoulder Huntley. I won’t mince words on the Huntley subject. If he’s healthy, he’s a below-average backup quarterback in this league. No need to re-hash last week’s Huntley rant. He’s had ample chance, and his 12 points per game average performance – even acknowledging the handicap of caveman Roman the play caller – gives the Ravens no chance of winning a meaningful game.
Anthony Brown, God bless him, is probably the best pure thrower on the team. Now, how many games has he started in the NFL? He’s worth a harder look in next year’s camp, but taking the reins against the Bengals? Forget-about-it.
I expect Huntley to be the starter this week. Roman should throw out his playbook, play real, complete football, and see what happens. Because scoring one or two touchdowns is a very low probability formula for beating the Bengals.
The Defense
We saw a big hint of the run defense problems in the second half of the Falcons game. The Steelers obviously watched that film and saw what I saw. It led to the line’s inability to occupy blockers and an utter failure to keep the inside linebackers clean. The Steelers averaged 2.5 yards per carry before contact! That’s complete destruction in the trenches.
If you can’t stop the run – as the Ravens well know – you aren’t going to beat any quality opponent. Couple that with the Bengals offering the best receiver trio in the league, and this is a formula for a blowout in the wrong direction. Without Lamar this week fans will rationalize a probable loss into believing that the Ravens really aren’t that far behind the Bengals. But they’ll be wrong. There’s a very large gap as the rosters and coaches now stand.
The Secondary
Can the Ravens secondary stop the Bengals? Not if Mike Macdonald continues to play so much zone. You just can’t do that against the Bengals’ group. Macdonald’s play calling has not settled in as well as I would like. He’s been average at best. Macdonald is so fearful of his own corners and his lack of pass rush that he’s almost completely reliant on zone concepts. But like it or not he’s going to have to play more press coverage at the line to stop these Bengals stars. You just can’t let them get free runs.
Let’s be clear on one more thing. Kyle Hamilton on Tyler Boyd or Hayden Hurst is not going to work. He has no chance of covering Boyd, and Hurst is too athletic for him to handle. Macdonald better give Pepe Williams a chance on Boyd. Hamilton can blitz or float as a roamer. But tasking him with man coverage against these types of receivers is asking him to do what he can’t. The number one rule for any coach is to play to his player’s strengths. Take a note, Greg Roman (not that it matters).
The Pass Rush – More Trouble in Ravens Land
Then there’s the pass rush – if you want to call it that. As I’ve noted previously, the outside linebackers other than Tyus Bowser have been manned up. Justin Houston’s effectiveness has waned, Jason Pierre-Paul can’t rush the quarterback anymore, and Odafe Oweh – well, he’s Odafe Oweh. Macdonald played him more against the Steelers, but it didn’t really matter, though he brought good effort. Will he give David Ojabo a chance this week? There’s no reason not to (if he’s actually healthy). It’s time to play him, period.
This week, Macdonald must keep Roquan Smith in the middle of the field as much as possible in passing situations. Let the ever-eager Patrick Queen attack coming forward (because he’s still a mess in read and react, and troubled going backwards). Let him move around the defensive formations and blitz into different gaps or stunt around the edge. And you can do the same with Hamilton.
Greg Roman – And If You Thought You Had Trouble
Yes, it’s essentially hopeless here. I’m not going to repeat the last six weeks-worth of comments regarding Roman. John Harbaugh elected not to fire Roman this past off-season. There’s no chance he’ll make the same mistake this year. And it will be deserved. If I’m Roman, let the dogs loose on your way out. Use the running backs more creatively. Get whatever you have in the receiver room and move the pieces around on the field. Open it up and let it rip!
I’ll be more constructive next week (I hope).
