'Well-Rounded' Ravens a Legitimate Threat to Chiefs' Reign?
The Baltimore Ravens had one of the best regular seasons you could have hoped for as they clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and had home-field advantage through the playoffs.
After dispatching a plucky Houston Texans team in the Divisional Round, the Ravens faced Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs as they put in a poor performance when it mattered most.
As such, the Ravens' once-promising season ended in sour fashion. But despite that, NFL.com's Bucky Brooks thinks that Baltimore is poised to end the Chiefs' reign at the top of the AFC mountain.
"The Ravens' disappointing home loss in the AFC Championship Game should not keep Lamar Jackson's squad from making another run at the title next season," Brooks wrote. "The two-time MVP will be even more comfortable in the Ravens' offense after another offseason of work mastering Todd Monken's system. Though Jackson will likely lose a few experienced playmakers on the perimeter (SEE: pending free agents Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor), the further development of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely should keep the offense humming as it transitions to a pass-centric approach with Jackson featured prominently as a thrower."
Jackson and the offense, in theory, should get better with another offseason under Todd Monken and what the former Georgia coordinator was able to do in one year was transform the run-heavy Baltimore offense into a more pass-oriented one (Ravens still led the league in rushing).
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But defensively is where most of the offseason change has happened, however, Brooks writes that due to the sheer talent of the defense, it will still be a formidable force next season.
"Defensively, the loss of Mike Macdonald and several key assistants could alter Baltimore's approach, but superior talent on that side of the ball will make it easier for new coordinator Zach Orr to adapt and adjust to his new role," Brooks wrote. "As a unit specializing in creating disruption and producing turnovers, the Ravens' personnel matters more than its plays, which will key the defense's continued dominance. With a well-rounded squad in place, the Ravens will remain legitimate threats to upend the Chiefs' title reign."
It will be interesting to see how the Ravens work Justin Madubuike and Patrick Queen into their salary cap as both are free agents and are set to hit the open market.
There are over 20 free agents that Baltimore has to sort through over the next couple of weeks and with the likelihood of all of them coming back almost zero, there will be a significant change on both sides of the ball.
With so many moving pieces, does all of that add up to a "legitimate threat" to the Chiefs? The proof will be in the pudding.
