
Top draft pick Jamal Lewis will
add serious running game threat in 2000.No pun
intended but last night in Miami, the Ravens
played their sloppiest game in quite some time.
Unless you're a freak of nature, you don't have
enough fingers to point for the poor showing. The
entire team looked lethargic, unemotional, asleep
at the wheel. I try not to get too high or too
low after a game and I'm still in the honeymoon
stage, thankful that I have something to complain
about on Monday morning. Having said that, give
the entire team (including coaches) an "F"
for effort and give Miami a lot of credit for
playing with passion and beating the Ravens to
the punch in every phase of the game. A
disappointing showing, to say the least. The
bright spot? Jamal Lewis. This young man can
obviously play the game. It may be time to start
centering the offense around him. With all due
respect to Priest Holmes, Jamal is a game
breaker, a constant home run threat and will
change the entire dynamic of the team. A large
part of the St. Louis Rams' highly potent offense
is the ever-present threat of running back
Marshall Faulk. Teams must key on him as he is a
threat to score every time he touches the ball.
This alone has opened up many other avenues of
success for Kurt Warner and the wide receivers.
Jamal Lewis is such a running back. With power,
speed, instinct and receiving ability, he must be
constantly "shadowed". Opponents will
be forced to put that 8th man in the box, opening
up the field and taking some pressure off of Tony
Banks and the young wide-outs. The NFL is all
about winning. Give Jamal 25-30 carries a game,
coupled with the team's defense and there are not
many teams that can beat the Ravens.
|