Ravens Offensive Review: Close to Competent?

With just three games under their belts, the Ravens are outperforming the expectations of most. The hard-fought, yet crushing, loss to the Steelers still proved that the Ravens have a decent team.

Part of it could be that the Ravens might finally be on the road to having a competent offense for the first time since Vinny Testaverde was at the helm (that should tell you all you need to know about this franchise’s pathologically bad ability to score).

With that in mind, I will take you through a fans analysis of the Ravens O, position-by-position (and coaches) and talk about what needs to be improved to make the playoffs.

Offense

Quarterback

Joe Flacco has looked about as good as he could have. He showed great poise under extreme pressure against Pittsburgh on Monday night. He has made the transition from Division I-AA (I refuse to use the FBS BS or whatever it is) about as well as possible. He's still a rookie and will make mistakes, but hasn't made the killer ones yet.

Originally I was skeptical about him starting. I was worried with our o-line that he would get killed, and who wants that in a season that many thought the Ravens would be rebuilding? But in getting his shot, he's done about as well as possible.

The most important thing is the players believe in him. You hear quotes about how great he is all the time, especially from Ray Lewis, who still sets the tone of this team. If the game had progressed exactly the same way with Kyle Boller under center and he fumbled that ball that Pittsburgh returned for a TD, that game is over right there.

There's no way Boller would ever recover from that. But Flacco stayed poised, made the throws he needed to make and got the big score.

I see him only getting better at this point as he gets more comfortable with Cam Cameron. Either way, as many have said, it looks like we finally found our QB.

Just because this needs to be mentioned, John Harbaugh has said himself that Troy Smith will likely see time this year. Whether he'll have a specific package designed for him or not is yet to be seen. I applaud this strategy. Smith's got talent; he can move around and he has a decent arm, so it'll be good for him to get on the field and keep defenses on their toes. It's the same thing he did at Ohio State before he became the full-time starter.

Running Backs

A questionable spot on the team right now. Even before Willis McGahee's injury, he wasn't playing that great anyway. Still, he is a vital part of what has been a fairly effective running back committee, providing the flash, while Le'Ron McClain provides the power. Ray Rice also provides shiftiness when they decide to use him (and they should do it more). I like the concept of giving McGahee 15-20 touches, Rice about five, and McClain getting the short-yardage/goal line carries.

If McGahee is out for a spell, McClain showed on Monday that he can carry the offense for periods at a time. I like his tenacity and he is quicker than one would think. I don't know if he could carry the ground game for the entire year, but if he were used with Rice as a compliment, I think he would do a great job.

And as for Lorenzo Neal, what can you say? Great player, great signing, great, great, great. It's like having a sixth lineman. I'm glad he's here.

Receivers

Derrick Mason still has it. He's obviously been Flacco's top target and he's getting it done in true Derrick Mason fashion...catching everything under the sun. Mark Clayton, Todd Heap, and Demetrius Williams have all been conspicuously absent the past few games, though you could argue that it's because they're catching from a rookie QB. But they all need to step it up somehow.

That reminds me about Heap. I think Ravens fans have always over-valued him. He's an above-average tight end with decent hands (he always seems to bobble more than he should), but he's certainly no Antonio Gates, or even Tony Gonzalez. He's a high class guy with the organization, and of course we all remember his hot wife from Hard Knocks.

But he hasn't really done much the past few years and looked terrible against Cincinnati. I told my dad last night that I wouldn't be too upset if Daniel Wilcox got some more looks at tight end. He always seems to come through when he’s on the field anyway.

Offensive Line

The O-line was the biggest question mark coming into the year, at least besides QB. It’s really like there are two separate groups out there. The interior line is doing its thing up front, led by Ben Grubbs. I was wondering why they didn’t try to run the ball up the middle more on Monday. These guys have held their own.

However, the tackles have produced mixed results. Both of them were kind of thrust into their situations because of injuries and Jonathan Ogden’s retirement. Jared Gaither replaced the legend on the left. Originally supposed to be a long-term project, he’s done okay in his role. So has Adam Terry, who in my mind has had more than enough time to develop.

Still, these two are the main culprits for the pressure on Flacco, especially this past Monday night. Speed rushers just seemed to have their ways with them. This really worries me because it's not an easily correctable problem. Fortunately for them, Flacco displayed decent mobility; but he’s not Steve Young. The tackles have got to step it up at some point if the Ravens expect to move the ball with any consistency.

Coaching

John Harbaugh is a smart man (his decision not to challenge the Derrick Mason play in the end zone not withstanding). He knew he was lucky to get Cam Cameron as his offensive coordinator. He was just as smart to turn the keys over to him and stay the hell out of the way.

I’ve liked the offensive game plan for the most part. The Ravens threw downfield several times and proved that they weren’t afraid to take chances. The trick plays have also been a welcome addition. Cameron also seems to have developed a solid rapport with Flacco, which is essential for his development as a QB.

If he can turn the Ravens offense into a legitimate threat, he probably deserves a parade down Pratt Street.

Outlook

The Ravens finally do seem to be turning the corner with their offense. Granted, it has only been three games so it's hard to tell. But they are moving the ball well and proving that they’re not afraid to try and punch it in.

They need to continue to improve sustaining consistent, clock-chewing drives. They also need to get the aforementioned Clayton, Williams, and Heap more involved in the offense. Do that and the Ravens could have the makings of a decent middle-of-the-NFL offense, which, coupled with a good defense, might be enough to make the playoffs.