Ravens Takeaways from Super Bowl LVII
The Kansas City Chiefs edged out the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII Sunday night.
Throughout the game, there were a few takeaways the Ravens may hope to learn from or improve for next season; none more than the red-[add]zone offenses of both squads.
Red Zone Packages
Throughout the course of the season, the Ravens struggled to consistently score touchdowns in the red zone. On Sunday, the Chiefs and Eagles found both direct and creative ways to score six instead of trotting out their respective field goal units.
The Eagles utilized their rushing attack, namely with their quarterback Jalen Hurts and tough offensive line, to bulldoze into the end zone twice from short yardage.
In the second half, the Chiefs scored touchdowns on three straight drives, with inventive play design that saw 10-plus yards of separation for both wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore.
Utilizing Their Quarterbacks' Legs
Though talk surrounding the Ravens has circled around the passing game, the top-tier rushing attack shouldn't be forgotten or ignored. Both teams in Super Bowl LVII utilized the run game with their quarterback to make plays.
Hurts gashed the Chiefs defense for three rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion.
Mahomes also delivered a back-breaking sprint up the middle late in the fourth quarter.
Former NFL star Richard Sherman thinks this is all good for Lamar Jackson.
Wide Receiver Talent is a Must
The Super Bowl went down to the wire, with both offenses delivering haymakers for nearly 60 minutes. Both offenses demonstrated the need for talented wide receivers, though the receiving units were much different.
For the Eagles, they built their offense by drafting a top-flight talent in DeVonta Smith and pairing him with wide receiver A.J. Brown by way of a big-time trade this offseason. They also re-signed their top tight end, Dallas Goedert.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs sent one of the NFL's leading receivers, Tyreek Hill, to the Miami Dolphins and signed wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson in free agency. They also traded for Toney, who had a touchdown and key long punt return, midway through the year.
Though there are different ways to accomplish the task, acquiring wide receiver talent is a noted takeaway the Ravens had before the Super Bowl, and maybe after, it's been underlined.
Eric Bieniemy in 'High Demand' After Super Bowl
It's been a few weeks since the Ravens and Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman parted ways, leaving Head Coach John Harbaugh to "cast a wide net" in search of Roman's replacement.
As the Super Bowl ended on Sunday, things may be speeding up. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens are interested in both Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson.
The Ravens will now be in competition with the Eagles for Johnson, as Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is expected to be the next head coach for the Indianapolis Colts.
With the Chiefs having another stellar offensive day in the Super Bowl, calls for Bieniemy to come to Baltimore rang out on social media. Bieniemy interviewed for the Colts' head coach job, but Steichen is on his way to Indy, per reports.
Calais Campbell Announces Return for 16th NFL Season, Pundits Question Cap Hit
On Sunday, Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell announced he’ll be returning for season No. 16 of his NFL career.
Though there is excitement in the veteran returning and under contract with the Ravens, many pointed to Campbell's hefty $9.4 million cap hit in 2023, including The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer and Baltimore Beatdown’s Frank Platko.
"Campbell has a cap hit of $9.4 million in 2023, the fifth highest among Ravens currently under contract," Shaffer wrote. "To lower that hit, the Ravens and Campbell could agree to a restructured contract. They could also trade or release Campbell, whose contract would then count $2.4 million against the cap."
"It's unlikely the Ravens will want to absorb that high of a figure next season, so the team could look to restructure his deal, or release and re-sign him on a lower cap hit," Platko wrote. "It's also not out of the realm of possibility that Campbell plays with a different ball club next season. However, he previously expressed his interest in returning to Baltimore in his locker room exit interview, and the Ravens will surely want to have him back in the fold."
No matter what, though, Campbell has his eyes set on one thing next season.
