With the Ravens opening their 30th season in Baltimore and aiming to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:

1. Last year’s 0-2 start torpedoed any practical chance for the AFC’s top seed, and Baltimore again opens against a team that ended its previous season. After Buffalo, a trip to Arrowhead looms in a few weeks. Without a great September, it could get late early trying to secure home-field advantage.

2. Lamar Jackson is extraordinary and has nothing left to prove in the regular season. He’s also played better over the last couple postseasons compared to earlier January ventures. But his last two two-turnover games overall were the Ravens’ last two playoff defeats. The narrative may be tired, but it persists.

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