When I last wrote for RSR (It’s Deja Vu All Over Again) the Ravens were in the initial stages of recovering from the most crushing loss in franchise history. On New Year’s Eve 2017 with barely 40,000 frozen fans in attendance, playing in the coldest temperatures ever at M&T Bank, the 93% lock-to-win-and-make-the-playoffs Ravens inexplicably lost to the Bengals on a last minute, Andy Dalton touchdown pass.
The franchise seemed, at that point, to be rudderless. Poor play and the fallout from the anthem protests resulted in thousands of empty seats. Injuries had decimated the team. John Harbaugh’s job and those of his staff were in certain jeopardy. The front office seemed powerless to address the shortcomings of the organization and widespread fan alienation. I thought then that the team was at a critical crossroads.
Things certainly looked black then, but that loss just may have been the catalyst for a franchise reboot.
What’s happened since? There have been some dramatic and necessary changes on and off the field, in the stadium, and all of them have been positive.
Steve Bisciotti at his State of the Ravens press conference announced that, after a stellar front office career that matched his on-the-field exploits, Ozzie Newsome would be stepping down as Vice President/General Manager. The 2018 draft would be his last as he turned over the front office reins to long-time assistant Eric DeCosta. While it was a surprising announcement, this move had long been planned.
John Harbaugh was retained as Head Coach. I know, I know, the Harbs haters in the fan base didn’t want to hear that, but John deserved one more try to right the ship.
Dean Pees retired (and soon unretired) as defensive coordinator. Many, including myself, consider this textbook addition by subtraction. Welcome, Wink Martindale!
Thanks to the clever draft manipulation of Ozzie Newsome, the 2018 NFL Draft netted the Ravens 12 draft picks. The Ravens gained a potential starting quarterback of the future (Lamar Jackson), a starting tight end (Hayden Hurst), a steal at right tackle (Orlando Brown Jr,) a soon-to-be starter at inside linebacker (Kenny Young) several future position players and 3 undrafted free agents that will contribute on special teams. Because of this, the team is significantly younger and faster than last year.
As promised, the wide receiver corps was gutted, and the Ravens signed three veteran wideouts who quickly developed a rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco.
Speaking of Joe Flacco, Joe came to OTAs and training camp completely healthy for the first time since 2015.
Let me repeat that.
Joe Flacco is the healthiest he’s been in 3 years.
He’s not wearing a knee brace and he’s apparently learned how to slide. I do not think we can underestimate what that means to the team. The team cannot win without a healthy Joe Flacco. In his abbreviated play in the preseason he was accurate and mobile. He has a new, dedicated quarterback coach in James Urban. And it also doesn’t hurt that for the first time in his professional career, Joe has serious reason to look over his shoulder towards his heir apparent.
Concession Prices – True to his word, Steve Bisciotti and Aramark have lowered stadium concession prices, some of them significantly.
Stadium Infrastructure – In one word, the video screens are fabulous. The new scoreboards at the notches in the upper deck can show game stats, out-of-town scores, and even fantasy stats. The first of two escalators to the upper deck will go into service in October.
The renovations to the Under Armour Center were finished and, for the first time since 2016, fans could attend a month’s worth of practices, meet the players, and get autographs. This is important because the 2011 move of Ravens training camp from McDaniel College to the UAC was the beginning of what became a serious disconnect with the fans.
No Major Injuries – In 2017, players started dropping to Injured Reserve during OTAs and by season-end the Ravens had over 15 players on the I.R. To this point in the 2018 season the only injuries appear to be minor. Hayden Hurst will miss the first few games with a stress fracture and only one draft choice has been “stashed” to Injured Reserve.
Now, does this sound like I’m swimming in the Purple Kool-Aid?
Yeah, I’m pumped.
Here are my purple-tinted predictions for 2018:
Lamar Jackson will not replace Joe Flacco as starting quarterback. But you will see L.J. on the field for specialty plays, particularly near the goal line.
Hayden Hurst will become the second coming of Todd Heap. Mark Andrews will morph into Dennis Pitta II.
After some initial O-Line growing pains, Alex Collins will gain over 1,000 yards rushing.
The Ravens will have a top 5 defense.
And….the Ravens will finish 10-6 and return to the playoffs!!
