The question is simple: Are the Baltimore Ravens a playoff team?On paper, the answer for many is yes. Inside the team?s Owings Mills facility, confidence is running high among officials, coaches and players. The team boasts a number of Pro Bowl players, a former NFL MVP, an offensive player of the year and two defensive players of the year.
Still, this is a team that returns a core of players that contributed to a 6-10 season a year ago, and one that showed very little wrinkles in its offensive or defensive schemes during four preseason games. Have the Ravens solved their red-zone issues? The 2005 team scored 16 touchdowns in 42 opportunities.
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Quarterback Steve McNair, who was acquired in the offseason to reinvigorate a passing game that ranked 22nd in the NFL last season, gives the team an offensive leader. Skeptics have said McNair might not be able to throw the long ball. McNair finally showed that ability in the final preseason game.
“Anytime they give us an opportunity to throw the ball deep,” McNair said, “you want to take advantage of it. … You want to be able to have that balance ? short ball, deep balls. I tried to take advantage of it.”
He?ll need to, because McNair now has one of the better receiving corps in football with Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams and Devard Darling. On top of that, McNair, known for his relationships with tight ends, has one of the best in Todd Heap.
At running back, the team looks loaded, with two 1,000-yard rushers in Jamal Lewis and Mike Anderson plus emerging Musa Smith. Lewis is still dealing with all that has come with his 2,000-yard season in 2003.
“Sometimes I think, ?Was it a good thing or a bad thing to go for yards that year, or should I have waited a couple more years before I did that??” Lewis said during training camp. “But if I have those expectations and that?s what I put in place, I just try to come out and work hard in the offseason, to go out and try to accomplish the same thing again.”
The Ravens? biggest question marks heading into the season are with the offensive line, a unit that still has not proven it can pass-protect for an entire game.
Defense appears to be a strong suit, as always. The team has one of the most interesting linebacker units in the entire league. While middle linebacker Ray Lewis is the hard-hitting presence, Adalius Thomas and Bart Scott have proven themselves to be diverse, if underrated, players. And Terrell Suggs is one of the best pass rushers in the game.
Scott said any lingering preseason coverage issues are being resolved.
“We had some ups and down, but everything was correctable,” Scott said.
The team feels it addressed its issues on the defensive line, particularly at tackle, with first-round selection Haloti Ngata. He should help in run support, and with his massive size (340 pounds), he can cave in offensive lines.
Still, the rookie said he struggled with the speed of the game during the preseason.
“Ngata?s really doing a good job,” Scott said. “He?s learning. He?s a fast learner.”
One of the lingering issues is in the secondary, where a lack of focus proved costly last season. Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister are both Pro Bowlers, but they missed a series of would-be interceptions last year.
At safety, the team addressed the departure of Will Demps with rookie Dawan Landry and Gerome Sapp, acquired from the Colts. Landry appeared to win the position over the veteran Sapp in the preseason. Of course, they will be matched up alongside one of the NFL?s biggest playmakers, Ed Reed.
“When I went out last year and I got hurt, we showed that we had a lot of versatility as far as guys stepping in and making plays and doing different packages,” Reed said. “We have a lot of guys and a lot of talent. You miss that with [Will] Demps because that chemistry was there with me and him after playing four years straight, and it?s something you have to build up to at this point. But we have a lot of guys with great talent. It?s just a matter of somebody stepping up and saying that they want the position.”
On special teams, the team signed two major free agents in Corey Ivy and Gary Stills, who should provide some hard-hitting. In his third season, B.J. Sams is hoping to take things to the next level. Sams was second in the NFL, with 12.2 yards per punt return.
“I?m looking for big things,” Sams said.
There are plenty of talented pieces. For the Ravens, it will just be a matter of putting everything together.
