Whether it's a good season or a forgettable one, does the general theme ever really change for the Baltimore Ravens? Each year they're led by an absurdly vicious defense that keeps them in the majority of their games long enough for the limping offense to put some points on the board and narrowly escape with a win. Much like every other team in the NFL, the parts have certainly changed, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, but it's really just more of the same - Joe Flacco is not a whole lot different than Trent Dilfer.
When Trent was carried to the promised land by Ray Lewis in 2001, a Super Bowl more painful to watch than Dan Aykroyd in Caddyshack 2, he finished the season with 12 TDs and 11 picks. In 2004, the great Kyle Boller threw for 13 and 11. Last year, Flacco threw 14 and 12.
This is what they do. This is what you should expect out of a Ravens quarterback. Don't let anyone fool you into believing Cam Cameron's going to be working magic with this offense. You need weapons to create magic.
Vaunted History: When you look at their list of quarterbacks over the past decade or so, nearly all the names inspire laughter. Vinny Testaverde, a washed-up Jim Harbaugh, Tony Banks, Elvis Grbac, Bubbles, Jeff Blake and the wonderful Kyle Boller experiment four different times. It's amazing Flacco wasn't instantly swallowed whole by the pressure. Instead, his forehead broke out.
Who Exactly Will Flacco Be Throwing To? They have the 35-year old Derrick Mason, who had shoulder surgery, retired, then unretired. Despite being indecisive, he's durable, as he's played in all 16 games for the past six seasons. After him it's ridiculously thin. Mark Clayton? He's inconsistent and hasn't been able to duplicate his '06 performance. After that it's Kelley Washington, Demetrius Williams and Yamon Figurs, who combined for 15 catches last year. Then there's Justin Harper, the second year pro who does not yet have a profile on Pro-Football-Reference. Sounds like a party.
Toad Heap had just 35 catches last year. The weird part? He didn't miss any games, he just blocked a whole lot. If the guy can actually participate in practices on a regular basis, maybe he'll be part of the offense like he was in 2005 (75 catches) and 2006 (73 catches). Otherwise, they'll be going to L.J. Smith. I'd pray for the former.
Ray-Ray's Fired Up: He signed a new contract in the offseason, lost 15 pounds and, I'm sure partially due to the New York media hype, is awfully tired of hearing how much the Ravens defense will be affected by the departures of Bart Scott and Rex Ryan. He'll still have T-Sizzle reeking havoc all over the field and don't forget about Jarret Johnson, who finished '08 with 82 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. Tavares Gooden, on the other hand, has monster cleats to fill. He happens to be a 'Cane though, so Ray's a believer.
Job Well Done! To the Ravens' Tony Fein, an undrafted linebacker who was arrested last Sunday and charged with assaulting a police officer. Well played, sir.
Joe Montana? Seriously? It doesn't matter if it's simply their common love of Fun Dip being discussed, Joe Montana and Joe Flacco should not be mentioned in the same sentence. The guy has yet to throw for 300 yards in a single game and we're already hearing Jon Gruden compare his coolness under pressure to that of Montana's. Come on Chucky, let's see what happens in season two before we all start treating Flacco's wang like a Push Pop. To be perfectly honest though, the fact that Gruden didn't say he's “UnFlaccable” in the pocket was incredibly disappointing.
Why You Should Root For The Ravens: Maybe not the team as a whole, but at least for rookie Michael Oher. If you haven't read The Blind Side, shame on you, his story is phenomenal. If you have read it, you'll no doubt be rooting for him to do well and read up on his progress throughout the season. Seriously, can't say enough good things about that book.
Willis McGahee missed three games last year, but even if he's perfectly healthy, you'll be seeing a lot of Ray Rice too. Another fantasy football miracle!
Fawning Over Ed Reed: He's an amazing player and a lot of fun to watch, but until he has eight of his ten fingers removed just so he can stay in a football game, I'm not that impressed.
Spearing someone into a giant pile of creatine while watching this video is not only encouraged, but celebrated.
Dawan Landry missed 14 games last season after suffering a spinal cord concussion. This year he'll be taking over Jim Leonhard's old spot. Landry is no slouch, remember, he had five picks as a rookie in 2006. Plus, he writes his own music.
Farewell to longtime kicker Matt Stover, who retired at the age of 40. He was with the Browns/Ravens from 1991 to 2008. Technically, he stayed with the same franchise his whole career. A rare occurrence.
And finally… Arthur B Modell.
He still has a 1% share and an office at Ravens' headquarters, but he's not here for the sole purpose of pissing off Cleveland fans, he's here because Modell's Sporting Goods really has some great stuff.
Whether it's a good season or a forgettable one, does the general theme ever really change for the Baltimore Ravens? Each year they're led by an absurdly vicious defense that keeps them in the majority of their games long enough for the limping offense to put some points on the board and narrowly escape with a win. Much like every other team in the NFL, the parts have certainly changed, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, but it's really just more of the same - Joe Flacco is not a whole lot different than Trent Dilfer.
When Trent was carried to the promised land by Ray Lewis in 2001, a Super Bowl more painful to watch than Dan Aykroyd in Caddyshack 2, he finished the season with 12 TDs and 11 picks. In 2004, the great Kyle Boller threw for 13 and 11. Last year, Flacco threw 14 and 12.
Ray-Ray's Fired Up: He signed a new contract in the offseason, lost 15 pounds and, I'm sure partially due to the New York media hype, is awfully tired of hearing how much the Ravens defense will be affected by the departures of Bart Scott and Rex Ryan. He'll still have 
Joe Montana? Seriously? It doesn't matter if it's simply their common love of Fun Dip being discussed, Joe Montana and Joe Flacco should not be mentioned in the same sentence. The guy has yet to throw for 300 yards in a single game and we're already hearing Jon Gruden compare his coolness under pressure to that of Montana's. Come on Chucky, let's see what happens in season two before we all start treating Flacco's wang like a Push Pop. To be perfectly honest though, the fact that Gruden didn't say he's “UnFlaccable” in the pocket was incredibly disappointing.
Why You Should Root For The Ravens: Maybe not the team as a whole, but at least for rookie Michael Oher. If you haven't read 
Dawan Landry missed 14 games last season after suffering a spinal cord concussion. This year he'll be taking over Jim Leonhard's old spot. Landry is no slouch, remember, he had five picks as a rookie in 2006. Plus, 
