The Baltimore Ravens offense has looked sluggish in recent weeks. They showed some signs of life in a Week 14 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, racking up 420 yards and 203 passing yards. It's worth noting, though, that Zay Flowers accounted for 124 of these 203 yards. That's truly fantastic, and it was one of Flowers' best games of his career.
However, the Ravens were a bit too dependent on Flowers during Sunday's game. Isaiah Likely's 25 yards were the second most behind Flowers. Outside of Flowers, the Ravens especially lacked someone who could give them big plays in the passing game. Against a better defense, this could be a massive problem for Baltimore.
Second-year receiver Devontez "Tez" Walker hasn't seen many opportunities this season. Regardless, when he's on the field, Walker has made his mark, catching four passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. In Weeks 12 and 13, Walker played 43 snaps, recording 30 yards and a touchdown. Against the Steelers, though, John Harbaugh (inexplicably) decided to scratch Walker from the lineup.
As the 6-7 Ravens try to battle for a playoff spot, their offense clearly needs more juice, and Harbaugh can no longer ignore what Walker brings to the table.
The Ravens must let Devontez Walker shine
As a whole, Walker has played in 16.8 percent of the team's snaps. However, in two of the three games where Tez has played more than 10 snaps, he has reeled in a touchdown, including two TDs in one game.
Listen, if Walker had played well in his limited opportunities, but the veterans were also performing well, and Harbaugh wanted to ride with the experience guys — it'd be understandable. Nevertheless, the veterans haven't performed, which makes Harbaugh's handling of Tez questionable at best.
Rashod Bateman has struggled as the Ravens' WR2; he has just 217 yards on the season. While Bateman did miss two games, he has played 70.8 percent of the snaps and is averaging 24.8 fewer yards per game than last year. Of course, Bateman also had a costly drop on Sunday in the fourth quarter.
Veteran DeAndre Hopkins looks over the hill after a promising start to the season. The 33-year-old receiver does have 257 yards, but, concerningly, only 65 of these yards have come after Lamar Jackson's return.
This isn't to say that Walker should get all of Bateman's and Hopkins' snaps, but a little less of those two, a little more of Tez would make a lot of sense. If the Ravens continue to keep Walker on ice, it could cost them in a big way.