Baltimore Ravens: A History Of Strong Rebounds

The Baltimore Ravens have been down before but the Ravens never stay down long. The 2015 season wasn’t one the Ravens would like to remember. The team went 5-11 and went toe to toe with Murphy’s Law every week. The Ravens have been here before.

More from Ravens News

• Will Baltimore Ravens be rewarded for risky Lamar Jackson decision?
• The Baltimore Ravens Big Gamble
• Ravens Super Bowl odds present fascinating insight on Lamar Jackson’s future
• Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
• Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?

The last time the Ravens found themselves in this predicament, it was 2007. The Ravens had a strong offseason of change. They hired John Harbaugh and drafted Joe Flacco. A new era had begun. The Ravens were quickly rewarded for rebooting their franchise with a new coach and a new quarterback; they marched all the way to the AFC Championship game in 2008. The Ravens made the playoffs for five straight years, winning the Super Bowl in the 2012 season.

This time around loser’s lane the Ravens aren’t making any major changes. The Harbaugh/Flacco era is very much alive. The coaching staff is pretty much the same. The roster may be improved but it won’t be overhauled. The Ravens are looking at a situation much like they were heading into the 2006 season.

In 2005 the Ravens went 6-10. The Ravens wasted great defensive play with an offense that couldn’t score. The Ravens only scored 265 points that season. They only allowed 299 points that season, which is pretty good for the defense. The Ravens were also ravaged by injuries. The point is that offense was as useless.

In 2006 the Ravens didn’t make any big changes (other than getting quarterback Steve McNair). With solid quarterback play (which the present Ravens already have) the Ravens were able to go 13-3 and win the AFC North. They lost to the Colts, who scored 5 field goals in the playoffs (but that’s a rant for a different article). The point is that with a very similar roster and coaching staff the Ravens went from a horrible season to their best regular season record ever.

With a strong draft, a couple of under the radar free agent signings and retaining their valued free agents the current Ravens will be in good position to make the same kind of turn around. Remember Ozzie Newsome has dealt with this scenario before. There is a reason the Ravens didn’t panic.

I’m not saying that the Ravens are Super Bowl bound or anything but I have to think that next season cannot be worse. The number of injuries the Ravens had were a statistical anomaly. That doesn’t happen every season. The close games the Ravens lost saw some tough breaks. It just wasn’t their year. If they fix their depth and make a couple of tweaks to the roster, the Ravens could be a really good team again.

Next: 2016 NFL Draft Profile: Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss

The Ravens have a history of strong rebounds after bad seasons. 2016 could be another example of how nothing in this world can keep the Ravens down.