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Welcome to the Tuesday Ravens 10-Pack, where I'll go medium depth on ten Ravens topics that came from the previous week's game. Sure, Monday is the main analysis day, but if I can get an extra day to make this marginally better than it would be a day earlier, why not? Read ahead for notes on the Ravens' slow starts on defense, most of the Smiths, and where the production is coming from through four weeks.
1. For the fourth straight game, the Ravens defense allowed a sustained drive to open the other team's offensive account. The Bengals produced three first downs in an 11-play, 49-yard drive in the season opener. Pittsburgh picked up four first downs and was in the red zone before a fumble halted a 12-play, 64 yard drive at the Ravens' 15-yard line. The Ravens took the ball first in Cleveland, but after a field goal, ceded an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to the Browns. Carolina, too, marched into the red zone, but a penalty and a sack took them out of field goal range on an 11-play opening drive. So it's only cost the Ravens 10 points in four games, but those are the kind of drives offenses want to have. The Ravens are fortunate they haven't been made to suffer even more for their slow starts.
2. Exactly two-thirds of the Ravens' offense has come from players who weren't on the roster last year. Running backs Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro have accounted for 404 of the team's 538 rushing yards, while Forsett, Steve Smith, Owen Daniels, and Kamar Aiken have posted 657 of the team's 1055 receiving yards. The offense has been remade completely with new parts as cogs in the machine, but that's kind of staggering.
3. Jimmy Smith was in his element on Sunday, in shadow coverage on hulking Panthers rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Quarterback Cam Newton targeted him six times for two completions and 25 yards. Smith had already passed off coverage on Benjamin's touchdown to Darian Stewart, who bit on a non-existent underneath route and was late to get over. Through a quarter of the season, Pro Football Focus says Smith has been targeted in coverage 19 times for 11 completions and 65 yards. That yardage total is third-fewest in the league among corners that play at least half his team's snaps, according to PFF.
4. Carolina entered Sunday's game with one legitimate running back and a shoddy offensive line, and that running back left the game in the first half. Even so, the Ravens' run defense got push up the middle and the outside linebackers kept the edge well against the Panthers. Carolina averaged 2.6 yards per carry, and the Ravens have allowed 3.3 yards per carry in four games, tied for fifth best in the league coming out of Week 4. Brandon Williams has been a revelation at nose tackle, and veteran Haloti Ngata has been steady at end. Credit inside linebackers C.J. Mosley and Daryl Smith as well. This unit has been stout.
5. Joe Flacco has played really well so far this season. He had his share of luck Sunday against Carolina, and is on pace for his first 4,000-yard season, but he continues to leave yards on the field on play-action passes. On the opening drive Sunday, he held the ball too long on a rollout and missed a big-play chance with Torrey Smith, instead completing a 5-yard pass to Marlon Brown. Owen Daniels' two Week 2 touchdowns were on play-action in the red zone, but the Ravens are also counting on it to be a big-play weapon away from the goal line. That's one of the last pieces of the puzzle.
6. Pernell McPhee might not get the headlines that Terrell Suggs or Elvis Dumervil do, but he's such a weapon for defensive coordinator Dean Pees. When lining up at linebacker, he's been on both sides of the defense for roughly the same amount of snaps. He's also lined up at defensive end and at nose guard recently, and is becoming a wild card in what's kind of a static defense that the Ravens run. They can create pressure with McPhee in all situations, and line him up anywhere.
7. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is known for his pass-catching ability, and he's shown that in limited throws. But he's gotten plenty more opportunities in run downs than passing situations. According to PFF, he's played nearly twice as many run plays (74) as pass plays (40). The team simply has other options in the passing game, which doesn't diminish his skill, it only makes him less utilized. That ratio could help long-term, however, if teams cheat toward the run when Juszcyzk is lined up in the backfield. Same goes for rookie tight end Crockett Gillmore, who hasn't been thrown to in any of the three games he's been active, despite Pitta being out for almost two full games.
8. Coach John Harbaugh said an expanded defensive scheme allowed for the introduction of seldom-used safeties Terrence Brooks and Brynden Trawick, but I think it might have had more to do with the defense being desperate to find a working unit in the secondary. Matt Elam hasn't had many run responsibilities, and instead has turned into the regular season's version of preseason Chykie Brown where nothing is going right for him in coverage, even when he's in a good position. I think Will Hill, a proven, high-level player, will push the Ravens' starting safeties if reserves like Trawick, Brooks, and Anthony Levine can't.
9. Left tackle James Hurst, an undrafted rookie from North Carolina, played decently in his debut Sunday. The team's quick-strike passing attack lessens the need for the tackles to block for too long, and the zone running scheme means even outside runs have help from multiple lineman. So Hurst is protected a little bit. His reward for making it through Sunday's game against Carolina is a starting spot in Week 5 against his childhood team, the Indianapolis Colts. It will be a big spot for the rookie, made more so by his hometown connections.
10. You can't go through a week's worth of Ravens analysis without mentioning Steve Smith, who as Harbaugh noted after the game has the most receiving yards through four games of any player over the age of 35. He's tied for fifth in the league with five receiving touchdowns, and third with 41 targets and 29 receptions. This offense appears to be going as he goes.