3 NFL teams that have the goods to go worst-to-first in their division
By KC Proctor
The Baltimore Ravens
The case for the Baltimore Ravens to go from worst to first relies on one simple factor: health. Baltimore’s 8-9 finish in 2021, which tied them for last place with the Cleveland Browns, was as unfortunate and frustrating of a situation as any fanbase faced last year.
Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a back injury in Week 4 and an ankle injury in Week 14 that ended his season. He was only able to start 12 games, making him unable to make the impact fans have become accustomed to since he emerged as the league’s MVP in 2019. Each of the team’s top two running backs either missed most of the year or the entire year with preseason injuries, so the efficacy of the Ravens’ ground-and-pound scheme with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will be back on display this season. Additionally, star cornerback Marcus Peters missed the entirety of the 2021 campaign.
It is commonplace for injuries to take hold of a football team’s odds, and it is just as regular for the random nature of the “injury bug” to refrain and allow a team good health in the following year. The Ravens were far-and-away favorites in the AFC North going into the 2021 season, and although the Cincinnati Bengals represented the AFC in Super Bowl 56, should Baltimore remain healthy for 17 games, there’s not a reason in the world why they can’t reclaim the AFC North throne.
Signing free agent offensive tackle Morgan Moses to shore up the offensive line, along with compiling arguably the best draft of any team this year, offers even more support for the argument that the Ravens can reclaim the north. Expect to see notable contributions from this rookie class, particularly from Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum and Travis Jones.