Welcome to Baltimore Beatdown’s very first mailbag! Our readers have been offering so many great questions in our posts lately that we wanted to spotlight them and provide some of our answers! Special thanks to frequent commenters militaryravenfromnc and BmoreChamps for the first few questions to get us started!
1. Why was Aeneas Peebles a game day scratch for the last three weeks with run-stopping defensive tackles getting all the snaps?
I think the Aeneas Peebles scratches come out of necessity.
It looks like the Ravens have given up on trying to consistently get pressure with four rushers. Sure, there will be moments when they line up directly in a four-man rush (or use simulated pressure with four rushers). But for the most part, the Ravens are set to blitz to find pressure. A lot of the pressure packages on Sunday during obvious passing downs seemed to only have one lineman, Travis Jones. Kyle Van Noy slid inside, with Mike Green on the outside with a combination of other rushers: Trenton Simpson, Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, etc.
So there aren’t any snaps available in the obvious passing situations for defensive tackles, the only time Peebles plays at the moment. It seems the Ravens are more focused on having a large rotation of run stuffers to keep that line fresh. I don’t think, and I hope, this isn’t a permanent plan. It’s clear the Ravens are still working out their pass rush without Nnamdi Madubuike. If they make some trades along the line, such as an edge rusher that will boost their four-man rush, I could see snaps for Peebles opening back up again. But right now, the Ravens are prioritizing stopping the run so they can get more third and longs so they can use these pressure plans they’ve concocted. So until Peebles improves as a run defender, there’s more needs elsewhere for them. – Zach Canter
2. Realistically, what is to be expected from Jaire Alexander for the rest of the year?
At this point, I truly do not know what to expect from Jaire Alexander for the remaining of the season. If the Ravens drop the game against the Dolphins on Thursday night, I could see him being traded to a contending team, though the return would be extremely low.
For now, Alexander appears to be behind even T.J. Tampa at cornerback. If Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, and Tampa stay healthy and continue playing well, it’s hard to see a role for Alexander suddenly developing. Of course, injuries always seem to hit the cornerback room, so I am certainly not ruling out Alexander playing meaningful snaps at some point this season for Baltimore. – Dustin Cox
3. Was last Sunday’s usage of Keaton Mitchell a good sign going forward? Why did the team keep him on the bench for so long?
John Harbaugh claims the reasoning for Mitchell being inactive to start the season came down to special teams. Personally, I do not think that is a good enough reason to sideline such a dynamic playmaker, especially when Rasheen Ali has not lit the world on fire on special teams in his place. Mitchell is a true threat to score from any point on the field with his blazing speed. He is the perfect compliment to Derrick Henry in the run game once teams are worn down.
I do think that Sunday’s usage is a good sign for Mitchell going forward. I just hope that his touches continue to increase as the season goes along. A backfield with Henry and Mitchell would be a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators to deal with. – Dustin Cox
4. Why do the Ravens take Henry off the field for so many short-yardage situations? When he is on the field for those plays, why does Todd Monken go with predictable calls – namely, runs up the middle?
To be fair to Todd Monken, he is caught between a rock and a hard place on this issue. If he calls on Henry on short-yardage situations, it’s too predictable. If he doesn’t, then he gets criticized for not using Henry. But he could be more creative or intentional with his use of Henry. Take the goal line sequence against the Rams. The Ravens tried two sneaks before turning to Henry on third down and getting stuffed. Taken individually, they seem like fine play calls, but as a sequence? Horrible. All three of those plays were very predictable from the moment the offense lined up. They were not particularly creative, either.
What can he do differently? Using more motion and other forms of misdirection would help, as well as a willingness to test the edges with Henry and Keaton Mitchell. Of course, having Lamar Jackson and Patrick Ricard back in the fold will do worlds of good for the Ravens’ short-yardage game. Jackson’s gravity opens up so much space for Henry, and Ricard tends to give him a much clearer path through the line. So this might be a moot point moving forward, but it is still something to watch. – Nikhil Mehta
