The Baltimore Ravens got the benefit of not only having a bye week, but wrapping up that bye week a week before the regular season ended. It gave the team a chance to rest a few starters but also be strategic with who they rested, knowing that a bye week was still coming.
Which players on the Ravens are getting the biggest benefit from two weeks without meaningful football?
3. The Baltimore Ravens two key secondary pieces can get healthy
The Baltimore Ravens' defense is elite, mainly because of two key ignitors in the secondary. Marlon Humphrey has been up and down at times this year, but when they have needed him to step up in recent weeks, he started to look like his old self. Kyle Hamilton has ascended into a star in his second NFL season, and he is one of the best defenders in the NFL.
Still, Humphrey suffered a calf injury, and Hamilton had a knee injury that caused them to miss the Miami Dolphins game. Both of them were still dealing with the issue, and considering the Steelers game was not significant, it was easy to sit both. Now, they get their third week off with the bye week. This is substantial this late in the year.
The vibe around Hamilton is that he could have gone in week 18 if the Ravens were in must-win territory. The extra week should ensure he is completely healthy. Humphrey has been banged up through the year, so every day will get him a step closer to his old self.
The Ravens will get to move into the playoffs with their two secondary members rested and having three full weeks to recover. You cannot beat that.
2. The Baltimore Ravens wide receivers should be hot in the playoff run
When Mark Andrews went down, the Ravens needed everyone to step up in his absence. Two huge names who have played better include Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham. These two have been playing their best in recent weeks, but both of them are very happy to know that they not only got last week against the Steelers off, they also have this week off.
Zay Flowers looked like he was hitting a rookie wall before the week 13 bye week. Then, he came out of the bye week and has been playing his best football. Still, he is a rookie, so this is much later than he has ever played football in a season. Also, he is dealing with a calf injury that ensure he would miss the week 18 matchup.
Flowers should be healthy enough to return, but the two weeks off are huge for his health and also his entire mentality as a rookie.
Odell Beckham has been relatively healthy, but at his age and coming off an ACL injury, as well as a history of other injuries, it is good to see that he is not only healthy but also coming into the final stretch of the season fully healthy.
Beckham has flashed in the playoffs before, and nothing should be holding him back from playing his best football. It was paramount to get him to the playoffs healthy and not rusty, and he looks to be at his best and healthiest at the right time.
1. The Baltimore Ravens tackles get a much-needed week off
It was a bit of a surprise to see the Baltimore Ravens offensive tackles, Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, playing in week 18, even if neither plays much more than 50% of the snaps. Moses was at 51%, and Stanley was at 39%.
Still, this is the benefit of knowing that they have a bye week. The Ravens know that they cannot afford for Ronnie Stanley to get rusty. They want him to keep progressing on the field and getting comfortable out there. However, they want to keep him healthy. This is the best of both worlds. He was limited, he played, and he still gets a week off. The same can be said for Morgan Moses.
There will be a question about whether or not the Ravens will continue this platoon in the playoffs. However, as of now, the group will enjoy this week off after another week of platooning.