Last season, the Baltimore Ravens showcased one of the NFL's most formidable offenses, capturing the attention of fans and analysts alike.
Their offensive stats were impressive, racking up the sixth-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league. Demonstrating their consistency, the Ravens' offensive efficiency was highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA. Additionally, they finished tied for eighth in Tru Media's version of EPA per play—an indicator of their strategic play execution.
Lamar Jackson's Stellar Performance
Lamar Jackson had a standout season, earning the second MVP award of his career. During his 16 starts, Jackson led the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record. His performance was characterized by precision, completing 67.2% of his passes and averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. Jackson threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions, showcasing his ability to make smart decisions under pressure.
Not only did Jackson excel in the passing game, but he also demonstrated his versatility as a dual-threat quarterback. Jackson rushed 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns, keeping defenses guessing and adding another layer to the Ravens' offensive toolkit.
Expanded Role for Jackson
Heading into the new season, 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 this as a natural progression in Jackson's career.
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. This approach aims to make the Ravens' offense more unpredictable and adaptable to real-time defensive adjustments.
A Tactical Focus on Cadence
The Ravens see room for improvement in drawing offsides penalties from opponents. Last season, the offense only managed to induce an opponent offsides once. Martin aims to change that by having Jackson vary his cadence more often, a tactic that could keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
"You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities," Martin said. "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level." By keeping defenses guessing with varied cadences, the Ravens hope to slow down opponents and create additional opportunities.
Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens hope to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and 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.
"Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home," Martin noted. "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," he added.
By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders. This strategic shift is expected to pay dividends as the team aims to break through and finally reach the Super Bowl.
Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as the Ravens embark on this journey, with high hopes pinned on Lamar Jackson's shoulders. If Jackson can leverage his expanded role and execute with the same level of excellence he displayed last season, there is little doubt that the Ravens will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.