The Ravens' Offensive Prowess and Lamar Jackson's Ascending Role
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. The Ravens' offensive efficiency was highlighted by their fourth-place ranking in FTN's DVOA, and they finished tied for eighth in TruMedia's version of EPA per play.
Lamar Jackson's Stellar 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. His performance was noteworthy as he completed 67.2% of his passes, averaged 8.0 yards per attempt, and threw for 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. Additionally, Jackson's versatility was on full display as he 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 this season. Jackson himself has expressed a desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. This expansion of his role is seen as a natural progression by quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, who believes that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism.
Martin pointed out that the Ravens 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, a tactic expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
"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 echoed this sentiment, saying, "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."
Eyeing the Super Bowl
The ultimate goal for the Ravens is to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. 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. Martin is optimistic about the impact of these changes, stating, "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level."
Jackson's mastery of varying cadences is expected to become a significant asset. "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home," said Martin. "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."
The Ravens enter the new season with high hopes and the belief that they are on the verge of a breakthrough. The expanded role for Jackson is a calculated move to add layers and complexities to an already potent offense. As Jackson continues to grow and evolve, the Ravens might finally break through to the Super Bowl stage.