The Ravens got only 5.5 sacks from defensive linemen last season. This year, that number should double. Justin Madubuike needs to have the breakout that was predicted last season. Rookie Travis Jones has been dominant. Michael Pierce adds another element up front and could notch several sacks himself.
The rush and coverage go hand in hand when it comes to getting sacks. How many near misses did Houston have last season? An improved secondary will give those up front a fraction of a second longer to get home. Oh, and Bowser may be back sooner than people expect.
A familiar offense is starting to take shape. Lamar Jackson has more comfort behind a stronger offensive line and he’s loving hitting his tight ends. We need to see the running game get cranked up, and J.K. Dobbins’ potential return next week will help, but it’s starting to feel 2019-ish.
The key to truly getting back to 2019 is the rushing attack. Baltimore’s depth is significantly better than last year with Mike Davis, Justice Hill, Corey Clement and rookie Tyler Badie. But Baltimore still needs Dobbins to have to be close to what he was pre-injury to take off.
With the way he’s practicing, fourth-round rookie tight end Isaiah Likely looks headed for a substantial role in this offense. Likely just keeps getting open. He has soft hands and a large catch radius. Likely hasn’t had a let up yet, and that includes work against the first-team defense.
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