Coach John Harbaugh urges Baltimore Ravens improve game vs Oakland Raiders – NFL Preview
The Baltimore Ravens have received a stark warning from coach John Harbaugh to do better as in spite of adding up wins on the league’s standing chart consistently they have failed to give a stellar performance, but they will have to fight this stigma when
face the Oakland Raiders at their home ground this Sunday (Nov 11).
Ravens won versus the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener and then got a worst loss against the Houston Texans. Between these two ends are present their low-margin victories and nothing else significantly notable.
Although they were up against some of better oppositions in the league including New England Patriots, the team have not done something that can be rated as impressive.
Offence leader and quarterback Joe Flacco has presented some memorable display of skills but rest of the side has been the same old and lethargic story. The team which have traditionally been strong on the defensive line now rate down at 26th
position on the league’s defence chart.
It was seen to be a right balance on the defensive and offensive lines this season but it appears the defensive line has been compromised to some extent. If Flacco had not been there, it would have been quite difficult for the Ravens to manage six wins to
lead American Football Conference (AFC) North.
Still, they need to return to their prime form to ensure their lead remains intact. Otherwise, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had made rather sluggish start to the season, have been fast catching up on with them. They are just single win behind the Ravens
now but if continue to play at the same pace, they can easily get past them.
For example, if the Ravens lose their Raiders’ game and Steelers won versus the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, they will equalise with the former on in the division.
The Ravens coach has recently expressed his concern over the lack of vigour in the Ravens’ performance. He said:
"We need to be better. We need to be better on third down. We need to run the ball more consistently. We need to protect our quarterback more consistently. We need to throw and catch better. And that's just on the offensive side."
The coach added:
"We need to be able to run the ball. That's kind of our identity. We want to be a physical football team, (but) the truth is, it's going to take different things in different games to win."
His apparent concern is the running back position, which in spite of some good performances by the offence, overall, is yet to make an impression. The running and rushing attempts of their offence are fewer than their last year’s average and this is a real
worry for the coach as the team has already been thin on the defence.
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