Now that the NFL Draft is in the books, and moves happened before the dog days of the offseason, it’s a great time to ask questions. You know the drill here. We have four downs and four questions about the 2023 season. Let’s do what John Harbaugh inevitably does on fourth down: let’s go for it!
First Down: How much Odell Beckham Jr. do we actually get? How much Rashod Bateman?
The Ravens made a big splash when they signed Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason. How much of Beckham Jr. will the Ravens faithful get to see? It’s a fair question. The last time we saw Beckham Jr., he was injured in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Bengals. He hasn’t played a full season since 2019, and in his career has just played two full seasons.
When he’s on the field, he creates a matchup problem for defensive backs. When healthy, he’s one of the best weapons in the NFL. He will give Lamar Jackson a weapon on the outside that can go up and make amazing grabs. He adds explosiveness to the offense as well. This is a perfect example of a high-risk, high reward signing. If he only misses a couple of games here or there, Beckham will make this season a lot more fun. But let’s not act like it’s not a very big “if.”
Rashod Bateman is coming back after a season-ending surgery. In two NFL seasons, he’s played in just 19 games. He was off to an unbelievable start to the 2022 season before he got injured, averaging 19 yards per reception with two touchdowns, including an impressive long catch-and-run against Miami.
The Ravens love these two players but have to worry about their availability through a 17-game season. There’s a reason they added even more WRs through free agency and the draft. The Ravens could easily be in a situation where they have to lean on rookie Zay Flowers. Nelson Agholor (who has a concerning injury history of his own) could be called upon more than we expect.
2nd Down: Where does the pass rush come from?
There are a lot of things going for the defense coming into the season. The secondary figures to be a strength. A healthy Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, and Geno Stone make an exceptional group of safeties. Rock Ya-Sin can pick up where Marcus Peters left off. Roquan Smith is a true star at the linebacker position. The defense isn’t going to be bad. The question is where do the Ravens get their pass rush from?
They still haven’t brought back Justin Houston, a veteran talent who racked up 9.5 sacks in the 2022 season. Tyus Bowser is coming off a two-sack season. He could return to the momentum he picked up in 2021 now that he should be starting the season healthy. Odafe Oweh is coming off a three-sack season.
David Ojabo is basically a rookie who we had a slight preview of last year. Ojabo may be the biggest X-Factor on the team. It’s not impossible that he could have a productive 2023 campaign. Before the injury, Ojabo was one of the most hyped pass rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Ravens don’t have an edge rusher they can bank on for double-digit sacks. Punishing opposing quarterbacks will again have to be a group effort. The Ravens could use an increase in pass rush from Travis Jones and Justin Madubuike up front. Michael Pierce figures to factor in as well. Madubuike had 5.5 sacks last year. If Jones comes alive and Ojabo is the truth, the Ravens’ defense could go from good to great.
Third Down: Will Lamar Jackson have the season we’ve been waiting for?
The Ravens have seen Lamar Jackson on the sidelines down the stretch two seasons in a row. Both seasons started with great promise. In 2021, Jackson started off as Mr. Comeback. He beat Patrick Mahomes in a 36-35 thriller. He orchestrated a miraculous comeback against the Colts with 442 yards passing and then led the Ravens over the Vikings in overtime. In 2022 he came out of the gates hot with huge outings against the Jets, Dolphins and Patriots. In three games he had 10 touchdowns and looked like an MVP frontrunner.
In both seasons Jackson teased being the MVP quarterback we know he can be. On paper Jackson has never had more help around him. The Ravens need to hope he meshes with the new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. They need Jackson to be an elite quarterback and to paraphrase Vince Lombardi, it can’t be a some-of-the-time thing. Jackson has to lift the Ravens up the way that he did when he was throwing to a rookie Marquise Brown, Seth Roberts and Willie Snead. Jackson has a new offense to play in and new toys to play with. He has to prove he can get back to the MVP level and consistently make the Ravens one of the toughest outs in the league.
Fourth Down: Is the team tough enough for this brutal schedule?
The Ravens knew their opponents before the season was announced. They knew it wasn’t going to be an easy season one way or another. That said, they got no breaks from the schedule makers. Here are the things working against them:
- No bye week after their trip to London to play the Tennessee Titans
- Three late season night games on the road, including two trips to California.
- Season Ending Gauntlet (Bengals, Chargers, Rams, Jaguars, 49ers, Dolphins, Steelers)
- Don’t get a bye week until Week 13
The last seven games are against teams who could very realistically be fighting for playoff spots. The game before it? A divisional battle against the Browns. There is no margin for error this season. The Ravens don’t have a lot of games that are considered easy on paper. Baltimore must win the games they should win though. They can’t slip up on an easier game like the Texans, Colts or Cardinals. They have to have a winning record in the division. Most importantly, the Ravens have to get used to travel. Two west coast trips and a game in London doesn’t make for an easy schedule.
Are the Ravens tough enough? They’ll have the chance to prove they are, that’s for sure.
2 Responses
Still hard to believe how much we overpaid for OBJ. He is worth maybe half that and its doubtful we had to outbid many teams.
I’m an optimist. I like the coaching additions and hopefully we can stay healthy and have less debilitating injuries. Football is a team sport. We have as I have stated repeatedly in the past some of the best talent in the league. Now if the coaching coaches up the team we should go deep into the playoffs. I believe in Smith and think Ojabo will have a breakout season, Jones and Madubuike will be impressive inside, Hamilton will play at an All-Pro level. The offense will play well and the defense will once again be a top-5 D. Special teams once again should be solid.
In my opinion we will be focused and hungry with all this talent and improved coaching staff. Maybe I am drinking the purple Kool-Aid but I see us going deep into the playoffs. How far? If we stay healthy and no major injuries I see a Super Bowl appearance. I believe this is a COMPLETE TEAM potentially better than any we have in Ravens history. We will see.