Category: AFC North News

Where did Derrick Henry land in a ranking of NFL’s top 10 running backs for 2024?

Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry is the NFL’s 9th-ranked running back in an ESPN’s survey of league executives, coaches and scouts.

Derrick Henry switched teams during the NFL’s free agent period, giving the Ravens a workhorse that can take immense pressure off MVP quarterback Derrick Henry.

Henry gives Baltimore a legit, three-down running back who can turn any play into a potential explosive touchdown or colossal gain. With training camps set to open in the next two weeks, ESPN has again surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to help rank the top 10 players in 11 positions, from quarterback to cornerback.

The rankings started at the running back position, and Henry slipped a bit despite landing with the league’s top rushing team, falling outside the top five and down to No. 9.

“He’s a warrior,” a veteran NFL coach said. “Just keeps himself in such good physical conditioning with offseason workouts. I don’t see him slowing down over the next two years. He’s a volume back with great size, breaks tackles, has deceptive speed and no one’s really catching him if he gets going. I don’t think he’s lost a step.”

Henry, 30, hit the open market after spending his first eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Fresh off a season in which he rushed for 1,167 yards, Henry still has gas left in the tank despite an extensive career workload.

Ravens TE Isaiah Likely signs with Roc Nation Sports ahead of 2024 season

Baltimore Ravens stud tight end Isaiah Likely signs with Roc Nation Sports ahead of the 2024 NFL season

Isaiah Likely is quickly becoming one of the best young tight ends in the NFL, and ahead of a huge 2024 regular season, the Ravens tight end is adding a big name to his representation.

Jay Z’s ‘Roc Nation Sports’ welcomed the third year tight end to the fold on Monday, just 19 days before Baltimore reports to the Under Armour Performance Center for training camp.

During this spring’s off-season workouts and mandatory minicamp, Likely said he’s focused on learning all of the receiving positions in Year 2 of Todd Monken’s offense, with the hope of turning into a versatile, Swiss army knife.
Last season, in the eight games after he stepped in for then injured Mark Andrews, Likely caught 25 passes for 372 yards and six touchdowns.

This season, Baltimore will work to get elite production out of Likely, even with Andrews on the roster, and he’ll look to set himself up for a huge 2024, and 2025 season, putting him in line to potentially reset the tight end market when he’ll be just 26 years old.

Why rookie WR Devontez Walker could be the biggest sleeper for the Ravens

Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Devontez Walker has the ideal frame to compete at the NFL level. 

At six-foot-two-inches and 200 pounds, Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Devontez Walker has the ideal frame to compete at the NFL level. 

In a recent sit down with team media, Walker revealed that he had been running reps with the first-string at OTA’s. Is offensive coordinator Todd Monken sold on Walker’s upside?

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Walker’s physicality can mesh well with teammate wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers, who are more of the speed guys.

Walker’s highlight reels from the University of North Carolina are filled with high-point catches and touchdown receptions from rookie Drake Maye.

Perhaps Walker can be a red zone threat in Monken’s scheme, a serviceable run blocker, or a decoy deep threat for Flowers on underneath routes. 

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Although the Ravens seemed to take a step back by losing key players on their roster, they’ve done diligence to add youthful talent to a franchise full of locker-room camaraderie.

Should the Ravens sign CB Brandon Stephens to a contract extension?

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz suggested one final move for all 32 NFL teams and the Baltimore Ravens were advised to sign Brandon Stephens to an extension

Baltimore has a stacked roster and is one of the few teams capable of winning a Super Bowl over the next two or three years.

ESPN recently suggested one final off-season move for all 32 teams, and signing Stephens to a long-term deal seems to be the next step.

Extend CB Brandon Stephens

Stephens is a versatile player who has played safety, nickelback and boundary corner during his three years in the NFL. Last season, he finished 21st among qualifying corners in coverage DVOA with 11 passes defensed. His contract ends after 2024, and he’s worthy of an extension, which would give the Ravens consistency in the secondary with Stephens, Marlon Humphrey and rookie Nate Wiggins for the next few seasons.

Stephens started 16 games at cornerback, and the converted safety logged two interceptions and a 65.5 grade in coverage.

An extension would create $1,648,800 in cap space.

WATCH: Ravens reveal new alternate ‘Purple Rising’ helmet for 2024

The Baltimore Ravens will wear an alternate ‘Purple Rising’ helmet for one game next season, and the new design was revealed on Tuesday.

The Ravens have joined the alternate jersey craze and added a sparkling new helmet to their colorways for the 2024 season.

Baltimore will wear an alternate ‘Purple Rising’ helmet for one game next season, and the new design was revealed on Tuesday morning to praise and excitement from fans and players alike.

Don’t sleep on Ravens rookie pass rusher Adisa Isaac

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Adisa Issac picked up 7.5 sacks last season at Penn State.

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Adisa Isaac picked up 7.5 sacks last season at Penn State. Isaac will have the potential to be just as productive in the NFL for a franchise that has a history of developing defensive players.

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Issac knows that joining the Ravens is an honor. The endless support he will get from head coach John Harbaugh cannot be overstated.

Isaac will fit in perfectly with all-pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith signaling in defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s play calls.

Isaac is a physical edge rusher who can get sacks, and he will be needed to accommodate defensive end JaDaveon Clowney’s departure.

Youth and explosiveness may be the catalyst for defense, with newly drafted rookie defenders Issac and defensive back Nate Wiggins. Both players will get an entire summer to prepare for the biggest stage in their football careers.

Ravens-Steelers rivalry set to turn up another notch

Ravens-Steelers is much more than just an intra-divisional rivalry, or a clash of two historically successful franchises

It’s one of the best rivalries in the NFL and all sports: Baltimore Ravens versus Pittsburgh Steelers. Ravens-Steelers is more than an intra-divisional rivalry or a clash of two historically successful franchises that commonly battle for conference supremacy.

In the words of NFL Brand Ambassador Taylor Swift, “We got bad blood.” This rivalry has always been acrimonious, but this offseason shows the hostility turning up a notch.

ESPN pundit Louis Riddick, who played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and interviewed for the Steelers GM job in 2022, tweeted on Monday morning:  “Yea…#Ravens #Steelers rivalry goin’ up another level…imagine that.”

Of course, he is referring to the quotes from Patrick Queen, which came out earlier today. Queen, who took less money to leave the Ravens for the Steelers this offseason, went out of his way to describe, in detail, how much he prefers Pittsburgh over Baltimore.

His trash-talking included the following comments:

“Everybody is cool, the people are cool, the players are cool, and the food spots are better. I am a big food guy. I love food. I am more of a true food guy rather than a seafood guy. I like meat and stuff like that. It’s just a better atmosphere for me here.”

And just a few weeks ago, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who served as the Ravens DB Coach last season, described the rivalry as “a bloodbath.”

Earlier this year, Give Me Sport ranked in the top ten all-time NFL rivalries, and the Ravens-Steelers placed third. One specific quote from that piece stood out from the rest:

“If we were talking about the best NFL rivalries of the 21st century, Steelers-Ravens would be the most heated, and it wouldn’t even be particularly close.”

That sums it up pretty well, and this summer, the heat index is only rising higher. While many factors constitute a great rivalry, equal footing and concurrent success are two of the most important.

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, but only 35-25, so it’s pretty egalitarian. The two sides have met four times in the playoffs since 2001, reflecting how relevant both clubs have been in recent decades.

Ravens-Steelers has another distinctive advantage over other historic and heated NFL rivalries. There is symmetry and balance here, something you will not find with Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers.

Yes, that is the league’s oldest rivalry, with far more meetings than any other, but Chicago has been far from competitive enough to make it a great rivalry. While basic facts are something that Aaron Rodgers has sometimes struggled to comprehend, he was spot on when he said that he owns the Bears.

Just like Brett Favre did before him, the NFC East division has many rivalries within it, as many teams hate the Dallas Cowboys, but there is no true pairing there.

You used to have Cowboys-Redskins (now the Commanders), but the Washington Football Team has struggled in the W-Ls department in recent decades.

You can make a case for Cowboys-Eagles or Cowboys-Giants, but again, none of those rivalries have the same sizzle or steak as Ravens-Steelers.

Ravens complete 2024 NFL regular season schedule

Baltimore Ravens complete 2024 NFL regular season schedule

The Ravens have waited for months, and they now know who they’ll face and where this season after the NFL released the schedule for all 32 teams.

Baltimore will play four games in primetime, including one against the Texans on Christmas night.

Here’s the TEAM’s complete 2024 schedule:

Week Date Opponent Time (ET)
1  September 5 at Chiefs 8:20 PM | NBC* Tickets
2 September 15 vs Raiders 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
3 September 22 @ Cowboys 4:25 PM | FOX Tickets
4 September 29 vs. Bills 8:20 PM | NBC* Tickets
5 October 6 @ Bengals 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
6 October 13 vs. Commanders 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
7 October 21 @ Buccaneers 8:15 PM | ESPN Tickets
8 October 27 @ Browns 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
9 November 3 vs. Broncos 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
10 November 7 vs. Bengals 8:15 PM | Prime Video* Tickets
11 November 17 @ Steelers 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
12 November 25 @ Chargers 8:15 PM | ESPN* Tickets
13 December 1 vs. Eagles 4:25 PM | CBS Tickets
14 Bye Tickets
15 December 15 @ Giants 1:00 PM | CBS Tickets
16 December 21 vs. Steelers 4:30 PM | FOX Tickets
17 December 25 @ Texans 4:30 PM | Netflix Tickets
18 TBD vs Browns TBD Tickets

*prime-time game

Netflix has acquired rights to the NFL’s Christmas Day games in a three-year deal

Netflix has acquired rights to the NFL’s Christmas Day games in a three-year deal

If the Ravens play again on Christmas Day over the next three years, fans must add Netflix to their list of streaming services.

Netflix and the NFL just announced a three-year deal that will allow the streaming giant rights to Christmas Day games, with two coming in 2024.

“On Dec. 25, 2024, Netflix will be the global home of the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games. And mark your calendar for Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026 when Netflix will be streaming at least one holiday game each year as part of this three-season deal.”

Netflix is home to the hit series “Quarterback,” which debuted in 2023.

This summer, “Receiver” is set to premiere on Netflix and will follow five of the NFL’s best pass catchers through their 2023 season on and off the field: Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers), Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions).

Last year, the NFL played three games on Christmas Day, including the Ravens’ dominant 33-19 win over the 49ers.

Ravens-Steelers rivalry is “a bloodbath,” says new Titans DC Dennard Wilson

Tennessee Titans Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson described the Ravens-Steelers rivalry as the best in football.

By his definition, Dennard Wilson was not a “true Raven” for the one year he spent with the franchise. Wilson, now the Tennessee Titans’ Defensive Coordinator, served as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach last season, during which time Baltimore lost both of its meetings to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to Wilson, you’re not a true Raven until you beat the Steelers. He named the Ravens-Steelers rivalry the best in football and a “bloodbath.”

“Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry is something I’ve never seen before,” Wilson said on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.

“I’ve been in multiple divisions. I’ve been in the old school black and blue division with the Chicago Bears, you know, the division with Philly and Dallas.

“The Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry is different. They first say you’re not a true Raven until you beat the Steelers.

“So like that’s huge, and it doesn’t matter how good the team is, what your record is, when you line up against the Steelers or Baltimore, it is a bloodbath. It’s old school football.”

Wilson’s NFL career, across coaching, scouting and playing, has spanned seven different teams. So he speaks the truth when he says he’s been in multiple divisions, all over the league.

If he says that Steelers-Ravens is the rivalry that stands above the rest, then we must take his word for it. As we near another annual schedule release, it’s worth noting that both sides immediately circle the two meetings on the calendar every year.

While he may not be a true Raven, at least for 2023, he is a true Marylander. He grew up in Upper Marlboro, prepped and later coached at the famed Dematha Catholic (Hyattsville), and played college ball at the University of Maryland.

Given all that, plus the fact that he spent a year as an assistant coach with both the Terrapins and the Ravens, Wilson embodies that often-quoted line from Wedding Crashers: “Crab cakes and football- that’s what Maryland does!”