Baltimore Ravens: An improved passing game is almost a given
The Baltimore Ravens passing attack should be better than it was in 2017:
The 2017 Baltimore Ravens ranked 27th in yards earned per game despite having the 11th best average when it came to rushing yards per game. The Baltimore Ravens passing attack was brutal to watch for most of the season.
In 2017 the Ravens only had one player with over 60 receptions. That was Ben Watson who led the way with 61 grabs. Mike Wallace led the team in receiving yards. On 52 receptions Wallace had 748 receiving yards. Watson was the only other player who reached over 500 yards. Seriously, go onto the Ravens team page at NFL.com and marvel at how bad these stats are.
The 2018 season should bring better results for Joe Flacco and the passing game. The Ravens added three receivers in NFL free agency (Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead). Newsome grabbed two tight ends in the NFL Draft (Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews) while grabbing two receivers in the back-end of the draft (Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley). In the dictionary there should be a picture of the 2018 Ravens depth chart under the word, retooled.
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Whatever you think about Crabtree he is more of a number one wide receiver than Wallace was. Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews are both better play-makers than Watson was. Jeremy Maclin is still a free agent and that is for a very good reason. Maclin provided next to nothing for the Ravens. Snead and Brown both have a good chance to outperform Maclin’s 2017 numbers.
Baltimore is going to see more passing touchdowns. Crabtree has scored 25 touchdowns in the last three seasons. Andrews scored 22 touchdowns in his collegiate career at Oklahoma. Andrews and Hurst are both 6’5″ targets. Crabtree is a player who is known to go up and get the football. Snead is a gritty possession receiver. When the Ravens get to the red zone, they have many more options than they did last year.
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The Ravens passing game can’t be worse in 2018. It just can’t be. The needle is pointed up for the Ravens offense. Flacco may be looking at his last season in Baltimore, but he isn’t looking at a lack of help around him any more.