Danny Woodhead is the missing link to a poor passing offense
By Joe Schiller
Baltimore Ravens running back Danny Woodhead is finally eligible to return this week against the Packers. He’s a much-needed significant upgrade to one of the league’s worst passing attack.
While Danny Woodhead won’t confirm it, all accounts look like he’ll take the field this week against the Packers. This games just 10 weeks after Woodhead aggravated a hamstring injury in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It couldn’t be better timing for Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense. Woodhead is one of the missing links to the offense and has a potential to be a top receiver for this team down the stretch.
The Ravens signed Woodhead for a specific reason and that’s to be a pass-catching running back out of the backfield. In no world did Ozzie Newsome picture a 32-year old running back off ACL surgery to see significant carries on the ground. Woodhead has never been that kind of back but he’s been one of the most productive pass catchers at the position in recent years. For an offense averaging just 169.8 passing yards per game, that’s like winning the lottery.
Speaking lightly, the Ravens’ receivers have been terrible. Apart from some sputters from Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace, the offense hasn’t received any production from Breshad Perriman or the rest of the receivers. It’s made the Ravens a one-dimensional offense and an easy one to defend in that. But with Woodhead back, he adds another dimension to the offense.
Checkdown maestro
It wouldn’t be the Ravens offense if they didn’t throw the checkdown, right? Marty Mornhinweg loves to call the play action run to one side while Joe Flacco rolls out the opposite way to find a tight end in the flat. The problem is, these plays gain two or three yards at best. It’s such a predictable play and at this point, opposing teams know it’s coming. With Woodhead back, the checkdowns are still going to be used but utilized in a more efficient way.
Woodhead is a small back at 5-8 and uses it to his advantage. He’s a scrappy back that’s also extremely elusive in the open field. I like a checkdown to Woodhead a lot more than Ben Watson, Nick Boyle or Maxx Williams. At the very least, Woodhead can make a move or break a tackle on the initial catch. With the tight ends, they are only getting upfield if they’re wide open on the catch. Woodhead is the kind of player you design the checkdown for and Marty has to be licking his chops.
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Woodhead is also Flacco’s security blanket. We’ve seen that a lot with Ben Watson this season. Flacco loves to have that veteran pass catcher he can rely on in a crucial situation. It was Dennis Pitta for a number of years but he’s out of the question now. I think we’ll start to see Woodhead be integrated into that role. In the small sample size, we’ve seen, the two already seem to have a chemistry. Woodhead had three catches for 33 yards on the opening drive against the Bengals in Week 1 before suffering the hamstring injury. Keep in mind, that’s more receiving yards than Breshad Perriman had through eight weeks but that’s a different story.
The bottom line is, Woodhead has the ability to be the No. 2 receiver on this team the rest of the season. Yes, that’s sad the Ravens are relying on him for that but at this point does it really matter? The offense needs production in the passing game and it’s not coming from the wide receivers. Woodhead’s return will also take some of the attention off Alex Collins and give him more space to run. His acclimation back into the offense will have a lot bigger impact then people think.
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The key to success here is staying healthy. The Ravens can’t afford Woodhead to miss any more time with injury. At this point, he gives the offense the best chance to turn things around for a late playoff push. The Ravens are in position for a Wild Card spot and Woodhead has to be the late-season MVP down the stretch. Here’s hoping we will see that.