The Baltimore Ravens picked up their first win of the season in Week 3, as they have struggled at closing games. In Weeks 1 and 2, the Ravens came up short against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the struggling Las Vegas Raiders. Baltimore never held the lead against the Chiefs in Week 1 but had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Raiders. The Ravens let the lead slip away against Las Vegas, giving them their second consecutive loss. In Week 3, Baltimore faced off against the Dallas Cowboys at ‘Jerry World’ and held on to win the game. Going into the fourth quarter, the Ravens were winning 28-6. Baltimore did not score in the fourth quarter while giving up 19 consecutive points, winning the game narrowly 28-25.
The Baltimore Ravens must improve late-game strategies to put away winnable games. Running Back Derrick Henry will be a major part of the team’s success, along with other complimentary players. The Raven’s defense must stand stout, as they have been letting teams off the hook early in the season. As long as the defense does its job and the offense puts points on the board, Baltimore will be in better form.
How Can Baltimore Improve at Closing Tight Games?
The Baltimore Ravens have been in close games the last three weeks. Every game ended with a one-score victory, meaning the Ravens were on the brink of winning as much as losing. The Ravens must improve at closing games to stay competitive in the tight AFC North division. Baltimore has already lost two games that should be in the win column and cannot drop any more winnable games if there is a championship in their sights.
Keep Feeding King Henry
Derrick Henry posted a classic performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. It only took Henry three games to deliver his best performance as a Raven, taking home the game ball for his efforts. Henry carried the ball 25 times and rushed for 151 yards while scoring two touchdowns. He looked like King Henry of old because he was constantly fed the ball. Historically, Henry gets better later in games due to his ability to wear down defenses. As long as the Ravens continue feeding Henry, the chances of winning will increase drastically. The first two games were not Henry’s fault, as he did not carry the ball his usual 20-plus times, seemingly underutilized. Surprisingly, quarterback Lamar Jackson had more rushing yards than Henry in Week 1. Now that Henry is a Raven, Jackson should never have more carries or yards than the superstar running back. Henry performed better in Week 2 against the Raiders because he was given more carries.
Keep the Receivers Involved
The Ravens have a deep roster offensively. Unfortunately, Baltimore does not always take advantage of the extra weaponry that is at their disposal. Wide receiver Zay Flowers is flat-out explosive and has what it takes to be a number-one receiver. In Week 3, Flowers had only three receptions for 20 yards. Although the Ravens won, the victory could have been greater if Flowers had been more involved. Flowers is a threat whenever he’s on the field, and Baltimore must remember to keep him in the game plan. Both Tight Ends, Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews, were underutilized in Week 3. At one point, Andrews was considered one of the best tight ends in the league. As of now, Andrews is almost an afterthought. Andrews had zero receptions for zero yards against the Cowboys, a stat line that wouldn’t be plausible a year ago.
Likely has been the featured tight end this season but only had one reception for three yards against Dallas. In Week 2, Likely only had two receptions for 26 yards in a loss to Las Vegas. Likely is a fantastic player who can help propel the Ravens to victory. It will be paramount in the future to keep the young playmaker involved.
Main Image: Kevin Jairaj – USA Today Sports
