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Baltimore Ravens: Money in the red zone in 2018

By Bryce Pinson

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Running Back Alex Collins #34 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammates after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Running Back Alex Collins #34 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammates after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The goal line packages the Baltimore Ravens can run on the field seem endless. There is no reason they shouldn’t dominate their opponents inside the 20.

It is no secret, the Ravens are going to have to keep at least four tight ends. Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams will stick around based on experience, and the two rookies Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews will also make the team. The verdict is still out on the other two tight ends on the depth chart.

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An abundance of players at this postion can be a blessing and a curse. Every roster spot is valuable. For every tight end the Ravens keep, a player at another position gets cut. Inside the red zone, the plethora of tight ends is valuable.

In the Hall of Fame Game, we got a taste of what the Ravens can do. Numerous times we saw rookie Hayden Hurst line up in the slot. The slot will help his release and may give him a better match-up on a smaller player. 

We saw Maxx Williams line up in the backfield as a fullback. It’s no longer a necessity to have a fullback every down. Williams has great hands, and lining up in the backfield keeps him hidden, and eliminates the possibility of getting jammed. Plus, it gives the Ravens an option to get another tight end on the field.

The Ravens should be able to run the ball down other teams throats when they get close to the end zone. Via Matt Harmon of NFL.com. they have a top five offensive line and they can put out a traditional three tight end goal-line set as effective as any. Let the relentless Alex Collins run behind all these big guys and you likely have a thriving red zone percentage. You can also add a wrinkle by placing Williams at fullback just in case you want to fake that power running play and allow Maxx to slip out in space. The defense will have to respect the power run, so play-action will be money.

When spreading the formation out wide, you have your big tight ends who can line up in the slot, but you also have a great redone threat in Michael Crabtree. Crabtree may not always have huge yardage numbers, but he has always had pretty consistent touchdown totals. Crabtree is strong, and in the red zone he draws a lot of one-on-one match-ups with weaker corners. 

There is also rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson. He adds another advantage to the Ravens’ life inside the red zone. Now you have a player with the ability to run or pass. The Ravens can spread out the formation to make every horizontal inch so much more difficult for the defense when faced with a running quarterback. Or they can bunch it up like the old Tim Tebow sets cramming together extra lineman and extra tight ends.

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Any way you break it down, when the Ravens get inside the red zone, they possess a personnel advantage. 

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