now that its over

**Do the Hop** · 01-27-2012, 09:35 PM

Do you consider the 2011 season a success?
Of course every fan wants to win the SB, and even fans of the team arent totally happy because they lost to a rival or didnt win by enough points etc.
But given a 12-4 season, div champ and afccg appearance do you consider 2011 "successful"?

another question....IF 2011 HAD to end in a loss, are you happy it came in the AFC CG or would you have rather made it to the SB and lost?
*again, the premise is the season had to end with an L*

**Maverick Hiker** · 01-27-2012, 09:44 PM

I consider the season to be a success. I would have rather lost in the Super Bowl than losing the AFC Championship as we did. It was not losing that is so bad, it was the way we lost. One two punch, dropped td pass and missed chip shot FG in the last 20 seconds. I will never forget it.

**Ravens27Girl** · 01-27-2012, 09:57 PM

To define success in this case, we would have to define what the goal is. The goal is to make it to/win the Superbowl. In those terms, no we were not successful. Analogy...you can win battles but not necessarily win the war. If you don't win the war, your objective was not met, thus not successful.

I would have preferred we made it to the Superbowl and lost. Why? Because it would have meant we beat out every AFC rival to get there.

**ActualSpamBot** · 01-27-2012, 10:04 PM

To me, the season was a resounding, overwhelming success. The post-season? Not so much.

Fans have a right to expect teams to have successful seasons. The post season is just to reliant on luck, getting hot at just the right moment, and getting the right matchups to call what we did a "failure." The Steelers post season was a failure. The Broncos was too since they lost in such a beatdown. Houston and Baltimore didn't win it all, but neither one had a "failure" of a postseason.

It's not all about binary "Success" or "Failure." Our season was great, our post season was one drop shy of perfect. There has to be something between "Success" and "Failure" to describe that.

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**The Fanatic** · 01-27-2012, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ravens27Girl

To define success in this case, we would have to define what the goal is. The goal is to make it to/win the Superbowl. In those terms, no we were not successful. Analogy...you can win battles but not necessarily win the war. If you don't win the war, your objective was not met, thus not successful.

I would have preferred we made it to the Superbowl and lost. Why? Because it would have meant we beat out every AFC rival to get there.

Pretty much on target IMO.
I think inside the castle this is pretty much the same sentiment as from day one they set the bar and goal as getting to Indy.

**ravenjoe** · 01-27-2012, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Maverick Hiker

I consider the season to be a success. I would have rather lost in the Super Bowl than losing the AFC Championship as we did. It was not losing that is so bad, it was the way we lost. One two punch, dropped td pass and missed chip shot FG in the last 20 seconds. I will never forget it.

'the drop', and 'the miss', all in less than 30 sec...pretty impressive! At least this team knows how to turn the emotional screws to its fanbase.

**RAVENOUS52** · 01-28-2012, 02:39 AM

By most standards it was a resounding success. By my standards, it was a disappointment.

Simple failures to execute throughout the season cost us what could have been a LEGENDARY year.

On the lighter side, I probably saved 2-3 grand by the Ravens not making it to the SuperBowl.

**Tyrian** · 01-28-2012, 03:19 AM

Yes, it was. We won the division, swept the rival, and made it just one play short of a Superbowl. Was it successful as we all hoped? No. But, it was still a success.

I'd actually prefer to lose in the AFCCG this time round, actually. More of a chance guys like Ray Lewis would've said 'right, I'm finally here, retiring whatever happens' at the Superbowl and even if the Giants are playing very well, I'd rather have to stomach a loss on the road to a 13-3 team as opposed on a neutral field to a 9-7 team that got swept by the Redskins.

Teams who lose the Superbowl tend to not play that fantastic the year after (though, the last two years that trend has somewhat buckled, though the loser lost in the wildcard round on both occasions), if they make the playoffs at all. This keeps the elusive taste in your mouth as opposed to tasting it and it poisoning you.

**pickles** · 01-28-2012, 03:39 AM

I'm diappointed because I wanted them to win the Superbowl.

But that doesn't mean I consider the season to be a failure. I'm content w what the team accomplished in 2011. If we had got into the playoffs as a WC again, and lost in the Divisional round, I don't think I would have be content w that. Winning the division was the big goal for me this year, and they did it, and did it in a resounding fashion.

And yes, I would have preferred to lose the Superbowl. An AFC championship is better than an AFC North championship imo.

**Mista T** · 01-28-2012, 05:27 AM

Major success. Up to the point when Harbaugh inexplicably failed to call time-out, I really got my money's worth!

Only one team's fan wind up enjoying winning it all. The other 31 team's fans are all not dealing with failure. Redskins and Colts fans: yes, total failures. Texans and Broncos fans: wildly successful. And our team achieved more than either.

**Captain Silver** · 01-28-2012, 05:56 AM

No. We ended this year the same as the previous 3. Watching the Super Bowl with two other teams playing. There's no 3rd place trophy.

**Terpsfan82** · 01-28-2012, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

No. We ended this year the same as the previous 3. Watching the Super Bowl with two other teams playing. There's no 3rd place trophy.

This. With every season that passes, I become less confident that this current coaching regime will win a SB.

**GOTA** · 01-28-2012, 07:26 AM

Its no different than the last 3 years. They make the playoffs, win a game and choke at the end. That's what separates the Ravens from the Steelers. The Ravens can't figure out how to finish. Choking every year is not success.

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**leachisabeast** · 01-28-2012, 08:08 AM

It wasn't successful because we didn't reach our goal which was a SB. It's worrying that Harbaugh seemed to be happy after that game as if we played so well in a losing fashion, but nearly all of the players looked close to suicidal. I sometimes wonder if there's a different mentality about where the team wants to be between the players and coaches on this team...

**alienrace** · 01-28-2012, 08:22 AM

Reaching the AFC championship and playing well was my barometer before the season started. I was disappointed that they didn't reach the superbowl, and especially in that they had it right within their(Evans') grasp, but overall, the season was a success in my book.

**DBK11** · 01-28-2012, 08:45 AM

Obviously a success, made it to the final 4 of the entire NFL, won a division title....this has to be a success by anyones standards.

**Jayc00** · 01-28-2012, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Captain Silver

No. We ended this year the same as the previous 3. Watching the Super Bowl with two other teams playing. There's no 3rd place trophy.

**pickles** · 01-28-2012, 09:02 AM

I think part of the problem for Flacco, and Harbaugh, is that they've had such great success early they've built up some really high expectations.

I mean if they'd won 6 games in 08- as pretty much everybody expected them to- people would have been fine w that, and explained it away as having a rookie head coach and rookie qb. Then if they win 9 games, and lose in the playoffs in the first round, go 12-4 and win a playoff game before losing to Pitt., go 12-4 and win the division and lose in the AFCC game to NE, people would be more content as they saw progress.

I don't think it's entirely fair to hold their own success against them. I do agree that the ultimate barometer for them and this franchise should be a Superbowl victory, but I'm a little surprised that people aren't more content w a team that is as good as this one is, consistently.

To each their own, but like I said, I'm dissapointed, but that doesn't make this an unsuccessful year.

**GOTA** · 01-28-2012, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by pickles

I think part of the problem for Flacco, and Harbaugh, is that they've had such great success early they've built up some really high expectations.

I mean if they'd won 6 games in 08- as pretty much everybody expected them to- people would have been fine w that, and explained it away as having a rookie head coach and rookie qb. Then if they win 9 games, and lose in the playoffs in the first round, go 12-4 and win a playoff game before losing to Pitt., go 12-4 and win the division and lose in the AFCC game to NE, people would be more content as they saw progress.

I don't think it's entirely fair to hold their own success against them. I do agree that the ultimate barometer for them and this franchise should be a Superbowl victory, but I'm a little surprised that people aren't more content w a team that is as good as this one is, consistently.

To each their own, but like I said, I'm dissapointed, but that doesn't make this an unsuccessful year.

You're right. The expectations have become incredibly high that they are very hard to meet. Unless we have a 2002 type purge or lose Flacco or Rice for a season they're going to stay that way.

**pickles** · 01-28-2012, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

You're right. The expectations have become incredibly high that they are very hard to meet. Unless we have a 2002 type purge or lose Flacco or Rice for a season they're going to stay that way.

As they should be imo. But winning you're division and going to the AFCC game should be satisfactory I believe. But like I said, to each their own.

I do worry about this fanbase though if we have a down year and fail to make the playoffs. It's bound to happen one of these years, and there would be some seriously insane venting if/when it does happen. I mean, people would want Harbaugh, and most likely Flacco, gone. I don't look forward to that year. I mean we have a large part of the fanbase that bitches and moans throughout the 12-4 Division winning/sweeping, last second loss in the AFCC game season. What would they sound like if we went 7-9? I shudder to think.