Ravens ran pistol formation against Browns, could continue trend

Against Cleveland, the Ravens ran some plays out of the pistol formation.

Perhaps this could be something that sparks a running game that has averaged under three yards per carry through eight games this season.

The pistol is essentially a mix of the shotgun and being under center. The idea is that the quarterback is close enough to the line of scrimmage to read the defense while distanced enough to enhance his vision downfield for passing plays.

It also allows the quarterback to get the ball to the running back faster, or at least that's the theory.

This could be something the Ravens continue to tinker with it to improve the running game.

"The times that we ran it, the first carry I got five yards," running back Ray Rice told reporters. "It’s a good change-up. With Joe [Flacco] controlling this thing, I’m looking forward to continuing to try and change it up. Sometimes it will be … Whether it’s the gun, under center — it’s essentially just doing the right different stuff. We’ve just got to execute at a high level. Joe drives this thing, and we’re all just following. A lot of our mishaps come from communication. We’ve got to communicate at a high level. Being at home this week helps that out because we’ll be able to hear each other and do what we’ve got to do."