Labor Day has come and gone, which means only one thing, the NFL is back! Whether you are a Ravens, Redskins, or even an Eagles fan (like me), it is an exciting time! So what should you expect from this upcoming season? For a lot of fans around Baltimore, the answer is usually, “hopefully another playoff appearance!” The Ravens are looking to avoid a third straight year of missing the playoffs. Since most of my readers and clients are Marylanders, let’s take a look at what to expect from the Ravens this upcoming season.
Let’s take a quick look at the offense. The offense will be led by the injury-riddled Joe Flacco, who has not played a snap all preseason due to his back injury. This has been a trend with the Ravens all preseason, and the injuries have piled up. Some other notable injured players from this preseason include: tackle Ronnie Stanley, running back Danny Woodhead, wide receiver Breshad Perriman, and guard Alex Lewis. Luckily those first 3 will be playing in week 1, but Alex Lewis is done for the year.
However, injury woes aside, the ravens have a chance to produce better offensive numbers then they have in years past with the additions of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and running back Danny Woodhead. The other weapons the Ravens have are wide receiver Mike Wallace, wide receiver Breshad Perriman, running back Terrance West, and tight end Nick Boyle. This is by far the most weapons that Flacco has had since the Super Bowl team back in 2012 and could have a promising season.
Now for the defense. The defense has the ability to be one of the best in the NFL this year. With a force on the defensive line with starters Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce, and Brent Urban, with Terrell Suggs on the edge. Pro-Bowler CJ Mosley will be the middle linebacker to clean up the run game, and our defensive backs are some of the best in the league with Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr on the corners and Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson as the safeties. The defense hopes to pick up where they left off last year when they were the top defense in the league for the first 13 weeks.
A quick shoutout to the special teams and one of the best kickers in the game with Justin Tucker. He is a staple of the Ravens production and will be a huge factor with his incredible accuracy and clutch genes.
The Ravens first game of the season is against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 10th, which will take place in Cincinnati. Luckily, it looks like the fearless, elite leader, Joe Flacco, will be ready to play after sitting out all of the preseason with a back injury. The Ravens have not won in Cincinnati since 2011, and are looking to stop that streak this year.
Luckily the Ravens will not have to face the army of Carson Wentz and the Eagles this year, but best of luck to them and all of your favorite teams! If you need some more in depth analysis, or are in need of my law services, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Offices of Nicholas J Del Pizzo today!