Joe Flacco’s Tendencies, 3 Defensive Points Of Emphasis

Welcome to lunchtime links, where we bring you all the latest Ravens news from around the web in one convenient place for your consumption.  Today we are breaking down Joe Flacco’s tendencies, discussing 3 defensive point of emphasis for the Ravens, and projecting the team’s ceiling and floor for 2014.

Sarah Ellison at the Raven’s official site is breaking down Joe Flacco’s tendencies. This post features some fascinating data pulled from Pro Football Focus.  Some of the more interesting stats include the fact that he took 86.6% of his snaps in the shotgun formation last year, and he had less than 2 seconds to throw 23.3% of the time.

Clifton Brown at CSN Baltimore brings us 3 points of defensive emphasis for the Ravens.  We heartily agree with all three, especially pass rush.  Even though the team finished middle-of-the-pack at 16th in the NFL in sacks, it just doesn’t tell the whole story.  More consistency in getting to the quarterback this year will pay dividends on both sides of the ball.

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Dec 29, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) passes the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Baltimore 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Shehan Peiris at Bleacher Report is projecting the ceiling and the floor for the Ravens in 2014.  Peiris makes some solid points and realistic predictions on both sides of the ball.  If I had to guess, I would say the floor is more like 8-8 and the ceiling would be 10-6.  I think it’s tough for anybody to win 13 games these days, but this is a simply a better team than last year.

Garrett Downing at BaltimoreRavens.com is breaking down the competition along the defensive line.  We are especially interested in where Timmy Jernigan lands in the rotation.  Another rookie to watch is Derrick Hopkins, who has intriguing talent.

Finally, Ryan Riddle brings us a former player’s perspective on what it’s like to be part of an NFL training camp battle. It’s a fascinating look at how tough it really is to make it in the NFL, let along how hard it is simply to make it to camp.  We often forget how competitive football is and how few players get to actually live that dream.

What do you think the Raven’s floor and ceiling is this year?