Looking At 2006 In The Rear View Mirror
In a league where you are only as good as your last move, the Baltimore Ravens were feeling continuous heat since drafting Kyle Boller turned out to be a worse decision than the time that Elisha Cuthbert walked in to oncoming traffic on a busy road. Don't worry, her physical appearance is fine.
Misfiring on a quarterback has cost many head coaches their position and nearly sent Brian Billick to a similar fate. Luckily for him, Steve McNair arrived just in time and helped shoulder the burden that the defense had been carrying for years.
The problem was that by the time they finally found a capable quarterback, their once-stellar offensive line and premier rushing attack look like the picture of Dorian Gray.
Running back Jamal Lewis, who once surpassed 2,000 yards rushing in a season, was worn down so much that he needed to take 10 steps to move five yards.
The Ravens were counting on Lewis, especially since they allowed the next best running back on their roster, Chester Taylor, to walk as a free agent and instead opted to sign Mike Anderson.
Compounding the problems was the disappointing performance of the front five, including stalwart left tackle, Jonathan Ogden, who output one his worst seasons as a pro and ski-masked his way to the Pro Bowl.
The Ravens inked right guard Keydrick Vincent in the offseason, prying him away from division rival Pittsburgh, believing that one man's trash would be another man's treasure. It turns out that he's their trash, too. The Ravens allowed 17 sacks last season, which is a diminutive number, but much of the credit should go to McNair, who gets rid of the ball quickly.
Given the poor protection and poor run blocking, the Ravens were forced to adapt to a quick-passing system.
The quick-hitters were effective and indirectly served as a running game, but without a home run threat at running back and without proper protection, the Ravens were forced into being a very intermediate, docile offense. They had only six plays of 40 yards or longer.
On defense, the Ravens were mocked after signing 31-year-old Trevor Pryce and allowing a younger, better prospect, Anthony Weaver, to walk in free agency, but it was the Ravens that had the last laugh.
There was also gossip about Ray Lewis and Chris McAlister being past their primes, but those claims were well off the mark.
In fact, to many people's surprise, it was the other starting cornerback, Samari Rolle, who proved to be the veteran to stumble. His confidence was shaken early in the season after Steve Smith used him as a pylon and he never regained his form.
In Baltimore, under the Rex Ryan's watchful eye, it has become customary to simply assume the defense will be a top-five unit. That will be the case again this season.
What will determine whether the Ravens are once again a one-and-done in the playoffs or a serious Super Bowl threat will be the play of the offense.
Using Letters To Breakdown Numbers: Ravens Rushing Game
In 2003, the Ravens had the top-ranked rushing offense. In 2004, they had the ninth-best rushing attack. In 2005, the Ravens' running game ranked 21st. In 2006, the Ravens ground game finished 26th.
Hopefully, I don't have to draw a graph to illustrate my point here.
Since owning the league's top rushing outfit and using the Cleveland Browns' defense as a treadmill to demonstrate how effective it is, the Ravens' run game has been in decline.
Most of that can be pinned on No. 31, who never looked the same since spending time in cell block "D" and ankle surgery in 2004.
Just how far has he fallen? Since averaging no less than 4.3 yards-per-carry during his first four playing seasons, Lewis hasn't topped 3.6 in the last two years.
Lewis had 26 100-yard rushing games and 39 rushes of 20 yards or longer from 2000-2004, but has only four 100-yard games and six runs of more than 20 yards in 2005 and 2006.
Lewis' statistics tell us that his best years are behind him, which makes the move to acquire Willis McGahee, a player who is on the opposite side of the hill from Lewis, is a shrewd move (especially since they didn't pay a lot to acquire him since Buffalo was holding a veteran garage sale this offseason).
With McGahee in tow, the Ravens will lose out on power, as Lewis is much more of bowling ball, but McGahee is more explosive, can run without a fullback, and is a better receiver.
From First Round To Super Bowl
The Ravens got to first base last year, but their veteran roster is looking for much more than foreplay.
They are among a number of second-tier Super Bowl contenders that can challenge for the Lombardi Trophy if everything falls in place.
The Ravens return all but one starter from the league's top-ranked defense as Adalius Thomas went paper chasing to New England.
Thomas is an excellent player and his versatility will be missed. But the Ravens know how to run a defense and there are still plenty of playmakers around.
Bart Scott enjoyed a breakout season last year and if he builds on it, the blow of Thomas' departure won't be as bad.
A bigger issue for the Ravens will be the performance of the secondary. Samari Rolle must bounce-back from a sub par season and has put in the extra time to do so. If Ed Reed built up some more discipline, that would also ameliorate the pass defense. Another year of growth for youngsters Ronnie Prude and David Pittman should also help.
Under this regime, the Ravens' defense has replaced Pro Bowlers before, so I'm not overly worried about this side of the ball.
On offense, the Ravens number one concern is the rebuilding of their offensive line.
The ideal situation is for Ogden to produce one more solid season, for second-year guard Chris Chester to push center Mike Flynn to the bench, and for first-round round pick Ben Grubbs to start at right guard. Adam Terry will take over for the unspectacular Tony Pashos at right tackle.
This unit is the Ravens' best five starters and has the most upside, but they need to show it on the field.
If that's the case, the ripple effect throughout the whole team will be enormous.
For starters, the running game should receive an immediate boost.
Incorporating McGahee into the offense should not be an arduous task for an offensive guru like Brian Billick. McGahee's hands out of the backfield will be an additional weapon in the passing game, which figures to be next in line to improve.
The air attack was just okay last year and really did most of its damage in the 10-20 yard range. That could change significantly this season.
McGahee doesn't run behind a fullback nearly as much as Lewis does, which means the Ravens will be able to set up in three receiver sets more often.
While most people have noticed Mark Clayton's growth as a wide receiver — he led the Ravens in receiving yards last season and overtook Derrick Mason for the No. 1 role — many people overlooked Demetrius Williams strong rookie campaign. He finished December with 193 yards and two touchdowns without being a starter.
Clayton and Williams are both explosive while Mason has now morphed into more of the possession/reliable target.
The Ravens also added Yamon Figurs, a third round pick, who has the best speed on the team. While his hands aren't great, he's a natural playmaker and figures to give the Ravens a gimmick/reverse/return threat.
Add Todd Heap to the equation, who led the Ravens in receptions and touchdowns — and you know McNair loves his tight ends — and the Ravens have complemented one of the league's best defenses with what should be a top-10 offense.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns rebuilding and the Cincinnati Bengals proving to be the wildcard, the Ravens should once again finish atop the AFC North.
One last note: Baltimore has quietly become one of the toughest stadiums to come out victorious. The Ravens have only lost six games at home in their last four years.
Biggest Weakness: Offensive line — Heading into the season, there is more unrest in this area than any other spot on the team.
Offensive X-Factor: Willis McGahee — The Ravens won 13 games last season with the league's 26th-ranked rushing offense. How many can they win if McGahee thrives?
Defensive X-Factor: Ed Reed — Reed is a playmaker, but he needs to better protect Rolle, as well as any other leaks.
Fantasy Market: Buy Low
Considering he's a No. 1 receiver, Mark Clayton is going to offer some good value on draft day. Last year, he transitioned from being the second option to being the primary wide receiver and finished with 939 yards and five touchdowns. Last season, the Ravens had only six passing plays of 40 yards or longer and he produced five of them. Now that he has spent an offseason as the top dog, expect him to grow into a solid No. 2 fantasy wideout.
"Vegas" Dave Golokhov hosts "THE Fantasy Show" on Hardcore Sports Radio, channel 186 on Sirius Satellite Radio, beginning September. Send media requests, thoughts, love letters, or hate mail to [email protected].
Leave a Comment