Baltimore Ravens: An In-Depth Review By 2nd And Wrong

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

BALTIMORE RAVENS

By: Frank White

There has been one story for this team during the past decade, and that is of show stopping defense and an offense that just can't quite cut it. After hoping for 10 years for an offense to show up, the defense still manages to give it everything it has. If that isn't being faithful I don't know what is. In their efforts to turn things around and make some noise they gambled on a small school rookie QB who started from day one (continuing the repression of a certain Heisman trophy winner) and changed their man at the top to one Mr. Harbaugh, who had no head coaching or coordinator experience before.

One might not expect to replace a Super Bowl-winning Brian Billick with a fresh face in order to make a comeback with a fresh face at QB as well. It'd seem even more unlikely given that Flacco was purported to not have played in front of big crowds, with big stakes, or with big time talent around him. Though Flacco barely did the part-time job they gave him, he still did it and  showed that having thrown a ball competently before, a few more fans wasn't going to turn him into a bad day for Sage Rosenfels. Still, they took gambles at the top and on offense and it seemed to work out for them in a big way.

The Ravens made a lot of noise in the postseason last year, losing eventually in the AFC championship game to the Steelers. That was further than they were expected to go and there's no shame in losing to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but it probably stings to get so far only to get shut down by someone you already had a pair of extremely narrow losses to during the regular season. I mean they lost games by 4 points, 3 points, and then with a 2 point deficit in the 4th quarter of the AFC championship game, 3-interception Joe decides to set the bar about ankle high.

Speaking of Flacco and Pittsburgh, they seemed to figure him out over the 3 contests last year, which means Flacco will have to get Cam Cameron to take big steps forward with the offense or have the Ravens' defense play offense too when they visit  the Steelers next year. They'll have to do that while maintaining their dominating defense however and the departure of Rex Ryan could be a big blow. The Ravens seem to be able to lose players and coaches and keep on moving; it's rather remarkable the way they do it.

Now Mr. Ryan isn't just riding the coattails of great players but it doesn't hurt that the personnel is so good. Ed Reed still makes it happen and gives the coaches the versatility to do all kinds of things that few teams can replicate on the field or in practice. If your goals are Super Bowls and Super Bowls, it's plain to see that hasn't been enough. Then again even with the uncertainty at the top last season the Ravens bounced back from disappointment, so hopefully they can make even incremental gains going forward with more coaching changes.

The old defense, continuing to defy the common sense predictions of regression because of age has shown everyone and themselves that they are not pussies. Apparently that means a lot to them and we should acknowledge it directly. It's getting really old though, I'm talking like last years' Patriots defense old, and unfortunately it's the stars: Trevor Pryce, Samari Rolle, Ray Lewis, Kelly Greg are 32 or older, while Ed Reed is 30. After these guys leave the team probably won't feel the same at all, and it's coming. Maybe they'll start a nursing home team we can watch and the champion of the league gets the best graveyard plot. Or maybe Baltimore will just cancel football. We just don't know.

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