Despite a 6-10 record last year, the Baltimore Ravens and their fans have an air of confidence heading into the 2006 season. And for good reason. Head coach Brian Billick and Ozzie Newsome in the front office have put together a squad that may be their best since the Super Bowl run in 2001. Offense: The reason for the incredible optimism starts with the new addition at quarterback. Steve McNair is now on board the R-train after a stellar career with the Tennessee Titans. Many feel McNair is the missing piece in the Baltimore playoff puzzle. If he stays healthy, he just may be. McNair still threw for 3,161 yards and 16 scores during an injury plagued 2005 season. Kyle Boller, a disappointment so far in his career, will be relegated to backup duties and have a chance to learn under McNair. This could be a blessing in disguise for Boller. He can learn from one of the best and slowly build his confidence back. Jamal Lewis had a dropoff at running back last season. He failed to reach the 1,000-yard barrier (906 yards) and managed only three touchdowns. Many feel his time in jail hurt his conditioning and mental attitude. Chester Taylor is gone but the Ravens grabbed Mike Anderson (1,014 yards, 12 TDs) from the Broncos to provide depth and be a potential replacement if Lewis struggles again. Ovie Mughelli returns at fullback. Derrick Mason had a great season last year, his first in Baltimore. The veteran caught 86 passes for 1,073 yards and is now reunited with McNair. The duo had their best years together at Tennessee. Mark Clayton (44-471-2) had an excellent rookie season and looks to be even better this year. Depth could be a problem. Clarence Moore, Devard Darling and rookie Demetrius Williams are unproven commodities and one of them needs to emerge as the number three man. Todd Heap (75-855-7) is one of the best tight ends in the game and keeps getting better year after year. Jonathan Ogden anchors the offensive line for the Ravens from his left tackle slot. The UCLA product is one of the top three tackles in the game today, along with Walter Jones and Orlando Pace. Tony Pashos mans the right side, while Edwin Mulitalo and newcomer Keydrick Vincent, a free agent pickup from Pittsburgh, are the guards. Mike Flynn returns at center. T Adam Terry, G Brian Rimpf and rookie Chris Chester (C-G) provide depth. Defense The defense is still the strength of the Baltimore club and looks to be even better with a healthy Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The defensive line is anchored by end Terrell Suggs, the former rookie of the year. Suggs led the line with eight sacks last season. He picked up 68 tackles and intercepted two passes in 2005. Jarret Johnson is a returning starter at the other end position but will have to fend off the challenge of free-agent veteran, Trevor Pryce. The former Denver all-pro had four sacks and 33 tackles last season for the Broncos. Kelly Gregg and Justin Brannan are returning starters at defensive tackle, but their jobs are not guaranteed. Defensive tackle was a sore spot for Billick so Oregon run stuffer, Haloti Ngata, was selected in the first round. He will press for a starting job right away. Lewis had his worst season ever for the Ravens and will look to bounce back from an injury-filled campaign in which he missed 11 games. He'll be entering his 11th season in the league and wants to prove that age hasn't caught up with him just yet. Adalius Thomas had a superb year from his outside spot - collecting a team leading nine sacks to go along with 84 tackles. Bart Scott led the team with 92 tackles playing in place of Lewis, but will now move to the outside. Gary Stills was acquired from Kansas City for depth. Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle are solid corners but there's little else besides them. Free agent Corey Ivey (Rams) and rookie David Pittman are the backups. Reed, who just signed a new six year deal with Baltimore, is one of the top free safeties in the NFL. B.J. Ward is slotted in at strong safety and Dawan Landry is the top backup. Special Teams: Mr. Consistency, Matt Stover, returns for season number 16, including 11 seasons with the Ravens. Stover had another solid year - 113 points on 30-34 field goals and 23-23 on extra points. Expect the same this season. Punter Dave Zastudil is gone and the competition is open between Leo Araguz and kicker Aaron Elling. B.J. Sams is a reliable kickoff (22.7) and punt (12.2) returner. Outlook: The addition of McNair is huge for Baltimore. He's a leader who plays hurt and has a winning attitude. Those are intangibles that can't be coached. The pieces are in place for the Ravens to make a serious run at the playoffs and maybe a Super Bowl berth, provided that McNair and the rest of the starters can stay healthy. The Ravens are loaded at most every starting position, but depth is a real problem at wide receiver, defensive line and the secondary. If any of the starters go down, it could be trouble. Prediction: The Ravens play in a tough division with Cincinnati and the world champion Steelers. Regardless, if McNair, Lewis and Reed can stay healthy - this team has a legitimate shot at a division title and the Super Bowl. The Ravens will contend for the division and finish 10-6 or 11-5. |
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