Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will reply followers’ questions all through the Ravens season. After Baltimore fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-27, on Sunday, loads of questions stay earlier than a Week 13 matchup towards the Denver Broncos.
Here’s Preston’s take:
(Editor’s notice: Questions have been edited for size and readability.)
Mike, what’s our offensive sport plan? Why don’t we go no-huddle extra usually? Why don’t we’ve got a scripted first sequence or two to get a rhythm going? And why can we proceed to be so sluggish, methodical and lackadaisical attending to the road and calling a play? P.S. Isn’t there somebody on the teaching workers who may train Lamar to cross precisely?
— Deb Marindin
Like each different group within the NFL, the sport plan adjustments from week to week relying on which gamers are injured and different groups’ strengths and weaknesses. I assume the Ravens’ performs within the first, second and even third sequence are scripted relying on end result and the conditions. As far because the performs being known as in late, that has been an issue all season. Coach John Harbaugh mentioned the Ravens would appropriate the state of affairs then, however that actually value them within the first half towards Jacksonville. Maybe offensive coordinator Greg Roman must get the performs in sooner to quarterback Lamar Jackson, or Jackson has to hurry the Ravens up in attending to the road of scrimmage.
There are different issues concerned, although, like substituting gamers and the varied motions the Ravens use presnap on sure performs. At halftime Sunday, Harbaugh mentioned on TV that they’d corrected the state of affairs, they usually did. But this downside has been occurring for years, courting again to when Joe Flacco was the beginning quarterback.
Maybe now, as a result of everyone seems to be paying consideration, the Ravens will focus much more on the state of affairs. Hopefully, it will unencumber Jackson to get to the road sooner and look over defenses and make the right reads and checks. After years of each Roman calling performs and Jackson underneath heart, there aren’t any excuses for fixed delay-of-game penalties. The Ravens ought to have clockwork precision more often than not.
What’s the take care of Marcus Peters? He appears to get turnovers however there are such a lot of performs that he appears to “take off.”
— Neil in Parkville
I perceive Peters is coming off main knee surgical procedure and he’s in all probability a step slower now in his eighth 12 months within the NFL, however he’s taking part in tender on the nook. The Jaguars threw a number of hitch passes and he wasn’t concerned within the gang tackling, and I as soon as noticed him going again to huddle as an alternative of attempting to take down the receiver. I believe a part of the issue is that he doesn’t wish to threat getting harm once more, however he additionally appears to surrender simply when issues aren’t going his means. He has had the identical downside for different groups he’s performed on.
I just like the vitality and keenness he can carry to a protection, however he must be extra bodily on the level of assault. The downside is the Ravens don’t have anybody on the roster higher than Peters. Some of the rookies got alternatives early within the season however failed to face out. At this level, the Ravens have to get Peters extra assist or rotate towards his facet as a result of opposing groups are going proper after him.
Why does Lamar proceed to have a look at his wristband after popping out of the huddle? Seems like he doesn’t perceive the play he simply known as. It’s like he wants a cheat sheet to inform him what to do through the play.
— Steve Cieri
After observing Jackson do that for a number of years, I began watching different quarterbacks, and most of them have performs on their wristband as properly. With Jackson, his state of affairs could be barely extra exaggerated as a result of the Ravens take so lengthy to snap the ball. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wears an analogous wristband, as does the Buccaneers’ Tom Brady. Maybe the passing video games have turn into so subtle that quarterbacks want them, however there are solely so many routes within the passing tree. With Jackson, it’s like he’s punching in a play on the pc and ready for the right reply. Maybe it’s due to all of the performs Roman mentioned he had in his vault from a 12 months in the past.
Regardless, the Ravens have to work on whittling issues down and getting the performs in sooner. It’s both on Jackson or Roman. There is nobody else responsible.
Mike, after watching one other Ravens end-of-game collapse, I see Justin Houston famous “we got lackadaisical out there.” For a while, I’ve thought concerning the lack of management on the group — particularly on protection — however even on the offensive facet of the ball. Given the Ravens’ historical past this 12 months, how is it attainable to get lackadaisical? There appears to be no fireplace. Could this occur with Ray Lewis on the sphere? Would he permit the protection to play with out fireplace? We appear to lack depth and we merely shouldn’t have a stopper, somebody on protection who can get the wanted sack when wanted or turnover or cease a run when we’ve got actually wanted it in all 4 losses. Am I lacking one thing?
— Mike Stefanek
I’d say there’s a lack of management. When the Ravens are struggling on protection, there is no such thing as a one which brings the group collectively and talks concerning the issues on the sphere. At least I haven’t seen that, except for lineman Calais Campbell. Peters might be that man, however his demeanor can generally rub teammates the improper means. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey may be that kind of participant, too, however hasn’t accepted it full-time. In time, center linebacker Roquan Smith may turn into a pacesetter, but it surely’s arduous to take that on in the midst of a season.
Offensively, the Ravens are missing. Quarterbacks are normally leaders, however Jackson isn’t there but, and he may by no means be. I like what guards Ben Powers and Kevin Zeitler carry to the offense with their bodily model of play, however linemen are so reserved. Sorry to say, apart from Campbell, I don’t know any Ravens who’ve that mixture of being profitable on the sphere and a really partaking character. The Ravens nonetheless have a variety of younger gamers on the roster, however proper now there is no such thing as a Rod Woodson, Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe or Anquan Boldin on this group.
Is there any state of affairs offensive coordinator Greg Roman is let go through the season? And if not, what may the rationale be? They let Cam Cameron go late within the 2012 season (with a 9-4 document, I consider, on the time), and the offense is in a way more dire state of affairs now than it was in 2012. The offensive points have been occurring for 2 years now, so there is no such thing as a means this may be fastened within the coming weeks. Why not shake issues up whereas nonetheless within the hunt? At this price, I solely see them profitable another sport with Roman on the helm.
— Anonymous
Hi, Anonymous, subsequent time put your title in your query, please. Loads of fingers are being pointed at Roman after final week’s loss to Jacksonville, however the defeat was a group effort. The Ravens had greater than 400 yards of complete offense and an almost five-minute benefit in time of possession. I’ll say his play-calling contained in the purple zone was poor, particularly with the Jaguars principally dashing 4 gamers and staying fairly vanilla in coverages with a variety of zone. I don’t know why the Ravens would ship out solely three receivers generally, and I actually would have given working again Gus Edwards extra carries contained in the 20-yard line.
But Roman didn’t overthrow Demarcus Robinson and Josh Oliver on attainable landing passes. Jackson did. Roman didn’t drop 4 to 6 passes for the second straight week. The Ravens receivers did. Roman wasn’t taking part in within the secondary on that 10-play, 75-yard game-winning drive that Jacksonville pulled off within the final two minutes of the sport.
You need extra?
There is an previous saying that you simply win as a group, and also you lose as a group. The Ravens actually misplaced as a group to the Jaguars.
One thing more: Where was the cross rush Sunday within the closing two minutes?
Why is John Harbaugh nonetheless the coach? Seriously.
— Carl Wright
155-100 total document, has performed in two AFC championship video games, two dropping data within the earlier 14 seasons, Super Bowl champion in 2012, been to the AFC playoffs 10 instances in Baltimore.
That’s why.
Seriously.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com