OWINGS MILLS, Md. โ With the Ravens sporting one of the worst offenses in the NFL, John Harbaugh had to know the question was coming about offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.
What gives the 10th-year head coach confidence that Mornhinweg has the struggling unit going in the right direction?
โI think Martyโs a great coach. Thereโs no question in my mind about it,โ Harbaugh said. โIโve seen him over the years. I know what he can do. I know what heโs trying to do. I know what all the coaches are trying to do.
โYou do everything you can to put your guys in position to make plays, and youโre in it together. The players are in it together; the coaches are in it together. Weโre fighting together to try and do it.โ
Baltimore currently ranks 28th or worse in the NFL in total yards per game, passing yards per game, yards per passing attempt, and third-down conversion percentage. The Ravensโ 19.0 points per game rank 24th, but the defense and special teams have combined to score three touchdowns over the last two games and three of their nine offensive touchdowns on the season have come on drives of 40 or fewer yards.
In other words, the offense has received plenty of help and is still scoring at a below-average level.
The only saving grace of the unit has been the running game as the Ravens rank seventh in rushing yards per contest and 10th in yards per carry, but much of that credit goes to senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach Greg Roman, who was specifically hired to revamp a rushing attack that had struggled the previous two seasons. That success has led many to wonder if Roman might be the better choice to lead the offense if the Ravens continue to struggle to such a dramatic degree.
To be fair, Mornhinweg has endured a slew of injuries to offensive players dating back to organized team activities and wasnโt the one who chose to exhaust most offseason resources on the defense despite a below-average offense from last season losing several key players. Nine of the 16 Ravens currently on injured reserve are offensive players, a list that doesnโt include former tight end Dennis Pitta.
โAnytime you try to pin the blame on any one person in a team sport like this, thatโs always going to be a mistake,โ Harbaugh said. โThatโs nonsensical. It just doesnโt work that way. But I understand thatโs how it works. We all understand that.โ
Mornhinweg certainly doesnโt deserve all of the blame for the offensive failures, but the same was true for former offensive coordinators Cam Cameron and Marc Trestman when Harbaugh fired them in 2012 and 2016, respectively. The one-year anniversary of Trestmanโs dismissal fell last week, and the Ravens offense currently ranks worse statistically than it did last year in nearly every major category.
Injury report
Harbaugh didnโt offer much clarity on the status of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who missed Sundayโs game against Chicago with a shoulder injury.
Maclin practiced all week on a limited basis and even went through a pre-game workout on Sunday morning, but the Ravens coach didnโt indicate how close the veteran wideout was to being able to play. The Ravens failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time all season in the 27-24 loss to the Bears
โI donโt really know how close it was. Thatโs up to the doctors,โ Harbaugh said. โThat would be something you have to ask them. They donโt really tell us how close a guy is. There is no percentage on that that I am aware of.โ
In addition to Maclinโs absence, the Ravens lost both wide receiver Breshad Perriman (concussion) and tight end Maxx Williams (ankle) in the second quarter Sunday. Harbaugh had no update on either member of the 2015 draft class.
โWe hope to have all of our guys back next week,โ Harbaugh said. โWe will just have to see how it shakes out.โ
Defensive tackles Brandon Williams (foot) and Carl Davis (hamstring), guard Matt Skura (knee), running back Terrance West (calf), cornerback Jaylen Hill (hamstring), and linebacker Tim Williams (thigh) were all inactive on Sunday. It was the first time this season that the Ravens didnโt have a single healthy scratch among their seven game-day inactives.
Jimmy Smith increases workload
After being limited to seven snaps in the Week 5 win at Oakland, cornerback Jimmy Smith played 69 of 80 snaps against the Bears, a positive sign for a standout defensive player whoโs been limited by Achilles tendinitis in recent weeks.
โHe made it out of the game great. Jimmy did well,โ Harbaugh said. โHe was good. Heโs probably sore from the game, but he played all the snaps. He played excellent. I thought all our corners played exceptionally well.โ
With Smith nearly back to full strength, rookie first-round pick Marlon Humphrey played only 12 defensive snaps while veteran starter Brandon Carr played all but two on Sunday. The Ravens didnโt run their nickel and dime packages nearly as frequently with the Bears running the ball a whopping 54 times for 231 yards.
Kaufusi doesnโt help thin defensive line
That heavy volume in the Chicago running game led to a long day for an already-thin defensive line.
Baltimoreโs three starters up front โ Willie Henry, Michael Pierce, and Chris Wormley โ all played at least 54 defensive snaps with Henry finishing with a whopping 68, a very high total for a defensive lineman. In contrast, reserve 5-technique defensive end Bronson Kaufusi played only five defensive snaps, leading one to wonder if he may have sustained an injury at some point over the course of the game.
โHe was healthy. You have to play well, and heโs learning, to be honest with you,โ Harbaugh said. โWe had to stop the run, and we needed a little more physicality in there. Fifty-four snaps [for each starting defensive lineman] is probably a lot, but we had 80 defensive snaps [total]. You earn your snaps.โ
Harbaugh sticks up for Mornhinweg amidst Ravens' offensive woes
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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