The Baltimore Ravens almost looked like the laughingstock of the AFC playoff teams as they nearly escaped defeat from a now 3-13 Indianapolis Colts team. Had the Ravens lost at home against the Colts, their playoff hopes would have likely been all but gone and had they made the playoffs from luck, it would have felt like the Ravens had backed into the playoffs with their tail between their legs. Instead, the Ravens won and now control their own destiny, having the potential to go 6-1 over the course of their final seven games with their one loss coming by just one point. The Ravens are playing for the postseason and they are looking like a team that wants to win it all.
The Ravens very truly are the one team that no one in the NFL wants to see in the playoffs. When the Ravens hit the playoffs, something just transforms in Joe Flacco and the average play of the regular season all of a sudden sheds. The inaccuracies and the gun-shy mentality suddenly fade into the distance and the Ravens offense becomes an unrecognizable force. The early transformation into January Joe has begun for the Ravens as Flacco has thrown for an average of 266 yards over his past four games with seven touchdowns to just a single interception. Over the first 11 games of the season, Flacco had a paltry 5.4 yards per attempt, a 2.61% touchdown percentage, a 3.20% interception percentage, and a passer rating of just 75.6. Over the past four games? Flacco has upped his YPA to 7.04, his touchdown percentage to 4.64%, dropped his interception percentage to just 0.67%, and taken his passer rating up to 98.2. Joe Flacco is carrying the Ravens when the rest of the team is faltering or failing to do its part.
On Saturday, Flacco would have had every excuse in the world to not play well. Jeremy Maclin was out with an injury and Chris Moore was replacing him in the starting line up. Alex Collins gained just 51 yards on 18 carries. The weather was incredibly dismal with swirling winds and rain pouring down for much of the game. If Flacco had put up a stinker, no one would have batted an eye and everyone would have understood. This was a bad Colts team and a day off would have been justified from the Ravens quarterback. Instead, he had another strong performance, completing over 75% of his passes and throwing two touchdowns while leading the offense to three more field goals. On a day where rain should have made Flacco settle for check downs and safe throws, he found nine different receivers for two or more receptions. At just the right time, Flacco is catching fire and gearing up to lead the Ravens offense into the playoffs as a threat to even the most elite defenses that the NFL has to offer.
What will truly separate the Ravens, though, is the defense. I recently read an article that opined that the Ravens defense is simply above average and is only held up by their large amount of turnovers. No, this is simply wrong. The Ravens do not just have an above average defense. The Ravens have a dominant defense and it is because they are so incredibly opportunistic and have amazing ball skills to see ball, get ball on defense. A defense is not simply “buoyed” by turnovers when said defense has forced 33 turnovers. Yes, you did read that correctly. The Ravens currently lead the entire NFL with THIRTY-THREE turnovers on the year and an NFL leading 22 interceptions. The Ravens very well should have added another four interceptions on Saturday, but due to the poor weather, the defense came up empty handed.
It was a day where it felt like the Ravens defense heavily underperformed as Frank Gore was able to gain chunk yardage, the pass rush never truly hit home against an incredibly weak Colts offensive line, and TY Hilton found soft spots in coverage, but strictly looking at the box score, the only thing the Ravens truly missed was those four turnovers. Had they secured those four turnovers, it becomes another shutout for the defense and another incredibly dominant day that shows that the Ravens defense is in fact elite. Instead, the Ravens simply looked like another incredibly strong defense that came up with a game winning goal line stand when it mattered the most.
With that defensive stand in mind, can we take a minute to give a major shout out to Maurice Canady and Marlon Humphrey? In the past, the injury to Jimmy Smith would generally spell the end of the Ravens season, but this has been far from the case as these two young players have stepped up. Between the two, they allowed three receptions on eight targets for less than 50 yards and no touchdowns. It was Maurice Canady (one catch on two targets) who came up with the pass deflection on fourth down to seal the game for the Ravens. While everyone (rightfully) focuses in on the Jaguars duo of Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye, the Ravens quietly have their own duo putting in work week in and week out in the absence of the Ravens star corner, Jimmy Smith. Canady and Humphrey will never get the same hype and recognition as Bouye or Ramsey, but when it comes down to it in the playoffs, these two very well may show that they deserve the same hype. They are helping to keep this Ravens defense in the elite category as the Ravens gear up for a playoff run that will strike fear into the hearts of opponents everywhere.
As it stands now, I do not think that any team will want to face the Ravens. Sure, the Ravens lost to the Steelers twice and the Jaguars, but two of those games were week three and four when Flacco was having an incredibly poor start to the season and the other match was decided by one point after the loss of Jimmy Smith for the season. With more time to prepare for the loss of Smith and Flacco heating up at the right time, this Ravens team will not back down to any team. They are scary and they will make noise in the playoffs. Do not just assume that this team will go down easily because they did not show well to begin the season. With a potential 6-1 record to close out the season, this team is getting hot at the right time and that is never a good thing for any team in the playoffs other than the Ravens.
The Ravens very truly are the one team that no one in the NFL wants to see in the playoffs. When the Ravens hit the playoffs, something just transforms in Joe Flacco and the average play of the regular season all of a sudden sheds. The inaccuracies and the gun-shy mentality suddenly fade into the distance and the Ravens offense becomes an unrecognizable force. The early transformation into January Joe has begun for the Ravens as Flacco has thrown for an average of 266 yards over his past four games with seven touchdowns to just a single interception. Over the first 11 games of the season, Flacco had a paltry 5.4 yards per attempt, a 2.61% touchdown percentage, a 3.20% interception percentage, and a passer rating of just 75.6. Over the past four games? Flacco has upped his YPA to 7.04, his touchdown percentage to 4.64%, dropped his interception percentage to just 0.67%, and taken his passer rating up to 98.2. Joe Flacco is carrying the Ravens when the rest of the team is faltering or failing to do its part.
On Saturday, Flacco would have had every excuse in the world to not play well. Jeremy Maclin was out with an injury and Chris Moore was replacing him in the starting line up. Alex Collins gained just 51 yards on 18 carries. The weather was incredibly dismal with swirling winds and rain pouring down for much of the game. If Flacco had put up a stinker, no one would have batted an eye and everyone would have understood. This was a bad Colts team and a day off would have been justified from the Ravens quarterback. Instead, he had another strong performance, completing over 75% of his passes and throwing two touchdowns while leading the offense to three more field goals. On a day where rain should have made Flacco settle for check downs and safe throws, he found nine different receivers for two or more receptions. At just the right time, Flacco is catching fire and gearing up to lead the Ravens offense into the playoffs as a threat to even the most elite defenses that the NFL has to offer.
What will truly separate the Ravens, though, is the defense. I recently read an article that opined that the Ravens defense is simply above average and is only held up by their large amount of turnovers. No, this is simply wrong. The Ravens do not just have an above average defense. The Ravens have a dominant defense and it is because they are so incredibly opportunistic and have amazing ball skills to see ball, get ball on defense. A defense is not simply “buoyed” by turnovers when said defense has forced 33 turnovers. Yes, you did read that correctly. The Ravens currently lead the entire NFL with THIRTY-THREE turnovers on the year and an NFL leading 22 interceptions. The Ravens very well should have added another four interceptions on Saturday, but due to the poor weather, the defense came up empty handed.
It was a day where it felt like the Ravens defense heavily underperformed as Frank Gore was able to gain chunk yardage, the pass rush never truly hit home against an incredibly weak Colts offensive line, and TY Hilton found soft spots in coverage, but strictly looking at the box score, the only thing the Ravens truly missed was those four turnovers. Had they secured those four turnovers, it becomes another shutout for the defense and another incredibly dominant day that shows that the Ravens defense is in fact elite. Instead, the Ravens simply looked like another incredibly strong defense that came up with a game winning goal line stand when it mattered the most.
With that defensive stand in mind, can we take a minute to give a major shout out to Maurice Canady and Marlon Humphrey? In the past, the injury to Jimmy Smith would generally spell the end of the Ravens season, but this has been far from the case as these two young players have stepped up. Between the two, they allowed three receptions on eight targets for less than 50 yards and no touchdowns. It was Maurice Canady (one catch on two targets) who came up with the pass deflection on fourth down to seal the game for the Ravens. While everyone (rightfully) focuses in on the Jaguars duo of Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye, the Ravens quietly have their own duo putting in work week in and week out in the absence of the Ravens star corner, Jimmy Smith. Canady and Humphrey will never get the same hype and recognition as Bouye or Ramsey, but when it comes down to it in the playoffs, these two very well may show that they deserve the same hype. They are helping to keep this Ravens defense in the elite category as the Ravens gear up for a playoff run that will strike fear into the hearts of opponents everywhere.
As it stands now, I do not think that any team will want to face the Ravens. Sure, the Ravens lost to the Steelers twice and the Jaguars, but two of those games were week three and four when Flacco was having an incredibly poor start to the season and the other match was decided by one point after the loss of Jimmy Smith for the season. With more time to prepare for the loss of Smith and Flacco heating up at the right time, this Ravens team will not back down to any team. They are scary and they will make noise in the playoffs. Do not just assume that this team will go down easily because they did not show well to begin the season. With a potential 6-1 record to close out the season, this team is getting hot at the right time and that is never a good thing for any team in the playoffs other than the Ravens.
