The Resurgence of the Baltimore Ravens' Offense
Last season, the Baltimore Ravens showcased one of the NFL's most formidable offenses.
Boasting the sixth-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league, the Ravens made a compelling case for being one of the top offensive teams. This offensive prowess was further highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). They also finished tied for eighth in Tru Media's version of EPA (Expected Points Added) per play, underscoring their efficiency.
Lamar Jackson's Stellar Performance
Lamar Jackson, the standout quarterback, had a phenomenal season last year. He earned the second MVP award of his career, leading the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record in his 16 starts. Completion of 67.2% of his passes, an average of 8.0 yards per attempt, and throwing for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions are all testaments to his exceptional performance. Additionally, Jackson rushed 148 times for 821 yards and secured 5 touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat capabilities.
Expanding Jackson's Role
The Ravens are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson’s shoulders this season. Jackson has expressed a desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin sees expanding Jackson's role as a natural progression. Martin believes that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism.
One area identified for improvement is drawing offsides penalties from opponents. Last season, the Ravens' offense managed to induce an opponent offsides only once. Martin aims to change that by having Jackson vary his cadence more often. This tactic is expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens hope to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Their success hinges on Lamar Jackson’s ability to adapt and thrive with his expanded role. The combination of Jackson's individual talent and increased responsibility could make the Ravens a formidable team in the coming seasons. By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders.
Quotes from the Team
"From us watching film and getting into games, teams changing things up on us, we just want to add extra layers to all of our calls," Jackson said, via ESPN.
"It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right? You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities," Martin explained. "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level."
Martin continued to praise Jackson's abilities, noting, "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home. We have a lot of different ones that give us an advantage so that people don't know when we're snapping the ball and slowing them down a little bit."
As the Ravens look to make a serious push for the Super Bowl, all eyes will be on how well Lamar Jackson adapts to his expanded role. If he and the team can rise to the challenge, Baltimore may soon see their Super Bowl dreams come true. The adjustments made by the coaching staff, combined with Jackson's evolving gameplay, are set to test the limits of what this already potent offense can achieve. Indeed, the upcoming season holds much promise for the Ravens and their fans.