Glenn Clark: Prevailing Story Of The Day From Dolphins Loss? Ravens Can’t Run The Ball

Let me start with the stuff that matters but you don’t want to hear.

It was one game. And one game in Week 2 of a 17-game NFL season. And a game that the Ravens lost by less than a touchdown against what appears to be a quality opponent. It was a game in which the Ravens were still depleted. Even players who were on the field (particularly in the secondary) struggled to stay on the field.

It was one game.

Now to the carnage. Perhaps the most alarming thing about the Ravens’ 42-38 loss to the Dolphins was their atrocious fourth-quarter defense. It is inexplicable that they allowed four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, even more so considering what a priority the organization has made their secondary in recent years.

But if I’m being honest, I absolutely don’t think the prevailing story of the day was the play of the defense. Don’t get me wrong, the unit’s performance was inexcusable. And we knew before the season began that the Ravens were in a bind when it came to the edge rush picture. The franchise has decided to emphasize the back end of the defense. Yet when teams have four downs to work with and rules that aren’t favorable to defensive backs, it certainly feels like the plays have to be made up front.

The Ravens knew they were thin at the position coming into the season, particularly due to injury. We can’t really feign a great deal of surprise about the results. They’ll hope that Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo can help solve these issues as the year goes on.

No, the prevailing story of the day is how exactly a team that scored 38 points and had a 21-point fourth-quarter advantage could possibly be on the wrong end of a 34:47-25:13 time of possession battle?

Really, the prevailing story of the day is that the Ravens can’t run the ball. And if a team can’t run the ball in the NFL, it can lose in just about any circumstance imaginable.

To be fair about time of possession, the Ravens did have three scoring plays of 75-plus yards. But they also had 29 TOTAL rushing yards from running backs or fullbacks. TWENTY-NINE. Those backs have now averaged a combined 39.5 yards per game through two weeks.

Even if Lamar Jackson has more massive runs in him all season, this of course does not work. Even the most prolific passing offenses to have ever won Super Bowls (like the 1999 “Greatest Show On Turf” Rams or the 2019 Chiefs) have received significantly more production on the ground from their running backs. There are a number of reasons why teams need to get production from their actual backs. It feels like we shouldn’t have to go over this, but they tell me it’s part of my job description.

It is unreasonable to ask your quarterback to be the whole of your offense. While Lamar Jackson is one of the most remarkable athletes and football players on the face of the planet, there is a toll with having to be so physically involved during the course of the season. He at least needs an assist in shouldering the load. There’s also this.

Yeah. Yeah, that’s a huge problem. Of course, short yardage situations can be converted via the pass as well, but the pass game doesn’t always keep the clock moving. There are incomplete passes and penalties and throws to the sideline, etc. You need the backs to run the ball well to make sure the clock keeps moving and an opponent doesn’t have the chance to, you know, hypothetically put together four different touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.

We thought this year’s Ravens might be looking to replicate the 2019 team’s success on the ground. After the first two games, the backfield looks FAR more like the 2021 squad. It simply won’t work. There’s no way around it. This cannot add up.

Now let me address the retorts you’re preparing in your mind. One, if all you’re capable of fathoming after a loss is something along the lines of, “This isn’t the offense’s fault. They scored 38 points,” I can’t help you. I understand that’s sort of what we do as a culture. “Whose fault is it?” isn’t a question I’m attempting to answer. The defense was wretched. But I’ve already explained this. The rules of football are set to benefit offenses. Offenses have to shoulder more of a load in 2022. That’s how this works. The Ravens did a lot of good things offensively against the Dolphins. If they could have run the ball even a little bit with their running backs, we might not be talking about their defense.

Two, I’m quite aware that the Ravens are without their most significant pieces in the run game. That’s the subtext to all of this. The best-case scenario is that the Ravens get J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards back in their backfield in the coming weeks, Ronnie Stanley returns to his left tackle post, Tyler Linderbaum improves with more experience and the Ravens continue to throw the ball quite well to go along with a strong, complementary run game.

But it doesn’t feel like things should be this bad even without their pieces. This is abysmal. And we still don’t know if and when those players might be on the field and how effective they might be when they return. There’s reason for concern. It’s a long season. We might feel drastically different about the run game in a month and a half.

If it doesn’t change, nothing else matters. Blame whoever you want. They must figure out a way to run the ball.

Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox

Glenn Clark

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