The Baltimore Ravens are finally going to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here are three keys for the game:
- Editors note: At the time of this writing it was presumed that the Baltimore Ravens would have J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram would play in this contest. Today there have been multiple reports saying that the two running backs will likely not play. This article has therefore been edited to fit the new information.
1. The Ravens must avoid the obvious pitfalls on offense:
The Baltimore Ravens are finally going to play a game originally set to be played on Thanksgiving. The Ravens will have several players they wouldn’t have had if the game didn’t get postponed three times.
The addition of Dobbins and Ingram wouldn’t change things a lot. Baltimore would have more tools for the running game, the offensive line remains the problem. No Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura will mean that running the football is going to be tough, or we’re in for a pleasant surprise.
Without Mark Andrews and Willie Snead, Robert Griffin III has a brutally tough task. He has to go into Pittsburgh as a backup quarterback, play without two of his best pass catchers and face the team with the best pass rush in the NFL. If the Wednesday afternoon affair turns into a disaster, the built-in excuses are certainly there. So how do the Ravens go about this game without these problems automatically sinking them? They have to try to win the game right?
If things go right the purple and black can stick to the run game. Expect the Ravens to commit to the run game, even if it doesn’t bring them huge results. In an ideal game with these parameters, Baltimore has to hope they have 60-70 plays. Against the Titans, the Ravens had 33 rushing attempts and 29 passing attempts. This game calls for 40 or more rushing attempts.
In the passing game, you should expect a lot of quick passes. This isn’t really for some great schematic reason other than the idea that the Ravens want to get the ball out quick. This is surely a game where the Ravens want to run, run, run the ball.
If they go into run-only operations the run game has its work cut out for them. Look for Griffin III to have 15-20 passing attempts. Several of them will be screen passes. The Ravens will probably take one shot down the field just to show the defense they’re willing to do so. The rest will be short throws on three-step dropbacks or with a rolling pocket. Look for Justice Hill and Dez Bryant to be the biggest answers in the passing game.