For Baltimore Ravens fans, the bleeding continues. For the Baltimore Ravens, the bleeding continues.
Someone get the doctor, the band-aid, the gauze, and the ointment. We need whatever is necessary to find the endzone late in the 4th quarter and hold on to the lead until the clock strikes zero.
Enough with the laughing to keep from crying. Let’s get serious. The Baltimore Ravens are in a predicament that is unfamiliar. This is uncharted territory that leads to a dark road of uncertainty. For fans, it’s just as disheartening.
Oct 20, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens helmet in a team huddle before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens have set the expectation over the last decade of being a feared, perennial playoff contender and Super Bowl threat every year. But this year, a different story is being written. And Ravens fans (as well as a couple of non-fans) are summing up the commentary at this week’s Ravens Reaction Round table:
"“I’m still a loyal fan. Not turning my back on my team. We’ve been playing hard and each loss has been close. There is no lack of effort and you gotta appreciate that.” – Darnell Leake"
"“Once again, we’ve lost. The Monday night game against the cardinals showed that there isn’t much hope in the team. The fans are the only ones fighting. The talent has left the building. Nobody gets open except Smith Sr. and no holes are made for Forsett especially in the redzone which brings us to Flacco… Where’s the passion in this guy to take over? Did it leave with all the injured players? Defense is suffering, Webb may need to exit stage left. Ozzie has his work cut out for him next draft. The penalties show a severe lack of discipline and with such a young roster, that can be expected but not this late in the season. Clean it up fellas. Play with heart. Not for the check.” – Talithia Woodrum"
"“To be honest it’s a bit disappointing. The Ravens and Whatever team Peyton Manning is on are usually our only obstacles from getting to the Super Bowl. I’m just shocked that a team with as many smart people as the Ravens have didn’t bother to address their major holes in the secondary and wide receiver. I’ll miss the trash talk this year but I’m sure you all will be back soon with Suggs’ ugly horse face yapping about how soft Brady is!” – Sedrick Smith [New England Patriots Fan]"
"“It’s been extremely frustrating as a fan watching a good team lose because of careless mistakes such as penalties and late game interceptions. The Ravens are a team who knows what it takes to get to and win a Super Bowl, but somehow can’t even successfully finish a game.” – Alice Halle"
"“As a Steelers fan you want to see your main division rival losing but me as a football fan it’s unfortunate. I look forward to Ravens/Steelers and so does the NFL (hence both games the past few years as prime time games). The Ravens haven’t experienced this in the Harbaugh regime but I expect heads to roll in the offseason.” – Marc Rollins [Pittsburgh Steelers fan]“I’m sad my boys lost. Let me rephrase that, I’m extremely sad and disappointed my boys lost tonight. I knew a dark year/years were upon us, but was hoping it wasn’t gonna be this year. The coffin has officially been shut on our season. Poor officiating on full display. Blown eligible receiver reporting, blown fumble, blown forward progress and a questionable hook on Webb [on Monday Night]. These officials are so inconsistent it’s not even the tad bit funny anymore. They need to fix it and fix it now.” – John ‘Havok’ Adkins [2015 NFL Fan of the Year]"
There’s a lot to ponder with these 2015 Ravens. Some say it’s the coaching, some say it’s the talent, some say it’s a combination of both with a sprinkle of being punished for the incompetence of referees. No matter which way you slice it, this team has areas of major concern that need to be addressed no matter who it puts in the hot sea; player or coach.
Every team has a run in their illustrious history where they enter the dark days, It’s always a tough pill to swallow in the beginning. It’s never easy to sit and wonder what’s wrong with the team you called champion just a few years back. The Baltimore Ravens are surely enduring the worst season in franchise history after just being touted in the off-season as a sure Super Bowl contender. Even picked to win the Super Bowl by Peter King of Sports Illustrated. However, these dreams are long gone with the 6 losses we’ve acquired.
Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; The Baltimore Ravens players huddle on the field during a stoppage in play against the New England Patriots in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Everything that could go wrong this season, has gone wrong. All we as fans can do is endure 1 week at a time, hope for the best, and look forward the day where we look back on these times and laugh while we raise tha Lombardi for the 3rd time in franchise history.
Next: Are the Ravens really as bad as their record indicates?