Seven weeks into the 2010 season and one thing stands out to me.
This ain’t your Daddy’s Ravens defense anymore.
And, thankfully, it appears as if Daddy’s old Ravens offense isn’t around these days, either.
My assessment of the Ravens after seven games goes like this: They’re right about where I figured they’d be, given that I took them to go 11-5 in the AFC North. I didn’t do the traditional “game-by-game” pre-season pick ‘em that most fans do, but 5-2 at the break is roughly what I figured they’d be given their schedule.
And this is a team still very capable of being in the mix come late December, but the one intangible that will affect the club more than anything else is the same thing that has already affected Dallas-bound favorites like Green Bay, Minnesota and New Orleans — injuries. For the Ravens to stay alive into January, they’ll need to avoid the types of injuries that have sidelined Ryan Grant, Reggie Bush and Sidney Rice. A healthy Ravens team three months from now will be far more prepared to compete for the title than one riddled with ailments to key players. And that’s no different in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh or New England.
In the meantime, though, the Ravens have a virtual “second-half” to prepare for along with a quest to reach at least 10 wins, maybe even 11, in order to secure a 3rd straight trip to the post-season.
Current record aside, I’m seeing something else that makes me take notice about this Ravens team, and, actually, the organization as a whole.
Forget what the first seven games say, statistically. My eyes tell me this Baltimore defense is starting to show signs of wear and tear. It’s become unreliable. Vulnerable. Predictable, too, which might be as much about personnel as it is anything else.
I’ll say the words that we probably NEVER thought we’d mutter in Baltimore as long as Ray Lewis captained the purple ship.
The Ravens offense is better than the Ravens defense.
And to my eyes, we’re finally seeing the literal changing of
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