Steve Smith Sr. was major reason for Baltimore Ravens success in 2014

The Baltimore Ravens had a very successful 2014 season, and a major reason for the Ravens’ offensive success this season was because of wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.

With the 2014 season wrapping up, the acquisition of Smith Sr. was easily one of the best moves of the offseason for any NFL team, as the Ravens were able to sign him after he was shockingly let go by the Carolina Panthers after a wonderful career.

In his career with the Panthers, Smith Sr. put up magnificent stats with the Panthers, as Smith Sr. had 12,197 receiving yards in 182 games with 67 TD catches in his time with the Panthers. In his final season with the Panthers, Smith Sr. was still a very good WR with 64 receptions, 745 yards and four TD in what would be his final season with the Panthers, as they let him go.

The Panthers’ offense would struggle without Smith Sr. this season, as despite drafting rookie Kelvin Benjamin, who had a great rookie season, the Panthers’ offense would not be very impressive.

Smith being let go by the Panthers would turn out to be a mistake by the Panthers, as their offense would struggle for a majority of the season without Smith Sr., and injuries to Cam Newton.

The acquisition of Smith Sr. for the Ravens’ offense would be a great one for Baltimore, as he was a major contributor to the Ravens, advancing into the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots, in which they put up a great fight despite, falling short in the game.

In his first season with the Ravens, Smith Sr. would have 79 receptions for 1,065 yards with six TD. Smith Sr. brought a physical type WR that the Ravens needed after Anquan Boldin left after the Ravens’ Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers.

A major sign of how important Smith Sr. was to the Ravens was the impact that he had on QB Joe Flacco. After missing the playoffs in 2013, Flacco would bounce back with a very good season in 2014 and a lot of that was because of Smith Sr.

With Smith Sr. as his No.1 target, Flacco threw for a career-high 3,986 yards in the regular season with also a career-high 27 TD passes in 2014. In 2013, Flacco clearly struggled with more INT than TD, as he had 19 TD to 22 INT, and it resulted in a disappointing season for the Ravens.

Smith Sr. was a big part of the Ravens’ passing offense in the playoffs, as he had eight receptions for 145 yards and one TD in for the Ravens in the playoffs.

Despite being under contract for next season, Smith Sr. future is uncertain, as despite being under contract by the Ravens for next season, there is a very good possibility that Smith Sr. could retire. The Ravens’ OC Gary Kubiak is a target for most teams looking for an offensive HC next season, as with the Smith Sr., Kubiak turned around the Ravens’ offense in 2014, but their futures with the team is very uncertain.