Sixteen
by math_geek on Jan 23, 2012 1:20 PM EST
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PrintSixteen is an important number in the NFL. There are (still) sixteen games in a regular season and sixteen teams in each conference. Yesterday, the Ravens sadly finished their sixteenth season in the NFL, and this provides an excellent opportunity to review the Ravens over the course of their lifetime.
While there were only 30 teams in the NFL when the Ravens came to Baltimore, This was quickly changed as the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 and the Texans in 2002. To look at how the Ravens have performed over that time, compare them to how the 16 AFC teams are guaranteed to perform in any one season.
One AFC team will represent the conference in the Superbowl every season. The Ravens have done so once and won that game.
In addition one AFC team will make it to the AFC conference championship and lose. The Ravens have lost the AFC conference championship twice.
Four teams will win their division title and thus host a playoff game. The Ravens have won 3 division titles, and have also hosted a fourth playoff game when there were only 3 division winners.
Six teams will make the playoffs, where the Ravens have made the playoffs 8 times.
Not including the Superbowl, there will be five playoff wins in the AFC. John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco have won 5 playoff games in their first four seasons. Brian Billick won four more playoff games (other than the Superbowl) bringing the total to 9 playoff victories.
What is remarkable about this is that this all happened over the previous 12 seasons. The struggling team that came from Cleveland to become the Baltimore Ravens was quite terrible for their first several seasons. Ozzie Newsome and Brian Billick molded the team into something quite good, and John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco have come to work with Newsome and Eric DaCosta to turn the Ravens into something remarkable. It's hard to feel like the Ravens are remarkable right now, but consider this... No other NFL team has made the playoffs the past four seasons. The Ravens have not only made the playoffs in each of those seasons, they have won a playoff game in each of those seasons. The Ravens haven't just been considerably above average over their first sixteen seasons, they have consistently gotten better.
For these reasons, I am already looking forward to a 17th season for the Ravens, a 17th season for Ray Lewis, and one that hopefully makes the team even better than this year, where they were one drop from the Superbowl.
The opinions posted here are those of the administrator of this blog and his loyal readers. They are in no way official comments from the team, and should not be misconstued as such, even though he thinks he could do just as well or even a better job!
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For these reasons, I am already looking forward to a 17th season for the Ravens, a 17th season for Ray Lewis
Crazy to think I was 8 years old when this man was drafted, and still to this day I root him on. Ray is more than a man, but less than a god.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
He’s a legend. The stuff you tell your kids and grandkids about 20, 30, 40 years from now. We’ll all be telling younger generations about his greatness and how he was a pillar for this team and franchise as a whole for years to come. Ray Lewis IS Baltimore football.
"Don't throw it, don't throw it, don't throw it. I know y'all going to throw it, they going to throw it anyway. I wouldn't throw it. Don't do it." - Ed Reed
You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say Six, I say Sweep.
by WestminsterRaven on Jan 23, 2012 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
Hey Ravensfan89:
Every hear the statement, “if you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything?” This post was meant toe uplifting and you try to bring it down. What’s your problem and your point?
Stop. Just stop.
aka 'Rexx'
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