The Baltimore Ravens are coming off one of their most successful seasons in the last 12 years. They couldn’t pull themselves past Patrick Mahomes but were able to outlast every other team in the AFC. Almost by default, that sets the Ravens up for a step back this year.
Here’s a look at three bold reasons why that will be the case.
Derrick Henry disappoints
The Titans let Derrick Henry go for a reason. Spoiler alert: Henry will be 31 this season. As such, a continued decline with the Ravens is in the cards. According to Pro Football Reference, Henry lost 400 yards of production between 2022 and 2023. This year, he falls below 1000 yards in a full 17-game season for the first time since 2017.
Justin Tucker continues downtick
Justin Tucker likely has already done enough to reach the Hall of Fame. He owns the record for longest field goal in NFL history. However, his overall production has taken a step back in recent years. After hitting nearly 95% of his kicks in 2021, he has slipped into the mid-80s over the last two years. This year will see Tucker drop to below 85% accuracy for the first time since 2015.
Ravens earn 3rd place finish in AFC North
The Ravens won arguably the deepest division race of the year last season. The Bengals went 9-8 and still finished in last place in the AFC North.
This won’t be an indictment against Lamar Jackson or any of the other stars on the team. However, the Ravens have a lot of competition once again this year. Deshaun Watson will be healthy, the Steelers objectively have a clearer picture at quarterback, and Joe Burrow also is back to full health.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the Ravens will finish with an awful record and be unwatchable this season. Rather, the team will win only about 10 games instead of the typical 12-plus games. Just two losses keep the team out of the top of the podium. The Ravens stay in the division race to Week 18 with a shot at winning the division but come up short due to tiebreakers. However, they still sneak into the playoffs to get a shot at the Super Bowl, regardless.
In other words, the Ravens enter the season with a touch of hubris, and like most mortal men, leave the year with a tougher path than they originally had hoped for.
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