Another week, another win, but Cam and Harbs still don’t get it
John Harbaugh hinted that some changes would be made offensively heading into the Monday Night game, and he didn’t disappoint. Yanda was moved from RT to RG, Oniel Cousins played RT, and Chris Chester played TE at times.
All this was designed to get the Ravens back to a power-run oriented team.
I like that the coaches wanted to switch things up, but what makes them think the Ravens, at this point, should be a power run team?
Coming into this season, I thought the weapons the Ravens had accumulated at the WR position would open things up immensely for Ray Rice. Thus far, for whatever reason, I have been dead wrong.
Ray Rice isn’t a power runner. Yes, he can run up the middle at times and break some tackles, but he is a better outside runner. His quickness is what makes him such a great rusher, not his strength like a Willis McGahee.
I admire the Ravens for attempting to stick with the run as the season began and unfolded. But at this point, they need to stop being who they want to be, and be who they are. They need to be what gives them the best chance to win, and doing it the way they are doing it is absolutely not it.
Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh throughout three years here in Baltimore have insisted that they do not strive for an identity. They want to be able to be whatever they need to be to win games.
If they are going to be true to their word, we should see no more games where run is the focus. We should not see anymore games where the run game and play action make up the majority of the offensive snaps.
Rather, the four WR’s that Ozzie Newsome brought in need to be on the field together. Joe Flacco needs to be in the shotgun running the no-huddle, both of which he has proven to be more comfortable in, even though he has said otherwise.
The Ravens of the past had Travis Taylor, Mark Clayton, Kevin Johnson, Randy Hymes, Demetrius Williams, and Kelley Washington getting significant time at WR.
They had to adjust to that, and Brian Billick and John Harbaugh both got the most out of what they had.
But times are different now. The Ravens have the personnel to have a prolific passing attack. Joe Flacco is 8th in the NFL in passer rating, ahead of QB’s such as Brees, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, and Matt Schuab. He has the ability to run a dynamic passing attack.
I look at what Tom Brady is doing in New England, and I acknowledge that Joe Flacco is not Tom Brady. That being said, imagine what he would do with the Ravens receivers. Wes Welker and Deion Branch would have trouble cracking the Ravens starting offense, yet they are putting up 30+ points a game, with Brady working primarily out of the shotgun. They are doing it with a running back who is worse than perhaps all 3 of the Ravens’ much hailed 3 headed monster.
For a guy who is known and respected as one of the top offensive coordinators, I do not understand why this is so hard to understand. Willis McGahee said it himself. Tom Jackson said it before the MNF game. Jon Gruden said it during the game.
This team should be lighting up the scoreboard, but for whatever reason, Cam is not putting his offense in the best position to succeed.
Not to mention, at the same time, the defense is clearly falling steps behind of what they were in years past, which should serve as even further incentive to want to score as many points as possible.
Jon Gruden called the Ravens WR corps the best in the NFL last night. John, please get that memo to Cam, before it’s too late.
