OPINION: Under the Radar perfect airspace for Baltimore Ravens

Are the Baltimore Ravens so far under the radar that they are invisible? Has anyone really read our evaluations here on COVER32/Ravens?

Apparently not, because according to the pundits once again, Baltimore is in the midst of a no-fly zone.

Whether it be for fantasy purposes: the Ravens are rated #29 on the Yahoo Sports Juggernaut Power Index; or whether it be a real time evaluation: AFC North media tells us the Ravens have no chance at the playoffs. These conclusions are an example of how too many prognostications are based on just one season. The pundits seem to be hanging their hat on several ideas: the Ravens won’t be able to overcome the injury bug that they had a year ago, and all those close games were an indication that this team doesn’t have the talent to compete on a regular basis.

Let’s see if this is really true because often in the midst of adversity, one can find diamonds.

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Gold Under the Radar

Despite not having Joe Flacco for an entire season, Baltimore still had the eighth-ranked passing offense in the NFL. Wide Receiver Kamar Aiken had a career year with 75 catches 944 yards and five touchdowns. Are you trying to tell me that both Aiken and Flacco can’t produce numbers superior to that with a full season under their belt?

Running back Justin Forsett is only two years removed from a Pro Bowl campaign and Baltimore has seen the emergence of increased competition at the running back position behind Forsett.

Many people are saying the Ravens have developed one of the best young tight end groups in the league.

Baltimore recognized their need for offensive line help and has immediately put its faith in Ronnie Stanley at left tackle in order to make that unit more competitive.

Veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace should benefit greatly from having a real NFL quarterback that knows how to throw the deep ball consistently.

Pro Bowl caliber kicker Justin Tucker shouldn’t once again be missing a career-high seven field goals. I would take those odds any day of the week.

As far as stopping the opponent, you can’t tell me that the Ravens will once again be without the services of Terrell Suggs and they will also find themselves in so many close games in 2016.

If you believe that’s going to happen then we need to take a trip to Vegas.

Suggs has proclaimed himself healthy and is looking forward to the coming year according to a minicamp report that I recently compile–but I forgot, Pundits, you haven’t read that yet.

Besides Suggs on defense, the Ravens will have Brandon Williams and CJ Mosley, but I guess they don’t really count?

Now, if I am to understand the pundits correctly, they believe John Harbaugh for the first time during his coaching tenure in Baltimore will miss the playoffs two years in a row even though that’s never happened before. Since they’re using historical data from one year to prove a point why wouldn’t they recognize historically the fact that the Ravens have never missed the playoffs two straight years under Harbaugh before making such a prediction? If the numbers don’t lie for one season, according to their logic, then the logic from the numbers for multiple seasons should support the Ravens making the playoffs in 2016.

Let’s also take a look at this: the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only two teams in the division that have a quarterback that has won a playoff game and a Super Bowl during his career.

The Ravens also won the season series from the Steelers a year ago despite having their own personal M*A*S*H unit.

Do you really think the Ravens and the Steelers aren’t the two best teams in the AFC North?

If you don’t believe that then I can see why flying under the radar is exactly where the Ravens want to be in 2016.

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