Here we sit on the eve of the 2014 NFL preseason, and I find myself unusually excited and curious to watch games that count for almost nothing beyond offering clarification as to which players will make the final 53 man roster of each team. Don't get me wrong; I spend every month from February to August itching for football season to return, but this year is particularly intriguing for Baltimore. Feelings of curiosity and optimism fill my mind as I read about just how well this year's defensive draft picks appear to be absorbing schematic information and thriving in training camp. The prospect of Gary Kubiak's offensive system transforming the Ravens into a points-scoring juggernaut makes my spin like a top. The addition of sure-handed weapons such as Steve Smith and Owen Daniels give me confidence about the Ravens' ability to convert 3rd downs and sustain drives this season the type of which they failed to sustain in 2013. There are worries and doubts that fuel my curiosity as well. The health of Lardarius Webb is not something anyone could have anticipated as a major concern a month or two ago, but the first preseason game is tomorrow night and the Ravens will take the field without one of their two starting cornerbacks. The general consensus among Ravens fans I've talked to is that the Baltimore will have a better season than last year, but just how much better it will be remains a question with an answer that will reveal itself one week at a time.
Missing the playoffs for the first time in six years felt disappointing for Ravens fans to say the least. Making the playoffs in 2014, however, would certainly indicate that the Ravens are back on track...right? Prior to winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago, Ravens fans always seemed to feel let down each time Baltimore was bounced from the playoffs. Maybe it was the feeling of urgency to win before Ray Lewis and Ed Reed exited the organization, or maybe it was because the Ravens felt the need to prove themselves after twice losing the Steelers in the playoffs early in the Harbaugh-Flacco era.
Missing the playoffs for the first time in six years felt disappointing for Ravens fans to say the least. Making the playoffs in 2014, however, would certainly indicate that the Ravens are back on track...right? Prior to winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago, Ravens fans always seemed to feel let down each time Baltimore was bounced from the playoffs. Maybe it was the feeling of urgency to win before Ray Lewis and Ed Reed exited the organization, or maybe it was because the Ravens felt the need to prove themselves after twice losing the Steelers in the playoffs early in the Harbaugh-Flacco era.
Regardless of the reason, the Ravens organization and its
fanbase are content with nothing less than championship caliber
football, and I strongly doubt a simple trip back to the playoffs will
leave anyone feeling satisfied in Charm City. No team can expect a
Super Bowl every season, every other season, every third season, or even
just every decade, A tight salary cap and the depressingly short
average career length of NFL players both make repeated Super Bowl
success a near impossibility at this point in the evolution of
football.
Many may remember, however, that the Ravens came one quarter of one game away from winning the AFC North for the third time in a row in 2013. As talented as many believe the Bengals to be, they are simply not well coached enough to turn that talent into post-season success. The Steelers appear competitive at times during most seasons, but seldom do they maintain any level of dominance long enough to make playoff noise or simply even earn a playoff berth anymore. The Steelers have, in fact, failed to win a playoff game in 4 of the last 5 seasons, and that reflects rather poorly on Mike Tomlin ans his coaching staff.
Unlike the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals, few outside of Ohio tend to display optimism on any given year about the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has certainly given some fans hope by building a relatively young team with some top level talent. Despite the presence of some outstanding athletes, however, I simply can't see the Browns showing anything but future potential. The heads of the organization are tired of losing, but their typical solution to every one of the team's problems has been to clean house of their coaching staff. That strategy has provided zero opportunity for continuity or for the growth of a system. They may continue to occassionally upset divisional foes, but it could be a long time before the Browns escape the bottom of the AFC North.
Given the recent mediocrity of the division, the relative weakness of the Ravens' upcoming schedule, and the noticeable improvements to the Ravens' roster and coaching personnel, I believe the Ravens should win a minimum of 10 games in 2014. More precisely, I believe the Ravens will win 12 games this season and earn their 6th playoff berth in 7 years. Is this enough to signal progress, or are 2-3 playoff wins required to convince Ravens fans that this team is back in business?
One thing I've noticed since the Ravens first rose to dominance almost decade and a half ago is the tendency of most NFL fans outside of Maryland to find some reason to dismiss Baltimore during discussions of the league's strongest teams and Super Bowl contenders. It doesn't seem to be enough that the Ravens rank only behind the Patriots in total playoff wins since the creation of the team. It also doesn't seem to matter that only the Patriots have more Super Bowl victories than the Ravens during that same period. Maybe it's the historic lack of a flashy offense, or maybe it's the fact that they've never had pro bowl caliber quarterback play, but something about the Ravens seems to make them perpetual underdogs in the minds of many. For that reason it is likely that we Ravens fans yearn for consistent dominance and become heartbroken with anything less than Super Bowl victory; we want our favorite team to be revered and respected for the resoundingly successful organization it is and not constantly doubted and dismissed.
Clearly the yearly expectation of a deep playoff run ot Super Bowl appearance only sets us up for some level of disappointment, but it's that hunger and firm belief in this team that drives it to greatness. You better believe that every member of the Baltimore Ravens organization has just as much if not more confidence in the players and coaching staff to go all the way on any given year. That confidence is NOT something you find in every team in the NFL, but it IS absolutely vital to success. Ravens fans should consider themselves lucky to have that quality in the personnel of the team they so love.
A close friend of mine once explained to me that he makes his best efforts to never get his hopes up about his favorite football team, and in that way he avoids disappointment if they fail to make the post season. If his team makes a playoff run, however, he becomes pleasantly surprised. His team HAS won two Super Bowls in the last six years so he has had a pair of rather pleasant surprises to say the least. I respect my friend, but I don't agree with his style of fanhood. I firmly believe that being a true fan and loving a team means feeling a sports depression when they fail and an extreme high when they win. After all, it's impossible to truly love something and be indifferent to its successes and failures at the same time.
I certainly don't expect the Ravens to win the Super Bowl every year, but every year I absolutely believe they can. It's difficult to know how they look as a team until we see them in Week 1, but on paper the Ravens have the biggest array of offensive weapons in the history of the team, arguably the best special teams in the NFL, and a strong defense that was markedly bolstered through the draft. On paper, this appears to be the most complete Ravens team in years--let's just hope that translates well to the field. Football, after all, isn't played on paper or a computer screen--it's played on turf. This season will provide the first true reflection of John Harbaugh's coaching ability; let's see just how far he can lead our guys in 2014.
Many may remember, however, that the Ravens came one quarter of one game away from winning the AFC North for the third time in a row in 2013. As talented as many believe the Bengals to be, they are simply not well coached enough to turn that talent into post-season success. The Steelers appear competitive at times during most seasons, but seldom do they maintain any level of dominance long enough to make playoff noise or simply even earn a playoff berth anymore. The Steelers have, in fact, failed to win a playoff game in 4 of the last 5 seasons, and that reflects rather poorly on Mike Tomlin ans his coaching staff.
Unlike the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals, few outside of Ohio tend to display optimism on any given year about the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland has certainly given some fans hope by building a relatively young team with some top level talent. Despite the presence of some outstanding athletes, however, I simply can't see the Browns showing anything but future potential. The heads of the organization are tired of losing, but their typical solution to every one of the team's problems has been to clean house of their coaching staff. That strategy has provided zero opportunity for continuity or for the growth of a system. They may continue to occassionally upset divisional foes, but it could be a long time before the Browns escape the bottom of the AFC North.
Given the recent mediocrity of the division, the relative weakness of the Ravens' upcoming schedule, and the noticeable improvements to the Ravens' roster and coaching personnel, I believe the Ravens should win a minimum of 10 games in 2014. More precisely, I believe the Ravens will win 12 games this season and earn their 6th playoff berth in 7 years. Is this enough to signal progress, or are 2-3 playoff wins required to convince Ravens fans that this team is back in business?
One thing I've noticed since the Ravens first rose to dominance almost decade and a half ago is the tendency of most NFL fans outside of Maryland to find some reason to dismiss Baltimore during discussions of the league's strongest teams and Super Bowl contenders. It doesn't seem to be enough that the Ravens rank only behind the Patriots in total playoff wins since the creation of the team. It also doesn't seem to matter that only the Patriots have more Super Bowl victories than the Ravens during that same period. Maybe it's the historic lack of a flashy offense, or maybe it's the fact that they've never had pro bowl caliber quarterback play, but something about the Ravens seems to make them perpetual underdogs in the minds of many. For that reason it is likely that we Ravens fans yearn for consistent dominance and become heartbroken with anything less than Super Bowl victory; we want our favorite team to be revered and respected for the resoundingly successful organization it is and not constantly doubted and dismissed.
Clearly the yearly expectation of a deep playoff run ot Super Bowl appearance only sets us up for some level of disappointment, but it's that hunger and firm belief in this team that drives it to greatness. You better believe that every member of the Baltimore Ravens organization has just as much if not more confidence in the players and coaching staff to go all the way on any given year. That confidence is NOT something you find in every team in the NFL, but it IS absolutely vital to success. Ravens fans should consider themselves lucky to have that quality in the personnel of the team they so love.
A close friend of mine once explained to me that he makes his best efforts to never get his hopes up about his favorite football team, and in that way he avoids disappointment if they fail to make the post season. If his team makes a playoff run, however, he becomes pleasantly surprised. His team HAS won two Super Bowls in the last six years so he has had a pair of rather pleasant surprises to say the least. I respect my friend, but I don't agree with his style of fanhood. I firmly believe that being a true fan and loving a team means feeling a sports depression when they fail and an extreme high when they win. After all, it's impossible to truly love something and be indifferent to its successes and failures at the same time.
I certainly don't expect the Ravens to win the Super Bowl every year, but every year I absolutely believe they can. It's difficult to know how they look as a team until we see them in Week 1, but on paper the Ravens have the biggest array of offensive weapons in the history of the team, arguably the best special teams in the NFL, and a strong defense that was markedly bolstered through the draft. On paper, this appears to be the most complete Ravens team in years--let's just hope that translates well to the field. Football, after all, isn't played on paper or a computer screen--it's played on turf. This season will provide the first true reflection of John Harbaugh's coaching ability; let's see just how far he can lead our guys in 2014.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
GO RAVENS!!!
