The Ravens eighth straight defeat of the 2007 (adding to the team record for most consecutive losses) has taken the fan base to the breaking point. What makes the eighth straight loss worse than the previous seven is that the last one came at the hands of the previously winless Miami Dolphins who were 0-and-13 when they took the field against Baltimore.

I understand the sense of exasperation in losing to the Dolphins and the embarrassment that comes with it, but what makes this defeat any worse than the loss at Buffalo before the bye week? The Monday Night Football blowout at Pittsburgh after two weeks rest? The punchless performance at home against Cincinnati when fans hit the exits at halftime? The heart-breaker against the Browns who benefitted from the “Immaculate Deflection” field goal? The defensive collapse at San Diego? The gut-wrenching Monday Night defeat to the unbeaten Patriots? The humilation at home on national TV to Indianapolis?

I understand that losing can have an accumulative effect- the fan base feels beat down by it, but really, is the Miami loss any worse than the others? I’ll suggest that it’s not nearly as bad as the Indy, Pittsburgh and San Diego blowouts. At least the Ravens competed against the Dolphins. Not only did they compete (playing into overtime), but they did so with a depleted team: Pro Bowl defensive starters Ray Lewis, Chris McAllister, Samari Rolle and Trevor Pryce were not available to stop Miami’s second half comeback led by journeyman QB Cleo Lemon. Down to their third string QB, too, the Ravens got a game-tying drive from Troy Smith who also put the Ravens into position for the game-winning kick in overtime (which usually-reliable Matt Stover missed).

It’s a lost season for the Ravens, and it’s been lost for some time. There’s an element of bad luck at play for Baltimore, for sure. I believe that good teams make their own luck, and good teams are made up of good players. The Ravens are without many of their best players because of injury- and when your team is injured AND the ball doesn’t seem to bounce their way, it’s a fatal combination in the NFL.

While angry fans beat the drum to run coach Brian Billick out of town (which is an expected reaction), I suggest taking a step back and looking at the big picture of a season gone bad. Billick is likely to be back, albeit with adjustments to the offensive coaching staff and roster. In nine seasons as Ravens coach, Billick is suffering through just his third losing year. The previous two times the Ravens had a losing campaign under Billick, they bounced back the next season to win the AFC North division title. Patience amidst the outrage may do the Ravens well in this case again. It certainly has served them in the past.

Posted on Monday, December 17th, 2007 at 7:30 pm.
Categories: Opinion.
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