The Baltimore Ravens might not have finished the season the way they wanted but they exceeded almost all expectations along the way. With the NFL Honors ceremony the night before Super Bowl 54, the Ravens are in line to win some serious hardware for their work this season.
But out of all the awards that will be handed out, which ones should Baltimore actually win? Let’s take a look at four awards I believe the Ravens are frontrunners for.
MVP: Lamar Jackson
This seems like a pretty obvious one and it would be shocking if Jackson didn’t win the NFL’s MVP award. Jackson was easily the most electric player on the field this season, creating a whole list of highlights that have to be seen to be believed. But the MVP award isn’t just about cool plays. However, Jackson has the stats to back up his case.
Jackson led the NFL in touchdown passes (36), TD% (9.0%), perfect passer ratings (2 games), broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record with (1,206 yards) and led the league in rushing average (6.9 YPC). In total, Jackson combined for 4,333 total yards and 43 touchdowns, while winning five Offensive Player of the Week awards, a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nod.
As if the stats and broken records weren’t enough to warrant the award, Jackson completely redefined the position as we know it. That makes him the most valuable player in the NFL in my book.
Coach of the Year: John Harbaugh
This isn’t quite as big of a slam dunk but Harbaugh has a serious case to make for winning the Coach of the Year award this season.
For one, the Ravens weren’t expected to do very well, with most pundits figuring they’d struggle this season and be on the playoffs fence. In turn, Baltimore and Harbaugh flipped that script to a 14-2 record and a No. 1 seed, beating a good number of the playoff teams in the regular season to get there.
Secondly, the decision to completely redefine the offense into something the NFL hadn’t really done previously shouldn’t be forgotten. That was beyond a gutsy call to make and it clearly paid off as the Ravens were the top scoring offense and No. 2 in total yards, while breaking a 41-year old NFL record for rushing yards.
Thirdly, Harbaugh went hard into the analytics this season. Regardless of how you feel about that narrative, the NFL world has really taken to loving the idea of analytics and will likely continue to praise Harbaugh for his calls that were based on math and probability.
While Baltimore didn’t go the whole way, there’s little doubt Harbaugh was a large reason behind the Ravens’ unpredicted success this season. That should earn him an award.
Executive of the Year: Eric DeCosta
While I really believe this award will end up going to San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, DeCosta shouldn’t be forgotten about in this discussion. Much like Harbaugh, the Ravens success can easily be drawn back to what DeCosta did in the offseason and even during the regular season.
Baltimore brought in two key free agents in running back Mark Ingram and safety Earl Thomas — both of whom earned Pro Bowl nominations this season and were major contributors to the Ravens’ success on offense and defense. But it might be the mid-season additions that actually had the biggest impact on Baltimore’s success.
L.J. Fort, Josh Bynes, Jihad Ward, Domata Peko and Justin Ellis were all added in the middle of the season but played pivotal roles in transforming the Ravens’ defense from one of the worst units into a group that ended the season ranked third in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed. Keep in mind that all five of these players had been effectively sitting on their couches before Baltimore picked up the phone, meaning 31 other general managers didn’t think they were good enough to contribute, much less start.
We also can’t forget about the numerous trades DeCosta pulled off either. While cornerback Marcus Peters’ trade will draw all the headlines, the Ravens traded offensive linemen Alex Lewis and Jermaine Eluemunor, as well as kicker Kaare Vedvik and quarterback Joe Flacco, adding to Baltimore’s stockpile of picks in the NFL draft. That’s a massive number of deals that all paid off in the Ravens’ favor and has them set up for further success in the coming years.
DeCosta took over the job from Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome and might have actually had the best season from a general manager standpoint over the last decade. Whenever someone can not only replace a Hall of Famer at their position but actually improve upon what they did, that’s deserving of an award in my book.
Walter Peyton Man of the Year: Brandon Carr
This award might be the most meaningful one the Ravens could win this offseason. Carr been an integral part of Baltimore’s roster for the last few years, notching 192 consecutive starts over his 12-year career — the longest active streak in the NFL among defensive players. His team-first attitude in moving around from cornerback to safety this season really helped defensive coordinator Don Martindale be more creative with his schemes and blitzes.
But the Man of the Year award is for so much more than on-field accomplishments. The award hones in on a player’s work off the field to better their communities and here, Carr has no equal.
The Carr Cares Foundation works to improve child literacy while Carr’s LitBuddies program at Glenmount Elementary School distributes boxes that include books and fun educational games to children. Beyond Carr’s work on literacy, he’s done a great deal for breast cancer awareness, donating $200,000 to fund free screenings and diagnostics through the National Breast Cancer Foundation, according to the team’s website.
Many players contribute to charity or run their own foundation but Carr has routinely gone well above and beyond off the field to help those around him. When combined with his consistent play on the field, there’s no one in the NFL more deserving of recognition than Carr.
