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The Ravens demonstrate their complete transformation
The Ravens took down the 49ers and Dolphins, two of the best operations in the league, by a combined 51 points in back-to-back weeks. They did it on the way to clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC and vaulting their quarterback to the driver’s seat of the MVP conversation.
Statement wins don’t even begin to do this justice.
As MVP chants rained down all afternoon, Lamar Jackson predictably didn’t engage much and took a “job’s not done” approach in postgame interviews. Jackson and everyone affiliated with the Ravens don’t have their eye on MVP trophies or Week 17 wins. They want the Super Bowl, plain and simple. However, he entertained queries about the differences between this year’s Ravens and previous editions.
After the game, Jackson told Evan Washburn of CBS, “This year our guys stayed locked in,” when comparing Sunday’s win to the last time Baltimore and Miami went to battle. In 2022, the Ravens controlled the game but let it slip away in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins fired vertical shots over the top of the typically stout Ravens defense. Jackson emphasized that this group knows how to finish, something they’ve struggled with in recent seasons. They’ve proven they’re different by keeping their foot on the gas and putting away top-tier teams the last two weeks.
That’s not the only way this year’s Ravens are wildly different than previous renditions. You need only look back one year ago today to spot the contrast.
It’s been such a breath of fresh air to watch the Ravens offense this year stocked with actual playmakers. In Week 17 last season, their two most productive WRs each had just one catch for nine yards. pic.twitter.com/VkxHEvoTIQ
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) December 31, 2023
Look at that box score from 2022’s Week 17 loss and compare it with what you watched from the Ravens on Sunday. Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes and finished…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/week-17-caredont-care-behold-a-ravens-offense-weve-never-seen-before-in-the-lamar-era-035439549.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-01-01 03:54:39
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