When the Ravens brought Chidobe Awuzie back on a one-year, $5 million deal, it looked like one of the smarter under-the-radar moves of the offseason. Two games into the season, though, the whole thing has turned into a mystery.
Awuzie has barely been on the field. He played six snaps in Week 1, then only one snap in Baltimore’s ugly Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints. That’s seven total snaps through two games for a player who was supposed to give this defense stability.
That usage stands out even more because Baltimore’s secondary has not exactly been airtight. The defense had uneven stretches in the opener, then completely unraveled in the fourth quarter against New Orleans, getting outscored 15-0.
The back end was a big reason why. Safeties Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins both had rough afternoons, with coverage breakdowns and missed tackles feeding directly into the collapse.
There’s also the scheme piece. The Ravens are leaning heavily on three-safety looks, and with Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey on the boundary, Awuzie was never going to walk in and claim a starting job. But that still doesn’t fully explain why he’s barely part of the rotation at all.
The new staff may simply value different things than the old one did. Jesse Minter appears to love the versatility he gets from Starks and Hawkins on the back end, while letting Hamilton move around and clean up issues wherever they pop up.
Fine. But if that’s the plan, the question becomes simple: why bring Awuzie back in the first place?
There are ways to get him involved if the Ravens want to. In dime packages, Marlon Humphrey could slide back into the slot, opening a boundary role for Awuzie.
Right now, Keyon Martin and Chandler Rivers have been used there. A secondary featuring Nate Wiggins, Humphrey, Hamilton, Starks, Hawkins, and Awuzie would look a lot more loaded on paper.
Another option would be to shift Hamilton back to a high safety role at times and move Humphrey into the slot. That could give Baltimore a better chance to get both the defense and Awuzie on track. Hamilton has shown he can solve problems from just about anywhere, and Awuzie was productive enough last year that this level of usage feels wildly out of place.
Or the Ravens could simply work him in more often without overcomplicating it. He doesn’t need a massive workload, but a player who was paid $5 million to come back to Baltimore should not be stuck at seven snaps through two weeks.
Maybe Awuzie has slipped. He is 31, and injuries have followed him throughout his career.
Maybe he didn’t do enough in camp to force the issue. Even so, the decision to re-sign him is starting to look stranger with each passing week.
In Other News...
Ravens Already Have A Lamar Jackson Problem They Can't Ignore
The Ravens are dealing with more than just the sting of a blown double-digit lead as they turn the page toward a trip to Brazil to face the Cowboys. Baltimores offensive concerns have been hanging around for a while, and the latest loss only sharpened the focus on a roster that still feels unsettled up front, where injuries and inconsistent play have made it harder for the unit to find any rhythm.
Ronnie Stanleys availability remains part of the conversation, but the bigger issue is the overall state of the offense around Lamar Jackson. Baltimore has seen undrafted rookies and veterans alike struggle to stabilize things, and with questions mounting about personnel choices and performance, the Ravens are heading into a high-profile game with plenty still unresolved in front of their quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Collapse Raises One Big Concern About This Offense
The Ravens had that Week 2 matchup with New Orleans under control for most of the afternoon at home, only to watch it slip away in a 24-17 loss that left a familiar question hanging over the offense. Baltimore did plenty to create the kind of game it usually expects to win, but the breakdowns late turned a solid script into a frustrating finish, especially with the Saints taking over in the fourth quarter and shutting the door with a 15-0 run.
Lamar Jacksons passing day, Derrick Henrys usage on the ground, and the offensive lines uneven play all came under the microscope in the postgame grades, because the loss felt less like one mistake and more like a collection of them. Jacksons game-ending interception only sharpened the concern, since the Ravens built enough of a lead to finish the job but could not put the offense in the cleanest position to do it. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Saw How Much Their Defense Needs Nnamdi Madubuike
The interior of Baltimores defense looked noticeably thinner in Week 2, and the absence of Nnamdi Madubuike was a big reason why. The Ravens had trouble holding up against the New Orleans Saints on the defensive line, a reminder of how much the front relies on one of its most disruptive players when he is available.
Madubuike, a two-time Pro Bowler, has been working back from a neck injury and is reportedly close to returning. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said the lineman is day-to-day and nearing a comeback, and the Ravens are hoping to have him back within the first four weeks of the season. [Read more 🡒]