Ravens RB Alex Collins looked good, but can vastly improve

In his first game with the Baltimore Ravens since being called from the practice squad, many didn’t expect to see running back Alex Collins touch the field as much as he did. Once Terrance West was pulled from the game for an unknown reason, Collins and Javorius Allen (Buck) got their opportunities to run the ball.

Collins carried the ball seven times. On Collins’ seven carries, he averaged six yards per carry and rushed for 42 yards total. He also had a carry of 16 yards, the longest of his day. He had one fumble that was lost in the third quarter.

Usually when players fumble under the watchful eye of head coach John Harbaugh, he tends to pull them from the game. However, Collins proved that he deserved to be on the field, showing burst and the ability to shed tackles.

The most important thing for Collins to do is to cut down on his fumbles and continue to work on his pass catching. He had two fumbles in eleven games with the Seattle Seahawks last season and started his Ravens career with a fumble. The other issue is that he wasn’t targeted with a pass while in the game.

His ability to catch hasn’t necessarily been a big part of his repertoire, even while he was in college. While with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Collins only caught the ball 27 times, for 167 and zero touchdowns in three seasons.

If Collins can improve upon those two flaws in his game, he can be a force to be reckoned with. While at Arkansas, his nickname was “Beast Mode Jr.”. Let’s see what he can do.