It has not been a great week to be a Raven.
Speaking personally, it has not been that enjoyable a season – barring some notable highs – given the expectation.
For Baltimore, the season was always going to start in January.
The regular season journey was relatively meaningless, certainly once one of the top two seeds was out of reach.
As impressive a season as it was from Week 3 onwards, there was always a nagging doubt that the season would end in playoff heartbreak. Again.
But, there are many good things about supporting the Ravens in 2025.
The positives
The Ravens have a soon-to-be three-time MVP at quarterback. Lamar Jackson had a career year across the board statistically.
The offense is full of talented stars led by Pro Bowlers Zay Flowers and Derrick Henry.
The offensive line was a revelation and provided one of the best platforms in the league.
And the offense was backed up by a young defense that improved dramatically, built around one of the best defensive players in the league in Kyle Hamilton.
A second year of Zach Orr’s defence will only help superstars like Marlon Humphrey, Nnamdi Madubuike, Nate Wiggins and Roquan Smith thrive.
Going forward, the Ravens will continue to grow and evolve through free agency and the draft led by one of the best front offices in American sports, let alone football.
Indeed the Ravens could have up to 11 draft picks having lost Patrick Queen among other key contributors after 2023.
Evaluating the season in hindsight
The Ravens won back-to-back division titles, and made the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.
They swept the Bengals in dramatic fashion and ended the Steelers season with two wins as part of their five game losing streak.
That is not to mention chasing down a 2.5 game division lead in 11 days.
There were also big wins against the LA Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders and yes, even the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens are in win-now mode and another chance has gone.
The craving for silverware goes on but there can only be one winner of the Lombardi each year.
But in Lamar Jackson’s offense and Zach Orr’s defence, they have the tools to compete for years to come.
