More Rice please.
As we head into the Bye week most of the focus will be on what the Ravens need to improve upon in order to return to the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.
Naturally I could turn to the league’s 26th ranked defense as the place to begin. This group has had it’s troubles and they are well documented through the first seven weeks of play. However, I’d like to turn to an area that Ravens have at least had some success in – the offense.
Considering the time of season, the Ravens offense could be described as Jekyll and Hyde. At times swift, and efficient with an ability to pile up points on the opponent while others the same unit has looked ugly, brutish and schizophrenic.
The numbers are quite interesting, especially considering how well the team plays at home (4-0) compared to it’s lack of success on the road (1-2). The Ravens average 32.3 points at M & T Bank Stadium. They average 15 points during away contests. At home they gain about 421 total yards, while away they usually reach about half that total (266).
The biggest culprit of this split personality is quarterback Joe Flacco. In Baltimore he passes for 317 yards a game with an average quarterback rating of 106.6. On the road he’s struggled to average 186 yards with a 55.9 rating.
So why the huge disparity?
There’s no simple answer. Well, they call it home-field advantage for a reason and in fact more times than not the home team does win. Players are in an unfamiliar place playing in front of a hostile environment. Sometimes the game is all about momentum and even one play can quickly turn the score around in the blink of an eye. For example it took Houston exactly 39 seconds to go from down 3-2 to up 16-3. A few three and outs from the offense and the game is soon out of hand.
It also could also be a matter of philosophy. The addition of the No-Huddle has brought mixed results to the offense and there is a time a place in which to use it depending on the situation. It can work very well and it can also send a struggling defense out into the fire once again. So maybe the answer is just run the ball more.
Another constant in the Ravens road woes over the past two seasons has been a lack of involvement of Pro-Bowl running back Ray Rice. That factor reared its head again last Sunday as Cameron inexplicably abandoned his best play-maker in favor of throwing the ball more. The game got out of control which meant that the run game would have to vanish out of necessity. He finished the game with a season-low nine carries for 42 yards.
Unfortunately the Ravens have been here before. Last season the Ravens suffered a bad loss to Seattle on the road where Rice was a non-factor with only 5 carries. The good thing is adjustments are usually made. After that loss Baltimore did not lose again until the AFC Championship game.
Much to my surprise and delight Head Coach John Harbaugh offered these comments during his Monday presser. “We could have stayed with the run a little more patiently…We probably all say we could have been a little bit more patient with the run – whether it’s Ray Rice or Bernard Pierce or whoever it is.”
I think that’s as open and honest as Harbaugh’s ever been during his head coaching tenure and he’s at least proven to be a man of his word.
As of right now the numbers bear what we think we are witnesses – Rice is less involved in the offense. Last season he averaged 18 carries a game, this year it’s around 15. The good thing is that as the season goes on his workload normally increases and I expect not just that but also Bernard Pierce to get more involved as well. Pierce had zero carries on Sunday. He’s been a solid change of pace to Rice’s shifty style.
The Ravens offense when they are at their best is unpredictable and balanced. They use the variety of weapons at their disposal and they get their best players the ball when they need to.
Going forward an improved run game should help the defense and it should help Baltimore win even more games.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.