Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are favored in every game this season
By Mike Luciano
The Ravens are expected to dominate in 2020.
It’s trendy to say that Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will be unable to replicate the success of their captivating 2019 run to the title, both Vegas and the number-crunchers disagree with that assessment.
The warring factions of oddsmakers and analytically-minded folks have come to a momentary truce to acknowledge the greatness of Jackson and Baltimore, as the Ravens are currently favored in all 16 games in 2020, hinting at the idea that Jackson’s greatness could be sustainable.
16-0? Ravens are only team favored to win every game by oddsmakers and analytics https://t.co/Er2sYx7VMZ
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) July 11, 2020
The Baltimore Ravens might actually improve upon an amazing 2019 season
The Ravens started off 2020 at 2-2, but the offense kicked into overdrive. Jackson, who took home an MVP in Year 2, led the team to 11 straight wins, with Robert Griffin III stepping in to win consecutive game No. 12 in Week 17. Jackson’s running and accuracy stole the show, but the bruising power of Mark Ingram and the ever-improving Mark Andrews at tight end emerged as truly elite players last year. Given the excellent coaching and defense, where are the weak spots on this team?
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1280865257603432451
Well, there are some major flaws that this Ravens squad will have to overcome. The loss of elite guard Marshal Yanda cuts deep, and the Tennessee Titans might have given the rest of the NFL a blueprint on how to beat them.
While elite teams like New England, Seattle, and San Francisco fell to Baltimore, part of the reason they stumbled against Lamar and company was the fact that Baltimore excelled at getting out to early leads before pounding their opponents into submission with the running game. If the Ravens let their opponent race out to an early lead often, going 16-0, or even 14-2 again, might be more difficult.
Related Story. Will the Ravens take a step back in 2020?. light
Greg Roman’s offense might look less alien to teams around the league now that an entire season worth of film exists, but the Ravens should still be considered among the favorites in the AFC. With an elite defense, excellent coaching led by John Harbaugh, and maybe the most athletically gifted quarterback in the league today in Jackson running the show, Baltimore is going to be as much a nightmare to gameplan for as any team in the league.