Baltimore Ravens 2016 season preview: Is Joe Flacco elite enough to carry them?
The Ravens were plagued by injuries to key players — including Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Terrell Suggs and Steve Smith, Sr. — last season and it led to the team’s worst finish (5-11) in the John Harbaugh era. Even if all those guys return to 100 percent, Baltimore is still going to have a tough task competing in a gritty AFC North. The tight end position is a bit of a question mark. Ben Watson was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and Dennis Pitta suffered a finger fracture in camp, though he is expected to return to practice ahead of the season opener. The team sought help on the offensive line by drafting LT Ronnie Stanley out of Notre Dame with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft. On defense, Suggs will be back leading the front-seven, though it’ll be interesting to see how effective he is after his torn Achilles last year. The team also signed veteran safety Eric Weddle and is looking to pair him with Lardarius Webb, who is trying to make the transition from corner to safety.
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The “Is Joe Flacco elite?” debate has raged on for years, but now we have to see if he’s even the same quarterback he used to be after suffering a torn ACL and MCL last season. Flacco hasn’t reported any issues with the surgically-repaired knee in training camp, but the real test obviously will come on gamedays. If he continues to be plagued by inconsistency in addition to having reservations about his health, that could spell bad news for the Ravens.
Last season was supposed to be the veteran wide receiver’s final year, but a torn Achilles prematurely ended his season and he decided to come back and try to go out on his own terms. Smith has proven to be a very effective and fearsome passing threat even in his “old age,” but it’ll be interesting to see how much he has left in the tank, especially when coming off a devastating injury.
The veteran free safety signed with Baltimore after an impressive nine-year tenure in San Diego. The 31-year-old brings needed veteran stability to the Ravens’ secondary, but he’ll have his work cut out for him, as there’s quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the team’s pass coverage.
Considering the offense, former third-round pick Terrance West posted solid numbers for the Browns during his rookie season two seasons ago. He rushed for nearly 700 yards on 171 carries. However, as the Browns continued to slip on the proverbial banana peel, West fell out of favor with the organization and was dealt to the Titans last season. Now with Baltimore, West has impressed many this preseason. His ability on the field was never in question, but more his preparation and effort in practices. If he can pull it together in Marc Trestman’s offense and cut into Justin Forsett’s workload, fantasy owners can pull off a late-round steal or snatch up a waiver wire gem.
(All lines courtesy of Bovada.com, as of 8/31)
Season win total over/under: 8.5 (over +110, under -140)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 40/1. The 40-to-1 price is within a scary range of odds for your wallet. This is just enough of a payout to tempt you into making a bad decision. Could Baltimore overachieve this year? Of course. That kind of false hope is where oddsmakers make their living, however. Don't fall for the trap.
One thing we wish we could bet on: Steve Smith retiring before the season ends. We'd need pretty decent odds on this. When Smith decided to come back, he probably expected to play all 16 games. But he's coming off of that awful injury, and he's already joked that once he reaches the 1,000-catch plateau, he might just walk off the field.
November 6, vs. Pittsburgh
With a road game in Cleveland the only AFC North contest before this, Baltimore’s first real divisional test should come after its Week 8 bye.
December 12, at New England
The Ravens head into Foxboro for a Monday Night Football showdown in Week 14.
January 1, at Cincinnati
Don’t be surprised if postseason implications are on the line as these two division rivals close out the regular season.
We say: 7-9
WhatIfSports simulation says: 8-8
— Pete Blackburn, Andrew Lynch (betting), Ryan Fowler (fantasy)
