John Harbaugh's firm stance on Ravens' offense could keep electric weapon on ice

All season long, Baltimore Ravens fans have been begging for Keaton Mitchell to be more involved. Mitchell has elite speed and gives the Ravens' backfield a different element. Despite this, he was (inexcepibaly) a healthy stretch up until Week 5. The third-year running back has finally been trending upward, highlighted by his first touchdown last Thursday.

Still, Mitchell hasn't seen much usage, only getting two carries last week, with Rasheen Ali surprisingly leading the team in snaps in the team's Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Mitchell is far more explosive and efficient than Ali. Notably, Mitchell is averaging 6.1 yards per attempt to Ali's 4.4 yards per attempt. As a result, Ravens fans are hoping that Mitchell gets a bigger role on Sunday, especially with Justice Hill sidelined.

Nevertheless, head coach John Harbaugh said that Ali played "really well" and that he expects him to continue in that third-down back role. Unfortunately, Ravens fans hoping to see Mitchell in a bigger role will have to keep waiting.

Ali will likely still have a bigger role than Mitchell

Like many Ravens fans, I have advocated for Mitchell to get more touches throughout the season. So seeing Ali (who was a healthy inactive) the week before, and entering the week with one carry, was an absolute shocker. Based on Harbaugh's comments, though, it's fair to expect more of the same against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Mitchell adds a much-needed explosive element to the Ravens' offense. As the Ravens' offense struggles to make big plays, it would benefit them to give Mitchell more responsibilities, especially with Hill injured.

Furthermore, the Steelers' defense gave up 249 rushing yards this past week, so this is a perfect opportunity for Baltimore to get right. Yes, the main priority should be getting Henry an ample amount of carries. Regardless, Mitchell could be another factor in the equation, and he has proven to be more effective than Ali.

I'm in favor of Mitchell getting more touches. But to play devil's advocate, I think Harbaugh's logic is that Ali is more similar to Hill and is specifically more effective as a blocker than Mitchell is. However, there's nothing wrong with a little variety, and Mitchell is more likely to give the Ravens the dynamic punch that they're currently lacking.

Harbaugh's comments don't mean that Mitchell won't be involved at all, but his usage will likely be similar to what it has been in recent weeks. If Mitchell can break through and make some big plays, Harbaugh may have a tough time keeping his role so limited in the future.

Until then, though, expect Ali to have a bigger role than Mitchell.