What makes the Ravens viable contender if they can get hot
The Baltimore Ravens may actually be the viable contender they expected to be. Here’s why they still have a shot at glory:
The Baltimore Ravens’ goal of winning a Super Bowl is still on the table. As long as the Ravens stay alive for playoff contention then there is hope. Baltimore knows it well, you just need to start looking the part at the right moment.
If the Ravens win-out for the rest of the regular season they will likely be a playoff team. That means it is worth asking whether or not this team is a viable winner in the postseason. If the Ravens are healthy on defense they have a real shot.
The Ravens have one of the best secondaries in football. Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters are both huge difference makers. If both players bring their A-game it’s considerably bad news for Baltimore’s opponents. The breakout year for DeShon Elliott helps as well, with Chuck Clark remaining more than a solid starter.
With a healthy Calais Campbell, something the Ravens haven’t had for a while, the team has enough firepower up-front. The inside linebacker position has been spotty but when it’s been good, it’s been great. If the defense can stay healthy and the defense can re-gel back together, this could be a championship-caliber defense.
The old saying goes that in the playoffs you have to have a run game and good defense. In theory, the defense is something the Ravens have. The run game is strong for the Ravens.
When Lamar Jackson gets going and just plays his game, the Ravens have a chance to run the ball at an elite level. If the run game and strong defense are the two special ingredients the Ravens have that.
One thing that the 2020 NFL season did is it made people forget how good Lamar Jackson can be. Jackson took the league by storm last year, he surprised everybody. This year everyone and their brother seems to think that Jackson has been figured out. Jackson’s performance against the Cowboys may have been the key to getting his groove back.
If Jackson gets hot, the Ravens are legitimate contenders. Jackson reached his best possible level of performance last year and it netted him the NFL MVP award. Jackson playing at an MVP level is quite possible, we’ve literally seen it before.
The Ravens have something working for them that they didn’t have last year. This year they’re not expected to win a Super Bowl. The playoffs are a scary time to be playing an underdog. There’s a reason the NFL champion isn’t crowned the second the playoff seeds are filled.
It’s been a while since John Harbaugh sustained success in the playoffs, though he does have a Super Bowl ring. Harbaugh is 10-7 as the Ravens head coach in the playoffs. Having 17 playoff games under his belt and 13 years of experience can’t hurt. He knows what the magic looks like.
The bottom line:
The Ravens are Super Bowl contenders, it just doesn’t feel like it at the moment. That being said, if the Ravens win out things will look differently.
Next. Ravens smash Cowboys: 3 positives, 3 negatives. dark
If the Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns convincingly, and take care of business against a theoretically easy schedule, you’re going to be excited about the postseason. You should be.