Ravens fans were left devastated after Sunday’s loss after coming a few feet away from a victory on Tyler Loop’s missed game-winning field goal. Now that the season is over, the organization has several questions about the future that need to be answered.Video above: Ravens fans react after devastating lossThe season was frustrating in many ways as they dug themselves a hole with a 1-5 start, before winning five games in a row to get them back in the playoff race. Then they finished the season losing two out of three and finding themselves out of the playoffs since 2021, when they also went 8-9.”It’s disappointing. It’s disappointing. I think our guys fought. We were that close to winning the (AFC) North, and we didn’t get a chance to get it done. So, all that other stuff is history. We had a chance to do it; we didn’t do it. We’re disappointed, and we’ll move on,” head coach John Harbaugh said. Losing seasons have been rare during the Harbaugh era, as this is only the third in 18 seasons. Even with his past success, many Ravens fans feel it may be time for a change at head coach. It would be a drastic change to the organization, but it may be necessary to take the next step and get this team back to Super Bowl contenders.Here is a look at three questions facing the Ravens this offseason.Will they make a coaching change?Harbaugh’s track record and relationship with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti should be enough to keep him in Baltimore for at least one more season. He has bounced back and made the playoffs the season after 2021, and this team should return most of a team that featured a league-high six Pro Bowlers. “I hear, ‘Coach this. Coach that.’ But at the end of the day, yes, coach can be here and there, but it’s the players that make the plays on the field, and (it’s) the players who go out there on the field. When I turn on the film, even play in and play out, I felt like we were in really good calls, and it was about the players actually executing the call and not getting lackadaisical (or) complacent. I feel like that’s something that we have to work on,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. A change could come at the coordinator positions as both Zach Orr and Todd Monken have been criticized this season for their game planning and play calling. The offense fell outside of the top 10 in yards and scoring for the first time in Monken’s tenure. While on defense, they struggled getting a consistent pass rush, finishing third-to-last in sacks with 30. This comes only a year after coming in second with 54 sacks last year, with most of the same players. There could be a scenario where both coaches are let go, especially if Harbaugh feels like he may be on the hot seat entering next year. Will they extend Lamar Jackson’s contract?This is more of a question of when, rather than if for the Ravens. Jackson has a salary cap figure of over $74 million next season. Both sides will have to agree to a contract extension that will lower that figure and allow them some salary cap flexibility to bring back some key players. “Yes, absolutely. I always have confidence in my guys, (on) all phases. We had our shots with those guys (the Steelers). They’ve had their opportunities against us. It’s football. Sometimes, (there is) a little bit of back and forth, because just last week, we were just playing lights out. It just happens. And, like I said, it’s a divisional game. We just played these guys five times in two years. It’ll be like that sometimes,” Jackson said. If Jackson signs a new deal, it should give the Ravens enough to bring back Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, as well as pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones and safety Alohi Gilman whom they traded for during the season. The Ravens’ general manager should make Jackson’s extension the No. 1 priority for the team, as it would set up the rest of the offseason plans. How to improve the pass rush?The Ravens’ pass rush took a major hit when they lost defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike for the season to a neck injury. He was actually at the Pittsburgh game with the team on Sunday, but there are questions about whether his injury could put his career in jeopardy. If he is able to return, that would be the first step in fixing the pass rush, but they would need more.They traded for Jones from the Tennessee Titans, but he only had 2.5 sacks in nine games with the team. Rookie Mike Green also had a disappointing sack total with only 3.5, but was not a full-time player until late in the season. They must get more athletic and younger at the position. It may be time to move on from veteran Kyle Van Noy and look toward the draft to improve the position. They have the 14th pick in the upcoming draft and have had success with that pick recently, picking Kyle Hamilton in 2022. They have invested in the defense with their last two first-round picks, but finding a quality pass rusher is not easy, and they may not pick that high in the near future.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. —
Ravens fans were left devastated after Sunday’s loss after coming a few feet away from a victory on Tyler Loop’s missed game-winning field goal. Now that the season is over, the organization has several questions about the future that need to be answered.
Video above: Ravens fans react after devastating loss
The season was frustrating in many ways as they dug themselves a hole with a 1-5 start, before winning five games in a row to get them back in the playoff race. Then they finished the season losing two out of three and finding themselves out of the playoffs since 2021, when they also went 8-9.
“It’s disappointing. It’s disappointing. I think our guys fought. We were that close to winning the (AFC) North, and we didn’t get a chance to get it done. So, all that other stuff is history. We had a chance to do it; we didn’t do it. We’re disappointed, and we’ll move on,” head coach John Harbaugh said.
Losing seasons have been rare during the Harbaugh era, as this is only the third in 18 seasons. Even with his past success, many Ravens fans feel it may be time for a change at head coach. It would be a drastic change to the organization, but it may be necessary to take the next step and get this team back to Super Bowl contenders.
Here is a look at three questions facing the Ravens this offseason.
Will they make a coaching change?
Harbaugh’s track record and relationship with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti should be enough to keep him in Baltimore for at least one more season. He has bounced back and made the playoffs the season after 2021, and this team should return most of a team that featured a league-high six Pro Bowlers.
“I hear, ‘Coach this. Coach that.’ But at the end of the day, yes, coach can be here and there, but it’s the players that make the plays on the field, and (it’s) the players who go out there on the field. When I turn on the film, even play in and play out, I felt like we were in really good calls, and it was about the players actually executing the call and not getting lackadaisical (or) complacent. I feel like that’s something that we have to work on,” linebacker Roquan Smith said.
A change could come at the coordinator positions as both Zach Orr and Todd Monken have been criticized this season for their game planning and play calling. The offense fell outside of the top 10 in yards and scoring for the first time in Monken’s tenure. While on defense, they struggled getting a consistent pass rush, finishing third-to-last in sacks with 30. This comes only a year after coming in second with 54 sacks last year, with most of the same players.
There could be a scenario where both coaches are let go, especially if Harbaugh feels like he may be on the hot seat entering next year.
Will they extend Lamar Jackson’s contract?
This is more of a question of when, rather than if for the Ravens. Jackson has a salary cap figure of over $74 million next season. Both sides will have to agree to a contract extension that will lower that figure and allow them some salary cap flexibility to bring back some key players.
“Yes, absolutely. I always have confidence in my guys, (on) all phases. We had our shots with those guys (the Steelers). They’ve had their opportunities against us. It’s football. Sometimes, (there is) a little bit of back and forth, because just last week, we were just playing lights out. It just happens. And, like I said, it’s a divisional game. We just played these guys five times in two years. It’ll be like that sometimes,” Jackson said.
If Jackson signs a new deal, it should give the Ravens enough to bring back Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, as well as pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones and safety Alohi Gilman whom they traded for during the season. The Ravens’ general manager should make Jackson’s extension the No. 1 priority for the team, as it would set up the rest of the offseason plans.
How to improve the pass rush?
The Ravens’ pass rush took a major hit when they lost defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike for the season to a neck injury. He was actually at the Pittsburgh game with the team on Sunday, but there are questions about whether his injury could put his career in jeopardy. If he is able to return, that would be the first step in fixing the pass rush, but they would need more.
They traded for Jones from the Tennessee Titans, but he only had 2.5 sacks in nine games with the team. Rookie Mike Green also had a disappointing sack total with only 3.5, but was not a full-time player until late in the season. They must get more athletic and younger at the position.
It may be time to move on from veteran Kyle Van Noy and look toward the draft to improve the position. They have the 14th pick in the upcoming draft and have had success with that pick recently, picking Kyle Hamilton in 2022. They have invested in the defense with their last two first-round picks, but finding a quality pass rusher is not easy, and they may not pick that high in the near future.
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