Baltimore Ravens 2018 season preview: Will the Ravens finally be an exciting team?

I have been fortunate as a Ravens fan. In that within a year of me choosing the Ravens they won the Super Bowl. It may have been in the early days of my fandom, and I didn’t know a lot about the sport that I do now, nevertheless, I got to witness my team win a Super Bowl. Something that only four other fan bases have experienced since the Ravens won in February 2013.

However, having made the playoffs in the four years before I was a fan and the year I became a fan, the Ravens have gone on to make the playoffs just once since winning the Super Bowl. Two 8-8 finishes, a 5-11 finish, and a 9-7 finish last year has left most Ravens fans feeling pretty down.


This isn’t the level of success we’re used to. After all, since their inaugural season in 1996, the Ravens have played in and won two Super Bowls, they have two first ballot Hall of Famers, with a third on the way, they have made the playoffs 10 times and they have an all-time win percentage of .539. That’s pretty good.

Heading into 2018, expectations are fairly high. If nothing else, there is excitement about the team, which is something that has been seriously lacking for the last several years. Can the Ravens carry that excitement onto the field?

Same old Ravens defense

If the preseason and training camp were any sort of indicator the Ravens are in a pretty good spot. August served to show us how deep the Ravens roster is, at least defensively. The defensive line and the secondary both played well and showed off several low profile players who I’m sure could start, or at least play a lot more for other teams.
What’s exciting about that depth is it signals the level the starters are at. Last year the defense, save a few moments, were lights out. At every level they dominated offenses. Most of the starting lineup remains unchanged, the only changes are that Tavon Young is now back healthy, Marlon Humphrey is ready for a starting role, and every other young player has one more year of experience and is ready for a bigger role. Defensively there shouldn’t be anything to worry about, especially as Jimmy Smith will return to the team in Week 5.

The question marks surrounding this team, as always, are on the offensive side of the ball. Though again, if training camp and the preseason told us anything, a revamped offense seems more like a reality than a rumor.

Flacco's revival? 

A lot of the offense’s success depends on Joe Flacco. Aside from 2014 when Gary Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, post-Super Bowl Flacco has been one of the worst starting QBs in the league, at least to watch. He held the ball too long or got jumpy in the pocket so forced bad passes, or he backed away from pressure to lose more yards or throw of his back foot. He even failed to utilize his arm strength and his deep ball. The Ravens offense under his leadership became a boring mixture of dump offs and crossing routes.
However, since the drafting of Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco has flicked a switch. All reports out of training camp were that he was playing the best he ever has. And you know what? His play showed it. He was confident in his drop backs, he stood tall in the pocket and he threw with conviction.

Perhaps a significant factor in his improvement is the new look receiving corps. Unlike last year, Flacco had all offseason and preseason to work with his receivers, and this year’s group is made up by a talented trio of Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. It would seem that Flacco and that group actually have chemistry. They are on the same page and they trust each other.

Finally the Ravens might have an exciting and effective passing offense, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Questions about the entire offense do remain.

Can we trust the offensive line?

As long as Yanda is healthy and the same guy he has been his entire career, I think the Ravens will manage. The offensive line won’t be on the level it has been before, but it won’t be a liability. The left side will be solid with Stanley and Lewis, the biggest question marks are Hurst at right tackle and Skura at center. But, if you put Yanda in between them some problems could be masked. What’s more, Hurst has proven to be a serviceable starter and Skura is an experienced veteran. I think the Ravens will be fine here

What about the ground game?

In Alex Collins, Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon I think the Ravens actually have one of the best running back committee’s in the NFL. Collins showed last year, and in his time in Seattle, that he is a very good runner. He is elusive, has great balance and can run with power, while Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon offer excellent receiving skills and a change of pace. That trio can accomplish anything the Ravens need them to on the ground. 

All in all, the team honestly seems like it’s in good shape. In what is a crucial year for Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh, the Ravens have to get back to the playoffs or at least be a consistent and convincing challenger among playoff teams.

So with this group of players, can they? Yes, they can. Will they? I think they’ll just miss out. If this team can play with the same confidence as they showed throughout the preseason, the Ravens will always be competitive. The defense will keep the Ravens in many games, and the offense won’t be a burden.
However, not so much due to the Ravens quality, but due to the quality of opponents, I think another 9-7 record is realistically what we can expect. If I’m being more optimistic, an 11-5 record wouldn’t be that surprising. Games will be close, and it takes just a few plays to swing those games Over the last few years the Ravens have found themselves on the losing side of some of those games, so with a more confident and compete team, it isn’t that unrealistic to believe those plays can go in the Ravens favor.

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