The connection between Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman is crystal clear. There's no background noise, no area of the field where the signal between them is weak.
After catching four passes for a career-high 121 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a 49-yard touchdown, Bateman talked about the chemistry with his quarterback that is paying huge dividends.
Over the last three games, Bateman has caught 12 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He enters Week 8 ranked fifth in the NFL in yards per catch (18.8) and 21st in receiving yards (394).
It's obvious watching the Ravens' juggernaut offense that Bateman is an explosive piece of the operation. After Baltimore's 41-31 victory over Tampa Bay on Monday night, Bateman talked about being on the same page with Jackson, which is a happy place to be.
"The media said that me and Lamar don't have a connection, but we do, and we showed it tonight," Bateman said. "I think we're doing a good job of showing it this season, with a lot of work put in that goes into that."
Being healthy goes into that as well, and Bateman is. Injuries made it a rocky road for Bateman in his first two seasons. He missed the first five games with a groin injury as a rookie in 2021, and he had foot surgery in 2022 that ended his season after eight weeks. Last year Bateman was battling back from his foot injury and said he wasn't sure if he would even play until a week before the season started.
Those were challenging times for Bateman both physically and mentally, wanting to contribute but being unable due to circumstances beyond his control.
However, Bateman has put those days behind him, while putting effective moves on defensive backs trying to cover him. On his 49-yard touchdown reception against the Buccaneers, Bateman made beating Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum look easy. He had 2.1 yards of separation when the ball arrived, per Next Gen Stats.
Bateman wasn't sure if Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken was going call that particular play, which made the receiver appreciate it being dialed up.
"It's a play that we practiced all week." Bateman said. "I didn't know if 'Monk' was going to call it or not. He did. He trusted me, he trusted Lamar. Honestly, I didn't think I was going to get the ball on the play, just based off the coverage, but I [saw] Antoine Winfield roll over, and I knew I had a chance at getting the ball."
After the Ravens inked Bateman to a contract extension through 2026, Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Eric DeCosta felt strongly that Bateman would have his best season, and that is coming to fruition. His three touchdowns already represent a career high, and he's on pace for 51 catches for 957 yards, which would shatter his previous career bests.
Bateman has long been getting separation, but the big play over the top is something that he and Jackson hadn't hit on much yet. Seeing it come to fruition in a game could signal the start of even bigger things for the two.
"You knew it was coming, and we've all been talking about it," Harbaugh said after the game. "You could see it coming in practice and even in games, with the route running and everything, but you wanted to see it happen. Rashod Bateman has been even getting more production every week."
Bateman's 59-yard connection with Jackson against Tampa Bay was another example of them being in sync. When Jackson had to escape pressure by rolling to his right, Bateman stayed alive by breaking toward the middle of the field, keeping the window open for Jackson to make the throw. After the catch, Bateman picked up more yards and almost took it to the house.
Teammates and coaches love the vibe they're getting from Bateman, who has teamed with Zay Flowers to give Baltimore two young first-round receivers who are blossoming.
Mark Andrews, who suffered a serious ankle injury last year and did not have a touchdown catch through five games this season, can relate to Bateman overcoming adversity.
"[Rashod Bateman]'s just hitting his stride," Andrews said. "He's incredibly focused, and he's doing his thing. It's awesome to see him have the big-time play. That may have been the biggest play of the game – that big-time long touchdown. He's just making plays [and] doing what he does. He's an incredible athlete and an incredible receiver, and I'm very happy for him."
Bateman has no intention of resting on his recent success, not with 10 games left in the regular season and the Ravens (5-2) far from reaching their goal of winning a Super Bowl. However, through seven games, Bateman is enjoying the ride and feeling the best is yet to come.
"It's definitely fun when you're winning games and putting up points," Bateman said. "We can win in a lot of ways, but we didn't play a perfect game. There are still a lot of things that we need to clean up. Even myself, there are a lot of things that I need to clean up and get better at. I'm looking forward to going back to practice and fixing some things so we can get a 'dub' in Cleveland."
