The Baltimore Ravens appear to be putting together an offense that could feature a near-endless amount of packages to take advantage of the specific defense lined up across them on a week-to-week basis.
Taking out the five men predominantly making up the offensive line (still to be determined) and the guy taking snaps behind center, those other five offensive positions could be filled with any number of combinations — ranging from run-heavy looks to wide-open options that feature five receivers. And, when one looks at the different scenarios, they could still offer a threat of the unexpected from each, thanks largely to the unique skillsets of quarterback Lamar Jackson and tight ends Nick Boyle, Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst.
We’re going to begin under the assumption that the Ravens are going to lean heavily on their run game, and the notion that they are planning to be able to run it effectively, even when the defense “knows it’s coming.”
Besides those five linemen and Jackson, you could see a scenario where the Ravens come out with Boyle and Andrews at tight end, Mark Ingram at running back and Willie Snead and Miles Boykin out wide. The wideouts are both effective blockers, and Boyle is as good as it gets at his role.
This package certainly looks “run” on the surface, and gives Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman options. Ingram is a seasoned veteran who knows how to utilize the blocking in front of him, and there is always the threat of Jackson holding on to the ball and taking off — which makes defenses worry about two obvious run possibilities right off the bat.
When you sprinkle in the well-accepted concept that Roman’s run-playbook is one of the most comprehensive on the planet, the defense’s collective head should already be spinning with possibilities.
But, wait, there’s more!
Andrews already started making a name for himself after his wildly-successful rookie season, so a linebacker or safety is going to have to dedicate his attention in that direction. Snead is effective peeling off blocks and finding spots in the middle of the field and Boykin gives a whole new threat to consider with his size-speed combination.
Start moving people around in motion and pull Boyle back into a fullback spot before the snap, and you can see defenses having to shift and give away information pre-snap — always a goal for the offense.
Fun, right? When was the last time one could say that about the Ravens offense?
Now, add in what Marquise “Hollywood” Brown brings, both as a downfield threat that makes a safety take a step or two back before the snap and a run-after-catch guy who can take advantage of that retreating safety by taking a slant to the house, and it’s easy to project a linebacker taking an extra step back pre-snap, too. Now guess what happens.
Go ahead. Take a guess.
That’s right. The Ravens hand off to Ingram, Gus Edward, Kenneth Dixon or rookie Justice Hill, and there are a few less defensive bodies in the box now because of that perceived game-breaking threat in Brown. Or, and this is the glory of Jackson, the quarterback keeps it and sprints to daylight.
Throw in Hurst and his solid hands and ability to turn upfield quickly, Jaleel Scott working the perimeter and red zone, and the abilities of Ingram, Hill and Dixon to leak out of the backfield and catch high-percentage passes and it’s easy to envision the Ravens actually having an offense that frightens opposing teams — as opposed to one that has historically mostly frightened Ravens fans.
The team has long had a diverse defense with a near-endless array of packages and looks for opposing offenses. It could be that the other side of the ball is finally finding it’s own menu of nightmares for opponents.