The Ravens season has been derailed by a combination of many factors, but a significant part of the blame can be assessed to injuries. OLB Terrell Suggs and WR Breshad Perriman, two players who were to play integral roles this season have combined for less than 1 game. The aforementioned Suggs, backup RB Lorenzo Taliaferro, nickel CB Will Davis, DE Brent Urban, S Matt Elam, and WR Michael Campanaro are all done for the season already. Other important pieces, like veteran WR Steve Smith, LT Eugene Monroe, TE Crockett Gillmore, have missed time already. And others are either playing injured, or have missed time.
Somehow though, the Ravens were deemed to be in the middle of the pack on ESPN's rankings of 'the most banged up NFL team'! Here is what they had to say:
14. Baltimore Ravens
Injuries are one of the biggest reasons for why the Ravens have a 1-5 record, the worst start in the 20-year existence of the franchise. The team watched first-round pick Breshad Perriman go down with a knee injury in the first practice of training camp and lost linebacker Terrell Suggs to a season-ending Achilles injury in the first game of the regular season. If that wasn't bad enough, Baltimore's only proven wide receiver (Steve Smith Sr.) is playing with four microfractures in his back. It's hard not to cringe when writing about this truly painful season for the Ravens. --Jamison Hensley
Players out for season: LB Terrell Suggs (Achilles), WR Michael Campanaro(back), S Matt Elam (biceps), RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (foot), CB Will Davis (knee)
Players injured: WR Breshad Perriman, DE Chris Canty (calf), T Eugene Monroe (concussion), TE Crockett Gillmore (calf), DT Timmy Jernigan (knee), WR Steve Smith Sr. (back), CB Lardarius Webb (thigh), DB Terrence Brooks(thumb), S Kendrick Lewis (knee)
Total starts missed: 33 -- Suggs (15), Perriman (6), Canty (4), Monroe (3), Gillmore (2), Jernigan (1), Smith (1), Webb (1)
I think the way they tallied the rankings is flawed though. They used total starts missed, which I believe is a mistake, and for some reason do not have Taliaferro or Elam counted in their total starts missed even though both are done for the season. Maybe because they are not starters? What about Brent Urban? They also do not take into account the quality of the starters. 15 games of Terrell Suggs is not the same as Frank Alexander, and 16 games of Jordy Nelson is not the same as 16 games of Niles Paul.
In addition, some teams, like the Steelers for example, have their numbers inflated, as they include 16 games for incumbent kicker Shaun Suisham and then another 16 games for his replacement, Garrett Hartley.
The Ravens injuries have been more impactful than they have for other teams, as their have come primarily at their positions of weakness: OLB, WR, and CB. The result is a season which is all but finished.