Recap
The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2006 season with a playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but they finished with the best record in franchise history by winning 13 of the 16 games. This record earned the team the number 2 seed in the 2006 AFC playoff bracket. The season included a first ever series sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The biggest factor in the turnaround from a 6-10 campaign in 2005 was the team’s ability to win on the road, as the team racked up a 6-2 record away from M&T Bank Stadium. Victories in places such as Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Tennessee and Kansas City contributed greatly to the team capturing their second ever AFC North crown.
The team’s 3 regular season losses, as well as their playoff loss to the AFC Champion Colts, all included ill-timed red zone turnovers which are often the undoing of any team striving to reach and win a Super Bowl. The Ravens ranked 28th in the NFL in red zone efficiency and a more reliable threat at the RB position will help to overcome that problem. Teams that aren’t productive running the ball in the red zone leave themselves vulnerable in close football games.
The offense ranked 17th overall including a remarkable 11th rated passing attack. However, they also ended up with a rather woeful 25th ranked rushing game. The addition of QB Steve McNair coupled with Head Coach Brian Billick assuming the play calling responsibility in the aftermath of the Jim Fassel dismissal and the surprising success of a previously average offensive line are in large measure the moves that made the offense work well enough in 2006 to make the playoffs.
WR Mark Clayton stepped up tremendously from his 1st campaign and WR Demetrius Williams had a very nice rookie season as the Ravens put together their most productive receiving corps since the days of Michael Jackson and Derek Alexander. With the sometimes stellar play of TE Todd Heap and WR Derrick Mason, the club assembled what proved to be a very potent receiving corps.
Unfortunately, RB Jamal Lewis continued to perform at mediocre levels leaving the running game relatively unproductive for much of the campaign. The offensive line performed way above expected levels finishing the year with the lowest number of QB sacks allowed yielding just 17 for 2006, which more than countered their inconsistency in run blocking.
With significant playing time by young linemen such as Tony Pashos, Chris Chester, Adam Terry, and Jason Brown along with improved fullback play of Ovie Mughelli, the team must turn its attention to improving the rushing game for the 2007 season.
Always a hallmark of the Ravens, the defense had another outstanding campaign in 2006 ranking #1 in the league in total defense yielding a mere 264.1 yards per game. The pass defense finished #6, while the rushing defense ranked a sterling #2 overall. The unit perennially is very difficult to run against, and when opponents are forced to throw, this group takes the ball away as evidenced by the Ravens + 17 turnover ratio, a league best.
Bart Scott led the way early in the year and Trevor Pryce became a huge factor late in the year as the defense played takeaway with consistently high level play from the usual list of stalwarts including Kelly Gregg, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Ed Reed, and Chris McAlister. The play of rookies Sam Koch, Haloti Ngata and rookie Dawan Landry exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The team arguably suffered its most damaging blow when BJ Sams went down with a severe leg injury in the loss to the Bengals on 11/30. The additions of nickel Corey Ivy and special teams ace Gary Stills were overlooked additions in the off season that paid huge dividends on the special teams play throughout 2006. Matt Stover had yet another great consistent year kicking field goals for the Ravens.
Look Ahead
With Brian Billick’s contract extended and QB Steve McNair’s 2nd campaign with the Ravens ahead of him, the team is looking to make a longer run in the playoffs in 2007. The re-signing of Adalius Thomas and the question mark at RB, i.e. whether to replace a less productive Jamal Lewis, appear to be the biggest off season decisions facing the front office.
The return or retirement of OT Jonathan Ogden looms as the major unknown as of this writing. Expect the team to re-sign key contributors like Mughelli and Pashos and pin their RB future on some combination of Mike Anderson, Musa Smith, PJ Daniels, and possibly a 2007 draftee. While a return to the playoffs is possible and maybe likely, a 13-3 mark will be hard to duplicate, with the schedule including opponents such as Seattle (away), Indianapolis, New England, and San Diego in addition to the AFC North opponents.
