Baltimore Ravens

2013 Season:  8-8

Baltimore Ravens

  The 2012 Super Bowl Champs lost a lot of talent with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis exiting the team.  Played mediocre all season but fell to 2-6 on the road.  Typically if you have a good running game, you can win some games on the road.  Super Bowl MVP QB Joe Flacco signed a huge contract in the off season and the team put him into a huge role.  He threw the ball more than he ever has with 614 passing attempts, sacked 48 times (2nd in the league), 22 int's (2nd in the league), but threw for 3,912 yards which is his most ever.  Ray Rice didn't bring it like he did the previous years to help Joe out from the backfield.  Defense was average at best.  Lardarius Webb came in with 74 tackles 22 Pass deflections.  Terrell Suggs trying to fill Ray Lewis place was tough but he came along well with 80 tackles 10 sacks.  The Ravens fail to make the playoffs which seems to be a usual the year after a team wins a Super Bowl.

Key Additions:  Steve Smith, C.J Mosley

Fantasy players to watch for:  QB Joe Flacco, WR Torrey Smith, WR Steve Smith, K Justin Tucker, BAL D/SPT

2014 Season Outlook:  The Ravens will be a good team this season.  Defensively last season 10th in stopping the run.  DT Haloti NGata at 6'4 340lbs and DE Chris Canty at 6'7 317lbs is a lot of force to have a running game on.  OLB Elvis Dumervil and ILB Daryl Smith both in their 2nd season with the team will be more comfortable with the system.  Daryl Smith ended the season with 123 tackles and 3 picks.  The front 7 will be the best in the league, drafting LB C.J Mosley.  WR Steve Smith enters his 14th season from the Carolina Panthers for all of his years grabbed 64 passes for 745 yards.  Add him to a receiving corps that stepped up and caught a lot of balls.  Torrey Smith 65 catches and 1,128 yards partnered with Marlon Brown who caught 7 td's as a rookie gives Flacco a lot to throw to.  But the off season Ray Rice gate could be a distraction.  Suspended only 2 games for an intolerable act Ray Rice leaves a gap for the running game.  That will be in question along with protecting Flacco.  They have one of the best kickers in the game in Justin Tucker who hit a 61 yarder last season hit 38/41 field goals.  Looks like they can pull off a Wild Card berth losing a first round game 10-6