Which Ravens Players Are Most Important for a Playoff Run?
After the Baltimore Ravens were humiliated at home by the New England Patriots, they no longer control their own destiny in the playoffs. Even if Baltimore beats the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, it doesnโt assure the Ravens a postseason berth.
Regardless, if the Ravens do make the playoffs, theyโll need some spectacular play from some key players to make any noise in the knockout round of the NFL season. But which players are the most important cogs in the postseason engine?
Iโm glad you asked.
Here is a breakdown of the most important players for a potential Ravens playoff run, including appearances from Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs and more.
Joe Flacco
1 of 6
Letโs start with the obvious one. The Ravens arenโt going anywhere unless Flacco gets hot like he did last season. His rocket arm heated up to historic proportions in 2012, and Flacco carried Baltimore all the way to a Super Bowl victory.
There are plenty of weaknesses on the Ravens roster, but itโs a passing league and Flacco has the ability to cover them all up (for the most part).
As usual, the Delaware product has been inconsistent this year, but he isnโt the one to blame for the Ravensโ offensive struggles. He will, however, have to be the one to lift Baltimore out of its doldrums if there is any hope for a playoff run.
Terrell Suggs
2 of 6
Suggsโ impact may not show up on the stat sheet like some of the offensive players, but make no mistake: Suggs will be a crucial part of any playoff run.
He is the leader of the defense, and heโs the most talented defender on the roster. Heโs capable of wrecking opposing game plans and can shut down both the run and the pass.
When heโs locked in as a pass-rusher, he is a devastating force off the edge and either gets to quarterbacks himself or opens things up for his teammates by drawing so much attention.
Likewise, he can shut down half of the field in the running game when heโs focused on setting the edge and blowing up plays in the backfield.
Suggs is Baltimoreโs most dominant defender, and he can single-handedly make the Ravens an elite defense when heโs in form.
The problem, however, is that the โSizzleโ has fizzled out in recent weeks. After starting the season in impressive fashion, heโs been less impactful since the bye week, and the grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) show as much.
| Weeks | Overall Grade | Pass-Rushing Grade |
| 1-7 | +11.4 | +5.6 |
| 9-16 | +1.4 | -4.7 |
Which Suggs will show up if the Ravens make the playoffs? The answer to that question could determine how far Baltimore goes.
Dennis Pitta
3 of 6
Dennis Pitta has been receiving a limited workload as he rounds back into shape. Whether heโll get extended work in the playoffs remains to be seen, but he could be a dangerous weapon.
Pitta might not put up huge receiving numbers, but he can help out in two areas where the Ravens have struggled mightily this year: the red zone and on third downs.
Baltimore currently ranks 18th in third-down conversion rate and 30th in red-zone touchdown percentage,ย according to TeamRankings.com.
If Pitta can stay on the field for more than the 30 snaps heโs been limited to, he could have a significant impact on the offense.
Ray Rice
4 of 6
It doesnโt look like the offensive line is going to learn how to block any time soon, so that means the offense needs Ray Rice to make some plays all on his own. Rice has battled injuries throughout the season, but heโs looked good in the past two games.
Itโs unreasonable to expect Rice to start magically churning out 100-yard games (unless the O-line drastically improves), but he can still be a dangerous playmaker for the offense by breaking the occasional long gain and making defenders miss in the passing game.
Any offensive boost would be extremely helpful right now, and Rice proved in the past that heโs capable of making something out of nothing.
Haloti Ngata
5 of 6
Haloti Ngata is in the same position as Suggs. He is disruptive force in the middle of the line and can shut down running games on his own (as he did against the Detroit Lions).
In the playoffs (if the Ravens reach the playoffs), Baltimore needs Ngata to play well. The offense is struggling so much that the defense needs to be elite for the Ravens to stand a chance.
Baltimoreโs defense is very good right now, but Suggs andย Ngata can make it elite.
Offensive Line
6 of 6
This clearly isnโt one player, but the offensive line is the most important requirement for a successful playoff run. There are definitely other problems, but improved O-line play would help many of the issues plaguing the offense.
The running game would be the biggest beneficiary from better blocking, and that in turn would open up the passing game and take some of the pressure off Flacco.
All the aforementioned players are important, but it is the O-line that will determine whether Baltimore can make the playoffs and have any success if it gets there.
.jpg?w=2560 "Grading WWE Raw ๐")
.jpg?w=2560 "Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em")