Last season, the Ravens completed 10-7 within the common season and misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals. But they did so with out one of many NFL’s greatest gamers, quarterback Lamar Jackson, for his or her ultimate six video games due to a knee harm.
With Jackson re-signed to a five-year extension to pair with a remade broad receiver group that features two-time All-Pro Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers, together with one of many NFL’s prime defenses, the Ravens must be higher this season.
There was some excellent news from the schedule-makers, too, with the Ravens’ 2023 slate checking in because the twelfth best among the many 32 NFL groups with opponents having gained 48.4% of video games final season.
The dangerous information? There are a number of troublesome video games, notably late within the 12 months, together with a Christmas evening blockbuster towards the 49ers in San Francisco and what might be a vital Week 11 matchup towards the Bengals.
Here’s how the Ravens’ schedule measures up, with opponents ranked from most to least troublesome.
1. Week 16 at San Francisco 49ers
Talk about coal within the stocking. This isn’t the Christmas current the Ravens had been hoping for with a Dec. 25 evening recreation at Levi Stadium towards a 49ers workforce that final season had the league’s greatest protection, recorded the fifth-most yards per recreation on offense and reached the NFC championship.
The Ravens gave up the third-fewest dashing yards per recreation (92.1) in 2022 — however the 49ers had been even stingier (77.7). Baltimore can have its fingers full with working again Christian McCaffrey (1,half a mile from scrimmage, 13 touchdowns final season) and do-everything wideout Deebo Samuel, to not point out shock quarterback sensation Brock Purdy, who must be totally recovered from elbow surgical procedure by then.
On the brilliant aspect, when these groups final met in 2019, Jackson transformed a fourth-and-1 and third-and-1 on keepers down the stretch to arrange a 49-yard game-winning subject aim by Justin Tucker as time expired.
2. Week 2 at Cincinnati Bengals
What may’ve been. Had the Ravens overwhelmed the Bengals within the regular-season finale, the positioning of their wild-card recreation the subsequent week would have been determined by a coin flip.
Instead, the Ravens misplaced, 27-16, traveled to Cincinnati for his or her playoff recreation and watched as Bengals defensive finish Sam Hubbard returned a fumble by Tyler Huntley 98 yards for the decisive rating within the fourth quarter. The Ravens misplaced, 24-17, whereas Cincinnati went on to play in one other AFC championship.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has a 4-2 profession mark towards Baltimore, which incorporates setting an NFL document in 2021 for essentially the most passing yards (941) towards one workforce in a season. Cincinnati has gained its previous three dwelling video games towards the Ravens, although Jackson didn’t play in any of them as a result of he was injured. Also of be aware: Burrow was held to 215, 217 and 209 passing yards and one landing in every of his previous three video games towards Baltimore.
3. Week 11 vs. Bengals
The excellent news for the Ravens is that they’ve gained 4 of their previous 5 towards the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. That contains final 12 months’s dramatic 19-17 victory by which Jackson ran 3 times for 26 yards and had two completions to tight finish Mark Andrews within the ultimate two minutes to arrange a game-winning subject aim by Tucker on the buzzer.
Cincinnati’s lone win in that stretch, in the meantime, was in 2021, when Burrow torched the Ravens for 426 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 41-17 thumping. Burrow’s LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase, who gained NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that season, additionally had a monster recreation with eight catches for 201 yards, together with an 82-yard landing after he beat cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a slant.
The dangerous information for the Ravens is that this recreation comes on a Thursday evening 4 days after a showdown towards the rival Cleveland Browns.
4. Week 15 at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Ravens rode into Jacksonville final season on a four-game successful streak solely to go away pissed off after blowing one other lead. With Baltimore main 27-20 with 2:02 remaining, quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars on a 10-play, 75-yard drive towards a Ravens protection that allowed a 10-yard landing cross to broad receiver Marvin Jones Jr. with 18 seconds left and by a 2-point conversion cross to broad receiver Zay Jones.
After ending 9-8 and making the playoffs final season, expectations for the once-downtrodden Jaguars are greater this 12 months. They have a rising star at quarterback together with loads of different younger expertise in working backs Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby; receivers Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, who makes his Jaguars debut after being suspended all of final season for violating the league’s playing coverage; and tight finish Evan Engram. Zay Jones torched the Ravens’ secondary with 11 catches for 145 yards final season, and the Sunday evening crowd figures to be intense for this one.
5. Week 9 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Last 12 months, the Seahawks had been a shock playoff workforce behind quarterback Geno Smith, who accomplished a league-best 69.8% of his passes on his solution to 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. Seattle’s offense must be stronger this 12 months with the addition of first-round choose Jaxon Smith-Njigba alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, giving Seattle possibly the perfect wideout trio within the NFL.
The Seahawks additionally strengthened their protection by bringing again six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who spent final season with the Los Angeles Rams, signing former Steelers linebacker Devin Bush and reuniting with defensive finish Jarran Reed earlier than drafting top-rated cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
6. Week 17 vs. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will make their second of three straight journeys to M&T Bank Stadium this 12 months. Ravens followers want to overlook the primary one.
After taking a 35-14 lead into the fourth quarter, the Ravens had been outscored 28-3 within the ultimate body, with Jaylen Waddle catching the successful landing cross with 14 seconds remaining. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed with 469 passing yards and 6 touchdowns, 4 of which got here within the fourth quarter. It’s nearly simple to overlook that Devin Duvernay returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a landing, or that Jackson accomplished 21 of 29 passes for 318 yards and three scores whereas working for a career-long 79-yard landing.
The rematch must be simply as intriguing, with the Ravens having added Beckham and Flowers and the Dolphins bolstering their protection with the addition of three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and veteran coordinator Vic Fangio.
7. Week 12 at Los Angeles Chargers
This is a workforce Ravens followers ought to be capable of relate to. Expectations had been excessive for the Chargers final 12 months, they usually completed 10-7 earlier than blowing a 27-point lead towards the Jaguars in a wild-card spherical loss.
The final time the Ravens performed the Chargers was 2021 in Baltimore, and the Ravens shellacked them, 34-6. The Ravens scored the primary 17 factors, confused quarterback Justin Herbert with quite a lot of appears and strain and dominated on particular groups and protection. Herbert completed with simply 195 passing yards, one landing and an interception.
Expectations are once more excessive in Los Angeles and the expertise is there with the Chargers having added rookie wideout Quentin Johnston, however we’ve seen this film earlier than. The Ravens may also have 10 days to arrange for the “Sunday Night Football” matchup.
8. Week 7 vs. Detroit Lions
Two years in the past, the Lions gained simply three video games. Last 12 months, they completed as one of many hottest groups within the NFL, successful eight of their ultimate 10. It wasn’t simply that they had been successful, however how they had been doing it, averaging 28 factors in that span, together with 5 video games with at the least 31 factors and two with 40 or extra.
While they’re a well-liked choose to have a breakout season, whether or not they can choose up the place they left off stays to be seen. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams are each gone, having been changed by rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and former Chicago Bears again David Montgomery. They additionally misplaced broad receiver Jameson Williams, although he’s anticipated again after Week 6 following a suspension for violating the league’s playing coverage. The Lions did deliver again receiver Marvin Jones Jr., nevertheless, and added to their protection by signing cornerback Cameron Sutton and security C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free company and drafting inside linebacker Jack Campbell.
9. Week 5 at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens and Steelers are at completely different junctions getting into 2023, with Pittsburgh rebuilding behind second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett and the Ravens on the precipice of Super Bowl rivalry. But the Steelers have owned the rivalry in recent times, successful 5 of the previous six.
That contains final season’s Jan. 1 recreation at M&T Bank Stadium, by which Pickett threw a 10-yard landing cross to working again Najee Harris with underneath a minute remaining to raise the Steelers to a 16-13 win. Not surprisingly, all however one of many previous six conferences have featured a ultimate rating within the teenagers. The Steelers have additionally confounded Jackson, who has passer score of 67.4 with 634 yards, 4 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 5 profession video games towards them. Last season, he missed each conferences due to harm.
10. Week 4 at Cleveland Browns
The Browns are simply 13-35 all-time towards the Ravens, however that features wins in six of the previous 10 and two straight in Cleveland. Last 12 months, the Ravens managed only a subject aim and misplaced, 13-3, on the highway. Two years in the past at FirstEnergy Stadium, Jackson suffered a season-ending ankle harm in a 24-22 loss.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson must also be higher this 12 months after taking part in simply six video games final season following an 11-game suspension. Cleveland additionally has good pace on protection and ranked fifth in passing yards allowed final season.
11. Week 18 vs. Steelers
Playing the Steelers in Baltimore hasn’t helped a lot on this rivalry. The Ravens are simply 1-5 of their previous six towards Pittsburgh at M&T Bank Stadium, with their lone win in that span approaching a wet afternoon in December 2019 to cap a 12-game successful streak to finish the common season. The irony is that it was a meaningless recreation for Baltimore, which had already wrapped up the highest seed within the AFC and rested seven starters, together with Jackson, however nonetheless rolled, 28-10, on the energy of its protection.
12. Week 10 vs. Browns
As talked about, Watson struggled mightily final season, registering a career-worst 38.3 QBR after finishing solely 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards with seven touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Last 12 months, backup Jacoby Brissett almost rallied the Browns to a win in Baltimore earlier than the Ravens held on for the 23-20 win. Nick Chubb had 91 dashing yards and a landing for Cleveland, whereas Brissett accomplished 22 of 27 passes for 258 yards.
This one additionally comes 4 days earlier than the Thursday evening tilt with the Chargers, so it might be one thing of a entice recreation for the Ravens.
13. Week 6 at Tennessee Titans (in London)
The final — and solely — time the Ravens performed in London was in 2017 in what was a 44-7 blowout loss to the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The subsequent day, Ravens coach John Harbaugh mentioned, “Maybe I’ll get into trouble for saying this — don’t plan on going over there any time soon to play again. So, somebody else can have that job.”
This time round they get the Titans, who they haven’t performed since a 2021 wild-card win in Tennessee sealed by an interception by Marcus Peters that led to Ravens gamers dancing on the Titans’ brand at midfield. In 2020, it was the Titans who got here out on prime, principally shutting down Jackson en path to a 28-12 upset of the top-seeded Ravens within the divisional spherical. The following season, Tennessee gained once more, 30-24, when working again Derrick Henry broke free for a 29-yard landing run in extra time.
The previous AFC Central rivals have loads of different historical past, too, in a collection tied at 13.
14. Week 14 vs. Rams
The Rams nonetheless have just a few stars in quarterback Matthew Stafford, broad receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive sort out Aaron Donald, however their Super Bowl win in February 2022 is beginning to fade rapidly within the rear-view mirror with accidents, age and a quickly depleting roster. Ramsey, broad receiver Allen Robinson and linebackers Wagner, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd are all gone, to not point out Beckham.
The Ravens additionally host Los Angeles after their bye week, and if the Rams are spiraling late within the season, they’ll have their eye on constructing for the longer term and doubtlessly touchdown a prime draft choose.
15. Week 3 vs. Indianapolis Colts
In idea, this one might be enjoyable with Jackson squaring off towards Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, whom Indianapolis drafted fourth general. But the Colts’ weak offensive line vs. one of many league’s greatest defensive fronts — to not point out’s Harbaugh’s observe document of feasting on rookie quarterbacks — doesn’t bode effectively for the guests.
The final time these groups met was two years in the past in Baltimore, when Jackson and then-Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw for over 400 yards and the Ravens rallied from a 22-3 third-quarter deficit to win, 31-25, in extra time.
16. Week 8 at Arizona Cardinals
Arizona went 4-13 final 12 months and issues might be even uglier this season, particularly with quarterback Kyler Murray nonetheless recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus and his return date unsure. The Cardinals landed Ohio State offensive sort out Paris Johnson Jr. sixth general and added to their protection within the draft, however they’re in full rebuild mode, even with wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and former Ravens first-round choose Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
17. Week 1 vs. Houston Texans
The Texans have a promising younger first-year coach in DeMeco Ryans. They have a promising rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, whom they drafted second general out of Ohio State. They have a possible future star in defensive finish and No. 3 general choose Will Anderson out of Alabama. As for his or her possibilities towards an skilled Ravens workforce that has one of many league’s prime defenses, they don’t have a lot of any, notably within the first week of the season.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com