NFL: New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have a big season ahead of them with first-year head coach Jesse Minter in charge. Football analyst Dan Orlovsky sees a high ceiling for the squad going into the 2026 season.
Jackson gears up for Year 9 of his NFL career with the Ravens. Having won two MVP awards to date, he hopes to finally lead Baltimore to an appearance in the Super Bowl.
Orlovsky made an appearance on ESPN’s First Take show on Friday. He provided his expectations on the Ravens’ season, believing the Super Bowl to be their ceiling.
“With Lamar Jackson healthy, the Baltimore Ravens can get to the Super Bowl. There is no doubt about it. This is a very good football team. I think there are some question marks about the Baltimore Ravens that are fair. It’s a new interior offensive line. [Vega] Loane looks outstanding. We’ll see when real games happen. I think the wide receiver core is probably the biggest question mark for me. This is a wide receiver group that has Zay Flowers, really good player. [Rashod] Bateman has highs and lows both on the field and off the field when it comes to production and availability,” Orlovsky said.
“Outside of Zay, your twos and threes are questions. Cincinnati doesn’t have those. Pittsburgh doesn’t have those. The Chargers don’t have those. Denver doesn’t have that. Buffalo doesn’t have that. New England doesn’t have that. And so, as great as Lamar is, I think he’s carrying from a pass game perspective when it comes to those receivers, a bigger burden than all those quarterbacks attached to those teams. So, can they get to the Super Bowl? There’s no doubt about it. I just think there’s going to be names that we don’t know about or champion right now that we will have to in December if that’s the case in January.”
"With Lamar Jackson healthy the Ravens can get to the Super Bowl." @danorlovsky7 has a high bar for the Ravens this season 👏 pic.twitter.com/PGVSNGYHzx
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 27, 2026
What Lies Ahead for Lamar Jackson and Ravens This Season
NFL: New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) congratulates running back Derrick Henry (22) on a touchdown run against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The Ravens haven’t returned to the mountaintop since the 2012-13 season. They hope to end their title drought and finally see Lamar Jackson lead them to glory.
Jackson missed several games last season, suffering an overall dip in performance. In the 13 games he played, he completed 192 passes for 2,549 yards and 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Ravens will look to improve upon their 8–9 record from 2025. They also intend to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence and reclaim the AFC North title.
Baltimore’s regular season will get underway on the road. They take on the Indianapolis Colts as kickoff commences on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.