{"id":135847,"date":"2022-10-07T12:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T16:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=135847"},"modified":"2022-10-07T08:40:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T12:40:13","slug":"ravens-receiver-key-rashod-bateman-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/10\/07\/ravens-receiver-key-rashod-bateman-absence\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ravens Receiver Key in Rashod Bateman\u2019s Absence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rashod Bateman sat out the second half of Week 4’s game against the Buffalo Bills<\/a>. The second-year wideout picked up a foot injury during the game. His status is “day-to-day” according to John Harbaugh, but Bateman is expected to miss the Week 5<\/a> matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.<\/p>\n

The injury to Bateman is bad news for the Baltimore Ravens but should not be debilitating. So far, Bateman has caught 11 passes on 22 targets. His 11 catches have resulted in 243 yards and two touchdowns, giving him an impressive 22.1 yards per reception. He also logged one fumble against the New England Patriots, though thankfully for the Ravens, it did not cost them the game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Bateman\u2019s production has been nothing to write home about, his role for the Ravens is important, nevertheless. It should be noted that Baltimore gives famously few opportunities to wide receivers. They often line up in heavy formations, with multiple tight ends and just one wide receiver. For the season, Bateman had managed an offensive snap count of over 60% (per game) prior to the Bills game. Prior to his injury, Bateman was considered the team\u2019s primary wide receiver. He would be the lone wideout on many formations.<\/p>\n

Devin Duvernay is key to ensuring the Ravens passing attack stays afloat. He will need help from his fellow wideouts and Mark Andrews and the tight ends though.
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>