Ravens Offense Surging Even Without Starting WR

The Baltimore Ravens' offense has left little room for critiquing through their first two weeks of the NFL regular season.

They're the lone team to notch 40 points in each of their first two matchups, with their first divisional showdown of the fall providing fans a look at their dangerous potential in a 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. Star quarterback Lamar Jackson's looked the part of the prospective MVP favorite he's perennially touted as, conducting the scoring attack with ruthless precision

He's been armed with the deepest weapon assortment of his career, with Baltimore's front office providing him with the best wide receiver room he's seen at the NFL level to go along with backfield running-mate Derrick Henry and their useful tight end duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

Zay Flowers has looked the part of the No. 1 wide receiver that the Ravens have long searched for, building off of his Pro Bowl campaign a year ago, while DeAndre Hopkins and Devontez Walker have more than done their parts in the red zone as the effective touchdown targets. Everyone's done their part, it seems, except for Rashod Bateman.

It's not as if Bateman's blown his chances at contributing winning football; he's just not getting heavily integrated into Baltimore's game plan. He's at just four receptions for 25 yards on eight total targets, having recorded one first down and zero touchdowns despite his team posting 81 points through two weeks.

Bateman's never been Jackson's favorite target, with Flowers and Andrews each having soaked up considerably more targets from the quarterback. He's more of a typical deep threat compared to the heads-up tight end or the speedster opposite him at receiver, with Jackson usually making his touches count in high-leverage situations, evident in his nine touchdowns and 35 first downs in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Rashod Bateman — Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) makes a catch during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

He also just hasn't capitalized on his receptions, averaging a career-low 6.3 yards per catch after averaging 13.9 through his previous four seasons. Bateman applied some nice moves on the Browns defense when he got the chance, but spent more time in the flat and intermediate parts of the field as opposed to his usual deep-ball looks.

Flowers led the squad with 75 receiving yards on seven more targets, while fellow wideouts Hopkins, Walker and Tylan Wallace each recorded at least one touchdown.

Bateman, along with Andrews, hasn't been much of a priority in Todd Monken's offense to start this season, despite the excitement that he'd accrued this offseason after taking a big step forward in 2024. There's still plenty of time for him to get going, but the amount of competition in the Ravens' suddenly-versatile assortment of receivers seems to be taking from his production.

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