Baltimore Ravens: 5 Biggest Tests for Ray Lewis and Co. This Season

Although a brand new season of football is ready to begin in Baltimore, the same old expectations remain.

The "Super Bowl or bust" mentality of the fans is a lofty but reasonable expectation for a team that has made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons under head coach John Harbaugh.

But with these expectations come obstacles. Many familiar difficulties remain the same as past years, but a bizarre, lockout-shortened offseason has constructed new roadblocks for a team that looks to return to glory.

Regardless of what they are, the expectations remain sky-high in Baltimore, and the Ravens have to soar to reach them. Let's take a look at what looms in these higher altitudes:

Coping with the Loss of Key Veterans

Teams have to get younger at some point, and it's clear that the Baltimore Ravens believe that time is now.

As a result, general manager Ozzie Newsome and company cut Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Dawan Landry, Kelly Gregg and Le'Ron McClain.

The intention was to re-sign many of them, but at a more cap-friendly price. That didn't happen, and this could put a team that boasts consistency in a rare, unfamiliar place.

Now, the Ravens will need to scramble to see who will step up and fill the roles of aging, but vital components of a franchise that is poised to make another run in the playoffs.

The Rookies' Learning Curve

In years to come, there won't likely be many complaints about who the Baltimore Ravens drafted in 2011. There is plenty of new, young talent available.

But with youth comes susceptibility to make mistakes, and there will be plenty of them this year.

Perhaps the biggest casualty of the lockout is this year's rookie class. Without a full summer to absorb playbooks and practice like professionals, the learning curve to transition to the NFL will be much steeper than years past.

We've already seen evidence of those concerns. Rookies Torrey Smith and Jah Reid were supposed to be thrust into starting roles, but neither have earned complete confidence from their coaches.

If you don't take my word for it, then simply look at the acquisitions of wide receiver Lee Evans and tackle Bryant McKinnie. They will be much-needed safety nets for two of John Harbaugh's projects.

This is just a temporary solution, though. The aforementioned loss of crucial veteran components cannot be understated, and the time for the rookies to emerge and fill those voids will have to come sooner than later.

Staying Healthy

This picture is one of the most depressing images for Ravens fans to witness.

Although many questions about the current roster have risen, it's comforting to know that a competitive core still remains in place.

The problem is, the two most important players in that core, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, are not getting any younger.

Reed, 32, is arguably the best coverage safety in the NFL, and his presence transforms the Ravens defense from a good one to an elite one. But almost as well-documented as his performance is his injury history, which has nagged him throughout his career.

Lewis, 36, has had a cleaner bill of health than Reed, but he's not invincible. More importantly, the team has been historically vulnerable without its leader. In 2005, Lewis suffered a torn hamstring, which sideline him for 10 games of a dismal season that the Ravens finished 6-10.

With age creeping up on the future hall-of-famers, extra precautions will have to be taken to ensure that the backbone of the defense stays intact.

Easy Schedule

Wait, this is an obstacle?

If you believe in the danger of "trap games," then, yes, this certainly could be a big mental test for the Ravens.

We saw close calls a season ago against Browns and Bills teams that had no business competing with them. A Week 2 loss a season ago against the Cincinnati Bengals is perhaps the best example of this being a potential obstacle.

Luckily for fans, these instances provided a wake-up call to a team that played a stretch of mediocre football, albeit a brief one. 

The Ravens are not a team that has a reputation of losing focus, but any successful team that will be playing several weaker teams in the upcoming season is always vulnerable to complacency. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys.

The Pittsburgh Steelers

When haven't they been the biggest test for the Baltimore Ravens?

Over the past decade, the Ravens have built a team that has had every chance in the world to reclaim the Lombardi Trophy. But whenever the road to taking it back has gone through the Pittsburgh Steelers, they've crashed.

Two out of the past three Ravens' seasons have ended in Heinz Field, and they are also riding a six-game losing streak in games that Ben Roethlisberger starts. With much of their 2010 Super Bowl roster returning, The Steelers should again be a formidable opponent.

There's no avoiding it anymore: to be the best, you have to beat the best.