Baltimore Ravens: Regular Season Highs and Lows

For a 12-4 season, the Ravens season was full of highs and lows.

The highs were stratospheric, but the lows were truly horrific.

From losses to marginal teams, to the regression of Joe Flacco, the Ravens didn't have a lot go right for them this year, at least on the surface.

Still, a career year from Ray Rice and the reemergence of the Ravens dominant defense allowed the Ravens to win their first division title under John Harbaugh.

Here are the bests and worsts of the Ravens regular season.

High: The Reemergence of the Ravens Defense

After two marginal years under Greg Mattison, the Ravens looked to have serious issues with the pass rush and the secondary heading into the 2011 season.

Chuck Pagano made the most of the talent he had. With minimal new talent on the pass rush, he guided the Ravens defense to 48 sacks.

The addition of Pernell McPhee helped, but Terrell Suggs' career year helped infuse the Ravens defense with a ferocity not seen since Rex Ryan was patrolling the sidelines.

The secondary did acquire Jimmy Smith, who had his moments, but veteran Lardarius Webb was the guiding force behind the Ravens defensive renaissance.

Webb had a career year of his own, and his breakout season was one of the best surprises for the Ravens this season. With five interceptions and 20 passes defended, Webb was fantastic handling opponents' top receivers.

Finally, the run defense was its usual dominant self, as Terrance Cody and Haloti Ngata allowed the linebackers to run freely and make big tackles. Even the loss of defensive leader Ray Lewis could not hold the defense back, as some of their best weeks came with Lewis on the sideline.

All of this led to the defense's best finish in years, finishing third in total yards allowed and third in points allowed.

Chuck Pagano inspired this defense, and as long as he is patrolling the Ravens sideline, the defense should continue to be dominant.

Low: The Regression of Joe Flacco

Other than his fu manchu mustache, Joe Flacco certainly looks like an NFL quarterback.

But, there were many times this year that he did not play like one.

After posting career numbers in 2010, Flacco had too many poor games in 2011. He struggled mightily in the Ravens four losses, and in many of the Ravens' wins—it seemed that they won despite Flacco, rather than because of him.

Flacco's numbers were down this year, with a passer rating barely cracking 80 and a completion percentage well below 60 percent. The most shocking number, though, is his paltry 6.7 yards per attempt.

Torrey Smith was the only Ravens receiver capable of stretching the field. When defenses keyed in on him, Flacco was forced into check down passes to his tight ends and running backs. Too often, Flacco was forced to check down on third down, leading to Ravens punts.

Even when receivers were open downfield, though, Flacco had trouble getting them the ball. The Ravens offense had numerous missed opportunities because of Flacco's inaccuracy at times.

When Flacco is on his game, he is a top quarterback in this league. But, this year, he never seemed to get into a rhythm, and the defense had to bail him out too often.

High: The Production of the Ravens Running Backs

John Harbaugh and the Ravens management claimed that fixing the running game would be one of the top priorities for the 2011 season.

Mission accomplished.

Ray Rice had a career year, setting new bests in rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns.

He finished second in the NFL in rushing and first in total yards. He was the catalyst for the Ravens offense throughout the season, and his contributions kept the offense humming.

Not to be ignored is Ricky Williams, who went over 10,000 rushing yards for his career in Week 17 against the Bengals. Williams was the perfect compliment to the Ray Rice, and his slashing, powerful style often wore down opposing defenses.

The offensive line played a great role in the Ravens rushing success—Michael Oher and Marshal Yanda both had excellent seasons. Their improved play was key to the Ravens' offensive success.

Low: Struggles on the Road

With a perfect 8-0 record at home, the Ravens truly needed a home playoff game to advance. Their 4-4 record on the road does not completely reflect how terrible this team was on the road.

The Ravens four losses this year all came on the road—against the Titans, Jaguars, Seahawks, and Chargers. None of these teams are in the playoffs, and one just had their coach fired.

The Ravens lacked discipline on the road, making stupid mistakes and abandoning their running game early. There is no easy answer as to why this happened, but hopefully this is not a trend for the future.

High: A Youth Movement in Baltimore

After minimal immediate contributions from their 2010 draft class, the Ravens needed their young players to step up in a big way in 2011.

The young players answered the call, and the Ravens have young talent at several key positions.

The Ravens passing game was almost entirely dominated by young players, as Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta and Torrey Smith all were excellent.

Flacco relied heavily on his two young tight ends—Dickson and Pitta, who both played at a high level throughout the season. Smith, meanwhile, provided the Ravens with a deep threat that they have lacked for years.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens appear to have their top corners in place for years to come, as Lardarius Webb, Cary Williams and Jimmy Smith all had solid seasons. All of these players should have numerous good years in the NFL. And, for the first time in years, the Ravens secondary looks to be in solid hands.

The run defense also featured excellent young talent, as Jameel McClain and Terrance Cody both stepped up in a big way to stop the run. McClain played excellent football, both with and without his running mate, Ray Lewis. Cody, meanwhile, was a force on the interior, allowing his linebackers to run freely.

With great contributions from young players, the Ravens look to be a team built for long-term success.

Low: The Lee Evans Trade

Lee Evans was expected to produce at a high level for the Baltimore Ravens. Many could not believe the Ravens got him at such a low price, only giving up a 4th round draft pick in exchange for Evans.

This makes it all the more shocking, then, that the Bills got the better end of this trade.

Evans failed to make any imprint on the Ravens passing game. He only had four receptions the entire year. While he was injured for part of the season, he failed to make an impact even when healthy.

With Anquan Boldin injured the final two games of the season, Evans had a chance to prove that he belonged on this Ravens team. Despite ample opportunity to succeed, Evans did not record a reception the final two weeks of the season, and he had a key drop against the Bengals that would have gone for a huge gain.

Because of Evans' struggles, the Ravens really only had two legitimate wide receivers the entire season.

This trade was a waste of a draft pick for the Ravens, and Evans' struggles played a key role in the regression of Joe Flacco.

High: A Career Year for Terrell Suggs

The defensive MVP for the Ravens this season was, without question, Terrell Suggs.

His 14 sacks were a career high, but his impact in big games was much more important than that.

There were times when Suggs was the emotional leader of this defense. With Ray Lewis on the sideline, Suggs led the defense to its best performance of the season against the 49ers. His three sacks paced a Ravens defense that brought down Alex Smith nine times, and his fire ignited the Ravens defense dominance throughout the year.

Suggs is a multi-dimensional player, as he plays the run and the pass equally well. Whether dropping into coverage, playing the run or rushing the passer, Suggs showed this year that he is one of the best in the NFL at what he does.

Low: Special Teams

The Ravens special teams were a disaster in 2011.

Many argue that David Reeds' kick returns single-handedly cost the Ravens the game against the Seahawks, as his two fumbles were certainly a big reason for the loss. The return units failed to make an impact all year, and the Ravens were often forced into bad field position as a result.

Even worse than the return units were the coverage units, which allowed three return touchdowns. Josh Cribbs' punt return for a touchdown, for example, allowed the Cleveland Browns to stay competitive in a game which should have been a blowout.

Finally, Billy Cundiff struggled this year, only hitting 75% of his kicks.

He was slowed by injury, but his inaccuracy from beyond 50 is inexcusable when he has such a strong leg. Cundiff should be better next year, but his missed field goals often hurt the Ravens at key times.

The Ravens will need to improve their special teams in 2012. But, with John Harbaugh's background in special teams, they should be able to do just that.

Highest High: The Drive

The Ravens had a solid season in going 12-4, so it's only fitting to end a recap of their season with the best moment of 2011.

Despite his struggles, Joe Flacco led the Ravens to their best and most exciting drive in franchise history against the Steelers. Flacco was masterful, hitting all of his targets en route to a sweep of the Steelers.

Despite numerous drops, Flacco never lost faith in his receivers, continuously hitting them in the hands for key conversions. His game-winning touchdown to Torrey Smith was a thing of beauty, as Smith made a veteran move to get open enough for Flacco's perfect pass to sail right into his hands.

This drive will be remembered for years. And if Flacco can pull off similar magic in the playoffs, the Ravens may just turn the corner from being a good team to an elite team.