Despite another stellar defensive effort, Ravens lose 15-10 in Cincinnati

The general feeling around Baltimore this offseason was that for the first time in the 15-year history of the Ravens, the core strength of this team seemed to be shifting from the defense to the offense. Ray Lewis has been the face of this franchise since its inception in 1996, but with budding stars Joe Flacco and Ray Rice each entering his third season and the addition of Anquan Boldin, expectations were that the offense could be elite and may have to carry the defense throughout the season.

After the first two games, however, these expectations have not come close to being met. The Ravens offense followed up last Monday night’s 10 point outing with another disappointing performance against the Bengals on Sunday, this time losing 15-10. The Bengals 15 points came on five field goals by kicker Mike Nugent, which means that the Ravens’ defense has not allowed a touchdown in the last 10 quarters dating back to last season’s divisional playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. This certainly is an indication that Baltimore’s strength is still very much on the defensive side of the ball, and the offense must improve to match Ray Lewis and company’s level of play.

More so today than ever before in the NFL, offensive success hinges on the play of the quarterback, and if the Ravens’ offense is to improve, Flacco must elevate his level of play. Against the Bengals on Sunday he struggled mightily as he threw a career high four interceptions, completed only 17 of 39 passing attempts, and posted an awful 23.8 quarterback rating. Baltimore fans had flashbacks to the Kyle Boller era, as Flacco seemed nervous in the pocket, displayed poor footwork as he failed to step into many of his throws, and was simply off target most of the day with passes that did not seem to have his normal zip on them. The Ravens’ only touchdown came on Flacco’s best throw of the day, a perfect 31 yard strike to Derrick Mason down the right sideline to cap off an 80-yard drive which opened up the second half. They could not maintain the momentum, though, as Flacco and the offense struggled for the remainder of the game, producing only three more points.

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But just as one should not overreact to and over-analyze an opening day game, a week two loss should not cause mass hysteria and panic. It is important to remember that it is still very early in the season, and while it was an extremely disappointing loss on Sunday, there are still a number of positive things that can be taken away from the game. First and foremost, Ravens fans should be ecstatic at the way the defense has performed thus far. With all the concerns looming about the secondary before the season, the Ravens held the opposing quarterback to under 170 yards passing and less than a 50 percent completion percentage in each of the first two games. Also, on Sunday they held running back Cedric Benson to just 78 yards on 23 carries, compared to last season when Benson rushed for over 100 yards in each contest against the Ravens.

If the defense continues to perform at such a dominant level, the Ravens will have a chance to win every game they play. And as well as they are currently playing, imagine how much more of an impact the defense can have when Ed Reed returns (and all indications are that he is healthy, as he recently tried to appeal his mandatory six-game leave of absence after being put on the physically unable to perform list). Also, while the Ravens offense has looked deplorable in the first two games, there is strong reason to believe they will improve; Flacco should become more comfortable with newcomers Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh as the season goes on, and Ray Rice should continue to get into a groove, as he actually ran the ball pretty effectively against the Bengals.

So maybe the mindset and culture have not exactly shifted away from defense yet in Baltimore, and as long as Ray Lewis is playing they probably never fully will. The defense is still capable of carrying this team on its shoulders, and the offense has the potential to make an impact like it never has before. However, games are not won on potential; the ceiling for this football team ultimately goes as high as Joe Flacco’s level of play, and he must take the next step to ensure that the potential and expectations for his offense are realized, making Baltimore a legitimate contender.

By: Greg Miletic
ProFootball-fans.com Baltimore Ravens Correspondent