The Ravens have signed wide receivers John Brown and Ryan Grant. Give them credit for trying, I guess. But neither looks particularly likely to lift the team’s passing game out of the doldrums.

Grant didn’t stand out last year in Washington, and Brown has had problems staying healthy in Arizona. (At least he’s away from the Cardinals, reducing the confusion of them consistently listing both him and Jaron Brown as “J.Brown” on their participation charts, which has long been a pet peeve of mine.)

But the problem in Baltimore isn’t so much the receivers, I think, as the guy pulling the trigger. Joe Flacco seems to have lost his confidence and mojo. He can’t throw downfield anymore.

Only 19 times in the last 10 years has a quarterback with 100-plus completions averaged under 10 yards per completion. Flacco has done it twice – two years in a row.

Flacco averaged under 9 yards per completion last year, 2nd-worst by anybody in the last 10 years. He’s not looking downfield -- he’s trying to just check it down and get off the field.

Some of the blame, of course, can be put on what’s around him. The offense could be designed better. Pass protection could be improved. Receivers could do a better job of getting open and hanging onto the ball. But a good portion of this (I think) falls on Flacco just not being that good.

For fantasy purposes, I have no interest in Ryan Grant or John Brown. Just new, lesser parts in a passing offense that looks very stagnant.

AVERAGING UNDER 10 YARDS PER COMPLETION
YearPlayerAttComYardsAvg
2008Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cin.3722211,9058.62
2017Joe Flacco, Balt.5493523,1418.92
2015Zach Mettenberger, Tenn.1661019359.26
2014Derek Carr, Oak.5993483,2709.40
2017Brett Hundley, G.B.3161921,8369.56
2016Jared Goff, L.A.2051121,0899.72
2008Brian Griese, T.B.1841101,0739.75
2012Christian Ponder, Minn.4833002,9359.78
2016Sam Bradford, Minn.5523953,8779.82
2015Ryan Mallett, Hou.-Balt.2441361,3369.82
2016Brock Osweiler, Hou.5103012,9579.82
2009Brady Quinn, Clev.2561361,3399.85
2017Eli Manning, NYG5713523,4689.85
2016Joe Flacco, Balt.6724364,3179.90
2012Matt Hasselbeck, Tenn.2211381,3679.91
2010Sam Bradford, St.L.5903543,5129.92
2010Jimmy Clausen, Car.2991571,5589.92
2016Carson Wentz, Phil.6073793,7829.98

—Ian Allan