Head Coach John Harbaugh was direct Monday when addressing the recent play of Ed Dickson.
The fourth-year tight end has dropped four passes in the first four games, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had a pass in Sunday's loss to the Bills bounce off his hands and lead to an interception. The mistakes are a growing concern, and Harbaugh said that his starting tight end needs to get back to the basics.
"Ed just needs to go catch the ball," Harbaugh said. "He needs to run fast, get open and catch the football, put it away and get up field. That's all he needs to do. And if he's thinking about anything besides that, he's doing himself a disservice."
Dickson has just three catches for 25 yards this season. According to PFF, Dickson has dropped 57 percent of the catchable passes thrown his way, the worst percentage in the NFL.
The Ravens expected a big season from Dickson, who is in a contract year and took on a starting role when Dennis Pitta went down with a hip injury early in training camp.
Dickson, a former third-round pick, has shown flashes during his tenure with the Ravens, but has struggled with consistency. He hauled in 54 catches during the 2011 season, but has just 24 receptions since then.
"The stats kind of speak for themselves that you're alluding to," Harbaugh said. "He's not the same player right now that he was then, obviously."
Dickson has expressed frustration about his play this season, but also stressed that he has not lost confidence. Harbaugh said there is no reason for Dickson to question his confidence.
"If he's lacking confidence for some reason, that's on him," Harbaugh said. "[If] you've got that kind of talent and those kinds of gifts – go play ball. Go show everybody what you're capable of doing. That's what I expect to see from Ed."
