Time For Ravens' Offense to Check Ego and Give Defense a Lift

(Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

Originally published at WNST.net .

Nearly every notable season in the brief history of the Baltimore Ravens has included a critical point that determined which path the team would travel.

Of course, the Super Bowl winner of 2000 endured a five-game touchdown drought before head coach Brian Billick reinvented his coaching philosophy and turned to the “Dark Side” of winning ugly with a record-setting defense and a power running game.

The 2006 Ravens posted the best regular season record in franchise history (13-3), but experienced a two-game losing streak and fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel during the bye week before Billick’s play calling rejuvenated a team that would go on to win nine of its last 10 regular season games.

Only a year ago, Baltimore’s record stood at 2-3 after being lambasted by Indianapolis, 31-3, in Week 6. Instead of folding with a three-game losing streak, the Ravens earned a big victory in Miami to spark a four-game winning streak and nine of 11 victories to close out the regular season before advancing to the conference championship game.

Simply put, adversity is a part of the game—even for the greatest teams.

And it’s exactly what the Ravens face after losing two straight and traveling to Minneapolis to face Brett Favre and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

After an exhilarating 3-0 start, the offense now grapples with its identity, and the defense—after a decade of dominance with a variety of characters—looks very mortal after losing back-to-back games to New England and Cincinnati.

While a loss to the Vikings would not end the Ravens’ season by any stretch, it might remind doubters of the 2007 season when a 4-2 squad lost in Buffalo and then went to Pittsburgh on the first Monday night in November and … well, we don’t need to go there .

A season can fall apart all-too-quickly.

In times like these, the Ravens have always counted on the defense to provide the lift, but it may not happen this season. While still a good defense (yes, 10th in the league isn’t THAT bad, Ravens fans), the unit lacks the consistent pass rush to disguise an undersized and less-talented secondary.

The jury’s still out on defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, but it’s clear he isn’t Rex Ryan, nor should anyone have fairly expected that.

In other words, it’s finally time for the offense to provide a boost to the defense after years of the exact opposite occurring.

The talent is there. Joe Flacco’s rapid development is tangible, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap are reliable targets, and the roster includes three quality running backs with diverse skill sets. The unit will never be confused with the 2007 Patriots or the Greatest Show on Turf, but it is capable of beating anyone with the proper game plan.

And that brings us to coaching. Cam Cameron is one of the brilliant offensive minds in the game—last year’s offensive production with a rookie quarterback a perfect example. Unlike Mattison, he has the vast NFL coaching experience from which to draw.

There’s no reason why this offense cannot be successful. So why the recent struggles?

It all starts with ego and a obsession with the passing game. The Ravens seem obsessed with proving they are no longer a running team, and it’s hard to understand why.

While the defense struggles to recapture its dominant past, Cameron and the offense must remember what made them so successful a year ago.

Running the football and controlling the tempo of the game.

The Ravens led the NFL in rushing attempts last season with a three-headed attack that left defensive coordinators struggling to find solutions and defenses wilting in the second half.

But now, this Baltimore offense continues to run from what it really is.

“Football has changed for the better,” Cameron said last week after running just 17 times against New England and before calling only 18 run plays against the Bengals on Sunday.

“Just look at last year’s Super Bowl. People have got to move beyond the notion that running the football leads to the championships. It doesn’t. There are times we all want to run the football, but you don’t have to run the football to win as much as people think.”

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