Three Observations From Ravens Game Against Colts
The Baltimore Ravens completed their second preseason game as the organization prepares to make their first set of roster cuts. Here are a few observations from the game against the Indianapolis Colts:
The Ravens Secondary is Still a Work in Progress
The one area of the team that has fans concerned is the play of the secondary. While Baltimore made great strides to ensure that improvements are made, many are taking the wait and see approach before jumping to conclusions. If the first two weeks are any indication, there is still much work to be done. The Ravens cornerbacks continue to struggle to keep up with opposing receivers and tight ends. Indianapolis boasts one of the faster corps in the NFL so criticism should be made with that fact in mind. But the product on the field has been less than stellar to say the least.
Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs were absent from the game and therefore the Colts QB's had a lot more time in the pocket to make plays. But, Dean Pees routinely sent 5 or 6 men out to disrupt the play of the opposing quarterbacks and they were unable to get the job done. In positive news, Eric Weddle seemed to be a one man wrecking crew in his limited work on gameday. Baltimore's emphasis on turnovers seemed to have paid off as the Ravens made a couple of key plays to swing the tide including an interception return for a 2 point conversion to seal the win for the team.
Running Back Competition Stalled in Indianapolis
One of the better competitions in camp for the Ravens is the 4-man running back race featuring Forsett, West, Allen, and Dixon. But against the Colts, the running game didn't shine at all. No running back was able to reach over 4 yards a carry. Terrance West, the most explosive of the running backs this offseason, danced too much before hitting holes and made things difficult for the offense on second and third down. Forsett, featured for the first time this preseason, touched the ball 5 times for 11 yards. In a competition with 3 quality backs breathing down your neck, you expect better from Forsett. A reason for their struggles may be the fact that Chuck Pagano made it a point to place an emphasis on stopping the run after watching Baltimore's RB's wreak havoc against the Panthers.
Ravens Wide Receivers Came To Play
The running backs may have faltered, but the wide receivers excelled whenever their number was called. Jeremy Butler has always been a great training camp wide receiver, but he's finally starting to show some of that abundant potential on the football field. Butler finished the game with 4 catches and 35 yards a touchdown. He was only targeted four times and made the most out of all 4 opportunities. Chris Moore got a couple of catches under his belt as the hype surrounding his offseason play was subdued by a lower left leg injury in the first week of camp. Kamar Aiken showed why he's guaranteed the number 2 WR spot after taking his only reception all the way to the endzone. The Ravens need their receivers to show up after taking a backseat in 2015. Looks like they'll be more than adequate to get the job done in 2016.
