NFL analysts predicts Ravens will miss playoffs for reason that should

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In a year when the have a Super Bowl-or-bust mentality, it's po sible they don't make the postseason at all.At least, that's what this season for Baltimore.Davis projected the Ravens to  Dick Butkus Jersey go 10-7, but narrowly mi s the playoffs.And while optimistic Ravens fans might scoff at that prediction, Davis offers some compelling reasons why: too many offseason lo ses, le s impact from Derrick Henry than expected, and a brutally competitive division.Davis wrote:"Optimism is inevitably building giventhe addition of RB Derrick Henryto a team that finished a win shy of the Super Bowl after earning a No. 1 playoff seed last season. But how well will an established 30-year-old back accustomed to running starts from a deep backfield alignment actually mesh withQB Lamar Jackson, the two-time league MVP so often at his best when not under center? And despite Henrys arrival, the Ravens must also overcome a litany of lo ses from the roster, particularly on defense and the offensive line, as well as Macdonalds departure from the DC post. This isnt to suggest Baltimore, which faces four 2023 division winners in the first seven weeks, isnt playoff caliber  the Ravens only mi s the postseason field in this projection after very narrowly losing the strength-of-victory tiebreaker to Cleveland."The have been frequently discu sed, and there's no getting around the on both sides of the ball (plus coaches). The Ravens' belief in rather than too late, plus their ability to draft and develop, gives them some benefit of the doubt.But Davis' point about is an interesting one, and one that has been somewhat under-discu sed. , Jackson takes the majority of his snaps from the shotgun or pistol, while Henry has historically preferred to run with the quarterback under center.Both players are flexible and have experience playing in other formations. Ravens running backs coach Willie Kyle Long Jersey  Taggart admitted earlier in the offseason that . Taggart said his worries were eased when he saw how fast Henry's feet are in practice reps. Of course, offseason practices are different than real game action, and Henry is 30, playing under a re-tooled offensive line.The competition in the AFC North is also one to worry about. With the and healthy, and the going through a re-tooling at quarterback, the division projects to be one of the league's toughest, if notthetoughest.If the Ravens split their division games this year, that's three lo ses, plus one of the league's hardest strengths of schedules. Throw in a Week 14 bye and , and it's easy to imagine the Ravens limping to the finish line.Of course, this is a pe simistic projection  one that still has the Ravens finishing above .500. But it's one Ravens fans have to at least consider as po sible.