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 had a good, albeit frustrating, season in 2011. They recorded victories home and away against their arch-rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also missed out on a trip to the Super Bowl after one dropped catch, and then failed to take the game to overtime because of a missed field goal. Such are the fine margins between success and failure in the NFL.

The losses of Jarret Johnson and Cory Redding have hurt the notorious Ravens’ defense, not to mention the potentially season-long injury to reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Terrell Suggs. The Ravens’ defense is nothing but resilient, however; players such as Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee look ready to step up after an impressive last season. Second-round draft pick, Courtney Upshaw, also seems an even more inspired pick following the injury to Suggs just days after the draft.

With Ray Rice secured to a long term contract, one of Baltimore’s primary concerns was to find other backs to share the load with their premiere running back. Both third-round pick Bernard Pierce and undrafted rookie Bobby Rainey look to be favorites for this role. Pierce offers the Ravens a physical runner who can be used in third and short situations, while Rainey plays in a fashion very similar to Rice and has looked effective in the passing game also.

The departure of Ben Grubbs was also a blow to the Ravens, but they seemed to have found a ready-made replacement in second-round pick Kelechi Osemele. The rookie from Iowa State has performed well in preseason, whether it be at tackle or guard, and has a wealth of experience to learn from including Marshall Yanda, Bobbie Williams and Michael Oher.

Although preseason performances are not necessarily a true measurement of ability, early signs have been good for quarterback, Joe Flacco, and the new no-huddle offense. It remains to be seen whether this is due to the arrival of Jim Caldwell as the new quarterback’s coach, the increased maturity of Flacco, the improvements in the receiving corps, or a combination of all three.

Despite the Ravens offense being the focus of attention this preseason, the defense cannot be underestimated when it boasts the talents of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Lardarius Webb, all of whom will be eager to make up for the loss of Suggs and maintain Baltimore’s status as an elite defensive team.

With the offense looking to be in better shape than last season, there is no reason why Baltimore won’t be able to replicate their success from last season and once again make it to the AFC Championship game. However, whether or not they will have the firepower to beat the likes of the New England Patriots, who they could well meet again at that stage of the playoffs, remains to be seen.

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The career of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle has certainly been a bumpy road thus far, but with the University of Texas graduate heading into his third season in the NFL, it is make or break time for the 24-year old.

The versatile outside linebacker, who also has experience playing both inside linebacker and defensive end, looked like a real first round prospect in the run up to the 2010 NFL Draft. Standout performances during his years in Texas saw him named a First Team All-American in 2009 and culminated in a eye-catching performance in the 2010 BCS National Championship game against Alabama, dramatically raising his draft stock.

His ability on the field was never in question, but a number of non-playing issues swirled around Kindle and were enough reason for many of his potential suitors to pass on him. These issues involved persistent knee injuries as well as off-field controversies including a charge for driving while intoxicated following his inaugural season in Texas. Ultimately these problems caused Kindle to drop to the second round where the Ravens picked him up with the 43rd overall pick, clearly impressed by his game footage and impressive showing at the Combine.

The Ravens, known for their shrewd drafting policy, clearly believed that the experienced heads of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs on defense would be enough to help Kindle mature both on and off the field. This, however, was not to be, as Kindle suffered head trauma following a fall down two flights of stairs and spent the rest of the season on the injured reserve list.

Although Kindle fractured his skull in the fall, a severe loss of hearing in his left ear has hampered his professional career even more significantly. The damage to his hearing prevented him from making any meaningful contribution to the Ravens in his second season as he looked to adjust to his injury, an unenviable task given the frequency of pre-snap audibles used in the NFL.

Whilst Kindle was given little opportunity to shine last season with Paul Kruger deputising for both Suggs and Jarret Johnson at the outside linebacker position, the departure of Johnson to San Diego likely means Kruger will become a starter and leave Kindle as the first choice replacement at the position. If this scenario does play out, Kindle would be more than happy to emulate Kruger’s performances a year previously, with the Utah graduate highlighting himself as a very effective pass rusher in the limited opportunities he enjoyed.

If given an opportunity to shine this season, which Head Coach John Harbaugh will undoubtedly be keen to give him, the pass rushing threats of Suggs, Kruger and Haloti Ngata will almost certainly help create space for Kindle to do damage and establish himself as a player who can excel in the NFL. He has the chance to learn from some of the best defensive players currently playing in the NFL and Baltimore seems to be the perfect fit to get Kindle back to the kind of form he showed in college prior to his accident.

The fact remains however that the challenge ahead of Kindle is great. He will have to work harder than anyone else on the team just to be able to keep up with his defensive colleagues and will have to spend Ray Lewis-esque time studying game tape of upcoming opponents.

If he can overcome these obstacles though, the Ravens renowned defense will have added another weapon to their already formidable arsenal. The NFL would be wise not to sleep on Kindle who, if he reaches his potential, will be a fierce prospect indeed. Ben Roethlisberger, Andy Dalton, Colt McCoy, you have been warned.

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The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) secured the AFC North title and ensured a first bye week in the playoffs with a confident 24-16 victory over divisional rivals the Cincinnati Bengals (9-7).

The Ravens got off to the perfect start, with Ray Rice breaking into the secondary and racing to the end zone for a 70-yard rushing touchdown. Both Billy Cundiff and Mike Nugent then proceeded to exchange field goals and left the Ravens leading by seven points at the end of the first quarter.

Baltimore then made it a two possession game in the second quarter, with Joe Flacco finding tight end Dennis Pitta for a 9-yard touchdown pass, part of a great performance for Pitta who finished with 62 yards on six receptions.

The Bengals cut the deficit back to seven points late in the third quarter however, with running back Bernard Scott going over for a 25-yard rushing touchdown, giving heart to the Cincinnati offense which had been fairly ineffective up to that point.

Despite pulling to within four points of the Ravens with another Nugent field goal, the game wrapped up midway through the fourth quarter when Rice broke off his second big run of the game, registering a 51-yard rushing touchdown, and giving the running back 191 rushing yards on just 24 carries.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs kept up the form which has many tipping him to become Defensive Player of the Year, sacking Andy Dalton as well as forcing a key fumble late in the game, with possession returning to the Ravens.

The Ravens will now enjoy a home match in the second round of the playoffs, and condemn archrivals the Pittsburgh Steelers to have to face the Denver Broncos next weekend.  The Bengals will also appear in the playoffs despite their loss to the Ravens today, and will have to travel to Houston to take on the Texans next week, illustrating the strength of the AFC North as arguably the most competitive division in the N.F.L.

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After a disheartening loss in Jacksonville on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) made a comeback as they edged a 30-27 victory over the visiting Arizona Cardinals (1-6) at the M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens came from a 21-point deficit to win the game, a franchise-record turnaround.

This match-up saw the N.F.L.-leading defense of the Ravens going up against the inconsistent offensive line of the Cardinals, who have already given up 18 sacks so far this season. The game started much as expected, with the linebacker trio of Jarret Johnson, Paul Kruger, and Terrell Suggs all recording sacks on Kevin Kolb early in the first quarter.

The Ravens offense, which had been woeful against the Jaguars six days earlier, appeared equally inept before a home crowd as the Cardinals raced into a surprising 24-6 lead by the end of the second quarter.  With Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco throwing an interception and fumbling in the second quarter, the Cardinals punished the home side, with Beanie Wells recording his seventh rushing touchdown of the season after Darrell Dockett had recovered the ball from Flacco’s fumble.

Patrick Peterson also returned a punt for an 82-yard touchdown, whilst Kolb, looking far more confident in the second quarter, found Earl Doucet for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Ravens managed to claw back three points with a second field goal after their no-huddle offense seemed to find its rhythm late in the second.

Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron must have been happy with what he saw at the end of the half, and the Ravens continued to utilize the no-huddle offense, with Flacco finding wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a 37-yard reception.

The Ravens then reduced Arizona’s lead to 11 points when running back Ray Rice went over for a one-yard rushing touchdown, with the inclusion of Haloti Ngata at tight end drawing much of the defensive attention and allowing Rice to jog through a large hole. Baltimore’s defense continued to shine, with Chris Carr and Bernard Pollard both picking up sacks on the increasingly ineffective Kolb.

This took the Ravens to a total of six sacks for the game as they began to establish dominance over the Cardinals offense. This pressure resulted in the Ravens regaining possession, and Flacco and Boldin continued to flourish in the second half. Boldin, a former Cardinal, notched 80 yards on four receptions as Flacco lead his side into the redzone.

Rice then went on to collect two more touchdowns, as the running back saw much more of the ball than he had six days previously in Jacksonville.  The Cardinals did kick a field goal to tie the game up, but with just seconds left on the clock, Billy Cundiff kicked a field goal of his own to earn the win for Baltimore.

After a disappointing first half, Flacco, who passed for 336 yards, and Boldin, who earned 145 yards for seven receptions, were dominant, and will need to maintain their form if they are to emerge victorious over the Steelers next week.

Suggs will also be keen to carry on from where he left off, putting in an excellent defensive performance — registering nine tackles, four assists, and a sack — as he continues to show the kind of leadership required when Ray Lewis decides to call it a day.

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