Tag: Devonta Freeman

Ravens RB Devonta Freeman shares what he’s learned about the Baltimore organization

Ravens running back Devonta Freeman shared what he’s learned about the Baltimore organization since being with the team

The Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of new players walk through their doors during the 2021 season due to the injury and COVID circumstances that they’ve had to deal with. One of those players is running back Devonta Freeman, who has provided solid depth at the position after Baltimore lost both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards for the year to season-ending ailments.

When Freeman was asked about what he has learned about the Ravens’ organization during the time that he’s been with the team, the veteran said that the club has an attention to detail as well as the “importance to finish and fight”.

“Just attention to detail. A lot of things … I don’t want to leave anything out. But a lot of things that stick out to me is the attention to details, the importance to finish and fight, and be physical. Just come in and do your job and try to execute and be the best version of yourself. And do whatever you need to do to have success and come in and win.”

Freeman struggled to start the season, yet has ended up leading all Baltimore running backs in carries (128) and yards (555) while being tied with Latavius Murray for rushing touchdowns (5). He has also shown his prowess as a receiving option out of the backfield, and has picked up on many of the things that the organization does to be great both on and off of the field.

Ravens RB Devonta Freeman talks about performance of Baltimore OL in Week 17

Ravens running back Devonta Freeman discussed how the team’s offensive line performed in Week 17 against the Rams

The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 by the final score of 20-19. It was a heartbreaking way to lose the game, as it appeared that Baltimore was in position to win the game until the end, where Los Angeles made a comeback and stole the game away.

Running back Devonta Freeman had a nice game on Sunday, rushing the ball 14 times for 76 yards. After the matchup, he was asked about the performance of the offensive line in the contest, and had great things to say, including that he thought the offense played well as a whole.

“I think the [offensive] line did a hell of a job blocking. I feel like we played well as an offense, overall. Everyone was executing plays and going to the details. I just think we’ve got to finish strong and just figure out how to win – figure out how to finish and win.”

The running game has been very up and down for the Ravens in 2021. They’ve been missing J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards in a big way, but Freeman has improved over the course of the year. The offensive line has been a work in progress, especially without All-Pro Ronnie Stanley. However, they’ve had their flashes, which Freeman thought they had a lot of in Week 17.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh comments on performance of RB Devonta Freeman

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh commented on the performance of running back Devonta Freeman

The Baltimore Ravens have had to rely on some veteran running backs to help contribute to their rushing attack after losing J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards for the year before the 2021 season even began. One of those players is Devonta Freeman, who has shown some big improvement since his first few games in a Baltimore uniform.

When Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the performance of Freeman and if he’s someone who can be relied upon to give the team yards, he said that the veteran running back is “doing great”.

“He’s doing great. He’s running, he’s making guys miss. He seems like he’s getting stronger every week. He was strong in the fourth quarter, which was good to see. So, he’s done a great job.”

Freeman started off a bit slow in 2021, but through 13 weeks has 376 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 89 carries. He has also been a factor in the passing game, catching 23 passes for 170 yards and one receiving touchdown. He has displayed a knack for making guys miss with devastating jump cuts and even shows some power at times.

Baltimore’s 2021 run game hasn’t been what it was expected to be due to the losses of Dobbins and Edwards. The team has had to work with a plethora of new options this year, and so far Freeman has shown that he can make a positive impact.

Watch: Ravens drive 99 yards to strike first vs. Steelers

The Ravens capped off a 99-yard drive with a touchdown run by running back Devonta Freeman

The Baltimore Ravens have shown that when their is dominant when they’re clicking on all cylinders. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, running back Devonta Freeman scored a touchdown to finalize a 99-yard drive to strike first and give the Ravens a 7-0 lead.  The drive lasted a little over ten minutes with a mix of run-pass options, as well as improvising by quarterback Lamar Jackson

There were a couple of huge catches in the sequence, one by Patrick Ricard and one by tight end Mark Andrews that kept the drive alive on an important third down.  Baltimore absolutely controlled the time of possession at the time of the drive, as the Pittsburgh Steelers only had run a total of six plays up to that point.

Baltimore is one of the best teams in the NFL at holding the football on offense, and that kind of drive can give any team the type of confidence to win any game. They’ll need every down and every yard to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, as the rivalry always has hard-fought games.

Best Fantasy waiver wire pickups for Week 12: Logan Thomas returns from IR

These guys may help your fantasy roster.

Week 11 brought some wild upsets for some of the top teams in football as well as some ugly games between teams without their quarterbacks. We look toward the future this week, as we are getting into the last few games of the fantasy football regular season.

If you’re looking for a player or two to help save your team due to bye weeks (Kansas City Chiefs or Arizona Cardinals) or injuries, or just to improve your roster in the last few weeks, we will scan the waiver wire. We will consider guys who are available in at least 50% of leagues on ESPN.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential waiver wire pickups that could help your teams heading into Week 12 of the NFL campaign.

Watch: Tyler Huntley’s clutch game-winning drive leads Ravens win over Bears

Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley led a clutch game-winning drive to propel the team to a win against the Bears

The Baltimore Ravens were down 13-9 against the Chicago Bears with less than two minutes left in the game when quarterback Tyler Huntley led a clutch game-winning drive to lead the Ravens to a 16-13 win.

It was a five-play, 72-yard drive, but the play that set up the eventual game-winning touchdown run was a 30-yard pass from Huntley to wide receiver Sammy Watkins. It was due to a busted coverage, but it was a crucial play that ended up setting up the Ravens’ offense at the four-yard line.  On the next play, running back Devonta Freeman ran the ball in for what would end up being the game-winning touchdown.

It was Huntley’s first-career start in the NFL, and he was efficient throughout the contest but was sacked six times.  The offense struggled overall throughout the game, with Justin Tucker making three fields goals.

Huntley saved some of his best plays for last to set up the Baltimore for the win, which is important in keeping the AFC North lead.

Ravens draft RB in latest 2022 mock draft by Bleacher Report

The Ravens selected a running back in Bleacher Report’s latest 2022 NFL mock draft

The Baltimore Ravens have no shortage of talent at the running back position. They unfortunately don’t have the services of Gus Edwards or J.K. Dobbins in 2021 due to season-ending torn ACL injuries that the pair suffered, but they have both shown that they are two of the better backs in the NFL. In their stead, players such as Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, Le’Veon Bell and Ty’Son Williams have been carrying the load.

In their latest 2022 NFL mock draft, the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department made a selection for each and every first round pick. When picking for Baltimore, Nate Tice decided to give the team yet another running back in Iowa State University’s Breece Hall. When explaining the pick, Tice talked about how Hall could fit in with what the Ravens do on offense.

“Breece Hall’s size, vision and explosiveness would let him shine in any run scheme…Putting him with quarterback Lamar Jackson and a healthy Dobbins would give the Ravens’ rushing attack a true downhill option that synergizes the unit and would give it the pieces to go supernova.”

Hall has rushed for 3,454 yards and 42 total touchdowns in his two-plus years at Iowa State, including a whopping 985 yards 12 touchdowns on the ground through eight games in 2021, averaging 8.0 yards per carry. He has been a very high usage player however, with 644 carries since starting his college career.

The Iowa State star stands at 6-foot-1 and weight around 215 pounds. He has good footwork and excellent burst, while also being able to break tackles using his balance. He is a receiving threat out of the backfield as well, giving him true three-down back potential.

While Hall is certainly an exciting prospect, drafting a running back in the first round would be a questionable decision at best for a Baltimore team that has so many other holes to address on both sides of the ball, especially considering they used a second-round selection on Dobbins two years ago. It would make a lot more sense to see the Ravens draft a player at offensive tackle, defensive lineman, cornerback, or other positions.

Bleacher Report names rushing attack as Ravens ‘biggest surprise’ of 2021 season so far

Bleacher Report named the rushing attack as the “biggest surprise” of the Ravens’ 2021 season so far

The Baltimore Ravens have gone through a whirlwind of a year through the first seven weeks of the 2021 season. Injuries, wild finishes, unsung heroes and unexpected poor play from certain units have all been storylines for the team, but a few developments have been more surprising than others.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report listed out each NFL team’s “biggest surprise” of the 2021 season so far. For Baltimore, Kay chose the Ravens’ rushing attack as a whole. He highlighted the positives when it comes to the Baltimore ground game, including what quarterback Lamar Jackson has done.

“Baltimore is off to a 5-2 start and has a share of the lead in the AFC North largely because of its high-powered ground game. The team ranks No. 4 in the league in rushing offense after averaging nearly 150 yards per game. The Ravens have scored 10 rushing touchdowns, good for the third-most in the NFL…Jackson has unsurprisingly led the way, ranking first on the team in carries (76), rushing yards (480) and first downs (29) by a large margin.”

Kay then mentions how surprising it’s been that the rest of the Ravens’ ball carriers have carried the load despite losing running backs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.

“What is a surprise is how well Baltimore’s rushing attack is faring after losing its top three running backs before the campaign even kicked off…With J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill not making it out of preseason, the team has had to lean on unproven young players (Ty’Son Williams) and over the hill veterans (Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell) to move the ball on the ground…The team—which managed to tie the longstanding record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games earlier in the month—hasn’t been perfect, but even during a rare off night the ground game has remained strong.”

Despite the good box score statistics, people who have watched Baltimore run the ball know that something is missing, and the ground attack isn’t nearly what it once was. While Jackson has performed well, his new running backs haven’t quite put the pieces together yet, and the Ravens’ offensive line has struggled to win up front more than anticipated.

In Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Non-Lamar Jackson ball carriers averaged a measly 2.3 yards per carry. Baltimore could look to add another running back in the coming days as the trade deadline quickly approaches, because while the current group has put together a few positives, it hasn’t been as many as what people would have hoped for through seven weeks.

It’s no surprise that the Ravens miss both Dobbins and Edwards. However all things considered, Baltimore did a good job of pivoting after their injuries and adding quality veterans who could fill the voids that were left by the two star runners. Despite that, they might need more at the position, and the days leading up to the trade deadline will tell a lot about how the Ravens feel about their current group of running backs.

CBS Sports grades Ravens’ Week 6 win over Chargers

CBS Sports graded the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers

The Baltimore Ravens put together their most complete and dominant performance of the 2021 season in Week 6, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers by the final score of 34-6. Baltimore got off to a fast start and never looked back thanks to a combination of ball-control offense, a suffocating defense, and great play on special teams.

John Breech of CBS Sports graded each team’s performance in Week 6, and gave the Ravens very high marks for their game against the Chargers. Breech rewarded Baltimore with an “A” grade, citing their dominance as well as their success on both offense and defense.

“How about that statement made by Baltimore against a Chargers team that appeared unbeatable based on how it played the last three weeks? The Ravens made your 2016 fantasy football team proud as Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Le’Veon Bell each had a rushing touchdown. Baltimore took full advantage of the Los Angeles run defense, finishing with 38 carries for 187 yards (4.9 yards per carry) in the win. The Ravens’ defense was also dominant, allowing just six points to Herbert and the electric Chargers offense — and might not have allowed any if it wasn’t for an ill-advised Jackson interception to give the Chargers a short field. John Harbaugh, Jackson and Freeman downplayed it, but this was a statement win for Baltimore against a division leader. The Ravens have the look of the best team in the AFC, beating their opponents in different ways each week. Don’t be surprised if Baltimore ends up with home-field advantage in the AFC come January.”

Like Breech mentions, this was absolutely a statement win by the Ravens. They were able to get each of their active running backs involved in Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell, and Devonta Freeman, and didn’t need a superhuman performance by quarterback Lamar Jackson to win the game. The defense stepped up to the plate after struggling in a few areas, and Baltimore was able to knock off a very good football team in the Chargers.

Ravens reportedly receive trade inquires for RBs

The Ravens have reportedly received trade inquires for their running backs

The Baltimore Ravens lost three running backs to major injuries before the 2021 season began. While some teams might have been mentally defeated, the Ravens took on the challenge and brought in backs that could help make up for the stars that they lost.

Ahead of the Ravens’ Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, it was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN that teams have reached out to Baltimore about their current group of running backs.

When the Ravens’ lost their starting rotation at running back, the team signed former New Orleans Saints running backs Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman. Baltimore then brought in running back Le’Veon Bell, who last played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Those running backs would join second-year rusher Ty’Son Williams who was recently a healthy scratch from the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Bell made the move to the active roster in place of Williams.

Murray appears to be the Ravens No. 1 back and it would be shocking if the team decided to trade him away. Before Week 4, Williams was the guy behind Murray. Freeman and Bell have made little impact on the team so far. Freeman has rushed for 41 yards in four games while Bell only has 11 rushing yards since making his Ravens debut.

While the teams who have reached out to the Ravens’ have not been made public, many around the league seem to be in the market for depth at the running back position. It’s also not clear who Baltimore would be willing to trade away.

The NFL’s trade deadline is November 2nd this season. It wouldn’t be surprising if talks heated up in the coming weeks or if a move is made right before the deadline expired.