Mailbag: Which Wide Receivers Will Step Up Amidst…

Mink: Ja’Kobi Lane is reportedly slated to miss about a month after undergoing wrist surgery, so the Ravens will need at least one receiver to step up. They may need two if Zay Flowers, who is day to day, sits out Sunday’s game against the Saints to give his hamstring plenty of time to get right. The Ravens want to be careful with their star wide receiver who exploded for 150 yards in the first half of the season opener.

If he’s healthy enough to play, I think Devontez Walker is first in line to step into a bigger role. Walker missed the season opener with a groin injury after being questionable to play. We’ll see if he ramps up to full practice participation this week.

Walker was in contention with Lane for the No. 3 spot and had a strong training camp. Walker is three inches shorter than the 6-foot-4 Lane, but they are similar threats in that they can stress defenses deep and horizontally.  Walker just does it more with speed than size. And if we’re talking about being effective in the red zone, Walker has scored touchdowns on half of his six career receptions.

If Flowers is sidelined against the Colts, I expect LaJohntay Wester to step into his role as a versatile slot weapon. Wester had a great preseason with seven catches and two touchdowns. He’s shifty like Flowers.

If Baltimore is without Flowers and Lane, I would expect the Ravens to call up veteran Chris Moore, who hauled in a 53-yard catch against the Colts, from the practice squad again or activate rookie Elijah Sarratt. Sarratt flashed during training camp and the preseason, showing his ability to make contested catches and get yards after the catch.

Brown: We can certainly give Loop some love, as Head Coach Jesse Minter did after Sunday’s victory.

“I have said it a bunch, but my confidence in [Tyler Loop] has never really shaken,” Minter said. “In the preseason, he had a couple of mishaps. But just the work ethic and the trust in the process in so many different things that he’s been working on, I expected nothing less.”

The Ravens released kicker Jake Moody from the practice squad on Monday, and Loop has always had support from coaches and teammates. The Ravens thought highly enough of Loop to draft him. The key for him is to remain consistent, and to “be at his best when his best is needed,” to coin one of Minter’s favorite phrases.

Loop will receive even more love if he continues to make kicks. But he will receive more criticism if he does not deliver in his next game-winning situation. That’s the reality of his job, and Loop knows it. However, his start to the season was definitely a positive sign.

Brown: Nice job, you squeezed three questions into one!

Let’s start with the offensive line. I thought the run blocking was excellent and played a large part in helping Derrick Henry rush for 144 yards.

The pass blocking was not as good, but with three new starters on the offensive line, there were bound to be hiccups. Colts defensive linemen DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart presented a tough matchup for both Jovaughn Gwyn and Vega Ioane in their first career starts. Lamar Jackson helped the line by escaping the rush a few times, and it’s safe to hope that the pass blocking will improve as the line has more time to gel.

As for the penalties, Baltimore committed too many, even for Week 1. The Ravens were flagged 10 times for 86 yards, including a holding call on Gwyn that nullified what would’ve been Lane’s first career touchdown.

Expect the coaching staff and players to harp on reducing penalties all week as they prepare to face the Saints. Down the road, reaching double digits in penalties could cost the Ravens a victory.

Mink: The clip of Doyle’s stoic booth reaction to Flowers’ 54-yard touchdown was a classic and could be a meme throughout this season. Maybe Doyle was so locked in because he wasn’t sure if Flowers was going to score and the first-time offensive play-caller needed to be thinking of his next move.

Either way, it speaks to Doyle’s demeanor. He’s certainly different than his predecessor. While Todd Monken would often wear his emotions on his sleeve in the coaches booth, Doyle is calculated with everything he does. There’s a reason why Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver called him a “human computer.” I expect we’ll see some celebrations from Doyle over the course of the season, especially with big touchdowns in crunch time. But overall, I bet he’s more muted.

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