Ravens: 5 things we have learned 5 things we haven’t learned

Learning about the young talent on the roster:

Learned: Patrick Queen, J.K. Dobbins, and Devin Duvernay have talent that is translating on the NFL playing field. 

While they have shown it in varying degrees, the Ravens drafted very talented play-makers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Patrick Queen is the starting linebacker in the middle of the defense and he’s looking the part. It hasn’t been perfect but it’s hard to say he hasn’t exceeded expectations. He has 61 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defensive touchdown. Even after Queen’s humbling game against the Patriots. he’s still on pace to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Queen is at the minimum in that conversation.

J.K. Dobbins has been an impressive running back. He has a 100-yard rushing game already on his resume, working in a very crowded running back group. Dobbins has flashed serious play-making potential this year. That can’t be debated.

Dobbins reminds a lot of Ravens fans of Ray Rice. In truth, Dobbins has a lot more potential than that, he’s got a scary good future ahead of him. Meanwhile, Devin Duvernay’s speed has been flashy as well. He had a kickoff return for a touchdown against Kansas City and he’s trickling more into the offense. The Ravens still have some untapped potential here but they know they got some very talented rookies.

Haven’t learned: Can the Ravens use their firepower correctly? 

Can the Ravens use the firepower they have? The Ravens drafted three quicker and smaller receivers and the offensive gameplan really hasn’t reflected it. The Ravens haven’t shown they know how to utilize players like Duvernay, or even James Proche.

For all the talk about the limited chances of Duvernay with the football, Proche hasn’t gotten a real chance in this offense. You get the feeling that the Ravens have more talent than they show on Sundays and they have to figure out how to get the most of it.

Dobbins seems to have the most explosive plays. Even with Mark Ingram missing time, he hasn’t completely taken over at running back. This seems like turning down chances for big plays. It’s good that Baltimore has a lot of running backs. It’s not great that it’s hindering Dobbins from really taking off.

We talk about Marquise Brown under producing a lot. Are the Ravens using him right? Jackson has to hit him on deep shots more and the Ravens also have to be better about taking shots down the field. Again it goes to the question: Who is at fault for Brown not putting up huge numbers.

We still have to figure out if the Ravens can figure this out. The season is far from over and the Ravens could always pull the right levers and get hot. At the moment we don’t know if the Ravens (Greg Roman specifically) understands how to use what he has.