As the Baltimore Ravens begin their road through the playoffs, they’ll need to see improved play in order to get to Super Bowl LIV. In spite of being the best team in the league entering the postseason, every game means more now and Baltimore’s opponents will come more prepared.
While every player will need to play their best games in the postseason, there are a few that have to step up a little more. That’s not to say they’ve been playing poorly, just that they’ll face opponents looking to take advantage of them specifically.
Here are the 4 Ravens who need to step up in the playoffs if Baltimore is to make it to Super Bowl LIV.
OLB Jaylon Ferguson
Baltimore is going to go up against a bunch of really good rushing teams in the playoffs, starting with the Tennessee Titans and running back Derrick Henry. At times this season, the Ravens have struggled when setting the edge in the run game and have allowed running backs to pick up big yards. They can’t have that in these final few weeks if they want to get to Super Bowl LIV.
Ferguson has been steadily improving throughout his rookie season but will be tested in the playoffs. You better believe the Titans are going to run right at him with Henry until he proves he can stop it. Ferguson also needs to make a bigger impact as a pass rusher
Ferguson also needs to pick up the slack in the pass rush as well. He has 1.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits in the final four games of the season but with better quarterbacks in the playoffs, it would be nice to have another real threat opposite Matthew Judon for defensive coordinator Don Martindale to use.
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson is likely going to be the NFL MVP for the 2019 season because he’s just been so amazing in every facet of the game. But he’ll need to not only continue that but improve to ensure the Ravens walk out of every game with a victory.
When Jackson is at his best, Baltimore’s offense is absolutely unstoppable. He makes defenders panic, worrying about how to defend him and making sure they’re not the next ones whiffing at the air on his highlight reel. That means they constantly keep an eye in the backfield in an attempt to not get caught off guard. However, that ultimately makes them slower to react to runs inside by Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards or to the guys they’re supposed to be covering in the passing game.
However, Jackson has had a few lighter games this season where he’s been stifled early and the offense suffers a bit. Against these playoff teams, the Ravens’ best chances of winning comes from piling on the points early and forcing their opponents to play catch up, letting the defense load up against the pass and create big plays of their own.
Most importantly, he can’t have a multi-interception game like he did back in weeks 4 and 5. That was Baltimore’s last loss (in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns) but Week 5 wasn’t a whole lot better, needing overtime to beat the Devlin Hodges-led Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson doesn’t need to step up his game much but if he does, he’ll earn a Super Bowl MVP in a few weeks.
S Earl Thomas
Thomas has had another really good year — his first in Baltimore. He’s grabbed two interceptions, forced a fumble and even picked up the first sacks of his 10-year career. But the Ravens will really be counting on Thomas to be the veteran leadership in the postseason, both on and off the field.
Much like Weddle before him, Thomas has been around the league quite a while and knows how to win in the playoffs. With a defense full of young players who might not have as much postseason experience, they’ll be looking towards Thomas as their player-coach.
In addition to that, Thomas will be counted on to be the last line of the defense. Baltimore runs a lot of Cover 0 and 1-High coverages, meaning Thomas is roaming the back end of the defense to keep deep passes from happening. Against the big arms of guys like Ryan Tannehill, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, Thomas is going to see some deep balls thrown to take advantage of that.
CB Marcus Peters
Peters’ aggressive style of play is a big reason for his six pick-sixes over his five-year career. But it’s a double-edged sword that has also seen Peters get beat for big plays. In the playoffs, all it takes is a single big completion to win or lose a close game. That means Peters will have to have his best games against the likes of Tannehill, Mahomes and Watson if the Ravens are going to the Super Bowl.
Peters can still be aggressive but will have to make sure he’s not being bated into biting on double moves or post-play shenanigans. If he can keep his wits about him, Peters is liable to notch at least one interception on the way to Super Bowl LIV. If not, he could very well be the reason Baltimore loses a game.
