News » ESPN: How the Ravens can win Super

Bowl LIII With the NFL season kicking off http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/justin-tucker-jersey , the hope that manifests from the last several months of the offseason still exists for most of the 32 teams. This is the case until each of them begins their season and certain realities begin to set in, which ultimately expose the potentially fatal flaws of of these squads. Until then though, a case can plausibly be made for many of the teams in the league to hoist the Lombardi trophy in Atlanta. In an article for ESPN, Bill Barnwell lays out a blueprint for every single team to do so, including the Baltimore Ravens.While even the most optimistic fans of the purple and black probably aren’t especially hopeful for a title run this season, Barnwell notes that no national media members picked Philadelphia to do so a year ago. As a result, none of the scenarios laid out in his article are especially crazy, including Baltimore’s, who he writes up at 10th likeliest based upon their Super Bowl odds:His point about Jackson possessing a higher ceiling than Flacco is interesting. While Jackson has a ton of potential to be a great quarterback, he still has some growing to do http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/nick-boyle-jersey , which may keep the team from a deep playoff run should he take over as the starter.This isn’t to say it couldn’t be done, as Flacco himself nearly put Baltimore in the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2008. However, the veteran’s postseason experience would likely give them a better shot of winning a ring this season, even if Jackson presents more upside down the line.Instead of focusing on the offense though, it’s the defense and special teams that look especially Super Bowl caliber. Jimmy Smith’s suspension certainly hurts, but the same strong defense returns with a hopefully more aggressive coordinator to unleash them.Justin Tucker and Sam Koch are among the best at what they do, led by Jerry Rosburg who is a criminally underrated coordinator in the national landscape. If everything comes together as expected, Baltimore could be a surprise team in the hunt for a Lombardi trophy this winter.Ravens Rookie Report: Week 1 The Baltimore Ravens got off to a great start to 2018 on Sunday, steamrolling the Buffalo Bills 47-3. There were new faces all over the field for Baltimore, including the 2018 rookie class that collectively saw a decent amount of action http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/maxx-williams-jersey , especially thanks to the lopsided score early on.So how did they perform? Let’s take a look:Top BillingTommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsBaltimore made four selections in the first three rounds of the draft in April, two of which saw significant snaps on Sunday. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, nobody probably would’ve guessed those two players to be Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews.Jackson relieved Joe Flacco after he had already put the game in hand, but Lamar was also mixed in as a weapon early on. Andrews saw his time partially due to Hayden Hurst’s injury leaving them somewhat thin at the position. Both players impressed in different ways.Andrews helped move the chains on his way to three catches for 39 yards on four targets and looked comfortable on the field, which was a bit of a concern throughout the preseason. The gadget plays with Jackson weren’t especially effective but did keep the defense on their heels. Beyond that he looked good after taking over for Flacco, tossing a long completion and finishing second on the team in rushing with 39 yards.The Defensive DuoTommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsKenny Young and Anthony Averett are two more players that made their debut on Sunday afternoon. Young was active, chipping in four stops and a sack, while Averett had two tackles of his own.In what was an impressive team performance for the defense, it was great to see some of the more unheralded young talent step up. This is especially true for this crop of rookies led by Young and Averett who have the potential to be starters at some point.The Wild CardPhoto by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesRotational receiver was one of the more contested battles of the summer, and it ended up being decided partially by special teams value. Rather than keep a player like Breshad Perriman or have Jaleel Scott active this season http://www.baltimoreravensteamauthentic.com/terrell-suggs-jersey , Baltimore opted to go with the undrafted Grant thanks to his return ability.On Sunday we saw why, as he raced through Buffalo’s punt coverage unit on his way to a 51-yard return that set up the offense for a touchdown. Hopefully Grant can produce more explosive plays like that down the line, and avoid mistakes such as his muffed punt._________________________________________All in all, this was a solid debut effort for several Ravens rookies. We saw young talent step up in all three phases of the game, which will be necessary throughout the season for a team that fancies itself an AFC contender.A hallmark of a true heavyweight is a deep roster, and Baltimore sure seems to have one right now. That’ll certainly be tested in the coming weeks, but for now it was nice to see some of the rookies showcase their skills in Week 1.