While the summer season brings much enjoyment to the average person, for an NFL fan, it represents a desolate wasteland where Sundays just aren't quite as vibrant as in the autumn months. However, with each passing day, we inch closer to the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, which officially kicks off on September 7 this year. Whether you've had your favorite team's tweet notifications turned on all summer or if you've decided to tune out all football news entirely, you'll be able to learn everything you need to know about your team going into the 2023-24 season right here. In today's article, I'll be discussing the Baltimore Ravens. I wrote a guidebook for every team in the NFL heading into the 2023 season. To check out an article for another team, click the link below: https://www.bucketsquadsportsreports.com/nfl 2022 Season Recap The Ravens finished the 2022 regular season with a 10-7 record, good for 2nd in the AFC North and a wild card playoff berth. However, without Lamar Jackson for the final stretch of the season, Baltimore fell in the opening round of the postseason 17-24 to the Bengals despite solid play from the backup, Tyler Huntley. Baltimore was mediocre offensively in terms of scoring, but elite defensively regarding the same metric. They had the 2nd best run game in the whole NFL but were 28th in passing yards per game. The numbers were similar on defense, where they ranked near the top against the run but near the bottom against the pass. Significant Roster Moves The Ravens lost a bunch of big names on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason, including Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, Marcus Peters, and Jason Pierre-Paul. However, most of those guys are in the latter years of their careers, and the Ravens still have plenty of younger guys that will return for the 2023 season. The biggest additions came on the offensive side of the ball, where Baltimore added some additional weapons for Lamar Jackson in Odell Beckham, Jr. and Nelson Agholor. They also added Rock Ya-Sin and Jadeveon Clowney to the defense. It’s also worth noting that despite a months-long saga that led fans to question where Lamar Jackson would be playing quarterback next season, the Ravens finally decided to pay him in early May. Baltimore will get to enjoy Lamar’s talents for five more years for a measly cost of just $260 million. 2023 Draft Class Baltimore had just six picks in this year’s draft and used their 1st round selection on Zay Flowers, who will be an immediate starter and a new weapon in the pass game. They added depth at linebacker in the 3rd and 4th rounds as well as offensive line in the 6th and 7th rounds. Malaesale Aumavae-Laulu (I have no idea how to pronounce that) has already cracked the starting lineup, while the remainder of the selections will begin their NFL careers as backups. Season Schedule The Ravens will take on the AFC South and the NFC West in 2023 to go along with their six divisional games. Their other three opponents are the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and Miami Dolphins. With an opponent prior season win percentage of .484, Baltimore has the 12th easiest schedule in the NFL. Baltimore’s primetime games include a Thursday night game versus Cincinnati, two Sunday night games at the LA Chargers and Jacksonville, and a Monday night game at San Francisco. They also will play Tennessee in London in Week 6. Depth Charts Offense Defense Special Teams The Ravens return 16 of their 22 offensive and defensive starters from last year. With Lamar Jackson fully healthy, the Ravens have the potential to do a lot of damage in multiple ways with the added talent at receiver. I think Jackson will continue to transition to slightly more of a passer as he ages, and he has the arm talent to do it. Both the offense and defense have several studs, especially at linebacker on the defensive side of the ball. When I think of the Ravens, I think defense. And there’s no indication to me that Baltimore will take any step backward in that aspect in 2023. The best kicker in football, Justin Tucker, will probably also add a couple regular season wins throughout the year. Coaching Staff Head Coach John Harbaugh (16th season), Defensive Coordinator Mike MacDonald (2nd season), and Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton (5th season) all return for another season in their respective roles in Baltimore. The only new addition to the coordinator staff is Todd Monken, who returns to the NFL following back-to-back national titles as Offensive Coordinator at the University of Georgia. Betting Odds Oddsmakers have set the regular season win total for Baltimore at 10.5 games. As of right now, the Ravens are the 2nd most likely team to win the AFC North and tied for the 4th most likely team to win the AFC. At +1800 to win Super Bowl LVIII, they are 8th among all teams in the league. Bucket Squad Predictions Bucket Squad Sports Reports predicts the Ravens to finish 10-7 in 2023 for 2nd in the AFC North and 7th in the AFC. They’ll just sneak into the playoffs with the final wild card spot.
What do you think? Will Baltimore be better or worse than I'm projecting? What offseason moves made by the Ravens surprised you the most? Leave a comment down below and be sure to check the "NFL" section of the website for more NFL team guidebooks as I finish them. Written by Nick Swatson
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorExpert Nick Swatson discusses all the news, predictions, and outcomes surrounding the NFL. Archives
August 2024
Categories |