Steve Smith's Big Day a Highlight as Ravens Offense Finds Balance

When veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. joined the Baltimore Ravens in March, he was asked about the looming 2014 Week 4 contest against his former team, the Carolina Panthers. 

Smith's response to WFNZ (via ProFootballTalk)? "[P]ut your goggles on cause there’s going to be blood and guts everywhere."

Indeed, Smith served up some blood and guts in Sunday's 38-10 defeat of the Panthers. And the Ravens offense offered something else alongside it: balance.

Balance is something the Ravens have been seeking since their Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals featured quarterback Joe Flacco throwing 62 passes while Baltimore rushed just 20 times.

They've come closer to achieving balance in the three games that have followed, however, and it's not a coincidence that all three of those games have ended with Ravens wins, two of them decisive.

Smith Sr. has been the biggest catalyst for success in the passing game. Coming into Week 4, he was the Ravens' leading receiver, with 18 catches on 32 targets for 290 yards and a touchdown.

Though primarily a slot receiver for the Panthers, he's been used as a wideout most often in Baltimore, and the 35-year old has shown an aptitude for it. This helps in a Ravens receiving corps that is relatively thin.

"

Ravens not using Steve Smith as primary slot guy. Only nine routes there out of 104 total, per @pff. Different usage than last season in CAR

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) September 28, 2014"

Smith, a fiery presence on the football field, certainly summoned his inner beast against the team he spent 13 seasons with. In the first half alone, Smith had five receptions on seven targets for 122 yards and two touchdowns, 61 of those yards and one of those scores coming from a pass which bounced off the hands of tight end Owen Daniel. 

On the day, Smith finished with seven catches on 10 targets for 139 yards and two scores, bringing his catch total to 25 on the season and his yardage to 429. Smith has been useful in shorter yardage as well as deep, the latter clearly indicated by his 17.2 average yards per reception.

But while Smith might be the brightest star on Baltimore's offense right now, he isn't shining in space alone. He's part of a constellation. All parts are connected. 

That's where balance comes in. After the unbalanced offensive effort in Week 1, Weeks 2, 3 and 4 have seen a much better run-pass ratio. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, the Ravens ran 36 times, while Flacco attempted 29 passes. In Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, they rushed 33 times and passed 31 times. And on Sunday, they rushed 30 times, while Flacco attempted 31 passes.

This balance is necessary if the Ravens offense is going to win them games. It's why Gary Kubiak was brought in this year to be offensive coordinator.

Flacco is not effective when asked to be a high-volume passer. Not only does Week 1 point to that, but his entire career does: When Flacco has thrown 40 or more passes in a game—which he's done 18 times—the Ravens have won seven and lost 11.

Game	Result	Pass Attempts	Rush Attempts
vs. CIN	L, 23-16	62	20
vs. PIT	W, 26-6	29	36
@ CLE	W, 23-21	31	33
vs. CAR	W, 38-10	31	30

Having a productive run game is a big part of this. Last year, Flacco had a career-high five games with 40 or more pass attempts (four losses, one win) while the Ravens rushed for a franchise-low 1,328 yards.

This year, the Ravens don't have that problem. Heading into Week 4, they had a collective 411 rushing yards, and they added 127 on Sunday, bringing their total to 538. They are four or five games away from matching their 2013 season rushing total.

Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro, in particular, have been very productive. The pair combined for 154 rushing yards and a score against the Browns, and the pair put up 124 rushing yards and two scores on Sunday.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Bernard Pierce, who missed Week 3 with a thigh injury, was dressed but not needed against Carolina. Still, he's also made plays of his own, with 96 yards on 22 carries in Week 2.

Now that the Ravens can run, they don't need to constantly pass to move the chains. But when they do pass the ball, Smith Sr. has proved to be just the playmaker the Ravens needed, especially now that tight end Dennis Pitta is out for the year with a right hip injury.

Game	Tgts.	Rec.	Catch%	Yds.	YPR	TD
vs. CIN	14	7	50.0%	118	16.9	1
vs. PIT	10	6	60.0%	71	11.8	0
@ CLE	7	5	71.4%	101	20.2	0
vs. CAR	10	7	70.0%	139	19.9	2
Total	41	25	61.0%	429	17.2	3

Clearly, Smith Sr. is the Ravens' Most Valuable Player through the first quarter of the season, at least on the field. But off it, that honor should go to Kubiak.

The offensive coordinator was able to install a blocking scheme that allows the Ravens to run, therefore cutting down the volume of Flacco passes. He's identified running back talent that runs three-deep, and he's smart enough to recognize that Smith Sr. is more than the slot receiver he was primarily in Carolina. 

The result is a balanced offense and a 3-1 record. Smith Sr. deserves the headlines, but the entire Ravens offense deserves praise.