Baltimore Ravens are Tremendous Bowl-bound for 3 causes

Lamar Jackson has led the Baltimore Ravens to the NFL Playoffs 5 occasions within the six seasons for the reason that franchise drafted him with the No. 32 choose within the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson was named NFL MVP in 2019, and he’s poised to win the award for the second time this 12 months.

At this level, nobody denies that Jackson is an elite QB, and with two extra wins, he has the prospect to go down as an all-time nice.

Jackson lastly has some higher cross catching weapons this 12 months, and he additionally has arguably the NFL’s finest protection to fall again on. There’s just one drawback: standing on the opposite aspect of the AFC Championship Recreation is Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. If that is the 12 months Jackson and the Ravens lastly breakthrough, they should undergo the NFL’s finest to do it.

Right here’s three explanation why the Ravens could make the Tremendous Bowl.

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Lamar Jackson

Did you see what Josh Allen did final week? As superb because the Chiefs protection is that this season, they don’t actually have a solution for a cell quarterback — giving up 72 yards speeding and two touchdowns. Take that drawback and a number of it exponentially, as a result of Jackson’s capability to run exterior the has marks takes away Kansas Metropolis’s finest defensive weapon in its line of defense.

The ever-present risk of Jackson’s legs will pressure the Chiefs to account for him with security assist or a devoted linebacker spy, which opens up the deep cross — one thing Baltimore has been feasting with all season lengthy.

Because it stands it’s unclear if the Chiefs have the flexibility to take care of an improvisational risk like Jackson, and in the event that they don’t he’ll have a mammoth recreation.

Picture by Todd Olszewski/Getty Photos

Mike Macdonald

Mike Macdonald has accomplished a masterful job with the Baltimore protection this season, parlaying that success into potential head teaching alternatives for subsequent season. However on Sunday he’ll face what is probably going his hardest take a look at but, as he matches wits with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

Nevertheless, what Macdonald has constructed this 12 months places him, and this Ravens protection, in an excellent place to come back out on high. Baltimore lead the common season with 60 sacks as a staff, whereas blitzing at only a 21.9% clip, the eighth-lowest share within the common season. The Ravens’ use of simulated pressures and totally different packages up entrance provides them an opportunity to confuse each the offensive line, and the quarterback, whereas sustaining a numbers benefit within the secondary.

That offers the Ravens an opportunity to strain Mahomes on Sunday, whereas not sacrificing numbers within the secondary. That could possibly be big for Baltimore within the AFC Championship Recreation.

The gang at M&T Financial institution Stadium

A maybe underrated think about final week’s Divisional Spherical recreation between the Ravens and the Houston Texans?

The gang at M&T Financial institution Stadium.

Ravens followers had been in full voice from the primary snap of the sport, and it had an impression. The Texans racked up 11 penalties of their loss, with nearly all of these coming earlier than the snap. Houston dedicated six false begin penalties alone, a truth head coach John Harbaugh famous in his post-game feedback:

Now that very same fanbase will get to do one thing they’ve by no means accomplished earlier than: Cheer on the Ravens at dwelling in an AFC Championship Recreation. It could be even louder this Sunday than it was final Saturday, which may make issues that a lot more durable for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.

In reality, Mahomes might be anticipating this. On an look on the Manningcast earlier this season, the Kansas Metropolis quarterback pointed to M&T Financial institution as one of many two loudest stadiums he’s ever performed at within the NFL. “I’m largely verbal,” Mahomes mentioned to Peyton and Eli Manning. “The one time I’ve been silent is in Baltimore and in Seattle. … It was so loud in these stadiums that [the] tackles couldn’t hear me.”