The Baltimore Ravens saw tight end Isaiah Likely break out in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs to nine receptions for 111 yards and a score. He could have had a second but saw his toe barely touch out of bounds in the end zone to wipe away what would have been the game-tying or possibly game-winning score.
Likely is set to be highly involved in what the Ravens do offensively this season alongside fellow tight end Mark Andrews. Fullback Patrick Ricard described the relationship between the two, especially with quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“I think the biggest thing about Mark [Andrews] and Isaiah [Likely] is they have [a] backyard football kind of sense when they play. They have a lot of … They fill space, and they’re able to … They’re able to get open, [which] is their biggest thing, and you can kind of see it from both of them, and Lamar [Jackson] is the same way. He can sense where they’re going to be, even if the route isn’t exactly how it’s supposed to be, but they get open. I think that’s what you see a lot with Isaish and Mark. The other biggest thing is they love to compete, especially those two. They’re just always trying to get better at different things, but with each other, because they are very similar players.”
Andrews has been one of the best at his position for years and Likely is now bursting onto the scene to form an elite one-two punch. The veteran of the two already has an established connection with Jackson, whereas Likely is quickly getting up to that level.