If Cam Cameron's offense was a stock you bought back in 2008 you'd have lost money by now…but just barely. After four years the offense is scoring fewer points per game now with better personnel and a more experienced quarterback than it was back in 2008. The third down conversion rate and Red Zone scoring percentage have been basically flat the last four seasons.   Did you as a fan expect a better, more efficient offense after four years under Cameron?   I know I did.   Maybe we should be satisfied with scoring 20 points or less in nearly half the games each year.  Was it unrealistic to think they could score 24 points last week against the Patriots?  I would say no and the game should not have come down to the final seconds.   Fans seem divided on the decision to retain Cameron and there is an argument to be made for consistency.  But there is also a case to be made for seeing improvement and the numbers below say the offense has not ...

The differences between the Ravens and Patriots really couldn’t be more clearly defined. We have the better defense and they have the better offense. The Ravens QB is solid with a blue collar playing style, while the Patriots QB is nearing the status of deity. The Ravens have the star running back in Ray Rice and the Patriots don’t have a single RB that could be viewed as a legitimate starter. So what does it really come down to when you get beyond the obvious comparisons? One barometer commonly used is comparing strength of schedule (SOS). The Ravens SOS for the regular season was .476, while the Patriots came in at .449. In games against teams with a winning record the Ravens are 7-1, including the playoff win over Houston; and the Patriots are 0-2. While SOS can be used when breaking down two teams, recent history shows it’s not a major factor in the outcome of the AFC Championship game. Over the last 5 AFC title games the team having the higher ...

It’s not often you see the Ravens call a timeout three plays in to their first offensive possession. Usually it would give one cause for concern, but this time the next play resulted in a 70 yard touchdown run by star running back Ray Rice. Right guard Marshall Yanda made a critical block on the play and his value can’t be overstated as he is one of the premier run blockers in the NFL. After the quick score the offense was off the TD watch that began last week in the Cleveland game.  Add a Flacco to Pitta TD pass and another score by Rice and the Ravens had secured a 24-16 road win that clinched the AFC North Division.  The offense might not be getting more explosive, but it is becoming more efficient.  During the second half of the season the Red Zone conversion percentage has been 62% compared to 43% for the first eight games. The touchdown conversion rate is a major factor for this team to be successful specifically because the passing game is pedestrian...

Game 15 – December 27, 2011 When you realize your team has earned a spot in the playoffs you hope they’re starting to peak and perform at their best.  You want to watch them and get a feeling of confidence and swagger. But that’s not what I feel when I watch the Ravens offense not score a touchdown in the second half and show the inability to close the door on a team having a 4-11 record. Make no mistake about it, there will come a time in the playoffs when the offense has to win the game by scoring more than three points in the second half. The last TD by the offense in the Cleveland game came with 8:58 left in the second quarter. Yes, you read that correctly. After a solid first quarter the offense sputtered for 45 minutes and a twenty point lead became a nail-biter in the fourth quarter. The fast start was something we’ve seen all too infrequently lately. Over the last eight games in the first quarter the offense has been shut out four times while fi...

Game 14 – December 20, 2011 We all saw it on Sunday night again; another poor performance by the offense in a road game.  Seven sacks allowed, two turnovers, and only 14 points scored. The formula is simple for the Ravens in road games; score less than 20 points and go home with a loss. It’s happened four times in road games and the outcome is the same every time. Is it the play calling? Is it Joe Flacco’s inability to effectively work the pocket? Is the offensive line just not good enough outside the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium?  Whatever the reasons are they add up to the Ravens being a poor road team. Numbers don’t lie and there might be something to the Ravens being a turf team. On grass their record this year is just 2-3 while on turf they are 8-1. The Chargers loss highlights some other seasonal trends. The Ravens struggle when Ray Rice does not score a rushing touchdown as they are now 3-4 this season. Since the offense is not o...

Two key factors for winning in the NFL are limiting turnovers and converting in the Red Zone. Both have been improving during the Ravens current four game win streak. Over the last four games the offense has converted at a rate of 57.7% and now has its highest league ranking in months. Joe Flacco has thrown five TDs compared to only two interceptions and Ray Rice has four rushing touchdowns. It’s clear the recent increase in efficiency ads up to wins, but which stats really comprise the winning formula for the Ravens in 2011? The biggest indicator for a Ravens win is when Ray Rice has a rushing touchdown; they are 7-0 in those games. When the team commits less than two turnovers they are 6-0 and 0-3 when they have two or more. The Ravens are 5-0 when Joe Flacco has no interceptions and 3-3 when Ray Rice does not run for a score. Now the Ravens face a dangerous Chargers team that finds its offense peaking at a critical time and coming off a 37-10 win over Buffalo. Recent histo...

By: Scot Kleinfeld: Game 12 – December 6, 2011 There was nothing fancy about the game plan last week versus Cleveland. Sometimes the combination of a team’s weakness and bad weather makes the plan of attack obvious. Ray Rice and Ricky Williams totaled 45 carries for 280 yards and two touchdowns to power the Ravens over, around and through the Browns. The 204 yards for Rice were a career best. It’s a good sign when your QB completes only 10 passes and the offense still has a productive day.  Now Rice and the Ravens return home where they face the Indianapolis Colts who are ranked 30th against the run. At home this season Rice has 126 carries for 500 yards and seven touchdowns. In a game that should never be in doubt you should expect a lot more of Ricky and Ray and also see Cameron work in some deep routes to Torrey Smith and Lee Evans. The ground game should remain front and center as weather will become a factor for the rest of the season and in the playoffs....

Tracking the Ravens offense in 2011: Flacco Shines as Offense Converts on Critical Drive By: Scot Kleinfeld: Game 11 – November 29, 2011 Sometimes you only need one good drive when your defense is playing lights out football. Against the 49ers that drive started at the Ravens 24 yard line with 7:30 left in the third quarter and ended with Joe Flacco throwing a dart to TE Dennis Pitta for an 8-yard touchdown pass. In a game that saw the offense go one of four in the Red Zone, the drive producing the touchdown was a thing of beauty that featured four third-down conversions to three different receivers.  Joe Flacco finished with a 100.1 rating while going 15 of 23 for 161 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT.  If there was a BTN game ball it would go to the offensive line that more than held its own against one of the league’s better defenses and did not allow a single sack. Now the question facing the offense is whether they can deliver on the road against an inferior opponent...

Game 10 – November 22, 2011 When your quarterback and star running back have nearly the identical number of touches you can call your offense balanced. Cam Cameron dialed up 27 pass plays and Ray Rice had a combined 25 touches as the offense topped 30 points for the first time since the week four win over the NY Jets. The return to normalcy proved a winning formula as the Ravens were 2/3 in the Red Zone and Flacco finished the game with a 105.5 QB rating. The offense is now averaging 31.8 points per game at home compared to 19.4 in away games. One encouraging aspect of the win over Cincinnati is the evolution of the passing game. Last week at Seattle the receivers were secondary to the tight-ends. The win over the Bengals saw the opposite as Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith each had a touchdown catch, while Ed Dickson was held to two receptions for only 21 yards. How does a defense game plan for the Ravens if they can’t get consistent pressure on Joe Flacco when he now ha...

The Ravens offense went scoreless in the first quarter for the third time in a road game this year and was unable to mount a comeback after falling behind to Seattle 10-0. Once might be a fluke, twice might be hard to explain, but three times is a disturbing trend that can’t be ignored. For some reason this year the offense can’t get off the bus against inferior teams and a game that should have been a cake walk turned into a loss that puts a dent in the chances of securing a home playoff game in the post season. Cam Cameron hasn’t been able to solve the 4-3 defense and once again a team with a losing record is able to hold the offense under 20 points. In the three road losses to Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle the Ravens have scored an average of just 12.3 points. Why does an offensive coordinator ask the league’s 26th ranked quarterback to throw the ball 52 times to a wide-receiving corps that is no better than average on its best day? Was QB Joe Flacc...