The Baltimore Ravens are facing about as much adversity as any team in the NFL right now. Losing Lamar Jackson for the season is a very devastating blow, for the team, and fanbase that entered the year with Super Bowl expectations. Many NFL pundits and fans have already counted the Ravens out, and understandably so. Replacing a player like Lamar Jackson is nearly impossible. However, while the circumstances are bleak, the Ravens are far from finished.
The biggest reason for this optimism/delusion is the fact that, despite the losses, the Ravens do have a very dangerous defense. This is a unit capable of keeping the team in the game. They can force a turnover and have been limiting explosive plays from opposing offenses. With uncertainty at quarterback, the Ravens will need their defense to carry an even bigger load moving forward, and there is plenty of reason to believe they can do exactly that. If we can find a quarterback who can get our offense in the end zone a few times a game, the Ravens can match up well with any team.
The offensive playmakers are also too talented to simply write off. Derrick Henry remains one of the most dominant running backs in football, if the offensive line can step up, that gives the Ravens even more opportunity to control games on the ground regardless of who is taking snaps under center. Zay Flowers is coming off one of his worst games this season, but he can be an explosive playmaker and Ja’Kobi Lane, Deontez Walker, Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas have shown flashes as well. If we can find a reliable person to simply just run the offense consistently and distribute the ball they can get back to being dangerous down the stretch.
The challenge ahead is undeniably difficult, but seasons are often defined by how teams respond to adversity rather than how they perform when everything is going right. Baltimore’s margin for error is much smaller than it was a few weeks ago, but this is still a playoff-caliber roster. They ‘re sitting two games out of first place with two matchups against the Steelers left to go and an opportunity to settle the score with the Bengals and Browns. Have they lost the most important player on their roster? Yes. Is that Ideal? Not in the slightest. But stranger things have happened in the NFL and this is an organization that can handle adversity and come out on top.
