Ebony Bird
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Kenneth Dixon Will Have A Breakout 2017 Season

By Chris Schisler

Dec 12, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon (30) scores a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon (30) scores a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Ravens have a superstar that many NFL fans don’t even know about, his name is Kenneth Dixon.

Kenneth Dixon was the most neglected running back in his rookie season. When he touched the football good things happened. The problem is the Louisiana Tech star only got 88 carries. Even when he got things rolling, he did not get many chances in the Baltimore Ravens pass happy offense.

Dixon missed the first four weeks of the season. It took him a while to get back into football shape and to restore his confidence. I am not discounting this. That is not an excuse however for ignoring the most intriguing player on the roster, once he was back to full strength. The Ravens attempted 676 passes and only ran the ball 367 times in the 2016 season. That just doesn’t work. Dixon never got a chance to shine. The Ravens were pass happy and Terrance West got the bulk of the carries.

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Dixon averaged 6.3 yards per carry in the Ravens Thursday Night battle with the Browns but only got six rushing attempts. He averaged 6.7 yards per rush in Arlington against the Dallas Cowboys; but Joe Flacco handed the football off to him six times in the whole game. More often than not this season, Dixon could have been the answer to the Ravens offensive woes.

Dixon is a dual threat running back. In addition to breaking big running plays, he can make a difference as a receiving option. 30 receptions for 162 yards this season. This means the most promising young play-maker on the Ravens got just 118 touches this season. Flacco threw the football 672 times. If Dixon was a more central part of the offense, things may have been different.

The Bottom Line:

The Ravens have talked the good talk about committing to the running game this offseason. I don’t know why they couldn’t see that during the season, but that’s a complaint for another day. The point is that a refocused Ravens offense could mean big things for Dixon. Dixon has rare talent. He is fast, shifty, balanced and powerful. He is the total package and the Ravens should lean on him, like they once leaned on Ray Rice.

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The Ravens haven’t had a play-maker quite like this in sometime. Justin Forsett was a nice bandage on the position, but the Ravens needed more for their backfield remedy. Terrance West has massive potential as well. However Dixon has a chance to be special. He scored the second most touchdowns in the history of College Football. He made plays every which way, and made players miss in every direction at  Louisiana Tech. Dixon just needs the chance to shine. If the Ravens commit to giving him 20 to 25 touches a game, he will have a monster 2017 season.

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