3 big moves the Baltimore Ravens should make to win Super Bowl next season

While the Baltimore Ravens have been dominant all season, they fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Worst yet, they dropped a 17-10 lead despite having home-field advantage.

During the regular season, the team that dominated opponents, especially the San Francisco 49ers, couldn’t find their rhythm even if the game remained close. But they faltered when it mattered most, leaving much room for improvement.

Barring any injuries to their key players, the Ravens will likely remain legitimate contenders next season. But they can get over the hump and win the franchise’s third Super Bowl title by ticking all three measures below.

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#3 – Hire a solid defensive coordinator

The Seattle Seahawks are hiring Mike MacDonald as their head coach for the 2024 NFL season. He will be the fifth Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator to become an NFL head coach after Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan, and Chuck Pagano.

That great lineage of coaches has been Baltimore’s defense calling card since the franchise started in 1996. This season alone, MacDonald orchestrated a defense that ranked sixth in total yards allowed (301.4) and first in points allowed (16.5) during the regular season.

Likewise, they limited their postseason opponents to 13.5 points per game, which is still impressive. However, his absence will significantly affect their approach to shutting down opponents. The Ravens must find a replacement that can continuously maximize their enviable talent on defense.

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#2 – Find another quality wide receiver

Despite his AFC Championship Game blunder, Zay Flowers is an excellent find for the Baltimore Ravens, finishing with 1,114 yards and six touchdowns. But the Ravens need more weapons in the passing game beyond him, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t do enough despite being paid $15 million this season. Nelson Agholor is a serviceable wideout but nothing more. Rashod Bateman has underperformed despite playing 16 games in 2023.

Letting Beckham Jr. go adds to their salary cap, giving them the capability to sign free agents like Tee Higgins, Calvin Ridley, Mike Evans, Rashid Shaheed, and Michael Pittman Jr. Adding any of these wideouts can add more wrinkles to their offensive patterns and schemes.

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#1 – Baltimore Ravens must trust the run game

The Baltimore Ravens were the best rushing team during the regular season, averaging 156.5 yards per game. Their ground game succeeded in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, running the ball 42 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

The Texans were better than the Kansas City Chiefs in stopping the run during the regular season. Therefore, why fix what isn’t broken? Instead, the Ravens attempted only 16 rushes against the defending Super Bowl champions for 81 yards and zero touchdowns.

Dialing more misdirection, tosses, sweeps, and draw plays would have helped the Ravens shorten the game for the Chiefs. Instead, they abandoned what got them to the AFC Championship Game, which backfired.