The Baltimore Ravens have underachieved this season
The Baltimore Ravens are 4-5. While they are still competing, they are surely underachieving.
I won’t apologize for predicting a double-digit win season for the Baltimore Ravens. I won’t apologize for predicting that Breshad Perriman would have a breakout year, or declaring that the defense would be the best in the NFL. These are all things that should have happened. The Baltimore Ravens have simply underachieved.
The Ravens were given one of the most forgiving schedules of all-time. The road got easier on the way. Derek Carr was out when the Ravens played the Raiders. Jay Cutler was out when the Ravens played the Dolphins. The Ravens still have to play the Packers (without Aaron Rodgers) and the Texans (without DeShaun Watson). After dominating the Bengals and Browns the Ravens looked poised for big things.
The Ravens started the season forcing 10 turnovers and allowing 10 points in two weeks. Even though they played bad teams, the purple and black showed their best selves. Then the Ravens get beaten badly in London, do nothing right against the Steelers and lose to the Bears at home.
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Consistently inconsistent:
The team that embarrassed the Bengals to start the season, spent several weeks embarrassing themselves. The Ravens have had some really good moments this season. The win in Oakland was impressive because they played sharp and came up with clutch plays. Crushing the Dolphins was a lot of fun. These great moments must have left fans with the nagging thought that this type of performance shouldn’t be a rare treat. The Ravens are capable of getting things right, they just seldom follow through.
Joe Flacco has had good games and terrible games and you never know what to expect. The defense is the same way. If they’re not shutting an opponent they’re giving up huge plays at the worst possible time. Inconsistency is the calling card of the purple and black. That’s simply unacceptable. Every team has a bad game or two, but to be so on or off isn’t okay.
Forgive me for thinking that the Ravens should have beaten the one win Bears at home. Before that game, no rookie quarterback had beaten John Harbaugh’s Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Forgive me for thinking that a 44-7 loss to Jacksonville shouldn’t have happened on any continent. The Jaguars are playing better this year but the Ravens beat themselves. Also, forgive me for thinking that a 40-0 victory against the Dolphins should have been followed up with a competent showing in Nashville.
The Bottom Line:
The Ravens are flat-out disappointing. They may be the worst team that has ever recorded two shutouts. The problem is that the Ravens have no business being this bad. With Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce, C.J. Mosley and a phenomenal group of outside linebackers they should have the best front seven in football. Jimmy Smith and the corners are certainly elite. It’s not a talent problem when it comes to the defense.
Next: What the Baltimore Ravens are actually doing right
The formula for the Ravens is dominant defense and average offense. It worked in their four wins and it should have worked all year-long. All the offense was asked to deliver was competence. With an overload of talent on defense and a cupcake schedule, I expected so much more from the Ravens. I won’t apologize for my high expectations. They were reachable but John Harbaugh’s team lost their way.