Ravens Running Back J.K. Dobbins Ready to Dominate in Second Year
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins sat alone on the bench with his head down in the closing seconds of a loss to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs last season.
The rookie from Ohio State had a costly drop in the game and finished with just 42 yards on 10 carries.
It was a disappointing end to a stellar season.
"Your rookie year was amazing," Ravens fullback Pat Ricard told him after the game. "You’re going to have a great career. Let this hurt. This is supposed to hurt. Let it hurt.
"Just work your butt off this offseason [and] get better. Just learn from everything you learned this year. You’re a special player, man. You’re going to have a great career. Just let this one hurt and just try to move on from it."
Dobbins has listened to that advice and is poised for another solid season.
Baltimore was thrilled when Dobbins fell to them in the second round of the 2020 draft. He delivered on that lofty expectations, eventually taking over the starting job in the second half of the year.
Dobbins is determined to improve this offseason and help Baltimore lead the NFL in rushing for a third consecutive year.
"I just know what I have to do," Dobbins told the team's website. "I know what needs to be done. I know I have to come in and be ready to go. The team is looking at me. The coaches are looking at me. I love that, you know what I'm saying."
Dobbins had a solid training camp and worked his way up the depth chart. He led the Ravens' running backs with 805 yards on 134 carries with nine touchdowns.
Dobbins also recorded a rushing score in seven consecutive games, including the wild-card playoff game against Tennessee, that tied for the second-longest streak by a rookie in NFL history.
He also led all rookie running backs with eight runs of 20 or more yards.
In 2020, the Ravens averaged a league-high 191.9 rushing yards per game and produced the third-most ground yards (3,071) in a 16-game NFL season.
The 2020 Baltimore squad also had three players – quarterback Lamar Jackson (1,005), along with running backs Gus Edwards (723) and J.K. Dobbins rush for over 700 yards each.
The Ravens parted ways with veteran Mark Ingram this offseason but re-signed Edwards. The duo will provide match-up problems for most opponents.
"Put it on me," Dobbins said. "Let's go. That's how I see it. That's how I see this offseason. That's how I'm attacking it. I can't slack ott. I can’t slack off at all. I'm working hard. My coaches and my teammates are putting trust in me, so I can’t let them down."
