Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has the keys to the offense but he won’t move forward if his mind remains in neutral.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may seem like an easy opponent for the Baltimore Ravens this upcoming weekend. However, the Steelers’ defense forced two interceptions from Cleveland Browns quarterback Shadeur Sanders in their Week 17 loss, 13-6. With this in mind, offensive coordinator Todd Monken should refrain from using any trick plays and stick to a straightforward game plan. This means focusing on the running game against the Steelers in Week 18.
Monken dialed up 53 rushing plays to outlast the Green Bay Packers 41-24 in week 17. However, the lopsided result wasn’t purely a demonstration of Monken’s brilliance; it was instead the supernatural talent of running back Derrick Henry, as well as two forced turnovers that allowed the Ravens to escape Lambeau with a legit chance at the AFC playoffs. After the game score had tightened up to 27-24 in the 2nd-half on week 17, Henry ignited for a 25-yard touchdown run late on the team’s final scoring drive with 1:56 to go. The question is: will the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson prompt Monken to revert to his pass-game-loving antics?
NFL analysts have beaten the horse overly, and Monken is finally starting to show signs of adhering to the prescribed remedy for his struggles, as exemplified by week 17. Nevertheless, if Monken at any point in Sunday’s game gets hooked into consecutive negative plays, he may be tempted to comb through his trick bag and fall back in love with the pass. Hopefully, Monken has learned his lesson this time and will be able to lead the Ravens to another AFC North divisional title.