Just like that, the NFL season is a quarter of the way finished. Some teams already look like bona fide contenders (looking at you Minnesota Vikings). Others might look ready for next season to start already (hello Cleveland Browns). Then there are the teams that still look like somewhat of a mystery. The Baltimore Ravens definitely fall into that final category. A 3-1 start looks great on paper and is certainly not something to complain about. However, digging deeper into the first quarter of the season paints a stranger picture for the Ravens.
The Ravens started out hot, winning their first three games. Pundits were not convinced however as all three games came against teams with a combined 1-8 record at the time; and only by a combined 13 points. Then, this past week, the Ravens blew a fourth quarter lead against the first strong opponent they faced in the Oakland Raiders and fell to 3-1. But even in that game the Ravens had a lead with under three minutes left, and were only defeated by one point. Equipped with the number one defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game, the inconsistent, 19th ranked offense seems to be the culprit to the enigmatic start. Still, the Ravens are 3-1 and tied for first place in the division, and that is nothing to scoff at. Here is the Baltimore Ravens quarterly review.
Ravens Quarterly Review
Offense:
Offensive MVP: Steve Smith
What is there left to say about this guy? The fiery, feisty, fantastic 17th year wide receiver out of the University of Utah continues to triumph over the futile efforts of Father time. Coming off of a torn Achilles tendon, everyone had written this stud off. Somehow everyone had forgotten what this man has done throughout his entire career, prove people wrong.
All Smith has done through four games is lead the Ravens in catches and yards. This includes his fourth quarter 52-yard touchdown on Sunday where he tossed Raiders cornerback David Amerson aside with a nasty stiff-arm, right when the team needed him most. Pro Football Focus gives Smith strong grades in run blocking, receiving, and overall (74.9). He has also improved and played more as the season goes along and will likely continue to do so. Now that he has shaken off the early-season rust, he looks to pick up where he left off last year and continue to dominate the NFL.
Honorable Mention: Joe Flacco
Some people might look at Flacco’s peripheral numbers and struggle to see how he truly has performed this season. 1,072 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions in four games are nowhere near the raw numbers of some other quarterbacks. Nevertheless, Flacco has led two fourth quarter comeback scoring drives already this season and might have had another this past weekend if not for a crucial Chris Moore drop. Any quarterback of a 3-1 team deserves some praise even if the raw numbers are not necessarily there. Pro Football Focus even gives Flacco a very solid 75.5 score.
Offense overall grade: B-
The Ravens have yet to play a complete game on the offensive side of the ball. The first three weeks of the season saw the Ravens struggle running the football. Week four saw the Ravens run the ball with extreme success, but not often enough. The Ravens threw the ball twice as much as they ran it (52 to 26). The first three games however, showed enough success throwing the football (aside from a few interceptions) and the early excitement of free-agent addition Mike Wallace. Never have the Ravens played well in both facets at the same time, yet.
The offensive line has also played very admirably so far. Inconsistencies have stemmed from injuries and youth so it even stands to reason that improved play is coming. The other big addition to the offense this season is on his way this week. Fourth-round rookie Kenneth Dixon will be making his NFL debut this Sunday against the Washington Redskins. While he may be eased in over the next few weeks, by mid-season he could be the bell cow. The Ravens have as much firepower as they have had in years. Finding a way to put it all together and stop the inconsistencies will be the key to making this offense special.
Defense:
Defensive MVP: Eric Weddle
While Timmy Jernigan and C.J. Mosley have played beyond lights out, this one is really a no brainer. Free-agent signee Weddle has been the best player on the team and arguably the NFL’s top safety. He actually has the highest PFF score among safeties this year with an elite 90.9. Last season, the Ravens consistently struggled in the back end of their defense and much of that was attributed to perceived communication errors and lack of leadership. This year, the Ravens have the number three pass defense in the NFL and are doing so without a shutdown group of cornerbacks.
How can this be explained? While Lardarius Webb has acclimated nicely to his new safety position, Weddle is the biggest reason. If you watch one Ravens defensive series you will see Weddle (along with Mosley) directing traffic left and right. By every account Weddle has also been the consummate pro and a great locker-room presence. If all that Weddle gave the Ravens were his intangibles he would be a huge piece for them. However his play on the field might make the most substantial impact. He is fourth on the team in tackles, has an interception that set up the field goal that started the comeback against the Browns, and has graded excellently in coverage.
Honorable Mention: Timmy Jernigan
As stated above this could have easily been Mosley. But the real answer is Jernigan for one reason, his dominance around the line of scrimmage. Jernigan has displayed sheer dominance thus far this season and has been unblockable. His three sacks are fourth in the NFL among interior linemen. Pro Football Focus also grades Jernigan with a score of 80.0 against the run, and 81.6 overall. Jernigan also passes the eye test as it seems like every other play Jernigan is dominating his matchup and wreaking havoc in opposing backfields.
Defense Overall Grade: A
This was almost an A+ honestly but a few things swayed it down towards an A. Starting with the positives, this team is number one in total defense, third against the pass, fifth against the run, seventh in scoring, eighth in third-down defense, and 12th in takeaways. Those are unreal numbers overall. This week, the Ravens held the prolific and now third-ranked Raiders offense to just 216 total yards. The 28-point day is misleading as two of the touchdowns scored were 29 and six yard drives due to a turnover and a long punt return. This defense overall has been spectacular, aside from two key factors.
The bad news on defense starts and ends with two things, lack of a pass-rush and red-zone defense. The lack of a pass-rush has been somewhat of a surprise. Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs, while a bit long in the tooth, form a formidable duo on paper, and Jernigan has practically lived in opposing backfields this season. Dumervil did miss the first three games of the season with a foot injury but the biggest surprise was the lack of pass rush once he returned. Week four saw the Ravens fail to record even one sack! That is unacceptable.
The other big issue for the defense has been an abysmal red-zone defense. Opponents have scored a touchdown on 87.5% of red zone trips this season. That is dead-last in the NFL. The Ravens must improve and force more three point trips instead of seven. One can only imagine how daunting this team would be if it’s 16th ranked pass-rush or red-zone defense measured up with the rest of the defense.
Overview:
The 2016 Baltimore Ravens are not without weaknesses and they are by no means a perfect team. They are however, 3-1 with a top ranked defense and an offense that has reinforcements on the way. If this team can fix its few blatant weaknesses and continue to reap the benefits of its wonderful player development, this team might be able to really make some noise. The next four weeks are crucial as they face three solid teams, the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and New York Jets, before their week eight bye. If the Ravens can go into the bye week 5-2 they would be in great shape to make a second-half run. Only a quarter of the way into the season, there is much more football to be played.
