Home Steelers 2016 Season Game-Planning the Ravens’ Offense

Game-Planning the Ravens’ Offense

by Steeldad

As long as John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco have been together in Baltimore, the formula for them has been pretty simple. Go deep early (and hope for pass interference) then establish the run and throw short to intermediate routes. The idea isn’t hard. Let your defense do their job and shorten the game on the offensive end. 

Ravens’ Offensive Rankings: Overall: 27th Passing: 22nd Rushing: 27th

Steelers’ Defensive Rankings: Overall: 18th Passing: 20th Rushing: 12th

How the Steelers’ Defense Attacks

Joe Flacco is rated 29th in quarterback rating. He’s thrown five touchdown passes and six interceptions. He’s averaging less than six yards per attempt and is completing just 61% of his passes. The question is, why so bad? 

Part of it has been pressure -he’s been sacked 15 times- but it’s also been a very inconsistent running game. Oh, and he’s also dealing with a new offensive coordinator. The last time the Ravens switched offensive coordinators in-season they went on to win a Super Bowl behind a very good Joe Flacco but that isn’t the same guy right now. 

One of the reasons the Ravens sent Marc Trestman packing was a lack of balance. Enter Marty Mornhinweg who is known to boost the play of quarterbacks and… Well, not so much and the team is running even less. Keith Butler can’t assume that will continue especially after his unit has been run over, through and around by New England and Miami.

Cam Heyward’s return will certainly bolster the run defense but he can’t do everything. The rest of the D-line has to maintain gap integrity and allow the linebackers to flow and make tackles for little or no gain. Terrance West is not a hall of fame running back but he’s more than capable of doing damage. He’s currently averaging 4.4 per carry and the Steelers can’t allow that. 

The Steelers will face a familiar foe in receiver Mike Wallace who is averaging 14 yards per catch. While Mike Tomlin said he was “more than a one-trick pony” now I’m not so sure I agree. Regardless of where he lines up, the Steelers’ corners have to keep him in front of them. Veteran tight end Dennis Pitta is having a good year with a team-leading 38 receptions. We all know how the Steelers struggle with tight ends so his presence can’t be dismissed.

With relative health, I think it’s time Butler gets back to more zone blitzing. I understand why he didn’t do it against Tom Brady but why he didn’t against Ryan Tannehill remains a mystery. He needs to get corners involved with blitzes off the edge and he needs to get Ryan Shazier coming on blitzes between the tackles. Joe Flacco has had a very up and down career against our pressure and it’s time to re-introduce him to that. 

The Ravens are struggling but they have enough firepower to take advantage of a defense if it sits back and plays coverage. Winning on first down and making stops on third downs will be vital. Brady converted three third down situations in week seven just by using his feet. That can’t happen with Flacco. 

And that leads to the final point… If the Steelers don’t tackle better than what they’ve shown recently then stops won’t matter because the only thing stopping the Ravens will be the end zone.

 

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