The Baltimore Ravens needed a team effort to get past the Cincinnati Bengals. However, while most of the game was positive, there were a few question marks that came away as well.
Which players did not live up to expectations? Are these concerning situations?
3. David Ojabo did not step up when the Baltimore Ravens needed him.
The Baltimore Ravens needed David Ojabo to play a bigger workload than the week before. Ojabo played just 23 snaps as a rookie as he came back from an Achilles injury. In week one, he played 37 snaps, and then in week two he took 42 snaps as he filled in for the injured Odafe Oweh. Oweh left the game after just 14 snaps with an ankle injury.
The issue is that Ojabo has not produced yet. He has two pressures and played well against the Texans banged up front, but against the Bengals, he was not much of a factor. You could argue that the small sample of Tavius Robinson had more pushing of the pocket.
After a poor preseason, this could be looked at as concerning. The Ravens are going to need Ojabo in an even bigger role this Sunday if Oweh is out. However, at the same time, some fans could see the positive in this. Ojabo needs two things more than anything; he needs to shake the rust off, and he needs experience considering he is coming into the NFL raw.
It would have been harder to do that as the third rusher. Now, he will get a heavier workload. Is it just rust, or did Ojabo lose a step with his college injury? We may start to learn more this weekend.
2. John Simpson was not good in week two against the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens needed their offensive line to step up with injuries to two of their best starters. They got that for the most part. Sam Mustipher had one of the best games of his career, while Patrick Mekari continued to hold things down at left tackle.
If there were any concerns after this game, it would be left guard John Simpson. To be fair, he spent most of the day against D.J. Reader, and that is a tough matchup for anyone. However, he struggled mightily in this game. According to PFF, he was the lowest-graded Ravens player on the team. He was pushing the pocket back and was not getting pushed in the run game.
This may not be a long-term issue, especially when you recall Simpson having a clean game in week one. However, it is worth noting to see if this does end up getting strung together into any sort of issue.
The good news is that last week Kevin Zeitler was the worst offensive lineman, and while he was not great in week two, he did bounce back. Up and down performances will come, and as long as they are consistent, this is not an issue.
1. Can the Baltimore Ravens get more out of Rashod Bateman
This offseason, Lamar Jackson called Rashod Bateman the number receiver in this offense. Through two games, he is closer to the number four. It has been clear that Bateman is behind Odell Beckham and Zay Flowers in the pecking order. This has caused Bateman to move into the slot more than ever before.
Considering this is new, and he is coming off of an injury, the team may be easing him in, it may not be a huge surprise that Bateman is not a full-time player. So far, he has played just 58% of the snaps. That may even be boosted a bit because Beckham was injured, and the Ravens had to get him on the field more in his place.
Nelson Agholor has cut into the snaps of Bateman, and so far this year, Agholor has been better than Bateman. Agholor has run 22 routes to 40 by Bateman, but Agholor has 19 slot snaps to 16 of Bateman. Agholor is also at 2.86 yards per route run, while Bateman is at 1.23.
The thought is that if Bateman is healthy and hitting his peak towards the end of the season, this is more important than anything else right now. However, right now, he is not bringing the Ravens much.