By Alex Woodward
The Ravens are enjoying their first six game win streak since the 2000 season as they're off to an 8-2 start. Lamar Jackson is the frontrunner for MVP honors, Marlon Humphrey has made a case for defensive player of the year and Marcus Peters has been a force since getting traded to Baltimore but what about the guys that haven't been getting the attention? Here are a few players that I believe deserve more credit in the Ravens success than they're getting:
When Tony Jefferson injured his knee in the Ravens Week 4 loss to the Browns it appeared that there were legitimate concerns about the secondary despite the talent on the roster. They were fresh off giving up 500 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history and they just lost a veteran leader in the secondary. What have the Ravens done since Clark has taken over the green dot duties and starting strong safety honors? They've gone from allowing 395 total yards per game to 291 yards per game and they've dropped from 277 passing yards allowed per game to 190 passing yards per game. During the ugly two game stretch on defense in weeks 3 & 4, we heard players and coaches both mention a breakdown in communication on the field. We haven't heard one mention of that since Chuck Clark has stepped in. Talent is one thing but football IQ is often an overlooked aspect of player evaluation. Clark has certainly played like he's the smartest player on the field and his presence in the secondary shouldn't be understated.
When the Ravens signed Boyle to a 3-year $18 million contract extension this offseason many fans were wondering "why?!" I'll tell you why. This guy is the most underrated tight end in the NFL. He might as well be a 6th offensive lineman on the field. He's a road grater and a big reason why the Ravens top ranked rushing attack has found so much success. He's big, he's physical and he knows where to be to open up a lane. He's also getting more involved as a pass catcher. He caught his first career TD in Week 9 against the Patriots and he put up a career high 78 receiving yards in the following week against the Bengals. Now that he has stopped trying to hurdle somebody every time he touches the ball he's having more success getting yards after the catch. He has already set a career high in receiving yards this season and he needs 6 more catches to break his single season record for receptions. I love how Greg Roman utilizes Boyle. He can pancake you off the line to clear a lane for one of Lamar's jaw-dropping runs or he can sneak out on a play action and find open space for the first down. There's no doubt about it, Boyle has been a huge contributor to the offenses success.