The Top 5 Reasons The Ravens Could Hoist Another Lombardi Trophy

The Ravens are among the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Personally, I don’t fancy the odds nearly enough to make a wager in that regard, but it’s not without reason that many analysts and the sportsbooks believe they are worthy of heavy consideration. It’s understandable given that they have generally been considered contenders and have a track record for being in the mix. Making a coaching change after nearly two decades of John Harbaugh at the helm may stir something anew in them that fuels them to break through in the playoffs in a more meaningful way.

If they are able to achieve this goal and hoist a Lombardi Trophy for the third time in franchise history, this is why. These are the five reasons why they should be considered among the NFL favorites for 2026:

Lamar Jackson

He is a singular talent, and he covers up warts across the roster even on the sides of the ball to which he does not actively contribute (defense and special teams). He is a lifeforce and wins close to three of every four regular season games he plays and that puts you firmly in the hunt my friends.

There are some reasons to believe that rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s seismic changes to this offense will benefit him by the postseason after some initial growing pains.. If this turns out to be a walk-year for Jackson given the ridiculousness of his contract situation, I suspect that brings out the best in him auditioning for the rest of the league … again.

He is the best thing this entire franchise has going for itself and it’s not even close.

They’re Actually, Finally, All-In

The Ravens love to spin yarns about being among the most cash-over-cap teams in the NFL and how ridiculously motivated they are to win and then pretend free agency doesn’t exist and let top talent leave the building rather than extend them and they hug comp picks like Mike Elias does his precious “prospects.”

Not this year.

For the first time in forever they are top 10 in actual payroll spent two years in a row and they set a team record at $350M, which leads me to believe they will keep trying to keep up with the Rams and Eagles if they have to in that regard. They just added Ethan Pocic, they must have at least contemplated a future without a $65M/year QB on the books and owner Steve Bisciotti finally fired his buddy Harbaugh, which didn't come easy for him.

Knowing Bisciotti isn’t going to be keeping this team forever and with the Seahawks just nearly fetching $10B in sale, you get the sense the owner has a short window for one more parade. He is acting in a less staid way than we've seen the last decade.

So maybe they don’t sit on their hands at the deadline this year in terms of real moves or balk at taking on more salary in-season.

Jesse Minter’s Defense

If this isn’t a top eight defense – top quarter of the NFL – or a top five defense, then Bisciotti should sell the team and let someone else blow up the building. Above and beyond everything else, the Ravens hired Minter, a young head coach who will have to grow into that part of the job, to fix a long-broken defense right bleeping now. Immediately.

Consider him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the history of the NFL. They want a return to what we saw with Mike Macdonald at the helm, in Week 1, which explains a willingness to take so many risks on the offensive side of the ball.

All the real investment this offseason – the failed Maxx Crosby trade attempt, the Trey Hendrickson signing, the Calais Campbell signing, brining Chidobe Awuzie back, the breadth of the depth signings – are on this side of the ball. An elite defense plus Jackson is quite a formula. If this looks anything like Zach Orr’s units, again, everyone should go.

Favorable Schedule

It matters, quite a bit. Especially for a start-up coaching staff.

They should be able to ease into the schedule if they beat teams they will be favored to beat, and they get their toughest out-of-division foes at home in primetime in the middle of the season and they get the ideal late bye and the Brazil game even comes in what should be a decent pocket of the season.

Most of the better QBs they face have to come here. They have some legit rest advantage spots. They get to face some other first-time head coaches or new head coaches early in the season when they, too, are dealing with adjustments and transitions.

The AFC North Is Bad

Getting Home-field for the playoffs is huge.

A rookie coach having to go to Arrowhead and beat Andy Reid or going to altitude in Denver and having to beat Sean Payton (who created and nurtured Doyle) is a tall task. And if you don’t win the division, you are going to be on the road.

The Ravens have not been nearly good enough at home and against division foes in recent years. The Browns flat-out stinking and sweeping them would help those tiebreakers in the standings and the Steelers being washed with Aaron Rodgers would be nice.

But let’s be real, the Bengals are the team that could keep Baltimore from a division crown. And maybe that defense really isn’t improved nearly enough. Maybe Joe Burrow does succumb to another slow start (even with a favorable schedule on paper himself). Maybe Zac Taylor suddenly being the dean of coaches in the AFC North brings out the worst in him.

Regardless, this group not putting up as much of a fight a many would expect would certainly aid the Ravens’ Super Bowl pursuits.

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