Following
a 41-7 drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots, the Baltimore
Ravens are unable to control their playoff destiny heading into the
final week of the regular season.
It’s nearly a certainty that the
Ravens will need a victory over the division leading Cincinnati Bengals
to extend their playoff appearance streak to six consecutive years.
While
there are gaping flaws that could result in the Ravens losing two
straight to end the season, the defending champions have notoriously
played close games against their divisional rival. Six of the last seven
meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.
What could be
some determining factors in another Ravens postseason birth? There is
one objective that comes to mind when dissecting the subpar performance
from their offense.
Increase Dennis Pitta’s Involvement In The Offense
Dennis
Pitta’s production in the Ravens offense since returning from his hip
injury has not been surprising. Aside from his 2013 debut against the
Vikings, Pitta has been limited under offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell
since returning to in-game action.
Pitta has been targeted by Joe
Flacco 22 times in the three games he’s played, primarily with him
playing in the slot. Half of his targets came in his first game against
Minnesota, as he was targeted 11 times and was a cog in the team’s 29-26
comeback victory that saved their season.
On Sunday against the
Cincinnati Bengals in Paul Brown Stadium, Pitta needs to be given the
chance to excel in the offense by giving him double-digit targets for
the game. He gives himself a chance to be productive on a weekly basis
due to the amount of one-on-one opportunities he faces against opposing
defenders.
With Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones providing the
majority of their production down the field, defenders have turned their
attention to successfully limiting the Ravens deep passing game in
recent weeks.
This leaves Pitta with the opportunity to resume his
past role of being effective in the middle of the field. This is the
case especially on third downs, where Pitta has proven to be at his best
for pivotal moments in close games.
It’s understandable for John
Harbaugh to monitor Pitta’s snaps taken in games after missing
two-thirds of the season due to injury. However, with the season on the
line, Baltimore’s most reliable offensive target needs to be on full
display.
In an offensive driven league, the Ravens have scored a
mere one touchdown in their last eight quarters of play. If another
improbable Super Bowl run were to come to fruition, then it will start
with a normal drawn up play.
Joe Flacco dropping back, scanning his targers, and finding his tight end in the middle of the field for a first down.
That will be the difference between a victory and a title defense ending in the same year.
Matt
Miselis covers the Baltimore Ravens and the rest of the NFL for
ColdHardFootballFacts. A freelancer for Yahoo Sports, Miselis will begin
writing for the USA Today Contributor Writing Program in January.
Follow him on Twitter.
