Garceau: Here's How The Ravens Get Better
There's a lot of work to be done when you are trying to shake off the stink of a 5-11 season and the Ravens are digging in with John Harbaugh directing his ninth Ravens training camp. Camp isn't what it used to be, gone are weeks of grueling two-a-day practices and the fierce goal line hitting that would have fans oohing and aahing.
Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement camp has become 7-10 days of practice (most of it without pads) and then it's time to get ready for the first preseason game, for the Ravens that will be August 11 at home with Carolina.
Here are three areas where the Ravens need to get better if they plan to compete with the Steelers and Bengals at the top of the AFC North.
1. Run/Pass Balance: I hope it had more to do with the loss of Joe Flacco and playing from behind but in their franchise history the Ravens never threw the ball more or ran the ball less than they did in 2015. I get it, rule changes have made the NFL a pass-happy league but the Ravens threw the ball 313 times more than they ran it last year. The days of the 50/50 run/pass ratio are gone but the Ravens need to do a better job committing to the run. Justin Forsett, Buck Allen, and rookie Kenneth Dixon will help make the passing game better if they're given a chance to run the ball.
2. Takeaways: The Ravens defense got better the second half last season but they failed miserably in creating turnovers. The defense had a franchise low 6 interceptions for the season. The Ravens lack of a pass rush and the lack of play makers in the secondary proved to be a lethal combination as their 14 takeaways were the second lowest in the league. A healthy Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil plus the addition of 3 rookie pass rushers should improve those numbers. The addition of free agent Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle will give the secondary the veteran leader they haven't had since Ed Reed left.
3. Luck: Not Andrew he's still throwing footballs for the Colts, I'm talking about good old- fashioned luck. In this multi-billion dollar a year NFL with great minds and cutting edge analytics there's more luck involved in the NFL than ever. Bigger, faster, stronger means more injuries. ACL's will get torn, collarbones will get fractured and the emphasis on concussion protocol will put even more players on the sidelines. All teams will lose multiple players to serious injuries but some will get buried like the 2015 Ravens. After losing 8 of 22 starters and having 20 players placed on season-ending injured reserve The Ravens could use better luck in 2016.
