Expectations Soaring As Ravens Open Training Camp
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Calais Campbell is not backing down from the expectations surrounding the Ravens this season.
The players are confident they have enough talent to make a run at the Super Bowl.
"We’re too talented; we’re deep," he said. "This team is just set up perfectly to make a run. Now, obviously, it’s hard to do, and every team wants it. There are other teams out there that have just as much talent and great players, as well, so it’s going to be a battle, but there’s no excuse.
"We have everything it takes, and so it really comes down to execution, taking it one day at a time and earning the right.”
The Ravens are tied with the Los Angeles Rams with the fifth-best odds to win Super Bowl LVI behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers, according to FanDuel.
FanDuel also has the Ravens as the seventh-best team in their Power Rankings behind the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Bills, Rams, 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
Lamar Jackson is entering his fourth season as the Ravens quarterback after winning the league MVP in the 2019 season. Baltimore has made the playoffs in each of the past three years and has led the league in rushing for the past two seasons.
Baltimore boosted its passing attack with the addition of veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a couple of selections in this year's draft — Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace.
"I think right now, there’s obviously a bunch of excitement," tight end Mark Andrews said. "Any time this year, there’s that excitement around the building. It’s just fun to be here. We had a great OTAs. So, I know for us, we’re excited to build upon that [and] excited to get better.
"This is where, as a team, you kind of find out what you’re about and what you’re made of and what the year is going to be about. So, I’m excited to build, become a team, play together and go through this grind together, because this is what it’s all about. This is what’s going to make us.”
Defensively, the Ravens are expected to be stout, which means a division title should be within their grasp.
"We’re all athletes, we’re all great players, we all play fast – that’s always going to be our mentality," linebacker Tyus Bowser said. "But it’s mainly just being a great communicator out there with each and everybody, so we’re on one accord, so we can just play fast.”
