As we’ve been doing for many years now, we break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual player standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s offense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, our scouting report on the Baltimore Ravens’ offense ahead of Week 14’s game against the Steelers.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Ravens’ Run Game
The anchor of the offense, as it usually is. Baltimore enters Week 14 ranking fifth with 136.8 rushing yards per game, with a 5.0 YPC is tied for third-best. The Ravens’ 15 rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth-most. RB Derrick Henry is still aging like fine wine, carrying the ball 197 times for 931 yards and 10 rushing scores. His game has run hot and cold and has been hamstrung by QB Lamar Jackson’s injury. Still, he’s averaging 4.8 YPC and four rushing touchdowns in the five games since Jackson’s return.
Backup Keaton Mitchell is back from a major injury and has carved out an increasing role. He has only 25 carries on the season, but at least eight snaps in each of the three weeks. His speed is real and complements Henry’s size and power. Mitchell isn’t quite the receiver Justice Hill was, but he wears the same hat.
Lamar Jackson has changed this year. Repeated and nagging leg injuries have negated his dual-threat capabilities. While he has missed a chunk of the season due to injury, he has just 52 rushes this year, an average of 5.8 carries per game. Last year, he had more than 8 rushing attempts per game. Jackson hasn’t had double-digit rushes in any game this season, something that’s never happened before during his starting career. And his longest run is only 19 yards. His 5.1 YPC would be his lowest since his rookie season.
Alert 1st-and-10 and 2nd-and-long runs with WR Zay Flowers, especially in the second half. Flowers has eight carries this year. Four on 1st-and-10, three on 2nd-and-9 or longer. All but two have come in the third or fourth quarter. Sometimes, the cocked alignment of a tight end can offer a tell.
As a unit, the Ravens have 48 rushes of 10 or more yards. That’s second in the NFL. Henry has 22, which ranks eighth.
Baltimore likes using a fullback more than most teams and still has Patrick Ricard. He is finally healthy after missing time earlier this year. The Ravens deploy lots of I-Form and aren’t afraid to run it weakside and away from the tight end. They hope to gain numbers opposite the formation’s strength.
Duo/man blocks are still the most predominant run scheme in the offense.
Baltimore uses the Tush Push with TE Mark Andrews, and the Ravens run variations off it. Andrews spun around for a long touchdown against Cleveland earlier this year. Also, check out this “QB can’t get the call” fake from Lamar Jackson with Andrews sneaking under center and moving the chains.
Some other stats. Baltimore ranks 12th in scoring, averaging 24.1 points per game. The Ravens scored 30 or more in their first three games but only once since. In Jackson’s return, the team is averaging 23 points per game.
The Ravens have struggled on third down (25th) and red zone (22nd), though some of that is impacted by Jackson’s absence. Baltimore has turned the ball over at a high clip with 18 giveaways this season, but they’ve come in bunches. The Ravens have giveaways in just two of their last six games. But in those two, they gave it away three and five times, the latter coming on Thanksgiving against Cincinnati.
Ravens’ Pass Game
Jackson is back. He’s completing 64.8 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions, though he’s gone his last three games without a passing score. He’s also thrown for more than 200 yards in just one game since his return.
Zay Flowers is his top target, posting a 60/767/1 line. He’s a quick-twitch receiver who has been ascending the past two years. Tight end Mark Andrews is the only other target with more than 21 receptions. Fresh off a contract extension, he’s caught 37 passes for 332 yards and five touchdowns. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins has just 17 catches but for 257 yards, a 15.1-yard average, and two touchdowns. TE Isaiah Likely is playing about half the snaps each game and is disappointing overall this year. But he caught five passes for 95 yards last week (though he had a brutal goal-line fumble into the end zone for a touchback and turnover).
Schematically, the Ravens love their in-breaking routes and crossers. The biggest core of the offense is targeting Flowers on overs and crossers in the middle of the field.
In 3×1, the Ravens like to isolate Andrews on the backside as the lone ‘X-receiver.’ Lots of smash/seam concepts, too, especially out of 2×2.
But the bulk of the offense is crossers and level concepts to the middle of the field. Play-action is married with false key pulls by the guards.
Last note. To begin each of the team’s last pair of two-minute drills at the end of the first half against New York and Cincinnati, Baltimore looked to take a shot/vertical play on the first snap. So be aware of that, should the situation present itself on Sunday.
Josh’s Individual Report
It’s Ravens week, Steelers fans!
With it comes a massive AFC North showdown at M&T Bank Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, with full control of the division on the line.
Both teams enter the matchup having suffered a pair of painful losses in Week 12, pushing them to 6-6 on the season, setting up the big-time matchup.
The Ravens remain led by the dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield in quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. They remain elite-level players, but Jackson has been a bit off this season, especially since returning from a hamstring injury that knocked him out of a few games.
Jackson has been dealing with an ankle and toe issue in recent weeks, which has limited his rushing abilities. He looks hesitant at times to take off. When he does run, he lacks that explosiveness that is a trademark of his game.
His arm remains a weapon, despite growing accuracy issues. He’s been off on some throws in recent weeks and hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in his last three games, despite having plenty of weapons to work with.
But there is a true hesitancy to take off and run. When he’s in that in-between mode of running and throwing, his accuracy has been surprisingly bad. Something to monitor Sunday.
With Henry, the only real issue at this point in his career is whether the Ravens coaching staff is smart enough to get him the football enough times or not.
In Week 14 against the Bengals, Henry had just 10 carries. He didn’t have a single touch in the second or fourth quarters, which is puzzling. He should have a healthy helping of pigskin on Sunday, though.
Even with all the mileage he has, Henry remains a force. He’s a difficult back to get on the ground one-on-one in space, and he still has plenty of speed to hit the home run.
Teams can stack the box against him and attempt to take him away, but time and time again, it just doesn’t matter.
He’s so good at picking his way through traffic and has great contact balance. He rarely goes down on first contact, and when he does go down, he’s constantly falling forward.
This time around, the Ravens have a nice complementary piece to Henry, giving them serious lightning to his thunder. That’s Keaton Mitchell, whom the Ravens have been very high on in recent years. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
He is this year, though, and is starting to get some additional work.
The Ravens love to give him a quick toss on misdirection plays, getting him on the edge.
He has speed to burn and can get vertical in a hurry. That’s a major changeup from Henry, which could give the Steelers defense problems as Henry rocks them to sleep throughout the game.
It’s a nice combination to have in the backfield. The Ravens are starting to tap into it, which is a scary thought.
At tight end, the passing game still largely runs through Mark Andrews — fresh off a three-year extension this week — and Isaiah Likely.
Andrews remains a matchup issue for linebackers and safeties. He is a smart route runner, creates consistent separation, and consistently finds a way to make plays through contact. He just recently set the franchise record for receiving yards, too, so things are going well for him.
Likely carved up the Steelers last season, hauling in a touchdown in the regular season win in Baltimore, and then recording three receptions for 53 yards in the Wild Card round win. They’re both big tight ends with good body control and know how to win within their routes. The Steelers have yet to have an answer for them. Maybe this is the year.
At receiver, Zay Flowers continues to grow into a legitimate No. 1 option for the Ravens. He’s a good route runner who gets into and out of his cuts quickly and really opens eyes with the amount of separation he creates.
He’s a blur with the football in his hands, too.
The Ravens excel at scheming things up for him and letting him attack open areas. Oftentimes on tape, he’s making wide-open catches.
In the second regular-season game last year, Flowers had five catches for 100 yards. He then missed the playoff game, but the success against the Steelers is there.
Veteran DeAndre Hopkins has largely had a quiet year, but when Jackson targets him, his hands remain great. He’s dependable when the football comes his way, catching things consistently and providing a security blanket.
He doesn’t work down the field much and isn’t as good as he once was. But he can still make plays through contact and can get himself into throwing windows, showing his numbers to his quarterback.
Big-play threats Rashad Bateman and Devontez Walker remain on the roster, though both have been battling injuries in recent weeks. Both are big speed threats that have a knack for creating splash plays. They can take the top off of defenses and should be concerning to the Steelers this week.
They don’t get enough consistent work in the passing game, though.
Up front, the Ravens remain a good group overall. They can control things in the running game, while giving Jackson plenty of time in the passing game. Here’s how I expect them to line up left to right on the Sunday:
LT — Ronnie Stanley
LG — Andrew Vorhees
C — Tyler Linderbaum
RG — Daniel Faalele
RT — Roger Rosengarten
The tackle duo of Stanley and Rosengarten is very good. Both are athletic tackles who have been good in the run game and handle speed and power well off the edges in pass protection.
I really like the interior of this offensive line. Vorhees is really underrated, while Linderbaum is one of the best centers in football. Faalele is a massive human, and they can even work in second-year pro Emery Jones Jr. at either guard spot, giving them a glimpse of the future.
They hold a clear advantage here against the Steelers.
On special teams, the Ravens have done well after making a major change at kicker. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop has been consistent this season. He’s 22-of-24 on the year on field goals, and his only misses have come from beyond 50 yards.
He has struggled in the kickoff department, though, failing to land four kickoffs inside the landing zone. This has created major field position advantages for opposing offenses.
Punter Jordan Stout remains a very good punter, too. He’s averaging 51.3 yards per punt on the season on 41 punts. He’s allowed just 18 returns on the season, and his net average is 45.5 yards. Eighteen of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line.
In the return game, Mitchell handles kick return duties and gives the Ravens a dangerous threat back there. He’s averaging 27 yards a return. Fellow running back Rasheen Ali also returns kicks and is averaging just under 26 yards.
Rookie receiver LaJohntay Wester is the punt returner. He’s had some great moments this season, as well as some major struggles. Wester is averaging 15 yards per punt return, but he has a muff this season. He has cost the Ravens with his decision-making at times when playing back deep.