The Baltimore Ravens' offense should be a juggernaut. Even with Lamar Jackson sidelined for the past two weeks, the stats back up the fact that they're a very good offense. They rank sixth in EPA per play, seventh in points per game, and eighth in yards per game.
However, their inability to convert on short-yardage plays is a key issue. Embarrassingly, the Ravens rank 30th in 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 combined conversion rate through six weeks. They have converted on just five of these 10 opportunities. The top two teams have converted at a 100 percent rate, with half the league converting at an above 70 percent rate.
While five missed opportunities might not seem like a lot, the Ravens are leaving points on the board due to their short-yardage problems. It's killing drives nearly every week, and these margins matter when your goal is to be a Super Bowl team.
Without a doubt, the Ravens' offense will reach another gear if they can clean things up on short-yardage plays.
The Baltimore Ravens must fix their short-yardage problem
Sadly, this has been a problem all season long for the Ravens. In Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, the Ravens infamously opted to throw a deep pass to Chris Moore, which led to a punt. While it was forgotten after a game-winning field goal, in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens failed to convert on 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and-1 three times, including at the end zone.
The frustrating part is that there's no reason this should be a problem for the Ravens given their all-around talent. Currently, Jackson's status for Week 7 is up in the air. Whether he plays or not, the Ravens can't afford for their short-yardage struggles to continue against a stout Cincinnati Bengals team. The bigger picture is that this flaw could prevent the Ravens from reaching their offensive ceiling.
Look, first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has been fantastic. His schemes are creative, and he's poised to be a head coach soon. Regardless, sometimes he can be too smart for his own good. Simplifying things a bit could be a game-changer for the Ravens.
All you need is a yard on these plays. Even when you have Derrick Henry in the backfield, a QB sneak or tush push is the easiest way to get one yard. That's true whether it's Jackson or Tyler Huntley under center. This is especially true when accounting for the fact that Henry has never been stellar in short-yardage situations.
If Doyle simplifies things on short-yardage plays, it would prevent promising drives from being killed. In turn, the Ravens will have longer drives and more scoring opportunities. The offense is already really good (particularly when Jackson returns), but fixing the short-yardage problems must happen for this unit to reach its ceiling.
If the Ravens fix this flaw, they could be the best offense in the league and reach their Super Bowl aspirations. The proof will ultimately be in the pudding, though, and this concern shouldn't be taken lightly.
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