Since 2000, the Baltimore Ravens have become a consistent contender for the Super Bowl Championship. The Ravens have two Super Bowl Titles over that span and coming into the 2015 National Football League season, I had them pegged to reach Super Bowl 50 this February. But for the first time in franchise history, the Ravens have lost their first three games of the season which made them a very desperate team when they took the field this past Thursday night to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were without the services of starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who is out with a sprained MCL, but they do have a solid backup quarterback in Michael Vick who is a four-time Pro Bowler. The Ravens defense was able to limit Vick to 19-of-26 passing for 124 yards with just 33 yards rushing. But when kicker Josh Scobee missed a pair of field goals in regulation for the Steelers, it sent the game to overtime which set the stage for Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who had ice water in his veins to connect on a 52-yard field goal to give Baltimore their first victory of the season.
Terrell Suggs
The Ravens have been fighting an uphill battle since the 2015 National Football League season began and if they had started the year with a record of 0-4, it would have all but ended their campaign before it started. In Week 1, the Ravens lost outside linebacker Terrell Suggs who is their emotional leader for the season to an Achilles injury. Wide receiver Breshad Perriman was the Ravens first-round pick this past spring in the National Football League Draft, but he has yet to suit up and his status is now unknown due to the fact that he recently underwent surgery on his PCL while veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. suffered back fractures this past Thursday and he has already been ruled out for the Ravens Week 5 affair against the Cleveland Browns. The injuries to the Ravens wide receiver unit forced team general manager Ozzie Newsome to acquire wide receiver Chris Givens from the St. Louis Rams as Baltimore is simply trying to stay afloat.
The Ravens have built their reputation on the defensive side of the football, but in consecutive weeks, it was their defense that gave up the lead in late game situations as they are searching for a leader on that side of the football. For years the Ravens had a core of leadership on the defensive side of the football in Suggs, middle linebacker Ray Lewis, free safety Ed Reed, and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. And with the aforementioned Suggs out for the season, and Ngata now with the Detroit Lions, while Lewis and Reed have retired, the Ravens are in the midst of searching for a new identity as you simply can’t replace those players that are more than likely going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Through four games this season the Ravens are 15th in the National Football League in total defense, but they are currently lacking that impact player that can step up to make a significant impact in those key situations in the fourth quarter which they received from Lewis, Suggs, Ngata, and Reed for so long.
Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh
Whereas Joe Flacco is the Ravens starting quarterback and he is a former Super Bowl MVP, he is not the vocal leader that this team needs; especially on the defensive side of the football as those kind of players simply just don’t fall out of the sky. But if the Ravens are going to turn things around this year and become a playoff team, it is going to be due to the arm of Flacco as injuries have really depleted this squad in Baltimore as aside from Suggs and Smith Sr., starting strong safety Matt Elam was lost at the beginning of training camp due to a biceps injury. And it will be Flacco’s right arm that will get the Ravens back into contention.
For his eight years at the helm of the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh has never had a losing season which will be put to the test in 2015, but if there is a head coach in the National Football League that can get it turned around, it is him. Beginning with their game against the Browns this Sunday in Baltimore, the Ravens only have one remaining opponent on their schedule that currently has a winning record as that accomplishment falls on the shoulders of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals defeated the Ravens in Week 3 by the score of 28-24 as Baltimore now has a three-game deficit to make up in the AFC North to Cincinnati. And for the Ravens sake, they are hopeful that their Week 17 meeting in Cincy with the Bengals won’t be a meaningless affair as they’ll look to still have postseason aspirations then.
A pair of tough road losses along with injuries have really put the Ravens behind the eight-ball to begin the 2015 National Football League season. And earlier than most NFL seasons in Baltimore, it is already gut check time for the Ravens.
Leave A Comment