Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions throughout the Ravens season. Fresh off Baltimore’s 19-17 Week 5 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, plenty of questions remain with Baltimore making a second trip to MetLife Stadium in as many months to face the New York Giants on Sunday.
Here’s Preston’s take:
(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity)
In the two losses, it seemed like the offense went into a stupor in the second half. Along with that, the defense can’t get off the field, so they tend to break down. Why does it seem like the Ravens are slow or unable to adjust to second-half adjustments made by the opposition? Thanks.
— Mike Sherman
Preston: I think you can look at this in a number of ways. Defensively, the Ravens haven’t been able to stop a lot of teams. Before Sunday’s game against the Bengals, they had the worst pass defense in the NFL. Combined with the lack of a consistent pass rush, that’s a formula for failure in high school and college football, let alone in the NFL. Only when those dynamics change will you see a difference, particularly in the fourth quarter when opposing teams are throwing to catch up.
Offensively, the Ravens attack more in the first half. They try to go up-tempo and sometimes go no-huddle, and I think that has been successful. In the second half, and I’m not talking about just this season, the Ravens tend to want to dominate with a strong running game and control the clock. They want to wear the opposition down with a big back like Gus Edwards running behind a big offensive line. The Ravens will most likely win if quarterback Lamar Jackson is throwing 15 to 30 times a game. If he goes over that limit, they have an increased chance of losing. The Ravens have successfully used this formula in the regular season, but not in the playoffs when they have fallen behind.
I’d love more help for the defense, but it seems like there are holes at every level. Do you think at this point in the season, if general manager Eric DeCosta makes any trades before Nov. 1, it would just be better to go all in with the offense? Maybe teams like a Carolina that aren’t going anywhere would be willing to move players like D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, etc.? Thanks.
— Paul in Orlando
Preston: Trades are very uncommon in the NFL — the Los Angeles Rams being the exception. Most general managers, especially the young ones, prefer to build through the draft, where they can groom, nurture and process the player through their systems and programs. Unlike some other sports, draft picks often step in and help a team right away.
General managers spend a lot of time studying and analyzing these players in college, so they have good background information. When you make a big trade, the coach and team have to be prepared to make changes with X’s and O’s and be able to deal with their personality. There are reasons players are available in trades; some are cap casualties, but some are malcontent, don’t like their current offense or others just want a change of scenery. Oftentimes the big trades don’t work out.
Teams have to find the right match. Big trades can change and possibly offset the salary cap for future years. The Ravens have been willing to spend in free agency — look at tight end Shannon Sharpe or wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. or safety Marcus Williams. But they don’t have a history of making splashy trades. So, I don’t see the Ravens stepping outside of their comfort zone.
Is there any worry about Kyle Hamilton? They put Geno Stone out there over him when Marcus Williams went down. Was expecting a little more from Kyle than what I am seeing. Appreciate all your articles.
— Justin Curbeam
Preston: Thanks for your compliment.
I wouldn’t say the Ravens are worried but rather concerned about making Hamilton as comfortable as possible. The kid is a specimen. As a first-round selection and 14th overall pick, he was expected to play a lot this season but has struggled with missed tackles and in pass coverage. There is always a rush to get these top picks up to speed and in the lineup as soon as possible, but the Ravens at least had the luxury to let Hamilton sit, watch and learn because they had Williams and Chuck Clark as starters. That luxury no longer exists with Williams out for an extended period of time with a wrist injury.
Stone has been waived by the team twice since they drafted him in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. He might not be the ideal backup but I root for players who are hungry and persevere. As far as Hamilton, the Ravens have given him more time to improve his game, now he has to show it.
Hi, do you see Devin Duvernay emerging into the main receiver target even when Rashod Bateman comes back?
— Bjorn SR
Preston: It depends on what you’d call a true No. 1 receiver. Those guys stay on the outside, but I like what the Ravens did with Duvernay on Sunday versus the Bengals. I’ve advocated for the last two years to use him much like the Kansas City Chiefs used Tyreek Hill. You put him in the slot, put him in motion and use him on jet sweeps, get him the ball on quick screens and tosses and also utilize him in the downfield passing game.
It appears to me that Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman has been borrowing a lot out of the Chiefs’ playbook lately with tight end Mark Andrews pretending to be Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce on shuffle passes and even lining him up as a quarterback under center on short yardage situations. It’s always good to steal from other successful teams. As the old saying goes, if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.
Bateman will be considered the team’s top weapon on the outside but Duvernay has earned the right to get more touches and opportunities. This should push Bateman and make him better.
Competition is a good thing.
I think the Ravens have committed less money to wide receivers than any team in the NFL. Could the team commit $40 million or more to Lamar and stay competitive without also throwing more at a receiver or two?
— Tom White
Preston: It is still in question what the Ravens will do about Lamar Jackson’s contract extension. The holdup is still that he wants a fully guaranteed deal. But the Ravens can re-sign him, and a top priority this offseason should be to find a big, tall receiver. The Ravens don’t have any on the roster, at least not one who can contribute right away. Once they find that player, the Ravens in theory would have a full complement of receivers with a big target on the outside, a possession type on the other side in Bateman and a shifty, elusive player in the slot with Duvernay.
But right now, finding a big target downfield should be a focus.
Why does the Ravens offense rarely snap the ball with more than two seconds on the clock? Too many times they seem to be in a rush once they get to the line of scrimmage. It allows the opposing defense too much rest between plays and they have a big advantage when the clock is about to run out. They can get a head start running toward the line of scrimmage from their blitzer. Your thoughts?
— Lonnie Vick
Preston: It’s a question coach John Harbaugh has been asked in recent weeks and the Ravens have actually done a better job of getting Jackson into position for his pre-snap reads before the play clock expires. I saw Jackson doing a better job of re-positioning players against Buffalo and Cincinnati. They still need to go quicker, but they are much better than they were in the opener against the New York Jets and the following week versus the Miami Dolphins.
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