The Ravens' Impressive Offensive Display
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. This offensive efficiency was highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA. Furthermore, the Ravens finished tied for eighth in TruMedia's version of EPA per play.
Lamar Jackson's Stellar Performance
One of the key reasons for the Ravens' success was the standout season from their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Jackson earned the second MVP award of his career, cementing his status as one of the league's elite quarterbacks. 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. His passing stats were complemented by 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. In addition to his prowess in the aerial attack, Jackson showcased his dual-threat capabilities by rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Enhanced Responsibilities for Jackson
Moving forward, the Ravens are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson himself is eager 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, believing that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism.
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. This tactic is expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
Quotes from the Ravens
"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.
Martin emphasized the importance of continually challenging Jackson, saying, "It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right? You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities." Martin added, "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level."
He also praised Jackson's ability to handle complex signaling strategies: "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."
Looking Ahead: Super Bowl Ambitions
The Ravens hope to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and their success largely 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 a formidable force in the coming seasons.
By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders. The ultimate goal remains clear: the Ravens hope to finally break through to the Super Bowl.