Baltimore Ravens: A Season of Offensive Prowess and Future Aspirations
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, reflecting their offensive efficiency highlighted by their 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 Stellar Performance
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. His passing accuracy was evident as he completed 67.2% of his passes, averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. Jackson threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. Moreover, his dual-threat capability was on full display as he rushed 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Expanding Jackson's Role
The Ravens 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. 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.
According to Martin, by adding layers to their play-calling, they can better adapt to opponents' defensive strategies. "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.
Areas for Improvement
One specific area where the Ravens see room for improvement is in drawing offsides penalties from opponents. Last season, the Ravens' offense managed to induce an opponent offsides only 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.
Martin is confident in Jackson's ability to handle these expanded responsibilities. "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home," Martin said. "We have a lot of different [cadences] that give us an advantage so that people don't know when we're snapping the ball and slowing them down a little bit."
Looking Ahead: Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens hope to make a significant leap and 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. "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."
The Ravens hope to finally break through to the Super Bowl, and their strategy centers around Jackson's evolution as a quarterback. By embracing these changes, the Ravens aim to elevate their game and achieve the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory.