Last night’s 24-10 victory over the Redskins reminded me of two previous games. The first is obvious; the second, less so. Yet taken together, those games underscore how far this team has come under John Harbaugh and Co., as giddy Baltimoreans count down the days ’til the Steelers come to town.
The first parallel happened in 2004, the last time the Ravens played the Redskins (coincidentally, another Sunday nighter). The offense scored all of 3 points that night—Jamal Lewis ran for 116 yards on 28 carries, but the passing game was abysmal, with Kyle Boller completing 9 of 18 passes for 81 yards and 3 picks. Yet defense and special teams carried the day (runbacks from Ed Reed and B. J. Sams accounted for two scores), and somehow we stole a victory, 17-10.
Yesterday, the offense scored a TD on its very first possession (following an Ed Reed interception), but the early success gave way to 6 straight punts (5 of them 3 and outs). A field goal provided short relief—it was followed by an interception and a fumble that led to 10 Redskins points and much uneasiness amongst those dressed in purple. Our offense took the field with 11 ½ minutes remaining and the momentum teetering perilously close to the edge.
Which brings us to the second parallel: Opening Day, 2008. The Ravens took a 17-3 lead into the fourth quarter, when a sudden fumble by Ray Rice led to a Bengals’ TD. After both teams traded punts, our offense took the field with 7 minutes and 15 seconds to go. Then, as yesterday, the Ravens ran the ball right down the opposition’s throat to ice the game.
Interestingly enough, that 2004 game against the Redskins also ended with the Ravens literally running out the clock. After B. J. Sams ran back a punt for what turned out to be the game-winning TD, the Ravens ran 29 more plays. 23 were runs (2 were passes and 4 were kneel downs to end the game); all told, we held onto the ball for more than 12 of that game’s final 15 minutes.
The big difference between 2004 and 2008 is as much about perception as it is the reality of what we’re seeing on the field. How many fans remember feeling good about that 17-10 win four years ago? Specifically, how many fans felt good about the offense, about Boller and the passing game? I certainly didn’t, and those misgivings were ultimately borne out in a disappointing 9-7 season (and the 6-10 and 5-11 debacles that followed).
Now here we are coming off a similarly uninspiring offensive performance. (Flacco: 10 of 21 for 134 yards, 1 pick, and 1 underthrown TD pass that owed everything to a tremendous individual effort from Derrick Mason; the running backs: a combined 124 yards on 34 carries for a 3.6 average—the fourth consecutive game they’ve been under 4 yards/carry; two turnovers and a disturbing number of drops.) But in contrast to 2004, how many Ravens fans today are talking playoffs? How many are even talking about winning out and claiming the No. 2 seed in the AFC? The No. 2 seed! With a rookie head coach and a rookie QB and an increasing number of carries going to a 2nd-year converted fullback! Unheard of! Amazing!
And yet it’s within reach. (Please, please, Jeff Fisher, play that Steelers game to win.) Why is it within reach? Why so much optimism after years of praying that the offense just doesn’t lose us the game? Perhaps it’s because the Ravens continue to improve each week, especially on offense, and particularly in those 5 “key” areas I’ve been tracking all year. For more analysis of those keys, stay tuned.
