Ravens Marquise Brown projected to be one of the AFC’s most improved players
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown has been garnering al lot of attention and generating a lot of buzz this offseason for his potential impact in 2020. The 2019 first-round pick out of Oklahoma is about to embark on his second season in the league—God willing—and has been discussed as potential breakout candidate by many pundits who discuss and break down the game.
After flashing his potential as a field-stretching deep threat despite still rehabbing from Lisfranc foot surgery, NFL.com Analytics Expert Cynthia Frelund listed Hollywood as one of the players from the AFC projected to be the most improved this season.
“We’ve already seen glimpses of what Hollywood can do when Jackson wants to find him deep,” Frelund wrote. “He caught three touchdowns on six deep receptions and 15 such targets as a rookie in 2019. No other Ravens wide receiver had more than three total deep receptions on the season, per NGS. Baltimore’s deep passing game forecasts to improve in 2020, which should mean greater opportunities for Brown.”
Brown could prove Frelund’s projection to be right on the money in his sophomore season now that he’s fully recovered from his surgery instead of working his way back from it while trying to get acclimated to the pro level on the fly. Despite not being at full health as a rookie, he still managed to catch 46 passes for 584 yards and tied the franchise receiving touchdown record with seven scores in 14 games, including 11 starts.
He got off to an explosive start to his rookie season with 233 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns on just 12 receptions in the first two weeks of the year before tapering off, but he came back on stronger down the stretch as the season progressed. As a rookie, Brown exhibited exceptional body control and spatial awareness when working the boundary of the sidelines and in the endzone as well as an incredible ability to track the ball down the field.
The last time we saw him on the field was in the divisional round where he racked up 126 yards on seven catches in a losing effort against the Tennessee Titans, including an insane grab deep down the right sideline. If that playoff performance was any sort of indication of what to expect from Brown in year two, he could really emerge as one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league in short order.
This offseason he has flooded his social media accounts with intense workout videos showing off his bulked-up physique, explosive quickness, and an inkling of his blazing speed. His breakout this season could help take a Ravens offense that was the only unit to score 500 points last season to even greater heights.
Frelund noted that Brown had twice as many deep receptions than any other Ravens receiver last year and could have the most to gain from the expected improvement of the team’s passing game as reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson develops more as a passer. Considering the dramatic improvement that Jackson made from year one to year two when he took the league by storm and taking into account his great rapport with Brown on and off the field, the pairing could become one of the most lethal quarterback-wide receiver duos in the league that could mirror what Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill have in Kansas City with the Chiefs.
Brown could be more than just the key to unlocking the deep passing game with his incredible straight-line speed. The Ravens made their bread and butter on dominating with a ground and pound rushing attack which meant they also dominated time of possession. Once they established a lead over an opponent last year, their fates were as good as sealed. In fact, Baltimore led the league in time of possession with 34:24 minutes per game, with the next closest team being the San Francisco 49ers at 32:49 minutes per game.
As good as they are at getting and keeping leads, many believed that their offense isn’t built to play from behind or mount a comeback over double-digit leads like the Chiefs did this past postseason because it forces them to abandon their game plan and switch to a more aggressive one which typically means extremely pass-heavy. Against the Titans in the playoffs, Jackson threw a career-high 59 passing attempts, the vast majority of which came in the second half as Tennessee continued to extend their lead from double digits to three possessions.
The Ravens were one of the most explosive offenses in the league last season in addition to being the most potent. Baltimore proved that they could score quickly and pile up points fast at times last season. However, a healthy and bulked up Brown could be the key to unlocking the quick-strike offense for the Ravens for times when they need to score a lot of points in not a whole lot of time.
During his time with the Sooners, Hollywood was one of the best receivers in college football at taking quick screens and shorter routes like slants all the way for touchdowns. His ability to weave through traffic, make people miss, break tackles and turn on the afterburners after he gets past the third level could help the Ravens become not only one of the most balanced attacks in the league but also help overcome almost any adversity or deficit that they face in any game in what seems like the blink of an eye.
