This is one of the toughest spots the Baltimore Ravens have ever been in:
This season of Baltimore Ravens football has been a wild ride. November is usually a strong month for the organization but this is an unusual season. The injury bug has taken a toll on the Ravens and as of late the scourge known as COVID-19 has sunk its teeth into the organization. First and foremost I want to send well wishes to all the players and personnel and wish them a speedy recovery.
We should remember that players had the choice not to participate in the 2020 season. Win or lose we should appreciate the players for allowing us to escape reality and find some normalcy during these trying times.
Second, I want to say this season is a complete 180 in comparison to the historic 2019 season. In 2019 the Ravens were blowing teams out and having their way with teams in the NFL.
However, even though it was fun to watch it was not the typical Ravens football team we’ve come to know and love. What I mean by that is that there was hardly any adversity. The Ravens are usually known for grinding out wins with hearty defense and an offense that always finds a way. As I always say the Ravens are legitimate contenders, but champions must overcome adversity.
This is probably the most adversity the team has faced in the past decade. Injuries, Covid, among other things have put the Ravens in between a rock and a hard place as the playoffs approach.
In the previous decade, most of the Ravens’ adversity was attempting to make it into the playoffs and dealing with nagging injuries to key players. The Ravens have held the identity of a scrappy team who battles for every win, and some would say we had the identity of an underdog.
Whether it was the emotional leader Ray Lewis tearing his tricep, losing an RB1 to an off-the-field-incident, or cycling through offensive coordinators like cheap tissue paper the Ravens always had a chance to go all the way.
However, the Ravens teams of the past did not have to play in a global pandemic, play in an empty stadium void of fan energy, and have a multitude of impact players sidelined simultaneously.
With all that being said there is no coach I would rather have in a time like this. John Harbaugh’s ability to rally the troops and boost morale will be greatly needed once the next couple of weeks end. Typically the Ravens have always controlled their own destiny, but at this point, their destiny seems out of their hands.
I say all of this to say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the organization and I also want to emphasize the health of all personnel involved should take priority over the games. Once they get past this adversity the Ravens will still be a great team and will still have the potential to make noise in the postseason.