ExtremeRavens Posted December 12 Posted December 12 Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens’ season. After a home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore (8-5) returns from its bye week to face a struggling New York Giants (2-11) team in Week 15 of the NFL season. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Mike, is it me or does this season seem to be an “un-Ravenlike season” as far as personnel and discipline issues? It seemed that when these issues occurred in the past, they were squashed in the locker room presumably by either strong coaches or strong player leadership. Eddie Jackson, Marcus Williams and Diontae Johnson are a testament to these personnel issues. Are these messages from the new coaches already stale, confusing or inadequate and not supported by the players they coach? — Matt in Scarsdale, New York Matt, in the John Harbaugh era, the Ravens have struggled with penalties, but those mistakes usually dwindle later in the season. But it’s been a constant problem this year, and part of it is a result of the amount of youth on the team. The Ravens have veterans such as Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Nelson Agholor, Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey, but they also have young players such as rookies Roger Rosengarten and Nate Wiggins, second-year players Zay Flowers and Trenton Simpson, third-year players Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Travis Jones, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Kyle Hamilton, Isaiah Likely and David Ojabo and fourth-year guys such as Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace, Ben Cleveland and Odafe Oweh. Coaches always try to find the right combinations, but many of these players are still young. You can determine if the coach’s or the assistants’ messages are getting old heading into the final weeks of the season. If the penalties continue, then there might be a discipline or coaching problem. As far as personnel, the Ravens gambled and lost on the three players you named. But in the case of Williams, he had played well in New Orleans before coming to Baltimore. I would have made the same decision as general manager Eric DeCosta in signing him. It’s hard to predict when injuries are going to mount or when veterans start to lose focus from fear of getting injured again. As far as Jackson and Johnson, they were gambles that cost the Ravens very little. Even when those deals were announced, it was hard to get overly excited about either of those players. With Johnson, it’s hard to believe a player wouldn’t go out on the field. The last player that I remember who pulled that stunt was former Cincinnati Bengals running back Corey Dillon in a 2000 game against the Ravens in Baltimore. Dillon didn’t want to go into the game in the fourth quarter because middle linebacker Ray Lewis was having his best season and annihilating the Bengals’ running backs in a 37-0 Ravens victory. One day later, coach Bruce Coslet resigned under pressure, but we all knew he was about to get fired. The Ravens have three players who have great hands and can get open on short routes — Flowers, Mark Andrews and Likely — and they can all be on the field at once. But why not play small ball in the passing game when opposing defenses are smothering the QB? The coaching staff seems to double down on the same (stupid) approach each time they play a quality defense, relying on Lamar’s magic rather than schemes that might frustrate the pass rush. — Aaron Quinn It’s a valid point, Aaron, but there is a limit to the amount of “small ball” a team can play. Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They came out playing small ball with quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, and then defenses started adjusting. Now, even though Wilson still prefers throwing short passes, he’ll take his shots down the field to receiver George Pickens. It’s hard to be predictable in the NFL unless your offense is overpowering. A lot of the Ravens’ problems come down to the offensive line. That group will struggle against the good defensive lines in this league. I’d like to see the Ravens use Flowers more down the field in the slot position, and it would help if the team had another speedy receiver on the outside. Sometimes, you don’t have to throw but at least present a threat. Also, more teams will probably play zone against Jackson. He is a threat as a runner, and that will cut down on his space to run, but he also struggles against the zone look, especially when his first option is taken away. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers caught just five passes in recent losses to the Steelers and Eagles. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Has John Harbaugh’s game and clock management worsened through the years, or is it recency bias? How much do analytics factor into his decisions? — Nate Pratesi I wouldn’t say his game and clock management decisions have worsened through the years. Harbaugh has been consistent with those choices. That’s just his style. It’s one that I don’t always agree with, especially late in games. He used to point out that analytics were involved, but he hasn’t done that in quite a while. I’ve never been an analytics guy. I believe you rely on the situation and gut instincts. Also, one more thing: how about common sense? Mike, many commentators seem to think that Justin Tucker’s woes can be traced to his age and a decline in his leg strength. However, it seems to me that his misses are not short, rather he is hooking them to the left. How would a decline in leg strength cause one to hook kicks to the left? It seems to me that more or something else is involved in this mess. Your thoughts? — Paul It’s easier to figure out why he might be hooking to the left because of a decline in leg strength. Instead of kicking the ball as normal, there is an emphasis to kick the ball as hard as possible, and sometimes that causes that ball to sail to the left. Analysts say it’s the same thing when a golfer loses his strength and starts overswinging. Honestly, I wouldn’t know because I’ve never played golf. Tucker has been in the NFL for 13 years now. His leg strength might be declining, but the Ravens probably aren’t going to find a better kicker at this point to replace him. Despite recent misses, I’d still prefer to have him as my kicker when the game is in question. Maybe he is just working through a slump, which isn’t unusual for most kickers. Tucker, though, hasn’t been like most kickers. He has been Mr. Reliable, the team’s most consistent offensive weapon for the entire time he has been in Baltimore. Many fans expected running back Keaton Mitchell to be a big part of the offense when he returned. While I was much more conservative in my hopes, I am surprised that he has been virtually nonexistent the past few games. Does this represent more concern for his injury than even expected? Do you envision him contributing at all in the upcoming games? — Mike Stefanek Mike, I think it has been and remains a slow, long process. The injury was serious and Mitchell made it back sooner than a lot of people expected. With Henry as the starter and Justice Hill the primary backup, there is no need to rush Mitchell back on to the field. In fact, with the weather getting colder and unpredictable, I’d like to see Henry with more carries now than earlier in the season. Have a question for Mike Preston? Email sports@baltsun.com with “Ravens mailbag” in the subject line and it could be answered in The Baltimore Sun. View the full article Quote
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