A 3-5 record at the halfway point of the NFL season is not what is expected of a defending Super Bowl champion. While the Baltimore Ravens have left a lot to be desired so far, there's always a silver lining... Right?
I looked at the bad and the ugly of the Ravens season so far yesterday, but we should try our best to see the glass as half-full... Or at least try and see something in the glass at all. So let's look at the bright spots of the Ravens season thus far and what's going right.
(Caution: This list may be a tad shorter than the list of negatives... C'mon, they're 3-5.)
Joe Flacco is playing well, and playing consistently. It's easy to put the blame for the mostly-woeful Ravens offense and the team's overall underachievement on the shoulders of Baltimore's 120 mllion-dollar man. Is he playing up to the expectations set by the money he's getting? No. But he shouldn't be taking nearly as much blame as he is. Flacco is putting up similar numbers to the stats he's put up in years past when the Ravens were incumbent championship contenders. And with 2,167 passing yards through eight games, the Baltimore signal-caller is actually on pace to set a new career high this season. And not only does Flacco move the ball downfield without the help of a successful running game, but he's also not making many mistakes. If you discard the anomaly that was the Buffalo game, Flacco has only thrown three total interceptions in Baltimore's losses. It's easy to put blame on Flacco when you compare him to his huge contract; and a quarterback is always gonna get the blunt of the blame when his team is struggling. But let it be clear: Flacco is not the reason for the Ravens poor record.
The starting receivers have provided sparks. Many questioned whether Torrey Smith could be a productive number-one receiver after Anquan Boldin's departure. No one's questioning that anymore. Many questioned who the Ravens' number-two receiver would be, and whether they'd be the caliber of an NFL starter. No one's questioning that anymore either with the emergence of Marlon Brown. Smith has developed into one of the league's best and most dangerous receivers, leading the AFC in yards per catch (19.6) and ranking third in receiving yards (707). Brown, an undrafted rookie, leads the Ravens with five touchdown catches; and, at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he gives Flacco a huge target. Flacco's success with this pair of downfield threats are the reasons behind the AFC's fifth-ranked passing offense.
The pass rush hasn't skipped a beat. Baltimore has had a rich history of dominant defenses, and they've usually been based on a strong pass rush. This year is no different. The outside linebacker combination of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil has become the most feared duo in the NFL, racking up 16.5 of the team's 27 sacks. A defensive line anchored by Haloti Ngata and Chris Canty has given opposing offensive lines major headaches, and young Ravens like Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee and Courtney Upshaw are coming into their own as well.
The defensive unit as a whole has been getting the job done. Despite the team's struggles, the defense still ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in yards and points allowed per game. The Ravens have the league's 8th-best rush defense and 14th-ranked pass defense. They also rank 2nd in the NFL in red zone defense and 4th in third-down defense. It comes down to keeping opponents out of the end zone, and the Ravens defense has allowed just eight touchdowns in their last seven games, and has given up one or fewer touchdowns in five of this season's eight contests.
The surprise in the secondary: James Ihedigbo. In a secondary that has left little to be desired so far this season, one player has stood out: safety James Ihedigbo. If Marlon Brown is the team's breakout player on offense, then Ihedigbo is definitely that player on defense. With last year's starting safeties leaving the team via free agency, the Ravens have had to turn to inexperienced faces to man the middle of the backfield. When I heard Ihedigbo would be starting for Baltimore this year, I thought for sure that he would be the weak link; but boy, was I wrong. Ihedigbo has been the major standout in an underperforming secondary in his first year as a starter. He ranks 3rd on the team in tackles (46; the most of any member of the secondary), and brings a hard-hitting intensity to the defense that makes you ask "Wait, was that Bernard Pollard?" No, it was James Ihedigbo, and he's earned a lot of respect this season.
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