The Baltimore Ravens' Offensive Force
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. The Ravens' offensive efficiency was highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA. Moreover, the team finished tied for eighth in Tru Media's version of EPA per play.
Lamar Jackson’s MVP Season
Lamar Jackson had a standout season last year, earning the second MVP award of his career. In his 16 starts, Jackson led the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record. He completed 67.2% of his passes and averaged 8.0 yards per attempt, throwing for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. Jackson also showcased his dual-threat capabilities, rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Expanding Jackson's Role
As the Ravens' offensive success grows, the team plans to place even more responsibility on Jackson’s shoulders. According to Jackson, he is eager 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.
"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?" Martin remarked. "You have to constantly add things, tweaks, and things of that nature and responsibilities."
Room for Improvement
The Ravens see room for improvement 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. This tactic is expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
"It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level," Martin said. "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home."
Incorporating varied cadences could provide the Ravens with a tactical edge, making opposing defenses uncertain and more prone to mistakes.
"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," Martin explained.
Looking Forward to Super Bowl Contention
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 formidable in the coming seasons.
By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders. They aim to finally break through and secure a Super Bowl victory.
Jackson's continuous improvement and the coaching staff's innovative strategies could very well transform the Ravens from playoff participants to champions.