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Of course the wound lingered. Of course the self-reproach carried deep into Lamar Jackson’s offseason. He could practically taste the Super Bowl after the Ravens ran roughshod over the NFL’s best teams and brought the AFC championship game to their home field. Then, Jackson and the offense he led failed to perform up to snuff against a familiar nemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson had to go through the ritual of accepting his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award three days before the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers for the championship he dearly covets. So it was no surprise to hear him say he’s only now putting that disappointment behind him as the Ravens begin their long ramp-up to a fresh season, with the Chiefs waiting for them in the opener and more difficult questions about their playoff mettle hovering over everything they do. “I believe it hurt more, losing before the Super Bowl,” a notably slender Jackson said Wednesday, speaking to Baltimore reporters for the first time since the bitter end to last season. “We worked so hard, 17 weeks, plus the playoff games. To get to a game away and lose, and we really didn’t put any points on the board … we’ve just got to finish, man.” The subject is unavoidable in a locker room that orbits around its franchise quarterback. “Us players still talk about it, so it definitely left a bitter taste on our mouths being that close,” Jackson said. Ravens coach John Harbaugh wants his players to remember the hurt of falling short but to keep their minds on what’s next. “It’s both,” he said. “You never forget. We don’t forget for sure and try to improve. What we’re talking about is confronting everything that has to do with being the very best we can be. If that’s part of the confrontation, let’s go.” Though he’s happy to play the Chiefs on the first Thursday night of the season, Jackson knows the Ravens’ progress won’t truly be measured until January. “Our goal is to make it to the Super Bowl,” he said. “We lost to them in the playoffs. Just us beating them in the regular season don’t really do anything.” Jackson’s trimmer physique has been all the talk among Ravens fans since he told a Complex Sports interviewer on Instagram that he weighs 205 pounds, down from 215 last season and 230 in 2022. He gave a more cryptic estimate of “I’m like 2-something right now” when asked Wednesday how much weight he lost but confirmed that he did it in a quest for greater agility and acceleration. He joked that he wouldn’t reveal his diet and exercise regimen for free. “I feel great,” he said, hinting that he hasn’t been this quick going into a season since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “I feel great to be back out here with my guys.” Harbaugh laughed at a series of questions about his franchise quarterback’s weight, saying he might intervene if Jackson ballooned to 250 pounds or faded to a skin-and-bones 150. “He’s a pro,” Harbaugh said. “He knows what he’s doing, where he wants to be with that. My concern is that he’s in the best shape of his life.” Quarterback Lamar Jackson slimmed down in a quest to be more agile but knows the Ravens can’t truly change their narrative until January. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Teammates have yet to weigh in on Jackson’s relative speed, though he did his usual playful juking and engaged safety Kyle Hamilton in a mock dash for the end zone during Wednesday’s workout at voluntary organized team activities. “He looks good to me, but he looked different when he first showed up,” wide receiver Zay Flowers said of his quarterback. “He was so skinny, but he looks good.” In winning his second MVP, Jackson rushed for 51.3 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry, his lowest totals since his rookie season. This year, he’ll be paired with an overpowering new backfield mate in running back Derrick Henry. He said he’ll hand Henry the ball and get out of the way, shouting along with the fans, “Go big guy, go!” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens observations on Ronnie Stanley looking good, Lamar Jackson’s weight and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens team OTA open practice | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers addresses investigation of alleged domestic violence incident for first time Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh launches coaching academy with goal to ‘share what we learned’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to have joint practice with Packers in Green Bay this summer What about wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who signed an extension in the offseason after he was targeted just 56 times in 16 games last year? “He’s an elusive receiver, great off the ball, great separation,” Jackson said of the team’s 2021 first-round draft pick. “We’ve just got to get him the ball. That’s all there is to it.” Jackson seems confident all ships will rise in the team’s second season under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was his usual profane, enthusiastic self Wednesday after fans spent the past four months lambasting his game plan against the Chiefs. “I’m a lot more comfortable with everything,” Jackson said. “How he’s calling the plays and what he’s expecting us to do.” View the full article

The Ravens had an unusual player participate in practice Wednesday during voluntary organized team activities, and there will be no complaints from the coaching staff. Ninth-year offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, the starting left tackle, had a full team workout — and he was impressive. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Stanley looked thick in his arms and upper body, and his legs were just as impressive, not as skinny as a year ago. The Ravens and Stanley agreed to a reworked contract March 13 before the 2016 first-round draft pick was expected to make $15 million this season. He missed four games last year because of knee injuries and has struggled to regain his Pro Bowl form since suffering a major ankle injury three years ago. Stanley has seldom participated in voluntary practices, but his presence might be an indication of how much this team is motivated after losing at home, 17-10, to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. Stanley performed well on Wednesday and showed good lateral movement. Henry a handful Newly acquired running back Derrick Henry also participated in practice, and he looked lean and healthy. More importantly, Henry hit the holes hard and showed good cutback ability, which critics said he no longer had after last season. One quick thing that is noticeable about Henry is that he doesn’t mind stepping up in the pocket and pass blocking. That’s something that is desperately needed in the Ravens’ offense, especially with so many questions about the offensive line. Let’s hear it Fifteen minutes had gone by in practice and offensive coordinator Todd Monken had yet to say or mutter any bad language. But after the quarterbacks threw three straight passes into the dirt, Monken couldn’t help himself. Another day with Coach Monken. Life is good. Weight watchers Quarterback Lamar Jackson was pelted with questions about his playing weight since it appears he might be close to 200 pounds, well below his listed weight of 215. Actually, it makes no sense to be concerned about his weight at this time. Through the years, I’ve seen defensive ends add 20 pounds in three weeks and offensive linemen drop 30 pounds a month after they retire. Who cares? Let’s see what Jackson weighs when he gets to training camp in late July or early August. Until then, he is anxious to line up with Henry and play another year in Monken’s offense. Coach John Harbaugh shook off any concern about Jackson’s weight. “He is a pro,” Harbaugh said. Amen. Simpson steps up Second-year player Trenton Simpson is expected to replace Patrick Queen at weak-side linebacker, and he should improve the Ravens’ pass coverage. That was an area of concern for Queen, who is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is doubt whether Simpson can be as physical at Queen, who had two strong seasons playing alongside middle linebacker Roquan Smith. Simpson, though, covers a lot of ground in the flat and flies to the ball. The 2023 third-round pick held his own with a lot of running backs leaking out of the backfield. Don’t be surprised if he breaks up a lot of passes on the outside in 2024. Wiggins as advertised I didn’t get a lot of looks at rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins, the Ravens’ first-round pick out of Clemson in April, because he spent a lot of time working with the other rookies and young players on the opposite field. But he did do some work with the first team in certain situations, and he’ll get more playing time as he becomes more acquainted with the philosophy of the defense. But, as advertised, the young lad can fly, and he closes on receivers very quickly. Guard battle The Ravens used several combinations at guard and it will be interesting to see who wins the two starting jobs between Josh Jones, Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees. Both Jones and Vorhees appear more flexible, while Cleveland has sheer power. With Cleveland, the Ravens might want to use him as an extra lineman if necessary in short-yardage situations. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | A slimmer Lamar Jackson is only now getting past the Ravens’ AFC championship loss Baltimore Ravens | Ravens team OTA open practice | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers addresses investigation of alleged domestic violence incident for first time Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh launches coaching academy with goal to ‘share what we learned’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to have joint practice with Packers in Green Bay this summer Cornerbacks check-in I keep waiting for third-year cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis to have a breakout season. The former Alabama standout has played well at times, but he can’t stay healthy. He could really help the Ravens in nickel and dime situations. The 2022 fourth-round pick practiced well Wednesday, but he has to become more consistent. The same can be said about fellow third-year cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams. Mitchell on schedule Harbaugh said second-year running back Keaton Mitchell is on schedule to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 15 last year, but he probably won’t be ready until midway through the 2024 season. Mitchell, though, was at practice Wednesday and he walked off the field without any noticeable limp. That’s a good sign. Word to the wise Note to third-year defensive tackle Travis Jones, who weighs 338 pounds: Get in shape for training camp. He was struggling in practice, and the Ravens aren’t near full-tilt yet as far as rigorous workouts. Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, left, works out with Bump Cooper Jr. on Wednesday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, left, works out with T.J. Tampa during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, works out with Tyler Linderbaum, right, during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, left, works out with cornerback Tre Swilling during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens running back Derrick Henry works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens running back Derrick Henry works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens running back Derrick Henry works out during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens corner back Nate Wiggins, right, works out with Bump Cooper Jr., during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens corner back Nate Wiggins, left, works out with Bump Cooper Jr., during team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson speaks with media members after team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton speaks with media members after team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide-receiver Zay Flowers speaks with media members after team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks with media members after team OTA open practice session. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers said Wednesday that he spent part of this offseason focused on trying to “be a better person.” It was the first time that Flowers met with the media since a police investigation into an alleged domestic incident connected to the wide receiver took place earlier this year. Baltimore County Police suspended the investigation in February with no charges, and the NFL concluded last month that there was “insufficient evidence” that the 2022 first-round draft pick violated the league’s personal conduct policy. “It was a process that me and my team had to go through,” Flowers, 23, said after practice at voluntary organized team activities at the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills. “I respect the question, but there’s really nothing else I can add. “I’m just looking forward to the season and getting better and building my reputation and showing the Ravens’ community and the younger generation that I’m here and I’m ready to go and be a better person.” In January, a woman told police in Acton, Massachusetts, about a “violent domestic incident” that took place in Owings Mills on Jan. 16, in which the “suspect’s brother also drew a firearm.” The woman declined to name the suspect, saying only that he is an NFL player, and told police in Massachusetts that she was “physically assaulted” and left with “multiple bruises,” according to the Baltimore County Police report. In that interview, she said she was living with her boyfriend in a townhouse outside Baltimore when the incident became “physical and violent.” Flowers added Wednesday that he also spent part of his offseason surrounded by friends and family and that moving forward he wants to focus on the Baltimore community as well as football. “I just do what I do to help the community, have fun with my people, have fun with the kids and just go about what I do and play football and focus on the future,” he said. Part of that focus includes getting over last year’s AFC championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore was trailing Kansas City by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter when, on a second-and-8 from the Chiefs’ 9-yard line, Flowers caught a short pass from Lamar Jackson but was stripped of the ball by cornerback L’Jarius Sneed before crossing the goal line. Kansas City recovered the fumble for a touchback, held on for a 17-10 win and went on to claim its second straight Super Bowl title and third in five years. “I still ain’t get over it,” Flowers said. “I still think about it. I know [this season] we got a chance to get back there and try to make it to the Super Bowl. That’s why I’m working hard every day and going hard every day to get back to that moment.” The Ravens will likely need another strong year from Flowers to do so. The former Boston College star led the team in targets (108), catches (77) and receiving yards (858), all franchise records for a rookie. He also scored six touchdowns — five receiving and one rushing — to go with 56 rushing yards on eight attempts. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | A slimmer Lamar Jackson is only now getting past the Ravens’ AFC championship loss Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens observations on Ronnie Stanley looking good, Lamar Jackson’s weight and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens team OTA open practice | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh launches coaching academy with goal to ‘share what we learned’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to have joint practice with Packers in Green Bay this summer He hopes to expand on those numbers this season and said he’s “way more comfortable” in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme now compared with last year. “I had to learn the new playbook so fast that in my head I always was rushing,” he said. “This year, I got more patient.” Flowers also said he wants to get better at “every phase” of the game and to try to be more of a leader in a young receiver room that, for now, includes 10 receivers age 25 or younger. Asked what advice he’d give the team’s rookie and younger receivers, he provided some perhaps telling insight. “Just go, it’s gonna happen fast,” he said. “So just go understand and have a plan for everything you do.” Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers works out during organized team activities on Wednesday in Owings Mills. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was sitting around with his younger brother Jim about five years ago enumerating the many occasions their father, Jack, told the stories that shaped their coaching careers. “These lessons that you learn, it can’t just be us,” John said. “We’re gonna forget these stories. We need people to hear these stories. “We should do something. What could we do? There’s been a lot of ideas bounced around. We all kind of had them.” Those ideas were the genesis for the Harbaugh Coaching Academy. Tuesday in Owings Mills, John announced the launch of the project. Its mission is to support, inspire and develop the ability of coaches, teachers, instructors and parents to help develop young people. It’s also a rich family affair, with John, a Super Bowl-winning coach entering his 17th year at the helm of the Ravens; his brother Jim, in his first year as coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after guiding Michigan to a national championship; and their father Jack, who coached for 41 years and led Western Kentucky to the Division I-AA national championship in 2002. The academy also includes Harbaugh’s extended family. His brother-in-law Tom Crean was a college basketball coach at Marquette, Indiana and Georgia and coached, among others, Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and current Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. “We get a chance to share what we learned from our dad,” John said. They also are tapping into their extensive network of contacts who have been mentors, friends and foes over the years. Contributing coaches include former Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell, Wake Forest football coach Dave Clawson and James Madison football coach Bob Chesney. The foundation’s website, meanwhile, offers interviews and stories from Super Bowl champion coaches such as Andy Reid, Bill Belichick and Sean McVay, among other resources. “I’m delighted we can share what we’ve learned with other coaches, of all levels, to help them develop and mentor young athletes,” Jim said during a video call from California. John didn’t miss the chance to needle his brother in the process, cracking that it would be great if he could leave the cell phone video running during the Chargers’ afternoon practice. (Last year, Michigan was embroiled in a sign stealing controversy and Jim was suspended for the final three games of the Wolverines’ regular season, though the NCAA reported they found no connection between Jim and the operation). It was just one of several one-liners and stories shared throughout the hour-long discussion about coaching from inside a packed auditorium at the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills, where dozens of college coaches intently took it all in. Former New England Patriots and six-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick was also on the panel. Topics he addressed included special rules for star players and how to build leadership within a team. Belichick mentioned one story from his time as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants and telling coach Bill Parcells that All-Pro linebacker Lawrence Taylor was 15 minutes late for that day’s meeting. Parcells quipped, “Well, why start the meeting before he got there?” He also shared that during his time with the Patriots he spent each offseason identifying the leaders in each rookie class and allowing them to develop in that role to create a cascade of leadership from within. Belichick paid homage to the coaches in the crowd and the important role they play as well. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to have joint practice with Packers in Green Bay this summer Baltimore Ravens | Ravens director of college scouting David Blackburn expected to join Washington Commanders’ front office Baltimore Ravens | Five things to watch for at Ravens OTAs, including a new defensive coordinator and intriguing rookies Baltimore Ravens | Ray Lewis helped sell RB Derrick Henry on signing with Ravens: ‘Old-school type of player’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY “You develop players, you develop people and you develop the National Football League,” he told them. “It’s just a couple levels below, but that’s where it starts. “Those guys appreciate it. I always tell them, ‘Go back and tell the people that helped you get where you were because you were no good when you started.’ And especially I tell the defensive players, ‘Go thank the coach who moved you to defense because if they left you on offense, you wouldn’t be in this league.’” The room erupted in laughter. After all, the sharing of stories and the relationships fostered are at the heart of what the Harbaughs hope to accomplish in passing decades of wisdom on to others. John will turn 62 in September, yet in some ways is just getting started. “What is it to be a coach? We talked a bout this growing up a lot,” John said. “We were always taught a coach is first a teacher, then after that a mentor, an advisor, a trainer, a friend, a discipliner, a confidence builder, an uplifter and then the last one … a Dairy Queen trip provider. “I don’t care how the game went, you get the kids to the Dairy Queen as quickly as possible, everything’s gonna be fine.” View the full article

The Ravens will have a joint practice with the Packers in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this summer. Packers coach Mike LaFleur made the announcement Tuesday. Though a date wasn’t specified, it would likely take place just ahead of Baltimore’s preseason finale against Green Bay at Lambeau Field on Aug. 24. Joint practices typically are held over two days, but LaFleur said the second day becomes an “MMA fight,” citing the Packers’ joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals last season in which several fights occurred. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh launches coaching academy with goal to ‘share what we learned’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens director of college scouting David Blackburn expected to join Washington Commanders’ front office Baltimore Ravens | Five things to watch for at Ravens OTAs, including a new defensive coordinator and intriguing rookies Baltimore Ravens | Ray Lewis helped sell RB Derrick Henry on signing with Ravens: ‘Old-school type of player’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY Last year, the Ravens hosted the Washington Commanders for two days of joint practices. Several fights broke out during both sessions. A scuffle also broke out during the first day of joint practices between the Ravens and Carolina Panthers in South Carolina in 2021. Still, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said there’s value in the joint practices. “It’s more controlled,” he said last year. “That’s the thing about joint practice; you still get a lot of great work without the ‘finish’ part of it. You don’t get the tackling, the sacks — those kinds of things. “I will also say, that’s a double-edged sword, because then it becomes a gray area about how much is too much, and that’s where the pushing and the shoving starts sometimes.” After the Ravens wrap up their preseason against the Packers, they will open the regular season Sept. 5 on “Thursday Night Football” against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Ravens 2024 preseason schedule Week 1 (Friday, Aug. 9): vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7:30 p.m., ABC Week 2 (Saturday, Aug. 17): vs. Atlanta Falcons, noon, NBC Week 3 (Saturday, Aug. 24): at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m., NBC View the full article

The Ravens continue to get raided. David Blackburn, Baltimore’s director of college scouting, is expected to join the Washington Commanders as their director of player personnel, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Blackburn has been with the Ravens since 2007, working his way up from personnel assistant to area scout to national scout before spending the past two seasons as the director of college scouting. The Athletic was the first to report the news. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things to watch for at Ravens OTAs, including a new defensive coordinator and intriguing rookies Baltimore Ravens | Ray Lewis helped sell RB Derrick Henry on signing with Ravens: ‘Old-school type of player’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things to watch for at Ravens OTAs, including a new defensive coordinator and intriguing rookies Baltimore Ravens | Ray Lewis helped sell RB Derrick Henry on signing with Ravens: ‘Old-school type of player’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Washington, under new general manager Adam Peters, did not retain its director of player personnel Eric Stokes while director of pro personnel Chris Polian is expected to be hired by the Cleveland Browns, according to multiple reports. The move is one of several the Commanders have made overhauling their front office under new general manager Adam Peters. It’s also just the latest of several departures from the Ravens’ organization following a 13-4 season and appearance in the AFC championship game. In all, more than 10 members of the Ravens’ front office and coaching staff will be elsewhere in 2024, most of them because of promotions. The most notable departures were defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald leaving to become the Seattle Seahawks’ coach, defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson taking the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator job, defensive line coach Anthony Weaver joining the Miami Dolphins as their defensive coordinator, and director of player personnel Joe Hortiz taking over as general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers, where Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim was named coach earlier this year. Blackburn started with the Ravens as a player personnel assistant in 2007 and worked his way up through the organization over the years. He spent seven years as an area scout, then two as national scout before being promoted to director of college scouting in 2022. The Ravens will play the Commanders on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium. View the full article

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Ravens. In the four months since a difficult loss at home in the AFC championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs, their coaching staff got raided and they lost several key contributors on offense and defense in free agency. The NFL also handed Baltimore one of the league’s toughest and most eccentric schedules. But whatever angst or frustration general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh perhaps felt has long since waned. They trust their process and any doubt is replaced by the annual spring bloom of optimism that coincides with reconstructing things all over again and getting back on the field to take the first steps toward the goal of trying to capture the organization’s third Super Bowl trophy. Having reigning and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson at quarterback is a powerful remedy, too. On Monday, Baltimore began its first of what will be 10 days of voluntary organized team activities over the next three weeks. There is no contact allowed, but seven-on-seven and full-team work is permitted. Several of the sessions will be open to the media, including Wednesday’s. Here are the biggest things to watch for this spring. What will Lamar Jackson have to say? Much has been made about Jackson’s 10-pound weight loss that has him down to 205. But at this point of the year, it’s meaningless, though it will be a topic of discussion. More intriguing will be what input he has provided and how he will operate in Year 2 of offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme, particularly with four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry alongside him. How much Jackson will do and if he’ll even be there is not yet known since the sessions are voluntary, but given his track record he’ll be there for at least some of the practices. Whatever it is, it will be worth noting his progression in his second go-around with Monken as he enters his seventh year in the league. A meeting with the media would also be his first since the Chiefs loss. Will Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, showing off his NFL Most Valuable Player Award in February, be at voluntary organized team activities? (Matt York/AP) How will Derrick Henry impact the Ravens’ offense? Henry is the best back to line up alongside Jackson in his career, having topped the 1,000-yard mark five of the past six seasons and scoring 68 rushing touchdowns in that span with the Tennessee Titans. Jackson, meanwhile, has led Baltimore in rushing each of the past five seasons, an NFL record for quarterbacks, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. How will the two jell in an offense that underwent an overhaul last year to be more spread out and pass-friendly? We won’t really know until training camp, but it’ll be fascinating to see Jackson and Henry, two of the most dynamic and explosive players in the NFL, on the field together for the first time. Their chemistry will go a long way toward determining the Ravens’ success. What about all those holes on the offensive line? Speaking of overhauls, the only guarantee on the Ravens’ offensive line is that Ronnie Stanley will be the left tackle and Pro Bowl selection Tyler Linderbaum will be at center. Gone are guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, who signed with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets, respectively, along with right tackle Morgan Moses, who was traded to the Jets in a swap of draft picks. Who fills the right tackle opening and two open guard spots won’t be determined until training camp, but these next few weeks could provide at least some insight and it will be the most intriguing position group to watch. At right tackle, the hope is that agile rookie second-round draft pick Roger Rosengarten adapts quickly to the NFL and can be plugged in to start immediately. Otherwise, Baltimore would likely turn to third-year former fourth-round pick Daniel Faalele, or perhaps the versatile Patrick Mekari, though the Ravens would prefer to keep him as a swing tackle or guard. As for the two guard spots, there are four players vying for starting jobs: Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, Josh Jones and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. Who gets first-team reps during OTAs and the mandatory minicamp in mid-June could provide some direction. New Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr will be someone to watch during voluntary OTAs. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) What kind of defensive coordinator will Zach Orr be and what about other coaching changes? With Mike Macdonald now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks, former Ravens inside linebackers coach Zach Orr takes over as defensive coordinator. It will be his first time calling plays at any level. At 31, he’s the second-second-youngest defensive coordinator in the league, behind the Arizona Cardinals’ Nick Rallis, and there are four Ravens, including outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive end Brent Urban, who are older than Orr. The expectation is twofold: He’ll use the same system as Macdonald, perhaps with some tweaks, and he’ll bring the same intensity and energy he had as a player. Put another way, he shows much more emotion than his predecessor. But Orr was hardly the only change on Harbaugh’s staff, with at least nine other assistants now elsewhere. Former Baylor defensive line coach Dennis Johnson was hired for the same role after Anthony Weaver left to become the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator. Former Kansas defensive analyst Mark DeLeone fills the vacancy left by Orr’s promotion. Former Michigan defensive analyst Doug Mallory was hired as defensive backs coach after Dennard Wilson bolted to be the Titans’ defensive coordinator. And ex-Washington Commanders offensive line coach Travelle Wharton was tabbed for the assistant offensive line opening after the Los Angeles Chargers plucked Mike Devlin to be their offensive line coach. That’s a lot of change — something Harbaugh is somewhat used to — but how the group fits together and meshes with players will be interesting to watch. For cornerback Nate Wiggins and the other Ravens rookies, organized team activities are key to their development. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) What rookies will be most intriguing? For the majority of Ravens players, these spring practices are old hat and a chance to dust off the cobwebs. For the rookies, it’s an important time to learn how to adjust to NFL life and work with their new teammates. Most eyes will be on first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins and Rosengarten. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens director of college scouting David Blackburn expected to join Washington Commanders’ front office Baltimore Ravens | Ray Lewis helped sell RB Derrick Henry on signing with Ravens: ‘Old-school type of player’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Much has been made about Wiggins’ thin frame and how physical he will be at this level, though Harbaugh isn’t worried because “he comes up and smacks people.” Wiggins’ speed, meanwhile, could mean the Ravens shift Marlon Humphrey to the inside. They’re not the only rookies to keep an eye on, however. Edge rusher Adisa Isaac, a third-round pick, could be in the mix in a young outside linebackers group, save for veteran Kyle Van Noy. Fourth-round wide receiver Devontez Walker, meanwhile, could press for snaps as the team’s fourth wide receiver, as could Deonte Harty. Fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa could also push for playing time given his size, physical play and as someone whom the Ravens measured as faster in games than during his 40-yard dash and other drills. And with running back Keaton Mitchell’s timeline for return still uncertain after tearing his ACL in mid-December, fifth-round back Rasheen Ali could help spell Henry and provide a speedy option out of the backfield. View the full article

Ray Lewis hasn’t played football since 2012, but the Hall of Famer is still helping the Ravens on the field. Lewis, who spent his entire 17-year career in Baltimore, helped recruit Derrick Henry this offseason before the longtime Tennessee Titans running back signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens. “I’ve been doing it for years,” Lewis said on the red carpet at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday of trying to sell players on joining the Ravens. “He’ll be a key piece.” Henry, 30, joined the Ravens after eight seasons in Tennessee as one of the most prolific rushers in the NFL. He recorded five 1,000-yard seasons, twice leading the league in rushing including 2020 when he won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. Henry told the Pivot Podcast in an episode released in March that the Ravens were on his radar because they tried to swing a deal for him at the trade deadline last season. But it wasn’t until he talked to Lewis at the Pro Bowl that he grew an appreciation for the team’s history as a perennial Super Bowl contender. “Dallas, being a perfect situation as well because we lived there and we ain’t got to move, but at the same time, Ravens, the history of it, and then talking to Ray at the Pro Bowl, just his passion about the organization, his impact there and how he talked about it, I was like, ‘If I’m not in Tennessee or I don’t get to go to Dallas, I would love to be a Raven,” Henry said. “I’m glad it worked out.” The addition of Henry will give the Ravens a unique element to their offense alongside reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and wide receiver Zay Flowers, who recorded 858 receiving yards as a rookie last season. Baltimore hasn’t had a running back finish a season with more than 200 carries since Mark Ingram in 2019. Henry hasn’t recorded fewer than 200 carries in seven years. “The reason why we got him: attitude,” Lewis said of what Henry brings to the Ravens. “It’s the mentality, man. You got two different sides of the game right now, right? You got the game that says, ‘don’t touch.’ And then you got Derrick Henry that says, ‘be touched.’ That’s the mentality I’m looking forward to.” The Ravens’ offense was among the best in football last season, averaging 28.4 points (fourth in the NFL) and 370.4 (sixth) yards per game. Under newly installed offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jackson set career highs in completions (307) and passing yards (3,678) as the offense shifted to more of a pass-heavy approach. However, Jackson’s running ability ensured the ground game was still a key aspect of their offense — at least, it was until the AFC championship game. The Ravens called only eight designed runs in their 17-10 loss to the eventual Super Bow champion Kansas City Chiefs. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Time is not on the Ravens’ side with strange 2024 schedule | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ 2024 schedule Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: 5 prime-time games, including ‘Monday Night Football’ showdown between Harbaugh brothers With Henry in the backfield, the chances of an anomaly like that happening again are slim. The Ravens, who began organized team activities on Monday, hope his presence alone will open up opportunities for the rest of the offense to flourish. “It’s going to make it easier for me,” Flowers said while attending the Preakness with teammate Malik Cunningham. “It’s going to make it easier for the whole team. So, it should be fun.” Lewis, the NFL’s all-time leader in combined tackles with 2,059, knows the type of impact a physical player like Henry can make. The Ravens’ 2024 opponents will soon find out, too. “Seriously, seeing him in the same backfield as Lamar? Forget popcorn, I need something that’s not going to run out because you cannot miss that, man,” Lewis said. “I’m really interested to see how the dynamic with him — and not just him, we have weapons — but I think he just brings a certain mentality that says, ‘I’m an old-school player.’ It’s a new-school game. Derrick Henry represents an old-school type of player.” Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, pictured at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, helped convince Derrick Henry that the running back would be a good fit with the Ravens. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) View the full article

A year ago, the Ravens had time to develop a new offense, but they won’t have that luxury in 2024. The Ravens have a bizarre schedule loaded with playoff teams early, then three games in 12 days from late October to early November and three games in 11 days in December after a Week 14 bye. A year ago, coach John Harbaugh and new coordinator Todd Monken were calling the offense a work in progress. As of Wednesday, when the NFL announced the schedule, the Ravens are on the clock. It’s a demanding season, and that was to be expected after the Ravens finished with a 13-4 record, the best of any club during the regular season. But it’s also awkward because there are seven Sundays in which the Ravens don’t play, and that’s where the problems arise. Coaches love routines. They like to plan everything from team meetings to weight training sessions to film study, and even an occasional movie night. You can believe that Harbaugh has already been busy plotting out everything from practice sessions to flight departure details. This season, though, is different. The Ravens’ first five games last season were against the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens went 3-2 with losses to the Colts and Steelers, but there wasn’t a sense of urgency. It was only a matter of time before Monken and quarterback Lamar Jackson were going to build a strong offense, regardless if it was built around the running or the passing game. Of that group of teams, only the Bengals were expected to compete for a conference or Super Bowl title. In 2024, the Ravens open at Kansas City, vs. Las Vegas, at Dallas, vs. Buffalo and at Cincinnati. Let’s see. The Chiefs have won three of the past five Super Bowls, including two straight. Both Buffalo and Dallas are serious contenders and Cincinnati might be in that class as well, depending on the health of quarterback Joe Burrow. Offensively, the Ravens don’t have a lot of time for growing pains. It will be interesting to see how fast they develop with Derrick Henry as the new star running back and three new starters on the offensive line. At least Jackson will be familiar with wide receivers Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers, as well as tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. It will be different on defense. Mike Macdonald, the coordinator from a year ago, is now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Other defensive assistants such as defensive line coach Anthony Weaver (Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator) and secondary coach Dennard Wilson (Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator) have moved on as well. It’s safe to assume that new defensive coordinator Zach Orr will keep most of Macdonald’s schemes in place, but every new coach wants to put his signature on his team. That takes time, and that will be the case with the new assistant coaches, but can the Ravens adjust in such a short time? The Ravens have lost a lot of familiar faces on defense, including weakside linebacker Patrick Queen, safety Geno Stone and outside linebacker-defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. That’s a lot of departing talent from a unit that was one of the best in the league last season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Way-too-early predictions and analysis for every game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ 2024 schedule Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: 5 prime-time games, including ‘Monday Night Football’ showdown between Harbaugh brothers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to play on Christmas again in playoff rematch with Texans on Netflix The Ravens’ schedule doesn’t allow a lot of wiggle room unless adjustments are made quickly. On Nov. 17, the Ravens play at Pittsburgh followed by a road game on Nov. 25 at Los Angeles against the Chargers before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1. It gets worse near the end of the season when the Ravens play in New York against the Giants on Dec. 15, host Pittsburgh six days later and then fly to Houston for a Christmas Day game. The Ravens close out the regular season at home against Cleveland. The NFL didn’t do the Ravens any favors. In fact, this might be the weirdest schedule since the team moved from Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 season. The 2023 campaign was strange because the Ravens traveled 25,442 miles, including a trip to London, two to California and one to Arizona. This season isn’t as wacky based on the competition, but the Ravens are playing so many games in such a short time. Plus, they are playing on the road for the second straight year on Christmas Day. That’s strange in itself. Merry Christmas, Ravens. View the full article

The NFL schedule makers did the Ravens zero favors for the 2024 season — part and parcel for a team that had the league’s best record in 2023. Still, some oddities stand out, most notably that Baltimore will have seven Sundays off, including its Week 14 bye, and will play three games in 11 days, including on the road on Christmas for a second straight year, this time against the Houston Texans. That total lack of rhythm to a difficult slate along with several coaching and player departures will make replicating last season challenging, if not impossible. Here’s a way-too-early prediction of how the Ravens’ season will play out. Week 1 (Thursday, Sept. 5): at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m., NBC Loss: Chiefs coach Andy Reid, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are still kings of the hill in big games and none will be bigger during the regular season than this one, at least in terms of the national spotlight. The Ravens will run it more than six times with Derrick Henry now in the backfield, but with their losses on defense, including at defensive coordinator with Mike Macdonald now in Seattle, the Chiefs’ offense and Mahomes’ mastery of Baltimore will prove too much to overcome. Week 2 (Sunday, Sept. 15): vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 1 p.m., CBS Win: The Raiders’ quarterback situation — Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew — is everything the Chiefs’ is not. Though Minshew gave the Ravens’ defense fits at times last season in a Week 3 win by the Colts, Baltimore has the time and resources to bounce back and win its home opener, so long as its new-look offensive line contains Maxx Crosby and newly acquired Christian Wilkins. Week 3 (Sunday, Sept. 22): at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., FOX Win: Lamar Jackson vs. Dak Prescott for the first time in their careers is a dream matchup. But Baltimore’s speed on offense will be a difficult matchup for the Cowboys’ defense, even with Micah Parsons likely harassing Jackson. The Ravens win a close one. Week 4 (Sunday, Sept. 29): vs. Buffalo Bills, 8:20 p.m., NBC Win: The Bills’ chances looked a lot better when they still had wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White. They still have quarterback Josh Allen, and he’ll give Baltimore’s defense problems, but the Ravens win relatively easily under the lights of prime time. Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 6): at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS Loss: The Ravens ended the Bengals’ three-game home winning streak last season, but with a healthy Joe Burrow, receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and the addition of running back Zack Moss, who had 122 yards against the Ravens as a member of the Colts last season, Cincinnati returns to its winning ways at Paycor Stadium. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, left, whose skill set is often compared to Lamar Jackson’s, and the Commanders will visit the Ravens in Week 6. (Gregory Shamus/Getty) Week 6 (Sunday, Oct. 13): vs. Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., CBS Win: Rookie quarterback and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels might be the next version of Jackson, but he’ll look like a rookie in this one. Baltimore wins the Battle of the Beltway comfortably. Week 7 (Monday, Oct. 21): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m., ESPN Win: Jackson played his best in the Ravens’ biggest games last season, and under the lights against a spirited Buccaneers team that made a nice playoff run last year certainly qualifies. Tampa Bay is a young team and its prime-time showdown with the Ravens marks the first of a four-game gantlet that includes the division rival Atlanta Falcons, Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Week 8 (Sunday, Oct. 27): at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., CBS Loss: The Browns have one of the league’s best defenses, intimate knowledge of how to pester Jackson and a healthy Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Adding talented wide receiver Jerry Jeudy alongside Amari Cooper and tight end David Njoku only helps. Week 9 (Sunday, Nov. 3): vs. Denver Broncos, 1 p.m., CBS Win: Denver comes into M&T Bank Stadium riding a three-game losing streak against the Ravens, and it’ll extend to four in a row with rookie quarterback Bo Nix facing a tough defense without a lot of firepower on offense. Week 10 (Thursday, Nov. 7): vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video Win: Even with a healthy Burrow, the Ravens’ defense has, for the most part, relatively contained the Bengals’ offense. Being at home on a Thursday night in front of a raucous crowd gives Baltimore the edge to salvage a season split with the team that should be its biggest threat to the division title. Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 17): at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS Loss: Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen gets the early bragging rights as the Steelers’ defense goads Jackson into a couple of mistakes, while quarterback Justin Fields shows off some of his brilliance having supplanted Russell Wilson as the starter. John Harbaugh, right, and the Ravens will face Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers on “Monday Night Football” in November. (Gregory Shamus/Getty) Week 12 (Monday, Nov. 25): at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:15 p.m., ESPN Win: This one is dripping with storylines: John Harbaugh vs. younger brother Jim; Chargers running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards vs. their old team; L.A. general manager Joe Hortiz and offensive coordinator Greg Roman vs. their old bosses. In the end, Baltimore’s offense is too much for the Chargers’ defense. Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 1): vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m., CBS Loss: Coming off an emotional Monday night win on the West Coast, returning home to face a charged-up and talented Eagles team is less than ideal. Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 8): Bye week Having the bye a week earlier would perhaps be better, but with three games in 11 days on tap, the timing should be helpful. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from easiest (Broncos) to hardest (Chiefs) Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ 2024 schedule Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: 5 prime-time games, including ‘Monday Night Football’ showdown between Harbaugh brothers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to play on Christmas again in playoff rematch with Texans on Netflix Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens at Chiefs to kick off the 2024 NFL season? Bring it on. | COMMENTARY Week 15 (Sunday, Dec. 15): at New York Giants, 1 p.m., CBS Win: An annoyed Ravens team coming off a loss followed by a week off is a recipe for disaster for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Week 16 (Saturday, Dec. 21): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:30 p.m., FOX Win: A short week ahead of a key divisional showdown with a Christmas game looming against a potent Texans team could spell trouble. But Henry helps carry the Ravens and Jackson avenges his earlier mistakes to lead Baltimore to victory. Week 17 (Wednesday, Dec. 25): at Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m., Netflix Loss: Houston gave Baltimore all it could handle for the first half of last season’s divisional round playoff game. The Texans are more experienced and loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Week 18 (TBD)*: vs. Cleveland Browns, TBD Win: Unlike last year’s regular-season finale against the Steelers, this one will have playoff implications for the Ravens. Needing the win, Jackson, Henry and wide receiver Zay Flowers deliver. Prediction: 11-6. It’s enough for a playoff berth but not enough to beat out the Bengals in the AFC North. View the full article

Last season, the Ravens finished with the NFL’s best regular-season record (13-4) and reached the AFC championship game. Getting back there, however, will be a burdensome task. In addition to several coaching changes — most notably the departure of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to become the coach of the Seattle Seahawks — and the loss of several players in free agency, Baltimore will play a first-place schedule for the first time since 2020. The Ravens’ 2024 slate features eight teams that made the playoffs last season. That includes a rematch of the conference championship game against the Chiefs, this time at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, to open the season Sept. 5. Things don’t get much easier from there, either. Baltimore will play five prime-time games, three of which will be on the road, including a Week 12 Monday night tilt against the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh in Inglewood, California, that will be followed by a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles six days later. In all, the Ravens will play nine games away from M&T Bank Stadium, including on Christmas for the second straight year just four days after a home game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s just one of several challenges the Ravens will face in what is one of the league’s most difficult and quirkiest schedules. Here’s a look at how their full schedule measures up, with opponents ranked from least to most difficult. Week 9 vs. Denver Broncos Baltimore has won three straight against Denver, including a 10-9 squeaker at M&T Bank Stadium in 2022 when backup quarterback Tyler Huntley came off the bench for an injured Lamar Jackson in the first quarter and guided Baltimore on a 16-play, 91-yard game-winning drive that he capped off with a 2-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds remaining. It won’t be nearly as close this time. Denver, which has missed the playoffs each of the past eight seasons and last finished above .500 in 2016, is in rebuild mode after jettisoning veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and his $85 million dead cap hit. In addition to Wilson, they traded 25-year-old wide receiver and 2020 first-round draft pick Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns and released veteran and two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons. They still have wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who led the team in catches (90), receiving yards (772) and touchdown receptions (10) last season, but he could also be trade bait if the Broncos aren’t willing to give him the contract extension he’s seeking. With Wilson gone, Bo Nix, whom Denver selected with the 12th overall pick in April, is expected to be the starter, and the Ravens have typically feasted on rookie quarterbacks. Week 2 vs. Las Vegas Raiders After traveling to play Kansas City to open the season, the Ravens have nine days to prepare for a Raiders team that went 8-9 last season and is in the midst of a rebuild. Still, Las Vegas won’t be a pushover. Coach Antonio Pierce took over midway through last season and helped guide the Raiders to a 5-4 record over their final nine games, including a stunning upset of the Chiefs on Christmas. Las Vegas should once again feature one of the league’s better defenses, especially along the front, where they added tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency to pair with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson. On offense, however, there are question marks, including who will be the starting quarterback between Aidan O’Connell and veteran Gardner Minshew. Wide receiver Davante Adams is the biggest threat, though rookie tight end Brock Bowers should help immediately. But whether the Ravens win or lose against the Chiefs in their season opener, nine days should be more than enough time for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr and second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken to make life miserable for the Raiders, a tough and physical team but one that is outmanned. Week 15 at New York Giants Gone from the Giants is perhaps the NFL’s best running back, Saquon Barkley, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, as well as 24-year-old ascending safety Xavier McKinney, now with the Green Bay Packers. But what New York lacks in offense — even with the addition of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers as quarterback Daniel Jones’ best target — it makes up for in its defensive front. The Giants added outside linebacker and two-time Pro Bowl selection Brian Burns to pair with a line that includes rising young stars Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence II. Shane Bowen is the new defensive coordinator after a messy split with former Ravens assistant Don “Wink” Martindale, who’s now at Michigan. New York also strengthened its offensive line with the additions of Jon Runyan Jr. at guard and former Raven Jermaine Eluemunor at tackle. Coach Brian Daboll had one one of the worst offenses in football last season, but Jones also missed half the year because of an ACL injury. The Giants are the only NFC team to have beaten Jackson since he took over as the full-time starter, but the extra time off after the bye week should pay dividends for the Ravens. Week 6 vs. Washington Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels, whom the Commanders drafted No. 2 overall in April, said the player he’s most looking forward to facing is the player he’s most often been compared with: Jackson. Whether the former LSU star feels the same way about Baltimore’s defense remains to be seen. Only a handful of rookie quarterbacks have beaten the Ravens under Harbaugh, and even fewer have done so at M&T Bank Stadium. Still, the Commanders come into this game under new leadership with veteran coach Dan Quinn and with new pieces on both sides of the ball, including running back Austin Ekeler, tight end Zack Ertz, defensive ends Clelin Ferrell, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. and inside linebacker Frankie Luvu. Washington also ended the Ravens’ record 24-game preseason winning streak last year and have won three of seven meetings in the regular season. But this isn’t the preseason and Baltimore hasn’t forgotten about that loss last year. Chris O'Meara/APRavens tight end Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown pass as Buccaneers safety Mike Edwards defends on Oct. 27, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Chris O’Meara/AP) Week 7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Like the Commanders, the Buccaneers have played the Ravens sparingly over the years. When they have, the results have largely been one-sided, with Baltimore having won five straight meetings, including a 27-22 victory in Tampa, Florida, in 2022. But this is a different and spirited Buccaneers team led by rejuvenated quarterback Baker Mayfield, who spurred them to a divisional round win over the Eagles in last year’s playoffs. Mayfield is back, as is star wide receiver Mike Evans. Tampa Bay’s defense, meanwhile, includes perhaps the best safety duo in the league in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead, who is back after a brief stint with the New York Jets. Watching Jackson and new backfield mate Derrick Henry against the Buccaneers’ run defense will be intriguing, as will Mayfield against the Ravens’ pass rush and secondary. Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers This is probably too low to rank a division rival that has given the Ravens fits of late. Incredibly, the Steelers have won seven of the past eight meetings, though many of those wins came when Jackson was not on the field, including last season’s rainy Week 18 game at M&T Bank Stadium when Baltimore rested many of its starters with its playoff seeding secured. Weirdly, Jackson has started just one game at home against the Steelers during his career because of injury, illness or rest. That was a 28-24 loss in 2020 in which he threw two touchdowns but was also intercepted twice. But for all their success against the Ravens, the Steelers have a lot of questions, most notably who will start at quarterback between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, as well as in the secondary, which gave up the fourth-most completions (63) of 20-plus yards last season. But you can throw stats out the window when these teams play. Expect a tough, physical game that’s won up front, and in that regard Pittsburgh should have one of the league’s best offensive lines. Week 18 vs. Cleveland Browns Given its spot on the calendar as the regular-season finale, this game could mean everything or nothing for the Ravens. It will also be Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s first time back at the stadium where his 2023 season ended. In a gritty Week 10 win over the Ravens last season, Watson suffered a broken bone in his throwing shoulder, gutted it out and rallied Cleveland from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to a stunning 33-31 victory. Three days later, he underwent season-ending surgery. Week 8 at Cleveland Browns The Browns are just 14-36 all-time against Baltimore, but that includes two wins in the Ravens’ past three trips to Cleveland. Last season, the Ravens blew out the host Browns, who were without Watson and top running back Nick Chubb. Baltimore gashed Cleveland’s defense for 131 rushing yards, with Jackson running for two scores and throwing for two more while the defense harassed rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in his first NFL start. Expect a closer contest this time, especially if the Browns are healthy. Week 10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals For the second straight year, the Bengals travel to Baltimore for a “Thursday Night Football” showdown with their division rival. In last year’s game at M&T Bank Stadium, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, while Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was lost for the rest of the regular season after a now-banned hip-drop tackle that resulted in a serious ankle injury. While this has been a mostly balanced series in recent years, Baltimore has enjoyed much more success at home, winning five of the past six meetings in Baltimore, including last November when they pulled away for a 34-20 victory. Cincinnati’s lone win in that stretch came in 2021, when Burrow lit up the Ravens for 426 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 41-17 rout. Jerry Jackson/Baltimore SunBills quarterback Josh Allen keeps the ball, eluding Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh on Oct. 2, 2022. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Week 4 vs. Buffalo Bills This is the second of two prime-time games in a four-week stretch to open the season and one of two night games at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bills have beaten the Ravens in two straight meetings, including a 2021 divisional round playoff game in Buffalo in which Baltimore’s offense fell flat in a 17-3 loss. In their most recent showdown, on a rainy day in Baltimore in 2022, quarterback Josh Allen rallied the Bills from a 17-point second-quarter deficit to a 23-20 victory capped by a 21-yard field goal from Tyler Bass as time expired. The biggest challenge for Buffalo this time will be figuring out how to make up for the loss of All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs and fellow wideout Gabe Davis. Rookie Keon Coleman will help. The defense also has question marks with safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White all gone. But as long as the Bills have Allen, they have a chance. Week 12 at Los Angeles Chargers John Harbaugh owns a 2-0 record against his younger brother Jim, with the Ravens beating the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving in 2011 and doing so again in Super Bowl 47 in February 2013. Since then, the younger Harbaugh returned to the college ranks, won a national championship at his alma mater, Michigan, and took the helm of an NFL team he used to play for. Throw in the fact the Chargers plucked several former Ravens, including running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, general manager Joe Hortiz and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and there’s a lot of familiarity. With the matchup of star quarterbacks Jackson and Justin Herbert to top it off, it’s no surprise this one gets the prime-time treatment on “Monday Night Football.” Week 11 at Pittsburgh Steelers This game would probably rank lower just looking at the rosters, but neither coach would say as much given the intensity of the rivalry — one that will will likely get even more heated with the Steelers’ addition of former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. His signing with the fan base’s most hated foe is akin to Luke Skywalker joining the dark side of the force in “Star Wars.” As if that wasn’t enough drama, the play on the field should be just as suspenseful. Last year’s game in Pittsburgh featured the Ravens turning the ball over three times while also allowing a blocked punt and a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass that propelled the Steelers to a 17-10 win. Expect more fireworks this time around. Week 3 at Dallas Cowboys A trip to Arlington, Texas, comes at a difficult time for the Ravens with games against the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals sandwiched around it in a brutal start to the season. It also marks the first time Jackson and three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and 2023 passing touchdowns leader Dak Prescott will face off. The last time these teams played — a 34-17 Ravens victory in 2020 — Prescott missed the game because of a season-ending ankle injury. Last year, Dallas went 12-5 and was the No. 2 seed in the NFC. But the Cowboys, who had one of the top offenses and defenses in the league, laid an egg in the postseason, falling behind by 32 points and losing at home to the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers, 48-32, in a wild-card game. The Cowboys have been much maligned for their lack of moves in free agency this offseason, but they’re still potent enough to stress the Ravens on both sides of the ball. Week 5 at Cincinnati Bengals Before last season, the Bengals had won three in a row at home against the Ravens. Even with Burrow coming off a calf injury, the Ravens had to hold on for a 27-24 victory at Payor Stadium, as safety Geno Stone intercepted the star quarterback on the Bengals’ first drive of the second half and Jackson completed a 52-yard bomb to Zay Flowers that helped set up a touchdown. Now Stone, like Queen, is a member of a division rival, signing with the Bengals as a free agent after leading the AFC with seven interceptions last season. Last year’s game in Cincinnati could also provide some insight into how this year’s will go. Baltimore was without left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum; now they’re without three of their five starters up front as the offensive line undergoes an overhaul. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gestures after completing a pass against the Texans in an AFC divisional round playoff game Jan. 20. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Week 17 at Houston Texans For the second year in a row, the Ravens will play on Christmas. Last year, they traveled to California to face the San Francisco 49ers in a Monday night blockbuster they won handily to seal Jackson’s second career NFL MVP Award. This time, they get the Texans on the road in a rematch of last season’s divisional round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium that was tied at 10 at the half before Baltimore pulled away for a 34-10 victory. The Ravens also won their Week 1 matchup against the Texans, 25-9. Expect a much closer result this time. For one, Houston gave Baltimore fits for the first 30 minutes of its playoff game. For another, the Texans are one of the league’s rising teams under coach DeMeco Ryans and 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback C.J. Stroud. They also added the aforementioned Diggs as well as veteran running back Joe Mixon. On defense, they signed veteran pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry, who combined for 28 sacks last season. Week 13 vs. Philadelphia Eagles Jackson vs. two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts. Ravens running back Derrick Henry vs. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Ravens coach John Harbaugh vs. the organization where he launched his NFL career as a special teams coordinator. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ 2024 schedule Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: 5 prime-time games, including ‘Monday Night Football’ showdown between Harbaugh brothers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to play on Christmas again in playoff rematch with Texans on Netflix Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens at Chiefs to kick off the 2024 NFL season? Bring it on. | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Ravens’ 2024 schedule release Though the Ravens have won three of their past four against their I-95 neighbors, each of those wins have been by two points or fewer. Baltimore won the most recent encounter, 30-28 in 2020 at M&T Bank Stadium, after the Eagles staged a furious rally with 22 fourth-quarter points but came up short on quarterback Carson Wentz’s 2-point conversion try with 1:55 remaining. This one figures to be just as close with the Eagles expected to bounce back from a season in which they started 10-1 only to lose five of their next six games before getting bounced from the playoffs by the Buccaneers in the wild-card round. Baltimore will also be coming off a short week after what will be a much-hyped Monday night game against the Chargers. Week 1 at Kansas City Chiefs In a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game, the Ravens will travel to Arrowhead Stadium, where they haven’t won since 2012. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes owns a 4-1 career record against Jackson, which includes last year’s 17-10 conference championship game victory at M&T Bank Stadium that propelled Kansas City to its second straight Super Bowl title. This one has no shortage of storylines, either: Last season’s NFL MVP in Jackson vs. two-time Super Bowl and 2018 and 2022 league MVP in Mahomes; Henry’s Ravens debut after eight seasons with the Titans; a difficult test for new Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr; and Harbaugh vs. his onetime boss and mentor with the Eagles, Andy Reid. It’s also been over a decade since the Ravens’ only other appearance in the league’s annual kickoff game. That was in 2013, when they were the defending Super Bowl champions but couldn’t host the Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium because of a schedule conflict with the Orioles and went on to get blown out in Denver, 49-27. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are accustomed to being in this spot, playing in the Thursday night opener for the third time in five years. Baltimore’s lone win in its past six against Kansas City came in 2021, when they rallied for a 36-35 victory at home after scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter. Jackson rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score, and he’ll likely need another spectacular performance for the Ravens to win this one. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 2024 schedule was released Wednesday night: Brian Wacker, reporter: Remember when the Ravens won 10 of 11 games en route to a 13-4 record and the top seed in the AFC last season? They will not have a run like that with this schedule. With games at Kansas City, Dallas and Cincinnati sandwiched around home games against Las Vegas and Buffalo, it’s conceivable Baltimore could be 2-3 to start the year. The middle of the schedule is no picnic, either, with three games against AFC North rivals in a four-week span followed by what will be a hugely hyped Monday night game in Los Angeles against the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh and a short week with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to Baltimore in Week 13. The Week 14 bye would perhaps be better served coming after the Chargers game, not after the Eagles game. Then the Ravens have another short week, playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on a Saturday in Week 14 before getting Scrooged with another Christmas game, this time against the Texans in Houston four days later. And in perhaps the oddest quirk, the Ravens will be off for seven(!) Sundays this season, including the bye week, making the routine that coaches crave that much more difficult to maintain. Still, Baltimore has failed to qualify for the playoffs just once since Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback in 2018, and even with several coaching changes and a free agent exodus they should be in the postseason again, though it’s unlikely the road to the Super Bowl will go through M&T Bank Stadium. Childs Walker, reporter: The schedule is undeniably important, but we won’t know the true nature of its importance for many months, so it’s best viewed through the prism of entertainment value. It’s no surprise the Ravens are involved in marquee prime time and holiday games. Lamar Jackson pretty well guarantees that. They’ll benefit from a late bye week, much as they did last year. Two four-day weeks is no favor. It’s nice that the last two AFC North games against Pittsburgh and Cleveland are at home. They’ll need to hit the ground running with the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills and Bengals all packed in the first five weeks. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens face one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL, but that’s to be expected when they had the best regular-season record a year ago. Eight opponents made the postseason in 2023, and that’s not even counting that the Ravens have to play two of those teams, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, twice. They also have to compete against two of the better divisions in the league in the AFC West and the NFC East. At least the Ravens don’t have to travel as much as last season, but they are scheduled for five prime-time games. I don’t put a lot of emphasis in schedules because injuries play a major part in every season. Sometimes teams that are expected to be good don’t play well, especially if the starting quarterback gets hurt. Overall, it’s a tough schedule, but the Ravens earned it because they technically had the best team in the NFL last season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 schedule: 5 prime-time games, including ‘Monday Night Football’ showdown between Harbaugh brothers Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to play on Christmas again in playoff rematch with Texans on Netflix Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens at Chiefs to kick off the 2024 NFL season? Bring it on. | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Ravens’ 2024 schedule release Baltimore Ravens | Ravens will face Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City to kick off NFL season C.J. Doon, editor: We won’t have to wait long to see how the Ravens stack up among their fellow Super Bowl contenders. After opening the season against the defending champions in Kansas City and hosting the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore faces the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in consecutive weeks. That’s a juicy set of games to kick things off for a team with plenty of new faces both on the field and on the sideline. If the Ravens emerge from that gantlet with a 3-2 record or better, it will be easy to start envisioning another home AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising for a team facing a first-place schedule, but there are very few “layups” on this slate. The Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos and New York Giants could be fiesty, and you know coach Jim Harbaugh and the several Ravens transplants on the Los Angeles Chargers will be fired up to beat their old teammates and colleagues in prime-time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nearly reached the NFC championship game last season, and presumptive Raiders starting quarterback Gardner Minshew led the Colts to a stunning win in Baltimore last September. Based on projected win totals from Vegas sportsbooks, the Ravens have the fourth-toughest schedule in the league, acccording to Sharp Football Analysis. But if we’re playing everyone’s favorite “win-loss” schedule game four months before the regular season starts, put me down for 12-5, another AFC North title and the No. 2 seed in the conference. The five losses will come at Kansas City, at Cincinnati, at Pittsburgh, at Los Angeles and at Houston. View the full article

After Lamar Jackson took home his second NFL Most Valuable Player award last season, the Ravens are scheduled for a healthy dose of prime-time action this year. Baltimore will play five nationally televised night games — tied for the most in franchise history — over the first dozen weeks of the 2024 NFL season, including against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game to kick off the NFL season Sept. 5 on “Thursday Night Football” at Arrowhead Stadium. Baltimore will also travel to Houston for a 4:30 p.m. Christmas blockbuster against the Texans and their star quarterback, 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, in a rematch of an AFC divisional round playoff matchup last season. It marks the second straight year the Ravens will play on the holiday after last year’s victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California. Other games under the lights include a Week 4 “Sunday Night Football” showdown against the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen at M&T Bank Stadium; a Week 7 “Monday Night Football” tilt against the defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium; a Week 10 “Thursday Night Football” matchup at home against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals; and a Week 12 Monday night meeting in Inglewood, California, that pits Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh against his younger brother John, who is in his first year as coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. It will be the third time the two brothers have faced off as coaches. The first meeting took place in 2011 on Thanksgiving when the Ravens beat the 49ers in Baltimore, 16-6. The teams met again the following season — in Super Bowl 47 — with the same outcome as Baltimore held off San Francisco, 34-31. Less than a year later, the younger Harbaugh left the 49ers to become the coach of his alma mater, Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff national championship last season before deciding to bolt for the Chargers, one of five teams he played for during his NFL career as a quarterback. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with his brother, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, after winning the College Football Playoff national championship at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8. (Gregory Shamus/Getty) Baltimore’s home opener, meanwhile, will come in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that is in the midst of a rebuild and coming off an 8-9 season. From there, the Ravens travel to Texas to play the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in a game that will feature three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and 2023 passing touchdowns leader Dak Prescott. It will be the first meeting between the teams since 2020 and the first time Jackson and Prescott have played against one another after the latter missed the game four years ago — won by the Ravens, 34-17 — because of a season-ending ankle injury. The Ravens then return home for their Sunday night game against the Bills before heading to Cincinnati to face the division rival Bengals. That’s followed by a visit from the neighboring Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels in Week 6. Baltimore hits the road again with trips to Tampa, Florida, and then Cleveland to face the division rival Browns before hosting the Denver Broncos and rookie quarterback Bo Nix in Week 9 and the Bengals on Thursday night in Week 10. It marks the third straight year the Ravens will play the Bengals at night at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore won both of the previous meetings, 19-17 on a Sunday night in 2022 and 34-20 on a Thursday night last season. Last year, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the Week 11 game at M&T Bank Stadium, while Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was lost for the rest of the regular season because of an ankle injury suffered in the Nov. 16 game. The Ravens then travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in Week 11 — who will be led by either veteran Russell Wilson or former Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields at quarterback and former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen on defense — before their trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, led by star quarterback Justin Herbert and former Ravens running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis of the Ravens’ 2024 schedule Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to play on Christmas again in playoff rematch with Texans on Netflix Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens at Chiefs to kick off the 2024 NFL season? Bring it on. | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Ravens’ 2024 schedule release Baltimore Ravens | Ravens will face Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City to kick off NFL season After a bye in Week 14 — tied with the 2000 Super Bowl champion team for the latest in franchise history — Baltimore returns to action against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, followed by a Saturday 4:30 p.m. game against the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium ahead of their Christmas showdown with the Texans on Wednesday. It marks a stretch of three games in 10 days. The Ravens will wrap up the regular season at home against the Browns at a time and date to be determined. In an oddity for an NFL season built around Sunday audiences, there will be seven Sundays in which the Ravens do not play, including their bye week. They will play six non-Sunday games, two more than the franchise record (four in 2020 and 2022). In all, Baltimore, which finished 13-4 and as the AFC’s top seed last season, will face eight teams that made the playoffs last season — the Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Chiefs, Steelers, Bills, Browns and Texans — and has the second-toughest strength of schedule based on last season’s winning percentage of their opponents (155-134 combined record). Based on projected win totals for next season, according to Sharp Football Analysis, the Ravens will have the fourth-toughest schedule behind the Steelers, New England Patriots and Browns. Ravens 2024 schedule * – Flexible scheduling games Week 1 (Thursday, Sept. 5): at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m., NBC Week 2 (Sunday, Sept. 15): vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 1 p.m., CBS Week 3 (Sunday, Sept. 22): at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., FOX Week 4 (Sunday, Sept. 29): vs. Buffalo Bills, 8:20 p.m., NBC Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 6)*: at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS Week 6 (Sunday, Oct. 13)*: vs. Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., CBS Week 7 (Monday, Oct. 21): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m., ESPN Week 8 (Sunday, Oct. 27)*: at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., CBS Week 9 (Sunday, Nov. 3)*: vs. Denver Broncos, 1 p.m., CBS Week 10 (Thursday, Nov. 7): vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 17)*: at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS Week 12 (Monday, Nov. 25): at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:15 p.m., ESPN Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 1)*: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m., CBS Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 8): Bye week Week 15 (Sunday, Dec. 15)*: at New York Giants, 1 p.m., CBS Week 16 (Saturday, Dec. 21)*: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:30 p.m., FOX Week 17 (Wednesday, Dec. 25): at Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m., Netflix Week 18 (TBD)*: vs. Cleveland Browns, TBD PRESEASON Week 1 (Friday, Aug. 9): vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7:30 p.m., ABC Week 2 (Saturday, Aug. 17): vs. Atlanta Falcons, 12 p.m., NBC Week 3 (Saturday, Aug. 24): at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m., NBC View the full article

The Ravens will play on Christmas for a second straight year. Baltimore will travel to Houston to play the Texans on Dec. 25, Netflix announced Wednesday. Last year, the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on “Monday Night Football.” This time, they’ll play at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the game will be carried by streaming service Netflix, which will also broadcast the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers game at Acrisure Stadium at 1:30 p.m. that day. In keeping with the NFL’s long-standing holiday tradition, however, the games will air on broadcast TV in the competing team cities. Baltimore beat the Texans twice at M&T Bank Stadium last season, 25-9 in Week 1 and again in the divisional round of the playoffs, 34-10. Houston’s offense and its star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t score a touchdown in either contest, but they played the Ravens to a 10-10 first-half tie in their second meeting, spurred on by a punt return for a touchdown, before Baltimore pulled away in the second half. The Texans are the early favorites to win the AFC South under second-year coach DeMeco Ryans and Stroud, who was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. Houston is expected to be even better this year after trading for four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and veteran running back Joe Mixon and signing defensive linemen Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency. The Ravens will open their season against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 5 in a “Thursday Night Football” showdown that is a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game. The rest of Baltimore’s schedule will be announced at 8 p.m. Wednesday. View the full article

As far as Baltimore fans are concerned, the NFL couldn’t have picked a better opener to the 2024 season than having the Ravens travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sept. 5. Maybe someone will come up with a name like the “Revenge or Avenge Bowl” as the bitter feeling still lingers in town from the 17-10 AFC championship game loss to two-time defending Super Bowl champs on Jan. 28. Fans still talk about it like the game was yesterday. They want to know why running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill ran the ball a combined six times for 23 yards, or why quarterback Lamar Jackson preferred to throw 37 passes instead of using open running lanes. They want to know why offensive coordinator Todd Monken abandoned the running game and how coach John Harbaugh allowed it to happen. Unless truth serum is discovered and administered, we’ll never get all the answers. But at least they can give fans some satisfaction as soon as possible: Just beat Kansas City in the season opener. True, it’s only one game, and it’s not where you start but rather where you finish. But in Baltimore, at least the fans now have something to look forward to after four months of anger. Regardless of what any coach says, the opener is always a big deal. It’s the culmination of a never-ending offseason of trades, additions and subtractions from free agency and the draft, weight lifting, minicamps, training camps and so on, all played out in one week. If your team wins, the entire organization exhales. If they lose, it’s like carrying around a serious case of indigestion for another week. Plus, this is Kansas City. The Chiefs have one of the loudest stadiums in the league, complete with old throwback music and some of the country’s best barbecue. They even have the best dancing mascot in the league in K.C. Wolf. They could become the first team to three-peat, something that wasn’t accomplished by the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos or New England Patriots, who all won two titles in a row at one point in the league’s long history. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is comforted by a member of the Kansas City chiefs after the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is consoled by a member of the Chiefs staff as the Baltimore Ravens fall to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is consoled by a member of the Chiefs staff as the Baltimore Ravens fall to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is consoled by Odell Beckham Jr. in the final minutes of the game as the Baltimore Ravens fall to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Ravens Isaiah Likely looks dejectedly on the sideline as the Chiefs defeat the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds up the championship trophy as Chiefs tightend Travis Kelce, right, celebrates.The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Chiefs head coach Andy Reid celebrates with trophy after beating the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce kisses the trophy to celebrate Chiefs victory over the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson walks off the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley sits on the bench during the the AFC championship game in Baltimore against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson sits on the bench during the the AFC championship game in Baltimore against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews walks off the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers sits dejectedly on the bench late in the fourth quarter of a 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game in January. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard walks off the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens Michael Pierce is dejected on the bench as the Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) John Brown of Phoenix reacts after the Baltimore Ravens fail to score a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, left is consoled by kicker Justin Tucker as the fourth quarter and season close against the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers walks on the sidelines in shock, still stinging from his fumble to the Kansas City Chiefs in the end zone during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens fans react to a penalty against Baltimore late during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Fans see the end of the season as the Kansas City Chiefs keep the ball late during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambles as Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis grabs onto him during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. fails to catch a pass in the end zone as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie covers and cornerback Jaylen Watson, #35 watches during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reacts in frustration during the AFC championship game in Baltimore against Kansas City Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet, #10 watchees Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling make a crucial reception sealing victory during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs celebrate after defensive back Deon Bush, kneeling, intercepted the ball against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Deon Bush intercepts the ball thrown by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone during the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Triple teamed by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner, #27 and linebacker Nick Bolton, Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely watches a pass get intercepted by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Deon Bush, #26 during the fourth quarter of the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. The Chiefs stunned the Ravens, 17-10. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Deon Bush intercepts a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely in the end zone in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Deon Bush intercepts a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely in the end zone in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Deon Bush intercepts a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely in the end zone in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Deon Bush intercepts a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely in the end zone in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Deon Bush intercepts the ball thrown by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the end zone during the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) The Chiefs recover Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers' fumble in the end zone during the AFC championship game in January. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, #4 coughs up the ball in the end zone to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie for a touchback during the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbles the ball at the one-yard line as he tries to score and the Kansas City Chiefs recover the ball during the AFC championship game against the Chiefs in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, talks to Referee Shawn Smith, left, in the fourth quarter after a taunting penalty on wide receiver Zay Flowers. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, reacts as Referee Shawn Smith, center, calls a taunting penalty on wide receiver Zay Flowers, right, in the third quarter. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is called for a taunting penalty on the Chiefs L'Jarius Sneed after a 54-yards catch in the third quarter. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the AFC championship game against the Chiefs in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the AFC championship game against the Chiefs in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Ravens Kyle Hamilton, left, tackles Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Helairehe in the third quarter. Chiefs defeated the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson keeps for a first down as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens\xe2\x80\x99 Lamar Jackson catches a tipped pass and runs for gain in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson catches his own deflected pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball away under pressure from Baltimore Ravens Kyle Hamilton as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Trent McDuffie breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the 4th quarter. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback #8 Lamar Jackson catches a pass after his pass was deflected by a Chiefs defensive player in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs #22 Trent McDuffie almost intercepts a pass as Baltimore Ravens quarterback #8 Lamar Jackson throws the ball away while being brought down by Kansas City Chiefs #95 Chris Jones in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Ravens quarterback #8 Lamar Jackson has the ball stripped away by Chiefs #90 Charles Omenihu in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce catches a pass over Ravens Brandon Stephens for a first down in the first quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbles the ball at the one-yard line as he tries to score and the Kansas City Chiefs recover the ball during the AFC championship game against the Chiefs in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens\xe2\x80\x99 Kyle Hamilton is unable to stop Kansas City Chiefs\xe2\x80\x99 Travis Kelce from catching a touchdown pass in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback #8 Lamar Jackson has the ball stripped away by Chiefs #90 Charles Omenihu in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Baltimore Ravens\xe2\x80\x99 Lamar Jackson catches a tipped pass and runs for gain in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Jan. 28, 2024: Baltimore Ravens #6 Patrick Queen and teammate Baltimore Ravens #24 Jadeveon Clowney bring down Kansas City Chiefs #10 Isiah Pacheco in the second quarter. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens #14 Kyle Hamilton celebrates a first half tackle. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball away under pressure from Baltimore Ravens Jadeveon Clowney as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens Justice Hill is tacked after a gain in the first quarter as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is striped of the ball by Chiefs Charles Onenihu for a 2nd quarter turnover as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson keeps for a first down as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball away under pressure from Baltimore Ravens Kyle Hamilton as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a completion to Mark Andrews in the first quarter as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson catches a tipped pass and runs for gain in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson catches a tipped pass and runs for gain in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Kansas City Chiefs' George Karlaftis recovers fumble by Ravens' Lamar Jackson in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Jan. 28, 2024: Ravens #4 Zay Flowers and teammates celebrate his first quarter touchdown during the Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens #4 Zay Flowers catches a touchdown pass in the first quarter as Chiefs #32 Nick Bolton was late on the coverage. Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens' Kyle Hamilton is unable to stop Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce from catching a touchdown pass in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers catches a pass in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens and Chiefs fans fight for the spotlight before the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Samantha Cholewczynski of Baltimore wears her handmade shirt showing Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Ketia Stokes, right, and her mother, Linda Stokes of Baltimore get ready as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Patrick Reed a former Parkville resident wears his Johnny Unitas jersey that he wore to the Ravens Super Bowl against the 49ers. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Pat McFaul of Bel Air gets ready for the Baltimore Ravens game as they host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) Shawn Blowe of Baltimore carries a giant Lamar Jackson photo on his way to thew stadium. The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) A group of Ravens fans from the United Kingdom tailgate at the BMORE Around Town tailgate party prior to the AFC championship game between the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Ravens fans cheer as Zay Flowers arrives prior to the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) avens Jadeveon Clowney arrives prior to the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Ravens running back Delvin Cook arrives prior to the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Ravens fans tailgate at the BMORE Around Town tailgate party prior to the AFC championship game between the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. ..(Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Chris and Karen Nicewarner of Martinsburg, W. Va attend every home game and are on the sideline as the Ravens prepare to host the Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) A fan holds a sign about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce before the 2024 AFC Championship in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/staff) Show Caption of Expand Come on, folks. If you can’t get excited about this game, check your pulse. In the words of Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker Ray Lewis, where would you rather be on the first Thursday night in September than watching Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes play against Jackson? A year ago, some Ravens fans were feeling cocky about Jackson winning the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and a possible Super Bowl. So, they wanted Mahomes — “The King” they called him — to come to Baltimore. I didn’t. I wanted quarterback Josh Allen and those choking Buffalo Bills here in the title game. Now, it’s different. It’s time to go into Kansas City and make a statement, much like Detroit did a year ago with a 21-20 victory to spoil the Chiefs’ opener the night they hung their championship banner. This isn’t to suggest that the Ravens are as good as last year, but the game should give us some indicators. The Ravens panicked last year in the AFC title game, but that might change this season with running back Derrick Henry in the fold. The former Tennessee Titans star should carry the ball 25 times a game early in the season, especially against a Chiefs defense that allowed an average of 113.2 rushing yards per game during the 2023 regular season. In the conference title game in January, the Chiefs had four sacks, so how will this revamped offensive line without guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson and right tackle Morgan Moses hold up? There are just as many questions about the receiving corps. The Ravens are in good shape with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews, but can wide receivers Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman beat Kansas City’s outstanding cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson? Zach Orr will have a tall task against the Chiefs on Sept. 5 in his first game as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Defensively, the Ravens have a lot of building to do staff-wise after losing line coach Anthony Weaver to Miami and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson to Tennessee. Mike Macdonald, who led the first defense in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed, sacks and takeaways as coordinator, is now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. So, that leaves Zach Orr, 31, as the team’s new defensive coordinator. His first job is to scheme a way to contain Mahomes and slow down tight end Travis Kelce, who had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore in January. That’s a huge assignment. Orr will be going against one of the better offensive minds in the league in Kansas City coach Andy Reid, who has added former Ravens speedy receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the roster via free agency and drafted Texas receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Ravens’ 2024 schedule release Baltimore Ravens | Ravens will face Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City to kick off NFL season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse rallies late to beat Lehigh, 13-10, in NCAA Tournament opener | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Predicting the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament game-by-game | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | ‘Dig deeper’: Experts question response to initial 911 call in Zay Flowers case This game should provide a great matchup of rookies with Worthy going up against the Ravens’ Nate Wiggins, the fastest and highest-rated cover cornerback in college football last season whom Baltimore took with the 30th pick. Worthy ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.21 seconds) in NFL scouting combine history. Wiggins ran a 4.28. It’s speed versus speed. Plus, we’ll get to see how the Ravens play without weakside linebacker Patrick Queen, now with the Steelers, and safety Geno Stone, who signed with the Bengals in free agency. There is so much intrigue. The Ravens have had only a few season openers as exciting as this one, and it’s usually when they lined up against Pittsburgh. But this is Kansas City. The Chiefs have won three of the past five Super Bowl titles. And don’t forget, we’ll also probably get to see American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift a few more times on isolated camera shots as she roots on her boyfriend, Kelce. I can’t wait. All right, I went too far. Sorry. View the full article

The Ravens already know they will play the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City to kick off the 2024 NFL season Sept. 5 on “Thursday Night Football” in what will be a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game. What about the rest of Baltimore’s schedule? The NFL will announce its full slate of games on Wednesday. As for the Ravens, who went 6-3 at home and 13-4 overall last season to finish with the NFL’s best record and the AFC’s top seed, they’ll play eight home games in 2024. In addition to their usual slate of six games against the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, they’ll face the AFC West, NFC East and the defending champions of the AFC East, AFC South and NFC South. With the rest of the Ravens’ schedule set to be announced, here are five things to know: Who will the Ravens play at home? In addition to games at M&T Bank Stadium against the Steelers, Browns and Bengals, Baltimore will host two neighbors from the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. Other home opponents include the reigning AFC East champion Buffalo Bills and the AFC West’s Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. The last time the Ravens hosted the Commanders was in 2016, when Jamison Crowder’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown and a strong defensive effort propelled Washington to a 16-10 victory. The Ravens won the most recent meeting, however, with quarterback Lamar Jackson throwing two touchdown passes and running for a 50-yard score to lead a 31-17 victory at FedEx Field in 2020. The Ravens’ most recent game against the Eagles was also in 2020. Baltimore raced out to a 17-0 lead and held on, 30-28, with outside linebacker Matthew Judon stopping quarterback Carson Wentz on a 2-point conversion attempt with 1:55 remaining. Who will the Ravens play on the road? After logging 25,442 travel miles (sixth-most in the NFL) last season, which included a trip to London, two to California and one to Arizona, the Ravens will spend less time in the air this year. In addition to games at Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati, Baltimore will again travel to Los Angeles for what’s likely to be a prime-time showdown against the Chargers and Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s younger brother, Jim. But Baltimore will also have much shorter road trips with games at the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. Speaking of the NFC, Jackson is 18-1 in his career against the conference since taking over as the full-time starter in 2019. That one loss? Against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in 2022. The Texans, meanwhile, will be looking to avenge last season’s regular-season and divisional round losses at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore beat Houston, 25-9, in Week 1 and surged to a 34-10 playoff victory Jan. 20. And though the Ravens and Cowboys faced off in 2020 (a 34-17 Baltimore victory at M&T Bank Stadium), it will be the first meeting between Jackson and Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, with Prescott missing the prior affair because of a season-ending ankle injury. How many prime-time games will the Ravens have? After four prime-time games last season, it seems likely the Ravens will have at least that many in 2024, especially with Jackson being the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player. In addition to the opener against the Chiefs, the next-most obvious candidate for prime time would be the Chargers in “Harbaugh Bowl III.” The last time the Harbaugh brothers faced each other as coaches was in Super Bowl 47 at the end of the 2012 season, when the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31. The two also met during the 2011 regular season, with the Ravens winning 16-6 on Thanksgiving. Other possible Ravens matchups for prime-time include the Cowboys, Eagles, Texans, Bills and Steelers. Will the Ravens play another international game or on Christmas again? Last year, the Ravens played in London for the first time since 2017, defeating the Tennessee Titans, 24-16, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Don’t expect another six-year gap between overseas trips, but Baltimore won’t be venturing across the pond for a second straight year, either. Of the five “home” teams the NFL announced for its international series — the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Eagles — only the Eagles are on the Ravens’ schedule. But it has already been announced that Philadelphia will play the Green Bay Packers in Brazil on Sept. 6. As for Christmas, the NFL held three games on the holiday last season, when it fell on a Monday. That included a blockbuster showdown between the Ravens and 49ers, won handily by Baltimore. This year, Christmas falls on a Wednesday. While that’s not typically a day of the week the NFL holds games, it will this year after seeing last season’s big television ratings. There will be two Christmas games in 2024, and while they have yet to be announced, it seems unlikely the NFL would put Baltimore in that spot for a second straight year. Other holiday games include Thanksgiving Day — the Ravens were set to play the Steelers on that day in 2020 before the coronavirus outbreak pushed kickoff back a week — and the new “Black Friday” game exclusively on Prime Video. 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In terms of projected win totals for next season, the Ravens have the fourth toughest schedule behind the Steelers, New England Patriots and Browns, according to Sharp Football Analysis. The Ravens did draw the toughest assignment by one simple metric: playoff opponents. Baltimore’s schedule includes 10 games against 2023 playoff teams, which is one more than the Bengals, 49ers and Cowboys will each face. That’s an uptick from last season, when the Ravens played seven teams that made the 2022 playoffs. At the other end of the spectrum are the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. Their 2024 opponents each had a combined record of 131-158 last season, just behind the combined record of teams that will face the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs, who ended Baltimore’s 2023 season before going on to win the Super Bowl over the 49ers, tied for the 16th toughest schedule, while San Francisco tied for the 12th most difficult. View the full article

The Baltimore Ravens will play the defending Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the fall 2024 football season. Sportscaster Mike Tirico said Monday morning on NBC’s “Today” show that the two-time Super Bowl champions would play the Ravens on the Thursday, Sept. 5 kickoff game, which will air on NBC and Peacock. The Ravens ended their last season in a 17-10 loss against the Chiefs during the AFC Championship game. That game featured an appearance by pop singer Taylor Swift to cheer for her boyfriend, Chiefs receiver Travis Kelce. Kansas City went on to beat the NFC title-winning 49ers in the Super Bowl. The Baltimore-Kansas City kickoff will be followed by a Friday game in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the Green Bay Packers will play the Philadelphia Eagles. The rest of the upcoming league’s schedule for the season will be released at 8 p.m. Wednesday. A few key games will be released ahead of time on the NFL’s partner networks each day, league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said Monday on X, formerly Twitter. View the full article

Johns Hopkins’ usual suspects scored some big goals in crunch time Sunday afternoon against visiting Lehigh, but the Blue Jays found a different hero to help seal their 13-10 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Senior faceoff specialist Tyler Dunn had struggled in the first three quarters, losing 13 of 18, but he won seven of nine in the final period to help Johns Hopkins overcome a one-goal deficit and score the final four goals in the last six minutes before a crowd of 1,400 at Homewood Field. Johns Hopkins (11-4) will face No. 6 seed Virginia on Sunday in a quarterfinal game at Towson’s Johnny Unitas Stadium. The time of the game has yet to be determined, but the Cavaliers easily defeated Saint Joseph’s, 17-11, in an opening-round victory on Saturday. “It was all about getting comfortable,” said Dunn, a senior and Calvert Hall graduate. “As the game goes on, you get more comfortable with yourself and all the players out there with you.” Dunn’s struggles in the first three quarters allowed the Mountain Lions (10-7) to stay with the Blue Jays, especially with their patented, deliberate offense. But the outcome was never in doubt after Dunn flicked the switch and dominated the fourth period. Johnathan Peshko tied the game at 10 with a strike with 5:42 left before sophomore midfielder Matt Collison, who tied a career high from earlier this season with four goals, buried a high shot less than a minute later to put Hopkins ahead, 11-10, for good. Senior defenseman Scott Smith converted on an empty-net goal from the opposite restraining line when Lehigh pulled goalie Nick Pecora during a 10-man ride to make it 12-10 with 3:11 remaining. Then senior midfielder Dylan Bauer beat midfielder Tyler Lahey from behind the goal to increase the lead to 13-10 and seal the win for the home team in a game that was delayed twice because of inclement weather. “It was wild at times, but I don’t think games are supposed to be easy this time of year,” Johns Hopkins coach Peter Milliman said. “Lehigh really stressed us throughout the game, but we had some seniors who made some senior plays for us and it just showed that they wanted to stay together to keep playing.” Before the final five minutes, the game was played evenly. Lehigh outshot Hopkins, 38-36, and the Blue Jays had only a 32-31 advantage in ground balls. There weren’t any major differences in clears or saves either, but Hopkins did convert on two of three extra-man opportunities. But Dunn was the key for the Blue Jays. “To finish seven of nine and to give us that many possessions is massive,” Milliman said of the faceoff specialist. Amy DavisLehigh’s Giovanni Procaccini, left, knocks the ball out of Johns Hopkins’ Dylan Bauer’s stick. (Amy Davis/Staff) The opportunities allowed the Blue Jays to heat up. “My teammates do a good job of keeping pressure off of us,” Collison said. “We keep hammering away, and our biggest competition is black and blue, what we’ve seen all week. So we have confidence in the other guys on the field and everyone on the sidelines. If we keep chipping away, we will start heating up and we believe things will break our way.” Lehigh came out in a ball-controlled offense and the Mountain Hawks worked the shot clock down to the final seconds. The teams were nearly even on shots in the first period as the Blue Jays took nine and Lehigh six, but the Mountain Hawks won four of five faceoffs. Lehigh attackman Andrew Kelly beat Collison for the game’s first goal early in the first period, but Collison tied the game soon after on a feed from attackman Jacob Angelus. Related Articles College Sports | Johns Hopkins vs. Lehigh in men’s lacrosse | PHOTOS College Sports | Maryland women’s lacrosse dismantles JMU, 17-7, in NCAA Tournament second round College Sports | Navy football team captains Daba Fofana, Colin Ramos welcome leadership roles College Sports | Maryland men’s lacrosse cruises to 16-8 win over Princeton in first round of NCAA Tournament College Sports | Maryland women’s lacrosse overcomes starting goalie’s absence, routs Robert Morris, 17-1, in NCAA Tournament Mountain Hawks attackman Quinn Armstrong beat short stick middies Brandon Aviles just inside the restraining box to push the Lehigh lead to 2-1, but Collison scored again, this time on a feed from Angelus, for an extra-man goal late in the first to tie the score. Hopkins scored two extra-man goals in a three-goal second period, the best coming from Angelus, who stutter-stepped twice by midfielder Nick Turini before scoring from the right of the goal early in the frame. Neither team could gain much of an advantage in the second period. The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead on an extra-man goal by attackman Garrett Degnon a few minutes later, but Kelly scooped up a ground ball outside of the goal after goalie Chayse Ierlan had made two consecutive saves and deposited it in the back of the net for an easy goal late in the quarter. Lehigh midfielder Dakota Eierman scored while crossing outside the crease on a feed from fellow middie Freddie Amato early in the third, but the goal was nullified as a horn sounded to pause the game because of the weather. Hopkins led 8-5 in the third before Lehigh reeled off four straight goals between the third and fourth quarters and took a 9-8 advantage with 10:28 to go. After trading the next two goals, it was all Blue Jays. NCAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS No. 6 Virginia vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins At Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson Sunday, TBA TV: ESPNU Johns Hopkins’ Matt Collison, right, looks for an opening as Lehigh’s Scott Cole defends. (Amy Davis/Staff) View the full article

As the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse tournament begins this weekend, top-ranked Notre Dame should win its second straight national championship. The Fighting Irish (12-1) are without question the best team in the country, and it’s their title to lose. Notre Dame has beaten the best teams in the nation, including Ohio State, Michigan, Syracuse, Maryland, Virginia and Duke. Duke and Virginia have each lost twice to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish beat the Blue Devils, 15-12, on April 7, and took down the Cavaliers, 11-9, 20 days later. Last week, Notre Dame beat Virginia, 18-9, and then Duke, 16-6, in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals and championship game. Ouch. It’s going to take a super effort to beat the Fighting Irish because they have no weaknesses. They average 16 goals per game and allow only 9.31. Their specialty units are dominant, scoring on 26 of 37 extra-man opportunities and winning 204 of 368 faceoffs (.554) led by specialist Will Lynch (139 of 233). The offense is paced by attackmen Jake Taylor (35 goals, three assists), Pat Kavanagh (22 G, 38 A) and Chris Kavanagh (30 G, 29 A) and midfielders Devon McLane (27 G, 8 A), Jordan Faison (18 G, 8 A) and Eric Dobson (14 G, 10 A). Notre Dame also has the best goalie in the country in 6-foot-3, 203-pound Liam Entenmann, who has a .563 save percentage and a 9.34 goals-against average. Duke, Virginia and possibly Johns Hopkins could knock off Notre Dame, but those teams have to make it through the first round. Here are The Baltimore Sun’s game-by-game predictions for the NCAA Tournament: First round No. 3 seed Johns Hopkins vs. Lehigh (Sunday, noon) This game is more about the Blue Jays than the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh has played well under first-year coach Will Scudder and is solid in almost every area. The Mountain Hawks won’t give up 18 goals, but it’s not certain that they can score more than 10, either. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays need to get their offense in gear, having scored only 14 goals over the past two games. That’s strange because Hopkins coach Peter Milliman usually has his teams peaking at the end of the season. On Sunday, the Blue Jays are going to need more out of attackmen Garrett Degnon (42 G, 5 A), Jacob Angelus (22 G, 37 A) and Russell Melendez (15 G, 8 A), midfielder Dylan Bauer (9 G, 12 A) and goalie Chayse Ierlan (.563 save percentage). The Blue Jays should win, but if they are as lethargic as they were against Michigan last week in the Big Ten Tournament and allow Lehigh to hang around, they could get upset, even though that’s very unlikely. Prediction: Johns Hopkins 12, Lehigh 8 Johns Hopkins, the No. 3 seed, will face Lehigh on Sunday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Kim Hairston/Staff) No. 4 Syracuse vs. Towson (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.) The selection committee didn’t do Syracuse any favors. The Tigers know their identity and how to win. They use a lot of ball movement and hustle on rides and clears, especially in the middle of the field. Towson goalie Luke Downs (8.65 goals-against average) is decent and will hold his own. The Tigers also have Matt Constantinides, who has won 197 of 338 faceoffs (.583) and should be the great equalizer. Towson has enough offensive talent to rattle the Orange with sophomore midfielder Mikey Weisshaar (39 G, 19 A) and senior attackman Nick DeMaio (32 G, 48 A). The Tigers have some outstanding short-stick midfielders so they don’t have to slide as hard or as much against Syracuse. The Orange have some outstanding young offensive talent, especially in sophomore attackman Joey Spallina (33 G, 47 A), but this offense can get caught up in too much one-on-one play. The crowd at the Carrier Dome will help Syracuse, but the Tigers will pull off the upset. Prediction: Towson 14, Syracuse 10 No. 7 Maryland vs. Princeton (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.) Maryland has no offensive studs like former star attackman Matt Rambo, and the Terps got embarrassed last week in a 19-9 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Maryland beat Princeton, 13-7, on Feb. 24, but the Tigers have gotten better. Can the same thing be said about Maryland? The Terps will play good defense built around long pole Ajax Zappitello and faceoff specialist Luke Wierman should keep them in the game, but goalie Logan McNaney has been shaky lately, along with the entire offense. It wouldn’t be surprising if Maryland lost. Prediction: Maryland 8, Princeton 7 No. 7 seed Maryland beat Princeton, its first-round opponent, earlier this season. (Maryland Athletics) No. 2 Duke vs. Utah (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) Duke is the great enigma of the tournament. The Blue Devils can play as well as any team on any given day, but they can also be just as bad. There are times when they have one of the best offenses in college lacrosse, and then games in which they disappear, like the four goals they put up against Syracuse earlier this year and six last week against Notre Dame. There is something missing from this team as far as chemistry, but at least the Blue Devils have the right coach in John Danowski to figure it out. Duke should handle Utah and its high-octane offense, especially with attackmen Brennan O’Neill (49 G, 25 A) and Josh Zawada (29 G, 40 A). Prediction: Duke 12, Utah 7 No. 8 Georgetown vs. Penn State (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.) The Nittany Lions don’t change much during the season so there won’t be many surprises, but that also means Hoyas coach Kevin Warne should come up with a good game plan to slow them down. Penn State has a great scorer in attackman T.J. Malone (40 G, 34 A), and goalie Jack Fracyon is excellent and can take over a game. The Hoyas, though, are a gritty bunch and they don’t mind playing tough and grinding out a victory. It will be interesting to see whether Georgetown can take advantage of some of the injuries to Penn State’s midfield throughout the season. This might be the best game in the first round. Prediction: Penn State 10, Georgetown 8 No. 6 Virginia vs Saint Joseph’s (Saturday, noon) Saint Joseph’s deserves credit for having a good season, but they aren’t in the same class as Virginia despite the Cavaliers having lost four straight games. Virginia’s short-stick middies, though, have become a liability and goalie Matthew Nunes has lost some confidence. The Cavaliers need attackmen Payton Cormier (55 G, 12 A) and Connor Shellenberger (26 G, 45 A) to take over games again, and coach Lars Tiffany might need to change up his defense and start playing more zone. Regardless, Virginia moves on to the second round. Prediction: Virginia 13, Saint Joseph’s 7 No. 5 Denver vs. Michigan (Saturday, 5 p.m.) This will be one of the better faceoff matchups of the year with the Wolverines’ Justin Wietfeldt (228 of 368) going against the Pioneers’ Alex Stathakis (204 of 329). Denver has a good coach in Matt Brown, showing discipline and execution on the field. Plus, the Pioneers are at home and have had some big wins over Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Ohio State and Georgetown this season. Take Denver, which will be playing at home. Prediction: Denver 9, Michigan 7 No. 1 Notre Dame versus Albany (Sunday, 5 p.m.) This is not the Albany team that had the Thompson brothers, Lyle and Kyle, a decade ago. Enough said. Prediction: Notre Dame 14, Albany 6 Related Articles Sports | Mike Preston: Ravens, AFC North got better through NFL draft, but so did the Chiefs | COMMENTARY Sports | Mike Preston: Ravens stick to script and come away with solid draft class | COMMENTARY Sports | Mike Preston: Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins can be the shutdown corner they need | COMMENTARY Sports | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Sports | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY Quarterfinals (May 18-19) No. 1 Notre Dame 13, Penn State 8: The Nittany Lions have enough versatility to slow the pace of the game, but Notre Dame has great depth and the Fighting Irish are relentless. Towson 14, No. 5 Denver 11: The Tigers will be on a roll having won 10 straight. They’ll get another victory versus the Pioneers. No. 6 Virginia 12, No. 3 Johns Hopkins 8: This will be a tough one to pick. The Blue Jays can slow down Virginia’s offense with ball control, but the Cavaliers have been here before and that experience will carry them to victory. No. 2 Duke 12, No. 7 Maryland 8: The Terps can’t match the Blue Devils’ firepower on offense but they can slow them down enough to keep the game interesting for a while. Semifinals (May 25) No. 1 Notre Dame 14, Towson 9: The Cinderella season ends for Towson as Duke advances to the title game. No. 2 Duke 16, No. 6 Virginia 10: This game might resemble Duke’s 18-12 victory over the Cavaliers in their first meeting April 14. The Blue Devils win again in the rematch. Championship (May 27) No. 1 Notre Dame 16, No. 2 Duke 11: Notre Dame has too much talent, especially in the middle of the field, and the Fighting Irish defend their national title. View the full article

The exchange through a Ring doorbell was brief, and the door never opened. A Baltimore County Police officer outside the Owings Mills home was following up phone calls with a woman who dialed 911, then hung up, and was described as “in distress” when a dispatcher called her back. But the woman behind the door sounded confused, asking what address police wanted and then, “Is there a problem?” “Yeah, you called the police,” the officer answered. “I did — I did not. I just woke up,” the woman replied. With that, the interaction, recorded on police body-camera video, ended. “OK, have a good day,” the officer said as she turned away, heading back down the snowy steps that led to her squad car. She never saw anyone inside the home. That January 911 call would, days later, become part of a report by a woman who alleged to police in Massachusetts that she suffered bruises in a “violent” domestic incident involving Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers. A subsequent criminal investigation in Baltimore County closed without charges against Flowers. The NFL announced last month that it would not discipline him, citing insufficient evidence that Flowers did anything that violated its policy. While the official investigations are over, the county police department’s initial response raises broader questions about how it handles calls requesting checks on people or locations. The patrol officer’s interaction at the door was brief, and while she was at the address a dispatcher provided, it appears to have been the wrong location and the officer left without knocking on other doors. The officer was dispatched to a unit in the same building as the home that real estate records indicated Flowers bought in 2023. Dispatch records indicate the address police used was generated by geolocation that incorporated data from the 911 caller’s cellphone, a method that can produce an imprecise location. The Baltimore Sun shared body-camera footage of the officer’s visit, obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request, with domestic violence advocates and policing experts. Some said they saw lapses in the officer failing to ask to speak face-to-face with the person she was talking to and in not seeking a private conversation to check on that person’s well-being. It’s not clear who the officer talked to through the Ring doorbell; she knocked on only one door, bypassing the door to Flowers’ unit, which is visible a few feet away in the officer’s body-camera video. A woman who answered the Ring doorbell Monday declined to talk with a Sun reporter. “A reasonable officer with that piece of information — that the caller was described as ‘in distress’ or distressed — that would provide a little more impetus to dig deeper, as far as those things: right place, face-to-face meeting and identification of the person,” said Ashley Heiberger, a retired Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, police captain and police practices expert. “So many times in policing, you’re not dealing with absolute certainties.” Baltimore County Police, in an emailed statement, said each call an officer responds to “presents its own unique set of circumstances.” Officers use their knowledge, training and situational awareness, and act on “the information they have available to them at the time,” the department said. In this case, the patrol officer was responding to a “check on location” call, rather than a report of domestic violence or a welfare check. The officer sought “anyone who needed assistance,” county police said, but didn’t locate anyone who seemed in distress. The patrol officer, identified by the department in the video as T. McCall, referred questions from The Sun to a department spokesperson. The department noted, too, that the officer “stayed in the area and remained visible” for a period of time afterward. The responding officer and 911 dispatchers knew little about the nature of the incident inside the town house where the caller was located. Audio of the 911 callback released by the department in February captured a 911 employee asking whether there was an emergency or whether the caller needed help. A woman in a shaky voice said, “No, that’s OK, thank you.” The 911 employee told her to have a good day, and she replied, “Thanks, you, too.” Over the radio, a dispatcher told police an officer needed to “check location,” and listed an Owings Mills address. They then gave a brief description: “Female caller, location came from rebid,” the dispatcher said, using a term associated with geolocating a cell call. “On callback, female answered and was crying,” the dispatcher said. “Said she didn’t have an emergency, but seemed in distress when she hung up the phone.” A “check on location” is a code the county 911 center uses for hang-up calls or requests for an officer to check on a property. On the other hand, a “welfare check,” which was not how this call was classified, is used when a caller says they are urgently concerned about someone. Some advocates interviewed by The Sun praised police for following up on the 911 hang-up both by phone and in person. Joan Meier, a law professor who founded and now directs the George Washington University’s National Family Violence Law Center, called it a good sign that first responders recognized someone might not be OK just because they said so. But, Meier said, police shouldn’t “leave it at that.” “They took one step in the right direction, and then they stopped,” she said. “If she had been the victim and it had been the right house … it would have been important for them to request, ‘Can I come in and talk to you in person?'” The caller to Baltimore County Police later told Massachusetts police she was “physically assaulted” and had multiple bruises from an altercation at the home where she lived with her boyfriend. She said, according to county police records, that he “trashed all her stuff” and that his brother drew a firearm. The woman said it was a “really bad 10 minutes,” but she “hasn’t been scared since,” according to police documents. She didn’t take Massachusetts police up on an offer to apply for a protective order and didn’t want to move forward when contacted by Baltimore County Police. Police records do not identify the woman who called 911 or the woman who spoke through the Ring doorbell. In this specific case, it’s not clear whether laying eyes on the person behind the doorbell would have changed the outcome, particularly as the officer knocked only on what appeared to be the wrong door. The woman who did call 911 later told police in Massachusetts that she closed the window shades in Flowers’ condo when police arrived in the area. She added that officers remained in the area for two hours, which she said helped de-escalate the incident because “the brother got scared, left the room, put the gun away, and that is what really made it stop,” the documents said. Flowers has not spoken with the media since the investigation was first reported, although he recently worked out at the team facility. His representatives did not respond to earlier messages seeking comment. The Ravens’ Zay Flowers cleaned out his locker as players packed up their belongings a day after their season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Some advocates said they hope the police department uses the incident as a “learning moment.” In similar circumstances, it is a “very real concern” that a person who called 911 and hung up could then say they don’t need police because there is “somebody continuing to assert power and control” over them, said Amanda Rodriguez, the executive director of TurnAround, a local domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit organization. Having an in-person conversation with someone allows for an officer to visually check on the person’s condition, to speak with others who might be inside a home and to ask questions to get a better sense of why 911 was dialed, experts said. “My greatest fear is that the abuser is with them, and they can’t verbalize anything other than, ‘I’m OK,’ or ‘I didn’t call,'” Rodriguez said. If police want to be “proactive and responsive” to domestic violence, it’s important to have a policy and practice for what to do when victims say they’re OK, Meier said. That can happen, even when people aren’t safe, because they are intimidated or afraid of what will happen if they report something. “Terror goes with the territory, and our system has to work around that and work with that in mind,” she added. Experts don’t agree on how the call should have been handled. Shamus Smith, a doctoral lecturer of criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said if an officer knocks on someone’s door and they don’t want to talk, it could be better not to push further. The person behind the door could see that as harassment, said Smith, a former police officer, and it could be “invasive” to presume the call is related to any domestic violence. “I always stress the responsibility … to protect the privacy of a victim and their overall wellness,” Smith said. “Where you have a very vague 911 call, and you’re not able to listen to the initial 911 call to dispatch, in certain situations, [officers’] hands are tied and they can only do but so much.” Alesha Durfee, a sociologist and Saint Louis University women’s and gender studies professor, noted that the officer didn’t report any disruption from outside the home, such as objects being thrown or screaming. The officer wrote in her report that she “could not hear any excessive noise when approaching the residence.” Going beyond speaking with a resident, Durfee said, might create additional harm. “You could be doing more damage here than good,” said Durfee, pointing to situations where a victim may have fought back against an abuser or may be intoxicated, among other scenarios with potential complications and repercussions. To some domestic violence survivors, safety could be money to change their locks or to move out, rather than a criminal prosecution, Durfee said. She stressed the importance of survivors’ connections to resources and services that are not connected to law enforcement. “When you start going out to crime scenes,” she said, “you realize the police interact with a lot of different people, and in many cases, that interaction doesn’t go well.” Help for victims of domestic violence is available 24/7 at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-7233). 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Two weeks ago, the Ravens’ draft room on the second floor of its sprawling facility in Owings Mills was buzzing. It was the first round of the three-day-long NFL draft, and Baltimore had nine selections to make, trade offers to field and decisions to ponder. Now, the conference room with its large projection screen, televisions and three long, rectangular tables was quiet, the only remnants of the work that had been done being the neatly written names of all 257 players selected on one board and a list of pro day prospects on another. On Wednesday, general manager Eric DeCosta met with a group of local media to break down the Ravens’ draft class and provided some insight behind it. Here are four takeaways from the session. The ‘sleeper’ wide receiver who got away There was at least one player the Ravens had their eyes on as a potential Day 2 pick that wasn’t there by the end of Day 1: Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Drafted 31st overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Pearsall was, DeCosta said, a “sleeper” whom the Ravens hoped would be there on the second day of the draft when Rounds 2 and 3 took place. Instead, the reigning NFC champions took him with perhaps the idea that he could be the next Puka Nacua — an elite route runner with exceptional hands who had 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie with the Los Angeles Rams last season. “Great pick, I give those guys a lot of credit,” DeCosta said. “I thought that’s a guy we might get at some point. “When you watched his game, he was a super impressive player on tape.” At 6 feet 1 and 189 pounds, Pearsall projects as a slot receiver for the 49ers alongside wideouts Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. The wide receiver who fell to them Along with cornerback and offensive line, wide receiver was another glaring need for the Ravens during the draft — so much so that they had different ones targeted for every round, DeCosta said. In the end, they drafted only one: Devontez Walker out of North Carolina in the fourth round. At 6-1 and 191 pounds, his size (and speed) were appealing. Walker struggled with a series of drops at the Senior Bowl, perhaps explaining at least in part why he was still available on Day 3 of the draft, but the Ravens were impressed with what they saw during his time with the Tar Heels. In eight games with North Carolina last season, Walker had 41 catches for 699 yards and seven touchdowns. He also perhaps fills a need for Baltimore, given his physical traits, though DeCosta insisted that wasn’t the reason they selected him. “If it had been a smaller receiver there and he was the best player there we would’ve drafted him,” he said, adding that if Walker hadn’t struggled in his Senior Bowl appearance he likely would have been off the board sooner. Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins defends against Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. on Nov. 11. (Jacob Kupferman/AP) Ravens not concerned about CB Nate Wiggins’ weight One of the few concerns about cornerback Nate Wiggins, whom the Ravens drafted 30th overall, is his weight. At 6-1 and 182 pounds, the former Clemson star is toothpick thin. He’s also fast, rangy and has other traits the Ravens look for in cornerbacks. “They’ve got to have outrageous traits,” DeCosta said about the team’s proclivity for first-round cornerbacks. To wit, Marlon Humphrey (16th overall, 2017) was a “a big, physical guy who ran fast” and a “tough competitor.” Jimmy Smith (27th, 2011) had “freakish” size and was a “natural athlete.” Chris McAlister (10th, 1999) had “unbelievable size,” “explosive” ability and “could knock a ball out.” Duane Starks (10th, 1998) was “pound-for-pound one of the toughest guys,” along with being “feisty” and “extremely fast.” As for Wiggins? DeCosta cited his foot speed and coverage traits. “Guys don’t get open against him,” he said. “He can just flat out cover. His quality, his superpower is when he’s covering a guy there’s gonna be very little space. “You want an all-around guy … but when you’re talking about first-round corner, you want traits that will put them ahead of everybody else.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Childhood friends Devin Leary, Deion Jennings reunite with Ravens: ‘I got his back … he’s got mine’ Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens star Terrell Suggs indicted after allegedly threatening to kill another driver Baltimore Ravens | Ravens observations from rookie minicamp, including injury updates and small school stars with big dreams Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. signing with Miami Dolphins Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roster reset: Where do draft picks fit in as rookie minicamp kicks off? Traits from other sports that translate One thing the Ravens do in their evaluation of draft prospects is look beyond football. More specifically, DeCosta said, there are traits from other sports that translate well, namely basketball, wrestling and baseball. He cited former offensive lineman Joe Reitz as one example. Reitz was an all-state football player in Indiana but decided to play basketball at Western Michigan, where he went on to finish third in school history in scoring and rebounding. Former Ravens scout Lionel Vital was watching the Mid-American Conference Tournament when he saw Reitz and thought he could make it in the NFL as a tight end or tackle. Baltimore signed him as an undrafted free agent and he eventually joined the Indianapolis Colts, where he appeared in 73 games, including 44 starts, over six seasons. Likewise, before Tyler Linderbaum became the Ravens’ center, he beat future Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle and Iowa state wrestling champ Tristan Wirfs in a match. Ravens rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa, taken in the fourth round this year, was an athletic and solid basketball player at St. Frances in Alpharetta, Georgia. Wiggins played baseball growing up. “Players that have had outstanding success at another sport gives you a little bit of insight to how they’re wired, their competitiveness, ability to master a craft or a sport and their discipline,” DeCosta said. “It’s important.” View the full article

The stars aligned for Devin Leary and Deion Jennings. Less than an hour after Leary, a quarterback, finished his phone call late last month with the Ravens in which he was told he’d be selected with the 218th pick in the NFL draft last month, he was able to share his proudest moment with one of his best friends, Jennings. “We were already having people over and then my dad got a call from his dad asking if we had room for more,” Leary, the former University of Kentucky star, said. “The next thing you know, Deion’s people were here and everyone was celebrating. We’re both going to Baltimore.” Jennings, Leary’s childhood friend and high school teammate, reached a deal of his own with the Ravens, signing as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers. “It’s crazy because when I first saw where Devin got drafted, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a good look for him,'” the inside linebacker said. “Next thing you know, I’m in Baltimore myself in a great situation with this great organization.” What started as a bond between 10-year-olds with the same dreams and relentless drive has blossomed through the years. College sent them on separate paths, but they’re reunited in Baltimore, starting their NFL careers at rookie minicamp and eager to stand out and take advantage of the opportunity they’ve worked so hard for. “It doesn’t matter at this point where you’re picked or how you got here,” Leary said. “The job is to work hard every single day, earn the respect of your teammates and be genuine.” The two starred at Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, New Jersey, about 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia. Many there saw each player’s talent and potential early on and felt the homegrown stars could develop into something special. “When they got to me, they were already on a youth football team that was putting up 60 points in eighth grade,” said Robert Hinson, who coached Timber Creek before eventually joining Jennings at Rutgers as a player personnel assistant. “They came in humble, waited their turn, and when they got their shot, they both led our program to great heights together.” Leary, who became a two-time New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, bypassed powerhouse private schools to join Jennings and eventually former Maryland defensive back and Los Angeles Chargers fifth-round draft pick Tarheeb Still at Timber Creek, where they would reach three straight state championship games, winning two. Ravens undrafted free agent inside linebacker Deion Jennings, pictured, and quarterback Devin Leary were teammates at Timber Creek Regional High School in Sicklerville, New Jersey. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Jennings and Leary not only cemented themselves as elite prospects but established a culture at Timber Creek and throughout the area, setting the standard for athletes looking to take their talents as far as they could. “What stood out about them was their character,” high school teammate and friend Derryk Sellers said. “Devin held it down on offense while Deion took charge on [defense]. They competed with each other in every little thing in practice, but then we were all like brothers 24/7, and the rest of the younger guys just followed suit. That’s the culture at TC.” Watching and supporting each other from miles away, neither Leary nor Jennings were surprised to see the other have success in college. “Devin always had an arm,” Jennings said. “It was really good to see him grow as a leader, become even more vocal and just mature into who he is now.” As both sat through years on the scout team, fighting up the depth chart and earning their stripes, they leaned on each other for motivation and friendship. “We would always have conversations and just check in on each other,” Jennings said. “Yeah, we were both off miles away playing ball, but we still wanted to check in on each other’s mental headspace.” Leary went on to NC State, where he finished sixth in school history with 6,807 career passing yards and fourth in career completion percentage as the Wolfpack’s signal caller from 2019 to 2022. “[Ravens quarterback coach] Tee Martin does an excellent job evaluating, and he thinks he’s a natural thrower,” Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta said after the draft. “Tee thinks he’s an accurate passer. He loves the kid. He thinks he’s got the right mentality to come in and compete and improve.” After suffering a pectoral injury, Leary postponed his NFL aspirations for a year, opting instead to enter the transfer portal and head to Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to the Music City Bowl. “The biggest thing I want to do is just be a sponge,” Devin Leary said. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) What Leary remembers most from his college career was the support he received from those closest to him, including Jennings, during some of the darkest points. “Deion would call me all the time,” Leary said. “When I was really having a rough time or was just down, talking to him and some of my other Timber Creak guys would change everything. It meant the world to me.” Jennings, meanwhile, went from starting three games as a freshman to finishing as the Scarlet Knights’ leading tackler in each of his final two seasons, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention selections both years. The linebacker tied the school record with 58 career games played. “They are getting an absolute dog,” Sellers said. “He’s one of those get-after-it, nitty-gritty type of guys. He’s quiet and doesn’t say much because he’s humble as ever, but he’ll go out and get the job done.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens star Terrell Suggs indicted after allegedly threatening to kill another driver Baltimore Ravens | Ravens observations from rookie minicamp, including injury updates and small school stars with big dreams Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. signing with Miami Dolphins Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roster reset: Where do draft picks fit in as rookie minicamp kicks off? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins was always on the fast track, even when he wanted to be Cam Newton During rookie minicamp, both have turned their attention to learning as much as they can from fellow players, position coaches and anyone in the Ravens organization. “The biggest thing I want to do is just be a sponge,” Leary said. “Making sure that the coaches understand I’m taking precise notes, studying my film, watching extra film at night, coming in with questions and taking everything from the film room onto the field.” Leary and Jennings have each acknowledged there has been a sense of comfort knowing that in a new city, with a new organization and getting the first taste of life as a professional football player, there was someone close to them to share the experience with. With the rest of the offseason program leading into training camp this summer, the pair know that no matter where their professional careers take them, they have cherished the time they have had to start their lifelong dream side by side. “I got his back and I know he’s got mine,” Jennings said. “We’ve been doing this thing together all our lives and I know wherever we end up, it will still remain that way.” View the full article

A grand jury has indicted former Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs on two charges stemming from an incident in March in which he allegedly threatened to kill another driver and pulled out a gun at a Starbucks drive-through in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to court documents. Suggs, 41, was charged with felony disorderly conduct involving a weapon and misdemeanor intimidation. An initial pretrial conference has been scheduled for June 12 in Maricopa County with a trial date set for Sept. 19. The penalty for felony disorderly conduct involving a weapon in Arizona includes a possible prison sentence of up to three years. Suggs, who was arrested on April 9 and released from jail early the following morning, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Craig Penrod, did not respond immediately to messages Monday from The Baltimore Sun seeking comment. On March 10, Suggs was at a Starbucks in Scottsdale, where he lives, when, after pulling too far forward in the drive-through lane, he backed up and his black Range Rover made contact with the alleged victim’s vehicle, though no damage occurred, according to police. The man in the other vehicle approached Suggs, who also exited his car, and an argument ensued before both parties returned to their vehicles and finished placing their orders. As Suggs began to drive away, he stuck his middle finger up at the other man, according to police, and began to swear at the alleged victim, saying, “You wanna go?,” with the alleged victim replying, “F— you and go away.” Suggs then called the alleged victim a “p—- a– cracker” and said, “I’ll kill your b—- a–,” according to police. As Suggs began to drive away, he stopped his car and stuck a handgun out of the driver’s side window. He did not point it at the other man, according to police, but the alleged victim took it as a threat and wrote down Suggs’ license plate number before calling police. Suggs was stopped by detectives near his home shortly after 2:30 p.m. April 9, and a weapon was found in his car, according to police. Through a representative, Suggs issued a statement after being released from jail. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens observations from rookie minicamp, including injury updates and small school stars with big dreams Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. signing with Miami Dolphins Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roster reset: Where do draft picks fit in as rookie minicamp kicks off? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins was always on the fast track, even when he wanted to be Cam Newton Baltimore Ravens | Ravens pick up fifth-year option on OLB Odafe Oweh “I was in a quiet area of Scottsdale in the middle of the day in a Starbucks drive-thru near my home when an incident happened with a vehicle behind me. I was getting coffee, I was not looking for any trouble,” Suggs said. “When the man in the other vehicle escalated the situation, I feared for my safety not knowing what his intentions were. Throughout the incident, I was the one who felt in danger, while fearing I would be followed home and for the safety of my family nearby at my residence.” Drafted 10th overall out of Arizona State by the Ravens in 2003, Suggs spent 16 of his 17 years in the NFL in Baltimore, where he was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in October. Suggs won two Super Bowl titles in his career, including one with the Ravens in the 2012 season, and was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 2003, Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, an All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. This is not the first time Suggs has been accused of assault. In 2003, he was charged with felony aggravated assault during an argument at a basketball tournament, though he was later acquitted of the charges. Then, in 2009, Suggs’ future wife, Candace Williams, accused him of domestic violence and filed for a protective order, claiming he had hit her and spilled bleach on her and their then-1-year-old son, though she later requested the order be rescinded after they reconciled. In late 2012, Williams accused Suggs of punching her in the neck and dragging her behind his car as he drove away with their two children. Suggs was ordered to turn over seven guns, including an AK-47 assault rifle, because of a temporary protective order granted by the Baltimore County Circuit Court. Less than a month later, the couple married. She filed for divorce in 2015. Suggs spent his final season in the NFL in 2019 with the Arizona Cardinals and then the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a second Super Bowl title. He finished his career with 139 sacks, 895 tackles, 15 fumble recoveries and seven interceptions. View the full article

It was like Christmas in May in Owings Mills. That’s how Ravens coach John Harbaugh described the team’s three-day rookie minicamp, which began Friday, concludes Sunday and included meetings, weightlifting sessions and on-field work, though no live contact. It also marked the first time coaches were able to see the team’s draft picks, undrafted free agents and tryout invitees in action in their building. “It’s fun to see the guys that you’ve been talking to, interviewing, watching tape on, to see them come in and they’re Ravens and in your colors, wearing your helmet doing what they do,” Harbaugh said. Nerves among the new faces were obvious, he added, especially in meetings as well as with some players figuring out where to sit in the cafeteria, an experience akin to the first day of high school. “Football-wise, you don’t see it as much,” Harbaugh said. Though the portion of the minicamp that was open to the media included only stretching and light drills, there was some insight to be gleaned from Saturday’s session, the first of several practices in the coming weeks and months. Early impressions of CB Nate Wiggins, OL Roger Rosengarten While many of the rookies on hand for minicamp won’t be on the roster by the end of training camp, the Ravens’ first two draft picks certainly will, and both will be expected to be significant contributors right away. What were Harbaugh’s early impressions of Wiggins, taken 30th overall, and Rosengarten, whom they drafted in the second round? “Nate looked good,” Harbaugh said. “As good as he looked, technique-wise, there are so many things that he needs to get better at. He’s open to that, and that’s part of that.” Ravens offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, right, works out during Saturday’s rookie minicamp practice in Owings Mills. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) As for Rosengarten, who should be in the mix for the starting right tackle job, Harbaugh noted his versatility, comparing him favorably in that regard with swing tackle and veteran Patrick Mekari. “Roger is a really good athlete,” Harbaugh said. “He moves his feet really well. … I saw him in person in the [national] championship game a little bit, but that’s different. To see him in person out here moving his feet, I’m like ‘OK, he’s everything that we thought he would be athletically.’” Injury updates It took only one day, but there were a few players who were held out Saturday. Maryland safety and former River Hill High standout Beau Brade, who signed with the Ravens after somewhat surprisingly going undrafted, was in a walking boot after rolling his ankle the day before, Harbaugh said. Outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, a third-round pick out of Penn State, was also on the sideline after tweaking his hamstring a day earlier. Neither injury is expected to be serious. Running back Rasheen Ali, meanwhile, did participate but only partially and without a helmet. A fifth-round pick from Marshall, Ali suffered a torn biceps at the Senior Bowl in February. Ravens running back Rasheen Ali did not wear a helmet during Saturday’s rookie minicamp as he recovers from a torn biceps. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) The 5-foot-11, 206-pound back is an intriguing pick after he rushed for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns on 212 carries and caught 28 passes for 213 yards and another score last season for the Thundering Herd. With Keaton Mitchell still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December, Ali should see plenty of carries this summer as the third back behind newly added four-time Pro Bowl selection Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, who is in the final year of his contract. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. signing with Miami Dolphins Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roster reset: Where do draft picks fit in as rookie minicamp kicks off? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft pick Nate Wiggins was always on the fast track, even when he wanted to be Cam Newton Baltimore Ravens | Ravens pick up fifth-year option on OLB Odafe Oweh Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens, AFC North got better through NFL draft, but so did the Chiefs | COMMENTARY Ali should be “more than ready” for training camp, according to Harbaugh. One player who already is: offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees. A seventh-round pick a year ago who sat out all of last season while he recovered from a torn ACL suffered during the NFL scouting combine, the Southern California alum is expected to compete for a starting guard spot. He was also without a brace on his knee and has been declared by Harbaugh as ready to go. “He looked well-trained,” Harbaugh said of Vorhees, who was at the Ravens’ facility throughout last season. “He looks strong. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s moving his feet well.” Small schools, big dreams Among the players at rookie minicamp were four from schools at the Division II level or lower: wide receivers DeAngelo Hardy (North Central College) and Jelani Baker (Limestone), running back Chris Collier (Lock Haven) and tight end Mike Rigerman (Findlay). All are long shots to make the roster, but Hardy is perhaps the most intriguing. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound four-year starter had 4,253 receiving yards on 246 catches, including a school-record 58 touchdowns. As a senior, he caught 75 passes for 1,353 yards and 20 scores, and he ranks seventh in Division III history in career touchdown receptions and 17th in receiving yards. He also rushed for 394 yards and five touchdowns on 40 carries, returned 13 kickoffs for 520 yards and three scores and completed 3 of 3 passes for 25 yards and three touchdowns. Ravens rookie running back Chris Collier is looking to make the team as an undrafted free agent from Division II Lock Haven. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Collier also put up big numbers, rushing for 1,393 yards and 12 touchdowns with 22 catches for 238 yards and another three scores in 11 games last season. He was a Division II All-American. “Great players come from every single level of college football, and it’s really how you transition to the NFL that counts,” Harbaugh said, adding that the biggest message to all the rookies was “you’re in the NFL for a reason, and don’t underestimate your ability to fulfill your dreams.” Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Baltimore Ravens tight end Mike Rigerman (35) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Baltimore Ravens defensive end Tramel Walthour (94) smiles during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Deion Jennings (56) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Joe Evans (48) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Ravens rookie running back Chris Collier is looking to make the team as an undrafted free agent from Division II Lock Haven. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Baltimore Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa (27) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Wide receiver DeAngelo Hardy joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent after a standout college career at Division III North Central. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker (81) runs during an NFL Rookie Minicamp, Saturday, May 04, 2024 in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) Ravens offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, right, works out during Saturday's rookie minicamp practice in Owings Mills. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Ravens running back Rasheen Ali did not wear a helmet during Saturday's rookie minicamp as he recovers from a torn biceps. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP) Show Caption of Expand View the full article