The Ravens Were Doomed From the Start


The Baltimore Ravens are on the outside not looking in at the AFC playoff picture with a 4-10 record this season. This is exactly the type of season that fans and the media alike should have seen coming for the Ravens.

It all began before the season began when former big names left Baltimore for other teams. Star defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was acquired by the Detroit Lions to replace Ndomukong Suh, who signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith joined former Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin in San Francisco tight end Owen Daniels and then offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak both left to join Peyton Manning in Denver. Joe Flacco had just lost two of his best receivers and a great offensive coordinator.

When the Ravens traveled to Denver to take on the Broncos in their first game of the season, the defense looked good, picking off a couple Peyton Manning passes and not allowing him to throw a touchdown. During the game, however, outside linebacker and tremendous defensive player Terrell Suggs was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

On Nov. 22, things went from bad to worse for the Ravens when running back Justin Forsett suffered a broken arm and was also lost for the season. The team hit rock bottom when it was reported that Flacco had torn his ACL in the same game against the Rams, a game which they won 16-13.

The Ravens are currently on a three-game losing streak under head coach John Harbaugh, losing the last two games by a combined score of 69-20. Their last two opponents are the two teams ahead of them in the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Based on the potential machups, it looks like the Ravens will finish this injury-ridden season with a 4-12 record.

With a high draft pick, however, and with Suggs, Forsett and Flacco coming back healthy, the Ravens could do a complete turnaround in 2016.

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