Last season, the Baltimore Ravens showcased one of the NFL's most formidable offenses. The team racked up the sixth-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league. Their offensive efficiency was highlighted by a fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA. Additionally, the Ravens finished tied for eighth in Tru Media's version of EPA per play.
Lamar Jackson's Standout Season
One of the notable highlights of the Ravens' campaign was the stellar performance of their quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Jackson earned the second MVP award of his career, solidifying his status as one of the elite players in the league.
In his 16 starts, Jackson led the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record. His passing accuracy was commendable, completing 67.2% of his passes. Furthermore, Jackson averaged 8.0 yards per attempt, threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions, and also showcased his dual-threat capabilities by rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Increased Responsibility for Jackson
As the Ravens prepare for the upcoming season, they are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson's shoulders. Jackson himself has expressed a desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. This evolution in his role is something that quarterbacks coach Tee Martin sees as a natural progression.
"It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right?" Martin said. "You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities."
Martin believes that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism. One area where they see room for improvement is in drawing offsides penalties from opponents. Last season, the Ravens' offense only managed to induce an opponent offsides once. Martin aims to change that this season by having Jackson vary his cadence more often, a tactic expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens are setting their sights high, hoping to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Their success hinges significantly on Lamar Jackson's ability to adapt and thrive with his expanded role. By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders.
Martin explained the benefits of Jackson's expanded role further, saying, "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."
He added, "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level. 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."
The combination of Jackson's individual talent and increased responsibility could make the Ravens formidable in the coming seasons. By continuously evolving their approach and leaning into Jackson’s unparalleled skill set, the Ravens are poised to finally break through to the Super Bowl.