The offense is still hindered by the lack of a go-to receiver in the passing game. Derrick Mason almost crippled the team by retiring this offseason, but he decided to come back. Mason is the only real threat in this group, as Mark Clayton and Kelly Washington could be legitimate deep threats if they could hang on to the ball. Many expected the Ravens to take a receiver in the draft, but opted to improve their offensive line with the selection of feel-good story Michael Oher (T-Mississippi). Oher’s life story is the subject of the book “The Blind Side” – which will hit the theaters as a movie this fall. As much as we hate Baltimore, we’re pulling for this kid, after everything he’s been through.
Another player on the Ravens that we wouldn’t mind seeing in Black and Gold is Le’Ron McClain. The dude is a bruising running back the likes of which the league hasn’t seen since Jerome Bettis. In our opinion, McClain is a better short-yardage back than Brandon Jacobs, but doesn’t have Jacobs’ endurance to grind it out for a whole game. Willis McGahee is a joke, but Ray Rice could bring a speedy compliment to McClain this season. The Ravens are likely to employ a “running back by committee” system, so team’s won’t really know what to expect on any drive.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens “Deatheater” defense will be one of the top units in the league despite the departure of Rex Ryan for New York. Even with Ryan gone, don’t expect much to change schematically. The Ravens will still employ more defensive looks than anyone in the league without 6 Lombardi Trophies. Ray Lewis, the best third-man-to-the-ball tackler in league history, returns for another year of being over-hyped. Tyrelle Suggs remains a threat on the outside, but beyond him, no one in the Ravens linebacking corps is particularly scary.
The best player on the defense is defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. Ngata, a former rugby player, brings a combination of strength, speed, and toughness that makes him an absolute beast. He is everywhere in run defense and basically makes it impossible to run to his side of the line. If you go that way, he will make the tackle.
In the secondary, there is Ed Reed and everyone else. Reed is the playmaker, the rover, the opportunist. He is always there when there is a loose ball, and the numbers show it. Reed had 9 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 defensive touchdowns last season. All those numbers were more than the rest of the secondary, combined. Safety Jim Leonhard left to follow Rex to New York, and the Ravens will likely plug in Dawan Landry to the position. Corner remains the Ravens weakest position, as free agent acqusition Dominique Foxworth will team with Fabian Washington on the first string with Frank Walker and Samari Rolle (until he gets injured) as the backups.
The one question mark on this team has been at kicker. Matt Stover “retired” and Graham Gano (Florida State) and Steven Hauschka were brought in to compete for the job. It seems as though Hauschka has violated some rule of the English language for consecutive vowels along with winning the kicking job. However, Stover remains a phone call away, should Hauschka struggle.
Ian’s Prediction: 10-6
The Ravens will be very good once again, and no doubt will find themselves in the playoff picture. Their defense may not be as good as last season, but they remain good enough to give this team a chance to win. Joe Flacco will continue to grow as a passer, but the lack of legitimate receiving threats may hold him back. Baltimore’s O-line is solid, and with the 3-headed monster thing in the backfield, the Ravens will be a run-first team this year. Flacco will make progress, but they still have a ways to go to take this division from the Steelers. I don’t see it happening this year, but we’ll probably get to see them 3 times this season once again.
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