Jamison Hensley Says Jackson Becoming More Consistent Deep Passer Is Key to Reaching Super Bowl
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley said the biggest question for the Ravens this season is whether Derrick Henry will be the final piece to get Jackson to a Super Bowl. Hensley contended that the answer lies within Lamar Jackson himself.
"There's no question that Henry will take some attention — and pressure — off Jackson to carry the offense. … It's difficult to believe that the Ravens would only hand the ball off to running backs six times -- which is what happened in the 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss -- if Henry was in the backfield," Hensley wrote. "But the final piece for Jackson is becoming a more consistent deep passer.
"Teams will continue to stack the box and blitz if they don't fear the reigning Most Valuable Player can beat them downfield. In his four playoff losses, Jackson was 5-of-15 on throws that traveled at least 25 yards in the air. His off-target percentage was 60%. Jackson has never had a running back like Henry, but he still has to raise his game in stretching the field."
Jackson had career bests in completion percentage (67.2) and passing yards (3,678) last season, his first with Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken. It's reasonable to believe Jackson will be even better in his second year in the offense.
Pundit Projects Ravens to Miss Playoffs in 2024
The Ravens have the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl, but USA Today’s Nate Davis doesn't even see them making the playoffs.
In forecasting how the 2024 season will play out, Davis projected the Ravens to go 10-7 and finish third in the AFC North behind the Cincinnati Bengals (11-6) and Cleveland Browns (10-7).
"This isn't to suggest Baltimore, which faces four 2023 division winners in the first seven weeks, isn't playoff caliber — the Ravens only miss the postseason field in this projection after very narrowly losing the strength-of-victory tiebreaker to Cleveland," Davis wrote.
That said, Davis expressed several concerns about the 2024 Ravens.
"Optimism is inevitably building given the addition of RB Derrick Henry to a team that finished a win shy of the Super Bowl after earning a No. 1 playoff seed last season. But how well will an established 30-year-old back accustomed to running starts from a deep backfield alignment actually mesh with QB Lamar Jackson, the two-time league MVP so often at his best when not under center?" Davis wrote. "And despite Henry's arrival, the Ravens must also overcome a litany of losses from the roster, particularly on defense and the offensive line, as well as Mike Macdonald's departure from the DC post."
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm had a similar outlook for the Ravens. He cited getting the defense into good shape as their biggest challenge.
"The early returns on 32-year-old Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr seem to be positive, which is great news, but nothing has happened yet. We won't truly find out about Orr and the Ravens' defensive talent until the group that lost DC Mike Macdonald and some key veteran pieces, including Patrick Queen, lines up against other AFC heavyweights," Edholm wrote. "The draft brought an influx of talent, namely in the secondary, but Baltimore didn't make major veteran additions on defense. It's hard to imagine a group that just ranked in the top 10 in several categories suddenly scuffling, but will it be a top-10 unit this season?
"The offensive line is another area where it's fair to wonder just how good Baltimore will be, but I believe the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry duo can offset some of that. The defense also can draft off of Jackson and the Ravens' explosive offense, but in order to reach a Super Bowl plateau, the D must do some of the heavy lifting, as well."
Perhaps Edholm missed the news of the Ravens signing safety Eddie Jackson last week. Certainly, the two-time Pro Bowler qualifies as a major veteran addition on defense.
Jackson joins a loaded secondary that just may be the best in the NFL, and the Ravens have an All-Pro at every level of the defense in lineman Justin Madubuike, inside linebacker Roquan Smith, and safety Kyle Hamilton.
Titans General Manager Denies Deal Was in Place to Trade Henry to Ravens During 2023 Season
Did the Ravens have a deal in place to acquire Henry at the trade deadline last year? It depends on who you ask.
Tennessee Titans General Manager Ran Carthon denied a recent report by The Athletic's Dan Pompei that he and General Manager Eric DeCosta had agreed on the framework of a trade in which the Ravens would acquire Henry in exchange for a fourth-round pick that could have become a third had Henry reached certain production levels.
"No, I wasn't [offered that deal]," Carthon said. "I don't know where that came from, and that's not my concern, but we had multiple teams call about Derrick and offer something that wasn't worth taking, worth even considering, and I communicated that with Derrick during that time. But, no, we never agreed with anybody to do anything to move anybody."
Sporting News’ Mike Moratis noted that the Henry trade rumors "caused quite the stir at the time, as no shortage of Titans fans thought the team should trade Henry during the 2023 season when it was clear Tennessee wasn't going anywhere."
Here's what DeCosta and Henry said at Henry's introductory press conference in March regarding trade talks at the deadline.
DeCosta: "To be honest, we tried to trade for Derrick before the trade deadline. I thought there was a reasonable chance that we would get a trade done; it didn't work out."
Henry: "Yes, I thought [there] was a good chance I was going to be [a Raven]."
Six Ravens Predicted to Be 2024 All-Pros
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame predicted the 2024 first- and second-team All-Pros. Six Ravens made it, including first-team picks Smith, Hamilton, and kicker Justin Tucker.
"Without question, Smith and [the San Francisco 49ers'] Fred Warner are the two best off-ball linebackers in the game today," Verderame wrote. "Smith signed a $100 million deal with the Ravens and hasn't disappointed, earning first team All-Pro honors in each season with Baltimore.
"Hamilton is only entering his third year, but he's already the best safety in the league. In fact, his closest competition might be a tad west, with [the Pittsburgh Steelers'] Minkah Fitzpatrick consistently in the conversation as well. Hamilton has the skill set to cover elite tight ends while also roaming in the middle of the field.
"Last season broke a string of seven consecutive All-Pro nominations for Tucker. Still, despite being 34 years old and entering his 13th campaign, he remains the league's best."
Henry, fullback Patrick Ricard, and Madubuike made the second team.
Jackson was omitted, as the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes (first team) and Bengals' Joe Burrow (second team) were the quarterbacks selected.
Andrew Vorhees Named Ravens' Player to Watch at Training Camp
With so much chatter about the Ravens' revamped offensive line, it's not surprising that guard Andrew Vorhees was named the team's player to watch at training camp by Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker.
Vorhees, who sat out of all last season after suffering a torn ACL during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, is the favorite to win the starting left guard job.
"With Morgan Moses, John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler no longer in Baltimore, the team will be counting on players like Vorhees to step up," Locker wrote. "The seventh-round pick likely would've been drafted much higher if not for the unfortunate injury: He was fantastic during his final two years at USC, allowing just two sacks and 28 pressures while getting ample time at left tackle and left guard.
"How well will Vorhees look against the Ravens' stout defensive line, including second-team All-Pro Justin Madubuike? How well will he be able to move in space coming off such a significant injury? Vorhees' training camp performance could be an early glimpse into the future of Baltimore's offensive line."
Quick Hits
Yesterday's Most Read: Ravens Could Have NFL's Biggest Guard With Daniel Faalele
- The Ravens are No. 5 in The Athletic's pre-training camp power rankings.
- Field Vision named Smith one of the top 10 run-stoppers at off-ball linebacker.
