Tag: John Harbaugh

The Ravens are going to miss Earl Thomas more than everybody realizes

He remains an extraordinary talent on the field.

Earl Thomas was kicked out of Baltimore in about the same time it usually takes him to diagnose a play. Just days after getting into it with fellow safety Chuck Clark on the practice field, the Ravens released the Pro Bowl safety for “personal conduct that has adversely affected” the team.

Based on the reports that have followed, the altercation with Clark just added to the list of grievances the team had against the 31-year-old. He had done enough bad to convince Baltimore to eat the $15 million in dead money the move creates, though the team will almost assuredly try to recoup a big chunk of that money by filing a grievance.

And so this very brief, yet wildly successful, era in Baltimore ends with the lasting image being Derrick Henry taking Thomas for a ride during a long run in the Titans’ playoff win over the Ravens back in January.

That embarrassing play has been all over Twitter the past few days, with some fans in Baltimore pointing to it as evidence that losing Thomas is no big deal. Unfortunately for Ravens fans, the meaningful evidence suggests that this defense just lost one of the very best defensive backs in the league. For instance, no safety in the league was better at preventing both targets and completions while in coverage, as ESPN’s Seth Walder showed with this chart he posted to Twitter…

Thomas was really in a league of his own when covering a targeted receiver. According to Next Gen Stats, opposing quarterbacks produced a Completion Percentage Over Expectation (CPOE) of -24.9% when targeting Thomas in 2019. That led the league by over three percentage points. According to Sports Info Solutions, plays targeting Thomas resulted in a loss of 12.9 Expected Points, which ranked second among safeties in 2019. His 23.1% allowed success rate ranked first.

As Walder notes in his thread on Thomas, a free safety’s position deep in the middle would naturally lead to fewer targets, inflating some of the numbers mentioned above. But in 2019, Thomas wasn’t parked deep in centerfield every play as he had been in Seattle. After a rough stretch for the Ravens defense to start the season, he started playing closer to the line of scrimmage, which allowed him to make more plays. The positional shift coincided with Baltimore’s defense evolving from a liability to one of the NFL’s best units.

Thomas’ instincts shined in this new role. I don’t have the stats to back this up, but he must have led the league in “crossing routes” jumped …

Per Sports Info Solutions, Baltimore finished fourth in EPA allowed on throws to the middle of the field, which tend to be the most valuable plays in football. Thomas’ presence played a large role in that success.

While Thomas did a lot of his best work in the intermediate area last season, he proved he was still capable of locking down the deep middle when asked to do so…

This play in particular sums up Thomas’ unique ability. Watch him jump the crossing route Baker Mayfield is eyeing before putting pressure on him in the pocket.

Free safeties should not be able to defend a route and get after the quarterback during the same play. Thomas is unreal.

With Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale leading the league in Cover 0 blitz calls, Thomas was forced to play more man coverage than he had in his NFL career. It wasn’t an issue, as Thomas finished with the Pro Football Focus’ 12th best coverage grade among defensive backs. He even showed some ability to navigate traffic and cover receivers on the perimeter.

As Lamar Jackson said of Thomas during a press conference just days before his release, “That guy … he’s different.”

There isn’t another safety quite like Thomas, so his departure will leave a gaping hole in the Baltimore secondary — and one that won’t be filled with DeShon Elliott or a cornerback convert like some have suggested. And without No. 29 back there, Martindale will almost certainly have to tone down his aggressive play-calling and go with a more conservative approach.

John Harbaugh has been one of the league’s best coaches, and certainly has the right to determine that Thomas’ “detrimental conduct” took more away from the team than his on-field play added. It’s up to him to determine how important locker room harmony is, or to decide when a players’ attitude becomes a distraction, but the team is undoubtedly less talented now. The loss isn’t enough to knock the Ravens out of Super Bowl contention, but it could knock them down a few spots in the NFL’s hierarchy of contenders.

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Earl Thomas to Cowboys? McCarthy cites locker room ‘fit’ when asked about free agents

The Dallas head coach said he’s ‘very confident’ with the team’s current roster, but said that the free agent safety’s name has come up.

After an extensive reshuffling of the deck in Dallas following the 2019 season, the current Cowboys franchise has been attempting to settle in and make the most of the crazy hand that’s been dealt to the entire league in the form of the coronavirus.

Now, less than three weeks before opening day, a wild card has been tossed onto the table. And while Mike McCarthy may simply be playing things close to the vest, the coach made it sound on Monday like he may be just as happy to stand pat when it comes to Earl Thomas.

Reports after the coach’s Monday morning Q-and-A session with media indicate that Thomas’s name did, in fact, come up in conversation within the Cowboys front office after his release by Baltimore over the weekend.

“We read the news, too,” McCarthy stated.

McCarthy cautioned, though, not to read too much into the seven-time Pro Bowler being discussed internally, as any newly-available player would be expected to be looked at, even as a matter of course.

Said McCarthy:

“We had a chance to have a thorough personnel meeting just two days ago. We’re very confident in where we are as far as the 80-man roster. As far as any prospect that’s available, those are more conversations for Jerry, Stephen, and Will McClay as far as looking at that situation. So I have nothing really to report.”

Is that a bluff? Maybe.

Or maybe not.

McCarthy did give a possible hint as to why Thomas hasn’t already been signed by the Cowboys, a team he’s had a very public flirtation with for three years and the club he’s been most consistently (and loudly) linked to since things went south for him in Seattle.

“I think the most important question you need to ask,” McCarthy offered, “is, ‘How does a player fit into the locker room?'”

At 31, Thomas assuredly isn’t the same player, skillwise, that he was during the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” heyday, but he likely still has something left in the tank and could be a veteran asset to the right organization. Being unceremoniously sent packing, though, by both Pete Carroll and John Harbaugh, considered to be among the most player-friendly coaches in the league, may be a significant red flag to any club thinking of kicking the tires.

Thomas may be worth the gamble for some team out there. And maybe the Cowboys end up pushing all their chips to the center of the table and going all in. But just because there’s an ace up for grabs doesn’t mean it necessarily goes with the hand they’re trying to win with.

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Earl Thomas, Chuck Clark get into heated argument at practice

Baltimore Ravens safeties Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas needed to be separated after a heated argument went on too long at training camp

As training camp continues for the Baltimore Ravens, frustrations continue to rise for the players. For yet another day, tensions boiled over to the point of players needing to be separated.

Safeties Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas got into a heated exchange on the practice field at Under Armour Performance Center on Friday. Though neither reporters nor coach John Harbaugh knew what the argument was about, it did require people to get between the two defenders, according to Aaron Kasinitz of Penn Live,

Before people get too alarmed, this is a pretty normal thing at training camp. Seemingly every year guys get into it at practice. With the heat and humidity, as well as the nature of trying to improve and either win a roster spot or more playing time; things can sometimes get a little fiery. It happened earlier in the week as well, with rookie running back J.K. Dobbins getting into it with safety DeShon Elliott. As both Harbaugh and linebacker L.J. Fort noted following practice, these things happen. And I’m sure the coaching staff likes seeing a little fire from the players at this time of the year.

What makes this particular fight more interesting is it being between the starting safeties. It’s usual for players going up against each other rep after rep to get heated but for two guys on the same side of the ball who should be working together to get into that intense of an argument is an oddity. In my time covering the team, I can’t remember a previous instance of it happening between two players at the same position before.

While Harbaugh didn’t seem too alarmed over the argument itself, he did have a problem with how long it took. As Harbaugh continued to press after practice, the team needs to keep their eyes on the prize and prepare for the regular season and not let these moments affect the next reps.

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Lamar Jackson happy taking on leadership role as Ravens’ franchise guy

Entering his third season in the NFL, there’s no denying the Baltimore Ravens are Lamar Jackson’s team. From his play to the respect he has.

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In a press conference with reporters on Monday, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon was asked what it’s like being the franchise guy. He quickly corrected everyone on the call, making sure it was well known quarterback Lamar Jackson is the guy in Baltimore.

“First, let’s not get this wrong – we all know who’s the guy here. That’s No. 8,” Judon said. “I got franchise tagged, I’m not the franchise guy. We all know who that is, and that’s the MVP.”

A day later and Jackson took the compliment from Judon. But with his usual humble tone and demeanor, Jackson immediately praised those around him and brought the discussion back to their quest for a championship instead of basking in the approval.

“I appreciate that coming from my peers, especially because we grind so hard together and our goal is to win championships,” Jackson said. “For guys to look at me, and me being so young, to be the franchise guy, I appreciate that. I just know I got to keep doing what I’m doing and keep trying to build up and bring a championship home.”

In his first full season as the starter, Jackson lit the football world on fire last year. He broke several franchise and league records, including toppling what was thought to be unbreakable in Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for quarterbacks. Jackson led the Ravens to a 14-2 record, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and only the second unanimous MVP award ever handed out.

Now back for his third season, Jackson has taken on more of a leadership tone this year. Instead of referring to himself, he instead refers to the entire team or the entire offense. “I” has frequently become “we,” and he’s frequently talked about his offensive teammates as “my guys” this offseason. That might sound like an insignificant difference but it shows Jackson has taken full control, which is something coach John Harbaugh has noted.

“He loves that because he’s in the middle of it. He wants to be in the middle of things. He loves the guys, he loves practice, he loves meetings. I mean, he likes to be in the middle of stuff,” Harbaugh said. “If there’s something going on, Lamar’s [Jackson] probably in the middle of it. That’s just his personality and the way he lives.”

As if the MVP award didn’t already indicate Jackson is the true franchise player in Baltimore, his work on and off the field has confirmed it. While maybe not as brash or outspoken as other leaders in the NFL, Jackson has quietly earned the respect of his peers and now has the reins firmly in his hand as he looks to march the Ravens to their third Super Bowl victory.

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Ravens DB Iman Marshall needs surgery after major knee injury

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

The Baltimore Ravens are finally back on the grass in training camp ahead of the 2020 season this weekend. But not every player will be available to them as they look to build on last year’s 14-2 record and AFC North division title.

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The injury is thought to be a torn ACL and MCL, which Harbaugh said will require surgery. If that’s the case, Marshall’s season is likely over.

This is a terrible blow for Marshall after a disappointing rookie season in 2019. Marshall spent the first 10 weeks of the season on injured reserve after suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason. He was activated prior to Week 11 but only appeared in three games before the end of the campaign, playing just four defensive snaps in total.

Baltimore’s cornerback room is arguably the strongest position on the Ravens’ roster, with two All-Pro players in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey joining long-time veteran Jimmy Smith in the defensive backfield. Still, the loss of Marshall is a blow to the Ravens’ depth, especially with some questions still surrounding the health of Tavon Young who missed the whole of last season with a neck injury. If Baltimore finds themselves in need of a veteran to fill out the roster, Brandon Carr remains a street free agent. Carr spent the last three seasons with the Ravens, starting all 48 games.

In other injury news, wide receiver and key special teams player Chris Moore also suffered a broken finger over the weekend. This is the second year Moore has suffered a broken finger, which will make it harder for him to lock down his spot on the 53-man roster.

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Eagles’ Doug Pederson lands in the top-2 of a ranking of every coach in the Andy Reid coaching tree

Eagles’ Doug Pederson lands in the top-2 of a ranking of every coach in the Andy Reid coaching tree

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Andy Reid turned an opportunity with the Eagles into one of the most successful coaching resumes you’ll find in all of the sports and he capped his career off with a Super Bowl win over the 49ers this past February.

Five of the top head coaches in the NFL currently have worked under Reid and that includes Doug Pederson, who played under Reid and then joined him Kansas City as an assistant coach.

Now the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Pederson is one of the top head coaches in the NFL and actually secured a Lombardi Trophy two seasons before Reid.

NBC Sports Philadelphia recently conducted a ranking of coaches who have worked under Reid and Pederson landed in the top-2 on the list behind the Ravens John Harbaugh.

2. Doug Pederson
With Eagles: Offensive quality control 2009-2010; Quarterbacks coach 2011-2012
Head coach of Eagles 2016-2020: 38-26, 4-2 playoffs, 1-0 Super Bowl

Accomplishments: Won Super Bowl in second season and has had Eagle in playoffs in each of last three seasons. Won NFC East in 2017 and 2019. His .594 career winning percentage is highest in franchise history, just ahead of Greasy Neale’s .590 and Reid’s .583.

Interesting Andy Reid connection: Pederson this year hired Marty Mornhinweg, who coached under Reid from 2003 to 2012 with the Eagles

Where is he now? Beginning 5th year as head coach of the Eagles.

Pederson landed ahead of Ron Rivera, Sean McDermott, and Brad Childress in the top-5. The bottom five of the list included Matt Nagy, Todd Bowles, Pat Shurmur, and Steve Spagnuolo.

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Success hasn’t changed Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Even after winning the NFL’s MVP award and breaking several records last season, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is dedicated to getting even better

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Lamar Jackson is coming off one of the best seasons for a quarterback in league history. Jackson broke several franchise and NFL records before becoming just the second unanimous MVP selection in the history of the award and gracing the cover of “Madden 21” this offseason. While Jackson’s stock has shot through the roof like a rocket and he has the Baltimore Ravens among the favorites to win Super Bowl LV, those around him say his personality has stayed exactly the same.

“Lamar is Lamar, man. He’s never going to change who he is,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said in a press conference Monday. “There’s no superstardom coming from Lamar. Lamar is Lamar and that’s something we all love about him. I think that’s something that everyone can relate to, that his head’s not too big or it’ll never get too big because he’s a down to earth person.”

Andrews stated what we’ve all seen with our own eyes since Jackson was selected by the Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson is humble, elevates those around him, and puts the team’s goals above his own personal accolades. Jackson’s dedication to self-improvement and his focus on winning a championship have been common themes from those who have been asked about him this offseason.

“He’s very motivated, he’s very determined, he’s worked very hard,” coach John Harbaugh said at the start of training camp in late July. “He’s really a realist. He really understands what’s required and what he needs to do to take his game to the level that brings our team to a championship. That’s what he wants to do. That’s his whole focus and goal, and that’s what I always admire about him, and that’s why I always respect him so much.”

It’s that type of attitude and work ethic we all saw last offseason. After a successful rookie campaign that saw him take the team to the playoffs in a year where no one expected the Ravens to contend, Jackson didn’t revel in his accomplishments. Instead, he took to the practice field with quarterback gurus to improve his mechanics and his production. The end result was an MVP award and a league-best regular-season record for Baltimore.

Once again this offseason, it would be easy for Jackson to let his success go to his head instead of putting in the hard work. He’s one of the most famous quarterbacks in the game right now and in this era of football, a franchise quarterback can practically name his price and teams will gladly hand over the checkbook. Yet, when the Kansas City Chiefs gave quarterback Patrick Mahomes a deal worth up to $503 million, Jackson’s first thoughts weren’t dreams of a yacht and buying a baseball team. Nope, Jackson rededicated himself to winning a Super Bowl instead.

“I’ve just got to win a Super Bowl,” Jackson said when asked about his reaction to Mahomes’ record-breaking contract extension. “I don’t really focus on what he has going on, because I’ve still got to prove myself.”

Instead of attending crazy parties, releasing an album, or living it up on a private island this offseason, Jackson doubled down on improving his game. If the videos of him working out don’t prove it, Jackson’s words back up the idea of a man obsessed with getting even better and taking his team with him.

“Hard work and dedication. I’m going to keep working hard,” Jackson said when asked about what he’s trying to add to his game after an MVP season last year. “There’s always room for improvement, and I just need to keep grinding. I’m working on everything: passing, running ability, everything. I feel like the sky is the limit for not just me, but the team – the whole organization.”

It would be easy to kick back and enjoy the success his hard work has gotten him already, but winning a Super Bowl is far from easy and as Jackson promised on his draft day, Baltimore is “going to get a Super Bowl out of me.” Yet, you can’t help but get the impression Jackson would still say he needed to play even better while holding the Lombardi Trophy above his head.

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Ravens planning on carrying 3 QBs again this season

According to Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, the plan is for three quarterbacks to make the 53-man roster again in 2020.

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the deepest teams in the NFL right now at a number of key positions. With such an unusual offseason that has and will continue to limit the number of chances players will get to impress the coaching staff, the Ravens have tough decisions to make when they finally trim their roster down to 53 players on the Sept. 5 deadline. Among them will be at quarterback, where Baltimore has three players jockeying for position behind reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens bucked a trend by keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster last year compared to the two passers they typically keep. According to coach John Harbaugh, it was because the team feared rookie quarterback Trace McSorley getting snagged before he made it to the practice squad.

“We historically didn’t carry three quarterbacks, just because you can use that extra roster spot [for] special teams, extra lineman, a specialty player, pass rusher and things like that that we’ve done in the past,” Harbaugh said during a press conference on Friday. “We’ve had the three guys who we like, and we didn’t necessarily think the guys we had would make it to the practice squad – in last year’s case, Trace [McSorley].

Though Baltimore has a wealth of talent on both the offensive and defensive lines, in the secondary, at running back, and other positions this year, they’ve still got three quarterback spots penciled on the 53-man roster.

“This year, I would say that’s the plan, and we’ll just have to see how it shakes out,” Harbaugh continued.

Jackson and Robert Griffin III should be considered locks to make the 53-man roster at this point. Jackson is the team’s franchise quarterback, especially after winning and MVP award last season. Griffin is the most experienced quarterback on the roster and has been utilized as a mentor for Jackson since 2018. That means if a third quarterback spot is still available, it’s McSorley and undrafted free agent Tyler Huntley fighting each other in training camp for it.

If Baltimore does indeed keep three quarterbacks this season, it’s likely because they want to groom someone to be Jackson’s primary backup as early as 2021 when Griffin becomes an unrestricted free agent. While the Ravens kept McSorley last year, I wouldn’t assume he’s a lock to make the team over Huntley.

McSorley and Huntley are similarly gifted athletes, effectively running the same 40-yard dash times (4.56 at Huntley’s Pro Day and 4.57 for McSorley at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine). With no edge for one player or the other in their pure athleticism, it’s going to come down to which player holds the most promise and makes the biggest strides. Though McSorley was kept on the 53-man roster last year, he got just one snap all last season. That despite all the offseason talk about using him on special teams and defense, as well as the team resting their starters in Week 17.

Huntley comes from a zone-read offense and was highly efficient in it. Huntley’s 73.1% completion rate and a 10.3 yards-per-attempt average in 2019 go to prove that. If Huntley can perform well in training camp, it’s going to be an interesting dilemma for Harbaugh and the coaching staff to make. That’s, of course, if they even keep three quarterbacks in the first place.

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John Harbaugh believes James Proche is the man for punt returner job

Former SMU wide receiver and current Ravens rookie James Proche is the “man for the job” at punt returner according to John Harbaugh

With the Baltimore Ravens in training camp, there’s a handful of starting jobs up for grabs. Among them is at punt returner where the Ravens have been struggling to find a consistent weapon for years now. According to coach John Harbaugh, sixth-round pick James Proche is the man for the job.

“It’s James’ role to win and he’s got to go win it,” Harbaugh said Friday. “I believe he’s up for the challenge, he’s the man for the job.”

It was expected there would be a bigger fight for the return specialist job this year. But with De’Anthony Thomas among the two Ravens to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Proche is now penciled into the starting spot. That’s not to say he won’t have any competition, however. Harbaugh named two other players who will get some valuable reps back there throughout training camp.

“We’ve got Willie Snead,” Harbaugh continued. “I know Willie would like to do it too, he’s back there all the time. Marquise [Brown] catches punts every day. We’ll see as we go.”

It’s safe to say Baltimore drafted Proche with special teams in mind after hearing the team talk extensively about him in that role this offseason.

Immediately after selecting Proche with the 201st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sung the SMU wide receiver’s praises on punt returns.

“I watched him catch punts that weekend in Mobile, and I was really impressed by how he judged the ball and secured the catch,” DeCosta said following the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. “He’s a guy that gets upfield quickly with the football in his hands as a punt returner, and that’s an important position. It’s hard to find those kinds of guys that have that special skillset.”

DeCosta and Harbaugh aren’t the only people impressed with Proche’s abilities. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton previously said Proche was in the mix for the return specialist job, echoing DeCosta’s sentiments.

For his part, Proche wants to get on the field any way he possibly can. As a late-round draft pick, Proche’s road to glory starts with special teams and returning punts. It’s something he noted in his first press conference with reporters after being drafted by Baltimore.

“I love punt return,” Proche said a few days after the 2020 NFL Draft. “I really just love catching the ball. Anything that involves ‘catch the ball and go make a play,’ that’s what I do. As far as punt return goes, that’s something I feel comfortable with. Kind of being back there alone, having full control, judge the ball, and showcase my abilities once I catch the ball. I’m extremely excited about being put in that role with the Ravens organization. Like I said before, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

It’s something Proche is no stranger to doing, returning at least 12 punts in three of his four seasons at SMU. Over the last two years, Proche returned 37 punts for 329 yards. Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return average on punts in 2019 would have been one of the more successful in the NFL last season, ranking seventh among players who returned at least 10 punts.

With a clear path forward, Proche has a chance to make Baltimore’s return team consistent for the first time in years. The last two seasons have seen the Ravens rotate players into the role with pretty awful results. In 2018 Baltimore had Tim White and Janarion Grant each field several punts before signing Cyrus Jones midseason and plugging him into the position. Last year, Jones ceded the job to Thomas after fumbling several times.

Even having stability hasn’t meant adequate production for the Ravens. In 2016 Devin Hester was signed to be the return specialist but averaged a paltry 7.2 yards over 25 punt returns that season. Since 2014, Baltimore has had just two punt returners — Michael Campanaro and Jones — average more than Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return while returning at least 10 punts.

Despite his late-round draft status, Proche is expected to do big things with the Ravens. His worth ethic, quickness, and intelligence have been called out by more than one person who has worked out with him this offseason. And if Proche can get a stranglehold on the punt return job, he’ll likely find himself on the field on offense at some point too where he can live up to the hype he’s rightfully earned.

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Lack of NFL preseason games come with negatives and positives for players

With the Baltimore Ravens being among the favorites to win Super Bowl LV, any perceived issues earn a little extra look. And as the NFL has canceled preseason games and in-person minicamps due to COVID-19, it would make sense that the lack of …

With the Baltimore Ravens being among the favorites to win Super Bowl LV, any perceived issues earn a little extra look. And as the NFL has canceled preseason games and in-person minicamps due to COVID-19, it would make sense that the lack of contact before Week 1 would be a concern. But the Ravens believe they’ll be better off for it.

As the coronavirus pandemic forced teams to be socially distant this offseason, training camp is the first and only time players will be on the field in front of coaches and with all their teammates. Teams also aren’t allowed to be in pads until Aug. 17, and even then, only for 14 practices. That’s not a lot of time to prepare for the regular season. And beyond what it means for bubble players just trying to make the team, the lack of meaningful contact before Week 1 has its positives and negatives.

We’ve certainly see sloppy play from some players early in the regular season every year. While there are a ton of reasons for that, it often happens if a player missed a lot of training camp or they didn’t get as much in-game action in the preseason. The result is often slower play, less physicality, and an all-around worse performance until the player gets back up to speed after a few games.

No matter how much a player practices this offseason, they’re going to be woefully short in the in-game reps and contact they’d normally get. For some, it won’t impact their performance come Week 1 and they’ll be just as great as their prime last year. For others, they’ll be a shadow of their former selves for a few weeks until they can get back in the flow. Coach John Harbaugh opened up a bit about the opposing sensibilities in this unusual offseason.

“We’ll always try to find a way to keep our players as healthy and safe as we can. “That’s the right thing to do, ‘A,’ and ‘B,’ it’s beneficial to the team. We have a common interest there,” Harbaugh said. “Secondly, we have to be ready to play. You can’t put a team out there unprepared. Football is a tackling and a blocking sport, so we are going to have to find a way to get that tackling and blocking done in practice against one another to the level that we need to, to be ready to play the game against the Browns and all the other teams we are playing in September.”

For all the potential negatives, there are some serious positives. The fewer hits players receive, the less banged up they are rolling into the regular season. That can be an attractive option for teams like the Ravens, who believe they’ll be in contention for Super Bowl LV. That’s especially the case for a Baltimore team that has been plagued with big injuries before the regular season over the last five years. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson specifically noted the players’ health when asked for his feelings about the lack of preseason games this year.

“Our guys will be going into the regular season safely,” Jackson said. “No little nick-ups, injuries or anything like that will occur from preseason games. I’m cool with it.”

Ravens strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders looked at it from a training perspective and agreed with Jackson’s sentiments.

“I think that the training effect is that guys who would have gotten banged-up, jacked-up a little bit from preseason games, are not. And I would expect guys to go into the first game in better shape – stronger, faster, better conditioned,” Saunders said. “We’re going to have plenty of contact; we’re Ravens. But after that first game, might they be a little more sore than a regular Week 1? Yes, potentially, but I think in the long run, we are going to be ramped-up and ready for the season. I think it’ll be a positive for us.

This year, all 53 players on all 32 teams will have that same hurdle in front of them. It’ll be up to how they prepare with the time given them in training camp that will determine how successful each team ends up being.

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