Understanding that the Ravens are currently the 2nd most penalized team in the NFL with an average of 8.36 accepted penalties per game, is enough of a Snapple fact to get you through that awkward 2 minute morning conversation at the water cooler before you head back to your desk to check your Facebook Twitter Instagram Fantasy Football email.
But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see just how bad this Ravens team really is when it comes to dirty laundry.
Dig too deep and we’ll be talking you off the ledge.
NOTE: I dug deeper than I should have. Send help. Preferably in the form of scotch.
Big Picture Projections
As of now, the Ravens are on track for 133.76 penalties this season, which would be 12 more than 2015, and their highest penalty count since 2012 (145).
What’s worse, as noted last week, is that the Ravens tend to get into those double digit penalty games against teams with winning records. Remember this chart?
The Ravens are averaging 11 penalties against winning teams, and will play 3 of their final 5 games against teams that fit the bill. That being said, it’s not out of question to think that 2012 mark of 145 penalties could be surpassed.
Individual Penalty Woes
On an individual basis, the Ravens are ranked 25th or worse (most penalized) in nine penalties.
That’s 9 of 21 different penalties they’ve committed this season, or just shy of half of their penalties.
Let that sink in.
Specifically, here’s where the Ravens are dragging up the rear.
Sure, we can argue the Delay of Game where the Ravens offensive game plan called for an inexplicable attempt to draw a defense with Joe Flacco’s predictable cadence that resulted in an intentional Delay of Game. And yes, it’s easy to be at the bottom when a rare penalty like Fair Catch Interference only takes 1 to put you down there.
But regardless, the Ravens are giving away yards, doing it in droves, and clearly doing so in ways other NFL teams simply aren’t.
And for the record, the Ravens are only Top-5 (least penalized) in one penalty. Defensive Holding (T-5).
That… is concerning.
2015 vs 2016
You want a bleak stat?
Well I want a Twitter nod, so let’s do it this way.
The #Ravens had 23 offensive holding penalties in 2015.
They have 26 in 2016.
With 5 games to go.
Yikes.— Adam Bonaccorsi (@AdamBMore) December 2, 2016
Let’s keep this train rolling off the cliff, shall we?
-Just like last season, the Ravens are above the league average in Unnecessary Roughness penalties.
-Both 2015 and 2016 have the Ravens the most penalized team in Illegal Shifts on the offense.
-The Ravens 6 Delay of Game penalties in 2016 are 5 more than they had in 2015 (1).
-The Ravens have already matched their 2015 totals for Roughing the Passer, Neutral Zone Infraction, Offensive Pass Interference, Illegal Block Above the Waist, Illegal Use of Hands, and are just (2) Defensive Holds shy of matching last season’s total of (8).
Yea. It’s that bad.
Silver Lining
Oh, no. There’s no silver lining here.
I guess I could tell you that the Ravens committed 15 Defensive Pass Interference penalties in 2015, and have cut that number down to just 5 in 2016 thus far. But does that really make you feel warm and fuzzy after seeing all of their short comings? That’s like saying ‘hey I know you just dropped your phone in the toilet, but I was able to save the case for you!’
So there you have it folks.
Doom and gloom for the Ravens penalty game.
Seriously, send those scotch reinforcements…
