With the Ravens opening their 30th season in Baltimore and aiming to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Last year’s 0-2 start torpedoed any practical chance for the AFC’s top seed, and Baltimore again opens against a team that ended its previous season. After Buffalo, a trip to Arrowhead looms in a few weeks. Without a great September, it could get late early trying to secure home-field advantage.
2. Lamar Jackson is extraordinary and has nothing left to prove in the regular season. He’s also played better over the last couple postseasons compared to earlier January ventures. But his last two two-turnover games overall were the Ravens’ last two playoff defeats. The narrative may be tired, but it persists.
3. This could be the NFL’s best roster on paper, but the depth is vulnerable at inside linebacker and safety as well as on the offensive line. Kyle Hamilton is the team’s best defensive player, but Roquan Smith is the defender Baltimore can least afford to lose.
4. An underrated disappointment about not breaking through last January was how healthy the Ravens remained with Arthur Maulet being the most notable name finishing the season on injured reserve. One could argue Baltimore has already dealt with more injury concerns this season before it begins.
5. While the potential of this secondary speaks for itself with five former first-round picks topping the depth chart, the key to this group being special is Nate Wiggins taking the next step. Considering the injury history of the other outside corners, Wiggins may determine the group’s floor and ceiling.
6. You fully expect this offense to limit high-pressure situations for Tyler Loop, but he’ll face one eventually. The Ravens would love for him to fare anywhere close to as well as a rookie Justin Tucker, who made two game-winning regular-season kicks and the massive overtime playoff winner in Denver.
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7. After underestimating the Derrick Henry impact last year, I’m not about to doubt the 31-year-old beyond anticipating he won’t eclipse 1,900 rushing yards again. That said, it’d be pretty surprising if he doesn’t gain the 1,317 yards needed to move into 10th on the all-time rushing list. What a career.
8. Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh combined for 22 1/2 sacks last year, and rookie Mike Green brings the most pass-rush upside. But the success of the outside linebacker group may hinge on Tavius Robinson, whose role will increase as the primary Sam linebacker entering his third season.
9. After a slow start, Mark Andrews saw his 2024 season buoyed by a career-high 11 touchdowns. You’d love to see his redemption story after what transpired in Buffalo last January, but Andrews is entering his contract year and age-30 season in an offense with more mouths to feed than ever.
10. Speaking of contract years, the list of 2026 free agents is substantial. The championship window remains open with Jackson healthy, of course, but this roster is looking as robust — and increasingly expensive — as any point since Jackson’s first full season as the starter in 2019. If not now, then when?
11. Cincinnati’s offense is scary and will need to be to overcome the Bengals’ defense. Aaron Rodgers makes Pittsburgh more interesting than it’s been since Ben Roethlisberger’s mid-30s, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work. Cleveland’s Cleveland. The AFC North won’t be a cakewalk, but the Ravens should be the clear favorite.
12. I wish I weren’t a broken record. These Ravens are truly a regular-season joy to watch, and it’s important to appreciate the ride with the NFL being about weekly entertainment. They’re more than capable — as they were in past seasons. But it’s all about overcoming that nervous energy in January.
Prediction: In addition to their two road games against Buffalo and Kansas City in September, the Ravens play nine other contests against teams that finished over .500 last season and three of their final four games on the road. That could lead to some unnerving hiccups along the way, but John Harbaugh’s team has secured 11 or more wins and advanced to the divisional round in every season Jackson has opened as the starter and finished healthy. I like the Ravens to go 12-5 and win their third straight AFC North division championship for the first time in franchise history, which is no small accomplishment. I gave up predicting that elusive January breakthrough after the home defeat in the AFC title game two years ago, but I still anticipate we’ll see the Ravens squaring off with either the Chiefs or the Bills in the divisional round this January. What happens from there is up to Baltimore’s biggest stars to finally play like stars on the postseason stage. It’s truly that simple.
