Ravens' Offense: Ready to Soar Higher
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 high efficiency and explosiveness. This offensive prowess was further highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA statistic and an eighth-place finish 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 performance was marked by completing 67.2% of his passes, averaging 8.0 yards per attempt, and throwing for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. Additionally, Jackson showcased his dual-threat ability with 148 rushes for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns. These statistics solidify his status as one of the league's premier quarterbacks.
Expanded Role and Increased Responsibilities
Looking ahead, 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, believing that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism.
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. To address this, Martin aims to have Jackson vary his cadence more often. This tactic is expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties, offering the Ravens small but significant advantages in crucial moments.
Quotes from the Team
Jackson commented on the upcoming changes, stating, "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," via ESPN. Martin added, "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 responsibilities."
Further emphasizing the importance of these adjustments, Martin noted, "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level. 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."
Aiming for the Super Bowl
The Ravens hope to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and their success hinges significantly 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.
As the Ravens aim to finally break through to the Super Bowl, their offensive strategy and Jackson's execution will be pivotal. With an enhanced focus on adaptability and dynamic play-calling, the Ravens’ offense may very well soar higher than ever before.