season in review – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ running backs

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler had a remarkable 2022 season.

In the modern pass-first NFL, a solid running game is something of a novelty, but the Los Angeles Chargers proved in 2022 that a throwback run-and-shoot strategy can still work. Quarterback Justin Herbert has lifted Los Angeles to new heights with his work in the passing game, but veteran running back Austin Ekeler’s effort on the ground helped immensely in the Chargers’ fight for a playoff spot.

Ekeler carried the ball 204 times in 2022 for 915 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in what would be the most productive season of his career. However, his role as a receiver was an underrated part of his campaign as well, and he managed to add 722 receiving yards to his season total with five touchdowns through the air to boot.

Behind Ekeler, third-year back Joshua Kelley found modest success as a runner in 13 appearances, tallying 287 yards and two touchdowns. Though he only made one start on the season, Kelley carved out a legitimate role for himself in the Chargers’ offense and should prove to be valuable depth at the position moving forward.

Three other running backs carried the ball for Los Angeles as well, though they weren’t nearly as productive. Veteran Sony Michel, rookie Isaiah Spiller, and second-year back Larry Rountree combined for 166 yards on 67 carries over the course of the year, good for an average of just 2.2 yards per carry. None were able to find the end zone in 2022.

The last piece of the puzzle in the Chargers’ backfield is fullback Zander Horvath, who makes his money as a lead blocker. Though he isn’t often thought of as a key piece to Brandon Staley’s offensive attack, Horvath has proven to be an asset in the running game.

Los Angeles shouldn’t be too concerned about adding another running back in the offseason, though if they want to pursue depth at the position they may decide to take a flier on a late-round draft prospect. Their less-than-ideal situation relative to the salary cap will make it difficult to justify spending more than a minimal amount of money at the position and should serve to cement Ekeler’s role as the team’s lead back ahead of the 2023 season.

Chargers’ 2022 season-in-review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ quarterbacks

The Chargers are in great shape at the quarterback position.

The quarterback position has never been as important as it is now across the NFL, and the Chargers have secured themselves a true franchise signal-caller in Justin Herbert.

His expert play in his third season as a professional football player helped Los Angeles achieve their first playoff berth since 2018 this season, though the outcome of their Wild Card matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars left something to be desired.

For his part, though, Herbert’s performance was exceptional. Throughout the regular season, he threw for over 4,700 yards and 25 touchdowns while only being intercepted ten times. He was also the team’s third-leading rusher by yardage but could not find the end zone on the ground.

While he might not have lit up the stat sheet as he did in his first two seasons, Herbert still put the team in a position to win weekly, despite dealing with fractured rib cartilage for most of the season, missing multiple starters throughout the year, and being hamstrung by an offensive scheme that did not tailor to his strengths. Nevertheless, Herbert did take a massive leap as a leader of the team and solidified himself as the face of the franchise.

Behind Herbert on Los Angeles’ depth chart is journeyman backup Chase Daniel, who has carved out quite a career since 2010. Daniel did not make a start this season but made four appearances, throwing for 52 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts, mostly in garbage time.

This output from their quarterbacks should enable the Chargers to focus on other areas of their roster in the offseason as they look to assemble a team that can be a legitimate contender in next year’s playoffs.

They will need to extend Herbert at some point shortly to ensure his place in Los Angeles for the long term. Still, outside of that piece of housekeeping, the Chargers are set at the most crucial offensive position except for his backup, which will need to be addressed, given Daniel and Easton Stick are set to be free agents.

Ravens’ 2022 season-in-review: Cornerbacks

We analyze the play of the Ravens’ cornerbacks in 2022

Though it’s very arguable that they were led by their linebacker corps in 2022, the Baltimore Ravens defense was bolstered by solid play in their secondary all season. When it came to their cornerback room it was a bit of a mixed bag with players such as Marlon Humphrey playing phenomenal football while Marcus Peters struggled in an up-and-down year.

In terms of raw production, Baltimore’s cornerbacks weren’t particularly impressive on the stat sheet. Humphrey and Peters accounted for just four combined interceptions on the year, which paled in comparison to the efforts of even the Ravens’ linebackers, who managed to come down with six between five players.

Safety Marcus Williams also went toe-to-toe with the cornerback group, equalling their season total by himself as he patrolled the back end of the Ravens’ secondary.

However, Baltimore’s cornerbacks proved to be a force to reckon with when they were tackling ballcarriers, forcing three fumbles and recovering four total on the season.

The unit also led the team in passes defensed, with Humphrey and Peters combining for 13 total over the course of the year while also being helped by second-year pro Brandon Stephens who had seven, which tied for second place on the team. Others at the position who recorded passes defensed were Pepe Williams, Daryl Worley, and Jalyn Armour-Davis who managed five between them.

Outside of their core group, the Ravens didn’t see much production from the lower tiers of the depth chart at the cornerback position. Veteran Kyle Fuller saw his season cut short in Week 1, while Kevon Seymour was in-and-out of the lineup.

As Peters will enter next season at 30 years old, it may not be the worst time for Baltimore to consider investing in another stud cornerback in the offseason. The stats paint a picture of a team that relied on two cornerbacks for the bulk of their production at the position in 2022 and in the new age pass-first NFL, that might not be a recipe for success moving forward.

If they can find a player in the draft or free agency that they think could produce but wouldn’t necessitate that they use a high pick or fork over too much guaranteed money, expect the Ravens to possibly explore their options at the position.

Ravens 2022 season-in-review: Linebackers

We analyze the Ravens linebackers during the 2022 season

The Baltimore Ravens have been known for having some legendary linebacker groups over the course of their history, and seem to have assembled another phenomenal unit at the position heading into 2023. Rookie pass rusher David Ojabo came on strong in his end-of-season debut, and with playmakers at every spot in the second level of their defense, Baltimore’s future at linebacker is bright.

Veteran Patrick Queen led all Ravens defenders with 117 combined tackles on the season, and newly acquired stud Roquan Smith managed to bring down opposing ballcarriers 86 times in nine games played in Baltimore. Smith’s contributions are of particular note, as his combined effort in time spent with the Chicago Bears before being traded to the Ravens put him one tackle shy of 170 on the season, a pace of nearly 10 tackles per game.

Outside linebacker Justin Houston led the Ravens in sacks with nine and a half on the year, which cemented his role as Baltimore’s best threat in the pass rush. Behind Houston, Queen managed to secure five sacks, while others at the position like Jason Pierre-Paul and Odafe Oweh topped out at three. Tyus Bowser also contributed after coming back from a torn achilles injury.

While the top-end production of Baltimore’s linebackers was a much-needed boost to their defensive output in 2022, their depth players didn’t see much action, making a minimal impact for the team. Players such as A.J. Klein, Del’Shawn Phillips, Steven Means, and Devon Kennard either had their seasons cut short due to injury or were let go in some shape.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Baltimore shouldn’t feel much of a necessity to invest in the linebacker position in free agency or the draft, and should instead focus on shoring up other parts of their roster. Assuming that Queen, Smith, Houston, and Ojabo are fully healthy next season, fans should expect another standout performance from the Ravens’ linebacking corps as they seek to make a run at next year’s Super Bowl, both inside and outside.

Ravens’ 2022 season-in-review: Defensive line

We analyze the impact of the Ravens’ defensive line in 2022

Led by veteran Calais Campbell, the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive line was a force to be reckoned with in 2022 and should have no problem bringing the momentum they built this past season into 2023. While Campbell’s status for next year is unknown, the Ravens have plenty of contributors under contract who could help them make a Super Bowl run next year.

Campbell registered five and a half sacks this season as a 36-year-old, which was tied with fellow lineman Justin Madubuike for the most on Baltimore’s defensive front in 2022. No other Ravens defensive lineman registered more than one sack, though third-year tackle Broderick Washington was among Baltimore’s most productive tacklers, ranking seventh on the team with 49.

Rookie defensive tackle Travis Jones had a slow start to his NFL career with just one start on the season, though he managed to secure one sack and 24 tackles, two of which were for a loss, in his first year after a strong preseason, and showed plenty of flashes. While these numbers may not be particularly eye-popping, they were more than serviceable for a third-round pick. Jones in particular should see an expanded role in Baltimore’s defense next year and could be a fixture in the Ravens’ defensive front for years to come.

Among the team’s other presences on the defensive line were Brent Urban and Rayshad Nichols who made subtle but necessary contributions over the course of the season. Nichols only saw action in one game but made four combined tackles in the effort. Urban, on the other hand, was a depth option in 16 of the Ravens’ regular season games and secured 21 tackles on the year, of which two were for a loss while making a solid impact.

Baltimore was without veteran defensive tackle Michael Pierce for much of the season due to a biceps injury that ended his year in Week 3. Pierce is still under contract, though, so don’t be surprised if he plays a role in the Ravens’ defense next season.

All in all, this capable group played admirably in 2022, though Eric DeCosta could stand to invest in the defensive end position in the offseason if he wants to bolster Baltimore’s pass rush.

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Ravens 2022 season-in-review: Offensive line

We analyze the Ravens’ offensive line play in 2022

The Baltimore Ravens’ front five were faced with an impossible task in 2022, given the quarterback carousel that came to define the team’s fate at the end of the season. Despite achieving favorable pass-blocking grades via Pro Football Focus’ analysis of their film, quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked 26 times in 12 starts, and Ravens backups hit the turf an additional 12 times over the course of Baltimore’s last five games.

The team would probably like those numbers to be lower, but despite that the team had much better offensive line play than in 2021, and multiple starters played very well over the course of the 2022 season.

Their offensive line was led by veteran tackle Morgan Moses, who graded out as the Ravens’ fourth-best offensive player on the season, per PFF. Fellow tackle Patrick Mekari received favorable grades as well, as did guard Kevin Zeitler and rookie center Tyler Linderbaum. All four of these core offensive linemen were in the Ravens’ top-10 graded offensive players according to PFF.

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley achieved a 69.4 grade from PFF, though he was active in only 11 games on the season. He regained his form that some thought he would lose after a long absence, performing admirably as he got back into game shape. Left guard Ben Powers stepped up and had a great year, likely earning himself a nice pay day in free agency.

The Ravens’ depth up front wasn’t an issue either. Like every other team in the league, they dealt with injuries over the course of the season and had to battle through some tough situations to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Players such as Trystan Colon-Castillo made an impact on the team and contributed to the Ravens’ effort despite less-than-ideal circumstances.

Heading into next season, Baltimore should be more focused on upgrading its skill position groups and extending their quarterback than on their offensive line, as the unit was their main focus during last offseason, paying off in a big way.

Ravens 2022 season-in-review: Wide receivers

We look at the play of the Ravens’ wide receivers in 2022

The Baltimore Ravens moved their top receiver in Marquise Brown in a draft day trade before the 2022 season, and felt the aftershocks of their decision all year long. Despite trusting their young players at the position, Baltimore never quite recovered Brown’s production from any of their wideouts this season and has a clear need for a legitimate number-one option heading into the offseason.

Their most productive receiver this year was former Kansas City Chiefs wideout Demarcus Robinson, who led the Ravens at the position with 458 yards and two touchdowns. Third-year speedster Devin Duvernay was selected to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist, but also took steps as a pass catcher, hauling in 37 passes for 407 yards on the year. Behind him, no other Ravens receiver eclipsed the 300-yard mark in 2022, including veterans Sammy Watkins and DeSean Jackson who combined for less than 275 yards between them.

Second-year wideout Rashod Bateman seemed primed to put together a promising performance after a fast start, but saw his season cut short due to a foot injury. Though he only played in six games, Bateman managed to end the year with 285 yards on 15 catches, which was good for Baltimore’s highest mark for yards per reception at 19.0.

The last three Ravens receivers to see the field in 2022 made a minimal impact for the team. James Proche II and Tylan Wallace combined for 12 catches and 95 yards in the campaign, and Andy Isabella, who appeared in limited fashion as a practice squad call-up, did not register a catch.

All in all, this group will need to improve in 2023 to give Baltimore’s quarterback viable targets downfield. If Lamar Jackson returns to the Ravens on a long term deal, efforts should start in earnest to get the necessary talent around him to compete at a high level in the loaded AFC.

Ravens 2022 season-in-review: Running backs

We analyze the 2022 season of the Ravens’ running backs

Five running backs and the Baltimore Ravens’ lone fullback handled the ball in the team’s backfield in 2022, totaling just over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns between them. Still, none of the Ravens’ rushers were able to out-produce quarterback Lamar Jackson on the ground, with the exception of Kenyan Drake, who managed to score one more touchdown that the MVP signal caller.

Under then-offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s direction the Ravens’ offense was expected to feature one of the NFL’s best running games in 2022, and they did just that, finishing second in total yards and third in yards per attempt. However, Jackson accounted for almost 30 percent of Baltimore’s total rushing output in just 12 games, and seemed to be the team’s most viable option on the ground until his injury late in the season.

Third-year running back J.K. Dobbins put in some good work for the Ravens in the eight games he appeared in, rushing for an impressive 520 yards, but he only found the end zone twice. Likewise, fan-favorite back Gus Edwards managed to gain 433 yards on the ground in nine contests, but only managed to hit pay-dirt three times.

Justice Hill, the Ravens’ fourth-year speedster, played in the most games of any of the team’s backs with 15 appearances but was relegated to a limited role, only producing 262 yards and failing to score a touchdown in the 2022 campaign despite showing solid skills.

Veteran running back Mike Davis and fullback Patrick Ricard were the only other non-receivers or quarterbacks to carry the rock for Baltimore this season, and gained 34 yards on 15 carries between them. Neither scored a touchdown.

Clearly, the team values the running game, and showed flashes in that department over the course of the year. Dobbins seems to be their best bet to lead the team on the ground from the running back position as they seek to pursue a Super Bowl title next season, but they have other qualified options such as Edwards.

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Texas Longhorns snap counts and top grades for 2020

A look at the season in review. Who were the top graded players on each side of the ball and who played the most snaps.

Normally following a game, we produce the virtual report card. Due to the regular season now being over, we look back at the offense and how they performed this season. The top grades provided by Pro Football Focus.

Offense Ranks

There are no surprises as the two Sam’s are the top-graded players on the offensive side of the ball. The Longhorns offense ranked second in the Big 12 with 41.3 points per game and second in total offense with 457.3 yards per game. In FBS, the scoring offense is 11th best, and total offense is 23rd best.

Top 10 PFF Grades

Samuel Cosmi (90.5)
Sam Ehlinger (80.4)
Roschon Johnson (75.8)
Jordan Whittington (71.8)
Junior Angilau (71.7)
Brennan Eagles (70.9)
Bijan Robinson (69.8)
Jake Smith (67.4)
Brenden Schooler (67.0)
Derek Kerstetter (66.9)

Usage breakdown by total snaps

Junior Angilau	662	96.6%	Samuel Cosmi	605	88.3%
Christian Jones	662	96.6%	Joshua Moore	462	67.4%
Denzel Okafor	662	96.6%	Cade Brewer	438	63.9%
Sam Ehlinger	650	94.9%	Brennan Eagles	411	60%
Derek Kerstetter	635	92.7%	Jared Wiley	286	41.8%

Other notable plays by usage:

Jake Smith (38.3%)
Bijan Robinson (36.6%)
Roschon Johnson (33.4%)
Keaontay Ingram (30.1%)

Next, we take a look at the defensive side of the ball

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