Baltimore Ravens: The Most Loyal Team In The NFL

The Baltimore Ravens Run Their Organization The Right Way. Loyalty, Trust and Continuity Have Been Their Three Big Values.

When Ray Lewis found his career and his freedom in jeopardy, it would have been easy for the Baltimore Ravens to part ways with him. Lewis went into the 2000 season shortly after he had been found not guilty, in a murder trial. Despite the result of the trial, it was something that followed the Ravens for years, and the shadow was strongest in the Ravens Super Bowl run.

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The Ravens chose to believe in Lewis. They didn’t just keep him because he was a great football player. The organization completely supported him. The Ravens knew who he was as a person. During the window in between the AFC Championship game and Super Bowl XXXV, Brian Billick defended Lewis with vigor. Billick wasn’t having any part of the media’s scrutiny. He famously said at one press conference “That’s why I have the podium, and you’re here to listen to me.”

The Ravens followed the model of standing behind their guys for years. The Ravens stuck with Jamal Lewis in the middle of his legal troubles too. To be fair, the Ravens tried to stand by Ray Rice. When the second video of his infraction was released, the organization had no choice but to part ways with him.

Steve Bisciotti and John Harbaugh have one thing in common. They are both incredibly loyal people. They give the men around them more trust than they sometimes should. Bisciotti gave Brian Billick a contract extension after a stellar 2006 season. After 2007, he regretted it. The train fell off the tracks and Bisciotti knew the Ravens needed a fresh start. The Ravens ended up paying Billick well after his coaching days.

Harbaugh is an incredibly loyal person. Cam Cameron had reached a point of stagnation with the Ravens offense. Cameron kept the job longer than he probably should have. Harbaugh trusted Cameron and they had a true friendship. It is important to remember that Harbaugh was once Cameron’s protege. With the roles flipped, Cameron had too much power with the Ravens.

Near the end of the season, the Ravens parted ways with their offensive coordinator. Firing Cameron was a brutally tough decision. When desperation gave the Ravens no choice, Harbaugh did what was best for the team.

Harbaugh’s ability to delegate tasks to his coaching staff is his greatest strength and his most crippling weakness. This allows Harbaugh to have his hands in a little bit of everything. He is the leader, he steers the ship but he leans on his crew to make the ship strong.

The downside of Harbaugh’s trust is that it takes forever to change anything. For example Dean Pees, is often too conservative in his defensive philosophy. Pees is given a long leash and a lot of trust. This allows Pees to stay in his comfort zone.

After the 5-11 nightmare of 2015, Bisciotti stressed continuity. In the state of the Ravens press conference he stressed his belief in his organization. Instead of panicking, the Ravens bet on themselves. Loyalty matters to this franchise. Trust is the manifestation of this commitment to one another. Continuity and stability is therefore the Ravens way.

When you look at who has led the way for the Ravens, it’s easy to see why they have been successful. Ozzie Newsome is the cream of the crop in the NFL, he is a class act. Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh are men of character and passion. Steve Bisciotti is a level headed owner who instills confidence in the entire franchise.

Without a fraction of a doubt, the Ravens have shown the NFL how a franchise should operate. Good practices have made good results. Baltimore has enjoyed two Ravens Super Bowls. The Ravens are often a playoff team too. When you take care of your people, they tend to take care of you. That’s the Ravens way.

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