Ravens Call Matt Elam a Starter, Missing James Ihedigbo?

Nov 2, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is hit by Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam (26) 1during the first half of the game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the Daily Caw, where we round up all the latest Ravens news from around the web for your convenient consumption. Today we discover that the Ravens still consider Matt Elam to be a “starting safety” even though he barely played last week, look at some team grades headed into the bye, and analyze the Raven’s struggles on third down this season.

Matt Elam is a “Starting Safety,” Plays Season Low Snaps

In a classic, and frankly comical case of coach speak, Dean Pees says that Matt Elam is a “starting safety” for the Ravens.  This, in spite of his gradual decline in snaps the last few weeks that culminated in a season low 15 against the Titans.  And he didn’t start.  The truth is Elam has been a liability all season, and the Ravens aren’t stupid.

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Full Ravens Bye Week Report Card

Jason Marcum has a full Ravens bye week report card in what has proven to be a roller coaster ride through the first ten weeks. Will the real Baltimore Ravens reveal themselves after the bye?

Gary Kubiak Using Bye Week to Study Joe Flacco

Everyone expected noted quarterback whisperer Gary Kubiak to work wonders with Joe Flacco, but he has instead regressed sharply the last few weeks.  Now Kubiak is using the bye week to figure out what is going on and (hopefully) correct it.

Ravens are Struggling on Third Downs

Part of the problem the Ravens are having on offense is their putrid third down conversion rate of 30.8% over the last three games.  The problem was especially apparent against the Titans last week, when they started out 0 for 6.

Lardarius Webb Challenged Secondary in Meeting After Steelers Game

It’s nice to see Webb take on a bit of a leadership role here, but he has been a big part of the problem.  He didn’t really play better against the Titans, either.

Do the Ravens Miss James Ihedigbo?

We must admit, Ihedigbo has had an excellent season in what has been a rejuvenated Lion’s secondary.  He is currently Pro Football Focus’ 13th ranked safety out of 85 qualifiers, while the highest Raven comes in at number 34 (Darian Stewart).  Will Hill should make his debut on the charts once he logs more snaps, of course.