By Tim Barbalace
There have been many great teams over the course of the Ravens franchise. Baltimore has had playoff seasons in 11 different years since 2000 and have won 15 postseason games, including two Super Bowls. Jamal Lewis rushed for over 2,000 yards, and Ray Lewis spearheaded historic defenses, but 2019 could turn out to be the most memorable year to date.
There is still plenty needed to be accomplished before it can go down as the greatest season in franchise history, namely winning a Super Bowl, but it is trending in that direction. Across betting outlets, the Ravens have become the odds on favorite to become champion, and Lamar Jackson is a big reason why.
The second-year quarterback has made a quantum leap as a passer and ranks fourth in the NFL in passer rating at 109.6, which is higher than Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and Drew Brees. Questions surrounded Jackson regarding his accuracy after finishing last season ranked 31st in completion percentage at 58.2 percent. He ranks 12th this season at 66.5 percent.
He is also second in the league in touchdown passes with 25. Oh, and he also is a pretty solid runner as he is on pace to shatter Michael Vick's single-season rushing record for a quarterback. Jackson set the NFL record for most 100-yard rushing performances in a single season with four games after going over the century mark against the 49ers.
Add it all up, and Lamar Jackson stands to become the first NFL MVP in Ravens' franchise history, but it couldn't be accomplished without the play of the guys upfront. The Ravens offensive line was a point of concern for fans entering the season, but they have paved the way for the league's top-ranked rush offense and have kept Jackson clean as he has been sacked only 21 times.
Ronnie Stanley, Marshal Yanda, and Orlando Brown Jr. could all make the Pro Bowl, while Bradley Bozeman and Patrick Mekari have been more than serviceable. Matt Skura also provided much-improved play before being lost for the season with a knee injury.
Overall, the offense has already set a franchise record for touchdowns and points in a single season with four games remaining. The offense's great play has sort of overshadowed the Raven's defensive resurgence.
Baltimore entered the season with high hopes about their secondary, which was being touted as one of the strongest position groups in the league. Their backend got shredded from weeks 2 through 4 as Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Baker Mayfield all passed for over 300 yards. Murray had seven pass plays of over 20 yards while Mahomes and Mayfield led offenses, each piled up over 500 yards against the Ravens D.
The Ravens defense ranked 27th overall after four weeks, but have risen to 9th entering Week 14. This is despite facing Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Deshaun Watson, Jared Goff, and Jimmy Garoppolo in that span.
During their franchise-record eight-game winning streak, Baltimore has defeated six teams with winning records and have a +152 point differential over that stretch. Even the most optimistic Ravens fans couldn't have envisioned a franchise-best 10-2 record through 12 games given their challenging schedule.