Following the announcement of our initial nominees for Breakout Player of the Year on Tuesday, the 2023 Baltimore Awards will go forward.
I’m passionate about special teams, as evidenced by my yearly NFL Kicking Crown. Given that Head Coach John , Current Coordinator Chris Horton, and Former Special Teams Coordinator Jerry have all worked hard to develop talent, it’s also very important for the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore Reserve Units Prospects for Player of the Year
Kyle Phoenix: LS Tyler Ott
I know, shocker. The long-snapper is my choice. the NFL’s and the team’s underappreciated standing. However, the loss of All-Pro to the Ravens Days before camp, Nick Moore signaled impending doom at a devastating time. Ott, on the other hand, signed with Baltimore and started winning games after that. In my untrained eye, he looked flawless. The Ravens’ kicking unit performed flawlessly. Ask Justin Tucker, please. Whoa, I guess I did.
Tucker remarked during the locker room , “Tyler came in and didn’t skip a beat.” “He was very good at making the small changes we asked him to, albeit more selfishly than I could have asked him to.”
Yes, Tucker is likely the most worthy for this. You can make the case for Wallace, too. Hell, the significant jump in production for Jordan Stout would’ve been my vote if this was Special Teams Breakout Player of the Year. But for me, Ott’s role will go unnoticed for the best of reasons and for that, he’s my nominee.
Vasilis : PR Wallace
2023 was a bit of a down season for Baltimore’s traditionally excellent special teams. Core performers Del’Shawn Phillips, Malik Harrison and Devin all missed time with injuries and the coverage units felt their absences. Outstanding kicker Justin Tucker had a few attempts blocked and was not as accurate as usual from long distance. Young punter Jordan Stout was solid but not flawless either. Therefore, Wallace should earn the honor on the strength of his overtime punt return touchdown against the Rams in Week 14. broke several tackles in route to his game-winning return. It was one of the defining plays of the season and helped the Ravens earn a comeback victory against a playoff contender.
Arguably the most significant individual play of the Ravens’ season involved Wallace. One of the most important plays of the season was his punt return in overtime of Week 14 that resulted in a touchdown. After that, the Ravens defeated strong opponents three times in a row with convincing wins to secure the top seed in the AFC. Overall, Wallace’s performance in place of All-Pro returner Devin was better than expected. His influence was noteworthy in an otherwise disappointing season for the Ravens’ special teams, even with a smaller sample size.
Inside linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips led the team in special teams tackles with eight, while wide receiver Wallace had the biggest special teams play of the season with his kick return touchdown to seal an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams. But until he retires, hits a production wall, loses his career to injury, or is eclipsed by a return specialist or punter who has an All-Pro season, punter Jordan Stout will always be the obvious choice. Though it only lasted for a single week, Tucker lost his title as the most accurate kicker of all time, finishing 32 of 37 attempts. Four of his five misses came from farther than fifty yards, including three
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