Marty stays...fixing the offense heading into 2017

[Sunday QB]

It really doesn't it matters who our QB, WR, RB and O-line are if Marty does not change everything and come up with a complete new offense. I have a feeling we will be looking the same results next season. But it will all start with the draft, I pray to the football gods that Ozzie has a good draft and can get play makers to fix the issues.

[jazz1988]

4 hours ago, Cillmatic said:

Doubt he's up for a demotion.

 

I think Dennison knows what he is and a offensive coordinator calling plays isn't one of them. I can see him staying in that role if Kyle Shanahan gets the job and keeps him as his offensive coordinator but of course it would be Shanahan who calls the plays.

Edited January 6 by jazz1988

[GrimCoconut]

On 1/4/2017 at 9:44 AM, rmcjacket23 said:

Ask and you shall receive:

	Pass Plays	Run Plays	Pass %	Run %
Buffalo	37	28	57%	43%	W
Cleveland	45	26	63%	37%	W
Jacksonville	42	22	66%	34%	W
Oakland	54	26	68%	33%	L
Washington	50	19	72%	28%	L
New York Giants	50	26	66%	34%	L
New York Jets	46	11	81%	19%	L
Pittsburgh	34	29	54%	46%	W
Cleveland	43	34	56%	44%	W
Dallas	36	16	69%	31%	L
Cincinnati	38	30	56%	44%	W
Miami	50	20	71%	29%	W
New England	54	14	79%	21%	L
Philadelphia	33	24	58%	42%	W
Pittsburgh	46	26	64%	36%	L
Cincinnati	54	16	77%	23%	L

I'm a little late here in my response because I missed this initially for some reason and just checked my notifications and saw your post but the data is interesting. I was interested in seeing if there was a correlation with Max getting hurt and Boyle being suspended to explain our poor run game. Since Williams dropped out in week 4 and Zuttah struggled really bad during this time it may explain our sudden drop off in run attempts. NE & DAL the disparity makes a ton of sense since those teams are very good teams and we needed to play catch up so I can get that. I also even understand the NYJ game because the run was not at all effective against that front and we probably knew that and tried to exploit their weak secondary but just failed to do it. I feel NYJ was a perfect storm because we were also missing Steve Smith Sr and I believe Dixon recently or just got back from his preseason injury. 

Actually I can see why we kept Marty after looking at these numbers and actually understanding the situation of the run:pass disparity due to the intricacies of these games. In the myopic microcosm most people see when they look at these stats is an easy explanation for our failed season being not running the football, I see a slightly different narrative. Thanks for taking the time to produce these numbers. 

Edited January 6 by GrimCoconut
Correcting typo from phone

[rmw10]

27 minutes ago, GrimCoconut said:

I'm a little late here in my response because I missed this initially for some reason and just checked my notifications and saw your post but the data is interesting. I was interested in seeing if there was a correlation with Max getting hurt and Boyle being suspended to explain our poor run game. Since Williams dropped out in week 4 and Zuttah struggled really bad during this time it may explain our sudden drop off in run attempts. NE & DAL the disparity makes a ton of sense since those teams are very good teams and we needed to play catch up so I can get that. I also even understand the NYJ game because the run was not at all effective against that front and we probably knew that and tried to exploit their weak secondary but just failed to do it. I feel NYJ was a perfect storm because we were also missing Steve Smith Sr and I believe Dixononky recently or just got back from his preseason injury. 

Actually I can see why we kept Marty after looking at these numbers and actually understanding the situation of the run:pass disparity due to the intricacies of these games. In the myopic microcosm most people see when they look at these stats is an easy explanation for our failed season being not running the football, I see a slightly different narrative. Thanks for taking the time to produce these numbers. 

What kind of mythical creature is a Dixononky?  Mix of KD and a donkey?

[GrimCoconut]

35 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

What kind of mythical creature is a Dixononky?  Mix of KD and a donkey?

It's my phone. It does weird stuff like that at times. Pretty frustrating. 

[Ravensfan23]

14 hours ago, RavensFanMania said:

I'd love to have Garçon here, but feel the Skins want to resign him and let Djax walk.

Don't think the Ravens will be able to afford him any way. The Skins and others are gonna throw big money at him. Also the Skins had a pretty good years offensively so money would be the only real reason to leave. 

It might not be the popular move because most like to see the big name WRs, but I think guys like Britt, Wright, Robert Woods or a 2nd-4th round rookie will be the target. I think the Ravens really like Perriman(obviously) Moore and Camp moving forward.The issue with them is healthy and development, so if the Ravens can get a strong route runner or good enough possession WR to keep the offense on track, the offense will look much better moving forward. 

[Chuckx999]

Just BAD.  They say with a QB coach things will get better.  How long has FLacco been playing?  He doesn't need a coach he needs to be shown the door.  He just can't read defences.  Poor throws after more poor throws.  He just doesn't seem to care, his money is in the bank, so why should he worry.

Swap draft choices to get a few high ( will play NOW ) picks.  QB, OF linemen, Suggs replacement, at least two DB's and what do they call those guys in the back field that can carry the ball over 1-2 yards at a time?  We need 2-3 of those guys.

[Tank 92]

21 minutes ago, Ravensfan23 said:

Don't think the Ravens will be able to afford him any way. The Skins and others are gonna throw big money at him. Also the Skins had a pretty good years offensively so money would be the only real reason to leave. 

It might not be the popular move because most like to see the big name WRs, but I think guys like Britt, Wright, Robert Woods or a 2nd-4th round rookie will be the target. I think the Ravens really like Perriman(obviously) Moore and Camp moving forward.The issue with them is healthy and development, so if the Ravens can get a strong route runner or good enough possession WR to keep the offense on track, the offense will look much better moving forward. 

I think the Ravens certainly could afford Garcon, especially if they dropped Wallace.  I for one think it would be a great move and it has zero to do with Pierre being a "big name". He is exactly the kind of guy they need and would be a much more valuable piece than Wallace.  He's a tough,sure handed receiver that will fight for the catch and also a positive locker room presence. But as mentioned it may be a moot point as there is the likely chance the Skins(along with others)make a strong play for him. 

[The Raven]

17 hours ago, Ravensfan23 said:

Just my personal opinion of course but they don't get open quickly enough to present options for Flacco because their poor route running or in Pitta's case the lack of short area quickness. I'm going back and watching a lot of the offensive performances over the last nine games and the amount of times you see Wallace and Pitta get locked down because they ran weak routes or didn't make an attempt to uncover is ridiculous.

Pitta had a bad habit of cutting routes just short of the LBs allowing them to sit back and drive on the ball instead of him pushing his route into the defenders, making them commit than snapping off his route. The two biggest areas this showed up was 3rd downs and redone. This offense needs a stretch TE and that's why they attacked Watson so hard in FA. 

Wallace doesn't fit as a top target imo. You can't rely on him to consistently keep the offense moving but the Ravens were forced to do that because of SSS injuries and Perriman not really developing like they wanted. 

I think what is needed is a savvy route runner like a Pierre Garcon or a big bodied WR who can out muscle defenders for position but also still make plays down field when called. This will be Perriman in the near future, but I think Kenny Britt is a nice option to take some of the pressure off of him. 

Not sure if the Ravens currently have that savvy stretch TE needed, but Waller and Williams will be given the shot to prove they are the guys. 

I get what you're saying, and that makes sense. Kinda makes me wish, too, that Kamar was used more. He wasn't the quickest off the line, but he generally had a good release and good route running, as well as the ability to fight for the ball. I like the Kenny Britt idea.

What I really liked about Kamar -- that is also crucial in a WCO -- is his ability to get YAC. If you ask me, that's where we struggled a lot. Horizontal offenses can be explosive but only when you're getting YACs. 

[PurpleCity5]

3 hours ago, Ravensfan23 said:

Don't think the Ravens will be able to afford him any way. The Skins and others are gonna throw big money at him. Also the Skins had a pretty good years offensively so money would be the only real reason to leave. 

It might not be the popular move because most like to see the big name WRs, but I think guys like Britt, Wright, Robert Woods or a 2nd-4th round rookie will be the target. I think the Ravens really like Perriman(obviously) Moore and Camp moving forward.The issue with them is healthy and development, so if the Ravens can get a strong route runner or good enough possession WR to keep the offense on track, the offense will look much better moving forward. 

I think FA goes towards a WR as well. We are already developing young pass catchers so its best to bring in a vet to the mix. I like Britt as well, but most of all I think we need someone to preform in the slot so in that sense I do like Kendall Wright. 

[Ravensfan23]

2 hours ago, Tank 92 said:

I think the Ravens certainly could afford Garcon, especially if they dropped Wallace.  I for one think it would be a great move and it has zero to do with Pierre being a "big name". He is exactly the kind of guy they need and would be a much more valuable piece than Wallace.  He's a tough,sure handed receiver that will fight for the catch and also a positive locker room presence. But as mentioned it may be a moot point as there is the likely chance the Skins(along with others)make a strong play for him. 

I don't think it's a matter of do they have the money and more so what's the value? I'd love the move as well but at what cost, cause the Skins would be crazy to let him walk. Cousins will regress without him imo. But on the other hand, with Cousins in line for a huge payday, maybe they can't afford to throw too much money at Cousins. I wouldn't have a problem with letting Wallace go either.

 

 

[Ravensfan23]

27 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

I think FA goes towards a WR as well. We are already developing young pass catchers so its best to bring in a vet to the mix. I like Britt as well, but most of all I think we need someone to preform in the slot so in that sense I do like Kendall Wright. 

I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Robert Woods. He's a savvy route runner, physical in the run game and is a overall tough guy. 

This breakdown is one reason why i'd be excited to have him. But I think another move alongside him would have to be made as well. 

[-Truth-]

31 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

I think FA goes towards a WR as well. We are already developing young pass catchers so its best to bring in a vet to the mix. I like Britt as well, but most of all I think we need someone to preform in the slot so in that sense I do like Kendall Wright. 

Wright would be an intriguing name. He's been stuck in Tennessee's dog house for quite some time due to his penchant for freelancing, so it's fair to wonder how ideal of a fit he is, but he's young and would likely come at a bargain.

[Ravensfan23]

2 hours ago, The Raven said:

I get what you're saying, and that makes sense. Kinda makes me wish, too, that Kamar was used more. He wasn't the quickest off the line, but he generally had a good release and good route running, as well as the ability to fight for the ball. I like the Kenny Britt idea.

What I really liked about Kamar -- that is also crucial in a WCO -- is his ability to get YAC. If you ask me, that's where we struggled a lot. Horizontal offenses can be explosive but only when you're getting YACs. 

agreed. YAC is really important. The WRs didn't run routes well enough and Flacco wasn't accurate enough for YAC to be as successful as it should have been. I think that's the biggest part of the offense that needs to be fixed. This offense has to thrive off of YAC. So the Ravens need to identify players that run good route or keep Aiken and him, Perriman, Moore and any other young WR working with Flacco as much as possible this year. In past years his accuracy being spotty wasn't a huge issue, but this offense is about precision so i'm glad he said he'll work with the young WRs during the offseason. 

[BmoreBird22]

On 1/4/2017 at 11:54 PM, Ravensfan23 said:

I agree with all of that. My question is how does the offense improves moving forward. Everyone including players and coaches have said the offense needs the run the ball a bit more, but it's not gonna be a whole lot more imo. Going into the offseason what are the adjustments you think need to be made to help improve the running game? Is it just rushing the ball 3-4 more times per game and throwing it 3-5 times less? Is it improving the blocking scheme or what? Is it being able to improve the passing game and scoring. 

The Ravens didn't run the ball enough at all, but moving forward I don't think they'll run it much more than they have. That 26-27 attempt range is the sweet spot imo and that'll be good for anywhere from that top 10-17 ranking. I think the key is getting the most out of the passing game and taking advantage of those early scoring opportunities which the Ravens didn't do this past season. I think if the Ravens convert on more scoring opportunities and can play with the lead more it'll bring those passing totals back down to the 35-38 range and get the rush attempts up to that 26 range. I honestly don't think just running the ball more was the key to success last year, I think the Ravens have to fix the passing game because that's the focal point of the offense. 

I think what Harbs said in his presser was telling and I think the end of season presser might tell us more about the thinking moving forward. Harbs mentioned how they already have an idea of the type of WR they need and the type of RB they need, which says to me they think they are missing a few pieces to this offense. I think those pieces are a WR or 2 who runs strong routes and gets open quick. Wallace is a good speed guy but they'll needs guys like Perriman and Moore to develop as route runners along with another WR who can either get open quick or uses his body well to get between the defender and the ball. Also I think they are looking for a more physical RB. Both West and Dixon have a physical element to their game but I think the Ravens want a bruiser to pair with Dixon. He also spoke about improving the oline. 

I think a draft that consist of WR Cooper Kupp, RB Samaje Perine and C Jon Toth could really help take this offense to the next level.

I talked to Tank about this, but I really felt like Dixon was effective off tackle (the numbers supported that) and that just getting him the ball on the edge more often would be a huge boost. Also, surprisingly, West and Dixon both excelled going right up the middle. It was when they ran between the B gap that they seemed to struggle the most. I think with Dixon, running off tackle is best because he's so violent and hard to bring down. If he can just beat his man on the edge (with Stanley and Wagner, getting outside shouldn't be too difficult), he's going to be a load for a defensive back to take down. With West, the numbers say that when he's able to get going up the middle and wear down a defense, he is really able to get going.

So, to answer the question on numbers, I never think there's a magic number. rmcjacket and I have both posted some numbers about winning percentages by pass attempts. The Ravens are sitting right around a 70% win rate if Joe passes under 35 times. Is that some magical number? Not entirely. I think that more points to the running game really getting going. The run game gets going and you eat more clock, Joe doesn't have to pass as much and doesn't have the chance for more mistakes. Wear down the defense and control the clock. 

I would personally like to always see like 25 rushes in a game from the backs that are evenly spread out (we talked a pretty good bit about this, but I can explain again if needed) because that just means that the Ravens are going to put Joe in harms way even less. I highly doubt there's any quarterback that's terribly efficient when dropping back for 50+ throws. I remember once charting Wilson, Luck, and RGIII in their rookie seasons for their YPA against passing attempts and once they hit 30+ attempts, Wilson and RGIII saw a drastic decline in YPA. That likely means that the defense is giving away the underneath because if you're passing that much, it probably means you're behind. Luck is just a special talent who somehow excelled in nearly every situation.

I honestly think that the running game is solid as is. The Ravens as a team averaged 4.0 YPC, Dixon had 4.3, and West had 4.0. The blocking got drastically better at the end because I think West was under 4.0 before the halfway mark, so something improved. I think it's just a commitment to running the ball more that would do wonders. I don't need to see a run every first down. Shoot, I'll easily take a slant to Wallace or Perriman on first down. But, just try to mix it in and use the backs to their strengths.

But yeah, I'd imagine that fixing the passing game with more creativity and varied routes will be a real big point for the next season. I think with the line that's just getting healthy and getting Wagner back. Nail a good interior lineman in the draft.

I would that if the Ravens are in range for a guy like Mike Williams, he'd be so hard to pass up. I was so disappointed he didn't declare last year because I think he can be better than Watkins and Hopkins, personally. Give Joe a Perriman and a Williams and we're talking some real damage being done. 

[Tank 92]

1 hour ago, Ravensfan23 said:

I don't think it's a matter of do they have the money and more so what's the value? I'd love the move as well but at what cost, cause the Skins would be crazy to let him walk. Cousins will regress without him imo. But on the other hand, with Cousins in line for a huge payday, maybe they can't afford to throw too much money at Cousins. I wouldn't have a problem with letting Wallace go either.

 

 

IDK.... The skins have proven options with D Jax, Crowder, Reed, Davis, etc.. On the surface it seems they should let Jackson walk and sign Garcon, but I don't follow them closely enough to give an intelligent opinion on how strong of a play they make for him.  What I do know is that Pierre would be a perfect fit for the Ravens and hope that it somehow works out that they can bring him up the Parkway.

[rmcjacket23]

19 minutes ago, Tank 92 said:

IDK.... The skins have proven options with D Jax, Crowder, Reed, Davis, etc.. On the surface it seems they should let Jackson walk and sign Garcon, but I don't follow them closely enough to give an intelligent opinion on how strong of a play they make for him.  What I do know is that Pierre would be a perfect fit for the Ravens and hope that it somehow works out that they can bring him up the Parkway.

Also drafted Doctson in the 1st round last year.

They'll be letting at least one of Garcon or DJax walk in FA, and possibly both. Just depends on how they view them.

My guess is they resign Garcon, and let Djax walk.

[GrimCoconut]

7 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Also drafted Doctson in the 1st round last year.

They'll be letting at least one of Garcon or DJax walk in FA, and possibly both. Just depends on how they view them.

My guess is they resign Garcon, and let Djax walk.

Not to mention they have Crowder as well so that could also play into their decision making 

[PurpleCity5]

2 hours ago, Ravensfan23 said:

I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Robert Woods. He's a savvy route runner, physical in the run game and is a overall tough guy. 

This breakdown is one reason why i'd be excited to have him. But I think another move alongside him would have to be made as well. 

I really do like Robert Woods as well, if not more because not only will it be cost effective but the fact of the matter is that we definitely need someone with refined routes. Wouldn't be upset if we looked towards Perriman to become a #2 option and yeah, Woods wouldn't be the only move we make, we could add someone like Wright as well. 

Edited January 6 by PurpleCity5

[BmoreBird22]

2 hours ago, Ravensfan23 said:

I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Robert Woods. He's a savvy route runner, physical in the run game and is a overall tough guy. 

This breakdown is one reason why i'd be excited to have him. But I think another move alongside him would have to be made as well. 

Woods has also been one of the most reliable deep threats in the NFL as far as catching the ball when targeted.

[PurpleCity5]

2 hours ago, -Truth- said:

Wright would be an intriguing name. He's been stuck in Tennessee's dog house for quite some time due to his penchant for freelancing, so it's fair to wonder how ideal of a fit he is, but he's young and would likely come at a bargain.

Wright is a guy who I believe is better than the #s say, but I don't think its the only move we should make. I think a combo of adding Woods and Wright is certainly possible too. 

[Ravensfan23]

36 minutes ago, Tank 92 said:

IDK.... The skins have proven options with D Jax, Crowder, Reed, Davis, etc.. On the surface it seems they should let Jackson walk and sign Garcon, but I don't follow them closely enough to give an intelligent opinion on how strong of a play they make for him.  What I do know is that Pierre would be a perfect fit for the Ravens and hope that it somehow works out that they can bring him up the Parkway.

 

16 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

Also drafted Doctson in the 1st round last year.

They'll be letting at least one of Garcon or DJax walk in FA, and possibly both. Just depends on how they view them.

My guess is they resign Garcon, and let Djax walk.

Forgot about Doctson. Was a huge fan of his coming. I think he'll be really good. Still think Garcon is a big part of their offense moving forward. But let's hope not because he's definitely help the Ravens

[Ravenseconbeast]

As much as I don't want Marty as our OC next year, I have a feeling we will have a hell of a time trying to convince OC to come here.   

Our history firing and OC leaving after a year is a deterrence.    I'm sure some factor of this played into keeping Marty.   Although I do think our FO/Harb should've waited a bit till the decision was made.   
 

[The Raven]

6 minutes ago, Ravenseconbeast said:

As much as I don't want Marty as our OC next year, I have a feeling we will have a hell of a time trying to convince OC to come here.   

Our history firing and OC leaving after a year is a deterrence.    I'm sure some factor of this played into keeping Marty.   Although I do think our FO/Harb should've waited a bit till the decision was made.   
 

How the hell is it a deterrence that we've had two of our four departed OCs leave for HC jobs? That's a logic-less conclusion if I ever saw one. Two got fired (one of whom is in college and one of whom has never lasted more than three years at any job) and two got promotions, and you think it's a deterrence?

[Ravenseconbeast]

3 minutes ago, The Raven said:

How the hell is it a deterrence that we've had two of our four departed OCs leave for HC jobs? That's a logic-less conclusion if I ever saw one. Two got fired (one of whom is in college and one of whom has never lasted more than three years at any job) and two got promotions, and you think it's a deterrence?

 

It is.  In terms of grabbing the best candidate out there, we might be in bottom of barrel.   

If we don't have success next season and go anything lower than 8-8, the first one to be let go and be a scapegoat will be our 'new' OC  or Marty.   

[rmcjacket23]

11 minutes ago, Ravenseconbeast said:

As much as I don't want Marty as our OC next year, I have a feeling we will have a hell of a time trying to convince OC to come here.   

Our history firing and OC leaving after a year is a deterrence.    I'm sure some factor of this played into keeping Marty.   Although I do think our FO/Harb should've waited a bit till the decision was made.   
 

1. Not really. There's a lot more of a supply of coaches looking for OC jobs than there are OC jobs available. For the most part, these coaches don't really have that much ability to be selective. 

2. Not going to be that big of a deterrent, considering that's a league-wide issue, not a Ravens issue. For starters, in any given year, you've got a half dozen or so HCs getting fired, and that typically means you've got at least that many coordinators getting fired, if not more so. So you've probably got at least a 20-25% turnover rate on coordinators on an annual basis, and coaches around the league know this.

Plus, you've got just as many if not more coordinators leaving us for HC gigs as guys getting fired. For every Cameron (who coached for almost five years here, which is a good run for a coordinator) and Trestman, there's a Kubiak and a Caldwell. And most coordinators are actively seeking places where they can win and become HC candidates, and the Ravens certainly qualify there.

We're not keeping Marty because we couldn't anybody to take the job. We're keeping Marty because John wants to keep Marty and likes him as a coach, for better or worse.

[rmcjacket23]

2 minutes ago, Ravenseconbeast said:

It is.  In terms of grabbing the best candidate out there, we might be in bottom of barrel.   

If we don't have success next season and go anything lower than 8-8, the first one to be let go and be a scapegoat will be our 'new' OC  or Marty.   

No, it will be John and his entire staff. 

And Marty will get another job in the NFL the very next season as a position coach, and Pees would as well (maybe even as a DC) if he wanted to. And then we'd hire a new coach who would hire new coordinators. Those coordinators could be guys you've never heard of or very popular coordinators, just depends on what the HC wants.

That's the cycle of the NFL.

 

[Ravenseconbeast]

4 minutes ago, rmcjacket23 said:

No, it will be John and his entire staff. 

And Marty will get another job in the NFL the very next season as a position coach, and Pees would as well (maybe even as a DC) if he wanted to. And then we'd hire a new coach who would hire new coordinators. Those coordinators could be guys you've never heard of or very popular coordinators, just depends on what the HC wants.

That's the cycle of the NFL.

 

 

 

That would be a dumb move.   There isn't a better HC out there to replace Harbaugh.    

You can fire Marty and Pees, but Harbaugh is considered one of the best in the NFL unanimously by both fans and the league.

Edited January 6 by Ravenseconbeast

[rmcjacket23]

Just now, Ravenseconbeast said:

That would be a dumb move.   There isn't a better HC out there to replace Harbaugh.    

You can fire Marty and Pees, but Harbaugh is considered one of the best in the NFL unanimously by both fans and the league.

Any HC that is repetitively firing his coordinators is going to get himself fired.

I think most expect that another losing season and he's gone, whether we agree with it or not.

[Ravensfan23]

1 hour ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I talked to Tank about this, but I really felt like Dixon was effective off tackle (the numbers supported that) and that just getting him the ball on the edge more often would be a huge boost. Also, surprisingly, West and Dixon both excelled going right up the middle. It was when they ran between the B gap that they seemed to struggle the most. I think with Dixon, running off tackle is best because he's so violent and hard to bring down. If he can just beat his man on the edge (with Stanley and Wagner, getting outside shouldn't be too difficult), he's going to be a load for a defensive back to take down. With West, the numbers say that when he's able to get going up the middle and wear down a defense, he is really able to get going.

So, to answer the question on numbers, I never think there's a magic number. rmcjacket and I have both posted some numbers about winning percentages by pass attempts. The Ravens are sitting right around a 70% win rate if Joe passes under 35 times. Is that some magical number? Not entirely. I think that more points to the running game really getting going. The run game gets going and you eat more clock, Joe doesn't have to pass as much and doesn't have the chance for more mistakes. Wear down the defense and control the clock. 

I would personally like to always see like 25 rushes in a game from the backs that are evenly spread out (we talked a pretty good bit about this, but I can explain again if needed) because that just means that the Ravens are going to put Joe in harms way even less. I highly doubt there's any quarterback that's terribly efficient when dropping back for 50+ throws. I remember once charting Wilson, Luck, and RGIII in their rookie seasons for their YPA against passing attempts and once they hit 30+ attempts, Wilson and RGIII saw a drastic decline in YPA. That likely means that the defense is giving away the underneath because if you're passing that much, it probably means you're behind. Luck is just a special talent who somehow excelled in nearly every situation.

I honestly think that the running game is solid as is. The Ravens as a team averaged 4.0 YPC, Dixon had 4.3, and West had 4.0. The blocking got drastically better at the end because I think West was under 4.0 before the halfway mark, so something improved. I think it's just a commitment to running the ball more that would do wonders. I don't need to see a run every first down. Shoot, I'll easily take a slant to Wallace or Perriman on first down. But, just try to mix it in and use the backs to their strengths.

But yeah, I'd imagine that fixing the passing game with more creativity and varied routes will be a real big point for the next season. I think with the line that's just getting healthy and getting Wagner back. Nail a good interior lineman in the draft.

I would that if the Ravens are in range for a guy like Mike Williams, he'd be so hard to pass up. I was so disappointed he didn't declare last year because I think he can be better than Watkins and Hopkins, personally. Give Joe a Perriman and a Williams and we're talking some real damage being done. 

I don't think the running game was as bad last year either. I think is its just finding consistency and a commitment as you said. That's why I didn't have much of an issue keeping Marty. He has some things to clean up but overall there's a lot to build on. 

When I say magic number I mean in terms of where the season average will end up, not necessarily a number as far as game plan. There will be games where this offense only things the ball 11-18 times. That's just how it is. Fans will hate it(if we lose) but this is the offense we signed up for.

Those slants to Perriman and Wallace were a big part of the problem in the run game. Because those plays weren't consistently successful it put strain on the run game imo because this oline isn't a line up and punch you in the mouth even when you know the run is coming type of group. For THIS Offense that short passing game has to convert at a high level to be ultra successful. The run game will just be a compliment, the question is how great of a compliment can it be. 

In terms of the team win percentage tied to the number of attempts Flacco gets, even though they are accurate I hate the entire argument. The reason is because the Ravens have never built a strong passing game, so of course when they are asked to pass more the success level drops. I think now the Ravens are building that strong passing game, but also have a running game that can get it done as well. Last year should have been that adjustment Year, but because of injury that season was pretty much a wash. Now this year under Marty was that building year. I think some good foundation was laid, it's about progression now. 

Oh btw, I completely agree that Flacco or any other QB for that matter, should ever consistently throw 40-50 times a game. I think moving forward the focus is improving the intermediate pass game and because of it the rest of the offense will open up. I think Dixon will rush around d 4.6 next year if the intermediate pass game improves.