Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers Post-Game Thoughts: AFC Championship, part II

At the beginning of the year, I said that there were five areas in which the team needed to improve if we were to rate Year 1 of the John Harbaugh era a success. Obviously, you don't go from 5-11 to the AFC Championship game without improvements across the board. But looking back, I still say it's those five areas that were key --- or at the very least, they are the keys to building on this year's success, rather than sliding back yet again to mediocrity. These 5 areas are, in no particular order:

1. The establishment of a franchise QB, specifically Joe Flacco

2. The development of a reliable receiving corps

3. The development of a solid offensive line

4. The (re)establishment of discipline and a team-centered locker room

5. The validation of John Harbaugh and his coaching staff as the right men for the job

I plan to address the first three keys in a forthcoming series of individual player "grades." For now, I'll simply say that the success of keys 1 and 3 exceeded everyone's wildest dreams. As for key 2, Derrick Mason was sensational, but neither he nor Todd Heap are getting any younger. In his 4th year, Mark Clayton has developed into a solid possession receiver with occasional big-play potential, but nobody's staying up nights game-planning to stop him. Otherwise, the cupboard looks pretty bare, as does the current crop of free agents. (T.J. Houshmandzadeh, anyone?) But every team has its weaknesses, and the continued growth of Flacco, Ray Rice, and the young O-line should compensate for the underwhelming receiving talent until a true game-breaker can be drafted and developed.

In terms of number 4, of course it's much easier to find harmony in a winning locker room. This was after all the same basic group that turned last season's clubhouse so toxic. Harbaugh---and especially new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron---had one significant advantage going in: neither man was Brian Billick. Still, Harbaugh imposed his will, his program, on a core of talented veterans used to (taking advantage of) Billick's laid-back approach. What was by all accounts a brutal training camp paid off in a focus and toughness that carried the team through 18 consecutive weeks of football, including 5 of 6 on the road; through 3 straight losses that might have sunk a weaker team; and through 4 straight must-win games (starting with the upset in Dallas) en route to that final loss in Pittsburgh.

That's first and foremost a tribute to the coaches on this team, and give owner Steve Bisciotti credit for recognizing that 1) a change was in order, and 2) a former special teams coordinator was the man to deliver that change. Credit Harbaugh for hiring Cameron in the wake of his 1-15 fiasco in Miami and for retaining Rex Ryan, and credit Ryan for swallowing his pride and coming back for one more go round with the organization that spurned him for head coach. The defense will almost certainly undergo a sea change no matter who is hired to replace him---no one else in the league schemes like Rex Ryan---and that more than anything is an argument for resigning Ray Lewis, to maintain some continuity and tradition, regardless of the cap hit.

As for Cameron, as the playoffs wore on and the offense began to sputter, you started hearing the complaints: suddenly the man who had brought innovation and intelligence (not to mention 30-point games) to the Ravens offense had become "conservative." But take a closer look at the stats---without question, Cameron is one of the game's brightest offensive minds, and he squeezed more out of this group than Brian Billick ever did (or could have). At long last, it was fun to watch a Ravens drive---even when nothing happened, there was the belief that something could happen. Ravens fans have been starved for that belief, and we have every reason to believe the future will deliver on the promise of 2008---particularly as the young guys grow together and the remaining holes are filled.

But---and here's why those complaints are unfounded---you can only squeeze so much out of a rookie QB, a still-maturing offensive line, a running-back-by-committee approach, an aging tight end, and a couple of possession receivers. For all the excitement, we still finished in the bottom half of the league on offense: 18th, to be exact, and that number is skewed by a running game that failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher yet mixed and matched well enough to end up 4th overall. When a converted fullback is your leading rusher, you're not scaring too many opposing defenses ... unless it's the 4th quarter and you're up by a couple of scores. The passing game, meanwhile, ranked 28th, producing a mere 175.5 yards per game. A creative coordinator and a dedicated staff can put up some big numbers against the Clevelands and Cincinnatis of the league. But throw that offense against the 15th-ranked Dolphins, the 7th-ranked Titans, the top-ranked Steelers---that is, the Ravens' three postseason foes---and you'd be a fool to look for many points on the scoreboard.

In short, what we have right now is the foundation of a good offense---possibly even a great offense---but just the foundation. The actual offense we saw in 2008 was slightly below average, and the passing game was terrible. At least statistically. Sometimes what you see on the field doesn't translate well to stats. Ravens fans know we saw something special this year on offense---even after a decade of futility, we recognize it, and we're thrilled to think of what could be ... with a little luck, it could be as soon as next season.