Rashod Bateman. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ravens' lack of WR talent is holding team back

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 12/7/22

The Ravens are a run-first team, but Baltimore has done a poor job giving QB Lamar Jackson weapons at wide receiver. The deficiency puts backup QB Tyler Huntley in a tough situation with Jackson expected to miss at Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

"At the end of the day, the frustration is easy to understand. Look who [Joe] Burrow is throwing to. Look who [Josh] Allen is throwing to. Look who [Patrick] Mahomes is throwing to," ESPN's Mike Greenberg said on "Get Up." "[Tight end] Mark Andrews is the only guy he has that would start on any other team, maybe in the entire conference."

For the Raven fans that DONT UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM!!!…#RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/diPDuqlfeJ
— Nitro The Wunderkind (@Nitro_Quantum) December 6, 2022

No Ravens receiver has eclipsed 400 receiving yards this season, and the entire receiver room has combined for just six receiving touchdowns in 12 games, per ESPN.com.

Baltimore traded WR Marquise Brown for a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but it did not draft a receiver. The organization hoped second-year receiver Rashod Bateman would stay healthy, but that gamble did not pay off.

"I think this organization has failed around him far more than he has failed," Greenberg said about Jackson.

"At the end of the day, Lamar Jackson hasn't been brilliant. ... But I think this organization has failed around him FAR more than he has failed."

—@Espngreeny pic.twitter.com/1whDksYGVo
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 6, 2022

In a Week 14 game at Pittsburgh (5-7), Baltimore (8-4) is the underdog. The Ravens can't afford to lose in a tight AFC North.

Baltimore has lost four straight against the Steelers, one away from matching the longest losing streak for either team in the series, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley.

Pittsburgh has the fifth-worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing 255.1 pass yards per game. However, Huntley's limited choice of targets may force the Ravens to be one-dimensional in an important divisional game.

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