The Baltimore Ravens made an early splash in free agency by signing Donte’ Stallworth, and making a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for Anquan Boldin, but it all goes for naught if the chemistry development does not begin right now.
If the Baltimore Ravens plan on having one of the better passing attacks and offenses in the NFL next season, they should also be encouraging Flacco to begin route running with his new weapons.
The relationship between quarterback and wide receiver is vital in the passing game. When you watch the NFL on Sunday’s, there are numerous times where a quarterback completes a pass and you sit there scratching your head wondering how he even saw him.
Simple, he knew where he was going to be because of the hours upon hours of work put in over the off-season. Flacco and his new crew are at a disadvantage to the rest of the AFC contenders who are bringing back the same receiving corps.
It is also important to not only develop a relationship and timing with patterns on the field, but also vital to develop a relationship on a personal level. If quarterback and wide receiver don’t get along at a personal level, it is very hard to communicate with each other during a game to make necessary adjustment. We’ve seen this first hand with Terrell Owens during his career.
It is those two relationships that separate the elite passing games from very good in the NFL, and there is no doubt that when a defensive coordinator sees Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, and Donte’ Stallworth in a pro set, it will raise the hairs on his neck.
The time is now, Baltimore. The team that has been built for 2010 is capable of competing for a Super Bowl, but it will fall considerably short if they rely on Training Camp and Pre-Season to develop the necessary chemistry to succeed. They determine their season now.