The Baltimore Ravens are better than you think they are
The season has not been easy for the Baltimore Ravens. Their struggles almost hide how impressive the Ravens really are:
The Baltimore Ravens looked destined to have another mediocre season. Baltimore displayed all the signs for a wasted year. There were a boat load of injuries, bad losses and some frustratingly low stats for offensive production. It was easy to prepare for the worst, especially in the stretch where Baltimore lost four of five games. However the current situation goes like this: The Ravens have won five of the last six games and they are a win away from the postseason.
If the Ravens get the win against the Bengals they will finish the regular season on a 6-2 run. The Ravens offense has completely turned things around. Joe Flacco has had four very strong games in a row. The interception on the opening drive of the game in Pittsburgh was Flacco’s only interception since week 11. Alex Collins and Buck Allen are a formidable duo in the backfield. All of the sudden an offense that was setting records of ineptitude is getting the job done.
The Ravens defense has three shutouts on the year. If you take away the one bad game against the Steelers, the defense has been on a roll all season long. The most important statistic is the number on the scoreboard. The Ravens defense only allows an average of 18.1 points per game. At the moment, the Ravens have the ninth best defense in terms of yards allowed.
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Putting it all together:
The defense had to carry an unfair work load for most of the season however the offense has gotten things together. When the Ravens put a mostly dominant defense with a much improved offense, they are one of the toughest teams in the league to beat. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a Super Bowl contender and the Ravens almost beat them. If and when the Ravens go back to Heinz Field, they know they can win.
Another thing to mention here, is that the Ravens have a top-tier special teams unit. Morgan Cox is a consistently perfect long snapper. Justin Tucker is a pretty much automatic field goal kicker and Sam Koch is an amazing punter. The Ravens don’t slip up on special teams. They have an opportunistic defense that takes the ball away with shocking efficiency and now the offense is protecting the football. When the Ravens got things turned around it was because this team has a lot of things figured out.
The Bottom Line:
The Baltimore Ravens still have work to do to get into the playoffs. They have to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, something that doesn’t come easy. The thing is that the Ravens are playing good football right now. They should be expected to win this game. The fact of the matter is that if the Ravens put up over 20 points, most opponents will have a hard time beating them. It isn’t always going to be pretty but the Ravens always have a chance to win.
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The Ravens are better than you think they are. If the Ravens take down the Bengals they will not be a team that sneaked in the playoffs. They will be a team that went into the NFL playoffs as one of the hottest teams in football. The offense may not be the greatest show on turf, but they are playing solid football of late. The defense may not equal the 2000 defense but it’s pretty darn good. When you look at what this Ravens team has accomplished and what they had to get through to get here, the Ravens have to command your respect.