Browns legend points out biggest flaw with Ravens as Lamar Jackson continues MVP campaign
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are touted to be the frontrunners to usurp the Kansas City Chiefs and represent the AFC in the Super Bowl in February. The two teams met in the Conference Championship Game last season, and Patrick Mahomes and his team narrowly edged out the Ravens at the M&T Bank Stadium en route to their second straight Super Bowl win.
While the Ravens look more equipped to beat the Chiefs this season, despite losing to them in a thriller in the season-opener, Cleveland Browns icon and Hall of Famer Joe Thomas is still picking Kansas City in a duel between the two teams. During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday, he explained why.
"The Ravens are that team you want to pick, but their pass defense is so terrible that as soon as you match them up against a team like the Chiefs, you're thinking, 'How do they ever stop Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball?' I don’t know how they would be able to do it. [From 0:19]."
He added that Jackson will likely win the MVP award for the second year running and the third time in his career, but he won't be able to overcome the shortcomings of the Ravens pass defense.
"Lamar is surpassing his two MVP seasons in multiple categories right now, and he's a frontrunner, in my opinion, to win the MVP. I don’t know how you're able to win if you can't stop the pass in the playoffs because you're going to play great quarterbacks every single week. [From 0:31]"
Jackson is having another stellar season in 2024. Before their Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the reigning MVP had completed a career-best 68% of his passes for 2,379 yards with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Ravens pass defense has struggled amid injuries
Thomas' concerns are valid because the Ravens' pass defense is not only weak, it's statistically the worst in the NFL this season. Through Week 9, Baltimore has given up 280.9 passing yards on average, the worst mark in the league.
Despite ranking eighth in the league in quarterback pressures, seventh in quarterback knockdowns, and fifth in sacks, they are giving up more passing yardage than any team in the league, suggesting their secondary is horrendous.
However, their defensive backs have been banged up all season long. They currently have four cornerbacks on the Injured Reserves list, which explains why they have struggled to contain their opponents' passing game.
Baltimore traded for veteran cornerback Tre'Davious White to add much-needed depth and experience to their secondary. It remains to be seen whether defensive backs getting healthy and the addition of the former Los Angeles Rams star will improve their pass defense in the second half of the season.