Safety Kyle Hamilton hasn’t played for long in the NFL, but he’s played long enough to know what he’s been denied. The 2023 Ravens were arguably the league’s best team until they lost in the AFC championship. The 2024 Ravens were arguably the league’s best team until they lost in the AFC divisional round.

Two Super Bowl contenders. Two early exits.

“We’re not trying to wait anymore,” Hamilton said Wednesday of the Ravens’ championship aspirations. “So we want to get greedy with that. We want to do that now, as soon as possible, and stack them.”

With the Ravens’ Week 1 rematch against the Buffalo Bills just six days away, here are 10 reasons this could be the year they claim the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy.

1. Lamar Jackson is special.

Did you see him last year? He should’ve won his second straight NFL Most Valuable Player award and third overall. Jackson led the NFL’s best offense. Had the league’s highest touchdown rate and second-lowest interception rate. Almost broke Aaron Rodgers’ single-season passer rating record. Was arguably a more efficient runner than Saquon Barkley. Set personal bests in sack rate and pressure-to-sack ratio. Stayed healthy for another full season. Did ridiculous stuff regularly.

Jackson could regress this season and still earn MVP votes, such are his talents. His focus this offseason and preseason was on the little things — presnap decision-making, cadence, route details. Jackson is the NFL’s best out-of-structure playmaker, but a more synced-up and streamlined offense should get even more out of him.

2. Their offense has the personnel to solve any defense ...

The Ravens ran at least 130 plays out of four different personnel groupings last season. They were lethal in each. Among 2024 offenses that used a grouping at least 20 times, the Ravens ranked first in the NFL in expected points added per play in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers), according to Sumer Sports. They ranked first in 22 personnel (two backs, two tight ends and one wide receiver). They ranked fourth in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers). And they ranked fourth in 21 personnel (two backs, one tight end and two wide receivers).

No other offense enjoyed such a breadth of answers then, and perhaps no offense has as much range now. The Ravens can spread teams out and stress them with speedy three- and four-receiver sets that leave run defenses vulnerable up the middle. They can also go under center with multiple tight ends and a fullback and dare defenses accustomed to nickel personnel to match with heavier groupings. At running back and tight end, they have speed, power and blocking. At wide receiver, they have route runners who can separate early and separate late.

The Ravens won’t decimate every defense they face. But, if their offensive line can keep Jackson upright and open holes for their running game, coordinator Todd Monken should at least have the tools to open every lock on the schedule. Running back Derrick Henry is a force multiplier. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins should be the best wideout trio of Jackson’s career. And Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and Patrick Ricard form the NFL’s best tight end/fullback room.

3. ... and their defense could still be the team’s best unit.

Not many units in the NFL ended the regular season looking better than the Ravens’ offense. The Ravens’ defense was one of them.

From Week 11 to Week 18, coordinator Zach Orr’s unit ranked first in EPA per play and success rate, and the runner-ups weren’t particularly close, according to RBSDM.com. A friendly schedule helped, but the Ravens’ defense that ended last season looked nothing like the disjointed defense that nearly undercut the Ravens’ first 10 weeks.

Even if Orr doesn’t have the same personnel flexibility that Monken does on offense — inside linebacker remains a question mark — the Ravens’ defense has more Pro Bowl-caliber playmakers either in their prime or approaching it. Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones should be one of the NFL’s best pair of interior linemen. Odafe Oweh and Mike Green both have takeover potential as edge rushers. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith is still elite. And cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Jaire Alexander, along with safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks, can all blanket areas of the field.

4. Their special teams play is bound to bounce back.

From 2020 to 2023, the Ravens never ranked lower than third in overall special teams efficiency, according to FTN. Last season, they ranked 23rd, by far the team’s worst ranking since 2011. Mistakes cost the Ravens dearly in losses to the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Justin Tucker’s kicking woes (73.3% accuracy) accounted for only a sliver of those special teams struggles. The Ravens also ranked 24th in punt returns and 26th in kickoff coverage, according to FTN. Their best unit was their 13th-ranked punt coverage.

With the Ravens’ losses in free agency and the preseason — three of their seven most active special teams contributors from last season have moved on from Baltimore — coach John Harbaugh might not have a vintage special teams corps right away.

But even a middle-of-the-road season would mark a dramatic improvement on 2024. And there are potential difference makers in place for coordinator Chris Horton. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop was steady throughout the summer and has a powerful leg. Punter Jordan Stout had a strong preseason and is playing for a new deal. And rookie punt returner LaJohntay Wester and kickoff returners Rasheen Ali and Keaton Mitchell offer dynamism that last year’s team lacked.

5. They have impressive coaching consistency.

This might be the last season that Harbaugh has Monken and Orr on staff. If the Ravens live up to expectations in 2025, both could be among the top candidates in the NFL’s head coaching carousel this January.

Monken’s credentials grow with every season. The 2024 Ravens led the NFL, by far, in yards per play. They scored at least 30 points in 11 of 17 regular-season games. Jackson took another step forward as a passer and presnap operator. The offense found explosive plays from under center and in the shotgun, with heavy personnel and with wideout-heavy lineups.

Orr’s first season as Ravens defensive coordinator wasn’t too dissimilar from that of his predecessor, Mike Macdonald: slow start, strong finish. A similarly dominant Year 2 isn’t out of the question. Orr’s streamlined communication and safety shuffling helped the Ravens find a late-season groove last year. Even when the Ravens’ pass rushers struggled to win, Orr’s smart schemes helped create pressure up front.

Harbaugh’s coordinator continuity — Horton is back for his seventh year helming special teams, too — should only be amplified by the other coaching help available. Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin and pass rush coach Chuck Smith are back, among others, while first-year secondary coach Chuck Pagano has drawn rave reviews. Even under-the-radar staffers like run game coordinator Travis Switzer, who reportedly interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator vacancy in January, were retained.

6. They have the depth to handle adversity.

The Ravens won’t have the injury luck they did last year. But, with their depth, they should be able to withstand a couple of big blows.

Their depth at running back, tight end and cornerback is among the league’s best. Reserve wide receivers Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker could contribute even if their top three stay healthy. Green, a first-round talent at outside linebacker who could start on a handful of defenses outside Baltimore, might open the season as the Ravens’ fourth-best edge rusher.

More help could be on the way, either from practice squad members such as veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban and intriguing rookie fullback Lucas Scott, or from players recovering from injury such as rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr., outside linebacker Adisa Isaac and safety Ar’Darius Washington.

Questions remain about backup quarterback Cooper Rush, but he should be an upgrade over Josh Johnson.

7. There are no obvious weaknesses on the roster.

The Ravens don’t have a perfect roster. But they don’t have an obvious Achilles’ heel, either.

Last year, starting guards Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele looked overmatched at times against talented defensive fronts. Andrew Vorhees, Mekari’s replacement at left guard, should have the strength to hold up better inside, and the Ravens hope a slimmed-down Faalele will improve with another year of experience at right guard. If either falters, center Tyler Linderbaum has proven to be a reliable failsafe.

On defense, the Ravens have built a cornerback room deep enough to avoid recurring liabilities. Last year, Brandon Stephens was one of the NFL’s most picked-on corners, but his playing time wasn’t cut until late in the season. With Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie and T.J. Tampa, the Ravens should be able to find a reliable veteran to start out wide alongside Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. With Eddie Jackson and Marcus Williams gone, the Ravens’ safety issues appear fixed as well.

The Ravens have contingency plans elsewhere. Even if inside linebacker Trenton Simpson struggles — and he had an encouraging camp and preseason — the Ravens don’t need him as an every-down player. And, if either guard struggles, Ben Cleveland could help inside.

8. Their pass rush should be much improved.

Unlike the rest of the AFC North, the Ravens don’t have a pass rusher who commands double teams. But their strength in numbers should create the kind of trouble up front that last year’s defense often couldn’t.

Along the edge, the Ravens can mix and match with different pass rush plans. Kyle Van Noy wins with his technique and veteran savvy. Oweh can turn the corner as a speed rusher, beat blockers with counters and, after an offseason bulk-up, potentially win with his strength. Tavius Robinson is a much-improved power rusher with schematic flexibility. Green has elite get-off and bend, plus a revved-up motor.

Inside, the Ravens are led by Nnamdi Madubuike, who should be better prepared to handle the double teams he saw last season. Travis Jones has Pro Bowl potential; defensive line coach Dennis Johnson said he expects Jones “to be the best player on the field whenever he’s on the field in general.” Rookie Aeneas Peebles showed his explosiveness and hustle during an impressive preseason. Even Broderick Washington flashed as a pass rusher in camp.

The Ravens finished second in the NFL in sacks last season despite ranking fourth to last in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. With their offseason improvements up front, and the blitzing potential of Simpson, Orr’s defense should be more disruptive.

9. Their early-season gauntlet doesn’t look as challenging.

The Ravens’ early-season schedule is one of the NFL’s most difficult. It could also be one of the most consequential, with three of their first six games carrying potentially significant seeding implications in the AFC playoffs.

For now, though, the Ravens look well positioned ahead of the gauntlet. In Week 1, they’ll face a Buffalo team dealing with injuries to two starting-level cornerbacks — rookie Maxwell Hairston (injured reserve) and former Raven Tre’Davious White — and starting kicker Tyler Bass, who was shaky last season. Top wide receiver Khalil Shakir also missed most of camp with a high-ankle sprain, though he should be ready for the season opener.

In Week 3, the Ravens will host the Detroit Lions, who will be without defensive linemen Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, all of whom started at least six games last season. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow also retired in June.

In Week 4, the Ravens will return to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be without suspended wide receiver Rashee Rice. Rice had seven catches on nine targets for 103 yards in the Chiefs’ narrow season-opening win last season. Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and left guard Kingsley Suamataia, first-time starters at both spots, could need time to adjust to the early-season mental and physical workload.

In Week 5, the Ravens could miss Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, who’s starting the season on injured reserve. Houston’s shaky offensive line play could also be an issue in Baltimore. The biggest unknown might await in Week 6, when the Ravens welcome the Los Angeles Rams to town. Will quarterback Matthew Stafford’s back injury, which sidelined him for most of the summer, limit his early-season effectiveness and availability?

10. They’re due.

Over the past five years, according to FTN’s Aaron Schatz, the Ravens averaged the second-highest DVOA — an opponent-adjusted measure of efficiency — for any team ever without a Super Bowl appearance over a five-year span. If not for late-season injuries to Jackson in 2021 and 2022, this most recent Ravens stretch might’ve eclipsed the Bills, who from 2020 to 2024 had the highest-ever average DVOA for any team without a Super Bowl appearance.

Life sure would be easier for Jackson and the Ravens with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen out of their way. But common sense suggests the more often these Ravens get to the playoffs, the more likely it is they’ll break through.

Jackson is due to limit his mistakes in the playoffs in the same way he limits them through the regular season. Ravens receivers are due to hold on to the ball at the goal line. The Ravens’ defense is due to force multiple turnovers. And Mahomes is due to loosen his hold on the AFC.

The Ravens will have to create their own luck in the postseason, but they have enough talent and coaching to overcome even their recent streak of self-sabotage. They’re Super Bowl favorites for a reason.