Why The Ravens Won't Make The Playoffs In 2008

[neepo13]

The media has nothing to do with it, it's fact. Why are you trying to list only the young players? You need to provide everyone, as I am about to do. The definition of an aged athlete is over 30, and the greater the chance that experience wont be able to keep up with the physical factors of becoming 30+.

Kelly Gregg - Still a machine, as he showed us this year, but at 31 and aging he has an increased chance of injury and of decreasing in skill.

Trevor Pryce - Do I really need to explain this one? Nasty tackle, but clearly age is catching up with him injury wise.

Haloti Ngata - Our future at the defensive line, really got pressure on qb's this year and aided in getting us that top run defense rank. Nice and young.

Terrell Suggs - Did quite well this season, and is young, another positive for the defense.

Bart Scott - Somewhat of a down season, making me believe that Adalius Thomas did more for this team than what we thought. Kind of ironic that Vrabel started becoming a sack master once Adalius came by.

Jarrett Johnson - Had his best year this year, but still wasn't spectacular. He didn't bring that explosiveness like we saw with rookie Barnes.

Dawan Landry - Not as good as last year, as our pass rank speaks for itself. Of course, a lot of that can be credited to corner problems, but cmon, there were so many big plays made on us by no name QB's. We were the reason Kellen Clemens got the look to be the starter for the Jets, we were the reason Kurt Warner was given a chance to redeem himself.

Ed Reed - Mr. Risky, i love him, but sometimes he leaves me cursing. He's still an amazing safety but the risks can leave him in the dust against amazing WR's. Plus he's turning 30, I pray it doesn't slow him down.

I didn't even mention Rolle or McAlister because they speak for themselves (at least Rolle does). He hasn't been great since the Titans, and McAlister no longer seems to be the shutdown corner he used to be. It's AGE that has affected them and it's a scary thought.

As for Ray...

Actually he is declining....when we compare him to HIMSELF. Back in his prime he was AMAZING, but of course we cant hold him to be like that at his age. I totally agree with you, he's still a top notch linebacker and I wouldn't want anyone else in his position. I'm simple stating he is showing signs of slowing down..SLIGHTLY. It's not that big of a deal because he's still better than 90% of linebackers out there. But he's my proof, age factors into an athletes ability to be good at his position.

All that is why i think the playoffs may be a wishful thought right now. I dont see any team in our division with that much of an age problem. I think it's fantastic that our offense is young, besides Mason, but Mason is still clutch. It looks like a bright future for the offense of the Ravens, as for the defense, I can only hope they can hold out for as long as possible.

To end, I'm skeptical about next year (it's too soon to think big), but I am still hopeful.

I only listed the young STARTERS because like I said not even half of our defense is over the age 30. Of our starters only Lewis, Pryce, Rolle, Cmac, and Gregg are over the age of 30. And only 3 maybe 4 of our backups are over the age of 30 that being Ivy, Stills, and one other person, skips my mind right now. After those 7 or 8 players we have 1 player hovering around 30, Reed, and 2 players that are over the age of 25, Scott and Johnson, who are 27 and 26. After that every single player is 25 and under. That is about the same mixture that every other NFL team has including the Patriots, Steelers, Bucs, and Gaints.

[nevermore621]

Champions overcome adversity.

The 2000 version of the Ravens had a large amount of adversity heaped upon them . . . Ray's trials, a quarter of a season without a touchdown, QB changes in mid-season, etc, etc, etc. But, they overcame it all and won a Super Bowl.

Overcome the injuries from last year. Overcome the QB issues. Overcome the ravages of time. Overcome the inexperience of the young guys. Overcome the bad officiating. Overcome the built up frustrations. Overcome. Overcome. Overcome.

There is no uber team in the AFC North. A 10-6 record might just gain a division championship.

Overcome.

That's what I'm talkin about!!! Exactly the kind of thinking we need!!!

[BRYAN1146]

Since optimism obviously isn't in short supply on a Ravens message board, I feel as if some fans need to be brought back down to earth.

Let's face it: we love our team. We all bleed purple and black, and we always want to believe that the Ravens can win every single game. However, the reality is, outside of the 2007 Patriots and the 1972 Dolphins, the odds of going undefeated in the regular season and reaching the Super Bowl are lower than winning the lottery.

And unless February 3rd, 2008 rolls around and New England is celebrating its fourth Super Bowl title, then the '72 Dolphins will stand as the only undefeated Super Bowl Champions in NFL history.

With that said, the mortality of the Ravens is evident in the fall from 13-3 to 5-11. We want to believe the team is invincible, but an injury to one star player, let alone more than a handful, is often the difference between a playoff run or a losing effort.

Because of the increased optimism around these parts with the hiring of John Harbaugh as the new head coach, Cam Cameron as the offensive coordinator, and the potential re-signing of Rex Ryan as defensive coordinator, there has been a frenzy of dream scenarios, including a Super Bowl run.

Hold your horses, folks. Let's not get out of hand quite yet.

Although I share in your optimism, I also have to remind everyone of the dangers of getting your hopes too high.

Which brings me to this topic:

Why The Ravens Won't Make The Playoffs in 2008.

Keep in mind, I am not against Coach Harbaugh performing a miraculous turnaround next season. However, the key phrase there is "miraculous." It would, indeed, take a miracle for a rookie head coach with no experience as the head man or a coordinator in this league to turn a 5-11 team into a legitimate playoff contender. And here's why:

-- Inexperienced offensive line. Although the line has shown flashes of brilliance when starters have been hurt, their lack of chemistry has also hampered them, as well. This was especially visible with the injuries to Steve McNair and Kyle Boller, as well as their respective performances when pressured early and often. Should Jonathan Ogden and Mike Flynn retire, the elder statesmen will be fourth-year guard Jason Brown and fourth-year tackle Adam Terry. Although that's not a knock on their abilities, that's a scary thought.

-- QB controversy, and not like the one in Cleveland. For once, the Ravens envy the Browns in that they may have two starter-quality QB's on their roster come opening day, should they retain both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn as expected. Meanwhile, Baltimore has three former starters in veterans Steve McNair and Kyle Boller, and second-year QB Troy Smith. Smith may be the fans' pick to start, but Cam Cameron has made it clear that all three will be evaluated and the best man for the job (not necessarily the most talented) will start. Should McNair somehow return to form in 2008 after battling injuries all last season, that leaves Boller's future in even more doubt as Smith is still slated to helm the offense in the future. In addition, if the coaching staff chooses to pursue a QB in the draft or free agency, any one of the three QB's could be the odd man out.

-- Aging roster. Although there is a young nucleus that could be developed, only 5 of 11 projected returning starters on defense (not including free agent Terrell Suggs) are under the age of 30, with Ed Reed slated to turn 30 shortly after the start of the season. With age comes a higher risk of injury, as Chris McAlister and Trevor Pryce showed.

-- Tough division. The AFC North has long been billed as one of the most physical divisions in the NFL, and every divisional game has been difficult to predict mainly because of the history between teams. In addition, parity has been the operative word in the AFC North, as the Steelers returned to the playoffs in 2007 after struggling immensely the season before. The Browns have become competitive, posting a 10-6 mark and narrowly missing the playoffs, which adds fuel to the fire. And the Bengals always have an explosive offense that keeps them in games.

-- Growing pains. Every rookie head coach experiences growing pains with his team, and the Ravens will be no exception. The new offensive system put in place by Cam Cameron (and agreed upon by Coach Harbaugh) will take time to learn. Execution comes after preparation, and there's a decent chance that, given the inexperience of the younger players on offense, the playbook may take a while to digest. In addition, there is bound to be friction between players and coaches, and a comfort level will take time.

Then, of course, there's always the variables: injuries, parity (there's that word again), strength of schedule, etc.

Ladies & gents, the odds are against a playoff bid in 2008. Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Feburary 1, 2009 seems out of reach.

Or is it? Stranger things have happened, and it would be a dream come true if the Ravens were to win their second NFL championship at the site of their first one. And frankly, if there was ever a time for me to be wrong about anything, I would hope that next season would be it.

I disagree just because John Harbaugh is a rookie head coach he has been a coach for 24 yrs. and hes been around football his whole life and dont forget hes going to be suronded by veteran asst. coaches and veteran players. And our aging roster still have some years in them , this really dosent have to be the rebuilding years instead if we go out and find some of the missing pieces that we need and start preparing some of our 2nd string players better , i mean last year when mccallister and rolle went down our backups were not prepared at all they should have been able to step in without a problem but they looked like they didnt have a clue and it took them 3 or 4 games to catch up to the speed of the game. and i dont think we have to have a QB problem , we should either keep steve or kyle and that way with one of them gone theres no going back and forth. dont forget we won our last supperbowl with trent dilfer that proves the QB doesnt have to be great just good enough. Im not saying were going to make the superbowl but to say we wont make the play offs thats just wrong.

[minford]

Thank you tehFranchise for making this thread. I too am sick of unbridled optimism and people making predictions on something we can't predict. That being said, I also think its too early to say we won't make the playoffs, but if I had to guess where we'll end up next year, I'd say we'll improve our record to either .500 or above, but out of the playoffs.

Also, why are people flaming tehFranchise for this thread? Where were you guys (except a few of you like Jon, Neepo, Raven07 and MKDave) during the regular season? The board was FILLED with negativity then. Just because we hired a new coach doesn't mean everything will be amazing for the next 30 years, calm down and bring yourself back to reality. And the reality of it all is that we have every reason to be excited about next year for obvious reasons. However, just don't go sounding like an idiot when you do express your excitement. Or better yet, keep on prattling about how great we're gonna be next year so when we don't meet your lofty, unsubstaniated expectations I can laugh at you.

All that being said, I obviously hope I'm wrong and all you high-expectationers are right.

[noy]

I only listed the young STARTERS because like I said not even half of our defense is over the age 30. Of our starters only Lewis, Pryce, Rolle, Cmac, and Gregg are over the age of 30. And only 3 maybe 4 of our backups are over the age of 30 that being Ivy, Stills, and one other person, skips my mind right now. After those 7 or 8 players we have 1 player hovering around 30, Reed, and 2 players that are over the age of 25, Scott and Johnson, who are 27 and 26. After that every single player is 25 and under. That is about the same mixture that every other NFL team has including the Patriots, Steelers, Bucs, and Gaints.

5 (soon to become 6 because of ed reed) starters at the age of 30+ is A LOT of age on one side of the ball. I don't know why you are arguing with me over age because even espn experts have called our defense an aging defense, it's FACT. You may not like it but they know a lot more about football than anyone else in these forums.

Ok, I don't know why you're bringing up the patriots...the bucs...or the giants because they're not even in our division. The Steelers do in fact have 4 starters on there defensive side of the ball aged over 30...but NONE over 31. If you're comparing that to our defense, then they have less players to deal with, less of an aged average to deal with, AND to top it off, they have a consistent offense so that the defense wont have to be on the field as much as ours is/was.

Lets bring it to another topic, how many of those aged players are play makers? For us...Pryce, Lewis, McAlister, Gregg. Steelers? Casey Hampton...and...yea. Look at how many places we will need to fill. The Ravens office have got a lot to deal with in the future, so I don't see the immediate future next season turning out as bright as some hopefuls in this forum believe it will be.

[theFRANCHISE]

Thank you tehFranchise for making this thread. I too am sick of unbridled optimism and people making predictions on something we can't predict.

Uh-ohhhh...I think SOMEONE got the irony of my thread. Nice job!

That being said, I also think its too early to say we won't make the playoffs, but if I had to guess where we'll end up next year, I'd say we'll improve our record to either .500 or above, but out of the playoffs.

I agree, improving to .500 or above is a more realistic expectation, though part of me is shooting higher than that, of course. Remember, I never "predicted" that the team would go 0-16 based on my assessment; I just said they wouldn't make the playoffs. And like I said, I'm not HOPING something like that happens, nor am I implying that something like that WILL happen. As I said in a few responses above, this was for the sake of DEBATE, which I accomplished.

Admit it: when half of you actually READ through the entire first post, it made you honestly THINK long and HARD about the state of the team after last season. And that was pretty much the point, other than to start a healthy, respectful, mature debate among fellow fans.

Also, why are people flaming tehFranchise for this thread? Where were you guys (except a few of you like Jon, Neepo, Raven07 and MKDave) during the regular season? The board was FILLED with negativity then.

Thank you for that. I really DO appreciate it.

Honestly, it almost hurts a bit to be criticized for speaking my mind when we've had to deal with so much negativity DURING the season in the heat of the moment. And I understand that there were many VALID reasons for speaking emotionally about the games, but at the end of the day, we're all Ravens fans that want the best for the team. I'm not looking to bring anyone down with this thread, nor am I trying to invoke any more negativity. But if you think about it, how come I was criticized for being "overly" optimistic during the season when the team needed our support the most, and now criticized for being "negative" when the team won't even play another down until the preseason in August?

Again, I DO understand that a lot of you WANT to be optimistic, and I'm all for that. But I'm just being cautious with MY optimism because I know that getting back to the top after hitting rock-bottom isn't easy, especially in the NFL. Life revolves in cycles, and the NFL is no different. The Browns were at the bottom for so long, and there was nowhere else to go but up. The same will happen to the Patriots, who've been at the top for so long that they're bound to hit rock-bottom eventually. And the cycle will continue and the Ravens will have their time again.

[USF BULLS RAVEN]

Also, why are people flaming tehFranchise for this thread?

Welcome to the internet.

[neepo13]

5 (soon to become 6 because of ed reed) starters at the age of 30+ is A LOT of age on one side of the ball. I don't know why you are arguing with me over age because even espn experts have called our defense an aging defense, it's FACT. You may not like it but they know a lot more about football than anyone else in these forums.

Ok, I don't know why you're bringing up the patriots...the bucs...or the giants because they're not even in our division. The Steelers do in fact have 4 starters on there defensive side of the ball aged over 30...but NONE over 31. If you're comparing that to our defense, then they have less players to deal with, less of an aged average to deal with, AND to top it off, they have a consistent offense so that the defense wont have to be on the field as much as ours is/was.

Lets bring it to another topic, how many of those aged players are play makers? For us...Pryce, Lewis, McAlister, Gregg. Steelers? Casey Hampton...and...yea. Look at how many places we will need to fill. The Ravens office have got a lot to deal with in the future, so I don't see the immediate future next season turning out as bright as some hopefuls in this forum believe it will be.

Because the so called experts are not always right and I dont agree with them on this. I think we have several young line backers waiting in the wing to replace Lewis, I dont think there will ever be another Ray Lewis but I believe we have some guys that can fill that void farely well. Reed, although almost 30, isnt going anywhere any time soon and hasnt shown any signs of slowing down. I think the team is going to draft a CB, with the first pick this year, so the only positions that we need to began looking at immediatly is DL. Which depending on what type of defensive system Harbaugh brings in we will need to began thinking of bringing in a new DE. My point is the Ravens have always been able to make the transition from "old" to "young" smoothly and people are making a bigger deal of this then what it really is. Only two players from the championship defense are around now and the defense hasnt lost a step.Thats what good organizations do. They dont throw all their veteran players out and start all over with young players. They gradually work young players into the defense and that is what the Ravens are doing. I bought up the Gaints, Pats, and Bucs because they are in a similar situation that we are in, some maybe worse then ours and I never hear any of the so called "experts" commenting that they need to began rebuilding an aging defense. Like I said, in my opinion, the reason our defense is "old" to the so called "experts" is because the face of the defense, Ray Lewis, has aged.

[minford]

Because the so called experts are not always right and I dont agree with them on this. I think we have several young line backers waiting in the wing to replace Lewis, I dont think there will ever be another Ray Lewis but I believe we have some guys that can fill that void farely well. Reed, although almost 30, isnt going anywhere any time soon and hasnt shown any signs of slowing down. I think the team is going to draft a CB, with the first pick this year, so the only positions that we need to began looking at immediatly is DL. Which depending on what type of defensive system Harbaugh brings in we will need to began thinking of bringing in a new DE. My point is the Ravens have always been able to make the transition from "old" to "young" smoothly and people are making a bigger deal of this then what it really is. Only two players from the championship defense are around now and the defense hasnt lost a step.Thats what good organizations do. They dont throw all their veteran players out and start all over with young players. They gradually work young players into the defense and that is what the Ravens are doing. I bought up the Gaints, Pats, and Bucs because they are in a similar situation that we are in, some maybe worse then ours and I never hear any of the so called "experts" commenting that they need to began rebuilding an aging defense. Like I said, in my opinion, the reason our defense is "old" to the so called "experts" is because the face of the defense, Ray Lewis, has aged.

I agree with you on the fact that the Ravens don't need to worry too much about aging talent, at least not more than any other teams. However, there are clearly issues our team needs to address in the off-season & training camp (ie depth at cornerback, turnovers, pressuring the qb, qb, etc) that will prevent us from being the playoff team that many people here on the forums predict us to be. I feel the Bengals are just as close as we are to turning it around and being a force again. They just need defense where we need offense. Browns deserve some props to for being a playmaker or two away from the playoffs as well.

[neepo13]

I agree with you on the fact that the Ravens don't need to worry too much about aging talent, at least not more than any other teams. However, there are clearly issues our team needs to address in the off-season & training camp (ie depth at cornerback, turnovers, pressuring the qb, qb, etc) that will prevent us from being the playoff team that many people here on the forums predict us to be. I feel the Bengals are just as close as we are to turning it around and being a force again. They just need defense where we need offense. Browns deserve some props to for being a playmaker or two away from the playoffs as well.

I dont disagree with that all. A 5-11 record tells that story but aside from depth on defense, our defense is not the problem. With sorry backups and injuries to 3 key players, they were ranked 6th. I think the Bengals fate this season was very similar to ours. Odell Thurman and David Pollick were developing into quite a tandem before the off the field issues and injury bug hit.

[smashmouth]

I guess you guys predicted the browns to go 10-6 and almost make the playoffs also? Anything can happen in the NFL, do you think the pats would go undeafted and all the way to the superbowl without Tom Brady? I highly doubt it, i dont even think they would win a game in the playoffs if brady went down.

I diddnt see ANYONE say that the ravens was gonna be 5-11. most experts had us going deep into the playoffs if not winning th superbowl. Injuries is just not something anyone can say is gonna happen or not. If all teams stayed healthy then maybe we would have a little better of an idea how good a team is gonna do or not.

I think the Ravens have awesome talant on both sides of the ball, and if we stayed healthy and B-Billick was coming back along with a brand new offensive system we would do another 13-3 run, but with a new coaching staff i see us being about 10-6 with the chance at making the playoffs. This years gonna be more of a learning year and schooling some young who may have to step into a starting role in the near future. But if out guys can learn this new system fast enough and maybe all return for the year after who knows what we could do, maybe make it to the superbowl, afterall we do have the talant even on offense.

[USF BULLS RAVEN]

5 (soon to become 6 because of ed reed) starters at the age of 30+ is A LOT of age on one side of the ball. I don't know why you are arguing with me over age because even espn experts have called our defense an aging defense, it's FACT.

You may not like it but they know a lot more about football than anyone else in these forums.

Because they are on ESPN? There are many factors that determine who ESPN hires and markets as a "football expert". Plus, you are using these "experts" to back up your claims of age. We know their ages, their dates of birth do not change.

Ok, I don't know why you're bringing up the patriots...the bucs...or the giants because they're not even in our division.

Arm chair QBing is a comparative free-for-all. The Bucs and Giants are examples of teams that had a terrible season and followed it up with a big turnaround.

The Steelers do in fact have 4 starters on there defensive side of the ball aged over 30...but NONE over 31.

lol. What?

The Ravens office have got a lot to deal with in the future, so I don't see the immediate future next season turning out as bright as some hopefuls in this forum believe it will be.

Yeah, we should fully replace our optimistic fanaticism with sobering details about front office moves.

I don't know why you are arguing with me over blind allegiance for the Ravens because even baltimoreravens.com message board posters have called our team AWESOME, it's FACT.You may not like it but they know a lot more about homerism than anyone else at ESPN.

[noy]

Because they are on ESPN? There are many factors that determine who ESPN hires and markets as a "football expert". Plus, you are using these "experts" to back up your claims of age. We know their ages, their dates of birth do not change.

Arm chair QBing is a comparative free-for-all. The Bucs and Giants are examples of teams that had a terrible season and followed it up with a big turnaround.

lol. What?

Yeah, we should fully replace our optimistic fanaticism with sobering details about front office moves.

I don't know why you are arguing with me over blind allegiance for the Ravens because even baltimoreravens.com message board posters have called our team AWESOME, it's FACT.You may not like it but they know a lot more about homerism than anyone else at ESPN.

Er, Yes there are many factors that make ESPN to hire them, because they have the most intuitive insight into the NFL...and yes I am using them as examples because I thought Neepo didn't understand that our defense is old, hence using expert statements to prove that it's not just me saying the defense is old. He thinks that all the experts look at is Ray lewis, I call bull****. They're not idiots, they dont look at one part of a team and call it old. They look at the team as a whole, and I'm inclined to agree with them. But congrats man, thanks for the point about birthdays not changing, I obviously needed a refresher on what birthdays actually are.

Clearly you dont understand the Steelers point. They have LESS OF AN AGED DEFENSE TO DEAL WITH THAN WE DO. Is that better?

Of course everyone, "sober" up with details about what the front office does, it's not like they control the teams direction/future or anything...............

Frankly, your last sentence confuses me. Either you're taking a jab at ESPN, or you're trying to make a parallel between message board posters and espn experts (same thing as the former). Both ideas are sad. ESPN pretty much has a monopoly on sports media. Where do you go for the latest sports news? What channel do you watch for sports? Where do you get the latest stats for certain teams and players? etc. The fact that some of you are putting 'experts' in quotes just shows how ignorant some of you are. They are the cream of the crop for sports analysis, and I'd much rather trust their opinion than the opinion of an individual who has the spare time to post on favorite teams message boards.

[neepo13]

Er, Yes there are many factors that make ESPN to hire them, because they have the most intuitive insight into the NFL...and yes I am using them as examples because I thought Neepo didn't understand that our defense is old, hence using expert statements to prove that it's not just me saying the defense is old. He thinks that all the experts look at is Ray lewis, I call bull****. They're not idiots, they dont look at one part of a team and call it old. They look at the team as a whole, and I'm inclined to agree with them.

My point is. The Ravens defense is not getting "old". They bring in new young guys to work them into the defense every year just like they did after we won the Superbowl. If the "experts" would look past Ray Lewis they would see that. Oh, yeah and your "he" is a she.

[theFRANCHISE]

My point is. The Ravens defense is not getting "old". They bring in new young guys to work them into the defense every year just like they did after we won the Superbowl. If the "experts" would look past Ray Lewis they would see that. Oh, yeah and your "he" is a she.

LOL!! PWNED!

[MDmid14]

theFranchise was right to make this thread and hes got very valid points. I am an optimist and I sure as hell hope we make the playoffs but our backs are against the wall. We have the players, coaches, and the organization to reach the post-season, but the things that hold us back might be too great. We have another incredibly tough schedule, aging players, and a whole new offensive scheme (we might have been a terrible offense in the past, but they still had a scheme to learn). I won't count us 100% out of the hunt, but unless we make some big trades/drafts/FA Pickups I'm leaning 80/20 that the Ravens will be watching football from home.

[USF BULLS RAVEN]

Er, Yes there are many factors that make ESPN to hire them, because they have the most intuitive insight into the NFL...and yes I am using them as examples because I thought Neepo didn't understand that our defense is old, hence using expert statements to prove that it's not just me saying the defense is old. He thinks that all the experts look at is Ray lewis, I call bull****. They're not idiots, they dont look at one part of a team and call it old. They look at the team as a whole, and I'm inclined to agree with them. But congrats man, thanks for the point about birthdays not changing, I obviously needed a refresher on what birthdays actually are.

Clearly you dont understand the Steelers point. They have LESS OF AN AGED DEFENSE TO DEAL WITH THAN WE DO. Is that better?

Of course everyone, "sober" up with details about what the front office does, it's not like they control the teams direction/future or anything...............

Frankly, your last sentence confuses me. Either you're taking a jab at ESPN, or you're trying to make a parallel between message board posters and espn experts (same thing as the former). Both ideas are sad. ESPN pretty much has a monopoly on sports media. Where do you go for the latest sports news? What channel do you watch for sports? Where do you get the latest stats for certain teams and players? etc. The fact that some of you are putting 'experts' in quotes just shows how ignorant some of you are.

lol. They have the most intuitive insight into the NFL? Most are hired because of name recognition. Mark Schlereth is almost always wrong, mostly because of his outlandish claims. Keyshawn Johnson is probably legally stupid and his credibility hasn't been established. He refers to T.O. as "Dude" and refuses to address Owens by his name. Chris Berman is a joke. Stop with the nicknames, Chris. Plz? ESPN is the cream of the crop? ESPN is a joke. ESPN is to sports what MTV is to music. They used to present programming that intrigued sports fans, but now they break stories about Tony Romo dating a blonde and Tom Brady's baby mommas. I guess some people like the Enquirer, TMZ, gossip theme to their sports "news". It's ok.

There are many sports channels you can watch for sports news without the creepiness of ESPN. Also, have you tried the internet?

They are the cream of the crop for sports analysis, and I'd much rather trust their opinion than the opinion of an individual who has the spare time to post on favorite teams message boards.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

[Raven07]

hype....talk, rumors.....and all the above.....means absolutely nothing to the Ravens as a team and what potential we can have as a complete unit. noone expected us to have a 13-3 season after going 6-10 the previous year either, so we all must instill the faith and feel the Purple flame burning deep within ourselves (Raven Fans i mean..all you other fans can..well...do something else)......what it all comes down to is offensive development, overall chemistry (how well they are adapting to the New Offense and new caoching staff).....having the ut-most confidence in whatever they do and most of all........BELIEVE!!!!

[wilshade]

Hmmmmm . . . . unbridled optimism . . . . what a dangerous concept. I think we all know what is likely and what is hopeful. Being positive is a whole lot more fun than the alternative. Besides, the Orioles seem to have cornered the market on negativity and unbridled pessimism. Let them keep it.

[ReED jucate]

Unbridled optimism? I think it would be insulting to baltimore if we don't make the playoffs. John is a good coach walking into a turn key operation. He has Cam on one side and Rex on the other, somthing any team in the NFL should fear. We have 20 starters coming back and to say we are an aging team is rediculous since we have one of the youngest rosters by average in the NFL.

Remember in our division we have

The steelers - crumbling under Tomlin who doesn't know how to coach and a team with no depth whatsoever.

The Browns - going to be the biggest threat next year but lack any kind of defense.

The Bengals - while they always seem to have our card I thik the new coaching will throw Marvin for a loop - oh and they suck.

Superbowl? odds are against us but the playoffs are very real.

[DaleHunter]

11-5, wildcard.

Or, 4-12, top 5 draft pick in 09.

[minford]

11-5, wildcard.

Or, 4-12, top 5 draft pick in 09.

So you're saying they'll either do good or bad. Thats the worst prediction ever. Are you John Madden?

[DaleHunter]

So you're saying they'll either do good or bad. Thats the worst prediction ever. Are you John Madden?

I am really going out on a limb with this prediction.

[minford]

I am really going out on a limb with this prediction.

Haha fair enough. Personally, I still think its too early to make predictions. But hey, nothing wrong with a lil speculation.

[die_hard_raven]

I will bleed black and purple until the end and I have to believe the playoffs is within reach. The most important thing I would like to come out of next season even if they don't make the playoffs is continuous growth at the QB position (Troy Smith) and I we could sign a free agent or draft a receiver with good hands and break away speed I think that would compliment the offense well. We have solid players but look what Moss's speed did for the Patriots. I'm not saying gets someone of Moss's talent even though that would be nice but if our offense could stay healthy all season having a consistent down field threat w/big play potential would really give the offense much more options as far as spreading around the ball and having good drives.

[noy]

lol. They have the most intuitive insight into the NFL? Most are hired because of name recognition. Mark Schlereth is almost always wrong, mostly because of his outlandish claims. Keyshawn Johnson is probably legally stupid and his credibility hasn't been established. He refers to T.O. as "Dude" and refuses to address Owens by his name. Chris Berman is a joke. Stop with the nicknames, Chris. Plz? ESPN is the cream of the crop? ESPN is a joke. ESPN is to sports what MTV is to music. They used to present programming that intrigued sports fans, but now they break stories about Tony Romo dating a blonde and Tom Brady's baby mommas. I guess some people like the Enquirer, TMZ, gossip theme to their sports "news". It's ok.

There are many sports channels you can watch for sports news without the creepiness of ESPN. Also, have you tried the internet?

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Yep, they're so much of a joke that they're the main source for sports information. Yes, the internet...it's called espn.com, the most collectively put together sports information ON THE INTERNET. *clap* You should be relating that last sentence to yourself, what makes you think that your opinion means **** when millions of people tune in to hear their ideas than the small portion of ravens fans that have the patience to hear your crap.

[noy]

Unbridled optimism? I think it would be insulting to baltimore if we don't make the playoffs. John is a good coach walking into a turn key operation. He has Cam on one side and Rex on the other, somthing any team in the NFL should fear. We have 20 starters coming back and to say we are an aging team is rediculous since we have one of the youngest rosters by average in the NFL.

Remember in our division we have

The steelers - crumbling under Tomlin who doesn't know how to coach and a team with no depth whatsoever.

The Browns - going to be the biggest threat next year but lack any kind of defense.

The Bengals - while they always seem to have our card I thik the new coaching will throw Marvin for a loop - oh and they suck.

Superbowl? odds are against us but the playoffs are very real.

How are the steelers crumbling...making the playoffs...that's more than we can say. I think that's wishful thinking. And are they even changing that dramatically going into next season?

The Browns and the Bengals are offensive powerhouses, as long as they can outscore opponents d isn't really a problem, and since we lack all offense, I'd say our defense will most likely slip and give them the edge. Going into next season I'd say being winless within the division isn't that far of a stretch to say, unless our young offense proves me wrong, which i really hope they do.

[ReED jucate]

How are the steelers crumbling...making the playoffs...that's more than we can say. I think that's wishful thinking. And are they even changing that dramatically going into next season?

The Browns and the Bengals are offensive powerhouses, as long as they can outscore opponents d isn't really a problem, and since we lack all offense, I'd say our defense will most likely slip and give them the edge. Going into next season I'd say being winless within the division isn't that far of a stretch to say, unless our young offense proves me wrong, which i really hope they do.

We had our worse season since our first season as a team and still managed to win a division game. Winless in the division? I don't think so. Just because a team is an offensive powerhouse doesn't do anything to help win games if you have no defense. That is why neither the Browns nor Bengals have made it to the playoffs. We had a high powered offense when we first started and that got us what? 5th, 4th and 4th place in the AFC Central division.

As far as the Steelers go its just my instinct and a little probability. They have Ben so they will always be a threat to anyone but the team has not had a real down season yet to truly rebuild and I think it will catch up with them. (As was evident in last game we played) If the guys off the bench aren't hungry enough to pull off a win then I can't see them being the team they once where. I think it will be a 3-way battle between Ravens/Browns and Steelers for the division possibly not being resolved until late december.

People want to be pessimistic on here and thats fine with me but seriously, you watched a team suffer some of the worst luck (First Bengals game - Heaps butter fingers\ bad play calling, Patriots time out heard round the world, the Cleveland Field goal and bye far the worse injury list of any team yet we still showed that we where capable of being an elite team. I believe that elite team will walk back on the field this next season with a new fire and that we will do good. I don't think our team could possibly do worse than it has this year.

[#1_Raven_Fan_in_NY]

I am angry with people who think that the ravens are done before they get started. Let me put this bug in your ear. This past season our team was hit with more injuries then in prior years. I also feel that the team management should had a foot broken off in their fourth point of contact, by letting Thomas leave the team and look what he's done for and with the Pats. We should have signed him to a deal. This example has hurt both the Orioles and the Ravens. I am the biggest fan of both these teams up here in northern New York.

Here's what we should do as a team, we should address our short commings in the draft like pick up some younger offensive linemen and then help with the defensive prospects to help with secure the most dominate defense in the league.

The quarter back issue is simple, get rid of Boller he sucks we shouldn't have picked him up at all. Mcnair he's old and I do think that Troy Smith could be one of the most prolific QB's in this league but he needs a very crafty veteran QB to teach him. Like a donavan Mcnab or a Brett Favre.

I also think that The Ravens should have went after Bill Cowher as our head coach because he would have be a great fit for our Ravens and I still think this. I feel that if harbaugh has a loosing season this up coming year look for Bill Cowher to come in and coach in 2010. This is my predictions.

[Raven07]

injuries play a big part of how a team performs as a team, whether it be on the Offensive side of the football or the defensive side fo the football. doesnt matter, and like i said before, the constant channging of personel up front and the constant rotation of our players, was a(in my oppinion) why we had some trouble and had some mis-haps and missed blocks and miss reads and what not.....bottomline (no matter how you could or may look at it) is that a team with Far less injuries or lets say a team that has far less SERIOUS injuries ultimately plays well and does good (for th most part of the equation), plus those types of players have that added cushion of comfort level that the younger guys and the constant rotation, never really had gotten established.

As for Addressing what we need to do as a team....well i think the only one's that truly know what they need to do is the Team officals and Ozzie and his staff themsevles. but as it stands right now with people throwing their own oppinion our in the mix......in order to fully utilize what talent we have on this team, we must first put those types of players into the situations in which suits them best and where they are able to Exploit their talents to the fullest ability, fullest potential....

The quarterback issue. again is one thats is totally up to what team officals decide. and in saying that, Boller (as well as any other quarterback on this team like McNair, and Troy) could flerish with the new outlook and new schemes and new system installed here. time is a virtue in which i believe Boller has proven time and time again that He is a good Back up type of player but not starter quality. Smith has the Makings of truly thriving in this system and being the best franchise QB we ever had thus far....if he keeps this positive mindset, and learning attitude towards helping this team out. As for McNair, again.....injuries played a factor in how well he peformed last season and in which we all saw the result. Poor Play. we know what McNair brings to the table for this team.....thus is why everyone was cheering the move on more and more when we brought him in here, AND you all saw what he could do when he is healthy for the most part of the season (13-3 overall record)....and in which he had one of his best seasons as a pro....

so given the right chances and right circumstances....any and all player(s) can thrive....all it takes is time..