The Baltimore Ravens captured another win in Week 12, defeating the New York Jets, 23-10. It was a huge win, as the Ravens jumped to first place in the AFC North following Sunday’s action, which seemed unimaginable early in the season.
Just over a month ago, the team was 1-5, fighting for their playoff lives. Now, they sit at 6-5 and hold the tiebreaker over the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in their division.
Despite all the positives coming out of Week 12, Baltimore is far from perfect. While their defense has constructed a terrific midseason turnaround, just as they did last year, it is the offense that has been the issue. The five-game winning streak has seen just one game where the Ravens have put 30 or more points on the board, and since quarterback Lamar Jackson’s return, they have yet to truly put together a complete performance in all three phases.
In his postgame press conference, Jackson stated the obvious about the team’s offensive struggles.
“We need to execute better,” Jackson said. “A lot of things [are causing us trouble], we just gotta put points on the board. Our defense playing lights out for the last few weeks…But the last few weeks, I feel like we need to put more points on the board, execute drives.”
Later, when asked if his recent injuries have led to a stagnant state on offense, he made it clear that is not where the issues lie.
“We getting great field position, but we not putting points on the board. That has nothing to do with no injury.”
Ravens still failing to score consistently
Over the last few weeks, the Ravens have failed to come out of the gates on fire on the offensive side of the ball. They scored just three points before halftime in Week 12, limped to 10 points in the first half of their win over the Cleveland Browns last week, and had nine points in the first half of their Week 10 win against the Minnesota Vikings.
It is clear that even when Baltimore is getting itself into scoring position, they cannot cash in on red zone opportunities. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop has brought a reliable leg to Charm City in his first NFL season, but against the more competitive teams, the Ravens cannot continue to trot Loop out there in those scenarios. Right now, they are doing that more often than not.
This past week against the Jets highlighted the worst of their offensive troubles. They were outgained by New York’s offense 282 to 241, and their 23 points are tied for the lowest scoring output in a game with Jackson healthy this season. They also put up 23 in Cleveland last week.
Most of these issues start up front. The protection for Jackson has been lackluster all year, and has especially found issues since Jackson has made his return from injury. It is also hurting the rushing attack, as while running back Derrick Henry has ripped off some chunk plays in recent weeks, the consistency is nowhere to be found.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken also needs to get more creative. While the problems on the offensive line have been difficult to deal with, there is an abundance of playmakers scattered around the offense. Jackson, Henry, and tight end Mark Andrews have long dominated their positions, and wide receiver Zay Flowers, running back Keaton Mitchell, and tight end Isaiah Likely possess skill sets that make them matchup nightmares and dangerous in the open field.
The Ravens will need to work out the kinks quickly on offense. They get right back into action on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, an offense that can be difficult to match the pace of, especially if quarterback Joe Burrow makes his return from injury.