The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 of the 2021 season. It could be a game that comes down to the wire, as both teams enter the matchup with a 4-1 record and plenty of playmakers on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
While Baltimore has dealt with a massive amount of injuries so far this year, it appears that they could be getting a big boost on offense, as rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman could make his Ravens debut in Week 6. When asked about the first-round pick, Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that Bateman is “looking good”.
“He obviously hadn’t played football for a while [since] he got that procedure done. He’s looking good. He’s looking good. I think as he ramps in, he should do nothing but get better. His temperament, his attitude [and] everything has been A-plus. I don’t think we’re going to throw him into the fire for every play; I think we’re going to build him into the plan on a week-to-week basis. Rashod [Bateman] is going to have a long and fruitful career, and this is just the first step. So, we will integrate him into the plan when the time is right.”
Roman’s comments about not throwing Bateman “into the fire” make sense, especially considering he is coming off of a big injury while also still being a rookie who missed the entire preseason and the first month of the regular season. He will most likely need time to ramp up his activity and get familiar with the NFL game, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a big impact.
The Ravens could be without wide receiver Sammy Watkins for an extended period of time depending on how serious the veteran’s injury is. If that is the case, Bateman could be one of the players that Baltimore relies on to pick up some of the production that Watkins would have given them.
There are plenty of ways that Bateman could be used in the Ravens’ offense. He is a dynamic playmaker with a massive amount of potential, and his ability to play both outside as well as inside gives Baltimore a versatile chess piece. If he does make his NFL debut over the weekend, it will be interesting to see what Roman and the Ravens have in store for the rookie.