J.K. Dobbins is (nearly) back to his old self, and that might be the fix the Ravens’ offense needs

J.K. Dobbins was in a good mood all week.

On Wednesday after practice, when reporters converged around tight end Mark Andrews for an interview in the Ravens locker room, Dobbins snuck through the scrum of television cameras, shoulders and recorders with a phone in hand, pretending he was a member of the media.

“Mark, why No. 89?” Dobbins said, putting his phone near his teammate’s face to ask about his choice of jersey number. Andrews actually revealed some new information: He chose the number in honor of former Ravens’ gritty wide receiver Steve Smith.

Stunt finished and feeling satisfied and perhaps secretly saying — Hey, pay attention to me — Dobbins walked back to his locker. “You might have a future,” one reporter said to him. The diminutive, muscled running back glanced back over his shoulder and laughed.

Dobbins was certainly looking forward this week, but not that far ahead. He’s been dreaming of getting back on the field at something nearing full strength.

That happened Sunday in Pittsburgh.

And his timing was impeccable.

In his first game in eight weeks since having surgery to clean out scar tissue is in his already surgically-repaired left knee, Dobbins rushed for 120 yards on 15 carries and scored the Ravens’ lone touchdown to power them to a 16-14 win over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens (9-4) remain atop the AFC North standings, holding a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The victory also snapped the Ravens’ four-game losing streak to the Steelers.

“Coming back out here and being able to play and do things like that,” Dobbins said, “it was part of the patience game. I had to learn patience. It just helped me as a person, as a man. When we’re out there, and it’s going crazy, I’m calm and ready to go because I’ve been through so much.”

The game played out how games in this rivalry have traditionally played out: low scoring, a tight finish, and frequent craziness. The Ravens defense made a huge difference in the end, too. A pair of interceptions by linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen on consecutive drives near the Ravens’ goal-line were essential. And a later pick by safety Marcus Williams, also returning from injury and wearing a cast on one wrist, was also crucial.

And so was a remarkable appearance by third-string, undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Brown. He replaced backup Tyler Huntley, who was evaluated for a concussion, near the end of the third quarter and, starting a drive at the Ravens own 1-yard line, finished the job behind center with a calmness reminiscent of Huntley a week earlier. Usual starter Lamar Jackson, who is working through a knee injury, was on the sideline Sunday in cold-weather gear.

But the Ravens likely would not have won, or been in position to win, without Dobbins. His 44-yard burst through the middle of the Steelers defense in the first quarter set an aggressive tone early, and a number of long first-down runs and a few juke moves confirmed he was back.

After an impressive NFL debut in 2020, leading all rookies with six yards per carry, Dobbins, a former second-round pick, tore his ACL, LCL, and meniscus and his hamstring in the final preseason game of 2021.

A long rehab process ensued. He got back on the field this year in Week 3 and played four games through the Ravens October 16 matchup with the New York Giants, but his repaired knee felt stiff. He couldn’t bend it as he once could. About a month ago he had surgery to clean out scar tissue and said he immediately felt better walking, then running, and then Sunday.

“It feels good,” Dobbins said. “It’s still not me all the way yet. I’m going to continue to get better, and hopefully those 100-yard games will start turning into 200-yard games, maybe. I’m just going to keep getting healthier.”

In all, Dobbins’ 5-foot-10, 210-pound presence in the backfield gave the Ravens’ offense an edge it hasn’t had much this season, even with Jackson at quarterback. On a key 13-play, nearly eight-minute fourth-quarter drive, Dobbins gained 29 yards on four carries to help keep a third QB-led offense stay in manageable short-yardage situations. He finished with more than half of the Ravens 215 total rushing yards. The only slight against him on the day was he didn’t outrun a Steelers defender on his big gain early in the game. He says he might in the future.

“On that long run that I had, I’m still not in shape that I need to be in, because I would have never gotten caught,” Dobbins said. “I’m pretty upset about that.”

Even this still-limited version of Dobbins made a huge impact, though, and provided much-needed offensive help the Ravens have been seeking.

They play again in just six days at the Cleveland Browns (5-8), another divisional opponent, in a rare Saturday game. Huntley, knocked from this game on a high hit, could play at quarterback. Harbaugh said he was fine afterward n the locker room.

“He’s reciting the months of the year backwards,” Harbaugh said. “Can you do you that right now? We’ll see how it goes. You just have to trust the docs on that.”

But, if for some reason, Huntley isn’t cleared to play and Jackson isn’t back (a likely scenario), Brown — the unproven third-stringer — will be calling the signals.

While the rookie out of Oregon sure looked poised in limited action Sunday, he doesn’t have the same experience as Huntley as a starter in relief of Jackson, though he has been with the team since the summer. But if he can do what he did against the Steelers — mostly hand off to Dobbins and Gus Edwards (who carried 13 times for 66 yards) and make a few timely throws — the Ravens might be just fine down the stretch of the regular season.

“I told him he put the team on his back,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said of Dobbins. “The way he was running that ball, his vision, his stop and start, getting north and south, running hard, literally making defenders pay every time he touched the bal. He’s been hungry. You can see that desire in him. It showed today. He wanted to go out there and make his plays.”

The Ravens’ defense did its job, too.

It also faced mostly a backup quarterback. Smith forced Steelers starter Kenny Pickett from the game after slamming him to the Acrisure Stadium turf in the first quarter. Pickett was evaluated for a concussion and returned for a series before being taken out for good. Then, the Ravens defense went to work on Steelers backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Smith picked off the former first-round draft pick (they played together with the Bears) in the middle of the field on the Ravens’ 10-yard line. Then Queen did the same on the next series with the Steelers driving inside the Ravens’ red zone again. Trubisky was able to convert a couple long passes, and the Ravens ended up allowing 329 total yards, but again fewer than 100 rushing yards (65), a kind of performance that has become the unit’s calling card.

The Ravens forced four turnovers in all, if you add in Williams picking off a deep Trubisky pass and a blocked field goal by the 6-foot-8 Campbell to the key play mix, which prevented the Steelers from pulling within three points in the fourth quarter and led to the long, run-heavy drive that ate clock and ended with a Justin Tucker 30-yard field goal.

In the end, it was not just a quintessential Ravens-Steelers game but also one that illuminates a path forward for the Ravens. Combine the ability to create extra possessions via turnover with an already strong run game and that’s a blueprint that many teams, and certainly this one, can win with. It’s not modern. It’s not prolific. But it works.

The Ravens have quarterback questions, of course, and they haven’t shown signs of threatening any defenses with a consistent deep passing game. But Dobbins could take significant pressure and attention off a healthy Lamar Jackson, the Ravens’ leading rusher by several hundred yards.

If the defense does what it’s done, minus the fourth-quarter blowups, and Dobbins remains healthy, the Ravens might would have enough parts to scare and grind down a few elite-level opponents come playoff time. They just have to make sure to get there first.

Words of wisdom

Brown’s mantra as a backup quarterback comes from his father, he said in a press conference after the game: “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”

On what he was thinking before his first-ever NFL play at his team’s own 1-yard line in a major rivalry game: “Honestly, it was an opportunity for a 99-yard drive.”

They didn’t quite get that. The drive ended in a punt, but Brown did complete his first pass for three yards backed up on the Ravens own goal-line.

Extra points

Right guard Kevin Zeitler (knee) did not play and left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) did for the first time in three weeks.

To make room for Dobbins’ return to the roster off injured reserve, the Ravens waived little-used veteran running back Mike Davis.

Tucker became the Ravens all-time points leader with a 42-yard field goal in the first quarter, moving past former kicker Matt Stover.

Corey McLaughlin is a veteran writer and editor who has covered sports in Baltimore for a decade, including for Baltimore magazine, USA Lacrosse Magazine and several other publications.

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