Written By: Danny O’BrienOver the next while I’ll be going through teams across the NFL and how are things looking
for them with rookie minicamps underway and OTA offseason workouts on the horizon.
Going to do it by division and in the order they finished last season, starting off with the AFC
North and the Baltimore Ravens.
Last season: AFC North Champs & defeated by the Buffalo Bills on the divisional
round.
Highlight: Stomping the Bills on the road in the regular season
Lowlight: Losing to the same opposition in Buffalo
Don’t mention: Two-point conversions
When people mention “The Standard” it’s always the Ravens biggest rivals the Steelers that
get associated with this. But if anything, the Ravens live up to this, a well-run organisation
(for the most part) who year in year out is nearly always in contention and who do a terrific
job when it comes to drafting. If you were a franchise looking to rebuild your structures and
put the right systems in place Baltimore would be a good benchmark.
The challenge for the Ravens now is that top 1%. In the regular season they can and have
stomped some of the best teams in the league (see the 49ers two seasons ago and the Bills
last season). But the problem they have is that their seasons are often not defined by these
but by one or two plays in the post season. They came within a fumbled touchdown of
defeating the dynasty Chiefs two years ago and a failed two-point conversion from nearly
being in the AFC Championship game again last season. If anything, they are kind of like
Leinster in rugby, terrific throughout the year but then trip up with the finish line in sight. Very
often the biggest opponent of the Baltimore Ravens has been, the Baltimore Ravens.
Big Off-Season Addition – DeAndre Hopkins.
It isn’t on the level of Henry last year, but the
Ravens will be hoping he can add something to their offense that Diontae Johnson didn’t
(who is one team short of claiming AFC North bingo). It’s a one-year deal worth €6 million
which shows that Baltimore are hoping to get one last big season from someone who was at
one time one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL.
Big Off-Season Subtraction – Justin Tucker.
If anything, the way the Ravens cut ties with Tucker made as many headlines as the news itself. Tucker not only holds the NFLs best field goal conversion rate (89.1%) but also the record for the longest field goal in league
history after hitting a winning 66-yarder in 2021. Last season though saw a significant fall off
in his FG% from 86.5% all the way down to 73.3%. Just to see Tucker miss kicks was a
surprise. How much of this was down to what was happening behind the scenes we don’t
know but it was a significant fall off for a player viewed by many as one of the all-time great
kickers. There are many echoes of Deshuan Watson in this case, the Ravens acted and cut
ties with him. The fact they drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round shows they were planning
for this. We will only truly know the impact of this the next clutch kick that has to be made.
The Ravens Slate
Outside of the home and road games to the AFC North sides it’s a schedule that definitely
has its challenges. They face four tough road games against the Bills & Chiefs (joy….) and
the Packers and Vikings. There’s also the prospect of a heavyweight bout with the Lions as
well. If anything, it’s similar in many ways to their 2024 schedule (NFC East also had several tough sides and the Giants). Can they get a similar record with those kind of road games?
That will be the big question.
What can we expect from the Ravens?
A case of rinse and repeat? Potentially, especially when you consider the two-headed
rushing monster of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. They ranked first in the NFL last
season yet at the crucial moment (as with the previous year) they went away from the rush.
It’s all good being unpredictable but the Ravens overthought things in the crucial games
(Henry rushed for 84 yards against the Bills in the divisional round, for comparison he rushed
for 199 yards against the same opposition). The addition of Hopkins should help with
passing options for Jackson.
The two biggest challenges facing the Ravens offense centre on balance:
Getting the right balance of their pass/run game overall
Balancing the pass/run threat of Jackson
Opponents knowing what’s going to happen is only half the battle, and with the Ravens
threat on the run why wouldn’t look to optimise it. That will be crucial to their prospects.
Ravens Prospects for Next Season?
Up there with the elite of the AFC. For the heartbreak of last season and the drama so far
this offseason (by their standards) the Ravens are still in the elite of the AFC. They will be
there or there abouts with the likes of the Bills, questions will also surround the Chiefs after
the way last season finished. For the Ravens again it could all come down to that crucial
play which could define their season, much like another side I know of.