OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens gave no official word on the future of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg the day after their season officially came to an end with a 27-10 loss in Cincinnati.
Even if quarterback Joe Flacco knew of the organization’s intentions, he didn’t tip his hand on Monday.
“I have not heard much,” said Flacco, who added that he hadn’t been asked for his opinion by anyone in the organization. “As far as I am concerned, there really is not much uncertainty. I do not really anticipate anything happening.”
Many expect the Ravens to move on from Mornhinweg, who replaced Marc Trestman a day after the Week 5 loss to Washington. Head coach John Harbaugh’s official statement on the day of the change said only that Mornhinweg would serve as offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season.
Harbaugh was scheduled to address the media on Tuesday morning.
After averaging 18.8 points per game over their first five games under Trestman, the Ravens scored 22.6 points per contest with Mornhinweg calling the plays, but the lack of commitment to the running game persisted throughout the season. Baltimore set a franchise single-season low in rushing attempts for the second straight year while Flacco attempted a career-high 672 passes.
The ninth-year quarterback did eclipse the 4,000-yard passing mark for the first time in his career, but his 6.42 yards per attempt were just shy of his career low (6.37) set in 2013. Despite having two vertical threats in veteran Mike Wallace and 2015 first-round pick Breshad Perriman, Flacco rarely attempted to push the ball down the field, often settling for shorter passes and check-down throws.
“We need to find some ways to shorten some of our drives and have some bigger plays,” Flacco said. “I think that will all help moving forward. We probably have to run the ball a little bit more, but I think being ahead in some games is going to help that out. Some of the bigger plays will cut down on some of our long drives and hopefully make it a little easier for us.”
The Ravens ranked 12th in the NFL in passing yards this season, but their 6.4 yards per attempt finished 28th out of 32 teams. They finished 17th in total offense and 21st in points per game while ranking 21st in yards per carry at 4.0.
A vocal supporter of Harbaugh’s decision to replace Trestman, tight end Dennis Pitta expressed desire to maintain continuity when asked about potential changes on Monday.
“I don’t even have any idea what’s going to happen on that front,” said Pitta, who set a new franchise single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 86. “It’s a league of change, and you anticipate that every year. There’s always a lot of turnover with players; there’s turnover with coaches. Personally, I’d like to see us have some consistency and stay with the group that we’ve got. I think we have a lot to build upon, but I’m not the decision-maker, so I don’t know.”
