Ebony Bird
FanSided

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: Week 10 Q&A

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 03: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes past defensive end John Simon #55 of the New England Patriots during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 3, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 03: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes past defensive end John Simon #55 of the New England Patriots during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 3, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Baltimore Ravens
Jun 13, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman (center) talks to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson (8) and Robert Griffin III (3) during minicamp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

What’s going on with the offense?

@cancelpennies asks: I’ve been saying all year, I feel like Roman has not been using his whole playbook and they’re keeping some stuff in the bag for big moments later in the season, am I just being the typical overly-optimistic Ravens fan? Is he handcuffed by the offensive line and wide receiver struggles?

Answer: Part of me hopes you’re right and part of me hopes you’re wrong. If you are correct that he’s holding back it could have a huge payoff. Last year the Ravens were the team that was so good that it was surprising. This year everybody is just waiting for it. Okay. Fine.

The reason that I kind of hope that this thought is wrong is because that means he didn’t feel like the Chiefs game was a big enough reason to show his hand. The Steelers didn’t get one of those surprises? Did he just assume he could win the other games without his best stuff? Is his best stuff a limited resource? Is he like a band with one good album that just can’t do it again? I don’t like this train of thought because I tend to like Greg Roman. I want to give him more credit than that.

I think Roman’s frustrated right now. He can’t quite find the gear that the team had last year and that gear is where the expectation started for this season. I think he’s got some wrinkles but this offense is probably what this offense is. It really boils down to the fact that the execution needs to be better.

Roman is handcuffed by the offensive line. Would you have wanted to call plays against the Colts defensive front without Ronnie Stanley, when the line was struggling in the first place? Against the Colts he was calling a very bottled-up game at first and there is probably a huge link to the offensive line woes and that decision. The receiver play is a factor, the Ravens don’t exactly have Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt running routes for them. At the end of the day, he’s got some things working against him. His play-calling can be questionable but the overall identity of the offense is probably set in stone at this point.

Home/Ravens News