Ravens named league’s biggest ‘boom-or-bust’ team in 2022
By Kristen Wong
For all the talk that the Baltimore Ravens will make a huge comeback in 2022, there’s also talk that the team could suffer major setbacks and lose out on the postseason yet again.
Whereas teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all pose as serious playoff contenders, the Ravens still have a cloud of doubt hanging over their heads.
Roster depth and offensive issues remain at the crux of Baltimore’s problems in 2022, and just because a handful of Ravens starters will return from injury doesn’t mean the team gets a guaranteed ticket to the playoffs.
Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton picked the Ravens as the NFL’s biggest boom-or-bust team in 2022, listing three X-factors that could make or break the team’s upcoming season.
"“After seeing the free agency frenzy and 2022 NFL draft play out, no team has a bigger boom-or-bust season on deck than the Ravens. Baltimore finished 8-9 in 2021 despite losing five games of Lamar Jackson, a full season from several other impact players, and a breakout year from Cincinnati. It might be easy to do the math of reintegrating those talented players and project a healthy year from Jackson, but the NFL doesn’t work like that.”"
Baltimore Ravens are not guaranteed to enjoy a comeback season in 2022
The first factor involves Greg Roman’s offense, which makes complete sense given Baltimore’s offseason dealings in that department (or lack thereof) so far.
The Ravens’ offensive line got retooled with young talent like Tyler Linderbaum and consistent performers like Morgan Moses, so Lamar Jackson should have adequate pass protection this season.
As for the passing game itself, though, much of the Ravens’ success will hinge on Roman developing an effective and creative passing offense with the team’s current pieces: Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, etc.
Other than Andrews, the rest of Baltimore’s pass-catchers need to prove they can make an impact and generate chemistry with Jackson — otherwise, the Ravens will find it very difficult to win games against even bottom-feeder teams.
The other two factors are self-explanatory: the Ravens have to stay healthy, and the Ravens have to thwart their AFC North opponents.
Baltimore’s critical comeback year banks on formerly injured Ravens players returning to the starting lineup (Jackson, Dobbins, Edwards, Humphrey, Peters, Stanley, and more), and if any of those players miss crucial stretches of the season, Baltimore may finish with yet another losing record.
As for their divisional opponents, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals will vie for the crown having upgraded their own rosters this offseason, and the Ravens can’t count out the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat them twice in 2021, either.
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With a little luck on their side, the Ravens should be able to overcome their challenges and put together a solid season, one that sees underrated players carve out sizable roles and prove the doubters wrong in 2022.