The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the NFL's most consistent franchises over the past two decades, and with Lamar Jackson at Quarterback, they've also been one of the most electric in recent years. Despite the talent all over the field however, they've struggled to make a genuine impact in the playoffs when it matters most, and after an interesting off-season, they'll need to fight hard in 2022 if they want to again make it back to the postseason.
Positives
This team is solid all around, and in the regular season, No. 8 shines with a good running back group and one of the best tight end's in the NFL, and if you can overlook the lack of receivers, this should be a very good, productive offensive unit. Beyond that, the secondary is fantastic, and the addition of Marcus Williams in the off-season makes it even better, and in a division that's become renowned for it's defensive toughness over the past 15-20 years, this is very necessary, especially when matched up against the elite receivers the AFC has to offer in 2022.
Negatives
There's an obvious negative with this team, and for some reason, not only did the Ravens front office not address this in the off-season, but they actually made it worse. The Ravens wide receiver group is very, very thin, and on draft night, the Ravens traded Hollywood Brown to the Cardinals, which is a decision that is as baffling now as it was then. Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and James Proche are by no means bad receivers, but when you look around the AFC and see Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Ja'Marr Chase and others, it's just insane to think that the Ravens haven't gone all in supporting their young QB.
Team MVP
As he has been over the past few years, Lamar Jackson will likely be this teams MVP again in 2022, because his ability as a dual threat Quarterback makes him an absolute nightmare for opposing teams to defend. His speed, elusiveness and big play ability, combined with an arm that's better than most people give him credit for makes him one of the best QB's in the NFL, and if the Ravens don't want to pay him this off-season, there's a very good chance that he'll get a big money deal elsewhere. For now though, expect Jackson to be every bit as electric as we've seen over the past few seasons.
Record Prediction
As good as Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews can be, and as good as this secondary is, this is a really tough schedule for the Ravens in 2022, and with a lack of weapons on the outside, teams are going to make Jackson beat them by standing in the pocket, and while that's easier said than done, it's going to make life hard for Baltimore in 2022. They could easily go on a run and find themselves in a nice Wild Card spot, and there's a chance that 8 wins can get them there, but right now, they're fighting an uphill battle in the AFC North.
Photo Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
Photo Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
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