Aaron Schatz, the inventor of DVOA and a stat head, was the only NFL Honors voter to conclude Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was not the MVP this season. His dissenting vote, and the reaction to it, says a lot more about our expectations than the quality of his analysis.
Lamar Jackson is one of 11 men to win MVP more than once, and all are enshrined or Canton-bound. But a second MVP award only intensifies the demand for Jackson to follow up his regular-season exploits with a championship, the one piece the others have all attained.
From established stars who still have upside to unheralded pieces that still need to showcase what they can do, here’s an early look at who might hold the keys to 2024 for the Ravens.
With a tightening salary cap, it might feel like the Ravens’ Super Bowl window could be narrowing and the front office should use draft capital on win-now moves. But it's more likely that Baltimore uses its picks, trying to keep landing impact players it can develop from within.
The stardom of college basketball's best scorer is selling out arenas and drawing big ratings. The struggling Terps will get their moment in the spotlight, but if they want to play giant killer they'll have to do it as a team.
Extensions for players and staff, a commitment to a bigger payroll and settling the Camden Yards lease through 2053 should be top priorities for the new group led by David Rubenstein.
The Ravens’ mistakes in the AFC championship were borne of their desperate desire to win. With stars and coaches possibly moving this offseason, it was a devastating fumble of one of the franchise’s best opportunities at a Super Bowl.
The purple blanket of fandom spreading over the city is putting Baltimore in its best light, a far cry from the national narratives that focus only on the city’s problems.
From Everett, Massachusetts, to Conway, South Carolina, to Baltimore, Isaiah Likely has followed a familiar pattern. The gifted young tight end is overlooked until suddenly he isn’t. Then his teams just keep winning.
Kansas City isn't just the defending Super Bowl champion but the NFL's leading brand with its most marketed stars. Baltimore should lack no motivation with an itch to claim the throne.
The 26-year-old linebacker is the Ravens' nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year, but those who have worked with him say his contributions go far beyond the usual.
The Ravens sacked C.J. Stroud five times in his debut, back in Week 1. But they knew he would become a special player — and now must face him as they take their first step toward returning to the Super Bowl.
Fans in Cleveland were quick to embrace their former foe, and Flacco's Ravens teammates are happy for him ... while also preparing to find a way to beat him if it comes to that.