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Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Insider
Lamar Jackson said last week that he likes it when he’s the underdog. It wasn’t breaking news.
He’s said it before, sometimes in reference to proving people wrong after being drafted as the fifth QB in 2018 despite being a Heisman Trophy winner. He often said it ahead of games the Baltimore Ravens aren’t necessarily expected to win, like Sunday’s clash with the divisional-rival Cincinnati Bengals.
He may not get to say it much longer.
Despite a small sample, the Ravens look about as convincing as anyone in this early part of the campaign, brushing off the Bengals on Sunday in a 27-24 road win that was more comprehensive than the score makes it look.
AFC North favorites? Maybe not far away from it.
After years of nearly having all the pieces in place, John Harbaugh’s team looks to have discovered the kind of balance that was lacking just enough to produce only two postseason victories — despite five 10-plus win seasons — since the Ravens won the Super Bowl a decade ago.
The last few years have been part-enjoyable, part-frustrating for Ravens fans. Jackson’s talents are undeniably special and the lost opportunity of the 2019 campaign where he won the league MVP, the team went 14-2, but then lost to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round still stings.
That year aside, there was always the sense that they weren’t making the most of Jackson’s ability, even with the focus on a run-first game that would make the most of his athleticism. This season marks a significant change, but not a complete overhaul by any means.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken came in from Georgia and set about sparking a tweaked approach. Receiving acquisitions Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and draftee Zay Flowers signaled an intent to throw it more, yet despite star runner J.K. Dobbins going down for the season the tactical blueprint against the Bengals called for even-handedness.
Against Cincinnati, the Ravens ran the ball 37 times and passed it 33,…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/lamar-jackson-and-the-ravens-are-no-longer-underdogs
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Publish date : 2023-09-18 15:20:58
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