Bandwagon jumpers, this guide gets you up to speed
Here’s what you need to know before watching the game
Are you uninterested in football but have to deal with your crazed spouse for the next month? A scorned fan whose team once again failed to make a postseason run? Or just intrigued by the presumptive NFL Most Valuable Player?
The success of Lamar Jackson this season has brought the Ravens plenty of new supporters. The second-year quarterback has spun, thrown and juked his way into the hearts of many, leading the top-seeded Ravens to the NFL’s best record.
A nationally televised audience will tune in Saturday night to watch Jackson make his second career playoff start, and for some it will be their first time seeing the Ravens up close all season.
Here’s everything you need to know about the team to sound a little smarter at the dinner table, bar or on Twitter during the Ravens’ game against the Tennessee Titans:
Offense
What to know: The Ravens reconstructed their offense in the offseason around Jackson’s supreme running ability. It starts and ends with his generational talent. Jackson led the league’s top-scoring offense this season and broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback while also throwing a leaguehigh 36 touchdown passes. Mark Ingram II is Jackson’s running mate in the backfield and unofficial hype man.
The Ravens offense uses an assortment of formations to put pressure on defenses. You’ll see everything from three players with Jackson in the backfield to five receivers spread out. While Jackson has shown the ability to find any receiver (he completed touchdown passes to eight targets), he often relies on tight end Mark Andrews and rookie wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Coach John Harbaugh heads one of the most aggressive, analytically-driven teams in the league and is unabashed in his willingness to go for it on fourth down, even in a high-stakes game. Don’t be surprised if you see the Ravens go for on it fourth-andshort when a field goal seems like the safer move.
Key stat: 3,296. The Ravens rushed for 3,296 yards in the regular season, setting an NFL record for the most in a single season.
Harbaugh jokingly predicted an offensive “revolution” before the season began, but as the team broke a record that had stood since 1978, it truly did bring a revolution to the NFL.
Defense
What to know: The Ravens defense remade itself in the middle of the season after its worst two-game stretch in franchise history. Eight defensive players weren’t on the active roster at the beginning of the season, but the unit has played as well as any since Week 5.
The defense follows the offense’s aggressive approach, blitzing at every moment, whether it seems opportune or ill-timed. The unit’s strength lies in its secondary, giving defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale all the faith it can cover for an extended period of time.
The team’s midseason acquisition of Marcus Peters has brought more flair and swagger to a defense that struggled to make plays. Peters is one of the savviest corners in the league and isn’t afraid to jump a route he believes he can take the other way.
Key stat: 54.9%. The Ravens defense blitzes on over half of opposing teams’ drop-backs, an unprecedented rate in the NFL. They live and die by the blitz. You’ll see everyone from a 24-year-old rookie linebacker to a 33-year-old converted safety pressure the quarterback.
Special teams
What to know: In years past, the Ravens relied on stingy defenses and superb special teams play to compensate for sputtering offenses. With Jackson ushering in a new era of Ravens football, that’s no longer the case.
Still, the special teams unit is solid and can be counted on. Justin Tucker is the best kicker in the league and was named to another Pro Bowl. Punter Sam Koch hasn’t punted as much as he usually does but still wields a bevy of situational punts.
Key stat: 90.8%. Tucker is the most accurate kicker in history, making 90.8% of his field-goal attempts in his eight-year career. The three-time first-team All-Pro has also hit two game-winning field goals this season.