NFL: Separating the contenders from the pretenders
Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Contenders
With everything the Ravens have had to deal with, the fact that they are 3-1 is amazing. I won’t go over what happened, as just about everyone knows by now. Needless to say, it was a huge distraction, and they are dealing with it well.
The Ravens are doing it all well. Where the Texans have had success despite a bad offense, Baltimore has a good offense and a good defense.
The Ravens are in the top ten in the NFL in scoring, averaging 25.8 points per game, good for seventh. They are also in the top ten in rushing yards, averaging 134.5 yards per game, ranking ninth.
Of course, the signature Ravens defense has been wreaking havoc in the NFL. They are tied for second in the league in points allowed. Scoring a lot of points and keeping the opponents from scoring themselves? That is a good combination for a winning season.
Before the season, the Ravens talked about having a running back by committee setup, so even though they lost Ray Rice, he wasn’t going to be a huge part of the offense anyway.
That committee is working just fine so far. Between Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro, the running game has done just fine.
A big pickup in the offseason was Steve Smith, Sr. He has brought an edge to the Ravens’ receiving corps. He is also a dependable receiver, and Joe Flacco knows that he can throw to Smith in a big situation, and he will most likely come through big.
The combination the Ravens have with their offense and defense will have them in contention all season long.