Ravens Offense 2020: Targets and Passing Game

[JimZipCode]

The key factor is going to be having a 3rd reliable guy emerge.
...
Duv offers another seam option from the slot as well as a quick pass guy. Boykin offers some deep passing for sure, but some of his best palys that I have seen are quick underneath passes.

Two solid candidates to be a "3rd option". Duvernay has that violent run-after-catch ability that Darb referenced. Boykin has that sick change-of-direction for his size as evidenced by his 3-cone score.

I've seen Proche compared to a poor-man's Jarvis Landry, too.

Those "easy wins" are going to be huge for beating a defense that focuses in on Brown and Andrews. Combine that with Lamar's ability to manipulate LBs and it could become the true offense I think Roman is envisioning. Death by a thousand cuts across a few drives and then boom a knockout punch.

One thing that I think of related to a "death by a thousand cuts" drive, is diabolical patience from the QB. Tom Brady is willing to quietly cut you to pieces, seven yards at a time, all game long. If it needs to be a series of 12- or 13-play drives, so be it. Here it comes. He doesn't need to knock you out, he's as happy as a psychopath to watch you bleed to death slowly.

Whereas some QBs lose their patience and "need" to make a big play. Maybe Matt Stafford? Jay Cutler, Jeff George. Hell, even Peyton Manning could get antsy and baited into a mistake when the defense was only giving him dink-&-dunk.

I wonder where Lamar is on that spectrum? I've seen hints of both sides. I feel like anyone who runs the ball as much as he does, is "patient" with the idea of moving down the field methodically and taking what the defense gives. But against the Titans he showed signs of being over-aggressive. So, I dunno. Probably it's too early to draw any conclusions.

[edromeo]

The key factor is going to be having a 3rd reliable guy emerge.

Teams really keyed in on Andrews and Brown and the rest of the team struggled at times.

I think the beauty is if you think about the skillsets brought by Boykin and Duv.

Duv offers another seam option from the slot as well as a quick pass guy. Boykin offers some deep passing for sure, but some of his best palys that I have seen are quick underneath passes.

Agreed. And I think it is critical that the 3rd/4th options can functionally get the job done as an outside WR and win 1-on-1 match-up outside.

I think/expect that DuVernay can come in and win some on the outside as a vertical threat right away.

In my heart of hearts I believe that Boykin can get the job done as an outside WR and not just on verticals. Win some verticals, win some stop routes....comebacks, hitches, curls and win on some drags, slants and deep in routes.

I think winning on the outside is gonna be essential because it allow Hollywood to get move around in the slot and in motion to take advantage of favorable match-ups and keep him away from being pressed as often as possible.
I envision Hollywood in the 'Tyreek Hill' in the slot featured WR role and Boykin in the 'Sammy Watkins' outside WR role.

Those "easy wins" are going to be huge for beating a defense that focuses in on Brown and Andrews. Combine that with Lamar's ability to manipulate LBs and it could become the true offense I think Roman is envisioning. Death by a thousand cuts across a few drives and then boom a knockout punch.

Hell yeah!

I really enjoy the process of watching a team evolve, especially with a good organization like the Ravens.

I really look forward to how the passing game develops.

I think this season's offense (please, please let there be a season) may be an even better offense then Roman had even envisioned. I'm naïve enough to take Harbaugh at his word that he's looking to attack downfield. To me that type of 'green light' is a more aggressive stance then Roman's offenses typical show (I have to look up Roman/Kaeps downfield attempts if I can find them). I hope its not mere coachspeak, and I don't take it as such, I hope Harbaugh is giving Roman not only the go-ahead but the mandate to push the ball downfield more.

And when you combine Lamar's ability to execute the quick game and his proficiency on verticals it does make for an interesting combination of surgical strikes and downfield bombs and if its from empty still maintains the threat of Lamar burning teams up on the ground.

[JimZipCode]

For RBs:

The arithmetic above leaves about 100 targets for RBs; around 20% or a little more. That's very Chiefs-like: they threw to RBs 19.7% last year. We went to RBs less, about 15% of the time. Ed, you & I wanted them to go to RBs more; so maybe this has all been an exercise in wishful thinking. On the other hand: without verifying, my impression is the Ravens started to use RBs in the passing game a little more over the last ~third of the season. And Dobbins will develop into a goddam weapon in the pass game. So some increased usage of RBs in the passing game seems to be in the offing, even if maybe not to Andy Reid levels.

Stumbled on this tidbit today, thought it might be germane here:

Aaron Schatz
@FO_ASchatz
12:39 PM · Jun 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/FO_ASchatz/statu...94265762881536

Something else I just noticed.

Mark Ingram of the #Ravens had 74.6% receiving DVOA last year which is the second highest ever with a min. of 25 targets.

90% catch rate. 5 receiving TD and 11 other first downs on 29 passes. 14 gains of 10+ yards. No receptions for lost yardage.

Aaron Schatz
@FO_ASchatz
12:42 PM · Jun 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/FO_ASchatz/statu...94871432957952

Top RB receiving DVOA (min 25 passes) since 1985

K.Hunt 18 KC (79.4%, 35 passes)
M.Ingram 19 BAL (74.6%, 29)
D.Sproles 08 SD (70.7%, 34)
L.Johnson 04 KC (70.0%, 28)
T.Fisher 03 GB (68.7%, 25)
J.McPhail 96 MIA (67.3%, 29)
C.Thompson 17 WAS (67.3%, 54)
B.Sanders 90 DET (67.0%, 49)

Ingram was crazy good out of the backfield last year. We knew that already, of course; but nice to see some outside acknowledgement.

[Julius486]

More than crazy good; really crazy good, I'd say. The latest football school video he did on ways for Lamar to improve also noticed that at least in the Pittsburgh game, there were multiple plays where Ingram should've gone out (assuming he was coached to stay in protection) and give Lamar another option and didn't. Not sure if that would track for an entire season (probably not, given how damn great our offense was for the whole season), but I wonder if we left some stuff on the bone in terms of using Ingram even more as a receiver. Also wondering if we'll use Dobbins in the passing game this upcoming year.

Also, damn at Kareem Hunt. What in the hell is Clyde Edwards gonna do in that Chiefs offense next year....wonder where he's going in fantasy leagues at the RB spot.

[JimZipCode]

What in the hell is Clyde Edwards gonna do in that Chiefs offense next year....?

Hot take: not that much. Suggest you avoid the Chiefs RB situation in fantasy this year, same how in prior years we might have avoided Shanahan's stable of RBs in Denver, or Belichicks RBs. Someone is going to put up fantasy points there in any given game; but good luck figuring out who it's going to be week to week.

They fucked up taking CEH over Dobbins. Dobbins is eventually going to be better out of the backfield than CEH; and is much better as a runner.

[JimZipCode]

Ed, I heard you on the Filmstudy podcast talking about this. Great stuff!!!

[edromeo]

Ed, I heard you on the Filmstudy podcast talking about this. Great stuff!!!

Thanks man. Was a lot of fun, as you know Ken is great. Still a lot of thoughts on target allocation/potential usage that I forgot/couldn’t squeeze in.

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Ed, I heard you on the Filmstudy podcast talking about this. Great stuff!!!

You did a good job re: Boykin too. Well done both of you.

[JimZipCode]

You did a good job re: Boykin too.

Thanks GWNR!

[edromeo]

You did a good job re: Boykin too. Well done both of you.

Thanks bro

[Waywatcher]

Oh nice! I gotta get caught up on Filmstudy's podcasts.

Any other board members that have sat down and chewed the fat with Ken McK?

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Oh nice! I gotta get caught up on Filmstudy's podcasts.

Any other board members that have sat down and chewed the fat with Ken McK?

I've been on a few times. Him and I could talk OL play for hours on end.