Ravens WR Marquise Brown Clamors for More Targets Downfield
BALTIMORE — Ravens wide receiver Hollywood Brown is apparently growing frustrated with his role in the offense.
Following a 28-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown tweeted “What’s the point of having souljas when you never use them (Never!!)." He later deleted the Tweet, but questions linger about Baltimore's passing attack.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh texted Brown after learning about the Tweet and appreciated that it was taken down. Harbaugh credited Brown for his performance.
"He was fighting very hard out there," Harbaugh said. "Blocking, running routes. I like the way he was fighting. I promise you, we're trying to use all our guys."
Brown was targeted just twice against Pittsburgh and he finished with just one reception for a 3-yard touchdown that provided a 24-21 lead with 11:56 left in the game.
Fellow wide Receiver Willie Snead had a huge game and finished with five receptions on seven targets for a season-high 106 yards. Tight end Mark Andrews caught three of six targets for 32 yards.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was inconsistent most of the game and completed 13 of 28 pass attempts for 208 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions (65.8 rating). He was sacked four times.
The Ravens managed most of their offense on the ground, finishing with a season-high 265 yards rushing. However, they could not overcome four turnovers by Jackson.
The Ravens passing attack has struggled for much of the season and is ranked 31st in the NFL, just ahead of the winless Jets.
Brown was expected to be one of the NFL"s breakout players this season after dealing with a foot injury for most of his rookie year in 2019.
Brown does lead the team with 27 receptions for 379 yards with two touchdowns. Last week, he admitted the passing attack needed to perform better.
“It’s frustrating for everybody if we’re not playing to our full potential," Jackson said. "But at the same time, he – like everybody else – is just trying to get better. Going to work each day and trying to find ways to keep improving.”
The Ravens will need to improve to stay alive in a competitive AFC playoff race.
