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Season Preview: Part Two

Written by Dan McGrain
Friday, 05 September 2008
This is part two of a two-piece preview of the upcoming season. Part one focused on the coaching staff and the division and can be viewed here. Part Two will focus on the Ravens' offense, defense and special teams. OFFENSE Running Game The running game will again be the Ravens' offensive bread and butter. While veteran back Willis McGahee has been sidelined with a knee injury all preseason, rookie Ray Rice has done a fine job filling his shoes. Throughout the season, we are likely to see both runners get plenty of touches and make their fair share of exciting plays. McGahee has great balance, such as the ability to burn down a sideline or bust through the line. Rice is more of a speed back and gives the Ravens extra options on passing downs. In front of McGahee and Rice are second-year player Le'Ron McClain and veteran blocker Lorenzo Neal. McClain was solid as a rookie last season and, with the support of Neal, should provide plenty of opportunities for the backs. The biggest question is finding out how quickly Baltimore's young offensive line learn Cam Cameron's system in order to get this running game back to its elite roots. Confidence: 3/5 Passing Game The passing game will again be this team's greatest struggle. Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco will be at the helm to start the season, and barring an injury or seriously poor play, he is likely to stay there for the rest of the season. The good news is that Flacco has shown enough growth and poise to quiet talks of "making the same mistake twice," a reference to Kyle Boller's baptism-by-fire six years ago. The bad news is that with a questionable offensive line in front of him and limited depth at receiving positions, Flacco will be facing the same issues that sank the likes of Boller, Steve McNair and many more. On paper, the Ravens look good at receiver with Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Todd Heap. On the field however, the Ravens continue to wait for Clayton to show his ability to be a game-changer, and Heap has yet to show he can stay healthy. Really, the only good news for this passing game is that it should be well-supported by the running game and defense. Call me optimistic. Confidence: 2/5 DEFENSE Against the Run The Ravens are built to stop the run, and stop the run is what they will do. The front seven are among the best in the league, even with an aging Ray Lewis as one of the centerpieces. Between big men Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata and Justin Bannan, the line has the bulk to plug holes and overpower offensive lineman. At linebacker, the Ravens are returning all four primary starters from last season—Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnson and Bart Scott. As an added bonus, behind them are Antwaan Barnes and Nick Greisen. Both have shown that they are more than adequate and will likely see plenty of playing time in Rex Ryan's schemes. Barnes, especially, is one to watch. He's got the kind of fire, though not the talent, that is reminiscent of a young Ray Lewis. Confidence: 5/5 Against the Pass Baltimore's pass defense is built around the line's ability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback. With the return of Trevor Pryce and a late trade for Marques Douglas, the line will hopefully be back in form to really swamp opposing quarterbacks. If that is the case, expect turnovers and lots of them. The question in the pass defense remains in the secondary. Ed Reed and Chris McAlister are perhaps the best at what they do in the league. Their counterparts, however, Samari Rolle and Dawan Landry, are prone to mistakes—especially when quarterbacks have time. The team added help over the off-season, acquiring Fabian Washington, Frank Walker, Jim Leonhard and drafting Tom Zbikowski. The four are not perfect, but they provide a level of depth the secondary needs. Ed Reed's apparent neck/shoulder injury is certainly scary as well, but we're just going to happily ignore that for now. See you in week two, Ed. Confidence: 4/5 SPECIAL TEAMS Kicking Matt Stover is Mr. Consistency. No one needs to be told that. If the offense (or defense for that matter) can put Stover in range, the Ravens will have points on the board. As an added bonus, punter Sam Koch has done his job well for the team the last two seasons and has shown increased leg strength in the preseason. In terms of legs, the Ravens special teams are among the league's best. Confidence: 4/5 Returning Yamon Figurs has the ability to change games with one touch of the ball. He has the speed, vision and acceleration to blow through coverage and make big plays. Behind him, new Ravens Jim Leonhard and Tom Zbikowski give the team new depth in the return department. Hopefully under John Harbaugh, these returners and their blockers have learned to make good decisions. If they have, you are looking at one of the best special teams units in the league, top to bottom. Confidence: 4/5 PREDICTION Making predictions for this Ravens season is not easy. The resounding sentiment around town has been negative, maxing out between 4 and 6 wins in most cases. But broken down by unit, and coupled with a weak division, it's hard not hear that "anything's possible" mantra in the back of your head. Is Joe Flacco going to be the league's MVP? No. But he will be more than passable. When this team starts with a win against the Bengals on Sunday, attitudes are going to shift dramatically about what this team can do and where it can go. Official Prediction: 8-8 You may now officially call me a homer.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 September 2008 )