Ravens Optimistic Outlook: Favorite to Win Super Bowl 60

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00:00Let's go to Baltimore and the Charm City.

00:03The Ravens last year, DRS winning the AFC North

00:05for a second consecutive year.

00:07A 12-win season.

00:10And yet, they lose in the divisional round

00:13against the Buffalo Bills.

00:14That game in Baltimore, the Ravens had a home field advantage.

00:17They had the opportunity to get back to the AFC championship game

00:21to try to exact that revenge against Patrick Mahomes

00:24and Kansas City.

00:26They failed to do so.

00:27Multiple turnovers out of Lamar Jackson.

00:30And an oh-so-costly drop and turnover out of Mark Andrews.

00:34But again, as we look at the Ravens this year,

00:37the outlook, incredibly optimistic.

00:39A minus 140 favorite to win the divisional crown once again.

00:43And to me, DRS, it's not the regular season success for the Ravens.

00:47They win total in double digits.

00:49The price to win the division, it is those postseason prices.

00:53Namely, to win the AFC, now at plus 370.

00:57Co-favorites alongside the Buffalo Bills.

01:00And of course, even more important than that,

01:02the price to win Super Bowl 60 and that Lombardi trophy.

01:06Co-favorites alongside the Bills as well at that plus 700 number.

01:11That is the expectation for the flock entering this year.

01:15Not just the divisional title or getting back to the playoffs

01:18with a 12-5 record to win a Super Bowl.

01:23Will Baltimore be able to capitalize?

01:26Pound for pound, this is the best team in the NFL.

01:31And this is coming from a guy that you're looking at right now

01:32with Lombardi trophies in the background.

01:34Loves his Eagles, but I have to be unbiased here, right?

01:36Because I love what the Eagles bring to the table.

01:39But I think the Ravens bring a little bit more.

01:41What are you talking about?

01:42Eagles are the best offense.

01:43I understand that.

01:44Look at this defense and defensive line.

01:46It is going to be a sack machine next year.

01:49But I'm not even going to separate yourself from that.

01:51We always know the Ravens are going to bring the heat

01:52with the linebacking core, Roquan Smith, and all the boys.

01:55Look at that secondary.

01:57Alexander, Humphrey, Wiggins, Hamilton, and Starks.

01:59You have that pass rush and that secondary.

02:03And then, oh yeah, maybe the best regular season quarterback

02:05in the NFL, Lamar Jackson,

02:06which means they will be on a path regardless of how tough

02:09that schedule is to possibly being the number one overall seed.

02:12So let's get to the offense.

02:14A quality, big, nasty offensive line.

02:17Lamar Jackson, one of the best, if not the best,

02:19regular season quarterbacks in the NFL,

02:21even pro football focused last year.

02:22Even if he's not an MVP, ranked number one overall.

02:25The wide receiving core, Bateman gets a new deal.

02:27He's starting to be that veteran wide receiver presence,

02:29which you love.

02:30Zay Flowers, electric in the slot.

02:32Veteran presence coming over now in DeAndre Hopkins.

02:35And oh yeah, there's that guy still,

02:37Derrick Henry in the backfield, that you said,

02:39you know what?

02:40Maybe we don't value the running back position across the NFL.

02:42But the teams that had the good running backs last year,

02:44the Saquon Barkleys, the Derrick Henrys, to say the least,

02:47they got rewarded in the off season for the hard work.

02:49Do you know what that means for them?

02:50Hey coach, you want to run me up another 300 touches this year?

02:53Thanks for paying me and believing me.

02:54Let's go out and do it.

02:56So I look at this team right now and say,

02:58this is a team on a week-to-week basis in the regular season.

03:01If I'm an NFL coach, I don't want to face them.

03:03I don't know how you prepare for this team.

03:05But the questions that we always talk about, Ben,

03:07are not the regular season.

03:08It's once you get to the playoffs.

03:09But trust me on this, this team is built on all sides to win a championship.

03:15You're not even going to hear any questions on Justin Tucker.

03:17Hey, when's his trial coming up or did he settle his disputes?

03:20They cut him, he's gone.

03:21There are no distractions left in that locker room now for the Baltimore Ravens.

03:26This is a time that they should shine.

03:28And I am really high on them.

03:29The question is, they've burned me in the past so many times in the biggest of moments.

03:34But I'll tell you right now,

03:35they're not going to burn you in the regular season.

03:37Good luck trying to fade them on a week-to-week basis.

03:40This team is stacked.

03:42Yes, they absolutely are, DRS.

03:44And the win total is 11.5.

03:46And the over has a slight bit of juice at minus 115.

03:49It is the second best number in the National Football League,

03:52only behind the Buffalo Bills.

03:54They are stacked on both sides of the ball.

03:57Of course, they have the returning king.

03:59And too many who should have been the returning MVP for a second consecutive year.

04:04Now, Lamar Jackson has already won two MVP awards in his six-year NFL career.

04:09But DRS, the numbers last year, as you see on your screen, astounding.

04:14Otherworldly.

04:15More than 4,100 passing yards.

04:1741 touchdowns to only four interceptions.

04:21Incredible.

04:21And flirting with 1,000 yards on the ground.

04:25915.

04:25The numbers that he put up last year, far superior to his second MVP winning season in 2023,

04:34where he probably got the bump of winning that most valuable player for being the quarterback

04:39and really good on the NFL's best team.

04:42The Ravens were the one seed in the AFC and had the best regular season record at 13-4 in 2023.

04:48There was an argument, had it not been for voter fatigue on Lamar Jackson,

04:54that he deserved on the statistical performance and still the success of the flock to win the MVP award.

05:00Of course, it went to Josh Allen.

05:03But Lamar Jackson probably spurned by that.

05:05The Ravens probably spurned by not getting to where they want to be in terms of their playoff outlook.

05:11Derrick Henry, sensational in his first year in Baltimore, even north of the age of 30.

05:17As you see on your screen as well.

05:20Absolutely dynamic.

05:22To Donnie's point, the question is not what these guys are going to do from September until early January.

05:28It's later in that month and, of course, with the hopes of playing into February.

05:33Because Lamar Jackson, still in his career playoff record, DRS, sub-500,

05:38and in the two biggest games of his playoff career, AFC title at home against the Chiefs two years ago

05:44and last year against Buffalo, not all on Lamar, but costly turnovers and critical junctures of those games.

05:51Absolutely.

05:52It's got to improve.

05:53He knows it has to improve.

05:54But just the talent on this roster across the board, injuries will play a big factor as they always do.

06:00But at the starting line, this team should be the favorite to be the champions.

06:04What do they finish?

06:05That's what we're going to determine and find out as they go.

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