Baltimore Ravens 2013 Offense vs 2014: What Changed?

Dec 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Casualties:

Ray Rice is definitely the most well-known loss for the Ravens this season. He started out in the offseason with a two game suspension for a domestic violence charge against his fiancé. Then when more evidence surfaced he was released by the Ravens and then suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

Ray Rice was the pinnacle for the Ravens offense for the past 6 years. He produced many special memories and moments on this team. It is definitely weird as a long-time Ravens fan to see a different running back start this season. Of course, Rice’s replacement has been fantastic, but more on that later.

Another loss this offseason was Michael Oher. Oher has been a starter from day one since the Ravens drafted him in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Oher has been shuffled around from left to right tackle from most of his career. In his early years, Oher played very well. Unfortunately, his solid five years with the Ravens were overshadowed by his poor 2013 campaign and false starts throughout his career.

Oher was moved around from right to left tackle quite often in his five-year career with the Ravens. Right and left tackle, while sounding similar, are two totally different positions. It is tough to became very good at either left or right tackle when you are constantly being moved back and forth between both positions. One thing you could never doubt about Michael Oher was his effort, as he was one of the hardest workers on the entire Ravens team day in and day out.

Ed Dickson also left the Ravens in the offseason period. While we all know how atrocious Dickson’s hands were, he was definitely a solid blocking tight end. He always did well in blocking situations but also struggled with Castillo’s zone blocking scheme like the other Ravens offensive linemen.