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 (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). Additionally, the Ravens finished tied for eighth in TruMedia's version of EPA (Expected Points Added) per play.
Lamar Jackson's Standout Season
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. Demonstrating remarkable accuracy, Jackson completed 67.2% of his passes, averaged 8.0 yards per attempt, and threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions. His dual-threat capability was evident as he also rushed 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Increased Responsibility for Jackson
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. 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.
"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.
Room for Improvement: Drawing Offsides Penalties
One 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.
"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."
Expanding the Playbook
Expanding the playbook and giving Jackson more control at the line of scrimmage is seen as a way to keep the offense unpredictable and efficient. "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."
Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens are setting their sights high, hoping to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Their success hinges largely 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 team hopes to finally break through and secure a coveted Super Bowl appearance, leveraging Jackson's growth and leadership on the field to achieve their ultimate goal.