Baltimore Ravens
Head Coach: John Harbaugh (62-34 all-time in Baltimore)
Last Year's Results: 8-8, no playoffs
Projected Starters:
(My Player Rankings Guide:
E - Elite Starter: Franchise changing player at his position
HQ - High Quality Starter: One of the best in the game at his position
GS - Good Starter: If this guy's on your team, he's likely starting and you should be perfectly fine with it
AS - Average Starter: This guy is OK, but if possible, I'd be looking for an upgrade
BAS - Below Average Starer: This guy should not be starting, but he will because he's the best option
??? - Not enough information regarding this guy and the jury is still out on him
R - Rookie: Pretty self-explanatory
PS - Poor Starter: This guy shouldn't be starting for your football team. NO EXCUSES!)
OFFENSE:
QB: Joe Flacco (AS)
RB: Ray Rice (AS)
FB: Kyle Juszczyk (???)
WR: Torrey Smith (GS)
WR: Steve Smith (GS)
TE: Dennis Pitta (GS)
C: Jeremy Zuttah (AS)
RG: Marshal Yanda (HQ)
LG: Kelechi Osemele (AS)
RT: Ricky Wagner (???)
LT: Eugene Monroe (GS)
DEFENSE:
DE: Chris Canty (AS)
DE: Brandon Williams (???)
DT: Haloti Ngata (GS)
LOLB: Terrell Suggs (GS)
ROLB: Elvis Dumervil (HQ)
ILB: C.J. Mosley (R)
ILB: Daryl Smith (AS)
CB: Lardarius Webb (HQ)
CB: Jimmy Smith (AS)
SS: Matt Elam (AS)
FS: Terrence Brooks (R)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: Justin Tucker
P: Sam Koch
Schedule:
vs. Cincinnati
vs. Pittsburgh
vs. @ Cleveland
vs. Carolina
vs. @ Indianapolis
vs. @ Tampa Bay
vs. Atlanta
vs. @ Cincinnati
vs. @ Pittsburgh
vs. Tennessee
BYE WEEK
vs. @ New Orleans
vs. San Diego
vs. @ Miami
vs. Jacksonville
vs. @ Houston
vs. Cleveland
Predicted Results: 10-6 (5-1 in division)
Team Analysis: Two years ago, I picked the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl. Why? I honestly can't remember the reason why. I just remember going through my usual predictions and at the end I realized I had the Ravens ranked REALLY high. I can't remember anyone else picking the Ravens to win the big one that year, but for some reason....I was feeling them. Last year I wasn't as high on them (Super Bowl hangover's can be a real bitch sometimes) and they came out and seemingly disappointed. This year, they have a new offensive coordinator who should help Joe Flacco rebound from a piss poor season last year (Flacco is a system guy, who's success depends on how he mixes with the OC) and Baltimore should find themselves in the mix of it all again with the upper echelon of the AFC.
Offensively, the Ravens are pretty average. Like I mentioned earlier, Joe Flacco is not an elite QB in the NFL. He's a system guy who's only as good as the system he's in. If he's not gelling with the offensive coordinator, he'll look absolutely horrible and that's what happened last season. Flacco will have some decent weapons to throw to this season. I absolutely love the addition of Steve Smith from Carolina. Smith will be that possession receiver that the Ravens have lacked since Anquan Boldin bolted town and the results will be shown on the field. I'm not a fan of Ray Rice's (especially after seeing the video of him dragging his unconscious wife out of an elevator this off-season) and this could very well be his last season in Baltimore if he doesn't have an absolutely amazing year. Baltimore is set on the offensive line this year and Flacco will have plenty of time to make plays. The only question is, can he return to his Super Bowl form? Baltimore will need him to.
Defensively, the Ravens are fine. While there are some issues in the secondary, the Ravens always seem to get things figured out on the defensive side of the ball and this year won't be any different. If the Ravens fail to make the playoffs again this year, it won't be this unit's fault. That blame will likely fall squarely on the coaching staff and the offense. Either way, I love Baltimore's chances to return to the playoffs this year. I wouldn't go as far as to say they are "Super Bowl contenders", but they are definitely a contender to sneak up and make some noise this season, much like they did two years ago.
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