The Baltimore Ravens are looking to pleasantly surprise people this season.
Last season, they won 10 games and lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals after quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out with an injury.
But Jackson is back on a big new contract, and the Ravens have a couple of new weapons in wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round draft pick Zay Flowers.
They will start their preseason schedule on Saturday versus the Philadelphia Eagles, and per Ari Meirov, head coach John Harbaugh said he will not play any of his regulars.
The #Ravens, who hold a 23-game preseason win streak, will not play Lamar Jackson or any of their established starters on Saturday vs. the Eagles, per HC John Harbaugh.#Eagles HC Nick Sirianni declined to say what he'll do with his guys.
The intrigue. pic.twitter.com/9ZojrCicPn
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 10, 2023
Holding out established starters in preseason games is a common practice in the NFL, especially given the concern over player safety.
Baltimore finished just 28th in passing yards last season, and their most productive wideout was Demarcus Robinson, who had just 458 receiving yards.
But now, they have a man in Beckham who may not be exactly what he used to be but has had three seasons of over 1,300 receiving yards.
Flowers had 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns last year at Boston College, and many feel he has bona fide star potential.
In addition, the Ravens still have Mark Andrews, who is one of the NFL’s best and more productive tight ends.
They’re also hoping Jackson will look more like the man who was electrifying during the 2019 season and won the league MVP award that year.
In 2022, he threw for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns, and those numbers were a far cry from the ones he put up in 2019.
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