Never has one man done more for a team than Ray Lewis has done for the Baltimore Ravens.

Since his arrival in Baltimore in the 1996 NFL Draft, Forbes have stated that Lewis’ tenure in the city has likely accounted for a $100-125 million increase in the franchise’s value, which according to a 2012 survey, sits at a very respectable $1.16 billion.

The experienced linebacker has missed the majority of the season after suffering a torn triceps injury in the Ravens’ Week 6 clash with the Dallas Cowboys. For most this would be a season-ending injury, but it should be evident to all NFL fans by now that Lewis is not just your average football player.

His dramatic return at the beginning of the playoffs, coupled with the momentous announcement that this would be his ‘last ride’ has been suggested by many to be the key reason behind Baltimore’s timely return to form.

It is hard to imagine anything more motivating for his teammates than helping Lewis go out on the best possible note. At this point of the season, one solitary mistake can mean the end of the journey, and to borrow a phrase from Bill Belichick, the Head Coach of the Ravens upcoming AFC Championship opponents, the New England Patriots, ‘Do your job’.

Let me put it another way. Would you want to be the person culpable for the end of Lewis’ last ride? The kind of determination, focus and concentration that this breeds can be just as important, if not more so, than any of the intangibles we regularly judge football players by.

Beyond the emotional and mental contributions that the return of Lewis brings the team, let us not forget, he can still play.

The traditional strength of the Ravens has always been their unforgiving defense, but unfortunately for the Baltimore fans, this has not been the case for much of the season, with the unit being far from dominant.

There are several reasons for this, not least so the fact that defensive standouts Terrell Suggs and Lewis were not on the field together at any point this season until Baltimore’s win over the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Throw into the mix the fact that both Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed have been playing hurt all season and the disruption that losing Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano undoubtedly caused, it is perhaps not too surprising that the Ravens defense has faltered.

This all changed two weeks ago however when Baltimore won their Wild Card round match against the Colts. The defense has finally started to get healthy with Suggs and Lewis both on the field together, as well as players such as Paul Kruger and Corey Graham continuing the form they were showing in the second half of the regular season. The Ravens’ defense is beginning to look vintage once more.

One factor which has been critical for Baltimore in both of their playoff victories so far has been the performance of their new-look offensive line. If the revival in the Ravens’ form could be attributed to one person, and one person alone (and that person cannot be named Ray Lewis), it could be Bryant McKinnie.

Michael Oher is a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive tackle. It is just that he is a Pro Bowl-caliber right tackle, not the left tackle position he has been playing at all season. Given time at the position I’m sure he would flourish, but the form and fitness that McKinnie has found has allowed the veteran to retake his spot at left tackle, pushing Oher back to his favored right tackle position. This in turn has pushed rookie Kelechi Osemele from his position at tackle to guard, and the young man from Iowa State has proven to be just as impressive in his new position as he was in his last.

This re-jigged offensive line has performed outstandingly, giving up just two sacks in their last two games (which includes facing the powerful defensive front of the Denver Broncos). If there is one pertinent criticism of the quarterback Joe Flacco, it is his lack of pocket awareness, and the improvements that the offensive line have made in pass protection have helped Flacco throw for five touchdowns and no interceptions in those two games.

Should Baltimore go on to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game, undoubtedly the vast majority of the praise will go to Lewis and the impact his return has had on the team. Given that he even now has me believing in fate, I will probably be adding my voice to that praise, but that being said, keep your eyes on the Ravens’ offensive line this Sunday, they are primed to continue their good form and I think a big night for Flacco could be on the cards.

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The Baltimore Ravens head into their bye week sitting comfortably atop the AFC North and with an enviable 5-2 record. It is therefore surprising that the fervent Baltimore faithful, who usually cannot wait for the bye week to be over, are actually enjoying this brief break from football.

Season ending injuries to defensive star Lardarius Webb and emotional leader Ray Lewis, coupled with a heavy defeat to AFC rivals the Houston Texans in their last match, means that the bye week could not have come at a better time for the banged up Ravens.

The week off will allow the likes of Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed, both of whom have been carrying minor injuries, a much needed chance to recover. It will also give Dannell Ellerbe and Jimmy Smith, the most suitable candidates to replace Lewis and Webb as starters, the time to acclimate to their new found roles.

The trademark Baltimore defense has been poor against both the pass and the run this season, something which was exposed dramatically in their 43-13 defeat by the Texans. A non-existent pass rush has been highlighted as perhaps the most decisive factor in the Ravens’ defenses fall from grace, but a seemingly miraculous return from a torn ACL injury for Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs will have Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees hopeful of an upturn in Baltimore’s fortunes.

Although Suggs’ return to fitness brings much needed leadership and experience to an ailing Baltimore defense, the offense has already begun the process of taking over. Quarterback Joe Flacco has had moments of brilliance so far this season, whilst receivers Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta have been able to make big plays at critical times.

Running back Ray Rice has also impressed, showing the explosiveness in both the running and the passing game which earned him a new contract in the offseason. Worries that he may not be as effective in the ‘no-huddle’ offense now favored by the Ravens have been dismissed thus far, and many are even calling for Rice to receive more touches within the system.

The biggest problem faced by the Baltimore offense so far this season has been consistency. They have shown that when the ‘no-huddle’ offense is implemented, they can repeatedly march down the field with explosive plays (they lead the NFL in plays of 20 yards plus), but if they start slowly, they then lack the momentum necessary to run their quick offense.

The evolution of the NFL into a truly passing dominated league over recent seasons has necessitated the offensive reinvention currently ongoing in Baltimore, but it is equally important that they do not neglect the running game which has brought them good levels of success over the years. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron will be eager to incorporate Rice more, especially at the beginnings of drives, as he looks to consistently give his offense momentum, and the bye week offers the perfect opportunity for this.

Failure to develop more consistency on the offensive side of the ball could end Cameron’s career in Baltimore, with former Indianapolis Colts’ Head Coach Jim Caldwell, the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach, a prime candidate for the coordinator position, especially given his knowledge of the no-huddle offense from his time with the Colts.

If the playoffs began today, the Ravens, as just one of the two teams in the AFC to currently have a winning record, would have a home playoff game in the divisional round awaiting them. As such, it is hard to be too critical of the AFC North champions who, despite their poor defense, have been able to find ways to win games even when they haven’t been at their best.

It will be interesting to see how the Ravens emerge from the bye week in their Week 9 match up against divisional rivals the Cleveland Browns. Many experts are already starting to write the Ravens off this season following the losses of Lewis and Webb, but it’s hard to see Baltimore failing to top their division and earn another trip to the playoffs, especially if the new look offense can become more consistent. It may fly in the face of everything we thought we knew about the Ravens since their founding in 1996, but Baltimore is most certainly relying on their offense if they are to genuinely challenge for the Super Bowl in the second half of this season.

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The Baltimore Ravens (5-2) have been one of the AFC’s dominant forces for as long as anyone can remember. Tell that to the Houston Texans (6-1), in case their 43-13 shellacking of the Ravens in Houston wasn’t enough.

After getting thumped by the Green Bay Packers last Sunday night in front of a national audience, this is exactly how the Texans dreamed of bouncing back.

Baltimore held a slim lead for the majority of the game’s opening quarter, but a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub to receiver Kevin Walter with 30 seconds remaining in the frame gave the Texans their first lead of the day at 9-3.

They never looked back.

“We were really into what we were doing,” said Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, “and we were there all day long, so it was a good team effort.”

Houston made absolutely sure to take advantage of the absence of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who had been placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a torn tricep. Of the 43 points the Texans put up, 34 came via their offense. The other 9 resulted from an early safety and a Johnathan Joseph 52-yard interception return touchdown early in the second quarter.

Schaub threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 37 attempts. Running back Arian Foster also found the end zone twice, and converted 19 carries into 98 yards.

By halftime the Texans had run out to a staggering 29-3 lead over the team that was just one catch away from representing the AFC in the Super Bowl last year. The game was all but over.

Joe Flacco, who seemed to be improving week by week, had a day he’d love to forget. He was picked off twice, tossed just one touchdown and had only 147 yards passing.

“They played well. We didn’t,” Flacco said, “They played fast and we just weren’t able to stand up to it today and give it a good fight.”

Both teams now enter their bye week. While Baltimore will have to wait an extra week for the opportunity to redeem themselves, the Texans will spend that time aspiring to build upon their nearly flawless performance.

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A bad tempered affair at Lincoln Financial Field between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens ended in a hard fought 24-23 victory for the home side. An explosive passing game from the Eagles was too much for the Baltimore defense to contain, as their offense failed to keep up their form from their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Given Michael Vick’s poor performance the previous week against the Cleveland Browns, most people were expecting LeSean McCoy to be used extensively on Philadelphia’s opening drive. Head Coach Andy Reid had different plans, however, and Vick looked in tremendous form early on, finding receivers in space and marching the Eagles down the field. He finally came undone when he had to escape the pocket due to pressure and fired a pass into the hands of safety Bernard Pollard in the end zone.

The Eagles were able to open the scoring shortly after, when Trent Cole stripped the ball from Joe Flacco on the quarterbacks own 15-yard line and regained possession for Philadelphia. This time the Eagles decided to run the football and McCoy went over untouched from one yard out.

Baltimore hit back quickly though, as their new no-huddle offense had the Philadelphia defense on the back foot, with the Eagles unable to substitute their defensive personnel as much as they would like. The drive culminated in a rare rushing touchdown for fullback Vonta Leach after some impressive blocking from his offensive line.

The Ravens took the lead early in the second quarter following another effective drive involving large doses of running back Ray Rice, and Flacco found Jacoby Jones, who ran an excellent route to beat cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for a 21-yard pass. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker later extended the Baltimore’s lead, knocking over a kick from 56 yards, which ties him for a franchise record as well as bettering any successful kick he made in College Football, leaving the score at 17-7 to Baltimore at the half.

The third quarter saw a Vick-inspired comeback for the Eagles,  as Philadelphia quickly leveled the score at 17-17. Jeremy Maclin was found by Vick in the end zone after the quarterback rolled out of the pocket and showed great composure to still hit the waiting Maclin, and a field goal shortly after tied the game.

The Ravens offense struggled consistently throughout the third and fourth quarters, but two further field goals from Tucker put Baltimore back into the lead as time began to become an issue in the game.

Almost in identical fashion to his performance last week at Cleveland, Vick once again led his team downfield with just under two minutes left in the game, rushed for a 1-yard touchdown himself and give Philadelphia a lead that they would not surrender on Baltimore’s final drive of the game.

It was a game of two halves from the Baltimore offense, who looked in great shape during the first half in their no-huddle offense, but were poor in the second half, failing to utilize their fast paced offense. Flacco’s development towards becoming an elite quarterback certainly took a step backwards in the second half, and the Ravens had to rely on Rice to consistently earn them yards in both the rushing and passing games.

Philadelphia showed flashes of brilliance in the passing game, but Reid will be worried with the amount of turnovers they have committed in their opening two games. A very banged up offensive line will also be a worry as he hopes to hear good news on injuries to both King Dunlap and Jason Kelce.

Baltimore will now face the prospect of avenging their AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots next week, whilst the Eagles will make the long trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals.

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The AFC North was undoubtedly one of the most competitive divisions in the National Football League last season with three teams making it to the playoffs. With only the AFC West seemingly more competitive, where literally any of the four teams could win the division, expect a lot of focus this season to be on the AFC North.

Whilst both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens remain powerhouses in the AFC, and the Cincinnati Bengals have continued to grow and improve, it is hard to see a repeat of these three teams making it to playoffs again this year due to them facing a much harder schedule than last year. That being said, anything other than at least two teams qualifying from this division seems fairly inconceivable at the moment given the relative strengths of the other AFC divisions.

Given how competitive the division will be this season, there is perhaps only one outcome which can be guaranteed at this point – the Cleveland Browns will finish bottom of the division. Sorry Cleveland fans but it’s an inescapable fact that the Browns are a considerable way behind their divisional rivals.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom for the Browns however as they took strides in the offseason towards putting themselves into contention in the coming years. The arrivals of Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden potentially solve their running back and quarterback issues, whilst Josh Gordon has impressed in preseason and could form a productive combination with Greg Little at the wide receiver position. Don’t expect immediate results, but things are progressing in Cleveland and there is a distant light at the end of the tunnel.

The Ravens, reigning AFC North champions, will have a difficult task to retain their status, but should have enough about them to see of the challenges from the Steelers and Bengals. Baltimore have taken big steps towards reinvigorating their defense and if you look beyond defensive talismans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, then they boast one of the youngest defenses in the NFL, expelling the belief the Ravens are an ageing defense.

The loss of Terrell Suggs for the majority of the season will be difficult to cope with as it remains to be seen whether or not top draft pick Courtney Upshaw will be able contribute to the pass rush in a similar fashion, leaving an uncharacteristic amount of pressure on the Baltimore offense. Fortunately for Ravens’ fans, Flacco and the offense seem to be flourishing with their new found responsibility. Preseason isn’t always the best measure of teams ability, but Flacco looked in scintillating form in the new no-huddle offense, finding targets with ease as Baltimore boast perhaps the best receiving corps in their short history.

The most intriguing battle within the division is likely going to be who grabs the second spot, and likely make it to the playoffs, the veteran Steelers or the youthful Bengals. Pittsburgh are probably current favorites, despite the losses of both James Farrior and Aaron Smith from last season’s roster and the holdout in preseason of star wide receiver Mike Wallace. They have a wealth of veteran experience and have a track record of being able to win when adversities seem piled up against them. They have also strengthened their weakest area, the offensive line, with the additions of David DeCastro and Mike Adams in the draft, something which should be beneficial for Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh’s passing game.

Cincinnati on the other hand have improved significantly over the offseason, specifically bolstering their offensive line and secondary with Kevin Zeitler and Dre Kirkpatrick respectively, whilst second year players Andy Dalton and A. J. Green have improved not only as individuals, but also as a combination. They were also proficient in free agency, making the most of their cap space, bringing in the likes of Terence Newman and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

The resolution of who finishes higher, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, will likely come down to the two matches between the sides, and as exciting as it would be to see the Bengals upset the stranglehold the Steelers and Ravens have on the AFC North, the experience that Pittsburgh have will likely be enough to see off Cincinnati. The Ravens have taken steps towards injecting youth into what was seen as an ageing team, Pittsburgh will seriously have to consider doing likewise if they are to maintain their status as an elite team and keep above Cincinnati in the AFC North hierarchy.

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Reminiscent of the infamous ‘Wide Right’ miss by Scott Norwood in Super Bowl XXV, Billy Cundiff’s failed 32-yard field goal attempt against the New England Patriots broke the hearts of Ravens’ fans worldwide. In addition to being a missed opportunity for Baltimore, it raises widespread concerns over whether or not the current side can mount another genuine shot at Super Bowl glory.

With defensive talismans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed both winding down their illustrious careers, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to maintain their high level performances for another season. Although Lewis has already moved to reassure fans he will be back next season, and remains confident of being able to challenge for the Super Bowl once more, he is not the only issue Baltimore will have to contend with as they move into the offseason.

Primary amongst Baltimore’s concerns will be resolving questionmarks over both defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Pagano has orchestrated another great season for the Ravens, helping them maintain their position as one of the best defenses in the league, ending the regular season ranked 3^rd in Total Defense, 3^rd in Sacks and 1^st in Forced Fumbles.

These kind of statistics are hard to ignore and Pagano has been linked with several of the vacant Head Coach positions around the league, and as such, ensuring his continued position at the Ravens must be a priority for Baltimore.

Questions of a different kind abound over the future of Cameron however, with the OC coming in for widespread criticism from both fans and pundits alike. Most prominent of these criticisms have been Cameron’s inability to get Ray Rice the touches he needs to be a dominant force in games, and his persistence to try and shoehorn Joe Flacco into a system which the quarterback is clearly not comfortable in.

Highlighting this problem has been the fact that some of Flacco’s best plays this season have come either in the no huddle offense or when he is escaping the pocket and giving his receivers more time to find space. Whether they stick with Cameron or decide to pursue an alternative, Baltimore need to make a decision quickly in order to ensure the least possible disruption come the preseason.

In terms of personnel on the playing field, the Ravens have key opportunities in the upcoming draft to address positions which are in need of an injection in both quality and depth. The first of these positions is the inside linebacker. Although Lewis has performed exceptionally given his age this season, he no longer has the pace to make himself a force in coverage, which means both he and Jameel McClain are focused on stopping the run, and leave the vaunted Ravens defense susceptible to the pass and feeling unbalanced.

Another receiver would also be top of the Ravens wish list, whether he is a tight end or a wide receiver. Rookie Torrey Smith has done well in his first sseason, but has yet to develop the ability to catch the ball consistently, whilst Ed Dickson showed signs of his potential early in the season, but like Smith, has a penchant for dropping passes which are relatively pressure free.

Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta have both acquitted themselves well this season, but the lack of reliable targets in his receiving core has led to Flacco recording his lowest completion rate since he entered the NFL, as well as his quarterback rating dropping to a similar level that he recorded in his rookie year.

Come the Ravens’ pick in the first round, inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict of Arizona State could be available, but would represent a high-risk reward scenario for Baltimore. None can doubt his talent, and he possess the speed that would make him an excellent tandem with both Lewis and McClain, but his form has been highly inconsistent this season and he has been known to give away unnecessary penalties when he lets his anger get the better of him.

These are flaws which can be corrected however, and there is arguably no better guy for him to learn from and have as a positive role model than Lewis. In terms of taking a receiver with their first round pick, the Ravens could do far worse than Mohamed Sanu of Rutgers who, whilst not quite possessing the top end speed of Smith, is a good route runner and has reliable hands.

An alternative to both of these could be Nick Perry of USC who is an outside linebacker with a great ability to rush the passer, making him the perfect option to line up opposite of Terrell Suggs and really torment opposition quarterbacks.

Whichever way Baltimore decides to go this offseason, fans can be left fairly assured that GM Ozzie Newsome has rarely led the Ravens astray in recent seasons and that between himself and Head Coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens will be in a good place come preseason and ready to give both Lewis and Reed probably their last shot at Super Bowl glory.

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