4 scapegoats if things go wrong for the Ravens in 2022
By Kristen Wong
The Baltimore Ravens are ready to take the league by storm this season…but then again, that’s what the team thought last year, too.
An unforeseeable injury plague crippled the Ravens’ hopes of making the postseason in 2021, so it’s not really fair to point fingers. If anything, that was just a cruel twist of fate.
In 2022, however, barring another unpredictable catastrophe, the Ravens may have no one but themselves to blame for their poor performances.
The Ravens have been touted as a bounce-back candidate and Super Bowl contender heading into this season, and fans would no doubt prefer to imagine the best-case scenario: finish top of the AFC North, compete in the playoffs, watch Lamar Jackson put together another MVP-caliber run — but the worst-case scenario must also be considered, too.
Should the Ravens continue to struggle this season, which members of the Ravens franchise will be to blame?
Here are four potential scapegoats for the Ravens if things go terribly wrong.
4. Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens
Rashod Bateman’s 2022 season will either be labeled as a massive success or massive disappointment, and there is no in-between.
As the current No. 1 wideout, Bateman shares the weight of the team’s passing offense on his shoulders with Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews and will be expected to finish, at the very least, as the leader of the Ravens’ wide receiver corps.
After a down year, Jackson has the mental fortitude, talent, and expertise to rebound in a big way this season, yet the same can’t be said for Bateman.
The 2021 first-rounder recorded 46 catches for 515 yards and one score in 12 games, though he played under the arm of Tyler Huntley for most of his rookie campaign.
With Jackson starting under center again, Bateman has no excuse not to break out. If he doesn’t experience a major improvement in production and consistency from 2021, he’s an obvious scapegoat for Baltimore’s offensive woes.
Of course, the finger could also bend towards Eric DeCosta and the front office for not securing extra wide receiver help this offseason, but nonetheless, Bateman needs to find success in his second year or else creep closer and closer to the cliff that’s labeled “mega draft bust.”