Baltimore Beatdown
Flock Nation is starting to believe in the Ravens again.
Fan confidence has risen to 53%, according to the latest SB Nation Reacts survey, up from 23% two weeks ago and the highest mark since Week 3.
It has been a trying year in Baltimore. Super Bowl expectations evaporated with a slew of injuries to key players in the first four weeks of the season. The Ravens went 1-3 in that period, turning fans’ focus from getting through the postseason to getting to the postseason. Lamar Jackson exited Baltimore’s Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, which dropped fan confidence into the single-digits.
The return of players like Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey led to a post-bye rebound to 23%, but a Tyler Huntley-led win over the Bears that took fan confidence back above 50% in more than a month. Curiously, Flock Nation did not respond to Jackson’s return, an impressive win in Miami, and the acquisition of veteran edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones – fan confidence only went from 51% to 53% between Weeks 9 and 10. This could be a reflection of fan disappointment in the Ravens’ somewhat quiet trade deadline. Jones is a solid addition, but Tuesday brought some bigger trades featuring players that would have helped Baltimore’s ailing defense.
The Ravens’ next opportunity to inspire more faith from their fans comes on Sunday in Minnesota. Vikings defensive coach Brian Flores gave Jackson plenty of trouble in 2021, so having an effective plan to beat the blitz will be another test of Todd Monken’s offensive game-planning. Zach Orr will aim to continue the Ravens’ defensive bounce-back against Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who will be playing in just his fourth NFL game. Expect Orr to turn up the heat with aggressive blitzing on early downs to force McCarthy into tougher passing situations.
A decisive win over a well-coached team in Minnesota would be another feather in the Ravens’ caps as they seek to turn their season around and get in position to compete for the AFC North crown.
