Look at the brightside

[Ravens0587]

While we are looking more like the 2005 team then the 2006 team.....and we are proving all those people right that said we are not an elite team.

basically it's the Colts and Patriots everyone else is average.

We are only 1 game out in our division and one of the other elite AFC teams chargers suck worse then we do.

All we need to do is make the playoffs, and get on a roll.

[ravens138]

Yes we are one game back from the Steelers however we have lost two (2) division games that's real big. Nothing to be real happy about yet.

[RavenFanatic2k6]

I think it looks more like 2004. The defense is doing relatively well, not dominant, but ok, while the offense is just pathetic minus the running game. Likewise, if I had to predict, I'd say the Ravens finish with a record similar to 2004 - 9-7, maybe 10-6 if they are lucky.

[ravenjoe]

I actually believe the Ravens will finish in third place in the AFC North, and miss the playoffs. The great thing about the NFL is that you need to show up with your A-game every week, or else you Lose, which is the way it should be! No BS; just hard-nosed football, played with passion and a sense of purpose, something the Ravens have not demonstrated since they dismantled the Steelers last December.

[ravenwoman]

There is no bright side to this. We lost to the basement dwellers of the division. I have said this before, if we lose to Cleveland (which we did, badly), then there will be no playoffs for the Ravens this season. Period. End of Season!!!! We played like the Orioles yesterday. I stand by my prediction.

[jefe96]

There is no bright side to this. We lost to the basement dwellers of the division. I have said this before, if we lose to Cleveland (which we did, badly), then there will be no playoffs for the Ravens this season. Period. End of Season!!!! We played like the Orioles yesterday. I stand by my prediction.

I stand with you. And I am a FAN!! And I have watched the NFL for many, many years.

You can say that 'the superbowl team was 5-4', but at least we saw some good play from them. The defense held that team together and secured some wins. This year's D is holding the floodgates open.

This team is 2-2 against mediocre teams. Simple math tells you that if they continue this effort over the remaining 3 quarters of the season then they will finish 8-8. And that's against much stronger competition.

With that said I will continue to have patience and feel that this team can rebound and make a run. But, memories from 2005 keep flashing in front of me. Lots of hype and lots of egg laying.

[sailorsam]

I wonder if last year's team was an illusion, taking advantage of a fairly easy schedule, the division in a down year. The Chargers game might have been Marty collapsing; the Saints were probably overrated.
I see two probs this year. the Defense is great at stunts and tricky blitzes, and they're still stout against the run, but teams has figured out they can pick on the 2ry.
other prob; the Offense is going backward, not forward. I don't understand why the Ravens aren't passing the ball much better. are the receivers not getting open? the LIne seems to be doing it's job. is it the play calling?
this looking now like a 9-7 team. very disappointing.

[btownraven]

I think it looks more like 2004. The defense is doing relatively well, not dominant, but ok, while the offense is just pathetic minus the running game. Likewise, if I had to predict, I'd say the Ravens finish with a record similar to 2004 - 9-7, maybe 10-6 if they are lucky.
I agree. That season they started 2-2, but the losses were bad (Cleveland & 0-3 KC). They got to 7-3 thanks to a soft schedule but then had a brutal post-Thanksgiving schedule (Indy, NE, & Pitt on the road). They lost all 3 of those, had the Cincy collapse, and ended up 9-7.

[btownraven]

You can say that 'the superbowl team was 5-4', but at least we saw some good play from them. The defense held that team together and secured some wins. This year's D is holding the floodgates open.

Plus that team had a very soft schedule down the stretch, with 4 of their last 5 at home (the only road game was Arizona). This team has a brutal post-Thanksgiving schedule, which is why a fast start was vital.

[ravens138]

To say we are in this as we are only one game back. We still have to play four (2) division games so far we have lost two (2) of them. That comes back to hurt you in a close race. We are in for a real dog fight if we play better. If don't play better we will be out of this soon.

Now if the Steelers can start to lose some division games then we might have a chance.

We still have to play

Chargers / which aren't doing good now
Colts
New England
Steelers twice
Bengals / at home
Seahawks / away

We better start playing better real soon.

[JimBone]

The bright spots are:
It's only week 4
Cincinatti is just as bad as us
If we keep losing we just might get a franchise qb in the draft
At least we have an NFL team to bitch about

[Jggjaron]

Why does everybody jump on the bandwagons, We have looked like crap but a lot can change in the next 13 weeks of football.

So everybody Take a deep breath and relax. Everybody is now going to count us out.

We have usually slpit division games and ended up with a winning record and could easily make the playoffs.

[RAVENOUS52]

I beleive in the organization, I beleive in the coaches and I especially beleive in the players who make up this team.

We WILL make the playoffs and make a run at the Holy Grail.

This ain't the time to fold on our troops when the going gets tough.

[Greg]

You can say that 'the superbowl team was 5-4', but at least we saw some good play from them.
Good play? The team didn't score a TD for 5 weeks, sure the defense won 2 of those games but hell, in 4 games with the defense playing down and the offense better than no TDs but not great they have won 2 of them. Quite comparable.

And some of those teams in the 5 game stretch weren't powerhouses on defense.

Time to relax, get the ship righted and if McNair is hobbled AT ALL put Boller out there. SF doesn't have the crowd noise that C-choke or Pittspuke can bring, so that would be a good road start for him to build confidence.

The D needs to stop Gore and find a way to get pressure on Dilfer, the offense should be able to put up 20 points. There was 19 in C-choke if Stover hits those two FGs. That should be enough.

If you want to panic go ahead, the good thing about this forum is ALL of the old posts stay so we can always have a chuckle reading them in January.