There has been a lot of buzz about whether the Baltimore Ravens will be able to make another deep run this season after losing the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Terrell Suggs to an offseason injury.
There was much media hoopla when Suggs tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball in the offseason, and after being placed on the pup list Monday, he will not be able to return until week 6 at the earliest, which appears to be extremely optimistic at best. Suggs led the NFL with seven forced fumbles last season and also added 14 sacks and two interceptions to his gaudy season totals.
So can a team that came within minutes of a Super Bowl berth get back to the top of the mountain without arguably their best player for a major portion of the season?
Those who believe in the evolution of Joe Flacco think the offense can take some of the burden off the Suggs-less defense, as Flacco appears poised for a breakout campaign. Flacco is in his fourth season, all under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and the offense has looked rather sharp in the preseason.
The 48 points scored in last Thursday’s regular season dress rehersal were the most ever scored by the Ravens in a preseason game, and Cameron has now implemented a no-huddle offense to keep opposing defenses off-balance.
Throw in pro bowl-caliber running back Ray Rice, the blinding speed of wide receiver Torrey Smith, the possession receiver ability of Anquan Boldin, as well as an above average offensive line, and the Ravens offense may be the most potent it has ever been in team history.
It’s not like the cupboard is bare on defensive without T-Sizzle, as stalwarts Ray Lewis and Ed Reed return to lead the defense. The defensive line still boasts two behemoths in defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and nose tackle Terrence Cody, while the team’s strength may be in it’s secondary. Besides the aforementioned Reed, the unit is very deep with skill. Cornerback Ladarius Webb had a breakout campaign last season with five interceptions, and the other cornerback Cary Williams is coming off a solid season, and is also in a contract year.
Return man Jacoby Jones has been electrifying at times in his tenure with the Texans, as he looks to bolster the special teams in his first season with the Ravens. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker has looked like a veteran in the preseason, and punter Sam Koch remains a solid option at punter.
There is no doubt the Ravens will miss their disruptive dean of ball so hard university, but this is still a talent-ladden team. Despite not having won a Super Bowl during the Harbaugh era, the Ravens are the model of consistency in the NFL. They are the only team to make the playoffs the past four seasons, and are also the only team to have won at least one playoff game in each of those postseasons.
If the Ravens can stay on that model of consistency, they should be a forced to be reckoned with even without Suggs, and barring any setbacks, they could be a Super Bowl favorite once T-Sizzle returns.
