Why Ravens believe Lamar Jackson will improve after MVP season

One reason the Baltimore Ravens replaced former offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Todd Monken following the 2022 season was to help star quarterback Lamar Jackson reach the anticipated next level of his development.

Jackson ultimately earned the second Most Valuable Player Award of his career under Monken, but it seems the Ravens hope that merely was a preview of what's to come for the 27-year-old.

"[ Jackson] spent a considerable amount of time with his offensive coaches this offseason fitting the offense to what he’s most comfortable with, and it’s been apparent in how he’s played this summer, " Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained on Wednesday. " That’s also allowed him to become more of a field general out there with his teammates, and you can see it in his command and ability to adjust at the line of scrimmage ."

According to Pro Football Reference, Jackson finished the 2023 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL with a 64.7 adjusted QBR and tied for 11th with 24 passing touchdowns as he guided the Ravens to a 13-4 record and to the top seed in the AFC. StatMuse shows he rushed for more yards (821) than any other quarterback , and he also contributed five touchdowns on the ground.

With all that said, concerns about Jackson possibly being tasked with doing too much as Baltimore's top offensive play-maker hovered over the club both before and after its 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. That loss dropped the signal-caller to 2-4 across six career playoff starts. In March, the Ravens gave Jackson former Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry as a new weapon.

It was previously noted that Monken and others within the Ravens believe Henry can turn the clock back to the best days of his career at the age of 30. Breer made it clear fans should expect to see Jackson hand the ball to Henry early and often beginning with the Week 1 matchup at the Chiefs on Sept. 5.

" I t’s hard not to notice Derrick Henry’s presence and conjure up a vision for what Baltimore’s offense will look like when defenses have to deal with option looks that have Jackson and the 6' 3 ", 247-pound wrecking ball coming at them, " Breer added. " Henry’s drive and work ethic have also made him a nice culture fit for (head coach) John Harbaugh’s program. The Ravens have Justice Hill to spell him, but it’s setting up for Henry to be a bell-cow in Monken’s offense. "

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens second among the betting favorites behind only the Chiefs (+300) at +550 odds to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX. If Jackson is as good or even better than advertised during his second season with Monken, the Ravens could get back to where they haven't been since February 2013.