The Baltimore Ravens offense was showered with media attention and awards for their week one performance, but it won’t be the last time that happens.
What happens when you take a dual-threat quarterback, give him a trio of running backs, a speedy receiver, a fantastic tight end, a solid offensive line, and decent depth everywhere else? You get the 2019 Baltimore Ravens offense, and let me tell ya, it’s a recipe for success.
Even after just one game, the 2019 edition of the Baltimore Ravens offense looks to be its best ever. Behind second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson, who looks as confident and as established as ever, anything seems possible.
Jackson looks much improved as a passer, as evident by his week one dominance vs. the Miami Dolphins. What made his performance so wonderful was that he did his damage through the air rather than his legs. “Not bad for a running back” -Lamar Jackson
Joining “Action” Jackson was rookie Marquise Brown and second-year man Mark Andrews. The two both went over 100-yards on the day and scored a touchdown (Brown recorded two). Others contributed through the air as well in guys like Hayden Hurst, Miles Boykin, and Willie Snead. The unit was seemingly unstoppable, and their diversity will stay explosive it all season long.
It wasn’t just the passing game that lit it up, however. The Ravens run game was on display, even without Jackson using his legs. Mark Ingram in particular was running wild, going for over 100-yards rushing with two touchdowns. Rookie Justice Hill had some nice runs as well, while Gus Edwards piled up carries and broke the will of the Dolphins defense.
To top off this performance, the offensive line played solid. While it was far from elite on the day, the unit was well-versed in their protection schemes and made the afternoon for their running backs a breeze.
The best part about all of this is that it will be an offense that will fire like this for the entirety of the 2019 season. Despite a porous effort by the Miami defense, Baltimore’s offense was simply rolling and couldn’t be stopped. The formula they have right now seems unstoppable, as defenses will split between containing Lamar Jackson, to stopping Marquise Brown over the top, to guarding the middle of the field vs. Mark Andrews, to slowing down the run game… so on and so forth.
The way that Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman is running the offense is how the Ravens love to win their games. His mentality to run the ball was clearly on display, but his willingness to allow Jackson to open up the playbook with his arm was what made this offense look so terrific. Should he continue to call the offense like this week-in and week-out, the rest of the NFL is in trouble.
Right now, the Baltimore Ravens offense simply looks balanced and deadly. Should things continue trending the way they are, they’ll be tough to stop and will rival other dominant offenses like the Kansas City Chiefs. Right now, this Ravens offense has us thinking Super Bowl and it’s hard to argue against. The team will be rolling all year long and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.