Ravens' Plans For Ryan Mallett Could Reach Beyond 2015 Season
By Samuel Njoku
The Baltimore Ravens are preparing to host the Kansas City Chiefs in M&T Bank Stadium. With Baltimore sitting at 4-9 and Kansas City at 8-5, these two teams are heading in two completely different directions. Time will tell if the Ravens are able to keep up with the Chief's intensity.
Ravens Sign Quarterback Ryan Mallett
The Ravens officially signed Ryan Mallet to their roster on Tuesday. When news first broke of the imminent acquisition, the initial reaction would be to believe Matt Schaub is going on IR. Schaub was dealing with an injury to his chest and shoulder that kept him out of the contest against the Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens were quick to debunk that theory. The next logical assumption would be that the Ravens aren't happy with the performance of Jimmy Clausen and were looking to replace him. That's not exactly the case either. Clausen was far from perfect but he was able to put up decent numbers against one of the top defenses in the NFL, though his play certainly doesn't warrant the addition of another quarterback, especially considering the record of the team and time left in the season.
So why bring in Mallett? What's his role on the team? John Harbaugh wasn't ready to define that role just yet.
"We're in a situation right now where [the] quarterback situation is up in the air," stated Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh. Ryan [Mallett] will be working the 'look' team and getting accustomed to what we do. He was in meetings pretty much all day yesterday with Coach Morhinweg and then studying on his own trying to learn our offense and learn this game plan in case he's needed. I think that's where we're at for the rest of the season.
It's after this season where it gets interesting. If he's not here to take over for either Clausen or Schaub, it's clear Baltimore is looking forward to 2016. Joe Flacco is dealing with an ACL tear that may not be fully healed before the start of the season. If Baltimore is forced to start the season without him, they'll definitely want the best possible quarterback ready to take his place short term. Could that quarterback be Ryan Mallett? The Ravens have 3 weeks to figure it out.
Ravens/Steelers Showdown Gets Prime-Time Boot
When you're 4-9 and on the outside looking in, people don't want to see you play on Sunday Nights. Because of this well known fact, the NFL has moved the Ravens contest with Pittsburgh from Sunday Night to Sunday afternoon. Usually, a slight like this would get Ravens fans worked up, but considering the way the season has gone, fans consider this a small victory.
Who knows how this time slot switch will affect the game, or the fans' perception? Maybe this bump will reinvigorate the Ravens in their sub-par season. We will find out Sunday when these two teams clash once again.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
