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, and their offensive efficiency was 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. It was truly a remarkable year for the franchise and especially for their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson's Standout Performance
Lamar Jackson had an outstanding season, earning the second MVP award of his career. In his 16 starts, Jackson led the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record. He posted stellar stats, completing 67.2% of his passes and averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. Jackson threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. On the ground, he was equally impressive, rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
With such a standout performance, the Ravens are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson has expressed a desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. This desire aligns with the strategic vision of the Ravens' coaching staff, which sees expanding Jackson's role as a natural progression in his development.
Expanding Jackson's Role
Quarterbacks coach Tee 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.
Martin echoes this sentiment. "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." Indeed, Martin sees these additional responsibilities as tools to elevate Jackson’s already exceptional game. "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level," Martin added.
Strategic Adjustments
The Ravens also 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 this through strategic adjustments, such as having Jackson vary his cadence more often. "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home," Martin said. He believes this tactic will keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties. "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 said.
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. By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders.
The ultimate goal for the Ravens is to finally break through to the Super Bowl. With a talented roster, an innovative coaching staff, and a dynamic quarterback at the helm, the Ravens are poised to be a force to be reckoned with. It remains to be seen how these changes will manifest on the field, but the potential for greatness is palpable.