Late for Work: Pundit Says Ravens Are…

Pundit Says Ravens Are Best-Equipped Team to Beat Rams in Hypothetical Super Bowl Matchup

The Los Angeles Rams are prohibitive favorites to win the Super Bowl. If Matthew Stafford, Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald and company do make it to the big game, which AFC team is best equipped to thwart the star-studded Rams?

Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice said the Ravens have the quarterback in Lamar Jackson and the defense under Head Coach Jesse Minter to break the Rams’ hearts on Valentine’s Day in their home stadium.

“I was really thinking, like, in a playoff with that kind of pass rush the Rams might have, wouldn’t I want a quarterback that can create some stuff and pull stuff out of his [butt]? So I went with the Ravens,” Tice said on ESPN’s “The Mina Kimes Show.” “One thing that got the Rams last year was extended passes, was longer drop backs. That’s why they got a pass rush. I mean, they had one last year, but even a better pass rush. Well, who extends the ball and who can extend those throws? Lamar Jackson.”

Regarding the Ravens defense, Tice said: “I just really like Jesse Minter. Their issue was pass rush, and now they have Trey Hendrickson. And I know the scheme can dial up a lot of stuff, and he has the horses to do it.”

Kimes narrowed her choices for AFC teams who can beat the Rams to the Ravens, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots. She ultimately landed on the Texans because of their defense, which was No. 1 in yards allowed and No. 2 in scoring last season.

Peter Schrager Predicts Ravens Will Go to the Super Bowl

ESPN’s Peter Schrager is predicting a Ravens-Rams Super Bowl, pointing to Jackson and the new coaching staff as to why he is bullish on Baltimore representing the AFC.

“I think there is no greater talent in the league,” Schrager said of Jackson on “The Schrager Hour.” “And I think the message with [former Head Coach John] Harbaugh got stale. In comes a new head coach in Jesse Minter. In comes a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle. In comes a new defensive coordinator in Anthony Weaver.”

Schrager, who has demonstrated a knack for predicting Super Bowl winners – he got every one right every year from 2019-23 – is going with the Rams to win it all.

Pundits Pick Jackson for MVP, Minter for Coach of the Year

If the Ravens reach the Super Bowl, none of their players or coaches figure to attend the NFL Honors ceremony, which will be held three days prior to the game. However, their presence will be felt at the event if “Good Morning Football’s” Jamie Erdahl proves to be an accurate prognosticator.

Erdahl’s pick for MVP is Jackson. As noted in Tuesday’s Late for Work, she also went with Minter for Coach of the Year and wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Erdahl believes history will repeat itself for Jackson, who won his two prior MVP awards in his first season with a new offensive coordinator (Greg Roman in 2019, Todd Monken in 2023).

“Declan Doyle, in from having a top 10 offense with the Chicago Bears … and now he has this toy called Lamar Jackson,” Erdahl said.

Meanwhile, Minter continues to be a popular pick for Coach of the Year. FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams is among the latest pundits to tab Minter for the award.

“It’s not the easiest path. Why? Because the Ravens are a great team perennially. You already expect them to win and get to the playoffs,” Adams said on the “Up & Adams Show.” “This is going to take some work. It’s going to take a 13-, 14-win situation … to even enter the conversation for Coach of the Year.

“I think we’re going to see him get the most out of this defense, with Trey Hendrickson. He has the pieces. Getting the most out of Kyle Hamilton and using him like a video game out there. Nate Wiggins, who he told me about and totally loves. … . I will not mince words. I was eating out of the palm of his hand, meeting him, sitting next to him interviewing him at training camp. This team is going to be a problem, and Jesse Minter is a star.”

Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, Mike Kadlick, and Eva Geitheim also picked Minter for Coach of The Year, and Mitch Goldich went with Lane for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Zay Flowers Predicted to Lead NFL in Receiving Yards

Wide receiver Zay Flowers followed up a Pro Bowl sophomore season by finishing seventh in receiving yards (1,211) last year and earning his second Pro Bowl nod. What can he do for an encore in Year 4?

Yahoo! Sports’ Matt Harmon made a bold prediction that Flowers will lead the league in receiving yards.

“The more I’ve looked at this receiving room, it’s like, how is Zay Flowers not going to run into a 30% percent target share with this team?” Harmon said. “Flowers, to me, is set up to get a ton of volume. I think this offense is going to be good, and I think Zay Flowers is really, really good. He’s a guy that’s ready to take that fourth year leap. After seeing three really great seasons of zone rate in reception perception, he took a step forward with a 75% rate versus press last year.”

Ravens-Steelers Among Five Games Most Likely to be Flexed in Week 18

With the regular season kicking off tonight, Goldich is already looking ahead to the final game of the season.

Goldich ranked all 16 of Week 18’s games by the likelihood of them being flexed into the Sunday night contest. The Ravens’ home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was No. 5.

Last season’s Sunday night regular-season finale saw the Steelers edge the Ravens in Pittsburgh to win the AFC North.

“A rematch of last season’s Game 272 was one of the toughest for me to rank,” Goldich wrote. “It’s a new era in this rivalry with those longtime coaches now elsewhere (and Mike Tomlin working for the network that would televise the game). The Harbaugh-Tomlin era spanned more than half of the Ravens’ existence since they moved from Cleveland in 1996, but great rivalries transcend individual coaches, players and eras, and I believe this one will endure. It would be fun to start a new chapter off with a game-of-the-year-type moment.

“I didn’t think the Steelers would be a playoff team last season, and they proved me wrong once. So maybe Aaron Rodgers (and now Mike McCarthy) will do it again. I think there’s a long way to go, but this would certainly be a fascinating game if these two teams ended up in roughly the same spot they were last year in Week 18.”

Quick Hits

Yesterday’s Most Read: Lamar Jackson Is in ‘Peak Condition’ Entering 2026 Season | News & Notes

🔎 Get better search results for Ravens content by adding BaltimoreRavens.com to your Google Source Preferences.