The Baltimore Ravens had plenty of questionable moments in their 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Baltimore not running the ball as much with Derrick Henry in the second half remains a problem, despite a new coaching staff. Lamar Jackson’s interception got a lot of attention for how rough a pass it was.
One decision, though, hasn’t come up that could have been more of a tipping point than expected. One player not playing might have hurt this offense.
Baltimore Ravens Called Out on Bad Week 2 Decision
On his BigPlay Baltimore podcast, NFL insider Jason La Canfora criticized a decision the Ravens made during the game. La Canfora was wondering what happened to one of their offensive weapons in the second half.
“Is Durham Smythe hurt? ‘Cause if Durham Smythe is not hurt, why are Wester and Moore out-snapping Durham Smythe in the second half when they have a lead, and they should be running the [expletive] ball?”
Smythe signed a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason to be the Ravens’ backup tight end. He played under Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle when the two were together with the Chicago Bears.
This season, Smythe has not played many snaps for the Ravens, appearing in 59% of offensive snaps in two games. He has 1 catch on two targets for 4 yards.
Did the Ravens Make a Mistake With Durham Smythe in Week 2?
Smythe is a big help in the running game as a blocker. He’s typically been more of a blocker than a receiver, paving the way in the running game.
The Ravens looked to move more into the passing game in the second half of the Saints’ games. Typically, Baltimore likes to avoid this formula, especially when their top two receivers are injured and Henry is in the backfield. The Ravens would rather be a balanced attack than throw the ball too much with Jackson.
This week, there will be a lot of questions about this offense, and we hope to have some answers. A return for Zay Flowers would be a big help to the passing game. The real question is how the passing game will be handled, as to whether they give the ball more to Henry.
Baltimore has a Week 3 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil. This is a favorable matchup for the Ravens, since the Cowboys’ defense is not in the best shape right now. The Ravens can take advantage and really run the ball on them. Anything short of that, and Doyle might be facing even bigger questions about what he is doing with his play-calling.
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