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

Let’s talk wide receivers:

@mwhyche22 asks: Do you see Marquise Brown and Devin Duvernay being a lethal combination?

Answer: I don’t know what to expect from these receivers anymore. Marquise Brown shows flashes but consistently gets underutilized. Devin Duvernay is a rookie who has 11 passes in eight games. Do I see the possibility of these two speedster receivers being an unfair combination at some point? Sure. If I was calling the plays it would be a central part of this offense. The possibility is there but the underproducing of the receivers doesn’t have me holding my breath.

@DJ_BMORE asks: So far what wide receiver is running the best routes and which one gets the most separation off the snap?

Answer: Willie Snead is the best technician the Ravens have at the wide receiver position. I’d say he has the best route running on the season so far, especially in the context of getting open for Jackson. Its hard not to trust Snead the most right now, even if he’s not the most dynamic play-maker the offense has.

Marquise Brown is the best athlete the Ravens have at the wide receiver position. He’s been open more than he’s been hit. He’s had chances at those deep touchdowns that haven’t been taken advantage of. If the Ravens get better at throwing the ball down the field (something on Jackson, the pass protection and the play-calling) Brown will be the benefactor of that growth.

@boilertrainer asks: Where do you see the accomplishments of the Patriots vs. the Ravens over the next five years? Any hope for a rebuild for them?

Answer: The Ravens have a very interesting future. It’s hard not to be positive about it at the moment. The Ravens were 14-2 last year and sit this year at 6-2. They have gotten extensions inked with two of their cornerstone players in Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey. Lamar Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and he’s just in his third season in the NFL. Baltimore is in a window of opportunity and Eric DeCosta looks like he knows how to keep it open.

The Patriots have avoided the rebuilding phase for a very long time. Some things catch up with everybody. The biggest problem for the Patriots is that not every problem they have can be traced to the fact that Tom Brady plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots are a franchise pointing in the opposite direction of the Ravens at the moment.

As long as they have Bill Belichick they have a chance to get back to their winning ways. I’m not sure they can get back to the level they maintained for so long in the Brady era. I’m just not counting out Belichick for very long.