The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2018 season with a 10-6 record and the AFC North Crown. It was an improvement on where most pundits predicted the team would finish and gives hope towards the future.
The Ravens were 4-5 headed into the bye week, but a quarterback change injected energy into Baltimore. The Ravens went 6-1 over their final seven games to secure their 10-6 finish. Baltimore needed a lot of guys to step up in order to produce that record, and they got exactly that.
Young players stepped up in big moments. Veterans stepped up when Baltimore needed a trusted Raven to get it done. Unexpected players made game-changing plays to swing plays in Baltimore’s favor.
Here are seven Ravens that stepped up when called upon.
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson was the biggest reason for the Ravens’ turnaround. The Ravens went through an extreme makeover on offense after the bye, shifting from the team with the most pass attempts in the NFL to the leading rushing offense.
Jackson, a dual-threat quarterback, finished the regular season with 1,201 passing yards with six touchdowns passes, compared to three interceptions. He also rushed for 695 yards on 147 carries, scoring five touchdowns on the ground.
Teams had an incredibly difficult time game planning for Jackson. While he had some hiccups along the way, a full offseason of work will help Jackson improve and be even more dangerous next year.
RB Gus Edwards
Edwards was a relatively unknown player coming out of Rutgers. The Ravens signed him as an undrafted free agent and he made the practice squad following the preseason. Injuries to Kenneth Dixon and De’Lance Turner forced the Ravens to call him up from the practice squad. Baltimore couldn’t have been happier with the results.
Edwards burst onto the scene, rushing for 718 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 20 yards in only eight games. He rarely got tackled for a loss, and showed immense power and burst on his runs, finishing them off with a bang.
Edwards will look to improve on his impressive 2018 campaign next year.
TE Mark Andrews
Mark Andrews was the second tight end taken in the 2018 draft by the Ravens, but he was the best tight end on the field for Baltimore. He finished the 2018 campaign with 34 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns, making contested catches and finishing off his runs after the catch with power.
He was also a fiery player who would display his emotions after a big gain, exciting both the players and the fans. Andrews was deemed a steal by many after he was taken by the Ravens and he justified that with a solid rookie season — one in which he just continued to get better with each game.
Jackson will need some big bodies to throw to as his career goes on and Andrews fits that mold perfectly.
RT Orlando Brown Jr.
Continuing the rookie trend, Brown Jr. was an extremely pleasant surprise at the right tackle position. Brown Jr. got the opportunity to start after James Hurst went down with an injury and he never gave the job back.
He was exceptional in the 10 games he started, giving up zero sacks and only one hit on 410 passing plays. Brown Jr. was the steadying presence that Joe Flacco and Jackson needed, and he gave them both time to throw in the pocket. He, unfortunately, struggled in the playoff game against the Chargers, but bumps are expected along the road for rookies.
Brown Jr. was expected to be a huge force in the run game and he didn’t disappoint. Brown Jr. regularly threw defenders around and to the ground, making older Ravens fans recall his father’s play.
The Ravens had an up-and-down season along the offensive line. The fact Baltimore found a solid young player in Brown bodes well for the future.
OLB Za’Darius Smith
Za’Darius Smith picked a great season to have a breakout year. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Smith finished with 45 total tackles and a team-leading 8.5 sacks in a limited role.
Smith was a handful for offensive lines to contain. He also came up big in multiple situations where the game was on the line. He will most likely parlay this season into a massive payday. It’ll be interesting to see if the Ravens will decide to keep him or let him walk.
LB Patrick Onwuasor
Patrick Onwuasor started off the season a bit rough, but down the stretch, it’d be hard to find a player on defense who played a more important role than the third-year linebacker out of Portland State.
Onwuasor finished the year with 59 tackles, 5.5 sacks and an interception. He also had two forced fumbles on the season. One of which sealed the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, where he also had nine tackles and two sacks as the AFC’s defensive player of the week.
Onwuasor slotted in well with C.J. Mosley. As the season wore on they became one of the best linebacker duos in the league.
CB Brandon Carr
The Ravens cornerback group as a whole played extremely well this season, with Marlon Humphrey having an exceptional season and Jimmy Smith coming around as the season wore on. However, the player who stepped up the most in the group was the veteran, Carr.
Carr is 32 years old, but he played rejuvenated this season, looking younger and stronger than he did in 2017. He finished the year with 45 tackles and two interceptions and made big play after big play. He also stepped up and provided a veteran presence to a cornerback group that is relatively young.
Some expected Carr to lose a step this season, but he might have gained one back. He is on a team-friendly deal so it wouldn’t be a surprise for Baltimore to pick up his team option and bring him back for a third season.
