It’s hard to believe we are pretty much exactly half way through the NFL season already, right? With every team playing eight or nine games, that is the reality. This season is as confusing as any in recent memory thus far. Only one, maybe two, teams look like truly elite teams. The New England Patriots are chugging along just as usual while the surprise Dallas Cowboys and their star rookie tandem of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are also off to a 7-1 start. After those two teams there are a bunch of question marks everywhere. Lumped into that mix of questions is what to think about the Baltimore Ravens.
After a 3-0 start, the Ravens looked like serious contenders behind the number one ranked defense in the NFL. Directly following that scorching hot start came four losses in a row. Included during that four game losing streak was the firing and promoting of a new offensive coordinator. Then came a much needed bye week before an extremely impressive, maybe even season-saving, win over the bitter rival Pittsburgh Steelers. What can be made of these extremely enigmatic Ravens? At 4-4 sitting atop the division, the Ravens control their own destiny. But with a difficult schedule coming up and all the inconsistencies being shown thus far, who knows what to expect. Looking back at the first half of the season, here is the Baltimore Ravens mid-season review.
Baltimore Ravens Midseason Review
Offense
Offensive MVP: Mike Wallace
This was a really tough call. The offense as a whole has struggled some this season and honestly, that is putting it nicely. Steve Smith has been the most reliable wide receiver on the roster, but he has missed a few games due to injury. Marshal Yanda has been a top five guard in football, conservatively speaking, but injury has cost him a few games as well. Meanwhile, while not a world-beater, newcomer Mike Wallace has been even better than originally advertised.
Wallace is second on the team in receptions, leads the team in receiving yards by a whopping 257 yards, and has scored four of the six receiving touchdowns to this point. Wallace has finally given the Ravens the big play threat that they have been missing since Torrey Smith skipped town. The most crucial and season-defining play of the season to this point came via Wallace this past weekend. On second and nine from deep in the Ravens own territory. Wallace took a quick slant, broke away from cornerback Artie Burns, stiffed armed safety Mike Mitchell, and took it all the way to the house for a 95-yard touchdown. This broke a 0-0 tie and broke the game open as the Ravens opened up a 21-0 lead. Wallace has been everything the Ravens could have asked for, and then some.
Honorable Mention: Marshal Yanda
It was really tough not to give the MVP award to Yanda, that is how good he has been. Unfortunately, injuries have been a huge part of Yanda’s 2016 story and that pushes him down to honorable mention status. Yanda is the second ranked guard on Pro Football Focus and the highest ranked guard in pass protection. Due to injuries apart from his own, Yanda has even been forced to play multiple positions, lining up at right tackle and performing more than admirably. Injuries have take a huge toll on this offensive line. However, when healthy, Yanda has been a steadying force.
Offensive Overall Grade: C
This honestly feels a bit high based on some of the putrid performances. One thing however, is keeping this grade afloat. The Ravens offense, for all its futility, has only turned the ball over eight times. Coincidentally, all of those turnovers have come by way of Joe Flacco (seven interceptions and one fumble). At the very least the Ravens have not given up too many short fields for the stellar defense to deal with.
That is where the good news ends, however. The Ravens possess an extremely stagnant offense that seemingly has at least one six-or-seven drive stretch per game where they can get absolutely nothing done. Terrance West, the leading rusher, has had a few big games but for the season is averaging only 4.0 yards per carry. The next leading rusher is still Justin Forsett and he was cut weeks ago! The passing game has not been anything write home about either. Flacco has more interceptions than touchdowns thrown and has had trouble stretching the field. If there is a silver lining it is that the offensive line, when healthy, has been pretty solid. Now if only they could stay healthy. The 27th ranked offense really needs to figure it out if the Ravens want to continue to contend.
Defense
Defensive MVP: Eric Weddle
Now for the good news. The NFL’s second ranked defense has more than a few worthy candidates for MVP. None however, have been quite as dominant and elite as newcomer veteran safety Eric Weddle. Pro Football Focus’ number one ranked safety by a pretty significant margin, Weddle has solidified the defense by shoring up the back end. Owning stellar grades in coverage and run support, Weddle has added so much to a defense that was missing a leader and a stud in the defensive backfield last season. Weddle is second on the team in tackles, has forced two turnovers, and has been a constant source of veteran leadership. Any number of players are deserving of this accolade, but none more than this former Utah Ute.
Honorable Mention: Timmy Jernigan
Timmy Jernigan is a bad man. He has been a dominant force along this stifling defensive line all season. With four sacks and 24 tackles Jernigan has put up some spectacular numbers from his traditionally non-flashy 3-4 defensive end position. If Jernigan’s counting stats were the only impact that he makes, he would be a great player. However, he is much more than just his stats tell. PFF grades Jernigan with a stellar 81.1 run defense grade, which is tough to quantify in a stat sheet. Throw on a Ravens game and watch number 97 go to work. Honestly, it is tough to miss him, just look for the big guy in purple living in the opposing backfield.
Defensive Overall Grade: A
Not quite an A+ grade due to some late-game defensive breakdowns, this defense still absolutely deserves an A. Ranked second in total defense, seventh against the pass, second against the run, ninth in scoring, and eighth in takeaways, the Ravens own one of the absolute stingiest defenses in the league. Jernigan and Weddle have already been mentioned and are playing at extremely high levels. C.J. Mosley has played at a Pro Bowl level. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb have finally been healthy enough to play up to their vast potentials. Even unheralded rookies like Michael Pierce (2.0 sacks), Matt Judon (3.0 sacks), and most notably Tavon Young (two interceptions and now the starting cornerback opposite Smith) have played lights out. While maybe not as dominant as the early 2000s Raven defenses, this is as good of a defense seen in Baltimore over the last few years.
The red-zone defense has been the biggest weakness for the defense to this point. Ranked 21st in red-zone touchdown percentage, the Ravens have to get better at turning seven points into three. That is especially crucial as the offense continues to try to figure things out and put some points up on the board themselves. Still, this Baltimore defense is among the best in the NFL and looks to be here to stay.
What Next?
With half of the season in the books the Baltimore Ravens are exactly where they started back in the beginning. At 4-4 and tied for first place, the Ravens still have as good of a chance as any to win their division. The offense has sputtered way more than anyone would like, but extraordinary defensive and special teams play has kept the Ravens in this thing.
Heading into a Thursday night prime-time week 10 game against the winless Cleveland Browns, the Ravens have a real shot at starting the post bye-week stretch with two wins in a row. For a team that has been streaky so far, the importance of that momentum cannot be overstated. 5-4 and first place in the division looks mighty fine right about now. With a .500 record and essentially a clean slate, there is lots of football left to be played for these guys. Let’s see what these feisty Ravens are capable of.
