NFL Football Preview 2009 Baltimore Ravens
Last Season's AFC Championship Appearance Sets The Bar High For 2009
Jul 28, 2009
Ever since the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2000, they have established a reputation of having one of the top defenses in the league each season. However, they have never had that star quarterback to build a franchise around.
When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants, the offense was led by quarterback Trent Dilfer. In his only season with the Ravens, Dilfer played in 11 games (eight of which he started) during the regular season, throwing for 1,502 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
He may not have been one of the top quarterbacks in the league that season, but he was the type of quarterback who provided just enough on offense to win games for a team that had the top defense in the league. In 2000, Ravens defense set an NFL record by allowing 165 total points in 16 games.
Ever since the 2000 season, the Ravens have never been able to establish a true quarterback to build their franchise around. Kyle Boller, Elvis Grbac, and Anthony Wright are all players the Ravens were hoping could build their franchise around over the next couple of years. Steve McNair played in 22 games from 2006-07 for the Ravens, and even led them to the playoffs in '06 before he decided to hang up the cleats and retire.
Ravens May Have Finally Found Their Quarterback in Joe Flacco
Last season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco drew comparisons to Trent Dilfer during his rookie season as he provided just enough offense and leadership to help the team reach the AFC Championship Game. Along with the help of a strong defense, Flacco became the first rookie quarterback to win his first two playoff games.
As a rookie, Flacco finished his rookie season with 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The former standout from Delaware performed well considering he made the adjustment to the NFL from playing at low-Division I school.
Have the Ravens finally found a quarterback to build their franchise around in Flacco? If he continues to mature and develop after playing a full season as a starter, there is reason to believe he will be the face of the franchise for years to come.
With Derrick Mason Retiring, How Will They Adjust at Wide Receiver?
A couple of weeks ago, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Masons decided to call it a career after 12 seasons in the NFL. In an interview jocklife.com, Mason stated that he was, "ready to see what else life has to offer."
Many believe that Mason's decision came because of the death of Steve McNair, who he played with as a member of the Tennessee Titans before the Ravens. No matter what the reasoning behind the decision, one thing is certain; the Ravens have a hole to fill at the wide receiver position in 2009.
Mason played in all 16 games last season for the Ravens, leading the team with 80 receptions for 1,037 yards. He even became the 31st player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards.
To make things even more complicated for the Ravens, wide receiver Drew Bennett decided to retire just three days after signing with the team.
Rumors state that the Ravens are trying to convince Mason to come out of retirement and play for the Ravens in 2009. They believe there is a chance that he retired because of what happened to McNair and still would like to play this upcoming season.
Regardless of what decision Mason decides to go with , the Ravens will need help at the wide receiver position, no matter what. As of now, they will have to rely on fifth-year wide-out Mark Clayton and fourth-year wideout Demetrius Williams for the time being.
