2005 NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens

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Last Year

After a brief playoff appearance and a record setting 2,066-yard rushing season from Jamal Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens were supposed to take another step forward in 2004. Their focus was shifted off-the-field when the team's superstar running back was indicted on drug charges prior to the season but even so, the Ravens still started strong with a 7-3 record.

One of those seven wins came against the Pittsburgh Steelers as Baltimore was the only team to defeat Pittsburgh in the regular season. A 2-6 close to the season would eventually remove them from any contention, but this year the philosophy will remain the same: play defense, run the ball, and pray Kyle Boller doesn't screw up.

What We Learned From Last Year

Mariah Carey's song "Hero" starts off:

There's a hero,

If you look inside your heart,
You don't have to be afraid,
Of what you are

Well, Kyle Boller has looked inside his heart, and trust me, no hero is coming along. Boller is just another Jeff Tedford product who looked as sexy as Carey at the college level and then wilted like her movie Glitter at the pro level.

He's like Michael Vick without the mobility. Actually, he's worse. The much-maligned Vick is always getting guff for his deficient passing skills, but Boller actually had a lower completion percentage and an inferior quarterback rating than Vick last year.

Boller only had three games where he completed more than 60 percent of his passes. Needless to say, the air attack is not the feature of this offense.

After boasting the league's best run game two seasons ago, the Ravens dropped to number nine last season. There were a few reasons for that including injuries and off-field problems that kept Jamal Lewis out of action for nearly five games.

The offensive line was also nicked up a little bit as both tackles Jonathan Ogden and Orlando Brown missed some time with injuries.

It is hard to get a gage on how good the Ravens really are. They did finish 9-7 in a tough conference, but only three of their nine victories came against winning teams. More importantly, they seemed to get a few gimme wins as they played teams like Buffalo, Washington, Cincinnati, and even Pittsburgh early in the season. The Redskins were 1-3 at the time, the Bills were 1-4, they played Cincinnati while Carson Palmer was still getting his feet wet and they caught the Steelers before they heated up. Pittsburgh rocked Baltimore in their second meeting of the season and once Palmer was comfortable, the Bengals went into Baltimore and won.

On the other side of the ball, the defense was stout as usual. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Chris McAllister, and Terrell Suggs were all-world again and Deion Sanders fit in, as well. It seems like every year a new star emerges from the Ravens defense and last year it was free safety Will Demps. He led the secondary in sacks, finished with the fourth-highest tackle total and tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries. Not bad for a guy who was undrafted in 2002.

Speaking of which, B.J. Sams was another useful rookie free agent who really gave the Ravens a spark on special teams. His two punt return touchdowns tied him for the league lead and he proved his value for setting up field position.

Given Jamal Lewis' value to the offense, it's safe to say that without his best effort last year the Ravens underachieved, but it is clear that the foundation for success is present.

This Year

Samari Rolle, Derrick Mason, and Mark Clayton are all quality pickups, but the difference between Super Bowl or bust is Kyle Boller.

The Ravens can play defense just as well as anybody in the AFC — if not better — and their running game has already proven itself as a first-rate outfit, so that places the burden squarely on the passing game.

In previous years, a valid case could be made that the Ravens simply didn't have enough weapons in the receiving corps, but that is no longer convincing. Derrick Mason and Todd Heap have both been to the Pro Bowl twice and rookie first-round selection Mark Clayton has the potential to be selected a few times, as well. Even the 6-foot-6 sophomore Clarence Moore provides a tall target.

The offensive line is sturdy enough to give Boller the time he needs, even though center Casey Rabach darted to Washington as a free agent, which means it is time for him to pull up his pants.

In all honesty, the Ravens are not asking too much of him. They don't need Peyton Manning and they don't need Daunte Culpepper. They just want some consistency. Virtually every other aspect of this team is steady and that is all that they need from Boller if they are to become a contender.

As bad as he was last year, he actually improved on his rookie numbers. His completion percentage augmented by nearly four percent and his QB rating increased by eight points. If he can make the same improvement, the Ravens could be in for a successful season.

When Baltimore went to the Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer as their quarterback in 2000, his completion percentage was 59.3 and his quarterback rating was 76.6. Right now, Boller is at 55.6 and 70.9.

After a season as a consultant, Jim Fassel will be the team's new offensive coordinator. He was brought on to aid Boller's progress so he is familiar with the personnel and the set up.

On the defensive side, Mike Nolan took the San Francisco 49ers' head coach opening which earned a promotion for defensive line coach Rex Ryan. Ryan is the son of Buddy Ryan, the coach who invented the 46 defense for those vicious Chicago Bears defenses, and will morph the Ravens into that scheme from the 3-4.

The 3-4 defense suited the Ravens for a number of years as they have always had profound depth at linebacker but with the offseason losses of Peter Boulware and Ed Hartwell and the transition of Terrell Suggs from linebacker to defensive end, the team is thinner than usual at the position.

The 46 set up will put the NFL's reigning defensive MVP, Ed Reed, in a centerfield safety position and Will Demps will play closer to the linebackers. Considering Demps has excelled at run support and is only average in coverage, this role should exploit his strengths and shield his weaknesses more efficiently.

For the front seven, the transition to the new defensive system should be fairly smooth. Terrell Suggs has been used mostly as a pass rusher and he played end in college. Meanwhile, Anthony Weaver and Kelly Gregg have been prominent on the line before.

Two of the linebackers behind them will be familiar faces, Adalius Thomas and Ray Lewis, while Tommy Polley and Dan Cody are new supplements. Cody is a rookie who will switch from end to linebacker, similar to how Suggs was groomed for linebacker when he joined the Ravens and Polley will be the third starter for now.

The front seven has always been an aggressive group for Baltimore, but Ryan plans to bring more pressure than they have ever come with before. And with versatile players like Terrell Suggs, Dan Cody, and Adalius Thomas, the Ravens are flexible enough to switch out of the 46 to the 3-4 or the 4-3 on a dime.

While the frontlines experiment, the Ravens will be backed by the best secondary in all of football. Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle are a formidable starting tandem at cornerback and with Deion Sanders and a revived Dale Carter played nickel and dime packages, there is no better grouping of defensive backs in the league.

It may seem like a turbulent offseason for the Ravens, considering Jamal Lewis has spent time in jail and the defense is undergoing a systematic makeover, but they will persevere through all of this.

If Kyle Boller can complete 60 percent of his passes and avoid costly interceptions, this will be a daunting opponent.

Over/Under: 9.5

This over/under is very close to where the Ravens will finish. Pittsburgh will come down off of cloud 9, but Cincinnati and — believe it or not — Cleveland should be better than last season. Their out-of-division opponents are: IND, @TEN, NYJ, @DET, @CHI, @JAX, HOU, @DEN, GB, and MIN.

Fantasy Sleeper

Many people perceive Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton to be sleepers, but this is not a pass-oriented offense and Kyle Boller makes fantasy matters even worse. Although Jamal Lewis is not a sleeper, you may get good value with him amongst the top selections, as LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James will likely go ahead of him. Keep in mind that Lewis has averaged 1,440 rushing yards and eight touchdowns per season and he is the main offensive weapon on a weekly basis.

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