Ravens Star TE Getting Fewer Opportunities

The Baltimore Ravens' offense has looked as deadly as ever through the first two weeks of the NFL's regular season.

Even with an underwhelming offensive line, statistical anomaly Lamar Jackson having to overcome some rare bouts of inaccuracy and a wide receiver room once drew questions about its overall ability to look the part of a contender, the Ravens currently lead the league in total points with 81 through two weeks. This offense has coupled with an improved defense to inspire the public of their championship odds, looking like the star-studded unit many imagined before their Week 1 stumble.

Baltimore's reserve receivers in Devontez Walker and DeAndre Hopkins have come through as Jackson's most productive deep threats, while Zay Flowers has fully stepped in as the quarterback's favorite pass-catcher. He's already averaging 10 targets per game, amassing 218 yards in two games as the squad's most versatile receiver.

The fourth-year player didn't always hold that title, though. For the vast majority of Jackson's career, Mark Andrews was his go-to receiver, with the tight end entering the league in that same 2018 draft class and developing into a 3x Pro Bowler alongside the 2x MVP.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson and Tight End Mark Andrews — Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) congratulated by quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after his first quarter touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

There were signs he'd get phased out for younger talents, even with the 30-year-old coming off of catching a career-high 11 touchdowns just last season. He only received 69 targets despite appearing in all 17 games, a sharp downturn from the 110+ tosses he got in his last two 15+ game campaigns.

But even with his positional heir in Isaiah Likely having missed the first few games of the season with an injury, Andrews has still yet to make much of an impact on the otherwise-stellar offense.

The same's been the case for usual-starting receiver Rashod Bateman, who's only seen eight targets for 25 yards in two games, but Andrews has had it even worse. He's only gotten four chances at catching a ball, resulting in just two completed touches and a paltry 3.5 yards per outing.

The Ravens have had no issue scoring without getting much from their tight end, riding their deep receiver room and their star running back in Derrick Henry for one of the NFL's most productive scoring schemes, but as he's been as uninvolved as he's ever been the former star isn't making a very good case for himself as the long-term option for this team at his advanced age.

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