Are the Ravens as a franchise Underrated?

[PurpleCity5]

Honestly, I just checked out the SNF schedule and I'm pretty annoyed at how we have zero prime-time games. Not even our match up with the Patriots got the SNF slot. I understand that we're coming out of a down year but think about this. In 2013 we went 8-8 after our SB year, a disappointing season sure but what's funny is that we were given just ONE SNF while the Cowboys got three after another 8-8 season.  I just wonder how we can be so consistently good and one down year and all the sudden.... we're rebuilding?....

 

Also looking back, we're never picked to win the whole thing really, the only time that I can recall us being favorites was just last year. Outside of that we're never really the favorites or chosen to win it all after great seasons. We were slept on in 2009 after we nearly went the SB losing in the AFC title game, we were slept on in 2010 after destroying the Patriots in the wild card and losing to the eventual AFC champs the Colts, we were slept on after the 2011 season when we went 12-4 and nearly beat the Steelers when painfully we have to enter in the wild card after winning 12 games! After our season came to a crushing end in 2012 due to a Cundiff missed FG you would think that we would be out for redemption but no, people believed not only we would take a severe step back but put the Texans over us. That pretty much sums up what journalists and pundits think of us IMO. And now when you look at the teams believed to bounce back, barely anyone looks at us and says "Jeez, the Ravens might turn it around". 

 

It may sound like I'm whining and its pointless to do so but I don't think this team gets the props they deserve. Not many teams out there have been as good as we have been this decade. 

 

What do you guys think? 

Edited September 12, 2016 by PurpleCity5

[RavensFanMania]

I definitely agree that we are an underrated team and being in a small market doesn't help with that as well.  Our biggest stars are Flacco, Suggs and SSS and this definitely plays into many not giving us props.  

Can't say i really care as I kind of like coming in as an underdog, but I don't like not getting recognized when we do have a good season.

 

Go Ravens!

[rmcjacket23]

1. Being "underrated" has very little to do with primetime TV. Primetime TV is about a franchise being able to sell itself to the masses, and most importantly, be entertaining. 

Not even the biggest Ravens homers can honestly say that the Ravens are a very exciting team to watch weekly. I can say with 100% certainty that if you took a poll of nationwide fans who watched football yesterday, I guarantee most of them would have classified the Bills/Ravens game as not only one of the most boring games of the day, but also, in pre-game, probably one of the most irrelevant.

We're not "sexy". We have nothing to market ourselves with, and thus, we don't make for good TV. Back when Ray and Ed were here at least we were both good and we were entertaining. That's not been the case in several years.

2. We were a very popular SB pick in 2011. 

 

[OUravensfan]

We're one of the most successful NFL franchises since we've been in the league. The lack of respect is annoying and to some extent the nature of a smaller market team (despite being valued at a higher worth than a lot of teams). I would say it's a product of a bad season, and it is by contrast of historic representation for OUR team, but not others, as you say, the Cowboys year in and out play terrible and dominate the nationally televised game schedule.

What really irritates me this year is the hype the Raiders and Jaguars are getting.

All that said, we always, for whatever reason, do better under these circumstances.

Edited September 12, 2016 by OUravensfan

[Moderator 3]

28 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

Honestly, I just checked out the SNF schedule and I'm pretty annoyed at how we have zero prime-time games. Not even our match up with the Patriots got the SNF slot. I understand that we're coming out of a down year but think about this. In 2013 we went 8-8 after our SB year, a disappointing season sure but what's funny is that we were given just ONE SNF while the Cowboys got three after another 8-8 season.  I just wonder how we can be so consistently good and one down year and all the sudden.... we're rebuilding?....

 

Our game with the P*triots is on MNF, so that's hardly a slight.  We also got the Christmas Day game.

[GrimCoconut]

If we take care of business and win games, then our games will get flexed up into possibly primetime action. 

[edthehead]

I do not think we are underrated,  I live in atlanta and we are deep here, my wife is from Haiti and I am always dropping ravens gear there,

we really are everyplace, and now I am mailing shirts and jerseys to PARIS, yes France,  

1st, our problem is  we do not get as much prime time games and when we do, well some times we fail

we need prime time games in our city,

2nd, OZ was on "BALLERS"(voice) last night, and siz was doing his thing, lol

RAVENS NATION at it's best,,,

  

[edthehead]

had to mention this again,

BALLERS,,,,,

[JO_75]

24 minutes ago, Moderator 3 said:

Our game with the P*triots is on MNF, so that's hardly a slight.  We also got the Christmas Day game.

Also we have a Thursday Night game against the Browns on Nov 10th.

Of course we are seen as underrated, but that's the beauty of when we go out and win and prove everyone wrong. 

[PurpleCity5]

1 hour ago, rmcjacket23 said:

1. Being "underrated" has very little to do with primetime TV. Primetime TV is about a franchise being able to sell itself to the masses, and most importantly, be entertaining. 

Not even the biggest Ravens homers can honestly say that the Ravens are a very exciting team to watch weekly. I can say with 100% certainty that if you took a poll of nationwide fans who watched football yesterday, I guarantee most of them would have classified the Bills/Ravens game as not only one of the most boring games of the day, but also, in pre-game, probably one of the most irrelevant.

We're not "sexy". We have nothing to market ourselves with, and thus, we don't make for good TV. Back when Ray and Ed were here at least we were both good and we were entertaining. That's not been the case in several years.

2. We were a very popular SB pick in 2011. 

 

The Ravens seem to have always sell themselves in my opinion. If you can be as competitive as they have been and not get embarrassed by great teams week in and week out then how is that not selling? If I can recall, when we were good in 2014 did we not have great games that were great to watch? I surely loved that Saints game on Monday Night, as well as that Steelers wild card game, c'mon everyone pretty much pegs our rivalry with the Steelers as the best in the league. Are the Raiders selling themselves? They got two SNF games this year and what have they done in the last few years and just how irrelevant have they been? 

[Steve0x]

If Ravens win another super bowl they will become the NFL's best franchise of the 21st century. 

[rmcjacket23]

18 minutes ago, PurpleCity5 said:

The Ravens seem to have always sell themselves in my opinion. If you can be as competitive as they have been and not get embarrassed by great teams week in and week out then how is that not selling? If I can recall, when we were good in 2014 did we not have great games that were great to watch? I surely loved that Saints game on Monday Night, as well as that Steelers wild card game, c'mon everyone pretty much pegs our rivalry with the Steelers as the best in the league. Are the Raiders selling themselves? They got two SNF games this year and what have they done in the last few years and just how irrelevant have they been? 

1. The Raiders have one SNF game, and its against the defending SB champs. Probably has less to do with Oakland and more to do with Denver, though Oakland is obviously a team "on the rise", which is not something most people would view of Baltimore in this season at least. They have a MNF game against Houston, which doesn't seem sexy to me either, but then again, the Ravens got a MNF last season at Cleveland, so we have little room to complain there.

2. Yes, they always have to sell themselves, because they don't have the type of players that sell it for them anymore. We don't have any flashy, talking guys, outside of maybe Suggs, who also missed the entire season last season. 

 

[JEEPercreepermd]

Honestly, I could care less about MNF or SNF or TNF or TGIF or whatever.  

 There's 16 games, the Ravens need to win at least 10 of those. If that's 1pm Sunday, or 8:30 Monday I don't care. 

[JoeyFlex5]

It's the market. We're a small market team, we are just above teams like Jacksonville and Tennessee regarding the market, that explains the lack of primetime games, we need far more hype behind us than the large market teams to get a lot of primetime games.

However I do sort of believe the NFL as an organization has some inexplicable bias against Baltimore, it's hard to deny it when you look at the history. 

 

[Tiznut]

4 hours ago, Moderator 3 said:

Our game with the P*triots is on MNF, so that's hardly a slight.  We also got the Christmas Day game.

Also a thnf as previously posted.  Baltimore won 5 games last yr so of course prime time games are affected that's the reality of the situation.  Not sure how any reasonable person can view the schedule coming off a 5 win season as a slight to the team for lacking prime time games.   

[Daft Classic]

3 hours ago, Steve0x said:

If Ravens win another super bowl they will become the NFL's best franchise of the 21st century. 

I really hate to say this, but I'm pretty sure that title belongs to the Cheat-riots. 4 SB's in 16 years and 6 appearances total. Though if we win another we are easily 2nd. 

[cobrajet]

I hate night games, I have to get up way too early. Give me a 1pm game on Sunday anytime, so I hope we keep getting disrespected

[ERey]

I like all the Sunday 1pm games. Getting home at 12:30am - 1am on a work night sucks. Not to mention my 6 year old who loves the Ravens can't stay up late to watch the games. I really don't care what anyone else thinks. If other teams want to underestimate the Ravens go right ahead. It's impossible to stay on top every year. 5-11 in 2015 was bound to happen after all the veteran losses in 2013.

[Cillmatic]

Nope

[ellicottraven]

We are the most underrated, under appreciated and overlooked teams in the NFL to the point of abject absurdity. But, we keep telling ourselves that's the way we like it. To tell you the truth, I personally don't like it at all!

[usmccharles]

On ‎9‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 5:01 PM, ellicottraven said:

We are the most underrated, under appreciated and overlooked teams in the NFL to the point of abject absurdity. But, we keep telling ourselves that's the way we like it. To tell you the truth, I personally don't like it at all!

We are respected by a lot of people though.  Anytime people talk about great ran franchises and well ran FOs, we are mentioned more than most of the time. 

[Tru11]

love the early slots on sunday.

dont have to call in sick the next because i prefer to watch the game.

[Willbacker]

On ‎9‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 7:31 PM, cobrajet said:

I hate night games, I have to get up way too early. Give me a 1pm game on Sunday anytime, so I hope we keep getting disrespected

I second this.

[AsianRice]

We are the most underrated and disrespected franchise under the eyes of media, fans, and non-football audience, but ironically, we are the most respected team under eyes of owners, coaches, and players.....Why all good coaches want to revive their coach career coming here? why are we producing the most head coaches in the NFL?

 

As long as I like it, I don't care what others think cuz you can't change them.......

[Tornado777]

We are definitely underated. Big media can't stand the Ravens. They love the Steelers. We started off as # 20 in power rankings and moved up to # 13 after last weeks win. Once again, we'll just have to prove them wrong.

[The Raven]

On 9/12/2016 at 3:50 PM, Steve0x said:

If Ravens win another super bowl they will become the NFL's best franchise of the 21st century. 

Are you aware that a century is 100 years?

[FlocksGottaFeed]

On 9/12/2016 at 8:01 PM, ellicottraven said:

We are the most underrated, under appreciated and overlooked teams in the NFL to the point of abject absurdity. But, we keep telling ourselves that's the way we like it. To tell you the truth, I personally don't like it at all!

Yes. It's really getting old. Don't think it will change any time soon. It'll take years before our owner gets to sit at 'the BIG Boys Table'. It's business - not personal.  We'll wait and just keep-on winning.

[Militant X 1]

To me the excuse of "we're a small market team" has run its course and is extremely played out when it comes to that being a reason for the lack of notoriety and the perceived lack of respect the Ravens receive nationwide.  Winning fixes all ills so to speak especially winning when the national spotlight is on you like in a Sunday/Monday/Thursday night game!  When these Ravens start winning games consistently and in a dominating fashion and not with all of this, "well it wasn't pretty but it was us" talk after they barely win a game then they'll start getting the recognition that we all may feel that they deserve.  But they have to go out there and earn that themselves with their game play on the field week in and week out!

 

[Inqui]

On 9/13/2016 at 7:54 AM, rmcjacket23 said:

1. The Raiders have one SNF game, and its against the defending SB champs. Probably has less to do with Oakland and more to do with Denver, though Oakland is obviously a team "on the rise", which is not something most people would view of Baltimore in this season at least. They have a MNF game against Houston, which doesn't seem sexy to me either, but then again, the Ravens got a MNF last season at Cleveland, so we have little room to complain there.

2. Yes, they always have to sell themselves, because they don't have the type of players that sell it for them anymore. We don't have any flashy, talking guys, outside of maybe Suggs, who also missed the entire season last season. 

 

To add to that, we're the kind of franchise that uses our first top 10 pick since Lincoln was president on a left tackle. No matter what accomplishments Ronnie Stanley makes, being in contention for the cover boy of Madden won't be one of them. I love watching the Ravens, but from a neutral's perspective I can see how we're one of the most boring sides out there. And we don't have the bandwagon of a Pittsburgh or a Washington to make up for it.

And besides, I don't really see the problem. Last year we started off with about 21 primetime games and look how that turned out.

[redrum52]

On 9/12/2016 at 3:50 PM, Steve0x said:

If Ravens win another super bowl they will become the NFL's best franchise of the 21st century. 

Patriots?