Baltimore Ravens must have a killer instinct this season
By Joe Schiller
The Baltimore Ravens must have that killer instinct on both sides of the ball this season if they want to be a contender.
The Baltimore Ravens love to play in close games. We’ve seen this especially be the case in the past two season. Out of their last 32 regular season games 28 have been decided by one score or less.
The Ravens record in these close games? 12-16. That isn’t ideal to say the least.
Some of these losses have been because of bad luck, but the majority of them have been because the Ravens couldn’t close out games.
This season they have to have that killer instinct. Being able to close out close games is what separates the good teams from the bad. It doesn’t come from one position, this starts on both sides of the football.
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Not All On The Offense
People are quick to blame this problem solely on the offense, but the problem has come from both sides of the football. There were games last season where the offense did enough to give the Ravens the lead at the end of games, but the defense let up a late touchdown.
The Raiders, Giants and Steelers games are the ones that stick out. Three winnable games against three good teams were voided because of late touchdowns. The prevent defense at the end of games put no pressure on opposing offenses driving down the field. When you give good quarterbacks like Derrick Carr and Big Ben time in the pocket, they are going to burn you. It doesn’t matter how good your defense is.
The most frustrating about these close games last season is that the Ravens were one game away from being in the playoffs. One more win would have put them in a Wild-Card spot.
But as much as we can sulk on last season, it’s time to move on.
Offseason Additions Will Help
The Ravens head into 2017 with a clean slate and there’s a lot of optimism surrounding the team. Offseason additions on both sides of the ball will help close out these games.
From a defensive standpoint, adding more depth in the secondary and pass rush is huge. As great as Eric Weddle was last season, he couldn’t do it on his own. After Jimmy Smith got hurt, the Ravens secondary struggled. There was no other cornerback on the roster that could match up with a #1 receiver. But now with the additions of Brandon Carr, Marlon Humphrey and Tony Jefferson, the secondary has gone from a weak link to one of the strongest positions on the team.
The Ravens were one of the worst teams at getting to the quarterback last season. The Ravens released Elvis Dumervil and drafted Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams, and Chris Wormley. All are promising rookies that could contribute in the past rush. Pass rush has been a focal point of the Ravens defense success over the years and they will look to get back to that this season.
The Ravens might not have made as many additions to the offense as people would have liked, but pieces were still added. Most notably, Jeremy Maclin comes in as a major offensive threat. He’s a guy who can stretch the field and be a deep threat. Adding him along with Breshad Perriman and Jeremy Maclin makes the Ravens receiving core one of the fastest in the league. Even bringing in Danny Woodhead gives the running game a different dimension. He’s a back who can line up in the slot and be a mismatch against opposing linebackers.
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This team has what it takes to make the playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl and it starts with having a killer instinct. Every team is going to play in close games, but the Ravens need to be better at it than most.