Getty Lamar Jackson during a playoff loss in 2019.
The Baltimore Ravens have been predicted to do some big things in the 2020 NFL season, and after the disappointment of 2019, the expectation is anything less would be a major frustration.
Recently, USA Today writer Nate Davis took a look at making some predictions for next season, and while he had the Ravens doing some big winning, he didn’t have the title coming home to Baltimore.
According to Davis, the Ravens are going to win the AFC North, go 13-3 and win the AFC Championship while advancing all the way to the Super Bowl. There, they will lose to the New Orleans Saints.
“The top seed in last year’s AFC playoff bracket has a golden opportunity to make amends given it will travel a league-low 6,310 miles while playing this year’s easiest schedule (.438 opponent winning percentage in 2019) – one that wraps with non-playoff teams from last year over the final six weeks. Factor in the addition of veteran DL Calais Campbell and potential impact rookies in LB Patrick Queen and RB J.K. Dobbins … and this doesn’t seem like a fair fight.”
Fair fight or not, losing in the Super Bowl would be a huge frustration for the Ravens, who have spent the offseason improving in a ton of ways in order to take steps forward. Technically, it would be a step forward for the team, but it would still represent another disappointment a year after the team was booted from the playoffs early on.
Ravens Motivated Heading Into 2020 Season
Recently, NFL.com writer Marc Sessler put together a list of teams which will come into the season with a chip on their shoulder. According to Sessler, the Ravens are high on the list thanks to how last season ended.
Sessler wrote:
“Those same Titans operated as a chaos-inducing, third-party candidate by marching into Baltimore and thrashing the Ravens. To the naked eye, Baltimore appeared lost in the latter stages of a belladonna voyage as Derrick Henry flung dazed defenders into the terrible Maryland night. In a flash, the mighty Ravens — their 14-2 record, their MVP quarterback and all their boasts — were reduced to salt. Few teams burn more brightly for a chance to make things right.”
The way the Ravens lost in 2019 should have them very motivated into 2020, and could drive them forward most of the year. It’s safe to say of all the pain that was endured last season in the playoffs, nobody sustained as much as Baltimore.
How they deal with it will tell how they are able to push forward this season, but it’s a good bet they will take things personally.
Ravens 2020 Odds Strong Already
Not only have the Ravens improved dramatically this offseason, they will face an easier schedule. In addition to that, they are the only team in the league to this point that is favored for every single one of their games when the 2020 season comes around. That’s in direct contrast to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who aren’t favored in one following the schedule release.
ESPN’s Field Yates pointed out this interesting fact with a new tweet.
Just one NFL team is currently a favorite in all of its games this upcoming season: the Ravens.
Just one NFL team is currently an underdog in all of its games this season: the Jaguars.
(Lines via @PointsBetUSA)
The Ravens look like the top team coming into the 2020 season, and this is merely another reason why. This is quite a dramatic fact which only seems more impressive considering the fact the Ravens play the Eagles, Chiefs, Patriots, Titans and Texans this season, teams that figure to be decently strong.
At this point, no matter how strong, none of those teams can count themselves as favored as Baltimore.
Travel Provides Ravens Schedule Advantage
Baltimore won’t have to go far this season to play their games, and they will barely have to leave the Eastern Time Zone after doing so early on. In fact, the Ravens will only travel a measly 6,310 miles this season, which is one of the lowest totals in the league and lowest in the last few years.
The @Ravens do not leave the Eastern Time Zone after Week 2 … and that Week 2 game is in Houston. The Ravens only travel 6,310 miles this season, the fewest by any NFL team in the past four seasons.
What could the impact of this lack of travel mean? It’s possible it could mean a more well-rested team come playoff time if the Ravens are able to get there as most expect. It could also mean less wear and tear on the body and perhaps a smaller chance of getting injured.
Either way, this could be yet another advantage which explains why Baltimore is so heavily favored this coming year.
Ravens Already High in 2021 Super Bowl Odds
A look at some very early odds was revealed by Caesars a few months back, and perhaps surprisingly, the Ravens were high on the list in spite of their frustrating finish to 2020. As a whole, the Ravens have the second best odds to take home the Lombardi Trophy at 7-1 a year from now.
Here’s a look at some of the early odds for next season:
Next year’s Super Bowl odds released from @CaesarsEnt today:
Chiefs 6-1
Ravens 7-1
49ers 8-1
Saints 11-1
Patriots 14-1
Steelers 15-1
Cowboys, Packers 18-1
Seahawks 22-1
Browns, Eagles, Rams, Vikings 25-1
So far, the offseason continues to progress through free agency and the draft and the Ravens have been very busy in both, having one of the best drafts in the league while also adding solid talent across the board in free agency. What do their odds look like now? The same at 7-1, as things have not been re-racked since early February.
The Ravens have a long way to go, but the schedule they will be dealing with should offer them some chances in order to make these dreams a reality in 2020-21.
Davis sees them being able to make the Super Bowl, even if they don’t break through with a win in the end.
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