I’m not quite as interested in the Joe Flacco-to-Cleveland news as the rest of you.
It’s sort of the epitome of the American exercise at this point. There is relevant Browns conversation to be had today. Is Dorian Thompson-Robinson more talented than he seemed when he lost to the Ravens earlier this season in his NFL debut? Did the end of their win against the Steelers indicate that he’s emerging and capable of continuing to grow between now and the end of the season? And if so, could the combination of his improvement and the Browns’ defense make them a relevant threat to stay in the AFC North race and be a threat in the postseason?
But I get it. Joe Flacco’s name sounds funny when Scott Van Pelt does his Baltimore accent and we (understandably) have fond memories, so we’re inclined to want to make a big deal out of a practice-squad signing.
To be clear, I don’t believe a Joe Flacco-Lamar Jackson playoff matchup is “inevitable” or … even remotely likely. Flacco having to play would be particularly troubling for the Browns, who rightfully don’t want to have to put their postseason hopes on a right arm that hasn’t played at a high level in at least five years.
The Browns aren’t the only AFC North team dealing with a significant injury, however. Heck, the Browns and the Bengals aren’t the only AFC North teams dealing with significant injuries. The loss of tight end Mark Andrews was a devastating blow to the Baltimore Ravens, even if not quite as season-defining as those other teams losing their quarterbacks.
Still, it’s a hell of a thing to lose the player who is your undisputed top pass-catcher. If we listed the most important players on the Ravens’ roster, we wouldn’t get to five before naming Andrews. I don’t know that we’d get to three. Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Stanley (ironically both missing from the Ravens’ Week 11 win against the Bengals) would be in the mix along with Roquan Smith for the top spots after Jackson.
So can the Ravens withstand the loss of Andrews and still compete to win a Super Bowl? I … think so. And so does Kirk Herbstreit, who saw the first three-and-a-half quarters they played without their stud tight end against Cincinnati while he was calling the game for Amazon’s Prime Video.
“I think with Lamar Jackson healthy, with [Odell Beckham Jr, Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers], there’s enough firepower there and enough balance there,” Herbstreit said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 17. “I feel like their style of football goes into December and goes into January. And whether you’re at home — where there’s a huge advantage — or you’ve got to go to Kansas City or you’ve got go to wherever you might have to go, this style of football on both sides is complementary.”
His statement echoed a sentiment I felt after watching Nelson Agholor weave his way for a 37-yard tip-drill catch-and-run touchdown against the Bengals. As silly as that score may have been, it struck me that plays like that are what happens when you actually put NFL-caliber pass-catchers on your roster. What a novel concept! The Ravens employing four competent NFL wide receivers this year was a total revelation and limited the ability for defenses to send overwhelming coverage in the direction of Andrews.
As such, the Ravens are converting on third down at a 44.6 percent clip, which is the sixth-best conversion rate in the NFL. That’s up from 41.05 percent a year ago, which was just 12th. They’re also catching the ball (save for one particular trip to Pittsburgh we’re all trying to continue to forget). Their 69.35 completion percentage is fifth in the league, up 8 percentage points from a season ago when they finished in the bottom third of the league.
As it turns out, having real pass-catchers is good! More at 11! And this is not just about the top end being better. Depth proves critical in a moment like this. While the Ravens will hope that second-year tight ends Isaiah Likely and/or Charlie Kolar might be ready to take a step forward, they can probably make up for it even if neither can truly make up for the production of Andrews (which they “likely” can’t).
Flowers has been exceptional. Beckham has of late looked like the player that helped push the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI title. And in doses, Bateman has looked like the most overall complete talent of the three. Bateman is probably the receiver whose performance most represents the fulcrum for the team’s ability to overcome the loss of Andrews. Given his skill set, Bateman could join Beckham as a top third-down and red-zone target. Neither quite matches Andrews physically, but both offer a little bit of everything to make them dangerous weapons.
And as Herbstreit pointed out, the Ravens aren’t in a place where the passing offense has to carry the day, either. Their running game and defense should be expected to continue to perform at high levels, particularly as the team gets pieces back and can rest up a bit with a bye week looming. And none of this should make it seem like the transition to post-Andrews life will be easy or simple. But it’s nice to think that the Ravens potentially can overcome the loss of a top pass-catcher, which is just so different than what we’re used to around here.
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