The Baltimore Ravens offense under the direction of Cam Cameron in 2011 left little to be desired by the teams fan base, however Baltimore finished with the 15th ranked offense in the league. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti addressed the offense in his annual “State of the Team” address and acknowledged the offense needed some work.
The Ravens ranked 10th in the league in rushing offense averaging 124.8 yards a game. Running back Ray Rice Ray Rice posted a career-best and an NFL-high 2,068 yards from scrimmage, also adding a Ravens-record 15 total TDs (12 rushing and 3 receiving). Rice’s 1,364 rushing yards ranked second in the NFL, while his 2,068 total yards marked the second time (2009: 2,041) that he’s surpassed the 2,000 milestone. The veteran back earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the 2011 season both coming against division opponents (Cleveland and Cincinnati). Rice is a free agent this offseason however the team is expected to sign the franchise back locking him up for the future.
Quarterback Joe Flacco produced his third-consecutive 3,500-yard/20-TD season and was 13 yards shy of his career high with 3,610 passing yards (3,622). Flacco came within a dropped pass from reaching the Super Bowl in 2011 out playing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. In 2011’s Week 9 win at Pittsburgh, he engineered a 13-play, 92-yard TD drive, hitting WR Torrey Smith with a 26-yard pass with 8 seconds left to seal a 23-20 victory. Flacco has 11 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/OT, including three in 2011. The Baltimore quarterback is set to begin contract negotiations this offseason for a long-term deal.
Rookie receiver Torrey Smith had a shortened rookie camp due to the NFL lockout however he quickly became the teams speedy downfield threat the team has longed for. The former Maryland Terp in his ‘11 campaign, Smith ranked 13th in the NFL with a stout 16.8 yardsper- catch average. In 2011, he had 50 catches for 841 yards and a Ravens’ rookie-record 7 TDs. Smith’s 5 of his 7 TD receptions in 2011 covered at least 25 yards (74, 41, 38, 36, 26, 18 and 8 yards), and he averaged a sensational 34.4 yards-per-TD catch.
Baltimore’s offensive line was seen as a weak link as the season progressed. Left guard Ben Grubbs missed six games in 2011 with a turf toe injury forcing back-up center Andre Gurode to fill his position. Guard Marshall Yanda endured a successful season showing the Ravens he was worth the long-term deal the team signed him to entering into 2011. Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie came to the Ravens in 2011 after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings for reportly being out of shape. McKinnie started all 16 games for the team in 2011 and played well run blocking. Center Matt Birk (2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year) was solid this season however is contemplating retirement although no official word as to whether the aging center will return.
2011 marked offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s fourth year with the Ravens. During his time as coordinator, Baltimore has posted at least 30 points on 22 different occasions (including five times in 2011) and owns a 21-1 record in those games. Baltimore is also 29-2 when rushing for at least 125 yards in a game, including 6-0 in 2011. Under Cameron’s guidance the past four seasons (2008-11) Baltimore has committed only 87 turnovers during this span, the NFL’s fourth fewest. (Ravens set a team record with just 20 giveaways in 2010 and posted a +2 turnover ratio in 2011.) The Ravens’ 23.6 points per game during this span rank ninth. The organization brought in former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as the teams quarterbacks coach. Cameron and Flacco have not always seen eye to eye on certain things as Cameron was the quarterback coach as well. The move allows Cameron to focus on the entire offense however expect Cameron to be on a short leash once again in 2012.
