"This should be a no-excuses year" - NFL analyst puts towering expectations on Lamar Jackson's Ravens to deliver Super Bowl in 2025

After years of heartbreak and near-misses, the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson enter the 2025 NFL season with something they've never had before: silence. It's not from fans or media, but from critics questioning whether their roster is complete enough to contend for a championship.

That silence, according to ESPN analyst Field Yates, is the absence of excuses.

Speaking on "NFL Live" on Saturday, Yates made it clear that Baltimore’s front office has done its part. It's now up to the players.

"Pass rush often is as good as the secondary behind it," Yates said. "Sometimes, the secondary is as good as the pass rush in front of it. Now, on paper, this should be a no-excuses year for Baltimore. I don't sit there and identify a single area on the roster where I don't say that's quality enough to potentially compete for a championship."

NFL on ESPN

@ESPNNFL

LINK

"On paper, this should be a no-excuses year for Baltimore."

@FieldYates

breaks down how the Ravens' offseason raised expectations for Lamar Jackson and the squad 📈

Since Jackson took over as a full-time starter in 2019, the Ravens have consistently been in the playoff conversation, but never in the Super Bowl one. A pair of early exits and an AFC Championship appearance have left Jackson’s legacy in limbo.

Ravens' defensive woes contributed to Lamar Jackson's playoff elimination

12th Annual Unbridled Eve Kentucky Derby Gala - Source: Getty

Last season’s divisional round collapse against Buffalo was a gut punch. The defense struggled to generate any consistent pressure, and Lamar Jackson’s two early turnovers helped dig a hole too deep to escape from. It was a performance that exposed flaws the Ravens spent this offseason aggressively trying to patch.

Rather than chasing splashy headlines, Baltimore opted for stability and smart upgrades. The front office doubled down on continuity by retaining key figures like Ronnie Stanley, and added proven veterans like DeAndre Hopkins to deepen the offensive arsenal. More importantly, it refocused on defensive balance, an area ESPN's Field Yates pointed out as its Achilles’ heel in high-pressure moments.

“The Ravens last year had one of the worst pass rush win rates in the entire NFL, they couldn't get a lot of pressures in some of their biggest moments,” Yates said on Saturday, via "NFL Live." “Last year, when they lost to Buffalo and Philadelphia, they managed just five pressures. That's not gonna cut it."

Internally, the team’s mindset appears to have shifted. Jackson, typically guarded in the offseason, opened up during minicamp about how last year’s playoff loss still lingers.

Coaches noted that he has spent more time than ever breaking down film, not of his highlight reels, but of every defeat, according per ESPN.

What separates next season from the past isn’t just personnel or preparation. Jackson is entering his eighth season armed with two MVP trophies, but still chasing the one prize that validates a career.

Talent doesn’t always translate. The AFC is deeper than ever, with Kansas City, Buffalo and a reloaded Cincinnati squad lurking.

NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks recently predicted that Baltimore would reach the Super Bowl next season. However, even that praise came with a subtle qualifier, as Brooks wasn’t ready to hand Jackson the Lombardi just yet.