Following their 12-9 loss to the Cleveland Browns – wow that’s even hard to say, the Ravens dropped to (3-2) on the season. And (3-2) is a spot the Ravens have occupied for five of the past six seasons.
Looking back upon each of those five (3-2) starts since winning Super Bowl 47, the Ravens finished at the .500 mark twice, (9-7) in 2017 and (10-6) in 2014, the only year since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy that they earned a spot on the postseason dance card.
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Many players have come and gone since 2013. In fact only 10 from the Ravens Super Bowl 47 roster are still with the team. That’s an attrition rate of 81%. And the man arguably the most responsible for the attrition is John Harbaugh. He’s been the constant.
Harbs is a good man. He’s a patriot and an active participant in the community. He’s well-respected, God-fearing, and a leader of men. But that said, his message is stale as is his approach to football.
Outside of their embarrassing display in London a little over a year ago, the Ravens never quit. They are grinders. They battle. They try to win games one play at a time, hoping to wear opponents down with their tenacious will. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Their near spot-on .500 record since 2013 exemplifies their collective spirit, while showcasing their inconsistencies.
Not much has changed this season. Just when you think the Ravens have turned the corner, they go six quarters and an overtime without a touchdown and lose to a team that regularly finds new ways to give a game away – they lose to the league’s 25th-ranked defense by scoring just 9 points.
But the Ravens will work to get better. John Harbaugh promises. They’re on to Tennessee.
Time will tell if the Ravens do get better but from my armchair, it seems like we’ve seen this movie time and time again.
And unfortunately, it’s not Shawshank Redemption.
