NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens

Frank Doyle looks at the Baltimore Ravens, the nearly men of the AFC North.

It’s not easy being a Baltimore Raven. Baltimore is the team that’s always nearly there, but just falls short. The Ravens don’t find new ways to fail, like San Diego in the regular season or Indianapolis in the playoffs. They always just that hair’s breadth away, like Steve McQueen nearly getting away on his motorcycle at the end of the Great Escape.

The Ravens have made the playoffs in all three years since Joe Flacco joined Baltimore from Delaware, and each year tells the same sad story. 2008. 11-5, wild card trip to playoffs, lose to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. 2009. 9-7, wild card trip to the playoffs, lose to the Colts in the Divisional semi-final. 2010, 12-4, wild card trip to the playoffs, lose to the Steelers in the Divisional semi-final.

This year isn’t likely to be any better. Sports Interaction has set the NFL betting over/under for Ravens’ season wins at 10.5, the same as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Only New England and Green Bay are higher, at 11.5. That’s a highly rated team.

Highly rated, but a little one dimensional. The defense will be good as always. Ray Lewis is in his sixteenth season, but he still lead the Ravens last year in tackles. Terrell Suggs beside Lewis, Ed Reed behind him and Haloti Ngata in front of him – if those guys can keep the years at bay they’ll be nobody’s victims.

It’s on the other side of the ball that the Ravens have their troubles. Baltimore hasn’t had an offensively dangerous team since Bob Irsay loaded up the trucks all those years ago. Ray Rice is a great back and signing the veteran Ricky Williams may prove a wise and insightful move on the Ravens’ part, but there’s no receiver there with the sort of separation speed that gives Joe Flacco a downfield option to burn a defense.

As such, the defense gets in Flacco face because they know he can’t punish them deep, Flacco is forced into a mistake because time’s up and something has to happen and everyone says oh look, Joe Flacco can’t do it in the clutch.

It’s unfair, but life isn’t fair either. Under 10.5 wins for the season and the Ravens’ continued second place in the AFC North under pressure from a potentially resurgent Browns is the call.