ExtremeRavens Posted May 23 Posted May 23 For the first time in 116 days, Todd Monken addressed his Ravens offense drying up in the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs — a group that, until then, had bulldozed some of the league’s top teams. Does Monken have any regrets about his offense from that loss? “Obviously, I try not to look back. But it is what it is,” he said. “We didn’t play well enough, didn’t coach well enough, didn’t execute at a high level, and that starts with me. That’s the way it goes.” He later added: “We gotta run the ball better. We gotta attack the way we plan to attack them. And I gotta do a better job, that’s what I’m paid to do. And that is, by doing it against the best when it counts.” The then-first-year coordinator’s unit had been ranked No. 6 in total offense, No. 1 in rushing, No. 21 in passing and No. 4 in Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), a measure of overall efficiency, before Baltimore hosted its first conference championship game. Behind quarterback Lamar Jackson, who rushed for a team-leading 821 yards en route to being named NFL Most Valuable Player for the second time, the Ravens’ running game was largely shouldered by Gus Edwards, who finished the year with a team-high 198 carries for 810 yards; Justice Hill with 84 attempts for 387 yards; and Keaton Mitchell, who exploded for 396 yards on 47 carries before the breakout rookie star suffered a torn ACL in Week 15. The fire that pundits held to Monken’s feet the past four months has largely concerned the running game — or lack, thereof — in the 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. Edwards and Hill carried the ball a combined six times (two of which came after halftime) for a total of 23 yards. That’s 17 fewer carries for the duo and a difference of 83 yards from the Ravens’ divisional round win against the Houston Texans. In the regular season, which the Ravens finished 13-4 to capture the top seed in the AFC, Baltimore averaged 31.8 rushing attempts and 156.5 rushing yards per game. At the time, coach John Harbaugh chalked the staggering difference to the way the Chiefs lined up against the run, how they dominated time of possession and scored on each of their first two possessions. Does Monken agree with that sentiment? “Somewhat,” he said. Monken also pointed out that Edwards and Hill were not the only Ravens to run the ball that game. Jackson carried eight times for 54 yards. Wide receiver Zay Flowers rushed twice for 4 yards. “I’m not trying to justify [crap], I promise you that,” Monken said. “I’m not. I’m just saying in general, we needed to run the ball better and we didn’t. That’s a fact. You can’t control the game if you can’t run the ball; not execute at a high level when it presents itself. And there were moments in the game we did. But not enough.” The loss still lingers with a sour taste in the mouths of several players in the locker room. Flowers acknowledged Wednesday that he’s not over it and still thinks about it. Jackson’s main takeaway: “Put points on the board,” he said. “We were just scoring 30 points against crazy teams — great defenses,” said Jackson, who was not in attendance for Thursday’s practice. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great defense as well, but [we had faced] the top-ranked defenses. We just have to finish; we have to find a way to move the ball in the right direction and put points on the board because our defense did their thing the whole night.” Monken’s forward-looking offensive approach will strive to start faster and more consistently. In Year 2, he expects that to come naturally, even though the running back room looks different. Derrick Henry is the most notable offseason addition — an explosive 30-year-old and one of the league’s most prolific rushers. Mitchell is on schedule in his ACL surgery recovery but Harbaugh said he won’t be ready for Week 1. And Hill returns in a fight for more carries. “The only way you look back is to learn and get better,” Monken said. “It’s disappointing but it’s on to 2024.” Baltimore Ravens safety Sanoussi Kane drills during OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)From left, Baltimore Ravens guard Andrew Vorhees and tackle Ronnie Stanley during OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)From left, Baltimore Ravens guard Andrew Vorhees and tackle Ronnie Stanley during OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)From left, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison and inside linebacker Trenton Simpson drill during OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Deion Jennings, Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker, drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dayton Wade drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tayvion Robinson drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tayvion Robinson drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Qadir Ismail drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sean Ryan drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sean Ryan drills during the OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu during a Baltimore Ravens OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Ben Cleveland during a Baltimore Ravens OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)From left, Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley and TyKeem Doss train during an OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu during a Baltimore Ravens OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tackle Julian Pearl, trains during an OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley during an OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)From left, Corey Bullock and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu train during a Baltimore Ravens OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley during an OTAs open practice session on Thursday at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff)Show Caption of Expand Other highlights from Monken’s presser • Monken pointed to Edwards’ 2023 production (810 yards and 13 touchdowns) as a baseline for his replacement after the running back signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. “We expect the same from Derrick,” Monken said. “It doesn’t really change anything, per se. Because to me, he’s a really versatile player. Not only running the ball but getting the ball in space, throwing him the ball and getting him out on the perimeter. Seeing if defensive backs can tackle him. … No one here has worked with him. So now we’re just seeing what that is and getting him those opportunities.” • While Monken said he wants Henry to be the Ravens’ closer — “if he carries it 300 times, we’re having a hell of a year,” he said — he still anticipates repeating a similar by-committee approach to carries as last year. The Ravens also drafted Marshall running back Rasheen Ali in the fifth round last month. • The Ravens’ fourth-round draft pick, wide receiver Devontez Walker out of North Carolina, poses another interesting addition on the outside. Monken didn’t hesitate in calling the rookie a quick learner. “It’s not just knowing your assignment,” he said, “but I think he’s done a great job executing in technique because there’re nuances with routes. … That was something I wasn’t expecting.” • Two tight ends is a good problem to have. Mark Andrews is back to full health and Isaiah Likely proved in Andrews’ absence to be a more-than-serviceable option. Monken didn’t give a straightforward answer about the two, but he said they’ll spend this summer finding ways to utilize each player’s unique skill set. • Monken made an appearance at last week’s Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. He quipped that he’s “donated” each previous trip. “This year, luckily didn’t donate,” he said. “Something about winning makes everything feel better.” View the full article Quote
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