The Baltimore Ravens Bet On Themselves In A Big Way

The Baltimore Ravens Believe Stability Will Lead To Victories

Going into the 2012 NFL Season, Joe Flacco knew he was betting on himself. The veteran quarterback turned down the Ravens contract offer, knowing he could earn a better deal. The Ravens offered him a pretty fair deal, but Flacco believed in his ability to increase his value. The season ended with Flacco hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and signing a $120.6 million contract.

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Going into the 2016 season the Baltimore Ravens are following their quarterback’s example. It would have been easy to overreact to a 5-11 season. Steve Bisciotti would have been justified if he demanded whole sale changes after his team missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Bisciotti chose to bet on his organization. He bet on John Harbaugh and his coaching staff. He bet on Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta.

Rarely does a team that went 5-11 the year before, enter a season with the continuity. Failure impulsively creates the will to change everything you’re doing. The Ravens went from winning a playoff game in Pittsburgh and giving New England a run for their money, to mediocre results. Disappointment fuels anger. Anger leads to rash decisions. Bisciotti kept a level head and chose the path he knows, instead of a path of change.

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The Ravens are not afraid of Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results). Wanting to make changes in this situation is human nature. He could have easily forced staff changes by Harbaugh. By keeping the band together, the Ravens owner actually did what was harder.

The Ravens did not change their organizational structure. Bisciotti did not veer from a group of people that won at least one playoff game in six of the last eight years. He did not give his Super Bowl champion head coach any ultimatums. He trusted his decision makers to re-tool the roster. He trusted Harbaugh to make something special out of it.

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Like Flacco the Ravens bet on themselves. The last time a Ravens player risked being wrong and took his future into his own hands, the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Maybe now that the Ravens owner bet on his franchise, the team can enjoy the same success.