Derrick Henry might be the last RB to rush for 10k career yards, so enjoy this hall of famer while he’s playing. We won’t see many true workhorse backs with this kind of longevity in today’s NFL
Disagree, the NFL runs in cycles, and I believe we're about to start seeing the shift back to the running game, and ironically, the Ravens are the fulcrum point. As the NFL has shifted further and further towards the passing game, defenses have adjusted. Two-high safety is pretty much the standard, even on first down, and teams have drafted smaller linebackers with better coverage skills and even the few run-stopping strong safeties (Kyle Hamilton for example) are excellent in coverage. Mike McDonald's aggressive mixed zone schemes are difficult for QB's to diagnose quickly because coverage on one side is not the same as zone coverage on the other, with mixed-zone coverages, and faster players closing down lanes, this has slowed down veteran QB's, and for Rookie QB (Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, Caleb Williams) it's a nightmare. Admittedly exceptions are there (C.J. Stroud) but if a team wants a rookie QB to succeed you NEED to build them a running game and O-Line, not stack him with weapons if he can't get the ball to them. The way you beat 7 guys in the box is to run the ball, tale as old as time. Force that safety into the box then throw over the top, the old ways still work, and we'll see their return. Unless somehow people start listening to Mel Kiper and ban two-high safety.
I think its only going to get better as Monken and the O Line get more familiar with Henry's game. I cant think of a team that has the run blockers to deal with Henry for the duration of a football game. I think Bellichick said it best: "You put your big slow guys into block Henry, Llamar runs the ball. You put your fast guys in to contain Llamar, Henry runs the ball. Try to rush, and check down to Hill. There is no way to stop it".
We always had "career backup" type of guys. So im hoping they wont lose sight of Henry. This year should be the year in every way lmao. I just got deja vu 😭.
I don't think we need to worry about Mark Andrews unless you're a fantasy manager. I think he is still putting up some impressive tape on the blocking, and I believe Andrews never shy away from blocking and enjoys that part of the game. But I can feel that this guy will have a monster game out of no where, every week seems a bit different and ever changing. Its so exciting to watch.
I don't like the smoke he has been getting lately! What's that old saying, "If it ain't broke don't fix it". Their run game is on another level at the moment. Now it's gonna be a team that slows that running game down! This will open up the play action pass for the receivers. The King not gonna always run for 199. Andrews/Likely are 2 of the best blocking TEs. Let them cook. Their time will come 💯
Great points made. You’re definitely not gonna see the crazy numbers from these past two weeks every Sunday But just always having that run presence in your back pocket is going to wonders for Baltimore’s pass game when they gotta lean on it
The center, in college, was known for being good at blocking downfield after snap. That was a major factor in picking him in the first round. The plays rely heavily on blocking downfield and EVERYONE does it well. Even the small Zay Flowers was crack blocking. It's that self-less team mentality that's making this thing go (hence Mark Andrews not getting his touches).
Been fun to watch how drastically the frontline has improved week over week so far this season Gotta think it’s only gonna keep going up with them building chemistry and familiarity
Their defense has been incredible to watch Curious to see how much they potentially improve in the secondary and pass coverage over these next few weeks
@@fibonacci5574 Still doesn’t take away the fact they’re STILL sus! Being last in pass defense is indication they been getting shredded! And the Bills doesn’t even have a #1 receiver. Offense is literally the ONLY sides balling.
Us Ravens fans know it's just building into the best offense we have seen in Ravens history. It's funny. The world doesn't call it the greatest show on turff. I didn't hear anyone mention the fact that the Ravens lead the league in yards going into the Buffalo game. They got Cincy, WAS, and TB coming up. They are 25th, 23rd, and 18th ranked in rushing defense. Do you really think they can't score 30 on each of them?
You’re 100% right. Looking like it’s going to be a field day for them over these next few weeks (on paper at least) Very curious to see what they can do over the next month or so while this offense keeps building chem
If the Ravens can somehow get their hands on Davante Adams or some X factor number 1 wr that could win one on one match ups. That’s the only thing that is missing left for this offense in case the running game is a non factor.
As a long time Ravens fan(before the logo iykyk) I agree that Adams would be a tremendous addition (He’s great) but disagree that it would do much to “improve” the passing game ~ only because the Ravens organization has an identity, and they will and have doubled and tripled down on their brand (identity). Bateman, Flowers, can win one on one’s when given the opportunity… Zay is usually in motion or off the line, and rarely is the X receiver, in this offense. Even in prior years, it wasn’t so much that other teams stopped the Ravens, more so, the Ravens not being the Ravens… and sticking to their identity. No way possible the Ravens running backs had 6 carries in any playoff game and the Ravens win~ just not happening. Under Greg Roman, and Monken the Ravens rarely use 3WR sets… and under both coordinators the Ravens have ranked in the bottom 5 in passing attempts. With so many TE’s (better bigger blockers) along with the frequent usage of a fullback.. I just don’t see any room to add a WR, regardless of how good they are. Personally, I’ve researched a deep dive on the success of “Number 1” WR and their impact on winning championships… I went back 25 years, and the first “concession “ was actually the first year.., the greatest show on turf, had HOF caliber WR room.. with a HOF back, and HOF QB. What anyone will observe from the empirical data, from 2000-2023… WR1 types, all put up great numbers, VERY FEW, and I mean VERY few were on Super Bowl teams. just a footnote. New England won 1/3 of the championships over this period. (They ain’t win with Moss) and they had great TE play, Brady always had multiple receiving backs, and a great slot guy. There’s a fan fascination with WR’s and passing stats, receiving stats. Something i understand… because during my deep dive, I went all the way back to the great teams of my youth… the best passing teams…. Because it was something I noticed that teams that pass more effectively than run, and have great receivers.., those teams rarely have won. Granted there are exceptions, but the percentages actually surprised me.. how few teams with the high paid, true number 1 WR.., those guys didn’t win too many championships… in every case in which the WR made an impact…. was if the team had at minimum two other offensive skill players who were HOF level players~ (either QB, RB, TE, or another WR) Much to my dismay, I’ve found WR1 aren’t worth the money… it’s the market, and I’m not a pocket watcher. What I’m saying is from an impact standpoint, they only transfer yards, and don’t “elevate” a team nor quarterback (a great TE, or great OL is more valuable to a QB) in the manner that most fans, including myself,(at one time) believe. Also it’s such a small window of opportunity once a team pays a WR top tier money… the lack of team depth, the lack of premium players at non premium, but vital positions (interior offensive line, Tight ends, nowadays GOOD running backs) because they are paying max on a position that simply doesn’t elevate the team… as much as fans think. I would say in this case, if Devante is affordable, I think he’s a perfect fit… and mentor to guys like Bateman and Walker when he gets an opportunity to play. But my gut says only get him to keep him from going to the competition 😂
I want them to commit to this style moving forward. It feels like it could be big for them. I mean WRs are expensive so if you're able to get production and success without needing them you are free to spend that money on arguably more important positions on offense, as well as on defense. Plus it makes them a unique offense to go against which is always hard to game plan for.
People tend to say investing big money in a running back is a recipe for disaster I think it’s clear with what we’re seeing so far from Baltimore that Derrick Henry is that one exception lol
@@TheFootballDigest and I don't even think it's necessary to invest the money in the RB, it's probably much better to invest it in the O-line, TEs, and across the defense
It’s a genius strategy with QB like Lamar who enhances RB production even more and because of market you can get the best player at that position for 1/4 the price of a top WR. It def allows them to spend that money on areas that move needle more on winning titles around an elite QB in Oline and defense. And NFL defenses aren’t even built to stop a combo of Henry/Ricard along with Lamar. They are either too small to stop Henry with Ricard as lead blocker or not fast enough to chase Lamar, Zay, Likely etc
I’m very curious if we’ll see him give Todd Monken more playcalling freedom over the next month or so as the offense keeps getting familiar with each other
Can never be too safe with RBs, nonetheless a difference maker like Henry that’s for sure Once Keaton Mitchell returns for them it’s going to be interesting to see how they split the backfield carries between him, Henry and Justice Hill
Starting to think this with this scheme being so complex… maybe that’s a marker for the offensive line issues early on? Maybe it took a couple full speed games to nail down their timing and assignments and also adjusting from those once the play evolves into this offenses flow. Definitely would make sense and then means they could get even scarier as the year goes on 👀
You have a great point. It’s pretty clear week by week how much the O-line has been noticeably improving Only gonna keep improving as they get more familiarized with each other
@@TheFootballDigestthe problem now is we played our best game last week with voorhees out and rosengarten as rt. If voorhees is healthy what do we do? Rosengarten is better at tackle than mekari but is voorhees better at guard than mekari? Does mekari get benched or does voorhees? Wonder what will happen
The crazy thing is, the pass game hasn't needed to do much over the past 2 weeks due to Henry going off. When you're RB is leading the league in rushing yards and is tied for 1st in the league in rushing TD's...your QB won't need to do much more than not turn the ball over and make the right passes when he needs to (which Lamar has done). Yea, the receivers aren't getting much work, but then why bring in Henry if you're not going to use him?
It’s crazy what the ground game has done just to simply open up the secondary for the air attack Between the run presence, O-Line improving, etc, it’s easily the best situation Lamar’s had so far. And you can see what it’s doing for him when he has dropped back in the pocket over these past few weeks
Keaton is not their best RB. Derrick easily is. Keaton is their fastest and potentially most explosive. He's a home run hitter from anywhere on the field. Derrick is obviously a home run hitter but is viewed as more of a hammer. Then you have Justice Hill, who gets some big plays on the ground, but really hurts defenses with his ability to catch and run after the catch. On top of all that, they have guys like Zay that can hurt you with the jet. Then you have the biggest reason all that works so well, and that is Lamar himself. QUOTH, THE RAVENS! 🏈🏈🏈🏈
I was TERRIFIED going into this season looking at this make shift offensive line. I feel a little better now, but we will see what happens when they have a all pro rusher to have to block against again.
@TheFootballDigest as am I. Because if so, the Flock gonna be dangerous af. N per usual the only team in the way then is the cheats.... I mean chiefs 😅
Now, as a Ravens fan here is what all I'm goung to say: take care of the damn football! Lamar Jackson, despite the win, had a TERRIBLE fumble in that game on a run where he acted as if he jumped on a trampoline and it was 21-3 and a momentum changing play; the Ravens were driving to at least another 3, if not 7 to close out the half AND receiving the 2nd half kickoff. Play SMART! Henry, despite his monster game, fumbled carelessly as he could have gotten the 1 yard he needed for 200 and another touchdown...luckily, Pat Ricard recovered the miscue but that is unnecessary and avoidable...take care of the damn football. Go Ravens!
For the love of god. dont let it turn to shit in the playoffs. Thats what killed them last year. If they stuck to it they would have beaten KC and the 9ers again and be the defending champs. They got trapped into playing the way kc needed them to.
Agreed. Feel like they’re going to have a completely different approach no matter who they play with Henry lined up in the backfield this entire season Time will only tell though..
First I love your breakdown Keep killing it Long as the Ravens keep running slip screen with the backs like they did they will be unstoppable This something Andy reed always put in his offense it discouraged the defense from blitzing along with Derrick bruising and the defense chasing Lamar and hill The te then the wr it make it tough they finally are using screens with the backs hopefully they use it in the playoffs to kill pressure I been screaming this for the last three years
I appreciate you a ton 🤝 glad you enjoyed! It’s crazy what getting the running backs more involved in the pass game has done to elevate this offense. Monken does it ten fold compared to when Gregg Roman operated this offense Even more curious to see what the workload will look like in the backfield once Keaton Mitchell returns
Fun video to watch! Some hyperbole about "never seen before". The 14-2 Mark Ingram fueled run was very similar, but Monken has improved the pass concepts. And obviously Derrick Henry is next level, but the systems isn't unheard of. Its still mostly the Greg Roman system
Let’s all relax!! Take a chill pill!! I’m a UK ravens fan and like what I’m seeing from week3 on. But and there is a but!! teams will figure out a way to stop King Derrick. I need to see how he fares against Kansas City if and when we get to face them, before making a judgment on just how good are my beloved ravens.
We have the tools we have imo and the best rb at least until cmac comes back the most destructive qb. On d we have the best inside lb and I think Kyle Hamilton will be the best Safety a few seasons in his career it’s looking good just win games and more importantly win against chiefs in crunch time
Their defense has been just as, if not more entertaining to watch than the offense for me personally Absolutely love what Orr’s showed so far & how big of an impact KVN and Hamilton have had like you said
Interesting factoid. The QBR rating is artificially capped at 158.3.. without that Lamar Jackson has 3 of the top 5 qbrs since they started keeping that stat in the SB era.. in ‘19 against the Dolphins, his uncapped qbr was 221… highest of all time… 17-20, 85% comp %, 5 tds (25%) tds, 324 yds, 16+ yds per attempt.. Jackson can throw the ball.
I feel like the fact that he just isn’t stuffing the stat sheet every week builds the misconception that he isn’t an higher tier pocket passer Feels like this year he’s going to be better than ever in that regard with having such a high level dual-threat offense
@@TheFootballDigest That's not the dig on Lamar. He is a running focused QB who has bad short and intermediate accuracy. He throws a good deep ball and that pairs well with play action. So if the running game is working, and he hits a deep pass or two it loosens up undisciplined defenses. Higher tier that middle of the pack? probably not, I can name 10-15 QB's are better at throwing the ball (accuracy, footwork, timing) than Lamar. Now if you only include running QB's, then yes he is the best at that in the league right now.
They’ve told you with their moves what they are going to do. Offense will revolve around their backfield NOT WR. They invested in Lamar(Why did he have to go through that to be now, what, 5th highest paid 2x MVP…Trevor???), and for better or worse, they are “old money” not new $. not spenders on labels to be seen, but best in class quality and dependability, real consumer report type. They, barring injury and growing pain penalties, will be there at the final duel.
The funny thing is that arguably their best RB from last season has yet to come back this season and the Oline is still gelling together since a lot has changed recently
Spot on. By the end of the year it wouldn’t surprise me if the offensive line is top 2 ranked in football based on the way they’re trending through the first couple of weeks
That stack formation they run with Ricard behind the guard on the TE's side (typically with Flowers on the opposite side) is ridiculous on its own. Straight zone sweep and you get Henry 1v1 with a safety almost immediately. They overplay that and Lamar keeps it on a bootleg and walks away from them. They try to blitz and the Ravens run play-action, the TE and RB (doesn't matter which combination of Henry, Hill, Mitchell, Likely, and Andrews this is) become deadly receivers (screen, flat, or seam) and they still have a 6th pass blocker in Ricard! And that's one formation alone. Also when it comes to penalties we need to be honest about the fact that the refs did NOT treat them fairly in weeks 1 and 2.
It all starts and ends with Lamar. He's weapon X and makes the offense completely unpredictable. Adding Derrick Henry just makes it that much potent. The Ravens most dangerous running back actually hasn't played this season...if Keaton Mitchell comes back anything close to what he was last season then it's really gonna be something amazing to watch this offense.
Once Zach Orr gets his feet on the ground as a DC and the unit gets into the top half of league defenses, it will be lights out. As long as Monken remembers to give Henry the ball twenty times per game in the post season.
I’m a Raiders fan and I’ll be cheering for the ravens like I’m a ravens fan, but I’m really happy for the QB and running back offense to click with Henry
I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I don't think the QB run is even fair anymore. When Vick used to run around and get popped, it wasn't so bad cause the league wasn't specifically looking out for their safety so much. Now we have quarterbacks that everyone's afraid of tackling, and when the defence does its job down field, the qb just has to jog between the blocking for 7 yards. It's honestly an eyesore as a spectator. Josh Allen and Mahomes do it frequently too, and it's such a bore. I'm sorry ravens fans, but I would outlaw the QB run. The most boring play in the game (and unfair) is the defence covering super well for 5 seconds, only for the qb to end up running.
Imagine when DH lines up as the fullback and KM at the tailback/I-back? This is going to be exciting all season. Records will be broken with a Super Bowl to go with it. One play, one game at a time. The writing will be on the wall if we snag Max Crosby. Pick up the phone Eric DeCosta.
The ravens still have a long way to go. But this year is most likely the opportunity to get the job done. With how well this offense has dominated, and the defense has made splash plays, It will drive their momentum for their goal: New Orleans. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Can the ravens repeat last year or continue this drive towards the finish line?
I'd say for us Baltimore horde it's a welcome and necessary distraction after just watching the Orioles get unceremoniously swept out of the postseason again.
I’d rather trade for a nasty run blocking o lineman than I would d adams. We’re fully committed to a run first offense with occasional 5 yards slants and crosses on play action. I don’t think adams would do as much for this offense as a beefy mauler o lineman would
No😂that was the ravens 1st game with that oline and it was horrible and then they changed it around after the raiders game and we seen how that turned out
I've never seen such a monkey-on-the-back phenomenon in the making, smh. This post-season schneid is going to be very tough to break. The late-1970's Phillies were able to break theirs by bringing in Pete Rose. It might require such a catalyst for the O's.
The defense still needs to improve with the new DC, but they look good on a play by play basis. Looks like the Super Bowl team for the AFC to me, Chiefs can’t keep getting away with it
I do not care, i do not care, i do not care, Lamar is the best QB in the NFL. There has never been, nor will there ever be another Lamar Jackson. Also, Derrick Henry is the last RB we will ever see put up numbers like this on a consistent basis.
It has to be demoralizing and downright traumatizing to be punched directly in the mouth for 60 minutes and not really know when or where the punches are coming from. 💥👊🏾💥👊🏾💥👊🏾
Yeah but what matters is how they can’t win a trophy…. I think this can win on paper but they always find a way to get away from the run game/.. I hope they win a ring
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Derrick Henry might be the last RB to rush for 10k career yards, so enjoy this hall of famer while he’s playing. We won’t see many true workhorse backs with this kind of longevity in today’s NFL
Same thing with big aggressive linebackers. We’ve lived through a changing in the game. Will always be amazing memories.
Over 2K carries, 9th year in the league and he’s seeing his best season of his career so far
Truly absurd what he’s doing
Technically he has 6-7 years... His first 2 he was benched, on his 3rd year he barely started to get into his groove and workload.
Disagree, the NFL runs in cycles, and I believe we're about to start seeing the shift back to the running game, and ironically, the Ravens are the fulcrum point.
As the NFL has shifted further and further towards the passing game, defenses have adjusted. Two-high safety is pretty much the standard, even on first down, and teams have drafted smaller linebackers with better coverage skills and even the few run-stopping strong safeties (Kyle Hamilton for example) are excellent in coverage. Mike McDonald's aggressive mixed zone schemes are difficult for QB's to diagnose quickly because coverage on one side is not the same as zone coverage on the other, with mixed-zone coverages, and faster players closing down lanes, this has slowed down veteran QB's, and for Rookie QB (Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, Caleb Williams) it's a nightmare. Admittedly exceptions are there (C.J. Stroud) but if a team wants a rookie QB to succeed you NEED to build them a running game and O-Line, not stack him with weapons if he can't get the ball to them.
The way you beat 7 guys in the box is to run the ball, tale as old as time. Force that safety into the box then throw over the top, the old ways still work, and we'll see their return.
Unless somehow people start listening to Mel Kiper and ban two-high safety.
Great point 👍 definitely had less of a workload in those first two years
Especially when you compare it to the latter
I think its only going to get better as Monken and the O Line get more familiar with Henry's game. I cant think of a team that has the run blockers to deal with Henry for the duration of a football game. I think Bellichick said it best: "You put your big slow guys into block Henry, Llamar runs the ball. You put your fast guys in to contain Llamar, Henry runs the ball. Try to rush, and check down to Hill. There is no way to stop it".
Couldn’t have said it better myself
And to think they’ve got Keaton Mitchell waiting in the wings as well when he returns is just insane
Ini akan menambah semua pelatih lawan akan pusing untuk mencari cara menaklukan penyerangan raven tahun ini
People forget Henry really got speed and agility for his size tho, it really is indefensible
As a raven fan - we have this rush attack, and in the playoffs they throw away that part of the playbook. Hope it doesn’t happen this time!
Having Derrick Henry in your backfield basically makes them contractually obligated to run the ball 😂
Difference is we have better receivers and no Greg romaan
@@JJ808we had Monken last year who called 6 rushing attempts against the chiefs who just gave up 200+ yards rushing the week prior to Buffalo
We always had "career backup" type of guys. So im hoping they wont lose sight of Henry. This year should be the year in every way lmao. I just got deja vu 😭.
@@TheFootballDigestfrr
All I have to say about this is Keaton Mitchel.
Keaton Mitchell, Derrick Henry, and Justice Hill 😮💨
Do you know his timeline for return?
Because that would be out of control.
@@phdonme1 I know he is cleared. so I'm thinking he will be back in week 6 or 7.
We're going to need to start throwing the ball, just so Lamar doesn't forget how to do it !
Gonna be turning into a 4-head monster pretty quickly
I don't think we need to worry about Mark Andrews unless you're a fantasy manager. I think he is still putting up some impressive tape on the blocking, and I believe Andrews never shy away from blocking and enjoys that part of the game. But I can feel that this guy will have a monster game out of no where, every week seems a bit different and ever changing. Its so exciting to watch.
Could not agree with you more regarding blocking
Been such a huge and under appreciated part of the running game’s success these past few weeks
I don't like the smoke he has been getting lately! What's that old saying, "If it ain't broke don't fix it". Their run game is on another level at the moment. Now it's gonna be a team that slows that running game down! This will open up the play action pass for the receivers. The King not gonna always run for 199. Andrews/Likely are 2 of the best blocking TEs. Let them cook. Their time will come 💯
Great points made. You’re definitely not gonna see the crazy numbers from these past two weeks every Sunday
But just always having that run presence in your back pocket is going to wonders for Baltimore’s pass game when they gotta lean on it
Everybody's blocking.....
If mark andrew want to play..he can change become blocker...this good for the team
The center, in college, was known for being good at blocking downfield after snap. That was a major factor in picking him in the first round. The plays rely heavily on blocking downfield and EVERYONE does it well. Even the small Zay Flowers was crack blocking. It's that self-less team mentality that's making this thing go (hence Mark Andrews not getting his touches).
Been fun to watch how drastically the frontline has improved week over week so far this season
Gotta think it’s only gonna keep going up with them building chemistry and familiarity
Zay is 5'8 175 with balls of steel!
I'm a Ravens Fan all the way in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 ....... Nobody understands when i start screaming at 2am in the morning
😂 absolutely love it
lol 😂 💜🖤💜🖤💜 ✌🏾
Awesome!
Wicked
Same-in South Africa
The Most Balanced OFF and DEF team there is and Speed and Power..and Lamar Jackson
Their defense has been incredible to watch
Curious to see how much they potentially improve in the secondary and pass coverage over these next few weeks
That defense is Sus though
Are you kidding? they are a run heavy offense, not a balance one.
@@Antisatan7771held the bills to 10 points last week, they are balling out
@@fibonacci5574 Still doesn’t take away the fact they’re STILL sus! Being last in pass defense is indication they been getting shredded! And the Bills doesn’t even have a #1 receiver. Offense is literally the ONLY sides balling.
Ravens are the only reason I’m glad I’m from Baltimore
That's true. We can always talk about them and crabs - wherever we go.
Well I'm proud of the Orioles too just wish we would have gotten farther in the playoffs there too
@@SelectCircle haha 100 brother
@@kennethpeller7411 yeah I love my orioles but the ravens just got a special place in my heart
Baltimore is a great place to be "from" because it means that you are not there now, but some place else. I know because I am from Baltimore.
Us Ravens fans know it's just building into the best offense we have seen in Ravens history. It's funny. The world doesn't call it the greatest show on turff. I didn't hear anyone mention the fact that the Ravens lead the league in yards going into the Buffalo game. They got Cincy, WAS, and TB coming up. They are 25th, 23rd, and 18th ranked in rushing defense. Do you really think they can't score 30 on each of them?
You’re 100% right. Looking like it’s going to be a field day for them over these next few weeks (on paper at least)
Very curious to see what they can do over the next month or so while this offense keeps building chem
@@TheFootballDigest Cincy, check!
Right about one so far, we'll see today
@@jaroj1112 Commanders, check!
If the Ravens can somehow get their hands on Davante Adams or some X factor number 1 wr that could win one on one match ups. That’s the only thing that is missing left for this offense in case the running game is a non factor.
Davante Adams thrown into this offense would be the literal definition of a nightmare lol
We have WRs who wins one on one match ups
They’ve been impressive across the board so far
They currently lead the league in separation per route ran as a team actually
As a long time Ravens fan(before the logo iykyk) I agree that Adams would be a tremendous addition (He’s great) but disagree that it would do much to “improve” the passing game ~ only because the Ravens organization has an identity, and they will and have doubled and tripled down on their brand (identity).
Bateman, Flowers, can win one on one’s when given the opportunity… Zay is usually in motion or off the line, and rarely is the X receiver, in this offense.
Even in prior years, it wasn’t so much that other teams stopped the Ravens, more so, the Ravens not being the Ravens… and sticking to their identity.
No way possible the Ravens running backs had 6 carries in any playoff game and the Ravens win~ just not happening.
Under Greg Roman, and Monken the Ravens rarely use 3WR sets… and under both coordinators the Ravens have ranked in the bottom 5 in passing attempts.
With so many TE’s (better bigger blockers) along with the frequent usage of a fullback.. I just don’t see any room to add a WR, regardless of how good they are.
Personally,
I’ve researched a deep dive on the success of “Number 1” WR and their impact on winning championships… I went back 25 years, and the first “concession “ was actually the first year.., the greatest show on turf, had HOF caliber WR room.. with a HOF back, and HOF QB.
What anyone will observe from the empirical data, from 2000-2023… WR1 types, all put up great numbers, VERY FEW, and I mean VERY few were on Super Bowl teams.
just a footnote.
New England won 1/3 of the championships over this period. (They ain’t win with Moss) and they had great TE play, Brady always had multiple receiving backs, and a great slot guy.
There’s a fan fascination with WR’s and passing stats, receiving stats. Something i understand… because during my deep dive, I went all the way back to the great teams of my youth… the best passing teams…. Because it was something I noticed that teams that pass more effectively than run, and have great receivers.., those teams rarely have won.
Granted there are exceptions, but the percentages actually surprised me.. how few teams with the high paid, true number 1 WR.., those guys didn’t win too many championships… in every case in which the WR made an impact…. was if the team had at minimum two other offensive skill players who were HOF level players~ (either QB, RB, TE, or another WR)
Much to my dismay, I’ve found WR1 aren’t worth the money… it’s the market, and I’m not a pocket watcher.
What I’m saying is from an impact standpoint, they only transfer yards, and don’t “elevate” a team nor quarterback (a great TE, or great OL is more valuable to a QB) in the manner that most fans, including myself,(at one time) believe.
Also it’s such a small window of opportunity once a team pays a WR top tier money… the lack of team depth, the lack of premium players at non premium, but vital positions (interior offensive line, Tight ends, nowadays GOOD running backs) because they are paying max on a position that simply doesn’t elevate the team… as much as fans think.
I would say in this case, if Devante is affordable, I think he’s a perfect fit… and mentor to guys like Bateman and Walker when he gets an opportunity to play.
But my gut says only get him to keep him from going to the competition 😂
I'm tryna tell y'all, Zay Flowers is that dude. We just haven't been giving him too many targets up to this point
Hell of a video dude. Crazy work
I appreciate you a ton 👍 really glad you enjoyed
I want them to commit to this style moving forward. It feels like it could be big for them. I mean WRs are expensive so if you're able to get production and success without needing them you are free to spend that money on arguably more important positions on offense, as well as on defense. Plus it makes them a unique offense to go against which is always hard to game plan for.
People tend to say investing big money in a running back is a recipe for disaster
I think it’s clear with what we’re seeing so far from Baltimore that Derrick Henry is that one exception lol
Ironically that reminds me of the 2019 Greg Roman led offense philosophy but seems people hated that.
@@TheFootballDigest and I don't even think it's necessary to invest the money in the RB, it's probably much better to invest it in the O-line, TEs, and across the defense
It’s a genius strategy with QB like Lamar who enhances RB production even more and because of market you can get the best player at that position for 1/4 the price of a top WR. It def allows them to spend that money on areas that move needle more on winning titles around an elite QB in Oline and defense. And NFL defenses aren’t even built to stop a combo of Henry/Ricard along with Lamar. They are either too small to stop Henry with Ricard as lead blocker or not fast enough to chase Lamar, Zay, Likely etc
so one trick ponies are hard to beat?
I’m glad your back!
💪💪
Great content
I appreciate you. Glad you enjoyed 👍
We are the full package except for John Harbaugh. If he would stop meddling with the offensive and defensive coordinators we would be 4 and 0
I’m very curious if we’ll see him give Todd Monken more playcalling freedom over the next month or so as the offense keeps getting familiar with each other
We cant use him up though. We gotta give him a break. Save energy for the playoffs
Can never be too safe with RBs, nonetheless a difference maker like Henry that’s for sure
Once Keaton Mitchell returns for them it’s going to be interesting to see how they split the backfield carries between him, Henry and Justice Hill
Keaton coming back will give us another back to dump some rushes to
Wait till we get Keaton Mitchel back 😈 we only at 70% running game strength, league really gonna be In trouble when the kid get back soon !
Truly going to be a nightmare for run defenses. Insane that they have him waiting in the wings right now
Starting to think this with this scheme being so complex… maybe that’s a marker for the offensive line issues early on? Maybe it took a couple full speed games to nail down their timing and assignments and also adjusting from those once the play evolves into this offenses flow. Definitely would make sense and then means they could get even scarier as the year goes on 👀
You have a great point. It’s pretty clear week by week how much the O-line has been noticeably improving
Only gonna keep improving as they get more familiarized with each other
@@TheFootballDigestthe problem now is we played our best game last week with voorhees out and rosengarten as rt. If voorhees is healthy what do we do? Rosengarten is better at tackle than mekari but is voorhees better at guard than mekari? Does mekari get benched or does voorhees? Wonder what will happen
Maaaaaan just wait til we Keaton Mitchell back 😭 & Devante Adam’s posted a photo of Edgar Allen Poe 👀
Keaton Mitchell getting added on top of what this backfield is already doing is terrifying lol
We're the damn Ravens this is no surprised
Very curious to see if they keep up these insane ground game numbers over the next couple of weeks
this is why i love adjustments. this would not be a thing without 2 high safety being the meta to stop people like mahomes
I hate when they start boosting my team up. As soon as we get to the playoffs they are gonna rig it to where we are stopped.
The crazy thing is, the pass game hasn't needed to do much over the past 2 weeks due to Henry going off. When you're RB is leading the league in rushing yards and is tied for 1st in the league in rushing TD's...your QB won't need to do much more than not turn the ball over and make the right passes when he needs to (which Lamar has done). Yea, the receivers aren't getting much work, but then why bring in Henry if you're not going to use him?
It’s crazy what the ground game has done just to simply open up the secondary for the air attack
Between the run presence, O-Line improving, etc, it’s easily the best situation Lamar’s had so far. And you can see what it’s doing for him when he has dropped back in the pocket over these past few weeks
Bengals ab to get the work
Must win for them at this point. Very curious to see how that game pans out
@@TheFootballDigest I hope the ravens beat em so bad burrow has 2 change his hair back
Keaton Mitchell is our best RB. And he's not even playing.
He’s not better than Henry tf
Him, Henry and Hill is going to be so entertaining to watch
Keaton is not their best RB. Derrick easily is. Keaton is their fastest and potentially most explosive. He's a home run hitter from anywhere on the field. Derrick is obviously a home run hitter but is viewed as more of a hammer. Then you have Justice Hill, who gets some big plays on the ground, but really hurts defenses with his ability to catch and run after the catch. On top of all that, they have guys like Zay that can hurt you with the jet. Then you have the biggest reason all that works so well, and that is Lamar himself.
QUOTH, THE RAVENS! 🏈🏈🏈🏈
It’s crazy how much Justice Hill has has an impact in the air attack for these guys
Yes, if you cant stop the run, its hard to beat teams that run the ball.
Thanks insight from the 1980's!
Raven’s always rush well even again the top rush defenses….
I was TERRIFIED going into this season looking at this make shift offensive line. I feel a little better now, but we will see what happens when they have a all pro rusher to have to block against again.
I’m also very intrigued to see if they continue to improve over the next couple of weeks like they have been
@TheFootballDigest as am I. Because if so, the Flock gonna be dangerous af. N per usual the only team in the way then is the cheats.... I mean chiefs 😅
I'm loving what we are doing HOWEVER I want to humble us a bit and remember that we lost the first 2 games of the year. We still have WORK to do
I think we did that work. It's coasting from here on out.
Gotta see it against the division because their are so good defenses in the north hate to say it but we don’t beat the Steelers enough
Always a dog fight in the North. I’m extremely excited to see some of their matchups over these next few weeks
Now, as a Ravens fan here is what all I'm goung to say: take care of the damn football!
Lamar Jackson, despite the win, had a TERRIBLE fumble in that game on a run where he acted as if he jumped on a trampoline and it was 21-3 and a momentum changing play; the Ravens were driving to at least another 3, if not 7 to close out the half AND receiving the 2nd half kickoff. Play SMART!
Henry, despite his monster game, fumbled carelessly as he could have gotten the 1 yard he needed for 200 and another touchdown...luckily, Pat Ricard recovered the miscue but that is unnecessary and avoidable...take care of the damn football.
Go Ravens!
Great points. Kinda crazy how with even as dominant of a win as it was, there were still major mistakes like that which could easily be avoided
Week 1 was a tough loss, but every week after has been building momentum, love to see it
For the love of god. dont let it turn to shit in the playoffs. Thats what killed them last year. If they stuck to it they would have beaten KC and the 9ers again and be the defending champs. They got trapped into playing the way kc needed them to.
Agreed. Feel like they’re going to have a completely different approach no matter who they play with Henry lined up in the backfield this entire season
Time will only tell though..
We gotta make the playoffs first
Run the damn ball and we would have won
Great video! could you let me know the first songs name when henry scores?
They should get devante Adams! He’ll be so open it’s crazy
I cannot wait to see how the Davante Adams sweepstakes ends up panning out
Seems like it’s either Baltimore or New York at this point
First I love your breakdown
Keep killing it
Long as the Ravens keep running slip screen with the backs like they did they will be unstoppable
This something Andy reed always put in his offense it discouraged the defense from blitzing along with Derrick bruising and the defense chasing Lamar and hill
The te then the wr it make it tough they finally are using screens with the backs hopefully they use it in the playoffs to kill pressure I been screaming this for the last three
years
I appreciate you a ton 🤝 glad you enjoyed!
It’s crazy what getting the running backs more involved in the pass game has done to elevate this offense. Monken does it ten fold compared to when Gregg Roman operated this offense
Even more curious to see what the workload will look like in the backfield once Keaton Mitchell returns
@@TheFootballDigest
Definitely 34 Keaton Mitchell breaks the ravens offense it look sick when he’s involved
Fun video to watch! Some hyperbole about "never seen before". The 14-2 Mark Ingram fueled run was very similar, but Monken has improved the pass concepts.
And obviously Derrick Henry is next level, but the systems isn't unheard of. Its still mostly the Greg Roman system
Let’s all relax!! Take a chill pill!! I’m a UK ravens fan and like what I’m seeing from week3 on. But and there is a but!! teams will figure out a way to stop King Derrick. I need to see how he fares against Kansas City if and when we get to face them, before making a judgment on just how good are my beloved ravens.
So they stop King Henry. Lamar's still got other weapons - including himself!
The bengals d line this week will be scary tho
Very true. Going to be interesting to see if their frontline can hold up against that test
We have the tools we have imo and the best rb at least until cmac comes back the most destructive qb. On d we have the best inside lb and I think Kyle Hamilton will be the best Safety a few seasons in his career it’s looking good just win games and more importantly win against chiefs in crunch time
Their defense has been just as, if not more entertaining to watch than the offense for me personally
Absolutely love what Orr’s showed so far & how big of an impact KVN and Hamilton have had like you said
great video. They are scary
Appreciate you 🤝 glad you enjoyed!
I love it when Henry catches a ball near the end zone the DBs make a career decision
Interesting factoid. The QBR rating is artificially capped at 158.3.. without that Lamar Jackson has 3 of the top 5 qbrs since they started keeping that stat in the SB era.. in ‘19 against the Dolphins, his uncapped qbr was 221… highest of all time… 17-20, 85% comp %, 5 tds (25%) tds, 324 yds, 16+ yds per attempt.. Jackson can throw the ball.
I feel like the fact that he just isn’t stuffing the stat sheet every week builds the misconception that he isn’t an higher tier pocket passer
Feels like this year he’s going to be better than ever in that regard with having such a high level dual-threat offense
@@TheFootballDigest
That's not the dig on Lamar. He is a running focused QB who has bad short and intermediate accuracy. He throws a good deep ball and that pairs well with play action. So if the running game is working, and he hits a deep pass or two it loosens up undisciplined defenses.
Higher tier that middle of the pack? probably not, I can name 10-15 QB's are better at throwing the ball (accuracy, footwork, timing) than Lamar.
Now if you only include running QB's, then yes he is the best at that in the league right now.
nice video thanks
I appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed 👍
Ravens looking dangerous
Crazy that’s it’s not even just their offense
Defense been just as impressive these past couple of weeks as well
As a die hard Ravens fan, I could get used to this.
keep in mind, Keaton Mitchell comes back in November....
I’m extremely curious what the workload between Henry, Hill & Mitchell is gonna look like when they’re all finally healthy & out there together
They’ve told you with their moves what they are going to do. Offense will revolve around their backfield NOT WR. They invested in Lamar(Why did he have to go through that to be now, what, 5th highest paid 2x MVP…Trevor???), and for better or worse, they are “old money” not new $. not spenders on labels to be seen, but best in class quality and dependability, real consumer report type. They, barring injury and growing pain penalties, will be there at the final duel.
With the trajectory they’re on over the first 4 weeks in terms of improvement, I won’t be surprised in the slightest
The funny thing is that arguably their best RB from last season has yet to come back this season and the Oline is still gelling together since a lot has changed recently
Spot on. By the end of the year it wouldn’t surprise me if the offensive line is top 2 ranked in football based on the way they’re trending through the first couple of weeks
KING DERRICK MAFIA WILL WRECK IT 🎉KING OF WRECKING IT BRO
LJ 8 is dealin' the rock like a quality point guard.
This video aged gracefully
"Pick your poison" is the most profound statement I've ever heard when it comes to describing this team.
That stack formation they run with Ricard behind the guard on the TE's side (typically with Flowers on the opposite side) is ridiculous on its own. Straight zone sweep and you get Henry 1v1 with a safety almost immediately. They overplay that and Lamar keeps it on a bootleg and walks away from them. They try to blitz and the Ravens run play-action, the TE and RB (doesn't matter which combination of Henry, Hill, Mitchell, Likely, and Andrews this is) become deadly receivers (screen, flat, or seam) and they still have a 6th pass blocker in Ricard! And that's one formation alone.
Also when it comes to penalties we need to be honest about the fact that the refs did NOT treat them fairly in weeks 1 and 2.
1:30 I also need to get 100% blackout to sleep but i'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing
When they get into rhythm with Mark Andrews along with what Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely are already doing, 😮💨
The Mark Andrews breakout game where he stuffs the stat sheet one of these weeks is inevitable
Patrick Ricard is really the glue to all this.
It’s like watching Ladainian Thomas and Daren spoils used correctly. But you have a Qb who can also run. It’s crazy
Ronnie Stanley is FUCKING BACK BABY
Been incredible to watch on the frontline
It’s crazy to think mark andrews doesn’t get play . That’s how good we are .
Let him block for Henry and get a ring.
It all starts and ends with Lamar. He's weapon X and makes the offense completely unpredictable. Adding Derrick Henry just makes it that much potent.
The Ravens most dangerous running back actually hasn't played this season...if Keaton Mitchell comes back anything close to what he was last season then it's really gonna be something amazing to watch this offense.
Insane to think what Keaton Mitchell can bring back to the table on top of what they’re already doing back there
@@TheFootballDigest Indeed, if it all clicks it's gonna be something special.
Nice work...subscribed.
I appreciate you, & thank you! 👍 really glad you enjoyed
In EDC we trust!
Can’t wait for Ravens Commanders this sunday
Rumor going around about bribing chefs to poison his Gatorade
Once Zach Orr gets his feet on the ground as a DC and the unit gets into the top half of league defenses, it will be lights out. As long as Monken remembers to give Henry the ball twenty times per game in the post season.
Just don’t do Henry like marshawn lynch got done up & no worries
Exactly.
I’m a Raiders fan and I’ll be cheering for the ravens like I’m a ravens fan, but I’m really happy for the QB and running back offense to click with Henry
The O - Line being top 3 is a Lamar stat🏃
These last 2 weeks I would disagree, really no pressure I’ve seen on Lamar recently
I’m a titans fan and idc what team he’s playing for I wanna see him win something big. I love seeing him in the ravens offense
I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I don't think the QB run is even fair anymore. When Vick used to run around and get popped, it wasn't so bad cause the league wasn't specifically looking out for their safety so much.
Now we have quarterbacks that everyone's afraid of tackling, and when the defence does its job down field, the qb just has to jog between the blocking for 7 yards. It's honestly an eyesore as a spectator. Josh Allen and Mahomes do it frequently too, and it's such a bore.
I'm sorry ravens fans, but I would outlaw the QB run. The most boring play in the game (and unfair) is the defence covering super well for 5 seconds, only for the qb to end up running.
Imagine when DH lines up as the fullback and KM at the tailback/I-back? This is going to be exciting all season. Records will be broken with a Super Bowl to go with it. One play, one game at a time. The writing will be on the wall if we snag Max Crosby. Pick up the phone Eric DeCosta.
The ravens still have a long way to go. But this year is most likely the opportunity to get the job done. With how well this offense has dominated, and the defense has made splash plays, It will drive their momentum for their goal: New Orleans. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Can the ravens repeat last year or continue this drive towards the finish line?
Let’s see what offense shows up in January
Got a hunch they’re gonna be running the ball down the stretch a little bit more this season 😅
@@TheFootballDigest I had that hunch vs chiefs too and we saw what happened lol
Fair point lol
This is the year we win the super bowl
Can’t wait for playoffs to roll around
I'd say for us Baltimore horde it's a welcome and necessary distraction after just watching the Orioles get unceremoniously swept out of the postseason again.
A potential Davante Adams trade as well for you guys would probably also make up for that I’m sure lol
why could'nt we run against the porous chiefs defense ?
Reid taught them how to tackle. I'm serious.
I’d rather trade for a nasty run blocking o lineman than I would d adams. We’re fully committed to a run first offense with occasional 5 yards slants and crosses on play action. I don’t think adams would do as much for this offense as a beefy mauler o lineman would
Very valid points made 🤝
I think they are the best all around team in the NFL
Hard to argue against it from what we’ve been seeing
Curious to see if they can keep this crazy momentum up over the next month or so
The only t..hing that can top the Ravens is the Ravens
You definitely hit the nail on the head with that lol
The comment about Mark Andrews aged wonderfully. Hes been starting to show up more these last 2 weeks
It’s safe to say the Chiefs already answered that question the first game of the season.!
No😂that was the ravens 1st game with that oline and it was horrible and then they changed it around after the raiders game and we seen how that turned out
@@Dummodie 🤣🤣🤣
That was more the Ravens losing than the Chiefs winning.
These homers hate facts, and ignore the last decade of data to keep their dream alive.
None of this means anything if they continuously lose to the chiefs each year
Best comment. And those losses fall on Harbaugh. He is so outclassed by Reid.
Pounding the rock against these smaller defensive guys is smart. Defenses have gotten smaller and faster to defend the pass.
Busted
💪
Lions-Ravens super bowl this year, im calling it here and now.
No defense likes a qb who can just take off
And who now has a power back to hand off to.
Pat mehomes has the answer
He always seems to lol
Only complaint I’ve had so far is Nate Wiggins he’s playing big snaps on WR like Jamar Chase slap him in the slot it’s his first year lol
I'm a Ravens fan, and I totally think that it's one of the best nfl offense
How bout them O’s??
I've never seen such a monkey-on-the-back phenomenon in the making, smh. This post-season schneid is going to be very tough to break. The late-1970's Phillies were able to break theirs by bringing in Pete Rose. It might require such a catalyst for the O's.
Henry wasted years in Tennessee
Absolutely.
Answer Steelers Defense baby
Hold the edge run blitz all game. Goodbye birdies
They got the personnel to do it, that’s for sure
The defense still needs to improve with the new DC, but they look good on a play by play basis. Looks like the Super Bowl team for the AFC to me, Chiefs can’t keep getting away with it
So long as Reid is the Chiefs' HC ... they'll get away with it.
As a Ravens fan from day one it's crazy to see the offense way better than the defense 😂. 😈
Still had 4 drops vs the Bills
I do not care, i do not care, i do not care, Lamar is the best QB in the NFL. There has never been, nor will there ever be another Lamar Jackson. Also, Derrick Henry is the last RB we will ever see put up numbers like this on a consistent basis.
Baltimore has the potential to rip the nfl apart just keep running the ball
It has to be demoralizing and downright traumatizing to be punched directly in the mouth for 60 minutes and not really know when or where the punches are coming from. 💥👊🏾💥👊🏾💥👊🏾
Truly couldn’t have said it better myself
Yeah but what matters is how they can’t win a trophy…. I think this can win on paper but they always find a way to get away from the run game/.. I hope they win a ring