Which Ravens WR Will Step Up?

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 15, 2011 6:00 PM EDT

ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 25: Receiver Torrey Smith #82 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with Dennis Pitta #88 after catching a pass for a touchdown during the 1st quarter of the game against the St. Louis Rams on September 25, 2011 at the Edward Jones Dome in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

With veteran WR Lee Evans already listed as "out" for the Baltimore Ravens game when they host the Houston Texans tomorrow afternoon, it means another wide receiver will have the chance to shine in his place. The first time this happened earlier this season, rookie WR Torrey Smith broke out with a three-touchdown, 152-yard performance in the team's 37-7 beatdown on the St. Louis Rams.

So will Smith repeat his week three record-setting day or will another receiver put up the great stats to get noticed and figure into the mi form now on? Of course, when you say "receiver," it might not be a wide receiver as it could just as easily be a tight end with the Ravens Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta being match-up nightmares for defenses so far in 2011. Both guys are big and fast with great hands, too fast for linebackers to cover and too big to be handled by defensive backs.

Torrey Smith figures to start and get the most reps and therefore the best chance to shine once again. However, that still opens up a slot for either rookie Tandon Doss or David Reed, who is back from his shoulder injury, to get a chance to prove they deserve more snaps on offense.

Look for either Doss or Reed to get their chance to compete with Smith or one of the tight ends and be the fantasy football "Sleeper of the Week."

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Comments

Since he’s starting again, hopefully Torrey will step up. And Tandon is too good of a pass catcher to not see the field.

by JoshuaStein on Oct 15, 2011 6:37 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed and agreed. Torrey will have to step up. And there are plenty of us lobbying for Doss to see some action, unfortunately that may not happen this season. Reed and LaQuan will probably make the active roster over him every week because of what they bring to our Special Teams unit.

"Is adult entertainment killing our children, or is killing children entertaining adults?"
-Marilyn Manson

by StuckInUtah on Oct 15, 2011 7:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I hate the inactive rule in the NFL

what is the purpose? If they are on your roster, they should be eligible to play. They are so concerned with player safety, so why not have the full roster dressed to make sure banged up players can rest if they need to.

by YeahDonnie on Oct 16, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Laquan!

Don't let my defense dictate your offense..

by lastcallbmore on Oct 15, 2011 7:18 PM EDT reply actions

torrey

Obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.

by jackmca on Oct 15, 2011 7:25 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs

Mase will step up… And grab Schaub by the facemask on TV.

I like Smith tmrw

by Evan Skev on Oct 15, 2011 7:41 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

David Reed will most likely have a season ending injury. I am thinking Laquan has a big game and rice gets about 85 receiving yards and between him and ricky williams, 140 rushing yards.

by Raven_all_day on Oct 15, 2011 7:49 PM EDT reply actions

David Reed

to kill the Texans, just like he did a year ago!

Brad James

Follow me on Twitter

With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on Oct 15, 2011 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

Anybody watching the MD game. Sammy Watkins is a beast. Never seen no shit like this.

by Raven_all_day on Oct 15, 2011 10:13 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

This is the game where Joe gets to prove he is old enough to shave

The Texans don’t have a great defense, but so far we don’t have a great offense. If the offense doesn’t step up and put points on the board because of Joe, we have to start looking to drafting a franchise quarterback in the draft. He is up for a new contract and you can’t throw big bucks at someone who can’t lead the team to the promised land. If Manning doesn’t come back that is just what the Colts did. The quarterback position has to be run just like every other position on the team.

by TheShadow on Oct 16, 2011 7:47 AM EDT reply actions

relax shadow

he obviously won’t play well enough to satisfy you, and even if he does, you’ll just say “well the Texans defense isn’t very good. He needs to complete 80-90% of his passes against the ’85 Bears defense.”

By the way, whenever you get that Fan Post cranked out explaining which QBs throw for 80-90% against the best defenses in the league, we’ll be waiting. THAAAAAAAAAAANKs…

Obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.

by jackmca on Oct 16, 2011 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Hey Shadow,

Can you provide some stats or a scoreline that would make Joe acceptable in your eyes (for this game)?

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Just have him lead the team like an elite quarterback

If he does all those little dump off passes he has to complete 80-90 % or the team does its three and out and has to depend on the defense to step up. Look at the Titans game, the defense didn’t step up and Mighty Joe struck out. In the Jets game the defense took the offense in their own hands. As dominate as the defense was we could only muster one offensive touchdown. Even without a defense the Patriots got 321 yds passing and 136 yards rushing, which were set up by the passing. What do the Pats have, bionic receivers. Our receiving corp is as good as any out there. Now you do the math.

by TheShadow on Oct 16, 2011 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions

Have there been any games in your view where Joe has done that?

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Also, WITH Lee Evans, we definitely have a great receiving corps

Without him, we’re relying on one proven veteran and essentially, a bunch of rookies.

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

So Shadow are you really saying that Joe

needs to be in the class of a Manning (Peyton), Brady, Rodgers and Brees or else you will never be satisfied. If he is not elite, but only very good and we win a SB with a very good QB, will you be happy with Joe?

Just curious.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 16, 2011 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

I’d rather have a very good QB that wins a Superbowl than an elite QB that never wins one

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

All the elite QB’s have one a super bowl though. I feel where shadow is coming from but Flacco doesn’t have to be elite for us to win the ship.

by Raven_all_day on Oct 16, 2011 2:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I understand that, but still...

Phillip Rivers, Michael Vick, “Matt Ryan,” “Tony Romo,” Donovan McNabb (back in the day)… analysts consider these guys elite QB’s, but they don’t have a title.

All I’m saying is, at the end of the day,

SuperBowl >>>> Having an “elite” QB

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Also, GO RAVENS!!

by fedfan64 on Oct 16, 2011 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I would be happy to win a super bowl with Joe

But if he gets us there the way he did against the Jets two weeks ago you can’t keep putting him on a pedestal. You say Joe is the best we had, but I think Vinny may have been. Vinny just didn’t have the team to work with that Joe does.

by TheShadow on Oct 16, 2011 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions

shadow must be THRILLED with all of this attention

fap fap

by Evan Skev on Oct 17, 2011 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Joe’s only the best QB the Ravens have ever had. Let’s just throw that away and start anew because he didn’t the SB in his first three years….

He won as many games as Dan Marino in his first three years. That’s got to be a bad omen right… Marino never won a SB so he must be terrible.

Lay off the crack pipe.

The writer formerly known as This White Man Can Jump; Powah Stached; Bear Killer; Da Dude; The Other Bambino; TJ Dropped The Season; Harbaugh Is My Co-Pilot; Billick's Alter Ego; Mr. Poopy Pants.

by El.Dude on Oct 16, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Joe being the best QB we have had is not really saying much.

With the exception of Steve McNair who was in the decline, we have had the bad bad and the ugly as QBs. If they were not bad they were washed out. So the claim he is best as compared to what. That being said Shadow may need to sit back and be a little patient. Joe is showing some growing pains. He is trying to grow as a QB and has a lot of rookies and inexperience he is dealing with also. The one experienced WR he has is consistently covered. I am not sure he is completely comfortable with the oline yet either. Inconsistency is also an part of growth. So be patient Joe will find the balance he is becoming a student of the game and he will play better.

by runew on Oct 16, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

texans aren’t an elite defense, but they are definitely a good defense. I think you’re letting last year influence you too much because they have some play makers on that squad and are a NT away from being up there with some of the better defenses in the league.

On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu

by AV23 on Oct 16, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions