As the Baltimore Ravens wrap up their three-day mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, questions loom over how star quarterback Lamar Jackson plans to utilize the six-week break before training camp to further gel with his offensive arsenal. The summer break could serve as a prime opportunity for Jackson and his receivers and tight ends to fine-tune their chemistry, a necessity Jackson acknowledges if they hope to make a Super Bowl run.
“I would love to do that,” Jackson expressed on Wednesday, noting some challenges about coordinating locations since not all his teammates are keen on leaving their home states. “They gonna have to come to South Florida…We trying to get to that Super Bowl.”
Despite the logistical hurdles, efforts to build this camaraderie have already been seen. Two weeks ago, before the official team activities, Jackson met with receivers Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor in Pompano Beach, Florida, for a practice session focused on routes and timing. Given their shared offseason base in South Florida, the session was conveniently arranged, pointing to a proactive approach by Jackson and a subset of his receiving corps.
Nonetheless, the challenge of congregating the entire group remains, particularly for key players like Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman, who reside in other states.
Heading into the second year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the Ravens have honed in on refining Jackson’s cadence—a nuance of the game that received mixed results during the recent practices, including offsides and false starts. Head Coach John Harbaugh voiced support for the risk of incurring these mistakes for the sake of mastering cadence as a strategic advantage.
This focus wasn’t arbitrary. In the previous season’s AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ offense faced significant disruptions due to a blend of defensive strategies.
Besides being sacked four times and throwing an interception, Jackson’s performance was hampered by the Chiefs’ frequent blitzes. Adjusting protections and routes and tweaking the cadence could offer a countermeasure against such aggressive defenses.
Jackson’s growth in this area has not gone unnoticed, with quarterbacks coach Tee Martin praising his recent practices and highlighting the value of testing these strategies against the Ravens’ formidable defense.
As preparation continues, the upcoming season presents a testing ground for these improvements, beginning with a pivotal rematch against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1. While refining cadence and enhancing quarterback-receiver chemistry are works in progress, such efforts underscore the Ravens’ broader strategy to evolve and adapt—an approach central to their offensive playbook and their aspirations for the coming season.
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