With two wins in the first half of the 2015 season, the Baltimore Ravens are certainly not where they want to be.
Every game they’ve played has been decided by one possession. They’ve lost many players to injury. Their first-round draft pick has yet to play one snap in a Ravens uniform.
To say this year has been a disappointment is a bit premature. Although it certainly is headed in that direction, the season isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s just as much unfinished as it is finished.
Given that this week is a bye week and it comes right in the middle of Baltimore’s season, I thought it would be a good time to look back on the first half of 2015, and see which positions have helped Baltimore’s cause and which positions have hurt it.
2015 Midseason Report Card
Quarterback: C+
Best player: Joe Flacco
205-for-324 (63.3 percent), 2,176 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT
Flacco is on pace to have his best season ever in terms of yardage (4,352) and completion percentage.
Running backs: B
Best player: Justin Forsett
704 total yards from scrimmage, 2 TD
Forsett is averaging 4.4 yards per touch, and has yet to turn the ball over this season.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B
Best player: Steve Smith, Sr.
46 receptions, 670 yards, 3 TD
Among players that have caught at least 40 passes, Smith is 2nd in receiving average (14.6 yards per reception) and is tied for first in receptions of over 20 yards (13, Rob Gronkowski)
Offensive Line: C
Best player: Kelechi Osemele
Osemele’s ferocity, toughness, and versatility make him a valuable part to the Ravens organization. If the Ravens don’t re-sign him, they will surely notice a drop-off in production. While he’s had his struggles in pass protection this year, every offensive lineman has. And, when running the ball, the Ravens have had much more success running left than when running right.
Defensive Line: B-
Best player: Brandon Williams
29 tackles, 2 passes defensed, 1 sack
Williams is the best defensive lineman in football. He continues to get better and is becoming a leader, too, as the players around him seem to be different each week.
It would really surprise me if Williams wasn’t named a First-Team All-Pro at season’s end.
Linebackers: C+
Best player: Daryl Smith
76 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 passes defensed
If Williams is No. 1 on Baltimore’s defense, Smith is 1A. He’s the league’s 3rd-leading tackler, and even in his 12th season, Smith is having his best season ever. He’s stabilized a defense that, at times, has been on the brink of collapse.
Defensive Backs: C-
Best player: Will Hill III
40 tackles, 4 passes defensed, 1 sack, 1 interception
This unit has not played well throughout these first eight games. That said, Hill has been a playmaker, using his physicality to make big-time hits and his instincts to break up plays that, if converted by the offense, would’ve ensured a Ravens loss.
Special Teams: A-
Best player: Sam Koch
33 punts, 1,506 net yards, 45.6 net yardage average, long punt of 62 yards.
Koch has been an absolute stud for the Ravens this season. His net average ranks 2nd in the NFL and he routinely flips field position by backing up the opponents inside their own 20-yard line (11 times, or, on 33 percent of his punts).
Team: B-
Midseason Players of the Year
- Offense: Steve Smith, Sr.
- Defense: Brandon Williams
- Special Teams: Sam Koch
Midseason MVP
Steve Smith, Sr.
