Baltimore Ravens: How to get Marquise Brown back involved

The Baltimore Ravens offense just isn’t the same when wide receiver Marquise Brown isn’t in the folds, but here’s a blueprint for how to fix that.

When you have someone as talented as Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown, you have to find ways to get him the ball. It doesn’t matter if you’re using him as a deep threat or making him create yardage by himself on screen or short passes; a guy with the nickname “Hollywood” will be able to make something happen whenever he touches the ball.

The Ravens have seen this plenty of times this season. Brown has over 300 receiving yards on the season and nearly 17.0 YPR. His speed was on display week one vs. the Miami Dolphins, in which he took his first two catches for 40+ yard touchdowns. His ball skills have been on display all season with the insane sideline catches he’s making. Brown is a highlight reel waiting to happen.

Everything that people loved in Marquise Brown headed into the season have all been on display throughout the year. So, how come Baltimore’s offense isn’t firing consistently with him?

For starters, it appears the Ravens are still figuring out how to use him properly. Brown makes a splash play on a weekly basis, but his impact is far from felt on every down. This needs to change if the Baltimore Ravens are hoping to become offensive juggernauts.

What’s nice is Marquise Brown and quarterback Lamar Jackson already have an outstanding relationship with one-another. The two appear to be BFFs both from a quarter-to-receiver tandem, but also in their personalities. The two mesh, and that’ll be vital moving forward.

From there, it’s all about scheming Brown touches. It’s not for lack of trying, as Brown’s 34 targets speak to his coach’s trust in him. However, Brown should be getting the ball on simple plays, not just standard routes or as a deep threat. Baltimore needs to use the screen game to their advantage, as well as get Brown in space underneath or across the middle. Getting Brown up the field even just three-or-four yards could provide a massive boost for the offense.

Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to use “Hollywood” in the run game and get him some end-arounds or even straight up carries. His speed could be put to great use in the backfield.

All in all, the Baltimore Ravens just need to be more creative with their employment of Marquise Brown without overthinking it. There’s no need to get too complex with their structure around him, but getting him the ball fast is a recipe for success.

Moving forward, the hope is that the team will recognize that they need to have a dependence on Marquise Brown in the passing game. Brown is no doubt the team’s best weapon, and seeing him with less than five receptions moving forward should be unacceptable. Put the ball in “Hollywood’s” hands and let him work his magic.