Ravens' Offense Shines Under Jackson’s Command
Last season, the Baltimore Ravens showcased one of the NFL's most formidable offenses. They 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 (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). Notably, they finished tied for eighth in Tru Media's version of EPA (Expected Points Added) 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 marked by a 67.2% completion rate, an average of 8.0 yards per attempt, and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 24:7. Additionally, Jackson proved his dual-threat capability by rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Expanding Jackson’s Role
This upcoming season, 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 views this expansion of Jackson's role as a natural progression.
“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 believes that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism. “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 things of that nature and responsibilities,” Martin said.
“It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level,” Martin added.
Addressing Offsides Penalties
One specific 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.
“Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home,” Martin noted. “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.” This tactic is expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties.
Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens are hopeful that these tweaks and Jackson's increased responsibility will position them as stronger contenders for the AFC title and potentially a Super Bowl appearance. Their success this season hinges significantly on 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 a formidable team in the coming seasons.
By refining their strategies and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens are positioning themselves as strong AFC contenders. The hope is that these changes will finally help them break through to the Super Bowl.