OTL: How Do National Analysts See Ravens to Start 2023?
It’s finally Week 1, and there’s just one more sleep before the NFL regular season kicks off with Chiefs vs. Lions on Thursday Night Football. For Ravens fans, that doesn’t put a total end to the wait, but it’ll be exciting to watch football and start gauging the strengths and weaknesses of a top rival in KC. In fact, Pro Football Talk views the Chiefs as everyone’s top rival:
The TEN BEST teams in the #NFL to start the season, ranked by @ProFootballTalk.
Thoughts?! pic.twitter.com/ipQvMElAom
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 5, 2023
To me, it’s a shock not to see the Ravens on this list, particularly when unproven teams like the Jets, Jaguars, Seahawks and Cowboys are there. Where’s the respect?
The Ravens are being nationally disrespected this week
Lots of Ravens at the bottom of the division takes
— Garrett Ferguson (@GarrettSprints) September 5, 2023
It is coming from a few outlets. First, the support of QB Lamar Jackson has started to come in, with Steven Ruiz leading the charge:
In his yearly QB rankings, @theStevenRuiz has the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson at No. 5 on his list
Only Patrick Mahomes (No.1), Josh Allen (No. 2), Justin Herbert (No. 3), and Joe Burrow (No. 4) rank higher
Ruiz says his biggest strength is creativity and biggest weakness is timing pic.twitter.com/SuLfacT46F
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) September 5, 2023
Ranking Jackson above the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Jalen Hurts, and others is a strong vote of confidence. Clearly Ruiz feels the Ravens are ready to take a step. Next, Chris Simms dropped his AFC Playoff Predictions and had Baltimore right at the top:
The No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens?!
Chris Simms’ AFC playoff seed predictions. #Kickoff2023 pic.twitter.com/MqNW88roPZ
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 5, 2023
CBS Sports backed up their host by calling Baltimore underrated and slept on. That’s just how Ravens fans like it:
CBS Sports on the Ravens:
Baltimore is getting slept on. I don’t see why the Ravens wouldn’t be in the Super Bowl conversation.” pic.twitter.com/VTopKfJREd
— Ravens Nation LIVE (@LIVERavenNation) September 5, 2023
Lastly, ESPN released their annual simulated season. While there’s little to hang your hat on from this, it is a fun read, especially when the Ravens do well. This season’s edition includes a Baltimore AFC Championship win in Kansas City, but I won’t spoil how it ends:
SPOILER ALERT: we simulated the 2023 NFL season one (1) time to find out what will definitely happen (maybe).https://t.co/yAEoC6BEK4
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 5, 2023
The sense I have indicates that Ravens fans who are optimistic for 2023 believe in Lamar Jackson. Ruiz builds upon his original statement with additional evidence as to why you should here:
Adding to the Ravens/Lamar blurb here because i just figured out how to find this in trumedia:
Lamar Jackson’s run stats from “open formations” are insane
open formation = no TEs attached to the OL, so basically 4 wide whether it’s in a 2 by 2 or 3 x 1 alignment https://t.co/H6RQyoW5nt pic.twitter.com/f8Bjsf6cPU
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) September 5, 2023
Todd Monken is going to really spread things out, and so far Jackson has crushed it from open formations. That’s why many Ravens fans are going to be looking like Selena Gomez in the clip below:
Every Ravens fan after watching Lamar Jackson in Todd Monken’s offense for the first time pic.twitter.com/50lNZ4IRDU
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) September 5, 2023
I’d be remiss not to mention the WR corps, though. For the first time in years, it feels like the Ravens have enough at the position with an uber-talented unit:
Had to do it pic.twitter.com/ngjpDyzHAW
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 5, 2023
As Garrett Downing outlines here, Jackson has traditionally played well in Week 1. Acquisitions Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers will look to start their Ravens careers off with a bang, and Jackson’s history shows they very well could:
.@Lj_era8 has historically put up big numbers in Week 1… pic.twitter.com/8m2q1W6JIo
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 5, 2023
For an idea of hierarchy (though it’s no indication of what’ll happen Sunday), here’s the initial depth chart from Baltimore’s PR team:
Here’s the Ravens’ first *unofficial* depth chart of the season, via the team’s PR staff. pic.twitter.com/ZCK6BLHtNz
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) September 5, 2023
Will this be the team that hoists the Lombardi? Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a fun fall in Charm City.
October is gonna hit different. With the Orioles in the playoffs and the Ravens kicking butt. Gonna be so much fun! pic.twitter.com/qaHe6vQPDy
— Maryland Sports Blog (@MDSportsblog) September 5, 2023
Mark Viviano takes the connection one step further, but for good reason:
Ozzie Newsome’s 1st 2 draft picks as Ravens GM in 1996: Lewis & Ogden. They won the Super Bowl 4 yrs later.
Mike Elias’ 1st 2 draft picks as O’s GM in 2019: Rutschman & Henderson. That was 4 yrs ago.
Just sayin’
Legends & legends in the making.@wjz @WJZ13sports #TBD pic.twitter.com/0vryhtnVMO— Mark Viviano (@MarkWJZ) September 5, 2023
I know football’s just starting, but if you’re not already on the Orioles hype train, hop on board before it’s too late!
The post OTL: How Do National Analysts See Ravens to Start 2023? appeared first on Russell Street Report.
Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2023/09/06/out-to-lunch/otl-how-do-national-analysts-see-ravens-to-start-2023/
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