These aren’t your typical Baltimore Ravens anymore. Gone are the days in which they would win games by scores of 13-10 or 7-3. The defense is just a little bit less talented than the 2000 defense that single-handedly won them the Super Bowl, but it’s the offence that could get everyone noticing this team in 2010.
Joe Flacco enters his third season as starter for this franchise and he’ll look to be a 4000 yard passer after throwing for 2900 yards in his rookie campaign and 3600 in his sophomore season. He’s quietly matured before our very eyes and could be well-positioned for a breakout year.
He’ll certainly have more options to help him get there with the addition of Anquan Boldin from Arizona. The top 4 receivers on this team are now: Derrick Mason, Boldin, Mark Clayton and Donte’ Stallworth, who joins the team after missing all of 2009 due to suspension.
But the Ravens have always prided themselves on being a run-oriented offence and if they want to go that route again, they can certainly do so with a trio of great running backs to choose from. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee will represent one of the best 1-2 running attacks in the league again and the fullback position will even be a threat with former number one rusher, Leron McClain filling the spot.
The one question mark about this offence will be the offensive line. They have Michael Oher at left tackle and veteran Matt Birk as anchors, but will the other three O-Linemen be able to perform adequately?
Defensively, they will be near the top of the NFL again in every major category and they may have the most complete starting 11 in the league. The one issue that they hope to avoid is injury because there’s a lack of depth on this team.
The defensive line is stacked with the projected starters listed as: Corey Redding, Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata. This could be the best trio in football to stuff the run at the line of scrimmage. Offensive lines will have a tough time handling them.
If a runner can get by the line, they’ll have to run into a talented group of linebackers led by Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. There are question marks as to how much Lewis and Suggs have left in the tank, but their veteran presence will help counter any deficiencies.
The one part of the defence that may be exploited would be the secondary, but even then, that’s a stretch since Chris Carr and Fabian Washington are more than adequate NFL cornerbacks.
Two players to look out for in camp are Donte Stallworth and Ray Lewis. Both have questions as to what they can offer at this point in their careers. How much did Stallworth lose in talent by missing a full season? For Lewis, how much mileage does he have left in the tank since he’s played so many seasons?
2010 Prediction: 11-5