As the final seconds ticked off the clock following their week 3 heart wrenching loss, the Baltimore Ravens and the fan base alike sat in horror as they experienced a feat unlike anything they have witnessed before. Two numbers, 0-3.
These two numbers symbolize something much more than just a simple win loss record. They represent all the hard work, blood, sweat and any other bodily fluid lost during training camp. All the family time wiped away due to lengthy film sessions. The sleepless nights, gut twisting anxiety and the withdrawal like symptoms associated with the removal of football for six summer months. These hardships and the everlasting effort put forth have culminated into this, a pathetic half assed, winless start to an expectation filled season.
There are countless reasons as to why this organization is on the downward spiral to the bottom feeding area of the standings, practically becoming the laughing stock of the NFL overnight, a celebrity status no athlete wants. A main contributor to the downfall has got to be the lack of targets for Joe Flacco.
In 2012, the Ravens embarked on a storybook season. From their week 1 dominance over the Bengals to their nerve wracking Lombardi win in February of that year, one thing was certain, give Flacco some targets and he will perform with the best of them. Having Boldin, a healthy Pitta and an eventual hall of fame Center, there was little doubt the future Super Bowl MVP would greatly excel. Placing the blame on Joe or even new OC Marc Trestman in this current situation is ludicrous. Given the personnel on the depth chart, you definitely can’t expect miracles to occur. Steve Smith, Sr. is in his 15th and final season, their first round draft pick is unproven in every definition of the word and their run game is once again absent. Forsett is turning out to be a flash in the pan, and the line guarding him is wounded beyond belief.
Ozzie is well known for his hard nosed attitude and unwavering beliefs on how a franchise should be ran. Though most look at this as a godsend, the logical response and ultimate result couldn’t be further from positive. For years fans have been clamouring for a Dez/Megatron/Julio-esque receiver. The best answer to these wants? Perriman. An injury plagued rookie who has yet to start a regular season game let alone a preseason tilt.
No, draft picks aren’t wasted, as the likes of Mosley, Jimmy Smith and other such names have been selected in the earlier rounds to bolster the defensive corp. The choices are one sided. Since the creation of the organization back in ’96, only four key offensive cogs have been drafted. Not a surprise considering the mantra and mindset in the Baltimore locker room has always been that of a ferocious defensive one. At some point in time the man in charge has to switch it up a bit. The juicy selections were ripe for the picking the last few drafts. In 2013 they selected two linebackers who have yet to make the slightest impact while players such as, Eddie Lacy, Terrence Williams and even Keenan Allen were all taken afterwards. In 2014 they missed out on Jeremy Hill, Carlos Hyde and John Brown. Ty Hilton, Randall Cobb and even Demarco Murray are all names Baltimore brass missed out on in previous years.
Don’t take this the wrong way, in no shape or form is this an attack towards Ozzie. By all means he did create one of the greatest teams the defensive side of football has ever seen. He just needs to shake things up a tad and try his luck with a more talented offensive threat. Torrey Smith was a mediocre choice in a deep pool of WR’s.
Fear not, the clouds will part and the sun will shine as the season progresses. When that moment happens is anyone’s guess. The best thing to do is to throw on that Ravens jersey and memorabilia, change up the superstitions and most importantly represent that purple pride to the fullest!!
Signed,
An irritated Ravens Fan
