Ravens Five Bold Predictions for the 2023 Season

The Baltimore Ravens are now just days away from their season open at home against the Houston Texans. After a long training camp the Ravens now set their sites on a strong regular season. A lot can happen during a 17 week NFL season that can both positively and negatively impact a teams season. The Ravens are poised to have one of their best seasons, barring health, with several additions to both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Here are five bold predictions for the Ravens in 2023.

Zay Flowers will go over 1,000 yard receiving

First-round pick Zay Flowers has been as advertised this preseason and looks like the elite young receiver the Ravens have looked to have for years. The quick and shifty receiver not only performed during training camp practices being nearly unguardable, he also translated that into games.

In two preseason games Flowers had just two catches for 37 yards, but turned one of those catches into dazzling 26-yard touchdown. Flowers was also able to draw several penalties against him with defenders unable to account for his lighting speed forcing a hold and a pass interference penalty during the preseason. The Ravens have a lot of talent this year on offense, and while the likes of tight end Mark Andrews and fellow wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will get their yards and catches, that will make it even easier for Flowers to break out in his rookie year and become the first Ravens rookie receiver to surpass 1,000 yard receiving.

David Ojabo will have double digit sacks

David Ojabo enters what is essentially his rookie year after missing most of the year with a torn Achilles, and while their has been a strong learning curve this preseason, Ojabo has all the talent to turn into a premier pass rusher for this Ravens team.

In two games this preseason Ojabo had only two tackles and no sacks, but in just two games last season he had two tackles, including a strip sack on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the final week of the 2022 regular season. While their is some concern over how productive Ojabo will be based on his poor preseason, its important to remember that if anyone can get the best out of him its his former Michigan and current Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. I think with MacDonald’s schemes and playing around other elite talent along the front seven will open things up a lot more for Ojabo then what he saw in the preseason making him a real threat to achieve double digit sack this season.

Lamar Jackson will break Joe Flacco’s team record for passing yards in a season

Lamar Jackson is poised for another MVP type season, and for the first time in his career he will have the receiving room to not only throw for the most touchdowns in the league which he’s already done in 2019. But for the first time in his career throw for over 4,000 yards.

With the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers alongside tight end Mark Andrews, Jackson has expressed that he wants to throw for 6,00 yards, something no player has done in the history of the NFL, and would break Peyton Manning’s single season NFL record of 5,477 yards. While Jackson throwing for 6,000 yards is a bit of stretch Jackson does have the talent and the personnel around him to top Joe Flacco’s franchise single season passing record of 4,317 in 2023.

Ravens will go undefeated in the AFC North

The AFC North will once again be one of if not the hardest division in football in 2023. With the Cincinnati Bengals looking to return to the AFC title game, the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to take the next step with up and coming quarterback Kenney Pickett, and the Cleveland Browns looking to return to the playoffs with full season of quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Baltimore Ravens will have their work cut out for them this season to win their own division.

But while it wont be easy the Ravens have arguably the best roster in the division top to bottom, and because of that they have an opportunity to not only win the AFC North but not lose a game to their division rivals. 2023 is a revenge year for the Ravens as they have very high expectations for themselves this season, and while it wont be easy the Ravens have all the talent to have a perfect record at seasons end within the AFC North, and capture their first division title since 2019.

Patrick Queen will sign a long term extension to remain in Baltimore

Prior to the start of training camp a lot of talk began surrounding the future of linebacker Patrick Queen. The Ravens declined to pick up his fifth-year option making him a free agent at seasons end. Some believed that Queen would be traded after it was reported discussions between himself and the team regarding a contract extension fell through early this offseason.

While Queen has struggled at times and on many accounts failed to truly live up to his first-round selection thus far, improvements have been made from year to year. The addition of Roquan Smith midseason in 2022, really showed the potential Queen has and one the Ravens I think would be willing to pay for should it continue into 2023. Both the Ravens and Queen have expressed interest in staying together, and because of that a strong start to the 2023 season will lead to a midseason extension for Queen keeping him in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.