How the Ravens Can and Should Run the Ball Against the Carolina Panthers

While the biggest storyline for the Baltimore Ravens' Week 4 contest against the Panthers will inevitably be Ravens receiver Steve Smith Sr. taking out his wrath on his former team, the Ravens might be better off taking a ground-and-pound approach to defeat the Panthers.

The Panthers still boast a dangerous defense; however, they are softening up to the run in ways they didn't in 2013, when they gave up an average of 89.2 rushing yards per game. 

Thanks to a Pittsburgh Steelers rushing attack that put up a combined 264 yards in Week 3, the Panthers now rank 27th in rushing yards allowed per game at 145.3. This, despite teams rushing against Carolina an average of 23 times per game, fewer than all but five other defenses in the NFL.

The Steelers game, however, was not a fluke. In fact, it provides a strong blueprint for how the Ravens can run well and run often on Sunday, yielding a win. They just have to run the right way. Yes, this is actually a situation where the Ravens can learn something from the Steelers.

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The Ravens haven't struggled to move the ball on the ground this season as they did in 2013. Owing to a healthier crew of running backs—Bernard Pierce's Week 3 thigh injury notwithstanding, they also have Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro both playing well—and a stable offensive line well-suited to run Gary Kubiak's outside zone-blocking scheme, the Ravens haven't run for fewer than 94 collective yards in a game this year.

Forsett is currently Baltimore's rushing leader, with 30 carries for 189 yards and a touchdown. Pierce and Taliaferro aren't too far behind, with Pierce rushing 28 times for 113 yards and Taliaferro 18 times for 91 yards and a score.

Most importantly, all three have impressive yards-per-carry averages: 6.3 for Forsett, 4.0 for Pierce and 5.1 for Taliaferro. This is obviously far better than the collective 3.1 yards per carry the Ravens averaged in 2013.

Player	Atts.	Yds.	YPA	TD	Long
Forsett	30	189	6.3	1	41
Pierce	28	113	4.0	0	17
Taliaferro	18	91	5.1	1	31

Therefore it comes as no surprise that the Ravens rank eighth in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 137 and also rank eighth in rushing attempts, averaging 29.7 rushes per game.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley reported on Wednesday that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the three backs "all play a particular role" in the offense, even if Pierce returns and is technically named the starter versus the Panthers. Expect, however, something closer to the hot-hand approach Harbaugh took in Week 3 with Pierce out, which allowed the rookie Taliaferro in particular to shine.

Taliaferro is a key to running over the Panthers on Sunday. In his regular-season debut last week, he led the Ravens' rushing attack with 18 carries for 91 yards and a score, including a long run of 31 yards. His powerful, up-the-middle running will set the framework not just for Joe Flacco and the passing game, but also for Forsett and Pierce to make significant gains on the edges.

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According to Football Outsiders (subscription required), 48 percent of Ravens rushes this season have come through the middle of the line—between the guards and the center—while 30 percent have come through the right tackle side of the field. The Steelers are also up-the-middle runners but to a greater extent—78 percent of their rushes have come between the guards and the center.

That is reflected in Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) analysis of Pittsburgh's directional running against the Panthers, especially when it comes to Steelers lead back Le'Veon Bell. Of Bell's 147 yards last week against the Panthers, 105 of them—including one that went for 81 yards—were earned on runs between the guards and the center. 

With Bell running so effectively between the guards, the Steelers could then catch the Panthers defense unaware of their edge-running. Bell was rather successful running on the right end, outside of the tackle, with four rushes netting 19 total yards. LeGarrette Blount saw his best running between the left tackle and guards, with three rushes for 64 yards and a long of 50 yards.

Direction	Rush %	Yds/Rush
Left End	5%	6.66
Left Tackle	13%	3.81
Mid/Guard	48%	3.42
Right Tackle	30%	6.29
Right End	2%	10.21

Even once the 131 yards the Steelers earned on Blount's and Bell's longest runs are taken away, the Steelers were able to put up 133 yards of rushing offense against the Panthers. And there's no reason not to think that with a dedication to the run, the Ravens too will be able to get well over 100 yards of rushing offense on Sunday, complete with a few long runs just as the Steelers did.

The fact that the Ravens possess three capable yet distinct running backs makes this possibility even closer to becoming a reality. Taliaferro has the requisite power of a 6'0", 226-pound running back. Pierce and Forsett both have knowledge of running behind the Ravens' blocking scheme because it's something Pierce did in college and Forsett with Kubiak in Houston. 

All three have impressive speed and size, which will be necessary against Carolina. The Steelers backs forced six missed tackles in Week 3, and the Ravens will have to do the same thing. That shouldn't be an issue for the Ravens this week, with the team collectively forcing 13 missed tackles in the run game so far this year, according to Pro Football Focus.

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Though Smith Sr., Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels should all have opportunities to make gains on Sunday, the run game should be the centerpiece of Baltimore's offense. Run the ball up the middle, and then do it again—and again. Then, when the Panthers are lulled into the belief that the next rush (and the next) will come from the middle of the line, work the edges. Then go back to the middle of the line. 

The Ravens should have two backs on the field as often as is prudent. Once the Ravens can establish their prowess running both up the middle and outside the tackles, the Panthers defense will be on its heels trying to figure out where the next run is coming from—and exhausted from having to chase the backs around all afternoon.

As long as the Ravens are committed—and stay committed—to running the ball, a victory will come against the Panthers. Smash them with Taliaferro, then gash them with Forsett and Pierce. It really can be that easy.