2006 NFL Preview: Baltimore Ravens

Last Year

After hovering around the 10-win mark for a couple of seasons, the Baltimore Ravens expected at least the status quo in 2005, especially with the return of a rehabilitated Jamal Lewis. But Lewis was hobbled by an ankle pains and the theme of injuries surfaced on defense as well, nipping key defenders Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Finally equipped with a competent quarterback, the Ravens will look to regain their stride in the coming season, but an aging roster means that there has to be a sense of urgency to win now.

What We Learned From Last Year

Signing a free agent to fill a need is a smart decision. Signing a free agent away from a division rival to fill a need and simultaneously weaken a close opponent is a better decision.

Or at least so the Ravens thought when they signed guard Keydrick Vincent away from the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Vincent was supposed to solidify the right guard position, vacated by the departure of Bennie Anderson, but he became the reason for many leaks.

The bulk of the Ravens' offensive failures can be traced to poor performances on the offensive line, which stemmed from questionable offseason decisions in regards to that unit.

Another problematic personnel distinction the Ravens made on their offensive line was to keep Mike Flynn and allow center Casey Rabach, the only offensive lineman to start all 16 games in 2004, to sign with the Redskins. Essentially, the Ravens didn't have much of a choice in the matter after signing Flynn to a five-year contract in 2004, but his play dropped off significantly last year, while Rabach performed admirably in Washington.

But Flynn wasn't the only one to disappoint. Tackle Jonathan Ogden and guard Edwin Mulitalo functioned far below expectations while right tackle Orlando Brown simply looked old.

Needless to say, pass protection suffered greatly and blitzes guided at the center of the line gave the Ravens fits.

Kyle Boller had another garbage season, with the exception of two good outings, both of which were conveniently on national television and against terrible defenses. A toe injury kept him out of seven games, but the team was only 4-5 in games that he started.

With a weak offensive line and spectral production from the passing game, Jamal Lewis could not carry the burden of the offense by himself. He output his worst season as a pro, but I'm willing to give him a mulligan — unlike Boller — because he has proven himself before.

With the signing of Derrick Mason and the emergence of rookie Mark Clayton, the Ravens did finally unearth a capable tandem of wide receivers and their first 1,000-yard man since Qadry Ismail.

On defense, the Ravens were snake-bitten by injuries to key contributors, namely the NFL's two previous defensive players of the year. Ray Lewis, the heart and soul of the Ravens, missed the final 10 games of the season with a torn hamstring, while stalwart safety Ed Reed missed six games with an ankle injury.

On top of the critical wounds to the former MVP's, Chris McAllister had a subpar year and the team was not impressed with what Will Demps brought to the table.

Even so, with so many underachievements, injuries and inefficiencies, the Ravens still won six games and were within four points of winning four more.

For all of their failures, they still remained somewhat competitive and credit is due to a much-maligned coaching staff.

Although the Ravens are aging at several vital positions, with Steve McNair at the helm, at last they can expect steady production out of the offense to support what has perennially been one of the NFL's stingiest defenses.

This Year

Cue the Queen and David Bowie duet, head coach Brian Billick and offensive coordinator Jim Fassel are under pressure.

The type of pressure that burns buildings down, splits a family in two, or puts people like Billick and Fassel in the streets.

And that is where they will find themselves, looking for a new job, should they not produce at least nine or 10 wins.

If Fassel ever wants to find another head coaching gig, he will have to improve the Ravens' 24th-ranked offense, which has not finished higher than 21st since 2001.

One-time NFL co-MVP Steve McNair will be of great assistance. In his 11 NFL seasons, his lowest quarterback rating (70.3) rivals Kyle Boller's best (71.8), which means the Ravens should be able to reincarnate some form of a passing game.

He has a great on-field rapport with Derrick Mason and he has always given his tight ends love. See: Frank Wychek.

The Ravens will likely still be a run-first team, but expect the individual statistics of Todd Heap, Mason, and Clayton to expand in addition to team statistics, such as their paltry 39.1 third-down conversion percentage.

McNair's ability to scramble wanes with age, but he still has decent legs under him. Even so, he will need better protection than the 42 sacks permitted up front last season. What is essential to note is that Kyle Boller has been a poor leader for the Ravens in which nobody really believed in. Now the Ravens find themselves with a true quarterback, one who they will be confident in every week.

It is unlikely Ogden, Mulitalo, or Flynn will duplicate their porous work from last year. All three have rededicated their commitment to hard work in the offseason and there should be some sanctuary going forward. Orlando Brown was released and Tony Pashos will fill his void.

There isn't much depth at the tackle positions, but the Ravens do have a solid interior prospect in Chris Chester, the team's 2006 second-round pick.

If the line cooperates, expect Jamal Lewis to bounce back with a 1,500-yard season. As long as he is healthy, he is still one of the premiere running backs in the league and with the security of a new contract, he won't hibernate like he did last season.

On defense, although it is unclear how many different formations defensive coordinator Rex Ryan plans to install, their 3-4 look should be stouter at the point of attack with first-round pick Haloti Ngata. This space-eater is pretty much what Ray Lewis asked for and he will keep the linebackers clean of blockers when he is on the field.

The Ravens forked over a lot of coin to sign defensive end Trevor Pryce to a five-year contract, who will be 31-years-old come August. The move was puzzling, considering their own free agent, Anthony Weaver, signed with Houston for similar figures and is on the way up instead of on the way down.

Nonetheless, the Ravens should get at least a couple of solid seasons out of Pryce and coupled with Terrell Suggs at the other end, the Ravens should produce more pressure on opposing tackles.

With Adalius Thomas, Suggs, and Dan Cody, Ryan is outfitted with a number of versatile players that can help him show many different formations. He also has the peace of mind knowing that he can blitz more than the average defensive coordinator because he has two of the best cornerbacks in the game.

Samari Rolle and Chris McAllister will take the lead roles while rookie David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, and Corey Ivy will vie for the nickel role. Without Deion Sanders and Dale Carter this season, this is an opening that needs to be filled.

The only real glaring hole in the Ravens defense is the free safety position. They traded for Gerome Sapp, who was previously drafted by the Ravens, but his range is limited in pass coverage. While he may be a liability in pass defense, he is adept at filling and supporting in run defense.

Billick is supposed to be an offense-minded coach but during his tenure in Baltimore, it is the defense that has been the strength. This year, the Ravens have an offense that will alleviate some of the pressure off of the defense and should give Ryan enough time to experiment with formations.

The window of opportunity is still open for the Ravens, but with the coaching staff on their last chance and players like Ogden, McNair, and Ray Lewis past their prime years, this team is a candidate to be blown up should they falter once again.

The bottom line is the Ravens have the talent to make the postseason and do some damage in the playoffs, but how far they go depends on the amount of on-field urgency displayed as a team.

Over/Under: 7.5

This looks like an over, especially when you consider they won six games with a completely inept offense last season. One would have to think that McNair and a healthy Jamal and Ray Lewis are worth at least two more wins. To get to 10 or 11 wins, the Ravens do not have a wide margin of error and that includes injuries. They play: @TB, OAK, @CLE, SD, @DEN, CAR, @NO, CIN, @TEN, ATL, PIT, @CIN, @KC, CLE, @PIT, and BUF.

Fantasy Sleeper

Typically, he's not exactly a sleeper, but he is dozing this year. Jamal Lewis is ranked in the 20s among top-tier of running backs and many pundits are concerned about the signing of Mike Anderson. For the first time ever, Lewis won't be bogged down with eight defenders in the box and as for Anderson, just remember that Broncos running backs typically don't fare very well after leaving Denver.

This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].