I listen to a lot of what people are saying about the Baltimore Ravens and their receiving corps. Most of it revolves around them not being good enough, this year is already written off, the receiving corps is the worst in the NFL, and on and on. Seems the table has turned upside down and some of those picking the Ravens to be Super Bowl participants are now speculating that they will be a bottom of the barrel team. However, I have watched the last four Ravens games several times, from an all 22 player perspective and I have a lot of reason for hope.
I hate to say that injuries finally forced the hand of General Manager Ozzie Newsome, but the acquisition of Chris Givens was long overdue. The loss of wide receivers Steve Smith Sr, Michael Campanaro and Breshad Perriman left the Ravens receiving corps perilously devoid of warm bodies to fill the positions on Sunday. But the Ravens were short on speed receivers since the beginning of the preseason and finally after months of waiting the fans, and quarterback Joe Flacco, finally get the speed receiver they had been hoping for in former St. Louis Ram’s receiver Chris Givens. After all, this was a bridge the Front Office was going to have to cross next year if Steve Smith Sr. retires, anyway.
The loss of Steve Smith Sr., who was the teams leading receiver, gave the pundits the impetus they needed to write the Ravens off. After all, in their eyes, the Ravens have nothing but a journeyman receiver, an undrafted free agent who had a good rookie year and dropped off, a sixth round rookie, and a fast new guy. Many are laying it in the lap of Joe Flacco saying that even though he is a high dollar QB he is unable to make his receivers better. The remaining critics are taking the angle that if the Ravens don’t get running back Justin Forsett going, not only will the Ravens season be done, they won’t even beat the incoming Cleveland Browns this Sunday. From my standpoint don’t be surprised if the Ravens have their first blow out victory of the season.
No, this isn’t a “Bold Predictions” segment from the NFL Network, there is really a belief that the combination of skills that this receiving corps brings to the table, the newly found running game, and the return of Eugene Monroe can turn things around. And while left tackle James Hurst was serviceable, he was rated as one of the worst tackles in the league by Pro Football Focus. I responded to a commenter on the Baltimore Ravens website (baltimoreravens.com) who was bashing Joe Flacco saying he is inaccurate because he is throwing off his back foot and my response was that is what happens when you get hit too many times. Self preservation is a natural reaction.
With the newly found run game getting cranked up and the addition of tackle Eugene Monroe, this gives the offense a shot in the arm. As we saw in the Pittsburgh Steelers game, the run game opens up the play action passes across the middle as the linebackers cheat up to stop the run. Then you have the new addition to the team, Chris Givens, stretching the field pulling the safeties away from the line of scrimmage with the rookie tight ends Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle gaining the experience that only playing time provides, this Ravens team is a work in progress and is now making significant progress.
No doubt the loss of Steve Smith Sr. puts more pressure on everyone on the team, but everyone on the team has been developing since the start of OTA’s, the receiver corps now has all the components it needs, the offensive line is getting stronger, the running game has finally opened up and Joe Flacco is on course for a record setting season in yardage. Put all of these things together, and the Ravens have the tools they need to really have a break out game against Cleveland. Don’t be surprised if the Ravens don’t have their best game of the year this Sunday against Cleveland and go on a nine game winning streak. At the end of the year you will be hearing all those people, who quote stats and percentages, saying that the Baltimore Ravens are the fourth team since the 1960’s to make it to the playoffs after starting 0-3. You heard it here first.