It's clear ESPN hasn't learned anything when it comes to believing in Lamar Jackson and the Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens failed to live up to its postseason expectations, again, but a lot of people over at ESPN haven't lost faith in Lamar Jackson and Co. for whatever reason.ESPN recently released its predictions for the 2025 NFL season and one of said forecasts was an early Super Bowl LX pick that featured both […]
The Baltimore Ravens failed to live up to its postseason expectations, again, but a lot of people over at ESPN haven't lost faith in Lamar Jackson and Co. for whatever reason.
ESPN recently released its predictions for the 2025 NFL season and one of said forecasts was an early Super Bowl LX pick that featured both matchup and winner predictions.
As it turns out, the Ravens were featured in the big game a total of six times and were picked to win it five times – both numbers easily top any other NFL team. Even the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles received only four matchup predictions and one Super Bowl win prediction. The Buffalo Bills were in "second-best shape", finishing with four matchup and three win predictions.
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Lions over Ravens. Even with the departure of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, this is still Dan Campbell's football program. And with pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson anchoring a healthy defense, the Lions will edge out Lamar Jackson in Super Bowl LX.
I'm honestly not sure why this keeps happening. Yes, Lamar Jackson is an out-of-this-world talent and arguably the best player in the entire game. Yes, the Ravens' roster is one of the more talented crews assembled. Yes, they have a shrewd front office that has proven year-in, year-out it knows how to work free agency and draft at a high level.
But none of it has mattered in the postseason, where the Ravens just can't put it all together. It hasn't all been on Lamar and it all hasn't been on his teammates – it's been on everyone.
Poor execution, terribly-timed penalties, missed field goals, turnovers – whatever can go wrong goes wrong once the Ravens are in the playoffs. This year was no different, either. A couple early turnovers from Jackson, combined with some big mistakes in the game's waning moments, is what drove the loss to the Bills in the Divisional Round of the latest postseason.
Ben Solak, NFL analyst: Ravens over Packers. The Packers should only get better with time, as they're a young team with enough resources to make one or two splash additions this offseason. The AFC will still be highly contentious, but the Ravens did a great job weathering the brain drain of last offseason and will enter 2025 with much more stability.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Ravens over Eagles. The battle of the birds. Baltimore has the players in place to make a run, but it must prove that it has the capacity to get over the playoff hump. I think the Ravens will do so against Philly, which is well set up for another deep run next season.
It's pretty wild to think the Ravens, who are perennial postseason failures, still have the media looking up to them like this. Especially in a dominant fashion to the point where they're heavily favored over the Eagles, who just displayed one of the most dominant Super Bowl wins of all-time and are returning a good chunk of their main difference-makers in 2025.
It's just more proof of how the media just won't back down when a narrative builds a ton of momentum in their heads.
Lindsey Thiry, national NFL reporter: Ravens over Eagles. With the return of Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and several key players on a standout defense, the Eagles have the roster and know the formula to make another Super Bowl run. But the Ravens — after having their postseason runs end prematurely the past three seasons — finally finish the job with bolstered protection around Jackson.
