The Baltimore Ravens have taken control of the number one seed, and things are breaking right for them to wrap up the AFC North very soon. Still, if they want to make the run to the Super Bowl, they have to be hitting on angles, and that means some improved play from key spots. Where do the Ravens need to see some improvement?
3. Has Zay Flowers hit a rookie wall for the Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers came out of the gate hot and looked like the Baltimore Ravens top pass catcher a few weeks into the season. However, after his hot start, the solid contributions have been a bit more sporadic over the last six weeks.
Flowers had a big game against Cleveland and did work rushing against the Chargers, but still, the first eight games of his career were more consistent than the last six.
In the first eight games, he is averaging 7.6 yards per target, and that is down to 6.3. He is also down from 7.6 targets per game to 5.2. His catches per game is down from 5.5 to 3.7, and his yards per game are down from 57.6 to 34.
Beyond that, his yards per route run was 1.76 after week eight. It has been 1.04 since, and that has brought him down to 1.44 yards per route run on the season. Flowers had one catch for seven yards on Sunday, his worst game of the season. Still, it had been slightly trending this way.
As the games get more meaningful and the competition gets tougher, it will be interesting to see if Flowers can step his game up or if he continues to struggle.
2. The Baltimore Ravens need more out of Geno Stone
Geno Stone went from an All-Pro candidate with the Baltimore Ravens to one of the biggest liabilities on the defense. It is not a surprise, though, especially when you consider he is now playing out of position. Stone was playing free safety well when he had to fill in for Marcus Williams.
Now that he does not, and he has to play strong safety more often, things are not going as well. In the first nine weeks of the season, Geno Stone had an 88.9 PFF grade on defense. That was a 51.9 run defense grade and 90.5 in coverage. That is down to 47.5 overall, with a 35.6 run defense grade and a 53.5 coverage grade.
Stone went from a 17.9% missed tackle rate to 25.9%, and he went from a 48.6 passer rating allowed with six interceptions to a 103 rating allowed without a pick.
This is a drastic drop. The numbers show the story, and the tape matches; he has been bad in recent weeks. Marcus Williams left last week with a groin injury, so Stone may be asked to play more free safety in the coming weeks. Does the switch turn on, or do they eventually have to do something about him with this new role?
1. Can the Baltimore Ravens trust Ronnie Stanley when it matters?
You could say that it has been an up-and-down season for Ronnie Stanley, but it feels like there have been so many more downs this year when it comes to Stanley. The ups are that he is actually on the field, which is not the same as in recent years. Still, he looks nothing like his old self, which takes away a lot of the excitement around him.
Stanley missed weeks two through four with an injury. He missed week 11 with a similar issue. Since then, he has not played a full game. The Ravens had him sit a couple of series in each of the last two weeks to preserve him for the playoffs. It worked against the Rams, but he had a rough time against the Jaguars, allowing a sack to Josh Allen.
A lot of tackles have allowed a sack to him, but he also had seven pressures allowed in the game. He is clearly not going to be able to handle the bigger-name pass rushers when the games get more important. Will the breaks keep Stanley protected and potentially playing his best for the playoffs, or are those days long gone?
That could be the difference between a playoff run and quick exit for the Baltimore Ravens.