Subscribe
Follow Us
For all the Baltimore Ravens have accomplished over the last decade, a Super Bowl appearance continues to evade them. Following another disappointing playoff exit, the Ravens enter the 2025 NFL offseason looking to address familiar fundamental issues stemming from their persistent turnover and penalty struggles.
Contrary to widespread fan criticism, Lamar Jackson was not the issue in the Ravens' 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Jackson statistically outperformed Josh Allen, throwing for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the heavy snow. Given the severe weather conditions, there was not much more that Jackson could have done.
Mark Andrews, who infamously dropped the game-tying two-point conversion in the final two minutes, certainly struggled. Overall, he has had one of the strangest years of his career. However, neither he nor the rest of the team's receiving corps has been its biggest issue either.
Baltimore ran the ball at the second-highest rate in 2024, subsequently leading the second-lowest pass rate. With a backfield that includes Jackson and Derrick Henry, no coach should take any other approach. Yet Jackson still averaged 8.8 yards per pass, the most in the NFL. They may not have been the most talented unit, but the Ravens' receivers were up for the task when called upon.
However, despite boasting an elite offense and defense for the better part of the last decade, the Ravens continue to take early exits in the postseason. For as long as the Ravens have kept the same core together, the same issues continue to limit their ceiling.
Ravens need to address turnover issues in 2025 NFL offseason
The Ravens' recent results almost seem like Déjà vu in their current era. Riding an elite defense and a high-powered offense, they dominate all season long, only to fall apart at the seams in the playoffs. The blame continues to fall on Jackson's shoulders, who has accumulated a mere 3-5 postseason record in his seven-year career.
While Jackson is part of the issue, it is not in the way he is criticized on social media. He is not struggling as a passer, as many make him out to be. Instead, he is struggling to hold onto the ball and lead scoring drives.
The Ravens averaged just 0.7 turnovers per game in the regular season, the third-best in the league. However, against the Bills, they coughed the ball up three times. Two of those turnovers were off Jackson's hands, including one unforced fumble that Von Miller ran to Baltimore's 24-yard line to give his team elite field position.
To his credit, Jackson admitted this fault himself after the loss. But at this point, his self-recognition does not hold much weight with the fanbase, who continue to watch him come up short every postseason.
Andrews struggled with ball security all game, committing two heinous drops and another fumble. It was just not his day, and his shortcomings in the game's biggest moments directly led to the result.
In any other situation, fans might be willing to give a team a pass in the snowy weather. But the Bills committed zero turnovers in the game and took the same disciplined approach they have had all season long. That gave them a decisive 3-0 edge in the turnover battle, a massive margin in a two-point game.
Ravens also need to shore up penalty woes in 2025 offseason
Another part of discipline and composure is the penalty game, which Baltimore additionally struggled with in 2024. However, unlike the haunting turnovers, penalties were an issue for John Harbaugh's team all year.
While the premier teams tend to commit the fewest penalties in the league, the Ravens were among the most penalized teams in the NFL. Baltimore committed 132 penalties in the regular season, averaging 7.7 per game. That mark was the most among all playoff teams and 29th in the league. Only the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys warranted more flags than they did.
Of their 17 regular season games, the Ravens committed 10 or more penalties in six of them. Their constant sloppiness cost them over 100 penalty yards on four separate occasions. The fact that they overcame the issue to finish with a 12-5 record is a testament to their talent on both sides of the ball. Relying on that is not sustainable and has to be fixed in the 2025 NFL offseason.
Although penalties were fewer in the playoffs, they were still a thorn in Harbaugh's side. Baltimore committed three penalties against the Bills for 43 yards. Buffalo, meanwhile, only had one flag against them. Losing the turnover and penalty battles makes winning a Divisional Round playoff game almost impossible.
Once the NFL returns in the fall, the Ravens will once again begin the year with championship aspirations. Baltimore needs to address its careless and costly hindrance over the summer if they wish to finally get over the hump.
