The Baltimore Ravens have had many key players step up for them over the course of the 2021 season so far. Whether looking at offense, defense, or even special teams, plenty of plays have been made by guys who weren’t in line to have big roles early in the year.
While some Baltimore players have made big impacts and thrived, others have gone through their fair share of struggles. Brett Sobleski of Bleacher Report named who he thinks has been the biggest early-season disappointment for each NFL team, and for the Ravens chose inside linebacker Patrick Queen. When explaining his decision, Sobleski noted that while he’s talented, he plays a bit too out of control for his liking.
“Patrick Queen is a talented, athletic linebacker who has flashed brilliance during his first 20 regular-season games with the Baltimore Ravens…Conversely, he plays a little out of control and misses too many tackles, posting six this year.”
Sobleski also talked about how the second-year linebacker must tackle better.
“Queen, 22, displays tremendous range and playmaking ability. But he must break down and play better in space to realize his full potential. He regularly does his job properly. It’s when he whiffs that it becomes problematic for the entire unit.”
Although Queen hasn’t had the best start to the 2021 season, he had a good opening performance against the Las Vegas Raiders and also has shown flashes in other spots as well. He is still learning the ins and outs of the NFL game, so some growing pains are to be expected.
Many have placed extremely high expectations on Queen, especially considering how the linebacker performed during the preseason. However, it’s not uncommon for young players to struggle, especially ones who don’t have a ton of starting experience in college. Hopefully as the 2021 season progresses Queen can show a bit more consistency, but for now he’s merely showing that he still has room to grow, which isn’t such a bad thing considering the fact that he’s still so young.