So here is the schedule.
Mon., Sept. 13 – at New York Jets
Sun., Sept. 19 – at Cincinnati Bengals
Sun., Sept. 26 – CLEVELAND BROWNS
Sun., Oct. 3 – at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun., Oct. 10 – DENVER BRONCOS
Sun., Oct. 17 – at New England Patriots
Sun., Oct. 24 – BUFFALO BILLS
Sun., Oct. 31 – BYE
Sun., Nov. 7 – MIAMI DOLPHINS
Thu., Nov. 11 – at Atlanta Falcons
Sun., Nov. 21 – at Carolina Panthers
Sun., Nov. 28 – TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Sun., Dec. 5 – PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Mon., Dec. 13 – at Houston Texans
Sun., Dec. 19 – NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Sun., Dec. 26 – at Cleveland Browns
Sun., Jan. 2 – CINCINNATI BENGALS
Here is my system. The winnable games are the Bolded. The 50/50 games are in italics. I don’t feel comfortable about the other games. The way I see it, the Ravens should finish 11-5. Another playoff run. Another season short of the Super Bowl. If this team can find a way to finish the season 12-4 or better. Then I will be excited.
How do you see the Ravens faring this season?
Are you really saying that neither of the Bengals or Steelers games are winnable? The Steelers, if anything, have gotten worse since the end of last season, and the Bengals have all but one receiver right now. I would imagine that at least the home game against the Steelers is winnable, and I don't see the Ravens getting swept by the Bengals again.
By 50/50, I think the Ravens will go 2-2 vs the Steelers and the Bengals. They will go 4-2 in the division. 8-4 in conference, and 3-1 vs the NFC South.
Just curious – Did the Special Teams Guru (Harbaugh) appeal to the NFL this year and ask that the Ravens NOT play the AFC Champion Runner Up Jets to open this season on MNF the way he asked NOT to play the Stillers last year on opening weekend?
I believe that a 12-4 record is within easy grasp provided the team performs up to potential and stays healthy. Yes, games against Cincinnati, New England, and Pittsburgh are toss-ups, but if the Ravens want to go to the Super Bowl then they have to win them, no excuses. That's the proverbial 'hump'. There are few reasons to believe that the 2010 team won't accomplish that.
So much for warm weather games at M&T, four of the first six games are on the road. It will be weird not having the home opener until the end of September.
It's weird, Opening Day of baseball season, I'm generally freezing, Kick-off Weekend of football, I usually end up sun burned.
While it is tough starting with 3 out of 4 on the road the Ravens are catching breaks thanks to poorly behaved Steelers. Holmes will miss the game at the Jets and Big Ben the game at Pittsburgh. I would think that puts the game at Pittsburgh in the winnable column.
I also feel the game @NE is not a definite loss. I almost feel more worried about the game @HOU. The Pats will be motivated to pay back the Ravens for the "humbling ass whooping," but they seem like a team that needs to rebuild.
I would put the Saints game in the 50/50 category. Yes they are the defending champs, but they will have a target on their back and it is tough to maintain the high level of play for multiple years int the NFL. On the other hand if the Saints are dominant in the NFC south again next year, a week 15 game in Baltimore might be a good time for them to start resting some starters.
One of those teams in bold that had a disappointing 09 will be much better this year. That's a guarantee with the NFL.
Good point, Dave. Last year it was Cincy!!!
I agree. I hate making predictions because nobody knows what team is going to make a run. A few years ago it was Miami and Arizona. Last year it was Cincy and the Jets. It doesn't mean a thing until the first four games of the season where the teams start gaining some confidence. I could see the Bucs being a definite win, but they may step it up and be playing good by the time the Ravens play them.
Doesn't it seem like we always play New England on the road?
We got them at home in '07, but this will make 3 in a row in lovely Foxboro.
Glad the Ravens got the BIG win against them last season. Going there is tough though.
Just went back and looked for something I thought I remembered reading about Braylon Edwards.
Braylon Edwards is likely to be suspended for at least one game during the 2010 season, according to Profootballtalk.com.
Edwards pleaded "no contest" Tuesday to aggravated disorderly conduct charges that stemmed from an incident outside a Cleveland nightclub last October. It's likely equivalent to a guilty plea in the NFL's eyes, though he won't face punishment in the playoffs.
Nothing new on that since January but if he missed that game as well it would really kill the Jets passing attack.
As others have mentioned, it's much to difficult to predict how hard your schedule will be.
Just look at the Ravens. In 2006, who thought the Ravens would be a 13-3 team after coming off a terrible 2005?
Conversely, the Ravens had a terrible 2007 and most thought 2008 was going to be a very down year. Jerry Jones even requested to play the Ravens in December to close down Texas Stadium. I'm sure glad I went to that game to watch McGahee and McClain take back to back dumps on the Dallas D.
The NFL schedule is set years in advance except for 2 games per season where teams matchup with teams that finished in the same spot in their respective divisions. That would be Houston and Denver for the Ravens.
I heard Howard Katz on sirius on my way home. He's the guy who has the final say on the NFL Schedule. He made alot of interesting points. One that pertains to the Ravens is that if a team starts or finishes the season on a two game road trip, they will not have a 3 game road trip at any point during the season. Atlanta, for example, plays 3 in a row (weeks 13-15) culminating in a game at Seattle. That's brutal.
Also, teams that play a Thursday night game almost always play at home the week before unless the team hosting the Thursday night game asks to play on the road the week before. He said that will happen if that team doesn't wanna tear up their field with two games in 4 days.
The Ravens avoid the Steelers with Ben (assuming he's a Steeler) and get 4 of their last 6 at home.
And I love opening at the Jets.
And STG
The Ravens as a whole asked that they not open in Pittsburgh on MNF last year. That would've made 3 seasons in a row where Pittsburgh hosted us for a night game.
Katz, who I referenced above, said every team makes numerous requests and they try to do the best to accomodate them.
I had no problem whatsoever with the Ravens request last season.
I understand the Ravens not wanting to have Pittsburgh for a night game three seasons in a row. But it sure became fuel for the Steelers fan last season.
Fuel for what? Message board fodder?
Yeah, I'm talking strictly fan to fan banter.
Who knows what gets said between players. All I know is that Steelers fans give Ravens fans TONS of grief about it and it's tough to argue it.
Tough to argue it?
I dunno. I don't think it's tough to show them the facts.
I agree, it is all fan-to-fan stuff. I work with a TON of Stiller fans (no jobs in PA) But you know damned well you can't "show facts" to fans. Fans get something and run with it. Sure, we know what the truth is, and I know it wasn't Harbaugh that requested the change, but you cannot reason with rival fans, it's senseless to even tr. You come off like an apologist or a whiner, it doesn't work. And in that most of us follow this as "fans", we're not making any money at it (at least I'm not), pride in your team is what is paramount. When it appears your team "wimped out", regardless of what "everyone else does", it still makes for a ton of abuse at the hands of your Stiller buddies.
I believe the motto before last year's "Play Like a Raven" was…
"Any game, Any place, Anytime"
Those PR guys ought to work with the rest of the organization to ensure their cliches jive…
STG
We both know any slogan or PR stuff is BS.
It's for the lemming fan who buys into that crap.