Yay or Nay? Examining Some #RavensFlock Narratives

There are some cold, dark corners in the world that can paralyze the bravest of beings with trembling fear. And then there’s Ravens Twitter — the darkest, coldest corner of all.

A middling 3-3 record is the direct result of a team not being able to close out games they should have won with ease, and has put a magnifying glass on issues with the team that probably wouldn’t receive the same kind of rancor if it was sitting at 5-1 or 6-0. But here it sits at 3-3, and the Twitterverse is pouncing with hate in their hearts and virtual pitchforks attached to their smart phones.

So let’s take a quick look at some issues, or perceived issues, around this team, and we’ll grade each with a “Yay,” “Nay” or “Meh.”

DeSean fixes the offense — NAY

This is not the same DeSean Jackson that once terrorized defenses, but there is still enough there to make a corner take a step back at the snap and a safety to at least steal a glance in his direction. If nothing else, that could help the run game and free up some space in the middle where the Ravens are most effective throwing the ball.

Still, Jackson has only played 24 games over the previous three seasons, and posted a combined stat line of 43 catches, 849 yards and five touchdowns. Again: Over three seasons. The bright side is he still has some wheels, averaging 19.7 yards per catch over that time period. He can help. I can see that.

But he won’t fix it alone.

Firing Roman fixes the offense — NAY

Even if you think Greg Roman needs replaced, the personnel won’t change with him and the false starts and penalties don’t just go away with a snap of the fingers. Roman runs a unique offense that operates with unique roster construction. This team won’t just open it up and play with five receivers or become a Mike Shanahan offense because a guy leaves.

We have seen this team self-destruct over and over again this season, and blame can be pointed at player acquisition, offensive scheme, inconsistent play at quarterback, turnovers, lack of adjustments, penalties, and a general lack of stepping up in big moments. According to teamrankings.com, the Ravens are tied for fifth in the NFL in first-quarter scoring, tied for fifth in second-quarter scoring, fourth in the third quarter and… 25^th in the fourth quarter.

Nobody is adjusting properly with play calls. And nobody is stepping up and putting it on his shoulders.

There is more than one problem.

Stanley is back — YAY

I say this with the full understanding that health is never a guarantee, so fingers and toes are fully crossed. But Ronnie Stanley has been really good — even with a surprise huge workload last week due to the injury to Morgan Moses. Stanley is the second-highest rated Raven on offense (behind Mark Andrews) per PFF, with a score of 77.2.

And even more importantly, it just looks good out there. He appears to be moving fluidly, he has looked strong when setting for bull rushers and he appears to be his usual cerebral self in identifying blitzers and knowing when to hand off defenders.

Lamar is struggling — MEH

The turnovers need to stop. I believe he would be the first person to say that, as well. And the accuracy hasn’t been as great these past few games. Also something I believe he would agree with. But he hasn’t been dealt the strongest of hands these past few weeks with Rashod Bateman out, and he has made some jaw-dropping plays in each game to give the Ravens a chance to win.

Has he been his best? Absolutely not. Must he be more careful with the ball? Yeah. That’s obvious. But he hasn’t looked completely lost out there, and he still has that incredibly high floor because of his legs and penchant for finding big plays.

Relax.

The pass-rush is a problem — MEH

I say this because they’re tied for 10^th in sacks, and reinforcements should be coming at edge with Justin Houston, Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo fighting to come back from injuries. They are getting a lot of their rush from the middle right now, with Justin Madubuike and Calais Campbell, along with off-ball linebacker Patrick Queen, who is tied for the team lead with Madubuike with 2.5 sacks.

If they can get more heat off the edge, and the hope is that will happen with the cavalry nearing a return, this could be a formidable pass-rush by the end of the year. And keep a close eye on rookie Travis Jones. There were days this summer when he looked like the best player on the field.

[Related Video: Tale of the Tape – Jones is Making His Presence Felt]

Hamilton is a bust — NAY

I think Kyle Hamilton getting beat on a semi-viral video from this summer put a bad taste in fans’ mouths, and it’s just stayed there for some. The errors in the Dolphins game certainly didn’t help his cause, and it’s obvious that the coaches are keeping it cautious with him, judging just by snap counts. But he gives good coverage on tight ends (which could loom large in the playoffs if the Ravens get there) and he’s made some big tackles in the open field. PFF has him rated as the 22^nd best safety in the league out of 87 eligible players. He has a better score than Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Chuck Clark on that service.

It hasn’t been perfect, and he’s not making splash plays, but he hasn’t been bad, either. He’s been a rookie.

It’s all still right there — YAY

Every goal this team has set for itself this season is still right there for the taking. Should they have a bigger lead in the division right now? Yeah. But that goes both ways. They should have a bigger lead in the division right now, and that says they have a good team. I’m not ready to say this isn’t a 3-3 team because it is. They’ve earned that with poor play and some back-fired decisions and that matters in a league where the majority of games are close.

But here’s the deal: if the Buffalo Bills are the consensus best team in the AFC, and I believe they are, what’s that make the Ravens, considering how they probably should have beaten the Bills a few weeks ago?

They can’t win a championship the way they are currently playing, but they can get to that level over these last 12 weeks of the regular season.

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