Explode:
Remember when I told you we’d be getting to Marquise Brown? Well, we’re here. I learned last year — even in an injury-plagued season for the young receiver — that he is much more than a one-trick pony who can only fly downfield and catch go-routes. Brown has a ton of tools in his bag and can develop into a consistent weapon in this league.
But that one trick is pretty darn special, too.
Explosive touchdowns, be they from Brown, Boykin, Jackson, or any option, are free points. Controlling a game can get you a 13-3 lead at halftime. Mixing in an explosive score makes it 20-3. Mixing in two such plays, well, now you have a blowout.
It doesn’t have to be just on offense, either. Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey have both shown the ability to turn opponent mistakes into points, and the return of Tavon Young brings another explosive playmaker to the defensive side of things. Getting a lead will allow Matthew Judon, Calais Campbell, and company to ramp up the pass rush, also contributing to potentially explosive plays.
Last year’s team, for all its regular-season glory, came up short on special teams — typically a source of explosive plays for the Ravens in their brief history. Think of Jermaine Lewis breaking games open for that 2000 team or Jacoby Jones doing the same for the world-champion 2012 Ravens. Improved play with special teams, and some game-changing plays against the Browns can end things quickly.