Will We Be Back In The Playoffs For The Fourth Straight Year

[fusuymada]

Many teams that make it to the playoffs annually, do not return to the playoffs in the following season. Bleacher Report did a slideshow on all the teams that made the playoffs this year and what their chances are of making the playoffs again next year. (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/615351-nfl-breaking-down-each-2010-playoff-teams-chances-to-return-to-the-postseason#page/7).

In my opinion, we still have the core pieces to get back again, but what we do in the off-season and how the off-season negotiations pan out plays a lot into that. Franchise tags, salary caps both high and low, and free agency are all items that will affect the Ravens. Will our talent exceed our coaches abilities to utilize them again this year, or do the players and coaches step it up and take us all the way?

What are your thoughts?

[Romo Ravens]

It would take a total meltdown and a Ray Lewis injury for us not to make the playoffs next season.

[Ed_Reed20]

I see no reason the Ravens can't return to the play-offs. The coaches have to do better next season but the talent must improve as well. Whether they can seize the opportunity and win a Super Bowl is the biggest question.

[berad]

Too early to tell but I see no reason why not, now.

[ryan23945]

i think we will definitely contend again, this team should only get better with the core group we have, draft well, shore up the o line, but making the playoffs is only half the battle, if they r gonna go out in the playoffs early/lose to the steelers then its a waste, defensive meltdown on 3rd and long aside, the offence against pitt needs to improve drastically.

[UMDan]

There's way too much uncertainty at this point with the CBA and how that may factor into the offseason. No teams may make the playoffs next year if a lockout is put in place. But, I think the Ravens focus needs to be on the Superbowl, not the playoffs. We've proven we can make the playoffs... now let's bring home another Superbowl for Baltimore.

[Ravens Lover]

If Flacco continues to progress, the comunication between him and his receivers improves, and the Defence stays healthy I don't see anywhey we couldn't make the Super Bowl let alone the playoffs

[gabefergy]

If the team stays healthy and fixes a few weaknesses in the offseason, I expect the Ravens to not only make the playoffs but be a serious SB contender.

[TheGathering]

We really need to start building up on our heir apparents. We need to have people in place to take the roles of a Ray Lewis, of a Ed Reed. We didn't exactly have a replacement for J. Ogden or Chris McCallister and look where two of our biggest question marks are: the O-line and at corner.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='TheGathering' timestamp='1298402245' post='643633']
We really need to start building up on our heir apparents. We need to have people in place to take the roles of a Ray Lewis, of a Ed Reed. We didn't exactly have a replacement for J. Ogden or Chris McCallister and look where two of our biggest question marks are: the O-line and at corner.
[/quote]

No one is going to fill the roles of Ray or Ed. Depth and players with future starting potential would be nice but Ray and Ed are "once in a generation" players.

I disagree the o-line(specifically tackle) and CB are the biggest needs. The team didn't miss Ogden much in '08 or '09. The primary reason the tackle is a question mark now is because of Gaither.

As for the CB position, I don't think fans would be clamoring for a shutdown corner if the pass rush was better.

[Corvus]

You're right that a lot of it depends on what else we do in the offseason with our team, but as others have said, I don't see why we couldn't make it 4 years in a row. MOST of our important core players are returning, plus we get some good scheduling to help out some: the NFC West this year people. If I'm not mistakened we won 3 of those 4 games in 07 when we went 5-11, haha.

[TheGathering]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1298402858' post='643637']
No one is going to fill the roles of Ray or Ed. Depth and players with future starting potential would be nice but Ray and Ed are "once in a generation" players.

I disagree the o-line(specifically tackle) and CB are the biggest needs. The team didn't miss Ogden much in '08 or '09. The primary reason the tackle is a question mark now is because of Gaither.

As for the CB position, I don't think fans would be clamoring for a shutdown corner if the pass rush was better.
[/quote]
I believe that we are a lock to make the playoffs again, for a 4th year in a row. Not saying that these Hall of Famers arent "once in a generation" players because they are, but the fact remains that if we wish to go the the playoffs 4,5,6+ years in a row...Ray and Ed won't be around forever! They still bring the same intensity as day one but they won't be around forever! They are the leaders of this team not just the defense but they won't be around forever! We need better people to step in these postions at linebacker and safety when, God forbid, one of them gets injured or retires. Am I making my point clearly enough?

[ravensfan2424]

The list you provided basically names almost every team that got in this year will get in next year besides Kansas City lol

But i think as long as we keep the flow of young players moving into the system and heaven forbid any injuries we should be fine

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='TheGathering' timestamp='1298404903' post='643656']
I believe that we are a lock to make the playoffs again, for a 4th year in a row. Not saying that these Hall of Famers arent "once in a generation" players because they are, but the fact remains that if we wish to go the the playoffs 4,5,6+ years in a row...Ray and Ed won't be around forever! They still bring the same intensity as day one but they won't be around forever! They are the leaders of this team not just the defense but they won't be around forever! We need better people to step in these postions at linebacker and safety when, God forbid, one of them gets injured or retires. Am I making my point clearly enough?
[/quote]

Like I said, depth is important and the team will likely be looking to upgrade the depth behind them this year.

[dirtybird10]

It would be an extremely dissapointing season should the Ravens not make the playoffs this year. That and Cincy and Cleveland would have to put together some pretty good seasons too. I give us a good chance to make them again, but you never know how teams will pan out till you get to the zero hour.

[Guest ArmyRaven52]

As for the playoffs the ravens are just about as well of as any team, if you look at almost any team around the league they are going to be missing an offensive and defensive player that is huge to what they do. We will have to resign CB and WR but outside that everything elase is fine, we franchised ngata so I think we are better off then most. As for finding heirs to those people in this draft I think we could do very well. Get young at wideout in the first or second. Get another pass rusher, and casey matthews under ray could be a very legitimate MLB. I think a big thing to help with replacing the vets will be not so much forst round talent on the roster but the consistency of the talent we do have. Did anybody else notice that when we were playing to potential ( Kansas CIty, Saints) we could have beaten anybody. When we lost though it was due to young players being inconsistent.

[jus'_crAzy]

The only way I see us NOT making the playoffs next year would be from (like others said) injury to key players, OR some freak Wild Card spot mathematics, like what happened to Matt Cassel's Patriots a couple seasons ago.

[purple.n.black]

I honestly never even thought "will they" I've just been so confident that I have assumed that they will make it. Only chance I see of them not making it is if there is no 2011 season. If we went 12-4 with a pretty tough schedule, and inconsistent coaching, and no running game, with a favorable schedule next year we should be right up there again.

[Irish Girl]

[quote name='fusuymada' timestamp='1298399448' post='643602']
Many teams that make it to the playoffs annually, do not return to the playoffs in the following season. Bleacher Report did a slideshow on all the teams that made the playoffs this year and what their chances are of making the playoffs again next year. (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/615351-nfl-breaking-down-each-2010-playoff-teams-chances-to-return-to-the-postseason#page/7).

In my opinion, we still have the core pieces to get back again, but what we do in the off-season and how the off-season negotiations pan out plays a lot into that. Franchise tags, salary caps both high and low, and free agency are all items that will affect the Ravens. Will our talent exceed our coaches abilities to utilize them again this year, or do the players and coaches step it up and take us all the way?

What are your thoughts?
[/quote]
Couldn't agree more with that link. It's never going to be a for-sure this is the better team situation with Baltimore and Pitts, and just like every year it will be tough. But, I have no doubt about making it into the playoffs again for another year. I have confidence that this year the Championships will be ours.

[Irish Girl]

[quote name='purple.n.black' timestamp='1298418898' post='643832']
I honestly never even thought "will they" I've just been so confident that I have assumed that they will make it. Only chance I see of them not making it is if there is no 2011 season. If we went 12-4 with a pretty tough schedule, and inconsistent coaching, and no running game, with a favorable schedule next year we should be right up there again.
[/quote]
Agreed 100%! Make some changes in the coaching staff (done), make plans to draft young players (done) and get a favorable schedule (almost done ) and we'll be good to go!

[Alexir]

If we do go to the playoffs hopefully we will be rocking home field advantage instead of being a freaking wildcard yet again....

[ed.s52]

The way I see it we had a very large number of things go wrong this year (Foxworth injury, Kindle injury, Gaither injury, Reed missing 6 games, McClain missing a couple, meltdown of rushing attack, etc.) and we went 12-4 and were one 3rd and 19 hail mary pass by the steelers away from going to the Super Bowl (assuming we would have beat the Jets).

In my opinion, if we got all of those players back without enduring any major injuries, and got no new players whatsoever be it through the draft or the FA market, I think we would still be one of the top 5 teams in the league especially with the progress and experience of some of our core players (Wilson, Flacco, Rice, Oher, Ngata, etc.) are gaining.

[worm]

besides a very key injury there is no reason why we cant make the playoffs n i think were gonna b in better shape to win the north because our offense will have another year under there belt so they wiil b more dominant and as long as we resign carr,wilso,landry our defense should b solid.

[ed.s52]

Also, I don't really don't see a team that can break into the 2 Wildcard spots retained by the AFC North and the AFC East. I can almost guarantee the Wild Cards will be Ravens/Steelers and Jets/Patriots. The only other teams that I think may have the potential to break in there are the Dolphins if Henne has a break out season (which would qualify as AFC East anyway) and possibly the Chargers/Chiefs. But with that exception it should be us in the playoffs yet again.

[display name]

I think we'll get in. But I'm sick of being a Wild Card, I want a home game and a bye in the playoffs. I also want a second Lombardi Trophy this year.
My season predictions:
13-3.
Win the division one game over Pittsburgh.
The Ravens win the Super Bowl (it's time)!

[RL52TheGreatest]

We should be able to make the playoffs again, but our Super Bowl chances are gonna depend on what we do in the off-season and if Flacco can take the next step in becoming a top-tier quarterback. The offense as a whole needs to improve, but it starts with Flacco. He's improved every season and if he does again then I think we'll be in very good shape to win a ring.

[ml63440]

Well considering we have made the playoffs the last 3 years, and have done nothing but improve i say yes. As long as Flacco doesn't get injured then we will be back.

[JO_75]

[quote name='UMDan' timestamp='1298400083' post='643612']
There's way too much uncertainty at this point with the CBA and how that may factor into the offseason. No teams may make the playoffs next year if a lockout is put in place. But, [b]I think the Ravens focus needs to be on the Superbowl, not the playoffs.[/b] We've proven we can make the playoffs... now let's bring home another Superbowl for Baltimore.
[/quote]

Did not realize we could have a shot at the Super Bowl without making the playoffs first.

1st Goal: Lockup Playoff Spot

2nd Goal: Win AFC North(assuming that the second game between the Steelers is late in the year like last year)

3rd Goal: Lockup Home Field Game

4th Goal: Win Super Bowl 46

[bpytnjr58]

They should make the playoffs but will they have to be road warriors again?

[berad]

[quote name='bpytnjr58' timestamp='1298490380' post='644209']
They should make the playoffs but will they have to be road warriors again?
[/quote]

This is a little off-topic but, oh well. Remember back in the Billick-era when we were dreadful on the road? Good not to have that stigma, anymore.