Member » In a game that many labeled as a must-win

In a game that many labeled as a must-win Youth Brandon Carr Jersey , the Ravens faltered at home against the Steelers. Baltimore’s offense was anemic for much of the game, including a meager 4-for-12 on third down. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens highly ranked defense struggled yet again against a potent offense. Although they allowed just 23 points, they were unable to get off the field as Pittsburgh finished 10-for-16 on third down and dominated the time of possession by nearly 13 minutes. Baltimore heads into the bye week 4-5 after losing crucial ground in the AFC North race, and they will have plenty of soul searching to do before hosting the Bengals in Week 11. Where was the creativity, flow or game plan?Defensively, the Ravens were again exposed. Much like Baltimore’s previous opponents, the Steelers attacked the middle of the field and utilized tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. James Conner finished with 107 rushing yards and seven receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. Pittsburgh’s tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald combined for eight receptions for 78 yards, including a 51-yard gain by James. The Ravens linebackers continued to display their inability to cover whether they were in man or zone coverage. In the secondary, Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson also struggled to defend their areas of the field. Baltimore’s weaknesses have been put on tape, and opposing offenses will continue to shred them until they prove otherwise. After dropping three games in a row Youth Za'Darius Smith Jersey , the Ravens defense is highly suspect.On the other side of the ball, Baltimore’s offense appeared to be operating like a chicken with its head cut off. They seemingly had no plan offensively nor was there any creativity. In theory, the Lamar Jackson package is not a bad idea. However, Baltimore’s execution was not great for a majority of the game. The zone reads were having some success, but the Ravens did not have a counter for Pittsburgh’s adjustments. It took Baltimore nearly three quarters to take advantage of the Steelers’ commitment to stopping the run when Jackson was on the field by having him throw a pass. The entire offense was a disaster for much of the game as they were 1/4 in the red zone. 2. Too little, too late?The Ravens have seven games left in the season, which makes it hard to come to any foregone conclusions that the season is over. They still have six conference games remaining, including two divisional games. The playoffs are not out of reach, but Baltimore has a myriad of issues they must fix. In no particular order, they must find an identity on offense, fix their weak pass-rush Womens Terrell Suggs Jersey , address their inability to cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield and get Joe Flacco back in rhythm to name a few. This is certainly not an easy set of tasks, and with John Harbaugh reportedly on the hot seat, he must find answers quickly. Otherwise, he will be on a different sideline next season. 3. Universal solution?Joe Flacco had another atrocious showing, where he was plagued by inaccurate passes, horrible decisions and poor clock management. Despite Flacco struggling, it would be irrational to believe Lamar Jackson would fix everything immediately. He would certainly improve their running game, but what can he do with a makeshift offensive line, a poor offensive scheme and receivers that struggle to separate? The writing is on the wall — Flacco is likely playing his last season in Baltimore. However, benching Flacco for a season defining game in Week 11 does not bode well for Jackson’s development. The offense is in a bad way, and a quarterback change will not be the universal fix. 4. Copycat?The Steelers offense is one of the best in the league largely due to their staple of weapons Cheap Lamar Jackson Jersey , but every team has playmakers. What separates the good and great offenses in the NFL is scheme. Similarly to the Ravens offense this season, Pittsburgh’s offense saw a fair amount of man coverage in Week 9. The distinct difference was how each team attacked it. Baltimore elected to run iso routes with an occasional pick/rub or high-low concept. The Steelers, who have significantly better wide receivers, ran rub concepts until Baltimore changed their defense. Pittsburgh adapted to their opponent’s defensive strategy and took advantage of it. 5. Offense is offensiveAs discussed above, the Ravens’ offense lacks creativity, a ‘home run threat’ other than John Brown, and a fundamentally sound scheme. The other significant issue is their stubbornness. Baltimore was without both of their starting tackles — Ronnie Stanley and James Hurst — yet they barely adapted their game plan. They still attempted far too many outside runs behind Orlando Brown Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor. Neither player is known for their athleticism, yet outside zone concepts rely on tackles getting to space and the second-level. They failed to identify the weakness of Pittsburgh’s defense with Jackson on the field, while also not taking advantage of the Steelers weak secondary. Against zone coverage, the Ravens rarely attacked the seams and ‘Checkdown Joe’ was back in business. If Baltimore wants to turn their season around after the bye, they need to completely reevaluate their offensive and defensive strategy. NFL Week 4 picks: Rams steamroll Vikings http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/eric-weddle-jersey , Steelers win AFC North shootout over Ravens - John BreechExpect the respective passing attacks to decide this contest, both receiving corps have favorable individual matchups. Furthermore, Pittsburgh has attempted 139 passes compared to 70 just runs while Baltimore ranks 31st in yards per rushing attempt.Five most memorable moments in Ravens-Steelers history - Lisa RedmondLardarius Webb’s punt return touchdown in the 4th quarter of the 2011 playoffs would have been another memorable moment if it wasn’t spoiled by a highly questionable holding penalty. What the Steelers Are Saying About the Ravens - Ryan MinkIn 30 career games against the Steelers, Terrell Suggs has posted 20 sacks and three interceptions. Week 4 NFL picks, predictions - David SteeleAccording to Football Outsiders analytics, the Steelers defense ranks 19th in defensive DVOA. The Ravens defense ranks 5th.Among 2-1 teams, Bears look playoff-bound, Bucs do not - Gil BrandtA divisional win on the road in Pittsburgh would obviously help the Ravens odds of snapping their current postseason drought. Week 3 NFL defensive line rankings - Austin GayleThe Ravens have missed the disruptive presence of Willie Henry on the interior, unfortunately he has still not returned to practice following hernia surgery.