The Baltimore Ravens got off to about as good of a start as they could have asked for with a Week One victory over the Buffalo Bills. The defense played as good of a football game as fans have seen from the Ravens since their Super Bowl victory a few years ago when legends Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were still roaming the defense. This article will highlight the Ravens Week Two keys to victory.
The Ravens allowed only 160 total yards of offense, including just 95 yards through the air. Baltimore will look to continue that momentum in their first road game against division rival Cleveland Browns.
Baltimore Ravens Week Two Keys To Victory
Keep Joe Flacco Comfortable
The Ravens offense was efficient but nowhere near dynamic against the Bills. That was to be expected due to factors such as first game jitters, integrating all the newcomers, and players returning from injury with a little bit of rust. The latter applies mostly to star quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco tore his ACL while gutsily leading the Ravens to a victory over the then St. Louis Rams in Week 11. The former University of Delaware Blue Hen led Baltimore to victory yet again in Week One while shaking off the rust.
The offensive line was not terrible during the game against Buffalo but they definitely have room for improvement, and that will be crucial for the Ravens the rest of the season. Flacco was not very noticeably showing any sort of discomfort but he has got to be a bit hesitant after only one live-action regular season game since recovering from his ACL tear. The best thing the Ravens can do for Flacco, and thus the team as a whole, is continue to keep him comfortable by giving him a clean pocket while he gets back up to speed. This should not be too difficult against a Browns front seven that only sacked rookie Carson Wentz twice last week.
Establish the Run Game Early and Often
This goes hand-in-hand with the first key as this is just another way to keep Flacco comfortable. By taking pressure off Flacco and the passing game the offense can continue to work out its kinks and become the well-oiled machine that it can be. But the running game being successful is not just good for Flacco and his knee; it would be extremely beneficial for the team as a whole.
A good running game would help set up the play action passing game that Flacco has been very successful with throughout his career. The Ravens are at their best when they run the football and play smash-mouth football. Over the past few years Baltimore has gotten themselves into danger by relying too much on the pass. Week One was not a great showing by the running game and that must improve if the Ravens want to win this season.
Keep Up the Defensive Effort and Intensity
Possibly the most intriguing and encouraging aspect of the Ravens game against the Bills last week was the energy, effort, and sheer speed on the defensive side of the ball. Every player played like there was a fire lit under them. Baltimore’s defense absolutely swarmed to the ball carrier with reckless abandon. John Harbaugh’s team put on a clinic for how to play aggressively on defense, while also playing under control and securing each and every tackle.
No player embodied this more than cornerback Shareece Wright. Wright was arguably the most impressive Raven on Sunday. The former USC Trojan had 11 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage. Wright flew to the ball and made play after play and that likely had a contagious effect on the rest of the defense. If the Ravens keep up this energy, this defense will be tough to beat since it has the pure talent to be special.
Attack the Weak points of Browns Defense, Namely the Secondary Outside of Joe Haden
Perhaps one of the biggest and most unusual strengths of this Ravens team is the depth at pass-catcher. No longer are the Ravens trotting out receivers who struggle to make plays due to a lack of depth. Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken, Chris Moore, Breshad Perriman, and Week One hero Mike Wallace form the most dynamic and deep wide receiver corps in recent Ravens memory.
That group of receivers will play a crucial role against Cleveland’s abysmal secondary. Joe Haden is a star on one side, but Jamar Taylor, Tramon Williams, and the Browns two safeties are all liabilities. The best way for the Ravens to dominate Hue Jackson‘s team is to attack the weakness of the defense and try and get ahead early with a deep ball or two.
Keep Gary Barnidge in Check
This might seem like a strange one after Gary Barnidge’s poor performance in Week One against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Ravens coaches, players and fans can’t forget the numbers Barnidge put up against Balitmore last season. The Ravens were unbelievable overall against tight ends last season, except for Barnidge. Current starting quarterback Josh McCown and his tight end hooked up 15 times for 230 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown in the two games against Baltimore last season. That absolutely cannot happen if the Ravens want to shut down the Browns dreadful offense.
Baltimore improved their secondary over the off-season. Newcomer Eric Weddle and finally healthy and converted cornerback Lardarius Webb now man the starting safety positions. Weddle and Webb form a drastically better tandem than anything the Ravens sent out onto the field last year. This should lead to better success against Barnidge and McCown, and hopefully a victory in Cleveland.
On paper, the Ravens look to have a notable advantage over the Browns this week, even on the road. But this early in the season a lot can happen and Baltimore had better come ready to play in Cleveland against a team that has a lot to prove as talks about an 0-16 season have already begun. Ultimately, if the Ravens can execute their game plan around these five keys and play up to their talent level, they should have no problem this Sunday against their division rivals. Expect to see Baltimore put this one away early and easily as the hype around this team continues to grow.
Prediction: Baltimore 24 Cleveland 7.
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