Spotlight unavoidable for Ravens and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson
BALTIMORE – After Lamar Jackson helped lead the Ravens to the playoffs in his rookie year, expectations were high in Baltimore entering 2019. But few predicted what came next: a breakthrough season highlighted by 12 straight wins, an AFC North title and weekly dominance by Jackson.
Now, even after a second straight disappointing playoff exit, the spotlight is unavoidable. Jackson is the NFL’s reigning Most Valuable Player, and the Ravens are Super Bowl contenders.
If coach John Harbaugh doesn’t have the league’s most talented roster, it’s not far behind. After a slow start in September, the Ravens had one of the NFL’s top offenses and defenses by the end of the season. Of the team’s 13 Pro Bowl players from last year, only stalwart right guard Marshal Yanda (retired) doesn’t return.
With the maturation of a young receiving corps and the addition of Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell and rookie inside linebacker Patrick Queen, the Ravens are expected to win their third straight division title and build on last season’s success.
“I think the biggest thing is staying in the moment,” Campbell said. “You can’t win the Super Bowl today. I don’t care how good you are in August; you’ve got to go through the process.”
All eyes will be on Jackson. After setting franchise passing records and league rushing records last season, he struggled in a 28-12 home playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC’s divisional round.
With an 0-2 postseason record hanging over his head, Jackson said he’s eager to put last season’s sour end behind him.
“I’m going to keep working hard,” Jackson said. “My second year is done with. It’s over with. I need to focus on this season. Last year is in the past. It fell short. It didn’t end how I wanted it to end, but I’m focused on this season, and I just need to do better. There’s always room for improvement, and I just need to keep grinding.”
Running back crunch: The Ravens set an NFL rushing record last year, finishing with 3,296 yards and eclipsing the 1978 New England Patriots’ single-season mark. Then they drafted running back J.K. Dobbins in the second round, adding the talented rookie to a backfield that already included Mark Ingram II, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. “We’re fortunate to have a group like that — and the more the merrier,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “In our offense, we don’t look at it as a problem at all. We look at it as a really good thing.”
Taking flight: Jackson finished third in the NFL last season in passer rating, but he entered training camp wanting to improve on his downfield and sideline accuracy. A bolstered receiving corps should help. Speedster Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is fully healthy after a rookie year slowed by injury. Miles Boykin has flashed the athleticism and ball skills that made him a training camp standout last year. Willie Snead IV is more agile after dropping weight during the offseason. And rookies Devin Duvernay and James Proche should help a position group that finished last in the NFL in receiving yards in 2019.
Coverage kings: Good luck testing the Ravens’ secondary. The defense returns All-Pro cornerbacks Marlon Humprey and Marcus Peters, Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas III and do-it-all safety Chuck Clark. With slot cornerback Tavon Young impressing in practice after missing all of last year with a neck injury, defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale has a lockdown unit. After finishing with 13 interceptions in 2019, the Ravens could take a big step forward this year. “Man, I hope so,” Martindale said. “You just don’t know. It’s year to year. But I think that takeaways are going to be a big priority for our defense.”