After a disappointing loss to a gritty New England Patriots team in Week 10, the Baltimore Ravens need to reestablish their identity in order to merely earn a playoff spot.
Variations of change will be needed for the Ravens to make a playoff push as we slowly creep towards the end of the regular season.
After extensive discussion among myself and the members of the Baltimore Beatdown team, let’s take a look at what each of my team members had to say in response to this question: What needs to change for the Ravens to earn a playoff spot?
Adrian Charchalis:
The Ravens must incorporate more creativity on the offensive side of the ball. It may be tough to do so with Week 11 on the horizon; however, it appears as if certain aspects of the offense has grown quite stale and predictable. More designed plays for players like Marquise Brown, Devin Duvernay, and J.K. Dobbins could really open things up for the offense. A way to inject some energy and talent in the offense would be to pull up Dez Bryant from the practice squad. With the team’s supposed playmakers failing to make any plays, I believe its finally time to see what Bryant is made of. Bryant excels in contested catch situations, and I think its only fair to give the man the shot he's been waiting two years for.
Shuffling the offensive line will be a necessary move because they didn't look good versus the Patriots. Moving Bradley Bozeman to center has already been established, and further shuffling among the likes of Ben Powers, Matt Skura, and Patrick Mekari is expected. Reestablishing the offensive identity in the trenches while Tyre Phillips heals from a high-ankle sprain will make life much easier for Lamar Jackson and the offense to move the ball.
Cassidy Higdon:
Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams have to come back healthy and ASAP. We’ve seen this defense without Williams too many times to fool ourselves into thinking it will be okay; add in losing Campbell and it’s looking dire.
They need to make the change at center. Matt Skura had a great 2019 but that is not the guy lining up over the ball this year. The errant snaps combined with the poor blocking just isn’t sustainable.
Move to a spread offense. That seems like a drastic change to make in the middle of the season but we saw this coaching staff do that once before when Lamar Jackson got the reins. The offense was already a shell of itself from last year with everyone healthy and now with injuries to Nick Boyle and Ronnie Stanley, that offense probably cannot function with any efficiency. With one tight end left on the roster and lots of uncertainty on the offensive line, I would like to see a lot of 11 gun sets and quick hits to get the ball in the hands of our so-far neglected playmakers on the outside. Maybe Miles Boykin could even get more involvement as a flex tight end, who knows. Adapt or die.
Spencer Schultz
The offense must begin to utilize screens and quick passing to compensate for a lackluster offensive line, don’t rush Calais Campbell back, and stop handing Mark Ingram the ball on 1st-&-10.
Dustin Cox
The biggest need for the Ravens right now is the return of several key starters including Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, Jimmy Smith, and L.J. Fort. Without Williams and Campbell in the lineup, Baltimore’s run defense is in major danger. Offensively, the Ravens must find a combination of players that works along the offensive line.
Greg Roman must continue to involve rookies Devin Duvernay and J.K. Dobbins in the game plan. A quick passing attack will have to become the new norm for Lamar Jackson behind a battered and struggling line. It is also critical for the Ravens to play with more discipline going forward, as penalties continued to be a major problem all season.