Ravens Todd Monken Offers 'Simple' Explanation' For Red Zone Struggles
The Baltimore Ravens offense has been up and down to start the season. Sitting at 4-2 on the season, there is plenty of room for improvement as the offense comes to grips with Todd Monken's new offensive system.
One big, red, flashing light has been Baltimore's red zone struggles over the last few weeks. Against the Tennessee Titans, the Ravens only managed one touchdown out of six red zone trips.
For Monken, there is a simple explanation for why his unit struggles to cash in on its red zone opportunities.
"It starts with how we game plan it, how we call it, and then how we execute it," Monken said. "It's really that simple. We did an elite level early on and executed down there being able to run it in. We just have to do a better job of – like I said – scheming it, do a better job of executing it when we have those opportunities."
The Ravens, in truth, could very well be 6-0 had they found some consistency on offense. The defense only allows 15.2 points a game (ranks 4th), but the offense's Jekyll and Hyde performances have hindered them.
Ravens offensive coordinator thinks there's an easy fix for the red zone problems plaguing his unit.
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The Ravens only had one game without committing a turnover (Week 2 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, which ironically was their best performance of the year).
Monken is happy with how his offense is moving the ball, but the plays have to be better executed, and the costly turnovers (nine in total) have to stop.
"We've done a good job the last couple of weeks of moving the football," Monken said. "That has not been the issue. We've solved some of those things in terms of being more explosive; creating our own identity; having a better rhythm. But turnovers and execution at the wrong times have hurt us – there's no way around it. You've seen it, and we have to be better, and we're capable of better. That's the way it is, we are capable of it."
There is a silver lining here. For all of the ups and downs Baltimore has faced on offense through six weeks, they sit at 4-2.
If things can get cleaned up and the Ravens begin to capitalize on their red zone trips, then the team that FS1's and Kansas City Chiefs fan Nick Wright stated is the only one that "scares" him in the AFC could be about to set the league alight.
