Baltimore Ravens: Away at lunch

Happy Friday, Ravens Flock. I hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July and is trying to get back to work this Friday.

This week was all about yet another person with a microphone who thought it would be a good idea to criticize Lamar Jackson. Does he have enough weapons? Have the Ravens invested too much in him? Is he holding the Ravens back? Can this get me some views and interactions?

OTL: “Stink” says Lamar Jackson had lots of guns

And if you allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment…

These conversations are the worst and only lead to pointless debates on the internet. No one wins in these scenarios. I don’t really need to explain why Lamar doesn’t hold his team back, so I’ll just drop the topic. If you really believe that, please sit at the kids’ table while the adults talk.

If you believe that Lamar isn’t getting enough support from management, then you’ll be told that he’s had enough, and you’ll be held up to the three first-round picks for wide receivers and told that they did more for him than most teams would do for their quarterback. This, in turn, gives ammunition to the “Lamar is overrated” faction and will be used to put him down. On the other hand, if you believe that management has held Lamar back by not getting him a true game-changing number one wide receiver (for various reasons, such as lack of high picks or unwillingness to give up first-round picks), then this will be used to put the Ravens down. People will say how outdated this organization’s mindset is.

Nobody wins. It’s just an argument for the sake of an argument, and I can’t stand that. Need some social media interaction? Do a Lamar Jackson take. It’s stale at this point.

I’m off the soapbox and it’s time for further thoughts about my ravens.

With so much talk about the receiver room this week, I wanted to shed some light on what I believe to be an underrated player:

Ravens WR Nelson Agholor posted a passer rating of 121.6 when targeted last season.

A season best for him. pic.twitter.com/E3XtknqGtm

— 𝗔𝗕𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 (@LIVERavenNation) July 3, 2024

Nelson Agholor has been a real godsend for this team as the number four wide receiver. He’s a really solid playmaker who will step in when it’s his turn. How often the phone rings this year remains to be seen as younger players want to get a chance, but last year he stepped in when OBJ or Rashod Bateman couldn’t go. I’m more than happy to have Agholor on this team.

Looking back on this week, I realize that some Ravens fans may still not understand the potential of the running game.

Derrick Henry is with the Baltimore Ravens#PPE

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) July 4, 2024

We as fans talk so much about how much or how little the Ravens invested in Lamar to give him a game-changing talent on offense; we just looked in the wrong places. This is going to make people mad, but the Ravens view the signing of Derrick Henry the same way we as fans would view the signing of CeeDee Lamb. Henry is their version of a talent that can take a lot of stress off Jackson. Isn’t that the core of why we all want a true number one wide receiver? I understand that it’s not the same thing, and believe me: I understand the statements about how it doesn’t matter how good the running game is if John Harbaugh gives it up in the playoffs. People don’t understand that Derrick Henry is the solution to that problem. The Ravens wouldn’t give up the running game if Henry was in the backfield because his presence alone would give the team the confidence to run the ball.

Man, we’ve had some controversial views this week, haven’t we? There is a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll be able to talk about real football soon enough. For now, try to avoid the engagement farmers.