J.K. Dobbins, Tyus Bowser have been Ravens unsung heroes

The Baltimore Ravens have two unsung heroes and their names are J.K. Dobbins and Tyus Bowser:

The Baltimore Ravens are entering week 17 of the NFL season. This Ravens team is reminiscent of teams of the past because they are currently in the wild card and are in control of their own destiny. Baltimore’s matchup to make the playoffs is against the 4-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals.

Despite not having their rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals are on a two-game winning streak and are not to be taken lightly. It seems as though this Ravens team has gained some character after going through adversity, and that they are heating up just in time for the playoffs.

However, this article is going to be geared towards shining the light on some players who stepped up in the fourth quarter of the season. During late November/ early December the Ravens were decimated by Covid-19 and injuries.

Players stepping up:

Thankfully all players who tested positive have recovered and those who were injured are on the path to recovery. During this time of strain, there were a few players who I feel as though stepped up and made a big impact. Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, and running back J.K. Dobbins has been making plays when their number has been called.

The Ravens have been looking for a reliable pass rusher to complement outside linebacker Matthew Judon since Suggs and Za’Darius smith have left. Bowser has made his impact as more than just a pass rusher. He recorded his first interception of the season against the Tennessee Titans in week 11.

When Bowser caught the interception I thought “ hmmm he has good hands for an outside linebacker”. Then Bowser caught one against the Pittsburgh Steelers and one against the Cleveland Browns.

Bowser is now tied with Marcus Peters for the most interceptions on the team this season with three. Bowser’s ability to rush the passer and drop back into coverage has been a boon to the Ravens as they attempt to build upon their four-game win streak.

Rookie J.K Dobbins has stepped up in a major way for the tail end of the season. Dobbins is averaging 5.3 yards per carrying and has seven touchdowns for the 2020 season. Gus Edwards and Dobbins have become the one-two punch in the Ravens backfield after Ingram’s workload decreased.

The second-round pick has shown the ability to catch out of the backfield, the ability to beat defenders to the outside, excellent balance, and most importantly the ability to put the ball in the end zone.

Since week 11, Dobbins has managed to score a touchdown each week. Dobbins appears to be fitting in well with Greg Roman’s run-centric offense and should have continued success going forward.

Both of these players are young and have great potential. These two players have shown the propensity to make plays. Also, I would like to give credit to the coaches for putting players in the right position to make plays.

Even though this is a small sample size of about six weeks I think the Ravens will be able to play towards their strengths with the possibility of playoffs ahead.