The Ravens are still one of the best in the AFC.
The last few days have been tough ones on the residents of Ravenstown.
On Monday we discovered that shutdown corner Lardarius Webb suffered the second ACL tear in his young career and will be out for the season. Then if that wasn’t enough, Ravens icon, and emotional leader Ray Lewis was diagnosed with a complete tear in his tricep ending his 2012 campaign too.
So do these injuries effectively end the Ravens Super Bowl hopes?
Well, they won’t necessarily help but I still think that Baltimore can overcome them and finally get to the title game for the first time in 12 seasons. Here’s why.
First, let’s talk about the defense that has gone from dreaded to dreadful in a matter of weeks. The first issue that needs to be addressed is tackling and the fact that most of the defense simply aren’t doing it. Players are flying in with a shoulder looking to dislodge the ball instead of wrapping up. That’s a matter of technique and that can be fixed.
Second, losing Ray Lewis is a bigger deal from an emotional standpoint that a schematic one. He’s been in the league 17 years and while a lot was made this off-season about him dropping weight he’s still having a tougher time shedding blocks and guarding running backs in the flat. He continues to rely on smarts and savy to get by and that will only take you so far. Dannell Ellerbee is essentially replacing him as Jameel McClain slides over to take Ray’s spot and Ellerbee steps in on the weak side inside linebacker position. Ellerbee won’t match Lewis’ smarts and leadership but he could maybe be a bit quicker getting to the ball to stop the run more effectively.
Third, it’s hard for me to spin the loss of Webb in a positive way. Webb was a rising star who quickly became one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He hasn’t had a touchdown scored on him in nearly two years. Opposing teams were beginning to notice and rarely tried to throw his way. It’s hard to say that you replace a player like Webb or Lewis for that matter, who can blitz and is one of the best tacklers but at least the Ravens have some depth at the position. Jimmy Smith was a first-round pick for a reason and now he’ll get the snaps to prove that the team was justified in selecting him. At least he has the physical tools but he needs to find consistency.
Fourth, the Ravens offense can be a pretty dangerous group and they might be the most balanced offense in the AFC. Joe Flacco is having one of his best seasons. Ray Rice is a dual threat from the line of scrimmage and can break a big gain at any time. Anquan Boldin looks healthy and productive. Dennis Pitta never drops a pass. Torrey Smith can break a touchdown on any play while Jacoby Jones can flat out fly. There’s a lot of options for defenses to account for and with the “sugar huddle” being used liberally it’s proven to add another dimension to Baltimore ability to generate points.
Lastly, the Ravens are still one of the best teams . They are two games above both the Bengals and Steelers in the AFC North. Even with all their struggles they are finding ways to win and that’s really the only stat that matters. Charlie Sheen had it right. I would have thought that anyone who watched the 2012 Orioles play would have understood that stats are meaningless. It doesn’t matter how you win, just that you do win.
Of course this Sunday will be a big test but if the Ravens are able to get a win on the road against a quality team like Houston they can settle into the Bye and ready themselves for a tough road trip to the finish line.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.