Awarding three-quarter mark superlatives for 2020 Baltimore Ravens

At this point in the season, who are the award-worthy Baltimore Ravens?

So, here we sit. Or, rather, here your 2020 Baltimore Ravens sit. At the three-quarter mark of the season, the Ravens are perched just outside of the current playoff standings with a 7-5 mark — a team loaded with as much hope as uncertainty.

Can they “turn it on” and run the table to finish the regular season with a very respectable 11-5 mark and momentum heading into the playoffs, or will they continue the frustrating up-and-down play that has put them in this unexpected state of uncertainty?

Don’t look at me. I don’t know. That’s why I was asking the question.

For now, we do have 12 games of information at our disposal, and that gives us a pretty clear idea of who has stood out in this COVID-laced 2020 season. Let’s take a look at some superlatives.

Most Valuable Player — Lamar Jackson

Is he the league MVP this season? No. Not to any rational observer. But he has still been pretty good and is the unquestioned straw that stirs the Ravens’ drink. Jackson has passed for 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, at a rating of 93.9. Those are decent passing stats.

But it goes deeper than passing stats with Jackson.

He also leads the Ravens with 669 yards on the ground, to go with four touchdowns, and is that factor in the back of the mind of every opposing defender that has helped the Ravens to the top of the league’s rushing numbers.

Does he consistently put the ball exactly where it needs to go with pinpoint accuracy? No. But he does understand leverage and has bought extra time to find receivers that other quarterbacks struggle to do to the same extent. He is the heart and soul of this offense and is leading this team to playoff contention once again.

Offensive Player of the Year — J.K. Dobbins

This changed from earlier picks of Mark Andrews and Jackson. Dobbins has seen his workload increase, and his production has gone right up with it. His explosion, contact balance, and vision have led him to become a dangerous weapon for the offense as the season has progressed, and he just seems to be their most consistent performer when he has the ball in his hands.

Dobbins has rushed for 451 yards at a rate of 5.4 yards per tote and notched four touchdowns. He has also contributed 17 catches, despite limited playing time, sharing a backfield with three other talented backs.

Defensive Player of the Year — Marlon Humphrey

Safety Chuck Clark also got a little consideration for the award, as he is on pace to record 100 tackles to go along with his abilities to position the defense every snap. But Humphrey has once again had to juggle moving inside and out at his corner position, has been stellar in run support, and leads the league in punching balls out of opponents’ arms.

Has he been beaten sometimes in coverage? Yeah, that happens when you cover NFL receivers for a living, particularly when you are often tasked with the best each team has. But he has been good-to-great, and that stands out this season.

Coach of the Year — Don “Wink” Martindale

Martindale gets this award because of his ability to adjust on the fly to a defensive back room that has seemingly changed every week, as well as his ability to field a coherent and solid defense despite not getting a consistent pass rush. The team has also missed stalwarts Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams for periods of time, and have put a very raw rookie in the middle of their defense in Patrick Queen.

Despite it all, the Ravens have indeed fielded a good defense this season, and that is one of the reasons the team is still in the playoff hunt today. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton also gets some consideration here, as that unit has improved exponentially from last season’s uncharacteristic tough run.