Baltimore Ravens Mid-Season Studs And Duds
By Samuel Njoku
With the Ravens currently enjoying their bye, here’s a look at some of the great and not so great players for Baltimore so far.
STUDS
Justin Forsett
After the Ray Rice fiasco, the Ravens would have been ok with a decent rushing attack. Of course, what they got was something way more explosive. Journeyman running back Justin Forsett was brought to Baltimore to compliment both Bernard Pierce. But from the start of camp, Forsett has done nothing but wow coaches and his fellow teammates.
He’s ran for 721 yards and is rushing for a whopping 5.4 yards a carry with 5 touchdowns. He is without question the starting running back and has everyone In Baltimore slowly forgetting about Ray Rice’s contributions on the field.
CJ Mosley
The Ravens coaching staff liked this kid before he was drafted by the team. By the time he’d completed his first practice, they were in love. That’s the kind of talent we’re talking about when speaking of CJ Mosley. His impact has been so great that he’s already being compared to Ray Lewis. While that comparison may be very premature, the fact that it’s even being mentioned in his rookie year is impressive.
Mosley leads the team in interceptions with 2 and ranks 4th in the NFL with 90 tackles. That’s an incredible feat.
DUDS
Matt Elam
When that 4 letter B-word gets thrown around, you know you’ve had a rough season. It may be too early to label Elam as a bust but too say he’s had better days would be an understatement. Elam has been found out of position on multiple occasions. When he actually finds himself in position to make a play, he misses the tackle. You can’t have that out of your starting safety. It’s one of the primary reasons why he’s been demoted. With Will Hill and Terrence Brooks improving the last few weeks, the Ravens have removed Elam from the starting lineup.
Baltimore will definitely give Elam another chance in the future to regain his spot, but for now he’ll have to make the most of his chances when the coaching rotate players back and forth.
DUDS
Lardarius Webb
The Ravens haven’t been very good on pass defense this year. Some of that falls on Lardarius Webb. He recovered from an injury he suffered last season but doesn’t appear to be the same player he was in the past. Before being placed on IR, Jimmy Smith was the best cornerback on the Ravens roster. With Smith gone, Baltimore hopes that Webb returns to form sooner rather than later. The Ravens are a better football team with him excelling at his position.
For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
