The Ravens offense has been carrying the defense for the most part through the first six games of the Jesse Minter era. That’s got to change.
This will be a third-straight week with Snoop Huntley at quarterback instead of Lamar Jackson, who is dealing what he called an incredible painful high-ankle sprain that prevented him from really trying to run for two weeks but which the team insists on calling “day-to-day.” That’s problematic on many levels and the Bengals are the best team they have faced without the two-time MVP this season.
If this becomes a scenario where Huntley has to try to keep pace with a big day from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, then it’s fair to expect the Ravens will be sitting at 4-3 come Sunday night with successive setbacks in the AFC North. This is going to require highly complimentary football. It mandates a significant contribution from Baltimore’s run game – and beyond just Derrick Henry, trust me – to keep Burrow off the field, shorten this game and give the ball-control and high-percentage approach required by Huntley’s limitations in the downfield passing game to make this a ballgame.
If this is another record day for Bengals receiver Ja’Marr chase – and he has done things to Baltimore’s defense that no pass catcher has ever done to any defense – it’s hard to see, say, Huntley doing the same sort of things with Zay Flowers throwing nothing but short and underneath passes. So, what can we expect from Huntley, realistically?
Well, here’s what Doyle is going to have to help him concoct if the offense is going to sustain more than what we’ve seen in the first two games – almost nothing against the Falcons until the final two drives and almost nothing in their final nine drives after a great start against the Browns.
Flowers Must Get Unlocked
Catching like eight balls for 60 yards or six for 66 isn’t going to work. Not against this opponent, Even if the Ravens had an excellent game on defense we’re still talking about holding the Bengals to 24-27 points; the Ravens aren’t getting there without Flowers getting loose.
It doesn’t have to be on a long ball, but it needs to do explosive yards after the catch and Doyle is going to have to get even more creative with Flowers than he’s been (and former head coach and player caller Todd Haley, who isn’t easily impressed, was gushing about Doyle’s use of Flowers to me on “The Daily Flock”). Probably going to have to deploy him in the backfield more. Might need to see more targets at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Explosive Runs/Option Game
The Bengals do not have a very good run defense against outside runs, but the Browns were terrible against them and depleted by injury and they shut Henry down. Doyle needs to sell the threat or hint of Huntley running more than he has to this point. It needs to be a staple or quasi-staple.
It’s likely going to take more Justice Hill in the pistol with Huntley. Probably needs to be more RPO looks than anything close to how the game plans have functioned the past two weeks. Have a hard time seeing the Ravens win this game without Huntley running for 3-5 first downs himself and several of them for more than just a handful of yards.
Super Screens
This is yet another new offensive line for the Ravens. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before.
Five guys up front who have never played together before. A center who was probably going to get benched as a guard for the Eagles, just coming off a concussion in a new offense he’s still learning (Cam Jurgens), lining up against one of the dominant defensive tackles in the NFL with arguably the deepest group of DTs with him.
Huntley is going to get pressured, for sure, and the Bengals are generating a 50% pressure rate in the fourth quarter this season, and in his career, well, he’s been quite bad under pressure: 49% completions, just 5.0 yards per attempt and a 66.3 passer rating.
There need to be answers in the screen game and answers with hots and answers with a pass protection plan, that, again, might require more of Hill, their best pass protecting back at a time their best blocking tight end is already lost for the season. This QB needs to have as much of an incubator as possible, and some quick answers to what are likely to be probing questions from the Bengals defensive front.
There is YAC waiting to happen with rookie tight end Matthew Hibner. It needs to be an emphasis Sunday.
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