Although availability has been a factor, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens have so far gotten similar levels of production from their biggest wide receiver acquisitions this offseason. Allen Robinson II has 19 catches in Pittsburgh for 154 yards thus far without a score.
And Odell Beckham Jr. has 14 catches for the Ravens through six games played for 162 yards. Only Beckham is being paid three times as much. Baltimore signed him to a one-year, $15 million contract that nobody else at the time seemed to be willing to give him. After all, he hadn’t played football in a year.
Now 31 years old as of today, however, he has a singular focus. “I didn’t come here with the expectation that I’d be going for 2,000 yards”, he admitted, via Jamison Hensley for ESPN. “We’re trying to win a Super Bowl, so it is what it is, at this point. Just walking the fine line of being grateful for being back on the field but definitely not being content with how I am in terms of what’s going on”.
Well, Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins might hit 2,000 yards this year, but Beckham is still looking for 200. So far his biggest game was two weeks ago with five catches for 49 yards against the Detroit Lions. He did not catch a pass last week on four targets against the Arizona Cardinals.
Of course, Beckham knew that he didn’t sign up for a pass-heavy offense. The Ravens currently rank 31st in the NFL in pass attempts, though they do more than most with them, ranking 19th in passing yardage. They have the second-most rushing attempts across the league, which is certainly no surprise.
The veteran wide receiver has already dealt with injuries to his ankle and shoulder so far this season, which has been a common theme for most of his career. He has only played a full season twice, often missing at least four games per year or more.
For as much talent as he possesses, so much of his reputation is still generated from what he did more than half a decade ago. he had one of the best starts to a career in NFL history, catching 288 passes in his first three seasons (despite missing five games) for 4,122 yards and 35 touchdowns.
He has only had two 1,000-yard seasons since then with a high of 1,052 yards, and has never scored more than six touchdowns in any one year. He was an All-Pro in each of his first three seasons, but hasn’t since even made a Pro Bowl.
Yet that doesn’t mean he can’t go off at any moment. That’s what his teammates and coaches expect. “It’s going to come. It’s going to happen”, QB Lamar Jackson said. Added head coach John Harbaugh, “I think it’s going to pop”.
Whether it does or it doesn’t, it hasn’t kept Baltimore from winning. They are 6-2 and rank seventh in scoring offense and first in scoring defense. That’s built primarily on the run game, made all the more impressive when you remember that they lost J.K. Dobbins in the season opener.
