### Harbaugh Confident in Andrews' Comeback Amid Ravens' Run Focus

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed his belief on Monday that tight end Mark Andrews, despite his current slump, will soon see a resurgence as the team looks to increase its passing game. Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, found himself without a catch for two consecutive games for the first time in his seven-year NFL career. This streak continued during Sunday night's 35-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills, where Andrews notably dropped his only target that would have netted a 15-yard gain.

"Mark Andrews is going to definitely have big games here catching the ball," Harbaugh affirmed on Monday. "We're going to have a big passing game coming up here at some point in time soon. It's hard to predict when it's going to be because the games go where they go, and the ball goes where it goes and it's just a competitive deal."

Despite his recent struggles in catching passes, Harbaugh commended Andrews for his blocking efforts which have been crucial to the Ravens' running game. "The reason we ran the ball so well is because everybody was bought into the play that was being run in that moment and executed so well. Mark had some phenomenal blocks out there, I mean some dominant blocks," he added.

At 29, Andrews has traditionally been quarterback Lamar Jackson's go-to receiver over the last six seasons. However, through the initial four games of 2024, Andrews has recorded just six catches for 65 yards, placing him 30th among NFL tight ends and sixth on the Ravens' roster in receiving yards. Andrews, maintaining a positive outlook, noted last week, "My time will come."

The dip in Andrews’ productivity can be attributed to Baltimore's recent strategic pivot to a run-heavy offense, prominently featuring running back Derrick Henry. Over the past two weeks, the Ravens' passing attempts numbered only 34, a figure only surpassed by the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions in the same period.

"I could probably try to talk to Mark to make sure everything's OK, but he would just look at me, 'What are you talking to me about? Everything's fine, everything's good,'" Harbaugh stated confidently. "Mark Andrews is a great player... Mark is a star. The fact that we were doing well on offense and as a team and that part hasn’t been expressing itself in the last two weeks gets me kind of excited because that’s another weapon that we have that's going to happen."

Looking ahead, it may still be a challenge for Andrews to get back on track immediately as the Ravens' next matchup is against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's defense stands at 25th in the league against the run but is significantly stronger against the pass, ranking 10th.