First off, congratulations to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on winning Super Bowl 50. Ride on off into the sunset now, Manning, you and all of your glory. Also, congratulations to Cam Newton and the Panthers on making the big show.
The Baltimore Ravens last Super Bowl victory came three seasons ago, so of course knowing what it takes to win a Super Bowl hasn’t slipped their minds. However there is a lot to learn from the latest Super Bowl played between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers.
Next: Defense Wins Championships
Defense Wins Championships:
A statement in Football that the Ravens know all too well. The 2000 Ravens had one of the best defenses of all time and it won them their first Super Bowl. Defense also (sort of) won the Ravens their second Super Bowl with a goal line stand against the San Francisco 49ers. Punters who know how to take a safety also help win Super Bowls, especially that one. Looking at you, Sam Koch.
The Denver Broncos stormed the Carolina Panthers as if the Broncos were a blizzard and Maryland was the Panthers O-Line. Von Miller, Super Bowl MVP was a huge reason for the Panthers struggles on offense. Newton threw an interception, and fumbled twice, one of those fumbles was returned for a touchdown. The Broncos forced Carolina running back Mike Tolbert to fumble twice, one of those was recovered by the Broncos.
The Broncos defense also managed to bring down league MVP Cam Newton 7 times throughout the game. For a team that rolled through everyone on their way to the Super Bowl, they didn’t stand much of a chance against the Broncos defense. The Ravens need to take note of this and get back to that kind of dominance defensively.
Next: Adversity Is Your Friend
Adversity Is Your Friend:
The Denver Broncos lost Peyton Manning to injury during the season, and had to turn to backup quarterback and notable very tall person, Brock Osweiler. Brock played in 8 games for the Broncos, nearly threw for 2000 yards, completed 10 touchdown passes, and beat Tom Brady. What a guy!
Despite losing their starting quarterback and former Hall-of-Famer, the Broncos were able to rally around each other and prosper, claiming the 1st seed in the AFC, and go on to win the Lombardi Trophy. The Baltimore Ravens are no stranger to adversity, however in this past season they did not handle adversity well.
If the Ravens are able to take all the hardships and adversity from this season and use it to help themselves, they could be propelled to another Super Bowl victory.
Next: Pass Rushing is Key
Pass Rushing is Key:
Another spin on the whole defense wins championships thing, just a little more specific. No, Von Miller will not be coming to the Ravens, although it would be really nice if he could (please Von). Von Miller is a perfect pass rusher, and showed his dominance throughout the playoffs this season.
A solid pass rush can do a lot for a team. When you suffocate the other quarterback over and over again you put a little something in the back of his mind that makes him shiver and shake when he gets the football in his hands. Quarterbacks start to panic and throw risky passes just to avoid being hit, causing interceptions. A great pass rush will shake a quarterback down to his very core and make him question why he ever decided to play this sport in the first place.
The Ravens need a pass rush, and they wish they had one badly. The Broncos defense from this season is a great example of what the Ravens defense should aim for next season. A tough, hard hitting team that will beat the heck out of you for 60 minutes of football.
Next: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work:
The Carolina Panthers were a one man show. Cam Newton had a phenomenal season which is why the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl. However when Cam started to play bad in the Super Bowl, the team around him had nowhere to turn to and they couldn’t muster anything big on offense other than a field goal and a rushing touchdown.
The Broncos were a well oiled machine operated by multiple people. Even though Peyton didn’t have the offense firing on all cylinders and he was playing with the a lowered arm strength he still managed to contribute to the Broncos victory.
The Broncos got a great effort out of running back C.J. Andereson, and a big punt return out of their special teams unit. Everyone had a hand in the Broncos victory, and that’s a key factor to winning a Super Bowl in the NFL.
The Ravens have to come together as a team and work as one to get back on their feet. The offense has to compliment the defense and vice versa. With a couple free agent moves and a handful of good draft picks, the Ravens should be ready to make it happen on the field next season.
Next: Stick To The Script
Stick To The Script:
The Ravens need to learn this lesson more than any of the other ones. Stick to the script. Don’t make changes when things don’t go the right way. That’s not Baltimore football. John Harbaugh has decided to hang onto his coaching staff for the upcoming season, and despite what people say, this is good.
Joe Flacco and the offense won’t have to adjust to a new offensive coordinator next season, they’ll pick up where they left off. The Ravens have always have success when running the football and they have a handful of great running backs at their disposal.
Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees had his group running out with their heads cut off at the start of the season, and it was pretty terrible. In the second half of the season Pees turned his group around by changing absolutely nothing in his game plan. The second half defense was miles ahead of the first half defense. This created a group of players who with a few additions can be a top 5 defense next season.
Next: Building The Perfect Offense For Joe Flacco
Stick to the script. No matter how the game is going, stick to the script. Be the team that you are and don’t change your identity. These players know what it takes to play Baltimore football, they know what it takes to be a Raven. Now play like one.