The Ravens are playoff bound

[cprenegade]

This season, in many ways, reminds me of the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Lightning did indeed strike that season and because of that season, I know a team, once in the playoffs, are only a short winning streak away from the championship. Of course that team had one of the best defenses ever, but the offense was even more anemic than this year's has been. And there really isn't one team that is totally dominant this year IMHO.

It's always nice to have optomism, but there are some very important differences. That Raven team had one of the best single season defenses that I feel has ever played the game. This Raven team even at full strength doesn't have a good defense, crippled like they are they may be one of the worst. The offense wasn't as potentially explosive as this one, but it had more of a consistency and identity. By the time the Ravens hit the playoffs, they were actually a very good team. This one may have started off somewhat good, but it is heading south very quickly. Anything can happen, but I would be extremely shocked it this team can manage to roll off three victories going through the AFC landscape that will most likely mean having to win on consecutive weeks against either Denver, New England or Houston.

[JasonM]

Well, any playoff appearance is better than no playoff appearance, and I never give pulling for my team as long their alive. But expectations are low for me, it's hard to win a Super Bowl when than half your defensive starters are injured and/or inactive. The way things are shaping up, losing out could mean playing at Foxboro in the Wild Card round. Not an impossible task, but a very difficult one.

I certainly hope the Ravens win another game prior to the playoffs, but they're starting to remind me of the 1986 Jets:

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...s/nyj/1986.htm

They were the best team in football through week 11, with a 10-1 record highlighted by a 51-45 overtime win over Miami. They ended up losing their last 5 (just as NBC's Paul Maguire predicted they would) and finished 2nd in the AFC East.
But they won their Wild Card game against KC 35-15. In the next round, they were up 10 in the last 3 minutes against Cleveland. If not for a bonehead personal foul by Mark Gastineau on Kosar, the Jets are in the AFC title game against Denver that year.

So maybe they wash out in the Wild Card round, maybe they take out a team or 2, anything can happen once a team makes the playoffs.

[jessup270]

If there ever was a time that the Ravens need a quality back up, these last two games were it.

Flacco should have been benched, just to let him know that his play was unacceptable.

In the Ravens scheme Flacco could have the worst game of his career and he would still not be benched during a game.

Maybe I am old, do any teams bench a poorly performing player during a game anymore?

[Buford]

If there ever was a time that the Ravens need a quality back up, these last two games were it.

Flacco should have been benched, just to let him know that his play was unacceptable.

In the Ravens scheme Flacco could have the worst game of his career and he would still not be benched during a game.

Maybe I am old, do any teams bench a poorly performing player during a game anymore?

No, because it hurts their feelings..