The Baltimore Ravens' weapon-needy offense struggled on Saturday night in a 13-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, and things may not get better if and when quarterback Lamar Jackson returns from a knee injury.
Even when Lamar Jackson returns, he'll return to a broken pass game. Not sure the Ravens have the scheme or WRs to fix it. On top of it, you can't count on Greg Roman to consistently lean on the run game, which is what this offense is built around. Gonna be an uphill battle.
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) December 18, 2022
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, starting in place of Jackson, failed to get much of anything going against Cleveland, finishing 17-of-30 for 138 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception.
However, despite J.K. Dobbins' 125-yard game on the ground, Huntley had little to work with offensively.
Huntley targeted wideouts only nine times on Saturday, with Demarcus Robinson being his favorite target, finishing with six catches for 29 yards. Meanwhile, tight end Mark Andrews led the Ravens in receiving with 31 yards off three catches.
The Ravens also repeatedly shot themselves in the foot on Saturday, crushing any hopes of increasing its win streak to three games.
Following a 10-play, 71-yard drive, the Ravens failed to convert a fourth-and-one from the Browns' seven-yard line, letting a golden red zone opportunity slip away on its opening drive.
Baltimore continued the trend to start the second half when Huntley was picked off in the red zone by Denzel Ward, capping off an 11-play 60-yard drive. The Browns scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession, increasing its lead to 13-3 while also swinging the momentum.
Ravens play calling pretty atrocious in RedZone. 3rd and 10 inside 20 down 3 with backup QB and worst WR group in the NFL so throw short of sticks and get picked. Low IQ operation there. risk/reward makes no sense. Draw for Dobbins, whatever. Anything but that
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 17, 2022
The Ravens would run only 16 more plays over four drives the rest of the game, resulting in a fumble, a blocked punt, and two turnovers on downs.
Saturday's loss dropped the Ravens to 9-5 and out of first place in the AFC North, now trailing the Cincinnatti Bengals (9-4) by a game.
With only three regular-season games remaining, the Ravens may not be able to count on a return of Jackson under center. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jackson's "most realistic" return date is Christmas Eve against the Atlanta Falcons, but there's a "strong chance" the two-time Pro Bowler won't be hundred percent for the rest of the regular season.
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