1. The Pass Catchers Stagnate In A COVID Off-season

Make no mistake about it, the Ravens are a running football team– and they’ll attack you with not just a deep running back corps, but Lamar Jackson as well. That said, their passing game was a vital part of their overall offensive success in 2019, but it might be a part that regresses in the 2020 season.

Behind a running attack of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and the occasional sprinkling in of Justice Hill (and of course the league MVP Lamar Jackson), the Ravens ranked first in the league in rushing yards, and it frankly wasn’t even close. But the passing stats suffered at the hands of that dynamic running effort, with Baltimore coming in at 27th in total yards through the air. 

But where Baltimore lacked in passing volume, they more than made up for in efficiency. Despite throwing the ball less than any team in 2019, the Ravens had the most passing touchdowns in the NFL. Basically, the Ravens pass-catchers weren’t asked to do much; but delivered in full when they were called upon.

The problem is that, despite their group of receivers being talented, their unproven– and more importantly, they’re inexperienced. Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin have the potential to develop into good players, same with the rookies Devin Duvernay and James Proche, but their development into pro players might stagnate, or even regress in an uncertain offseason with possibly less time to practice and learn the offense.

The passing attack wasn’t a huge part of the Ravens offense in terms of yards, but it’s lead them to be the league’s highest-scoring offense last season. If the young pass-catchers can’t develop as players and work on their chemistry with Jackson, the passing game might suffer as a result, with the hyper-efficient scoring offense dropping along with it.