The Ravens completed their preseason with a 30-7 loss to the Packers on Saturday afternoon. While the coaching staff works to trim the roster down to 53 players, we’re looking at the three biggest questions for a club searching for a Super Bowl berth.
Baltimore had the NFL’s best record in 2023 but could not defeat the Chiefs at home, suffering a 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens added Derrick Henry to the running back position and have Isaiah likely ascending as one of the top young tight ends in the league. Even with a stacked roster, there are still questions, and we’re looking at the three most significant concerns coming out of the preseason finale.
1. Ravens’ offensive line depth
Baltimore will will likely roll with a group that includes Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Patrick Mekari, Ben Cleveland, Josh Jones, Sala Aumavae-Laulu. The Ravens led the NFL in rushing last season and then added Derrick Henry during the free-agency frenzy. The team saw Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson depart via free agency, while Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets. Baltimore has the offensive talent to be explosive and dominant, but can the offensive line be physical at the point of attack while giving Lamar Jackson time to be efficient in the passing game?
2. Can Trenton Simpson develop into an All-Pro?
Simpson will replace Patrick Queen at one linebacker spot, and Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr prepared the former Clemson star linebacker.
TRENTON SIMPSON INTERCEPTION!!
Tune in on @wbaltv11! pic.twitter.com/OAMWegnrSC
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 24, 2024
Simpson played into the third quarter of the preseason finale to get more game reps for the second-year linebacker, and he even came away with a big interception. Simpson doesn’t have to be dominant from Day 1, but he has the athleticism and physicality of a future All-Pro.
3. Can Lamar Jackson achieve postseason success
Lamar Jackson will enter year 7 in the NFL, having never passed for over 4,000 yards in a regular season. Thanks to Derrick Henry’s arrival and Isaiah Likely’s emergence, Jackson will shatter his career-high 3,678 passing yards from 2023. That won’t matter if the Ravens flame out in the postseason. Jackson’s career playoff record is 2-4, and he has a passer rating of 75.7, 1,324 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions in six playoff games. Baltimore hired Todd Monken last off-season to take his talents to the next level while adding more weapons like Derrick Henry to mesh with Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Keaton Mitchell, Nelson Agholor, and more.
