|
By
Shehan Peiris
(Featured Columnist)
on November 19, 2013
reads
Share
Tweet
Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more storiesNext
Ray Rice was a big part of the Ravens' best rushing performance of 2013.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The Baltimore Ravens experienced a two-hour game delay in Week 11, but that wasn’t the most surprising aspect of their game against the Chicago Bears. That honor belongs to the resurgence of the running game. Ray Rice and the Ravens had their most successful rushing performance of the season, and it was the result of a total team effort.
Here is a breakdown of the most important factors that jump-started the rushing attack against the Bears.
Ray Rice
David Banks/Getty Images
Rice looked quick and explosive despite the water-logged field and unfavorable conditions.
Ray Rice showed great burst and vision, looking much better at finding the running lanes and exploding through creases. He started the game off with a bang, breaking his first carry of the day for a 47-yard gain.
NFL GameRewind
Ray Rice's first carry of the game was his longest run of the year; courtesy of NFL GameRewind.
He’s running a stretch play off the left tackle (dotted arrow), but he makes the correct read and cuts back behind left guard A.Q. Shipley. With no penetration by the defensive line and the Ravens reaching the second level with their blocks, Rice can surge through the lane and he blew by defenders to pick up 47 yards.
Additionally, he showed patience and looked much better at making cuts and keeping his pads low to pick up extra yards.
On this seven-yard gain, he reads the defense and makes two quick jump cuts to avoid oncoming defenders.
NFL GameRewind
Ray Rice seven-yard gain; courtesy of NFL GameRewind.
Rice received a lot of criticism over the past few weeks, but he bounced back in spectacular fashion. He didn't look old, slow or injured against Chicago. He just looked like the Ray Rice we've come to know and love.
He deserves a lot of credit for the rushing success, but he wasn’t alone in an improved performance. He was the biggest beneficiary of improved offensive line play.
Run-Blocking
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
The offensive line was dominant in Week 11. Can they continue to play so well?
According to the analysts at ProFootballFocus, last week was Baltimore’s best run-blocking performance of 2013 by a wide margin.
ProFootballFocus
ProFootballFocus' run-blocking grades for the entire O-line in every game this season.
They were led by Marshal Yanda, who turned in a performance that earned the highest single-game grade by an NFL offensive lineman this year (subscription required).
It’s an obvious point to make, but the offensive line just blocked much better than we’ve seen this season. Each player did a great job of winning their individual battles, finishing blocks, getting to the second level and leaving nobody unblocked.
For the first time all season, the O-line won the battle in the trenches, and we frequently saw Bears players knocked on their backsides.
The dominance of the line was on full display for Rice’s touchdown on the opening drive. Baltimore was lined up in a Jumbo formation on the 1-yard line, with seven linemen and a fullback.
NFL GameRewind
Rice's TD against the Bears; courtesy of NFL GameRewind.
The right side of the line (light blue) sealed off the running lane and two linemen (A.Q. Shipley and Rick Wagner, circled in green) pulled from the backside to clear the path for Ray Rice to stroll into the end zone without a scratch.
NFL GameRewind
The carnage that lies behind Rice is the most impressive part of the TD; broadcast footage courtesy of NFL GameRewind.
It wasn’t the play call but the execution that was noticeable. As Rice jogged in for the score, there were four Bears that had been blocked to the ground.
Play-calling
Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Caldwell mixed up the running plays and it was very effective.
Baltimore had success by mixing up their running plays and blocking schemes. They still used mostly zone runs, but they mixed it up by calling a number of Power and Trap plays.
They pulled backside linemen on the touchdown, but they also did that many more times in the game. For example, Bernard Pierce picked up seven yards on this play when Marshal Yanda pulled around and was his lead blocker.
On this trap play, Michael Oher (pink) and Yanda (blue) leave defensive linemen unblocked and get to the second level.
NFL GameRewind
The guards were active all day, pulling around to pave the way for the backs; courtesy of NFL GameRewind.
Corey Wootton (circled in red) thinks he has a free run at Rice, but A.Q. Shipley (green) pulls around and stuffs him which allows Rice to cut between Shipley and Yanda for a six-yard gain.
Another wrinkle that the Ravens added was the use of the draw play. They’ve used draw plays throughout the season, but offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell has generally reserved them for 3rd-and-long situations.
Toward the end of regulation, Baltimore used a couple of draw plays on first down to surprise the defense and the results were excellent.
On this draw play, Gino Gradkowski and Ed Dickson release and make second-level blocks on the linebackers which gave Rice ample room to pick up 13 yards.
NFL GameRewind
Draw plays were effective against the Bears; courtesy of NFL GameRewind
The execution was tremendous for most of the game, but the diverse play-calling kept the Bears off-balance.
Matchup
David Banks/Getty Images
The Bears are the second-worst defense against the run.
An important factor to consider when looking at the rushing production from this game was the state of Chicago’s defense. They are the second-worst run defense in the league, allowing 134 rushing yards per game.
In addition, they were missing a number of defensive starters like Lance Briggs, Henry Melton and Charles Tillman.
It was definitely a good sign that the offensive line was able to force the issue last week, but it came against one of the weakest defensive lines in the league.
We’ll see how dramatic the improvements are this weekend when Baltimore hosts the best run defense in the league: the New York Jets.
New York Jets vs. Chicago Bears: Run Defense
Team
PFF Run Defense Grade
NFL Rank
New York Jets
+80.9
Chicago Bears
-52.9
32
PFF refers to ProFootballFocus.com
It’s unreasonable to expect a repeat performance against such a great defensive unit, but some of the improvements should be visible.
In Week 12, we’ll get an idea of whether there is hope for the ground game or whether their Week 11 performance was just a mirage.
Share
Tweet
G+
Flag Article
This article is
a duplicate
offensive
plagiarized
What is the duplicate article?
Why is this article offensive?
Where is this article plagiarized from?
Why is this article poorly edited?
Flag This Article
Baltimore Ravens: Like this team?
More Articles You'll Like
Takeaways from Baltimore's 23-20 Loss to Chicago
Full Roster Report Card Grades for Ravens
Week 12 NFL Power Rankings
or sign up
Shared by https://bleacherreport.com