Can Ravens replicate defensive success with new DC Zach Orr?
Jamison Hensley, ESPN
Orr will get to show the football world he’s as quick of a learner as he is a teacher when the Ravens kick off the NFL season at the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Hired this offseason to replace Mike Macdonald as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, Orr will call his first game against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions and Patrick Mahomes’ assortment of improvisational passes.
It’s quite a first test for Orr to face the Chiefs, who lead the NFL in scoring (28.6) and total yards (396.8) per game since Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018.
Asked how Orr would handle his first game as a defensive playcaller against Kansas City, Smith quickly responded, “[He’s going to] step up to the plate, and whatever comes, he’s going to throw everything he’s got. He’s going to be prepared for them like no other. I’ve got the utmost respect for him and the utmost confidence that he’s going to do the job with flying colors. I don’t think there’s any other questions to be asked about that.”
On what Orr’s defense could look like this season, Ravens safety Marcus Williams replied: “His defense.”
Last season, the Ravens were able to pressure the quarterback without having to send many extra pass rushers. Baltimore’s 21.9% blitz rate was the eighth lowest in the league.
With Orr, the blitz frequency is expected to increase. When he was named the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Orr said he wanted his defense to produce “organized chaos.”
Cover Story: After the Highs and Lows, Zay Flowers Is Ready to Fly Higher
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com
Eight months later, that one disappointing chapter of Flowers’ career has been closed. His fumble near the goal line early in the fourth quarter was one of the biggest plays of the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. But he’s not reliving the past.
Anyone who thinks Flowers doesn’t handle challenges well doesn’t really know him.
The Ravens and Chiefs start the NFL season next week on Thursday Night Football, a much-anticipated rematch that will give Flowers and the Ravens a chance for payback.
But for Flowers, starting the 2024 season against the Chiefs isn’t about the past. This season will start a fresh chapter, one which Flowers insists will be better than 2023 when he set franchise rookie records for receptions (77) and receiving yards (858) as the top target for two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Yeah, he had a couple of major mistakes in that [Kansas City] game, but I loved watching him play,” Collinsworth said. “I thought he was just fighting his tail off to try and go win the game.
“If Zay’s what I think he is, which is a very, very special player, and can provide that explosiveness on the outside that they’ve been waiting for? … I thought Zay Flowers, in many ways, was that missing component for them.”
24 intriguing players for the 2024 NFL season, including Marvin Harrison Jr. and many QBs
Mike Jones, The Athletic
4. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson last season became only the 11th player in NFL history to win multiple MVP awards. He garnered the honor after carrying the Ravens to the best record in the AFC (13-4) and to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost 17-10 to Mahomes and the Chiefs. Personal accolades are nice, but Jackson knows his 2-4 playoff record (along with six interceptions and six touchdown passes in those games) is the glaring blemish on his resume. A Super Bowl ring would validate him as one of the best quarterbacks of his generation. Could the offseason addition of perennial 1,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry give Jackson the support he needs to achieve maximum effectiveness and success?
Ravens sign former backup QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad
Jonas Shaffer, The Baltimore Banner
Huntley, a fan favorite and popular teammate in Baltimore, played 20 games from 2020 to 2023, starting nine. He went 3-6 as a starter and completed 64.6% of his passes while throwing eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. The former undrafted free agent also rushed for three touchdowns.
Huntley nearly helped lead the Ravens to an upset win over Cincinnati in a 2022 wild-card playoff game, but a crucial goal-line fumble led to a Bengals touchdown in a 24-17 loss.
The Ravens re-signed Huntley in the 2023 offseason, when he was a restricted free agent, but stuck with Johnson as their backup this offseason.
Ten offensive players in perfect situation to thrive, including Packers’ Jordan Love, Falcons’ Bijan Robinson
Garrett Podell, CBS Sports
Reasons for thriving: Playing next to 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and on the team with 2023’s No. 1 defense.
Derrick Henry has been thriving, let’s not get it twisted. Henry, a four-time Pro Bowl running back, has been a top two leader across the NFL in rushing yards and carries in carries and rushing yards in four of the last five seasons, which makes him just the 10th player in league history to end up in the top two in the league in rushing yards four or more times.
His 280 carries were the tops in the league, and his 1,167 rushing yards were the second-most in football behind only McCaffrey. However, Henry produced a career-worst 4.2 yards per carry in 2023 at age 29, but that still equated to being above average, ranking 18th among the 44 qualified running backs in 2023.
Henry’s efficiency could dramatically improve in 2024. He still produced a solid impact in 2023 with rookie Will Levis initially struggling to connect in the NFL as he averaged the worst completion percentage in professional football (58.4%). Lining up to 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson should remove the metaphorical weight around Henry’s ankles and free him up for a much more efficient 2024.