The Baltimore Ravens had a historic regular season, finishing with the best mark in franchise history at 14-2. The team blew past all expectations in what was deemed a “year of learning” for Baltimore, and suddenly became contenders while also being the most exciting team in football.
In order to have a team that’s so successful, there must be contributions from players everywhere on the field. Stars must play like stars and under-the-radar players have to make big plays in big situations. The Ravens constructed a young roster full of potential dotted with a few key veterans to help elevate everyone
But in order to break records and clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their 14-2 record, Baltimore needed to have a handful of key players step up at the right moments. From stars to unsung heroes and even a few late free-agent pickups, these eight players stepped up in the biggest way in 2019.
QB Lamar Jackson
It would be impossible to talk about Ravens who stepped up this season without mentioning the player who makes the wheels turn on offense. After an offseason filled with criticism, hat, and doubt from fans and pundits alike, Jackson stepped up in the biggest ways in 2019.
Not only did his play on the field speak for itself but his leadership took a huge leap forward. He became more vocal and more involved, leading to his teammates and coaches trusting him more every week.
On the field, Jackson saw his numbers jump in just about every statistical category possible. He improved his completion percentage from 58.2% in 2018 to 66.1%. He led the league in passing touchdowns with 36 and threw half of his interception total in 2018 in over double the amount of starts. He even improved as a runner, setting an NFL record for single-season rushing yards by a quarterback while not being plagued by the fumbles he saw as a rookie.
Jackson showed that he is a star quarterback and consistently proved the doubters wrong with his high level of play every week. In the end, Jackson is the frontrunner for the NFL’s MVP award and had a record-breaking season that ranks among the best the league has ever seen.
C Matt Skura
Coming into the season, many were perturbed Baltimore didn’t address their biggest hole on the offensive line in the offseason. But the trust the Ravens placed in Skura was well-founded as he immediately stepped up his game, along with the rest of the offensive line.
Though Skura went to injured reserve with a devastating knee injury, he posted a 68.7 overall grade and gave up just one sack over 12 games, according to Pro Football Focus. Skura’s jump up in play helped solidify Baltimore’s offensive line and made them one of the best units in the league.
C Patrick Mekari
For as well as Skura played, Mekari actually played better. When Skura went down with an injury, Mekari immediately stepped into the starting role and the Ravens never missed a beat. That’s incredibly difficult to do regardless of a player’s pedigree but for a rookie undrafted player, it’s extra impressive.
Mekari finished the season with a 70.5 overall grade and gave up no sacks over 12 starts (11 total games), according to PFF.
Now Baltimore has an interesting problem on their hands this offseason with Mekari still under contract and Skura a pending free agent. It’s a great problem for the Ravens to have but it goes to prove the quality of play from the “next man up.”
CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey had been growing to this point since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. We saw flashes of what could be last season and there was an expectation he’d elevate his game in 2019. And that’s exactly what happened.
Almost from the start, Humphrey was tasked with shadowing the opponent’s best wide receiver. Whether that was Odell Beckham Jr., Julian Edelman or JuJu Smith Schuster, Humphrey locked up some of the better wide receivers in the league — both inside and outside.
Having Humphrey be able to take his guy one-on-one allowed defensive coordinator Don Martindale to be more creative with his blitzes and move coverage around to help out the rest of the secondary. That’s a supremely valuable tool in a defense’s arsenal.
Humphrey arguably proved himself as a top-three cornerback this season.
S Chuck Clark
Clark stepped up in multiple ways for the Ravens this season. After injuries to Tony Jefferson and DeShon Elliot, Clark stepped up to not only claim the starting job but to become a defensive leader. That meant sliding down to play linebacker at times and dropping back into coverage, earning a reputation for his football intelligence and hard-hitting playing style.
Though Clark didn’t take over the stat sheet, he had a very respectable season in that regard. He finished the year with 68 tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception.
However, the most important aspect of Clark’s rise was his communication. Before Clark stepped into a starting role, linebacker Patrick Onwuasor had the mic’d helmet to relay calls from the sideline to the player. But communication issues ultimately claimed Onwuasor’s role, awarding it to Clark in Week 6. It should be no surprise that Baltimore’s defense immediately shaped up and stopped their more glaring coverage lapses at that exact time.
Clark might not get as much recognition as his teammates but there’s little doubt his emergence this season was the glue that helped the Ravens’ defense. With Clark stepping up this season, he gave Baltimore plenty of reason to cut Jefferson this offseason and hand him the starting job in 2020.
LB Josh Bynes
Baltimore’s defense might have finished as one of the top units in the league but the first third of their season was anything but brilliant. Coverage lapses and poor run defense haunted a defense that many had questions about after an offseason of departures. Enter Bynes in Week 5 and everything changes.
As one of the few mid-season free-agent acquisitions, Bynes was brought in to provide some experienced depth at linebacker and some insurance. But Bynes impressed early and took the starting job from Onwuasor immediately. After having been out of football since the end of the 2018 season, Bynes stepped up in his very first game with the Ravens, hauling in a diving interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bynes was a savior for Baltimore’s defense and while he’s not the long-term answer to replacing C.J. Mosley, his improved play helped put the Ravens on the right track for the rest of the season.
CB Marcus Peters
Much like Bynes, it was the mid-season trade for Peters that helped put the Ravens’ defense on the right track. Peters didn’t really step up his play after joining Baltimore, having played well for the Los Angeles Rams prior to his trade. But his joining the team was a big part of the Ravens’ turnaround.
Just like Bynes, Peters made an immediate impact after joining Baltimore, notching a pick-six in his very first game with the team. He had two more interceptions, including another pick-six in his nine total games with the Ravens, earning him a large contract extension before the season was even over.
T Ronnie Stanley
Stanley was already one of the premier left tackles in football but 2019 saw him step up his game to a completely different level.
He became a stone wall on the left side, allowing just six total pressures and no sacks in 16 games, according to PFF. More impressively, Stanley was awarded the fifth-highest pass-blocking game PFF has ever handed out. Of course, like the rest of the offensive line, Stanley was a force to be reckoned with when run blocking as well.
The end result was Stanley was given an “elite” 87.2 overall grade by PFF and looks to be the best left tackle in the game right now.
