Finishing last season with only eight wins and just the second losing season in 14 years under John Harbaugh, the Baltimore Ravens should be motivated for a better showing in 2022. They were well on their way to cashing the OVER on their win total winning eight of their first 11 games before the wheels came off. They lost their final six games with Lamar Jackson missing the last four due to injury.
It was a complete reversal for a team that’s been so good for so many years. But any other team that endured the injury toll the Ravens did last season probably would have finished with half as many wins. With most if not all of those injured players expected back by the start of the season the Ravens are favored along with the AFC champion Bengals to win the AFC North. And their projected win total of 10 is the third-highest in the conference. Despite numerous injuries to key players they were still competitive so imagine what they can do with a complete roster for an entire season.
Baltimore Ravens 2022 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Ravens Over 10 Wins -102
Ravens Under 10 Wins -118
There was some concern regarding Jackson’s absence at off-season workouts. They were voluntary, though, and the QB has enough of a reputation inside the organization that he wasn’t mocked. However, after missing the final month of last season you’d expect him to get some work in and coming into a contract year is he motivated for the team or the paycheck. Harbaugh hopes it’s both. There’s always some concern for a player, especially a starting QB who plays a reckless game, and that’s not meant in a bad way.
To keep Jackson healthy means protecting him in the pocket and using a ground game that’s been among the best in the NFL the last several years. Baltimore led the league in rushing in 2019 and 2020 and finished third last year despite losing starting backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins ahead of the season opener. And you can’t really put the reins on Jackson, who’s at his best when improvising and running with the football. He led the team in rushing the last three seasons and was second in his 2018 rookie campaign.
It was a down year for Jackson missing five games due to injury while tossing a career-high 13 interceptions. And one concern is the receiving corps, which lost Marquise Brown without a significant replacement to date. Getting the running back situation squared away will help with Mike Davis penciled in if Dobbins and/or Edwards isn’t available. The line also got a makeover making life a lot more pleasant for Jackson. And this being a contract year you can expect Lamar to have improved numbers helping an offense that averaged less than 23 points finishing outside the top-15 for the first time in five years.
2022 Baltimore Ravens Schedule
Week 1: at New York Jets, Sunday, September 11, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, September 18, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: at New England Patriots, Sunday, September 25, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday, October 2, 1 p.m. ET
Week 5: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, October 9, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Week 6: at New York Giants, Sunday, October 16, 1 p.m. ET
Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, October 23, 1 p.m. ET
Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, October 27, 8:15 p.m. ET (PRIME)
Week 9: at New Orleans Saints, Monday, November 7, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, November 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, November 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday, December 4, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, December 11, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15: at Cleveland Browns, Saturday, December 17, (TBA)
Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Saturday, December 24, 1 p.m. ET
Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, January 1, 1 p.m. ET
Week 18: at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, January 8 (TBA)
We talked so much about Jackson and the offense that we nearly forgot to touch on the other side of the football. And it wasn’t a good note for a group that struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. We’re not used to seeing the Ravens rank as poorly as they did in points and yards allowed last season, though they did re-sign Justin Houston and should have Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters back roaming the secondary. There’s likely to be some upheaval in the division with the QB situations in Pittsburgh and Cleveland up in the air. And are the Bengals for real after one glorious season? Based on last season’s results the schedule looks favorable.
Quick Pick
While they didn’t make a major splash in free agency, the Ravens didn’t need to. Getting their wounded players back will seem like a windfall. A strong ground game will make Jackson and the offense better, and that also helps on the defensive side. The Ravens won only eight games last year, which was remarkable considering what they went through. I think more than 10 is definitely in the cards as long as the injury bug doesn’t bite as bad as it did in 2021.
Our Pick: Baltimore Ravens OVER 10 Wins
