[News] How Good Are Ravens? They Are What Their Record Says They Are

[BR News]

Baltimore is one of five 3-0 teams in the NFL, but pundits and fans are trying to figure out just how good the Ravens are after three close wins over teams with a combined record of 1-8. Head Coach John Harbaugh said it’s a fair debate, but not one his team is concerned with.

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[PersianRaven]

I am sure most of you would agree, but last year, we were at the losing end of these close games and this season, we are on the winning side. Conclusion: with a healthy squad, this team can hold their own. Simply-put. Cheers!

[PersianRaven]

I am sure most of you would agree, but last year, we were at the losing end of these close games and this season, we are on the winning side. Conclusion: with a healthy squad, this team can hold their own. Simply-put. Cheers!

Its own*

[20306cab]

Unfortunately, Below Average Joe will try to continue to throw game after game away.

Edited September 26, 2016 by 20306cab

[huntrgathrr]

it's still very early in the season so we can't really judge the quality of the teams we've beaten. But Buffalo pounded Arizona and Cleveland lost in overtime to Miami this weekend. In week one the Jags beat GB but had the game stolen from them by 16 incorrect calls that went against them according to the NFL. IMO all 3 of our opponents have pretty good teams with a lot of talent despite their records and public perception.
What I have seen that is certain is that the Ravens have a dominant defense and this was mentioned by Ryan after their loss. We may have the deepest and most talented defense in the NFL. We will win a lot of games allowing an average of 12 points a game which I believe is leading the NFL. We seem to be physically dominating teams on defense which IMO is due to our size, speed and quality depth. Of course when you win with this kind of defense the wins are not blowouts and not very sexy in general. But the ability to create turnovers exactly when we need them to win the game is not luck. It's superiority and determination.
However I'm underwhelmed by the offense. With the best talent we have ever had on offense you would think they would be putting up 25-30 a game. But they just manage to what is necessary to win and have heavily relied on the defense.
However I am ecstatic that the best defense in the NFL has translated into a 3-0 record joining only 4 other teams in the NFL. Of those 4 I can easily see us beating all of them. But every game will be a nail biter. I stand by my preseason prediction of the Ravens going 12-4, winning the AFC North and making a deep playoff run.
One other important fact is their lack of injuries which is due to physical superiority and just good luck. Compared to the other teams in our division we are light years ahead in depth and talent. Pittsburgh should reserve a wing at John Hopkins when they get to Baltimore for the players they have left after they were decimated by Philly. Too bad.

[Purple Dawg 96]

The Ravens can't help it that Buffalo The Browns and Jags are staggering out the gate I feel they all played the Ravens very well especially against the run so me myself personally in all three regards could care less what they say about my squad! The Ravens are learning from their mistakes with an 3-0 record and they are just getting started! They don't have to like the Ravens but they will have to "RESPECT" them and that's for sure! WE THE BEST!

[MayIBeFrank]

We haven't even gotten Dumervil on the field yet.

[Ravenous_Ravens]

The fact the media cannot call the Ravens what they are to this point 3-0 and perfect says more about their ability to be real about the situation. Who cares though, if they can't see things for what they are who cares.

That 1-8 record is heavily influenced by the Ravens 3 W's also. Take that out of the equation and that combined record would be 1-5, which many teams could amount to over any stretch throughout the season and still be a contender. Two losses does not automatically make a team a bust to make some noise.

At this rate no one will be closely watching the Ravens quietly march forward and handle their business, which is fine with me.

Also go ask Steelers or Bengals fans? If winning against "lesser competition" (media's view) does not justify the record, what does losing games you should win signify? Steelers were simply picked apart vs the Eagles. Bengals could not rattle the young signal caller. I'm not saying these teams are bottom barrel but I'd suggest maybe they are not as complete a team as the media likes to point out either.

[ellicottraven]

Right now nobody knows or can tell where we fit. We definitely fit on the winning side of the strata because all we've done is win. Now, we have no control over who we play or when. All we can control is win the games that are assigned to us each week and so far through 3 weeks we've done just that.

I personally don't think any rankings have meaning this early into the season. I think ranking teams makes sense after mid season (actually 8-10 games into the season). This way there is something meaningful to rank because a team has played all kinds of competition in that time frame. It'll give these ranking pundits meaningful data set to work with (not that they would understand what to do with them but hey). As for the Ravens, I believe we are easily in the upper echelon of football teams in the NFL and have been for several years now notwithstanding the 2015 debacle due to various injuries.

[TheConquerorWorm]

The fact the media cannot call the Ravens what they are to this point 3-0 and perfect says more about their ability to be real about the situation. Who cares though, if they can't see things for what they are who cares.

That 1-8 record is heavily influenced by the Ravens 3 W's also. Take that out of the equation and that combined record would be 1-5, which many teams could amount to over any stretch throughout the season and still be a contender. Two losses does not automatically make a team a bust to make some noise.

At this rate no one will be closely watching the Ravens quietly march forward and handle their business, which is fine with me.

Also go ask Steelers or Bengals fans? If winning against "lesser competition" (media's view) does not justify the record, what does losing games you should win signify? Steelers were simply picked apart vs the Eagles. Bengals could not rattle the young signal caller. I'm not saying these teams are bottom barrel but I'd suggest maybe they are not as complete a team as the media likes to point out either.

Exactly. The Bills rolled over Arizona. Somehow the 1-2 teams we play are garbage but the 1-2 Cardinals & Bengals are contenders...

[purpledown]

they were ugly wins, but the defense is improving every week. Sundays game against the Raiders will be a big test. Offensively they have to run the ball , to keep the Raiders explosive offense off the field. But the biggest concern is health. Hopefully we dont get a repeat of last year.

[dirtybird66]

well,first off,i'd rather be good than lucky,that said,right now their winning games on pure grit,you really can't say balance,more so special,special teams.it really was a good win yesterday going on the road to a desperate team that thev;e had trouble matching up with in the past and the JAG'S are even better now,you can say the same about the MCKNOWN game.i do like their honesty on monday mornings and post games,wer'e a work in progress.the one key thing is the O-LINE,i mean you have to give CASTILLO coach of the year,any other team starting two rookies would come out and say,well,next year we'll be great.as REX said,it's unheard of and really tough,you can't really blame the O-LINE for the offensive woes other than ZUTAH,I think he had another bad game yesterday,the two youngsters are holding up great and when they get stronger the run game will get better,to help them they should play KYLE-fb more to take on linebackers or more pure blocking schemes from the tightends,iv'e learned as many to never count out the RAVENS and i predict as i know they do that as the opponents get better,so will the team.and i'll predict one more thing,we get atleast,ONE playoff game at home.

[RavensInNC]

32 minutes ago, ellicottraven said:

As for the Ravens, I believe we are easily in the upper echelon of football teams in the NFL and have been for several years now notwithstanding the 2015 debacle due to various injuries.

2015 the record said we sucked but no one wanted to face us, we really only lost the Seattle game (and that was with ½ of our starters our on IR). I still consider us in the upper echelon for the past decade even that year.

Edited September 27, 2016 by RavensInNC

[Bandwagon]

good luck in playoffs with this offense boys

[shiri2]

...one things the "hatas" can't take away from us is that right now we are at the top of our division! Yeah our wins are ugly, but they're gritty and speak volumes about our team's character...we play like Ravens!! As Ray Lewis says, "we are relentless!" It's true, the Raiders who are 2-1, will be a great test for us but we should win...especially at the bank. But we have to be careful of Derrick Carr, he's a scrambler and very mobile.

[catgirl54]

If we were as bad as the teams we've just played, we would have a 1-3 or worse record right now too. Last year was just a weird year. Too many injuries to count, a new OC (again!), a new roster...the Ravens are a scrappy team and should never be counted out.

[playlikeawhat]

Absolutely agree this is a debate we shouldn't be concerned with. Consider the source of opinions we deal with. The same media clowns who feel we're the worst x-0 team in the league will pretend we're world beaters if their favorite teams lose to us.

[ravenscavecreek]

just win baby

[Ravenshine]

I have the motto of basically : "don't kick your team when they are down, and don't rest on laurels when up." And I pretty much stick to that. Last year our team took a beating (with injuries) and I supported them and was positive. And now we are stronger and healthy so I'll speak more of improvements that can be realized (cause we are def a serious playoff contender, and SB bound team.) But I'd rather we focus on getting better than just looking at the wins. Cause each team we face has different talents. We need versatility to face each nuance. Like run game will come into play moreso with certain matchup even if it didn't matter much say with the Jags.

[Purple Dawg 96]

We haven't even gotten Dumervil on the field yet.

And you know this Maaaaaaaaaaaaan! Lol

[Raven1995]

Unfortunately, Below Average Joe will try to continue to throw game after game away.

Good thing he scored the only touchdown with his feet

[Raven1995]

The fact the media cannot call the Ravens what they are to this point 3-0 and perfect says more about their ability to be real about the situation. Who cares though, if they can't see things for what they are who cares.

That 1-8 record is heavily influenced by the Ravens 3 W's also. Take that out of the equation and that combined record would be 1-5, which many teams could amount to over any stretch throughout the season and still be a contender. Two losses does not automatically make a team a bust to make some noise.

At this rate no one will be closely watching the Ravens quietly march forward and handle their business, which is fine with me.

Also go ask Steelers or Bengals fans? If winning against "lesser competition" (media's view) does not justify the record, what does losing games you should win signify? Steelers were simply picked apart vs the Eagles. Bengals could not rattle the young signal caller. I'm not saying these teams are bottom barrel but I'd suggest maybe they are not as complete a team as the media likes to point out either.

I've been thinking that all day, that instead of 1-8 it would be 4 and 5. Those are young and Talented teams and the Ravens played back to back games on the road.

[CQ1]

Yes- We are 3-0 but not much thanks to the offense again. Now that we finally have all of the weapons (for Joe) we still can do nothing in ernest, or gracefully. When Flacco actually ran for the TD I had to clean my pants out...... I thought we were actually on to something. Not. So many other teams look like they move the ball with ease- and more importantly do what they have to to extend plays. The first 2 possessions in Jax were absolutely pathetic. I know many of you know what I'm talking about. Its getting old, regardless, if we are 3-0.

[cbrook1862]

Well our defense sure as hell isn't the problem, I love our defense, it's that O-line, Its causing 2 problems.

1) We can't run the ball. Point blank we can't run the ball. On offense when running the ball, the o-line literally doesn't create not one hole or gap. The reason we're not scoring more points is because we are constantly getting put in 2nd and long and 3rd and long or at least 3rd&3 or more. That 1st play is crucial to a drive and we're not sustaining them.

2) Joe doesn't have enough time. Thank god he's healed so good bc if not, he would've probably been reinjured by now. He hasn't been sacked all that much but still been hit more than my liking. Also, we have the weapons to go deep in Wallace, Perriman, and Moore, but deep plays require time to develop, and Joe has to wait for players to get open, but defenders are getting to him before he has enough time to deliver the ball and plays to develop.

Honestly I think it can improve but it won't be completely fixed this season. Sometimes I do think that Forsett goes down too easily and requires too much space to break a big run, but overall I don't think it's the RB's fault. Somehow some way we're gonna have to fix the run SCHEME and I do think that can be fixed this season. Trestman and Harbs are just gonna have to come up with a plan.

[CQ1]

just win baby

just win baby- with Maalox :)

[CQ1]

just win baby

.....with Maalox :)

[CQ1]

  2 hours ago, MayIBeFrank said:

We haven't even gotten Dumervil on the field yet.

And you know this Maaaaaaaaaaaaan! Lol

Who-mervil?

[bigcatfrank1]

Win baby Win!

[MichaelJ34]

Need anxiety meds for watching this Ravens team. But if they keep winning at the end of the season we will be happy back in the playoffs trying to get back to another superbowl.

[Robert Currence]

Anytime you come away with a win on the road, no matter how ugly, your team is showing signs of maturity, and learning how to finish games. Flaccos numbers are no indicator of how well he is playing. Pitta and Steve Smith Sr are once again his go to men, and Wallace and Perriman could become some serious downfield threats......Dean Pees defense is looking outstanding, in particular the front seven. They have been able to get to the QB only rushing 4, and that is huge. The wild cards in that?? Elvis Dumervil hasn't played a snap yet.....