Could the Ravens offense be in for a breakout season?
Posted by admin | Under Steve Clayton Friday Mar 5, 2010Last year, the Ravens ranked near among the best at not allowing sacks, along with teams such as Washington, Indy, San Diego, and St. Louis that all had excellent running games, but Jamal Lewis’s ineptitude cost them a running game.
Steve McNair was traded for after OTAs and didn’t even know the playbook last year. He threw 16 TDs in 15 games (was knocked out in the first 5 minutes of 2 others), while Kyle Boller, not a great QB by any standard, threw 5 in 2 games.
Consider the WR corps. Mark Clayton is a breakaway threat whose first 2 seasons are very similar to Chad Johnson’s. Derrick Mason is one of the best possession WRs in the NFL. Reports out of OTAs suggest that WR3 Demetrius Williams is the best of the group. They also have Todd Heap, who is one of the elite TEs in the NFL.
To be continued with more details…
Then there’s Willis McGahee. He believes he’s in the best shape he’s been in since he left college. He’s had none of the attitude problems that haunted him in Buffalo. He’s even been hanging out with Ed Reed, his college teammate, and Rey Lewis and is wearing the defense’s black visor. He appears to be bringing the defense’s attitude to the offense.
Don’t the Ravens look like a breakout offense going into this season? With the defense they’ve got, they could be unbeatable if they could just score points. They did lose 3 games last year by the scores of 13-3, 13-7, and 15-6 last year (they only lost one game in which they allowed over 20 points and McNair had a concussion and Boller failed in a last minute comeback attempt).
You’re obviously looking for a "yes" answer, but despite my hatred of sounding like a suckup I’d have to admit that they are headed in that direction. I wonder if the Ravens will pull off a "win one for Jonny Ogden" campaign like the Steelers did for Jerome Bettis. Maybe if Ray Lewis announces he will be retiring… But either way McGahee, McNair, Clayton, Mason, and great O-Line and Brian Billick calling the plays (instead of Fassel) sounds like a potent combination to me.
You’re obviously looking for a "yes" answer, but despite my hatred of sounding like a suckup I’d have to admit that they are headed in that direction. I wonder if the Ravens will pull off a "win one for Jonny Ogden" campaign like the Steelers did for Jerome Bettis. Maybe if Ray Lewis announces he will be retiring… But either way McGahee, McNair, Clayton, Mason, and great O-Line and Brian Billick calling the plays (instead of Fassel) sounds like a potent combination to me.
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They very well could have a breakout season due to a number of reasons. My main reason for thinking that this may be another great season for them is Steve McNair, I mean the guy didn’t even get a chance to really get a solid grasp of the offense last year. I know that if he stays healthy, gets a good understanding of the offense, his offensive players make key plays and the defense continue to be as ferocious as it was last year, then heck yes Baltimore will be a serious superbowl contender.
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Baltimore is on the scary side for a Super Bowl run, but I think the potency of their offense will be on whether McNair can stay healthy, and McGahee can produce immediately like he says he can.
Other than that, wow. Great team.
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I love Clayton – a former OU standout, but the Ravens have been waiting for their offense to ‘break out’ for ten years! I don’t see any miracles on the horizon.
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it could happen
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I don’t think the offense will be spectacular, but then again they weren’t super in their superbowl year. Defense will remain the ravens offense. They will rank high in rushing, but their passing attack isn’t anywhere near good enough. They need a better #1 receiver. Ask casual fans who Mark Clayton is and he won’t know. I think they are going far as a team, just not with offense.
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With McNair in training camp for a full year a nice receiving corp, a great offensive line and a younger running back they have a good shot.
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I’m not a Raven’s fan, but I do have to admit the move to get Willis McGahee was huge. Jamal Lewis didn’t seem to have that fire in him as in previous years. The Raven’s running game will be substantially better this season. This could allow McNair to be even more dangerous; especially on the "play-action" department. I think instead of one of the wideouts having a great year, it will be Todd Heap. He’s due for a record season.
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I love the addition of Willis, and they have talent on the o-line and at WR, but you’re giving McNair too much credit. This isn’t the McNair from 4 or 5 years ago. Its the same old, beat up, injury ridden qb that the Titans unloaded last offseason. Yes, he didn’t get sacked much, but he didnt get sacked too much his final years in Tennessee either. I’d love to see him do well, and I think the Ravens will have a very good season, but they’re still going to be winning through their defense, and look for them to run McGahee until he can’t run any more. McNair will put up numbers similar to last years…. assuming he makes it through the season.
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I definitely think they have an opportunity to be more explosive. This is Billick’s best opportunity to have an offense that can put up some points since he has been in Baltimore
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No, i think that one of there players is going to get hurt and be out for the season and its gonna kill the ravens offence, but if there players all stay healthy then yes they will have a very good offence.
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I don’t care it’s all about them Cowboys for me.
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yea most likely
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Steve McNair…please. The guy could not even light up the scoreboard when he was in his prime. The only reason he even got his team to the Superbowl was becasue of the Music City Miracle. McNair is a good guy, but not a good football player. Look what he did in the playoffs last year. The Ravens would be better of with Boller or Troy Smith.
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