NFL: One bold prediction for every team in 2021-22
![Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes back to the locker room after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 10](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F954d021f769fef845fdf11f1b6e38fba1938440b3910b3d1749056b1111c073e.jpg "Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes back to the locker room after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 10")
One bold prediction for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021-22: They end up outside the playoff bubble
The Baltimore Ravens were stuck in the mud before Lamar Jackson came to town. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 – they failed to make the playoffs. Also, in 2018, they were well on their way to missing it yet again. That is, until Jackson was inserted into the lineup and saved the season.
In his first full year as a starter, Jackson led the Ravens to a 14-2 record and flat out destroyed the league. He may have been awarded the MVP award but it was clear to everyone that he simply couldn’t throw the ball.
The drop-off in play for Jackson from his MVP season to just this past year was noticeable. He went from throwing 3,127 yards to 2,757. His total thrown touchdowns decreased by 10 from 36 to 26 and his completion percentage took a small dip as well. Even Jackson’s best attribute, his legs, took a statistical hit. He went from rushing for 1,206 yards in 2019 to 1,005 in 2020.
For the 2021 season, we expect that trend to continue. Not only will Jackson’s numbers drop but his team will ultimately suffer because of it. The Ravens already went from the number one overall seed in 2019 to a wildcard team in 2020. With ball clubs such as the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs all playoffs locks – the Ravens will have a hard time beating out many of the improved teams such as the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and even the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Ravens will be the odd man out.