RAVE REVIEW BY JOHN SCHULTHEIS

 

Goal Setting for the Ravens in 2010

 

As the season fast approaches, most teams have goals they wish to achieve.  All teams in August set their goal   to win the Super Bowl.   This is not a realistic goal for many teams.  The NFL is the most balanced of all major professional sports leagues and more teams can think they have a chance to make the playoffs and win the big game.  However, except for a surprise team that emerges out of nowhere like the Saints did last year, the preseason favorites usually prevail by January.  Teams like Washington, Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, Oakland and others are real long shots to advance to their August goal.  Indy, New York Jets, Patriots, San Diego, Dallas and the Ravens all are likely to make the playoffs and make a run at the big prize in 2010.

 

What should be some of the Ravens goals in 2010? With an aging team and numerous key injuries already along with veterans returning from serious injuries, can this team win it all?  Goals help achieve success and players and coaches should have made a list in priority order of what they hope to accomplish in 2010.  Of course, the only way for them to achieve these goals is by playing and winning one game at a time.

 

 

 

The Ravens must accomplish these goals in a specific order. 

 

You cannot win the Super Bowl if you do not win enough games to first make the playoffs.  Once you win a berth in the playoffs you must win your division. The next goal must be beating teams in the AFC then winning more games than any other team for home field advantage in the playoffs.  The goal every fan first thinks up is winning the Super Bowl. 

 

The Ravens’ number one goal, Super Bowl, must be last on their priority list.  As Derrick Mason said recently, “Anything short of a Super Bowl win will be a disappointment this year for this team”. Other goals actually help achieve that goal.

 

Having home field advantage in the playoffs is so important in making a Super Bowl run.  For instance stats over the years have shown that the teams that have byes in the playoffs and home field advantage, especially in the AFC championship game, have a much better chance of reaching the Super Bowl.   A few exceptions like Baltimore and Pittsburgh have won the Super Bowl by being the wild card sixth seed.  They accomplished an almost impossible task of winning three playoff games on the road.  But most years, home field adds up to playoff wins and Super Bowl victories. So the Ravens need to win more regular season games against first their division teams then AFC teams especially Indy, Jets, Miami and New England. 

 

 

This means beating the Bengals and Steelers at least once and not allowing the Browns to upset them.

If they beat the Steelers and Browns twice and lose again to the Bengals both times, most likely they do not win their division and are unlikely to have the best record in the division.  To gain advantage in the AFC in the playoff they must win key games against other top AFC teams.  If no division title is accomplished, then they are fighting for a fifth or sixth wild card berth against all AFC teams.

 

Some goals need to be short while others long term.  Winning as many games as possible is the only goal that this team should be considering early in the season. With three road games out of the first four games, winning in September-October is the first short term goal the Ravens must achieve.  Winning their Division should be their first long term priority goal.  However, making the playoffs is the most important long term goal that must be met.

 

Making the playoffs gives you a shot at all other goals.  Every team tries to win every game, but the key is to win division and AFC games.   If you win your division, you have an automatic berth to the playoffs.  Next, the most important goal is winning AFC games against teams that are likely to be in the playoffs like Indy, Jets and the Patriots. These wins mean either home field advantage in the playoffs or getting a berth over one of them.

 

Wins against these teams mean more because of tie breaker rules in making the playoffs and getting home field advantage.  Winning more total games gives you home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Of course, having home field is only an advantage if you win those playoff games!

 

Other goals are not always achieved by on the field performances.  Being healthy all year, especially in late season, is an important factor and is a goal of each player and coach.  Most teams do not usually make it to the Super Bowl with key players injured.  Playing severely injured players that are able to still play usually leads to poor performances and playoff losses.  A severe injury is one that does not allow a player to perform at his normal high level of productivity.  Last year, for example, the Ravens’ key injuries, Flacco, Reed, cost them in winning playoff games.  How do coaches and players achieve this important goal of being healthy late in the season?

 

First, you must win early season games in September-October period. This is the key element to resting injured players later.   Second, you must rest injured players and take them out of games earlier if you have a big lead.  Also, key starters who are playing injured should be rested or playing part time whenever possible in games.

 

 

Causing an injured starter more serious injury and losing them for the season is worse than losing one game. This could lead to not making the playoffs or losing playoff games.  Players need to be smarter in coming out of games or not playing early in the season, if injured, especially in NFC games.  The coaches need to be aware and rest these players if they are less productive.  If you win early enough and have a lead in your division, you can afford the luxury of resting players in mid-season.

 

Last season, because the Ravens did not win enough games early in the year and lost twice to the Bengals, they had to win every game later in the season and play injured starters like Joe Flacco.

 

This is one of the reasons the Ravens signed a true quality veteran backup Quarterback in Mark Bulger.  Let us hope, if the need arises, that Coach Harbaugh is smart enough to rest injured key players.  This year more than any other, late season games are important since the NFL has scheduled each team to finish with division games. 

 

How will the Ravens achieve all their goals this year? Many important factors are involved in winning enough games and making a run for the Super Bowl in 2010.

 

 

 

They include:

 

 

 Joe Flacco must have an outstanding year.

 

The offensive line must stay healthy and protect Joe      Flacco on passing plays, especially in the red zone.  Moving players around like Michael Oher to left tackle and finding a quality player at right tackle are important areas of concern for this group.

 

Having a better pass rush by helping Terrell Suggs get to the quarterback will mean a lot towards winning games.  The Raven plays all of the top passing teams lead by outstanding quarterbacks in the AFC this year.

 

    Defensive backs must create turnovers and be more consistent in their coverage of the many quality receivers they will face this year. Defensive backs did finish strong last year and were ranked in the top ten after a slow start.  Key players coming back from serious injury and playing well in the defensive backfield is an important factor.

 

A healthy Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, along with improved play of their young defensive players are important to again being a top defensive team.

 

A field goal kicker that makes important key kicks, consistently kicks the ball deep into the end zone, and gives the defense good field position, is needed in achieving success this year.

 

 

All teams in August have these same goals, but the Ravens have players to make it a reality and be in the Super Bowl in 2010.