NFL
By: Edwin Duodu
The Ravens have lost J. K. Dobbins to a season-ending ACL tear. Dobbins, who was drafted in the second round by Baltimore, enjoyed a fine rookie season, where he played an integral part in the team owning the league’s first-ranked rushing offense. Last season, the team rushed for almost 200 yards per game. The rookie contributed to the total with 805 rushing yards and nine touchdowns through 15 games. Baltimore fans believed that Dobbins would kick on from his rookie season and explode during his sophomore year. With his absence eminent, the Ravens may struggle within the department that is key to their execution as an offense.
The success of John Harbaugh’s offense is predicated on the rushing attack. It’s what sets up his franchise’s quarterback, Lamar Jackson, with easier throws to make throughout the game. It’s why Jackson is capable of putting up the astounding numbers that he does every season. With their starting running back out, the Ravens will turn to the supporting cast they already have.
It’s reported that the team will not pursue Todd Gurley even with this injury, which means that Gus Edwards and backup Justice Hill will see more playing time. Edwards is a much bigger back who thrives in short-yardage situations but may not have the same explosive factor that J. K. Dobbins possesses. Hill is heading into his third season, coming off a year where he only had 12 rushes for 60 yards.
It’s obvious that the Ravens will have to rely more on Lamar Jackson in the running game this year. More designed runs will be called by offensive coordinator Greg Roman. So far, he’s done an exemplary job tailoring the offense to Jackson and playing to his strengths. Baltimore can still be a top 10 rushing unit this season, but whatever aspirations the team had regarding the playoffs may be extinguished now. It’ll be much easier for teams to game plan for Lamar Jackson because J. K. Dobbins isn’t there to add that extra factor in the running game.
Gus Edwards and Justice Hill will have to fill in the role for the Ravens to have a chance, especially Justice Hill. More snaps mean more of an opportunity to make an impact. He’ll have to take on the role of being the shifty and quick running back while Edwards brings the force. Otherwise, the deep postseason run that many expected Baltimore to make will end up relatively short. [pickup_prop id=”10894″]
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of game plan Roman comes up with at the start of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders. If the Ravens can execute an excellent running game plan, then there may be hope for the team. If the team struggles against a Raider defensive front that was 24th last year in stopping the run and is ranked 26th this year by PFF, it’ll be a long season offensively.
