No matter how big or small, a win is a win and a cause for celebration. But where do we draw the line? Usually, in the sports world, a winning team gives themselves a 24-hr grace period to celebrate before heading back to the film room. All teams deserve this time to gloat, but what about the Baltimore Ravens? Severe injuries, a compromised playbook, and a QB susceptible to illnesses have almost sabotaged their winning season. Has the 6-3 team demonstrated that they truly deserve bragging rights?
Although The Ravens ended last season second in the AFC North, they have emerged as the underdogs this year. Over the summer, many people around the league predicted what the upcoming season would look like in Baltimore, telling ESPN: “This might be the year that everybody figures out Lamar Jackson.” However, this opinion was challenged with the Ravens going 6-2. In response to comments made over the summer, Head Coach John Harbaugh said "If you're looking for your headline here, I think the people who make those statements are kind of whistling in the graveyard just a little bit. It doesn't have any meaning. Anybody who knows X's and O's [defenses and offenses] is rolling their eyes when they hear something like that.”
For the NFL, games, joint practices, press conferences, and more are treating Covid-19 as a thing of the past. The league is taking all precautions for Covid-19. With the disastrous Covid outbreak hitting The Ravens last year at their Owings Mills team facility, more than 90% of players are now fully vaccinated. However, MVP candidate Lamar Jackson is not vaccinated. Though having freedom of choice, the Florida native has suffered from Covid twice within less than a year and recently contracted a non-Covid related illness. For The Ravens to go all the way, a healthy QB is the most important part.
A healthy team that is not injury prone is just as important. Baltimore has become a beat-up team within the last four months, with 25 players being placed as questionable or on Injury Reserve. Many offensive weapons have been moved from the field to reserved, with RB’s J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hills experiencing season-ending injuries just weeks apart. Though it looks like The Ravens’ defense has had the most injuries, including Marcus Peters, Dereck Wolfe, and LJ Fort, Lamar is seeming to have to jump through many hurdles with a “fractured” team.
The question of The Ravens’ progression this season should be replaced with this two-word phrase - “figured out.” Have The Ravens finally “figured out” what spectators had claimed for them to be last season and now, or have other teams around them truly progressed? Week 7 was a crushing blowout for Baltimore against the Bengals, a team that was said to be an easy victory. An unbearably close Week 8 game against the Vikings resulted in overtime. And with another Week 9 loss against the 3-7 Dolphins, The Ravens now find themselves desperately trying to pick up momentum.
The Ravens have eight games left until the playoffs in January and a lot to prove to themselves and the league. With injuries as an ever-present foe, respect is something that you have no other choice but to give to them. With the NFL accumulating 299 injuries so far this year as of October, The Ravens have the second-most injuries to account for the overall high number. With all of the obstacles The Ravens have been hurdling over, kudos are definitely in order. But a full-blown celebration may take some patience. With a competitive schedule ahead of them, a rigorous team is what The Ravens need to show to beat the opinions of critics. Although stats and team standings do not lie, this is not the fan’s time to panic now. Greatness for Lamar and Baltimore has to be proven now; a Super Bowl LVI ticket and MVP title are on the line.
Photo courtesy of PFF, edited by Katie Z. ‘22