Week Sixteen Reactions-What Are the Chances? (1/2)

Dec 22, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) after the game at M

Ravens Still in the Hunt
Although it kills me so much to say it (say it ain’t so keith!), the Ravens are still in contention for the final AFC Wildcard spot. At 8-7, Baltimore, Miami, and San Diego all have an opportunity to make it to the playoffs. Because Miami blew it against Buffalo, Baltimore’s 41-7 loss to New England wasn’t actually as bad as it seemed. Even with Miami losing, the Ravens will still have their hands full this Sunday against the Bengals on the road. When asking what were the chances that the Ravens could have lost to the Pats last Sunday, I respond with pretty high. The Ravens this season (contrary to popular Baltimore belief) have not been that same 2012 Super Bowl winning team that they once were. The main problem with the Ravens this season can be strictly rooted back to their offensive production. In 2013 the Ravens rank 26th in points per game scored with 20.2 points per game to go along with their 28th-ranked rushing offense (85.4 rushing yards per game) and 19th-ranked passing offense (227.7 passing yards per game). After such success in the playoffs last season and a massive contract extension, Joe Flacco has been like a $2 million per-year QB, not a $20.1 million per-year QB. This season Flacco has been paid the biggest contract ever for a QB and yet he has played like just an average QB. Although some may argue that his supporting cast isn’t that great I would have to disagree. The Ravens still have most of their pieces from last years Super Bowl winning team, it has been Flacco’s poor execution that has cost them a number of ballgames. As well as Flacco, this Ravens running game has played absolutely atrociously. After being a fantasy and yardage monster for many years, Ray Rice has suddenly and mysteriously lost a serious step in his game this season. From 2009-2012 Rice was a beast, rushing for over 1,143 yards and 5 touchdowns in 4 straight seasons, however this season Rice has been anything but a beast, only rushing for 645 on 208 carries for a yards per carry average of 3.1 yards per carry. Weak numbers considering where Rice was just a season ago. Perhaps it has been the struggles of the passing game or maybe the emergence of RB Bernard Pierce, but for whatever reason Rice is not playing like he used to and that is a big problem for the Ravens. Seeing as they have a must-win game coming up this Sunday against the Bengals, Rice and Bernard cannot pull what they pulled at New England last Sunday (Pierce and Rice combined for 71 yards on 21 carries with a dismal 3.38 yards per carry average ). If the Ravens are going to win or even think about getting anywhere in the playoffs they will need this running game playing up to par, Flacco and Torrey Smith can’t hook up all day without someone noticing. Regardless though, what are the chances that the Ravens still have a chance? Pretty small I would say. Since the start of the season I knew that the black birds wouldn’t have a chance to make it to the playoffs or even close to the Super Bowl, but somehow they are 8-7 and (if everything goes in their favor) on the cusp of the playoffs. Looking forward to this Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, the Ravens are going to have their hands full as they will be taking on the 5th-ranked defense in the entire NFL. If they weren’t even able to score 10 points against the league’s 25th-ranked defense, who knows what will happen against the 5th-ranked defense.