It might be too difficult for some Ravens to watch this weekend's AFC Championship. Of course, they'd rather be playing in it.
However, the Ravens are still major players in the NFL landscape – a team poised to continue competing for championships. Here are 10 thoughts on the first weekend of Baltimore's offseason, all in 50 words or less:
- In his heartfelt Instagram post, Mark Andrews wrote in part, "This adversity will only make me stronger." I expect his teammates to take that approach. They're disappointed, but they're not broken by any stretch. They'll come back determined to take another swing at winning a Super Bowl.
- The pick-six that Nate Wiggins had in the regular season finale was a potential glimpse of things to come. As General Manager Eric DeCosta said, Wiggins "can do some things that other guys can't do." As a rookie, he showed the potential to be a top corner very soon.
- Kyle Van Noy's first Pro Bowl trip is well-deserved. In 2023, he was still unsigned in Week 1, thinking his career might be over. But in two seasons with the Ravens, he's had 21.5 sacks. He'll have a blast at the Pro Bowl.
- Overcoming adversity is part of Van Noy's legacy. He was on the Patriots when they trailed 28-3 in the Super Bowl and came back to beat the Atlanta Falcons. He's one of many team leaders the Ravens will lean on next season.
- Becoming a team that generates more takeaways will be crucial for the Ravens. They haven't forced a turnover in four straight playoffs games. They had 31 takeaways in 2023 but fell to just 17 takeaways in 2024. Turnovers loom larger in playoff games, as the Ravens just experienced.
- Rashod Bateman had a career-high nine touchdown grabs during the regular season, then added two more in the playoffs with Zay Flowers out of the lineup. The decision to extend Bateman before the season keeps looking better.
- Lamar Jackson's playoff record after seven seasons is the same as Peyton Manning's at the same point in his career. Manning eventually won two Super Bowls. Don't believe that Jackson is running out of time. He's not, and he's still getting better.
- Considering how well Derrick Henry takes care of his body, there's no reason to think he won't be dominant again in 2025. The fact that his teammates voted him a captain for the playoffs tells you how well he fit into the locker room.
- Henry's monster year shouldn't overshadow how well Justice Hill played. He averaged 8.3 yards per carry in the playoff defeat (6 carries, 50 yards) to put an exclamation point on a superb season as a runner, pass catcher, and pass protector.
- Players, coaches, and DeCosta have all mentioned recently that the Ravens hurt themselves by starting 0-2. It made the regular season a tougher grind. When the 2025 schedule is released, it will be interesting to see who the Ravens face in September. They'll be hellbent on starting faster.
