Newly-acquired running-back Mark Ingram had some high praise of the Ravens backfield for 2019.
On Monday, March 18th, the NFL’s official Twitter tweeted an image of Lamar Jackson with quotes from newly-signed running back, Mark Ingram. While each of Ingram’s blurbs should elicit hopes in the eyes of Ravens fans, many fans of other teams were critical of Ingram’s comments and the NFL’s caption which read “name a better QB-RB duo.”
Name a better QB-RB duo. 😈😈@Lj_era8 | @MarkIngram22 | @Ravens pic.twitter.com/OfcG9A7Eh6
— NFL (@NFL) March 19, 2019
Jackson and Ingram haven’t played a down in the NFL together. They are not the top duo in football. However, the pair should be effective in leading the Ravens to a more productive 2019 season.
Jackson’s shortcomings as a passer do not lend themselves to Jackson being the best quarterback, but as a runner, Jackson has forced other defenses to adapt to a throwback approach to pounding the rock.
While other fans are correct in that Jackson and Ingram are not the best duo in football, the idea that the two will be unsuccessful comes across as baffling. Even if Ingram is not a perfect fit, the Ravens have the personnel and the scheme to develop a plethora of quality running options on a play-to-play basis.
The fit may not be the best in the NFL, but the running game will be productive as long as Jackson, the backfield, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman resist complacency.
Comment 1: “I think it’s going to be dangerous.”
Ingram is correct. At the most basic level, the 2018 Ravens succeeded based on scheme more than backfield talent or offensive line talent. Despite the strides made by Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon, the lack of high-end talent running the football was evident against the Chargers in the playoffs.
Edwards and Dixon can be exceptional runners at times, but they tend to be more reliant on open holes generated by the scheme. Edwards, in particular, excelled at running downhill. According to Pro Football Focus, the undrafted free agent averaged the least amount of time between receiving a handoff and hitting the line of scrimmage. Ingram also finished in the top five of that statistic.
Based on the no-nonsense style of running which Edwards possessed, the Ravens were able to limit negative plays which boosted the offense significantly. Edwards also ranked at the top of the NFL in eliminating negative runs. With Edwards reducing bad plays, the Ravens often faced fewer must-pass downs through the course of Jackson’s starts. With the infusion of a tremendous talent in Ingram, the Ravens will certainly be more dangerous on the ground in 2019.
Comment 2: “I think we’re going to be explosive.”
In a similar vein to the “dangerous” comment, Ingram anticipated his arrival will contribute to more long-yardage plays in the Ravens rushing attack.
For most of the season, the Ravens were unable to significantly shorten the field with a single run. Up until the last few weeks, the Ravens’ longest run came on a Jackson 22-yard scamper. Jackson had not become the starter at that point.
In the final few weeks of the season, Jackson, Dixon, and Edwards broke off long runs against the Chargers and Browns, but as a whole, the Ravens lacked explosive rushing plays for most of the season.
While Ingram is not an incredibly speedy back, he has tremendous vision and ability to extend runs into the second and third level. For the Ravens, the addition of Ingram should aid the explosive rushing ability of Dixon and Edwards as they will be utilized in secondary roles. As change-of-pace backs, Dixon and Edwards offer a new weapon as the rested backs can attack against a worn down defense.
The main beneficiary of the Ingram acquisition could be Jackson. While Jackson had many running lanes with Dixon and Edwards flanking him, a high-level talent like Ingram could draw even more attention away from the Louisville product. While defenses will still key on Jackson, the presence of Ingram could mean a slight change in personnel or scheme for the defensive unit. With an extra set of eyes on Ingram, Jackson should be able to slither through newfound holes and add a handful of explosive runs to the Ravens’ tally in 2019.
The 2018 Ravens rushing attack was predicated on consistent chunks of yardage. In particular, both Edwards and Dixon averaged over 5.2 yards per carry. The Ravens may not be able to replicate the metronomic efficiency of five-yard runs, but the presence of more explosive plays will cancel out any negative runs and produce an offense which operates at a high level.
Comment 3: “I think we’re going to change the game.”
Ingram nails a point with this comment as the presence of Jackson, Ingram, Dixon, and Edwards offers incredible potential for sub packages and a variety of play calls in a range of situations.
While Jackson provides the overwhelming electricity in the quartet, the trio of running backs offers versatility in running styles and running alleys. While the common denominator for all three backs is of the north-south variety, each back introduces a new wrinkle.
Ingram is the most talented of the backs, but his most important skill could be drawing attention away from other members of the backfield. Dixon and Edwards are very similar in style, but Dixon adds an additional level of gritty running and tackle-breaking while Edwards offers a high floor through his ability to avoid losses.
Other teams in the NFL may have more talented backs, but the Ravens should be able to operate with absurd efficiency on a down-to-down basis. The Ravens may not reach the peaks of the end of 2018, but they should be penciled in as the league’s best rushing team in 2019.
The Ravens could end the 2019 season in contention for the record for most rushing yards in a season, currently 3,165 by the 1978 Patriots. The Ravens are by no means a lock to reach the record, but if Jackson’s starts in 2018 are any indication, the Ravens could near 200 yards rushing per game which would break the record during week 17.
