Was this players playoff performance a disappointment for the Baltimore Ravens?
One of the surprising performances from the Baltimore Ravens blowout win over the Houston Texans was how little Odell Beckham played. The Ravens had been limiting Beckham's snaps all season with the thought that they would get into the playoffs and unleash a healthy Beckham. That was hardly the case after just one playoff game.
Do the Baltimore Ravens need to get more from Odell Beckham?
Beckham had a 57% route run rate this season, showing that he does not play full games. However, on Saturday, that number was down to 28%. It was his lowest participation rate of the season.
Instead, Rashod Bateman went from his season-long rate of 56% of the routes run to 72% against Houston. Also, Nelson Agholor went from 57% of the routes run to 62% in the first playoff game.
The Ravens elected to play those two over Beckham. You can argue that the Ravens had a lead in the second half and did not need to play Beckham, who is the worst run blocker in the group. Still, they were rotating him out early, and while the game was still close, he was not involved. He finished the game with just one catch for 12 yards.
4 teams most likely to trade for Justin Fields. dark. Next. 4 teams most likely to trade for Justin Fields
The Baltimore Ravens won, and it is not a huge issue, but it is noteworthy for Beckham, who will be a free agent next year. He needed a big postseason, not only to try to stick around Baltimore but also to make any sort of money on the open market. Now, the Ravens and Beckham have two more games to figure out if his signing was worth it or if all he really did was help bring back Lamar Jackson.