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5 Reasons The Baltimore Ravens Missed The Playoffs

By Chris Schisler

Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) has his fasemask grabbed while he extends the ball across the goal line to score the game winning touchdown against Baltimore Ravens strong safety Eric Weddle (32) in the fourth quarter. The Steelers won 31-27 at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) has his fasemask grabbed while he extends the ball across the goal line to score the game winning touchdown against Baltimore Ravens strong safety Eric Weddle (32) in the fourth quarter. The Steelers won 31-27 at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) has his fasemask grabbed while he extends the ball across the goal line to score the game winning touchdown against Baltimore Ravens strong safety Eric Weddle (32) in the fourth quarter. The Steelers won 31-27 at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) has his fasemask grabbed while he extends the ball across the goal line to score the game winning touchdown against Baltimore Ravens strong safety Eric Weddle (32) in the fourth quarter. The Steelers won 31-27 at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

The Baltimore Ravens are missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.

The Baltimore Ravens season is ultimately a failure. The goal was to get back to the playoffs and they didn’t accomplish it. Close, as they say, only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The Ravens needed to beat the Steelers to keep their playoff aspirations alive. The reason the Ravens lost that game is the number 5 reason the Ravens will be sitting at home this January.

5. The Prevent Defense

The Ravens were so close to a division title that they could practically taste it. All they needed to do was to keep the Steelers off the scoreboard for a minute and 18 seconds. Dean Pees made a grave mistake. The prevent defense prevented the Ravens from winning, it’s that simple. Instead of eating up clock for the Steelers, it allowed the Steelers to march down the field. Then the Ravens only had nine seconds to work with. It would have been better to be aggressive. If the Ravens gave up a score on one big play, at least they would get the ball back with some time to operate.

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The prevent defense was flawed for a number of reasons. The first of which is the situation. Pittsburgh only needed a field goal to tie the game. The prevent defense concedes chunks of yards in exchange for time of the clock. The best case scenario while employing the prevent, was overtime. I’m not saying that Pees should have had all man coverage, no deep safety and a blitz, but giving them field goal range was playing with fire. You probably don’t need to be reminded that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown burned the Ravens.

The Ravens gave the Steelers exactly what they wanted. It made an exciting final minute, but it guaranteed a doomsday scenario for the Ravens. The Ravens strategy was like kerosene added to a burning fire.

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