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A near-perfect matchup was placed before the Baltimore Ravens offense.
They had all five offensive linemen healthy, with running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both active.
Their opponent? The Cleveland Browns defense which ranked No. 30 against the run by DVOA, per Football Outsiders.
Though the offense was without their starting quarterback, there’s no better way on a cold, windy December night in Cleveland to protect your quarterback by leaning on the rushing attack. Curiously, it wasn’t what the offense did, as Huntley finished with 30 pass attempts.
Media expressed their frustration as they watched the Ravens suffer a 13-3 defeat in a game where the Dobbins & Edwards tandem totaled 180 yards on 20 carries.
every single person on here coming with the "Huntley is the worst QB I've seen" narrative needs to realize 3 things:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 18, 2022
1. the Ravens have the worst WRs in the NFL
2. the Browns have the worst run D in the NFL
3. the game plan for this was easy
point your fingers at Greg Roman https://t.co/Er4QrqBpGZ
Even when Lamar Jackson returns, he'll return to a broken pass game. Not sure the Ravens have the scheme or WRs to fix it. On top of it, you can't count on Greg Roman to consistently lean on the run game, which is what this offense is built around. Gonna be an uphill battle.
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) December 18, 2022
Ravens take over down 13-3 at their own 28, 10:49 left. Six straight pass plays, final three incomplete including fourth-down pass to James Proche on first target of the game.
— Bo Smolka (@bsmolka) December 18, 2022
Dobbins and Edwards had averaged 9 yards a carry. It seems as if Roman felt they trailed by 30, not 10
I understand the notion of trying to keep a team off balance. But I have no idea why the Ravens ever passed on first down in this game, with these RBs against that run defense.
— Bo Smolka (@bsmolka) December 18, 2022
This felt like a game Dobbins would finally crack more than 15 carries in a game, something he’s mentioned in the past. At the end of the third quarter, it looked inevitable when he ripped off a 37-yard rush to get the Ravens near midfield down 10. However, that was Dobbins’ last carry of the game, ending his night at 13 carries for 125 yards, good for 9.6 yards per carry.
It wasn’t solely Dobbins dominating, either. Edwards gashed the Browns porous run defense for 55 yards on seven carries (7.9 YPC). In the fourth quarter, Edwards received one carry.
J.K. Dobbins & Gus Edwards through three quarters: 19 carries, 176 yards
— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) December 18, 2022
Fourth Quarter
Dobbins: 0 carries
Edwards: 1 carry, 4 yards
The construction of this offense was built for this type of game. Dismantle your opponent with a run game that cannot be stopped by the likes of an inferior defense. That’s what was projected this offseason when they re-signed their Pro Bowl fullback, drafted two tight ends and essentially built with the 2019 offense in mind. Utilize the talent in the backfield with—or without, Lamar Jackson. The line and the backs are talented enough to do so, as shown by their performance.
This was a game all in the Ravens’ favor. It ended with three points on account of suspect play-calling, questionable decisions and familiar play clock issues having to do with telecommunication malfunctions.
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