Derrick Henry reclaims the rushing title.
Henry has finished in second place in the rushing title race in back-to-back years. Last season, Christian McCaffrey had 1,459 rushing yards to Henry's 1,167. In 2022, Josh Jacobs had 1,653 to Henry's 1,538.
The Ravens led the league in rushing attempts (541) and rushing yards (156.5 per game) last season. With Henry now on board and a slimmed-down Lamar Jackson looking faster than he has been in years, it's possible that Baltimore is even more run-heavy this season.
In Tennessee, Henry was hampered by subpar blocking and a lack of playmakers around him. That won't be the case in Baltimore with Jackson in the same backfield. Even though Henry is one year older, it all adds up to the King reclaiming the top rushing spot for the first time since 2020.
Rashod Bateman flirts with 1,000 receiving yards.
The Ravens know what they have with top receiving targets Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers. The biggest boom potential resides with Bateman, who is finally healthy, has built more chemistry with Lamar Jackson, and is in position to be heavily targeted. The stars may align for the Ravens' 2021 first-round pick this season, who is fresh off signing a contract extension.
Odell Beckham Jr., who is now in Miami, posted 565 receiving yards last season. Bateman had 367. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken on several occasions has said Bateman will be a heavy part of the offense. If Bateman absorbs that vast majority of Beckham's targets, it's certainly possible to think he could have the same, or even better, production than OBJ did. 565 + 367 = 932.
When a fan tweeted that he doesn't think Bateman understands what a 1,000-yard season would mean, Bateman responded.
Baltimore's defense leads the league in sacks – again.
After leading the NFL with 60 sacks last season, the Ravens lost Jadeveon Clowney and his 9.5 sacks in free agency this offseason. Their defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, is now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. However, Baltimore could still lead the league in sacks if some young breakout candidates hit.
That includes first-year Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr, who could dial up more blitzes than Macdonald. Orr comes from the same system, but players expect him to be an aggressive playcaller, just like he was an aggressive linebacker.
Baltimore expects Odafe Oweh to be a double-digit sack producer in his fourth season, and his strong summer backs up that belief. Third-year pass rusher David Ojabo is healthy and has built momentum over training camp.
Fresh off his monster 13-sack season (and with a fresh name), Nnamdi Madubuike has his sights (and the talent) for even more. Defensive tackle Travis Jones could even become a pass rush factor, as he's many teammates' pick for breakout player of the year.
The Ravens had 16 different players record at least one sack last season and expect an equally widespread this year.
Jackson makes history on the ground.
Jackson needs 852 rushing yards this season to surpass the player he emulated as a child, Mike Vick, for most career rushing yards by a quarterback.
Jackson had 821 rushing yards last season. The last time he rushed for 1,000 yards was in 2020, but he was on pace to top that mark on the ground each of the previous two years before injuries ended his season early.
The Ravens shifted to a more pass-centric attack in Year 1 under Monken and Jackson flourished en route to a second MVP award. Even if Jackson runs less, his efficiency and big plays could go up this season with more focus on Henry and more speed.
"If I get a lane, I'm trying to score," Jackson said on "The Lounge" podcast. "I'm not trying to run and go out of bounds to fall. If I have a chance to go, I'm going to go."
652: Lamar Jackson Talks Super Bowl Urgency, GOAT Goals, Weight Loss, His Leadership Change & More
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson joins Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing to also talk about what's changed in Year 2 of Todd Monken's offense, the real reason why he lost weight, his connection with the Zays, his pursuit of an all-time rushing record, and much more.
Mark Andrews-Isaiah Likely combo challenges the best ever.
Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said he expects Andrews and Likely to be the best tight end duo in the league this season. They could even challenge the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez for the best ever.
"Gronk" and Hernandez combined for 2,237 receiving yards in 2011. That's a very lofty number that would be difficult, but not impossible, for the Ravens to reach.
If he's healthy for a full season, Andrews could get back to his 2021-like form when he posted 1,361 receiving yards (with Tyler Huntley as his quarterback down the stretch).
Likely is an up-and-coming talent who will step into a featured role in the Ravens' offense. He averaged nearly 54 receiving yards per game over the final six games following Andrews' injury, which would be 918 yards over the course of a full season.
The key is both of them being able to feast when they're on the field together, which Monken said he feels "good" about this season.
"They've been healthy this offseason, [and] they've been healthy for the most part through training camp," Monken said this week. "So, we're excited to get those guys on the field at the same time."
