Raven Country

Ravens HC Promises Changes to Hands Team

Both successful oonside kicks this season have come against the Baltimore Ravens.

Jon Alfano

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin (29) recovers an onside kick in front Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Harty (3) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin (29) recovers an onside kick in front Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Harty (3) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens place a great amount of emphasis on their special team unit, especially with head coach John Harbaugh having a special teams background. However, one part of that unit has not played to the standard this season.

That would be the hands team, which has allowed the only two successful onside kicks in the entire NFL this season. The first came against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 and the second came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. In both cases, the Ravens allowed back-to-back touchdowns that made the game look far closer than it actually was.

After far too many close calls, the Ravens plan to make some big changes to the hands team.

"If you recover that kick, [the game is] kind of over," Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday. "Yes, we will. We'll look at it. Not everybody wants to be on the hands team; I can tell you. It's tough, a tough duty, but yes. The rest of the league [has given up zero], and we've given up two. Nobody is very envious of that right now, so we'll flip some guys around [and] try to get some guys in spots that we think can make sure we come up with the next one."

The exact hands team is hard to track, but at least on the one Tampa Bay recovered, the Ravens on the field were (in no particular order): Isaiah Likely, Tylan Wallace, Chris Board, Mark Andrews, Kyle Hamilton, Charlie Kolar, Sanoussi Kane, Trenton Simpson, Zay Flowers, Justice Hill and Chris Collier.

That's not to say those players specifically are at fault, just to give an idea of what could change going forward.

The Ravens luckily won both of the aforementioned games, but it goes without saying that they want to do a better job of closing the door.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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