Baltimore Ravens 2005 Preview

By John Onan  |   Monday, August 29, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Baltimore Ravens
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After a sub par 2004 season, Ravens head man Brian Billick decided it was time to make some changes. First off, much maligned offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh has left town, replaced by former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel. Perturbed by the slow development of quarterback Kyle Boller, Billick also brought in Rick Neuheisel to help tutor the young man. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have switched to a 4-3 defense to provide more bulk upfront.

Strengths: As mentioned, the heart and soul of the defense will once again be the middle with perennial All-Pro Ray Lewis and the return of Peter Boulware, who had to sit out last year with toe and knee problems. He re-signed after being released earlier in the off-season due to salary cap restraints. He will become even more important in pass rushing situations since 2nd round pick Dan Cody severely sprained his knee and may miss the entire season. Up and coming DE Adalius Thomas stepped up and posted career highs in tackles and sacks, and may split time with Boulware. Former Rams LB Tommy Polley was brought in and will get his share of playing time as well.

Strong safety Ed Reed intercepted nine passes while garnering NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Reed seems to always be around the ball, as he also forced 3 fumbles and recovered 2 more. His cohort at safety, Will Demps, also had a very strong season in his own right. The Ravens upgraded at corner, by signing former Titans standout Samari Rolle. Rolle was a disappointment in his final year in Tennessee, but should thrive in the Ravens defense starting opposite another Pro Bowl player, CB Chris McAllister. Also, let us not forget about their nickel backs, Deion Sanders and Dale Carter.

The return of a healthy Jamal Lewis will go a long way into helping take the pressure off Boller. Before his legal and health woes, Lewis was a 2,000 yard rusher in 2003 and should gain upwards of 1,500 if he plays all year. The strong return of tight end Todd Heap will help take some of the pressure off Boller. Heap was well on his way to another All Star year, before an ankle injury.

Weaknesses: Now that he has offensive weapons on the outside like 1st round draft pick Mark Clayton and another former Titan, Derrick Mason, there are no more excuses for Boller. This is a make or break season for the 3rd year man out of Cal. If he fails to lead the offense effectively, the Baltimore Ravens will be looking elsewhere for a field general.

I may be nitpicking here, but it will be interesting to see how the defensive line adapts to the new 4-3 scheme. The interior linemen will need to hold their own in the trenches, so the LB's can fly around and make plays. Terrell Suggs is moving to end, after being a standout linebacker in his first couple years in the league.

I am also concerned about three key parts they've lost on the offensive line since last year. Center Casey Rabach, guard Bennie Anderson, and tackle Ethan Brooks have all departed via free agency, and All-Pro tackle Jonathan Ogden will be looked upon to lead the new guys.

Also… On special teams, B.J. Sams excelled returning kicks, including leading the league in punt return average. Place kicker Matt Stover is good from inside 40 yards, but struggles beyond that. Punter Dave Zastudil is below average.

Overall…If Boller takes what he's learned from Fassel and Neuheisel and applies it, the sky's the limit for this edition of the Baltimore Ravens. If not, we could be seeing his backup Anthony Wright leading this team into the playoffs. The defense will once again be amid the top 5 in the league, which can get them into the postseason, but is unlikely to win another Super Bowl for them.

This is a playoff team; how far they go will depend on the offense. The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers will fight it out for the AFC North title.
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