Week One of the NFL’s regular season is finally beginning for most of the league today and Baltimore will feature an early divisional matchup that could have a long-term impact for both teams.
The Baltimore Ravens will play host to the Cincinnati Bengals and despite an undefeated 4-0- preseason, there are still questions this team will have to answer and prove on both sides of the football .
Looking at the Ravens offensively, their running game will be under a magnifying glass after having a stellar preseason, but the backfield will be without it’s top ball-carrying option in Ray Rice. Considering Baltimore averaged a mere 83.0 yards per game last season, returning to their traditional identity of ground-and-pound and play good defense will be paramount in their success in 2014.
On the defensive side of things, injuries to the secondary and depth concerns loom which could be dangerous heading into a game against one of the top receivers in the game in Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.
With kickoff swiftly approaching, here are three guys to keep an eye on when the clock strikes 1:00 P.M. EST:
Courtesy: Associated Press
1. RB – Bernard Pierce
With Ray Rice out of action for the first two weeks of the regular season due to suspension, it will be up to Bernard Pierce to shoulder most of the workload.
While there are other options in the Ravens’ backfield, Pierce is entering his third year with Baltimore and is looking to rebound after a so-so second season by his standards. For Pierce, it’s mostly about staying healthy and making more productive carries in general.
He was bothered with a concussion during the preseason contest against the Washington Redskins and has a history of injuries dating back to his college days at Temple. Taking on the extra workload could be a more daunting task those most would think for Pierce as he was relegated to spell duties when paired with Rice .
But Baltimore will need Pierce to focus more on gaining meaningful carries. His rookie year – as a backup running back – he averaged 5.1 yards per carry and was considered more of a weapon in head coach John Harbaugh’s back pocket. Pierce can’t be hidden now and it is his time to step up or step aside.
Courtesy: Press Box Online
2. C – Jeremy Zuttah
Baltimore’s offensive line was abysmal last season allowing 48 sacks of quarterback Joe Flacco and also having one of the worst running outputs in NFL history.The Ravens brought in Jeremy Zuttah to stabilize the offensive line and bring more consistency to the center position which it lacked last season with Gino Gradkowski.
Zuttah isn’t a lockdown guarantee that everything will be alright with him at the middle of the offense, quarterbacking the signals and protection schemes up front, but having already proven himself as a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and being apart of a running game that featured a successful back in Doug Martin, there are reasons to look at this season with a little more positivity if you’re a Ravens fan.
This test for Zuttah will not be an easy one however, as the Bengals possess one of the top interior defensive lineman in the business in defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Atkins returned to the Bengals midway through the preseason after recovering from a torn ACL. While the veteran doesn’t appear to have all of his speed back just yet, his still has plenty of savvy moves and abilities to wreak havoc for Zuttah both in the ground game and when Flacco drops back to pass.
Courtesy: Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports
3. CB – Asa Jackson
An injury-riddled secondary was a huge storyline throughout Baltimore’s 2014 preseason and it remains pretty much the same heading into the regular season. While the defensive backs are healthier, Baltimore will be without their top cornerback in Lardarius Webb who is missing action due to a back injury.
Even if Webb plays, it could be in a reduced role as he saw no action during the preseason and may still be trying to work off some rust.
Enter Asa Jackson. He’s proven himself since coming into the league in 2012 out of Cal Poly, but has struggled to make the active roster, stay healthy and out of trouble.
Finally, it seems as if he has put most of those issues aside and is ready to compete for more serious playing time.
The Bengals are full of depth as far as pass-catchers are concerned so expect to see Jackson on the field a lot in lieu of Webb’s injury and Baltimore only having three active corners in Jimmy Smith, Chykie Brown and Jackson himself.
