The 2014 season kicks off tonight when the Green Bay Packers face off against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens will get to watch the first game of the season as they await Sunday's season-opener.
First on the schedule is division rival Cincinnati Bengals, whom they split two games with last year. The Bengals were also the team that eliminated Baltimore from playoff contention when they defeated the Ravens 34-17 in week 17 of the regular season.
After finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs for the first time since Joe Flacco's arrival, the ravens have a totally revamped offense.
The receiving corps drastically improved in the offseason with the additions of veterans Steve Smith and Owen Daniels as well as starting the season with a healthy Dennis Pitta, who missed nearly the entire 2013 campaign. Even with the improvement at that position, the biggest improvement comes up front at the offensive line.
The 2014 Ravens O-line is an entirely different group then that of 2013. First off, Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda were both battling injuries throughout the year, but the starting guards are healthy and ready to start week one.
Another positive development was the trading of Jeremy Zuttah, who the Ravens snagged from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He can't perform worse than the last year's starter, Gino Gradkowski.
And lastly, they have finally gotten rid of right tackle Michael Oher and replaced him with Rick Wagner. Oher was a penalty machine, so just getting rid of him is an upgrade.
The defense has plenty of young talent, but then again, it's young talent. You just don't know what you're going to get. They also have some key veterans such as Haloti Ngata, Daryl Smith, and Terrell Suggs but they will be relying on their first or second year guys to perform up to expectations.
With that being said, how do you feel about the 2014 version of the Baltimore Ravens?