Many would say that the team needs to stay healthy. But that’s a bit of a cop out, don’t you think?
It’s like someone asking who will be the next American Idol, Lee or Crystal and then answering, “The one without laryngitis.”
Most critics of the team will point to the secondary and say that they collectively need to play better to advance farther. I don’t buy that. The Ravens’ failure to reach beyond Indianapolis last post season had nothing to do with the secondary’s play.
That loss and the team’s shortcomings in the post season under John Harbaugh are on the shoulders of the offense – more specifically the passing game.
In five post season starts, Joe Flacco is 3-2 despite a QB Rating of 46.5 including just 1 TD pass and 6 interceptions. That has to change.
Now it could be argued that Flacco didn’t have the weapons then that he has now.
It could also be stated that those experiences bode well for him going forward and he can build and mature from his post season battle tests.
Others might point out that Cam Cameron hasn’t exactly been very bold and daring in the playoffs, seemingly abandoning an attack mentality when he installs game plans against more formidable opponents.
There have been whispers about the Ravens fear and/or inability to throw across the middle. The words “big throws to big” have been kicked around a bit in camp circles and that could indicate that the team was unwilling to make riskier throws over the middle of the field behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties.
When 6’6” throws to 5’10”, the margin for error increases.
Whatever the case, the bottom line is that Cameron, Flacco and his new weapons have to attack teams fearlessly and improve upon the putrid 46.5 QB rating. They have to be more threatening against tougher defenses on the road in the playoffs.
Otherwise their road through the playoffs will continue to hit dead end after dead end.
