ExtremeRavens Posted 20 hours ago Posted 20 hours ago Anthony Levine Sr. sat at the podium Wednesday morning in Owings Mills, dressed in a black suit and checkered button-up with a pair of diamond earrings, as cameras flashed and shuttered. Alongside his coaching peers Declan Doyle and Anthony Weaver, Levine was formally introduced by coach Jesse Minter as the Ravens’ new special teams coordinator. But Minter didn’t stop at the title. “I just picture him as the face of Baltimore special teams,” the first-year coach said of Levine. For a franchise that has built championships on electric special teams moments, Minter’s descriptor set a lofty bar. From Jermaine Lewis racing down the sideline in Super Bowl XXXV to the late Jacoby Jones sprinting 108 yards in Super Bowl XLVII, special teams has served a foundational role in the organization’s biggest moments. Even former head coach John Harbaugh cut his teeth as a special teams guru, a reminder that the third phase is entrenched to the franchise’s DNA. Former general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome used to tell young players the same thing Levine recalled Wednesday: “I pay you to make plays on special teams, so I expect you to make plays on special teams.” “That right there told me off the muscle that I better start making plays on special teams, and we know that,” Levine said. “We know special teams is not just, ‘Go out there, and just play special teams.’ …We are here to make sure that we impact the game in a positive way.” The Ravens are hoping Levine can carry and lift that standard as the 38-year-old replaces his predecessor Chris Horton, who followed Harbaugh to New York. Last season, the Ravens ranked 18th in the NFL in special teams EPA, according to TruMedia, which factors expected success in kickoffs, punts, field goal attempts and two-point attempts. Overall, Baltimore was functional, but not an elite group. There were highlights and lowlights scattered across the 2025 campaign that saw the Ravens finish 8-9, including a franchise-worst 3-6 mark at M&T Bank Stadium. Punter Jordan Stout, a pending free agent, delivered a career year, leading the NFL with a 44.9-yard net average. He placed 24 punts inside the 20-yard line with just six touchbacks. He earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors and climbed from 19th to fifth in Puntalytics’ annual rankings. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop made 88.2% (30 of 34) of his field goal attempts, but faltered under the brightest lights. His missed kick during the regular-season finale sealed Baltimore’s (and Harbaugh’s) fate and helped send Pittsburgh to the postseason. Loop also posted a league-worst eight kickoff infractions. Featured punt returner LaJohntay Wester flashed with his 12.4-yard punt return average, which ranked 10th in the NFL and more than two yards above the league average. The rookie wide receiver’s ceiling was visible, especially when he chose to be a vertical runner. But then came his muff inside the 10-yard line against Cleveland in Week 11. The mistake marked consecutive weeks with fumbles, stalled his momentum and his confidence dipped. Between Weeks 12 to 18, Wester registered just four additional punt returns for 25 yards. Can Wester shake off the nerves from Year 1 and evolve into a true dynamite in his incoming sophomore campaign? Across the board, the Ravens had a whopping 42 missed tackles on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked 28th in the NFL and last in the AFC North. In comparison, first-place Pittsburgh had just 20 special-teams missed tackles. Will Levine help restore the unit’s bite? He at least understands the magnitude of playing special teams because he filled those cleats for a decade, starring with the Ravens between 2012 and 2021. He prolonged his career for his performance on coverage units and earned the nickname “Co-Cap” for the way teammates responded to his voice. About that voice … fans can certainly get used to hearing more of Levine. During my first year covering the Ravens, Levine, an assistant special teams coach last season, was one of the most audible coaches on the practice field. He often barked instructions and demanded excellence from players under his watch, unfazed by nearby onlookers. His coaching style has led to excellent relationships away from the field. On Tuesday night, Levine received a phone call from rookie Keondre Jackson, who flew in from his native Freeport, Illinois, to attend the news conference and support one of his biggest mentors in Levine. Jackson, a former undrafted free agent out of Illinois State, earned his elevations and eventual promotion from the practice squad to the active roster last season largely because of his effort on special teams. Despite playing in just 12 games, Jackson led the Ravens with 13 special teams tackles. “That speaks [to] the volume of the type of players that we have and the type of connection that I have with these guys,” Levine said. “They understand the standard, they understand the culture. Chris [Horton] did a great job of always putting me in front of the room. [With] my leadership style, the way I interact with them, the way I challenge them [and] the way we hold each other accountable. … These guys, they respect me. “We don’t talk a lot about how much I did when I played, because it’s not about what I did when I played. It’s more about them, and it’s more about me being able to teach them to go out there and be productive and have a great career that they want to have.” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Wednesday he views Anthony Levine Sr. as "the face" of Baltimore special teams. (Brian Krista/Staff) Levine also boasts a unique advantage given that he played for Minter during Minter’s first stint in Baltimore. Minter rose from defensive assistant to defensive backs coach during his four seasons (2017 to 2020), all of which overlapped with Levine. “He’s earned this position,” Minter said of Levine. “This isn’t like he was just handed this position; he’s earned the right to be in this position, and he’ll be a great leader for our special teams. Again, [he is] a connector, a relationship builder. I couldn’t be more excited. [Levine, Doyle and Weaver] will help us create the vision of what we want the team to be like, and how we want to play.” Calling Levine the face of special teams does not guarantee a return to dominance, and like his coordinator peers Weaver and Doyle, he is not being asked to reinvent the standard. Newsome once told Levine he was paid and expected to make plays on special teams. Now Levine is responsible for drilling that message and making his unit consistently dominant. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Josh appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article Quote
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