The John Harbaugh era in Baltimore ended on a sour note for two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Despite an injury-riddled season, Jackson and the Ravens were just a field goal away from securing a fourth consecutive playoff appearance in the regular season finale.
However, once everything was settled, their AFC North rival, the Steelers, ultimately clinched the division and secured a postseason spot.
After 18 hard-fought seasons at the helm, Harbaugh departed for a coaching position with the Giants.
Enter Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle, who are now stepping in to lead the coaching transformation in Baltimore.
Jackson, now fully healthy, has the third-best odds to win MVP (+800) entering Week 1.
If he maintains his usual performance level, he could win the award for the third time, following a recurring trend: Each time Jackson has been paired with a new offensive coordinator, he has won the honors.
In 2019, when Greg Roman took over, Jackson recorded 3,127 passing yards, 36 touchdown passes, 1,206 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Four years later, under Todd Monken, the 29-year-old recorded 3,678 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, 821 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, leading the Ravens to an AFC best 13-4 record.
Baltimore’s league-leading 74.2% red zone conversion rate in 2024, however, plummeted to below 50% last season under Monken. The decline was unacceptable for a team featuring Jackson and the indomitable Derrick Henry out of the backfield.
The Ravens can expect plenty of pre-snap movement and play action in Doyle’s scheme, which matches Jackson’s skill set.
At his peak, he is a walking cheat code, and in a recent interview with The Post’s Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports, Jackson praised Doyle’s new, intricate offensive scheme.
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“It’s everything you need in an offense play action, dropbacks, run game it’s everything you want in an offensive system,” Jackson said.
Jackson is clearly aware of the challenge ahead.
“I can’t speak on it until we’re on the field,” he stated. “But from what I’ve been seeing in practice and on film, I don’t believe a defense is prepared for what’s in store for them.”
Similar to Josh Allen, individual accolades are valuable, but the Super Bowl hardware is what’s truly missing.
Betting on the NFL?
With a new offense on the horizon, I’m betting that Jackson will exceed his 550.5 rushing yards prop.
He had surpassed this mark for seven consecutive seasons before last year, which was affected by injuries that compromised his performance.
Now that those physical setbacks are in the rearview mirror, I’m betting that Jackson will once again flash his dynamic ground game, helping the Ravens return to their status as an AFC powerhouse.
The PLAY: Lamar Jackson to record over 550.5 rushing yards (-114, FanDuel)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
