Against the Chiefs Sunday, the Ravens ran a successful screen to Torrey Smith that provided a big gain. The play was called back on a penalty, but the Chiefs' were definitely susceptible to this kind of play.
Naturally, the Ravens didn't run another wide receiver screen the rest of the day. Cam Cameron seemingly loathes screens, as he mostly calls pass plays deep down the field.
The Ravens have a more successful deep passing game than most teams, but it could be even better if they developed a complimentary short passing game.
The Ravens short passing game consists mostly of slant and flat routes, which opposing defenses have completely figured out.
Against the Eagles in particularly, the Ravens fell into a rut of throwing constant flat routes, which the Eagles completely shut down. Dennis Pitta was targeted a team high 15 times, but only caught eight of them, as the Eagles knew what was coming.
If the Ravens developed a screen game, though, they'd have a more reliable and diverse way to pick up quick yardage on first down.
With players like Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones who excel after the catch, the Ravens have the personnel to run effective screens.
Unfortunately, neither player gets many opportunities to run after the catch due to the nature of the Ravens offense. The team averages just 4.6 yards after the catch, a number that is inflated by Ray Rice's impressive 8.2 YAC average.
Why they have yet to establish the screen as a major part of their offense is a mystery, but it would help Joe Flacco get in a rhythm early in games while also improving the Ravens' first-down performance.