Baltimore Ravens 2022-2023 Season Preview

Can Lamar Jackson return from injury to MVP form?  Can the Ravens bounce back and win the AFC North?

The Baltimore Ravens had a tough season in 2021, as they faced multiple season-ending injuries, including to star quarterback Lamar Jackson, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.  All in all, they ended the season with an NFL-high 19 players on injured reserve.

 

All of these injuries led to the Ravens completely falling apart.  After having a top-ten scoring offense and top-five scoring defense in 2020, the Ravens finished 17th and 19th, respectively, with both ranks falling in the bottom half of the league.  The Ravens, who started the season 8-3, went on to lose their final six games, finishing 8-9, good for last in the AFC North, marking the first time that they have missed the postseason since drafting Lamar Jackson 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Can Jackson regain his MVP form in his return from injury?

Jackson, the NFL’s MVP in 2019, his first full season of play, missed five games, and most of a sixth, in 2021, due to an ankle injury.  While his team had suffered many season-ending injuries prior to this, Jackson was able to keep the Ravens in the playoff hunt before suffering an injury of his own.  Although Jackson, despite the injury, did make his second Pro Bowl in 2021, he had a down year compared to his previous standards set, as his touchdowns were down and his interceptions were up.

 

Jackson remains one of, if not, the most dynamic and polarizing players in the NFL.  On one hand, he is probably the most entertaining player in the league and all he does is win when he is healthy, as his team has a 37-12 record in games he starts.  On the other hand, questions remain about his ability in the pocket and his ability to win in the postseason, where he is just 1-3 for his career.

 

Jackson, who was ranked #1 in the NFL Top 100 as recently as 2020, has been placed outside the top ten of NFL quarterbacks by several analysts this offseason.  While his talent and skill set are definitely top ten, there may be some recency bias at play, due to Lamar’s 2021 injury.  When healthy, there is no denying that Lamar is among the ten most productive quarterbacks.  He may not be a top ten pocket passer, but the game has evolved, and there is more to the position than just staying in the pocket and making throws.

 

If Jackson is healthy, and surrounded by healthy teammates, particularly star left tackle Ronnie Stanley, he should bounce back in 2022 and remind people just how talented and productive that he is.  Winning a second MVP will be a tall task, but Jackson is certainly capable.

Can the Ravens go from last to first in the AFC North?

After all of their injury luck, or lack thereof, in 2021, getting everyone back healthy will be the most important addition for the Ravens.  With that said, the team had a great offseason.  They were able to sign one of the top players on the market, by picking up free safety Marcus Williams, while also upgrading the right side of their offensive line, which struggled in 2021 after trading Orlando Brown prior to the season, by signing offensive tackle Morgan Moses.  The Ravens also retained key free agents in pass rusher Calais Campbell and fullback Patrick Ricard.

 

While many thought that the Ravens would look for offensive weapons for Jackson, they ended up trading their top wide receiver of the past three seasons, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, along with a third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick.  Although Brown is a good player, the Ravens were unlikely to spend the money necessary to keep him, and getting back a first-round pick is great value.

 

The Ravens, as usual, were viewed to have one of the best drafts, as they added safety Kyle Hamilton, center Tyler Linderbaum, pass rusher David Ojabo, defensive tackle Travis Jones, and offensive tackle Daniel Faalele, amongst others.  While Ojabo is unlikely to play this season due to a torn Achilles suffered at Michigan’s Pro Day, he was likely a top twenty pick before the injury so getting him at pick #45 was a tremendous steal.  The Ravens are one of the few teams that can afford to redshirt Ojabo for the 2022 season.

 

With so many players coming back from injury, combined with a strong offseason, the Ravens are currently the favorite, +160, to win the AFC North.  They are tied with the divisional rival Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts with the tenth-best odds, +2200, to win the Super Bowl.  Those odds trail the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys.

 

As for winning the AFC, the Ravens currently are tied with the Bengals for the fifth-best odds, +1000, trailing the Bills, Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos.  They currently sit at -150 to make the postseason with an over/under win total of 9.5.  As for Jackson, he is currently tied with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for the tenth-best odds, +2000, to win his second MVP.  While Jackson certainly shouldn’t be considered a favorite, having equal odds as Hurts, who is a fine quarterback, but has yet to prove much, should motivate him going into 2022.

 

The Ravens should benefit from facing a last place schedule in 2022.  The AFC North is expected to be amongst the toughest divisions, with all four teams expected to compete for the postseason, so the teams will be looking for any advantage that they can get.  The Ravens will have the luxury of the easiest schedule entering the season.  Combined with all of the players coming back from injury and a strong offseason, it should be expected that their performance will reflect 2020 more than 2021.  Look for them to make a serious run on going from last to first and winning the division.  While it remains to be seen if that will translate to postseason success, this team is built to win, on both sides of the football.