Finished: 1st Place in the AFC North; Lost in the AFC Championship Game
2012 Draft Position: 29th
Preseason Ranking: 8
Week 1: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-7
Ranked - 1
Offensive prowess, defensive grit and a huge, media-touted monkey off their backs. Not only did the Ravens defeat the AFC champions from a year ago, they humiliated the Steelers by forcing 7 turnovers and dominated all aspects of the game. The division is Baltimore's to lose.
Week 2: Lost at the Tennessee Titans, 26-13
Ranked - 8
It's a little early in the season for the curse of the Creative Elite #1 to rear its ugly head, but, man did it ever. As good as the Ravens looked when they dominated the Steelers in week one, Baltimore looked just as bad and confused in their week two loss to Tennessee. A loss like this should wake them up and I expect them to head to St. Louis with a chip on their shoulder and a desire to show that their embarassing game last week was nothing but a momentary lapse of focus.
Week 3: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 37-7
Ranked - 3
Note to self: Recipe for success - Passing opens up the running game. Running opens up the passing game. The defense crushes the opposition. Quothe the Raven.
Week 4: Defeated the New York Jets, 34-17
Ranked - 2
Not many defensive struggles end up being so high scoring. Sure, the offense has issues, but when the defense can outscore its own offense 21-13, you just might have the potential to go deep into the playoffs.
Week 5: BYE WEEK
Ranked - 3
Baltimore faces a tough test coming out of their bye week against Houston, but they should be fresh enough to hold off the Texans and maintain their slim division lead.
Week 6: Defeated the Houston Texans, 29-14
Ranked - 2 Indiana Jones Style Recap
[Mocking rookie quarterback Blain Gabbert after a sack]
Ray Lewis: I'm like a bad penny, I always turn up.
Week 7: Lost at the Jacksonville Jaguars, 12-7
Ranked - 5
In four wins, the Ravens have been stellar. In their two losses, Baltimore has looked about as bad as a team can look. What gives?
Week 8: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 30-27
Ranked - 3
The Ravens shouldn’t have needed such a dramatic comeback to beat the Cardinals… but great teams overcome adversity like that.
Week 9: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-20
Ranked - 3
That huge victory over the Steelers in Pittsburgh should propel Baltimore into the playoffs… if they can just hold off the surprising Bengals.
Week 10: Lost at the Seattle Seahawks, 22-17
Ranked - 4
That's twice now the Ravens have played way down to their opponent's level. Keep it up and Baltimore's season will come to a tragic end sooner rather than later.
Week 11: Defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24
Ranked - 5
Baltimore will have their work cut out for them when the 49ers come to town Thanksgiving Night. If they can win, there should be no stopping them the rest of the season.
Week 12: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 16-6
Ranked - 4
A statement win over the 49ers keeps Baltimore in control of their own destiny.
Week 13: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-10
Ranked - 4
A power running game and strong defensive play often mean the difference between winning and losing in the playoffs. Baltimore has both.
Week 14: Defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 24-10
Ranked - 2
At this point, Baltimore is the best team in the AFC.
Week 15: Lost at the San Diego Chargers, 34-14
Ranked - 5
The Ravens gained a reprieve since the Steelers lost, but they are looking more and more like a team that will struggle on the road. All the more reason for them to win out so they are guaranteed to host at least one playoff game.
Week 16: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 20-14
Ranked - 5
How sad would it be if the Ravens swept the Steelers and still lost the division title?
Week 17: Defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-16
Ranked - 5
The Ravens have a strong-defense and home-field advantage unless they face the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. If they can avoid the Steelers they might just make it to the Super Bowl.
Wild Card Round: BYE WEEK
Ranked - 5
Baltimore has had a week to rest up and now, with the Steelers eliminated, they don’t have to worry about facing their divisional rivals in the playoffs.
Divisional Round: Defeated the Houston Texans, 20-13
Ranked - 4
The Ravens may have the defense to stop the Patriots… but they don't have the offense to do much more than grind out a 17-14 victory.
Championship Round: Lost at the New England Patriots, 23-20
Final Ranking: 4
Tomorrow, the 2011 San Francisco 49ers...
No comments:
Post a Comment