OWINGS MILLS, Md. — If you’re unmoved by the immense preseason hype surrounding the Ravens, you’re probably not alone.
That’s not to say they won’t be as terrific and entertaining as they’ve typically been whenever two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson has been healthy and upright. But we’ve heard and seen this before, and the only truly bold prediction one could make about the Ravens at this point would be John Harbaugh’s team missing the playoffs entirely, which would probably require a nightmare sequence of events no one wants to envision.
A simple Google search reminds this isn’t the first time in recent years that Baltimore has been a popular Super Bowl pick or been tabbed as having arguably the NFL’s best roster. The Ravens have been a football analytics darling with top-ranked finishes in DVOA in 2019, 2023, and last season. They’ve secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed, home-field advantage, and the NFL’s best regular-season record twice in the last six years.
And Baltimore has one conference championship game appearance to show for it in the Jackson era.
So, why will this year be different than previous ones carrying sky-high expectations?
Truthfully, I have no idea beyond pointing to the law of averages and an assumption that Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City won’t continue this forever despite representing the AFC in five of the last six Super Bowls, a sentiment also being shared in Buffalo. That doesn’t make for a great headline on “First Take” or your favorite talking heads show, but it speaks much more to how highly I thought of previous iterations of this team than any thought that the Ravens won’t again be a powerhouse in 2025.
Though markedly better in the last couple postseasons than in his earliest playoff ventures, Jackson simply hasn’t been the same brilliant quarterback in January that we’ve been privileged to watch from September through December. He’d be the first to admit that with his last two games with multiple turnovers coming in Baltimore’s last two playoff losses.
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Other stars — Mark Andrews last season and Zay Flowers two years ago — have come up small in the biggest moments as well.
And though the vaunted Baltimore defense hasn’t been bad in the playoffs, it hasn’t been as dynamic when it comes to getting to the quarterback or creating turnovers, which are crucial factors in the closest games of January.
Compared to the Ravens of the regular season, it’s too often been a display of nervous energy worthy of a sports psychologist. In hopes of minimizing the mistakes that have plagued Baltimore at the worst possible times, the organization has implemented a new in-house grading system in an effort to be more “intentional” in all it does.
Of course, we won’t know whether this year will truly be any different for another five months or so. One only hopes Baltimore can stay as remotely healthy as it did last year, which only added to the disappointment of that heartbreaking divisional-round exit in Orchard Park last January.
The Ravens could go 17-0 with each win coming by double digits, and critics would still brace for the inevitable letdown in the postseason. All they can do now is take care of their weekly business, which begins with a challenging road game on Sunday night that could have major implications for playoff seeding down the line.
“We’ve got to win our games,” Jackson said. “We can’t go to the Super Bowl without making it to the playoffs. We’ve got to focus on Buffalo right now. We can’t peak too soon. This is extremely early to be thinking about a Super Bowl.”
Jackson’s right, but breaking through is also the only way this year can be deemed a true success, a “Super Bowl or bust” standard that has to take its toll on a team mentally when you’ve remained in such a thankless position for so long. The Ravens are too great for observers not to enjoy and appreciate the ride — this is entertainment after all — in the regular season, but the January baggage is too big to dismiss.
8Make no mistake, the Ravens’ championship window remains wide open with Jackson only entering his age-28 season, but the list of 2026 free agents and their projected cost suggest this roster will undergo some notable turnover next offseason that will need to be made up by younger talent. General manager Eric DeCosta said as much last week after signing All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton to a four-year, $100.4 million contract extension through 2030.
We’ve asked over and over, “If not now, then when?”
Peyton Manning, John Elway, and Steve Young were special quarterbacks once knocked for not winning the big one before cementing Pro Football Hall of Fame resumes with a Lombardi Trophy or two that came later in their respective careers than Jackson finds himself now, which provides some necessary context. Of course, these quarterbacks also received plenty of help along the way, which falls on the shoulders of Jackson’s teammates.
The Ravens should have another great opportunity in 2025 to finally change the narrative. But the same was true of last year’s team and the season before that.
The preseason praise is nothing new, which is both a compliment and a burden the Ravens must carry over these next several months.
Alexander full go, but Ricard and Likely remain sidelined
A day after returning to practice on a limited basis, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was upgraded to full participation, a promising sign for his Week 1 availability against Buffalo.
8However, fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) and tight end Isaiah Likely (foot surgery) remained absent from the practice field. While Likely was always regarded as a long shot to play in Week 1, Ricard’s extended absence from practice has now reached three weeks, making his status increasingly doubtful for the opener.
Meanwhile, Buffalo could be without kicker Tyler Bass (left hip/groin), who went from limited to not participating in Thursday’s practice. The Bills signed veteran kicker Matt Prater to their practice squad earlier in the day.
Bills cornerback Christian Benford (groin) was upgraded to full participation.
Below is Thursday’s injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: TE Isaiah Likely (foot), FB Patrick Ricard (calf)
FULL PARTICIPATION: CB Jaire Alexander (knee), G Daniel Faalele (illness)
BUFFALO
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: K Tyler Bass (left hip/groin), DT DeWayne Carter (Achilles), WR Elijah Moore (personal), CB Tre’Davious White (groin)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Keon Coleman (groin)
FULL PARTICIPATION: CB Christian Benford (groin), WR Khalil Shakir (ankle)
