Despite a tough 2021 season, The Baltimore Ravens saw tight end Mark Andrews put together a masterful year that included multiple broken records. He continued to established himself as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and was arguably the best tight end in the league last season.
When Baltimore tight ends coach George Godsey spoke to the media after a session of voluntary organized team activities, he was asked about what the challenge is for a coach to take a player to the next level after a year like Andrews had in 2021. He talked about the different things that Andrews could see moving forward, especially defensive adjustments.
“I think the good thing about those stats is that they were great last year, and every defensive coach knows that, too. So, there will be another defense for him. There will be maybe one or two guys per game that have him – sometimes at the same time, too. He understands that, he recognizes that, and now it’s another challenge. The NFL career as a player, it kind of grows and there’s more things that happen. So, he knows that defenses will evolve this year. That’s why he’s out there right now. He works his butt off, and he’ll be ready.”
Over the course of 2021, Andrews caught 107 passes for 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns. He was truly a matchup nightmare, and still finished with a monster overall stat line despite having a slow start to his season. Andrews is a dynamic player and a security blanket for quarterback Lamar Jackson, and if teams weren’t respecting his ability before, they’ll have to do so moving forward.