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, demonstrating their prowess on the field. The Ravens' offensive efficiency was highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA, and they 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, completing 67.2% of his passes and averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. Jackson threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions and rushed 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat capability.
Increased Responsibility for Jackson
As the Ravens gear up for the new season, they are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson has expressed his desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin views expanding Jackson's role as a natural progression and believes that granting 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 noted via ESPN.
Enhancing the Offensive Strategy
One specific area where the Ravens 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. "It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right?" said Martin. "You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities."
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. 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 Road to the Super Bowl
The Ravens have high hopes this season, aiming to make the 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.
The Ravens' hopes to finally break through to the Super Bowl rest on the shoulders of their MVP quarterback. With Jackson's enhanced role and the team's strategic adjustments, Baltimore looks to contend fiercely in the AFC and aim for football's biggest stage.