5 bold predictions for Baltimore Ravens in the second half of 2023 season

3. The Baltimore Ravens will see Rashod Bateman be their top receiver in the second half 

The Baltimore Ravens are starting to get more out of Rashod Bateman. Bateman had a serious injury last year, and it took him all offseason to recover. Then, he suffered an injury in week three, so it is easy to see why it took him a while to get going. 

In the first six weeks of the season, he was averaging 16.4 yards per game, 5.5 yards per target, and 0.82 yards per route run. However, he has turned things around in the past three weeks. He is up to 32.7 yards per game, 9.8 yards per target, and 1.72 yards per route run. He has essentially doubled the production he was giving on a per-snap, target, and game basis. 

His career rate is 1.43 yards per route, so the thought is that if Bateman keeps up his rate of the past couple of weeks but starts to get more playing time, he will continue to have the best stretch of games of his career. 

Odell Beckham is playing over him but is averaging 1.59 yards per route run over that same span and has had a few more costly plays. Zay Flowers is the current top wideout, but the rookie has been fading a bit, and it is down to 1.19 yards per route run over that three-week span. Flowers is a rookie who may hit a wall, and the Ravens would be smart to limit him at times over the winter months to make sure he is healthy for the playoffs. 

Lamar Jackson said that Bateman would be the wide receiver one, it just took some time. The team should work him as their top pass catcher.