ExtremeRavens Posted August 27 Posted August 27 The Ravens don’t carry too many mysteries into the 2025 season. Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson leads a loaded offense that set several franchise records in 2024. Second-year coordinator Zach Orr oversees a defense with All-Pro caliber talent across all three levels. Special teams, though? That’s where the flashlight beam wobbles. Once a consistent strength, Baltimore’s third phase is now its biggest variable. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop has never attempted an NFL kick in a game that mattered. Punter Jordan Stout, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, has flashed ability but still hasn’t delivered week-to-week consistency. And rookie LaJohntay Wester, an electric talent from the University of Colorado, might be asked to step into one of the NFL’s most unforgiving jobs as Baltimore’s primary punt returner. Sure, the upside is there. The danger also is obvious. Special teams could push Baltimore toward the AFC’s No. 1 seed or drag it out of the postseason before February arrives. That possibility feels uneasy for a John Harbaugh-coached team. Harbaugh cut his teeth on special teams, leading the Philadelphia Eagles’ unit for nearly a decade (1998 to 2007) before taking over in Baltimore in 2008. For a majority of Harbaugh’s tenure, the Ravens have leaned on that edge and turned in franchise greats. Former kicker Justin Tucker made three points automatic, while former punter Sam Koch concluded his career as the longest-tenured player in franchise history. But last season severely dented Baltimore’s reputation. Tucker suffered the worst season of his storied 13-year career. He missed eight field goal attempts, including two kicks in a two-point loss at Pittsburgh, and infamously had a nightmare outing against the Eagles with three missed kicks in a six-point defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champions at M&T Bank Stadium. His offseason was even more tumultuous, and Baltimore released Tucker in May. The Ravens’ return game last season was equally shaky, as Baltimore cycled through four returners and several muffed punts. In turn, Harbaugh has spent much of the summer hammering the need for “punt catchers.” History makes the team’s recent inconsistency sting a bit more. Both of Baltimore’s Super Bowl runs featured dangerous return men: Jermaine Lewis, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV, and the late Jacoby Jones, whose 109-yard return in Super Bowl XLVII remains one of the most iconic plays in franchise history. Baltimore’s most memorable teams often had elite returners. Will one of the most talented rosters in Ravens history follow suit? Loop, a sixth-round pick out of Arizona, brings talent, but how will it translate in December winds in Pittsburgh or Green Bay? Earlier this week, senior special teams coach Randy Brown called Baltimore “the NFL’s toughest stadium” for kickers. Following Tucker’s footsteps is a tall task for any rookie kicker, but the Ravens hope that Loop can establish his own legacy. Loop passed the preseason test, making 9 of 11 field goal attempts (81.8%), including 5 of 6 from 50-plus. His longest make was from 61 yards at Northwest Stadium. Loop also converted all eight of his extra point attempts. Stout was drafted with a Day 2 pick three seasons ago to flip fields with hang time and accuracy. He’s shown glimpses, but hasn’t been consistent; he was listed 19th in Puntalytics’ annual rankings. Stout will also handle holding duties for Loop — “noon balls,” as Brown describes them, that must be placed “on a dime,” in “less than 1.3 seconds.” Wester is the wild card. Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester returned a punt for a touchdown in his preseason debut, but securing the ball might be more important than anything. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The rookie sixth-round pick boasts twitch and vision, a pair of skills that make him dangerous every time he touches the ball. His preseason punt return for a touchdown showed his potential, but the NFL presents a different beast compared with college. Wester, who grew up idolizing Devin Hester, the only primary return specialist to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, must think, “How can I utilize my game-changing speed in the right spots?” Harbaugh’s message has been clear: Ball security comes before splash. One muffed punt can undo months of progress. If Wester can combine safety with the occasional burst, he could tilt games — and maybe the AFC race. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton doesn’t need the league’s top-ranked unit. Rather, competence should be the floor, while a plus special teams group could be the factor that pushes Baltimore over the top. The flipside is dangerous. Shanked footballs linger longer than punts inside the 20. Muffed returns ignite instant social media outrage. And in the playoffs, a premium stage this roster is built to compete on, the outcome shrinks to a handful of plays. If Baltimore’s special teams falter at the wrong moment, it won’t matter how many yards the offense stacked or how many goal-line stops the defense made earlier in the season. General manager Eric DeCosta and Harbaugh have earned the right to expect stellar performances from the offense and defense. However, special teams lingers as one of the Ravens’ most intriguing subplots. With roughly two weeks until the highly anticipated season opener at Buffalo, the jury is still out. For a franchise that used to dominate this phase, that feels like a nervous reality. But if the third phase stabilizes and Wester and Loop can help solve this mystery, Baltimore boasts a heavyweight roster capable of competing in February. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Punter/holder Jordan Stout, left, has been inconsistent in his first few seasons with the Ravens while kicker Tyler Loop, right, is just a rookie. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article Quote
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