Jacoby Jones Has Raven’s Faith, Torrey Smith Speaks Out

Sep 7, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones (12) runs for a first down during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals defeated Baltimore Ravens 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Lunchtime Links, where we round up all the latest Ravens news from around the web for your convenient consumption.  Today, we have a Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers preview, discuss why the Ravens keep their faith in Jacoby Jones, reveal Torrey Smith’s opinion on his struggles, and find out that the Ravens expect to be a running team by the time it’s all said and done.

Baltimore Ravens keep their faith in Jacoby Jones, but why?

"It’s safe to assume that the team thought of Jones as a security blanket this season not just on special teams but as part of the Ravens receiving corps as well. After all, Jones has vast experience in new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak system from their time together in Houston.So far through five games it’s been exactly the opposite for Jones and the Ravens.Playing in 112 total offensive snaps through the first five games as a receiver, Jacoby has been the third-most targeted receiver on the roster behind Steve Smith Sr. and Torrey Smith with nine targets. Of those nine targets, he’s hauled in four receptions for 50 yards, a wide receiver rating of 62.3, per Pro Football Focus."

Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview

"Baltimore is in the midst of four road games in five contests after it began its road trip last week in Indy. It’ll host the Atlanta Falcons next week then hit the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9."

More from Ravens News

• Will Baltimore Ravens be rewarded for risky Lamar Jackson decision?
• The Baltimore Ravens Big Gamble
• Ravens Super Bowl odds present fascinating insight on Lamar Jackson’s future
• Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
• Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?

"Needless to say, this Bucs game will probably be the easiest game Baltimore gets for a while. While Tampa has played better football the past two weeks, it did start the year 0-3, including a 59-14 thrashing at the hands of the Falcons."

Torrey Smith feels like he is a good fit for Raven’s offense

"The Baltimore Ravens’ passing game has focused on shorter passes under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, and wide receiver Torrey Smith has watched the number of passes thrown his way get cut nearly in half.It’s now become a legitimate question: Does a deep threat like Smith fit into the Ravens’ new short passing offense?“It’s the same as any other offense I’ve ever been in and it’s literally the exact same offense I ran in college,” Smith said. “That’s not the case at all.”"

John Harbaugh defends Ravens commitment to the run

"“If I would believe what others write, I would think we would have to have a certain number of passes every game, but then I wouldn’t know much about football,” Harbaugh said. “I’m specifically saying it is way too easy to sit there and go, ‘Oh, they have to run the ball more. They only ran the ball a certain amount of times.’ It’s like, ‘Can you take one more page and one more layer and turn it over and figure out what’s going on?'”Harbaugh’s point is that the Ravens needed more plays in order to have a balanced game plan. The Ravens lost two possessions in the first half because they turned the ball over (Steve Smith’s fumble on the team’s first play and Jacoby Jones’ muffed punt return). As a result, the Ravens ran a season-low 57 plays."