The Baltimore Ravens have quite a lot going for themselves entering the 2019 season. While the Ravens aren’t among the oddsmakers’ favorites to win Super Bowl LIV, they are expected to be in the running for the postseason. And if they could exorcise some of the demons that have followed them in recent years, they would become Super Bowl contenders pretty quickly.
Let’s take a look at the three curses the Ravens have to break in 2019 to find their way to Super Bowl LIV.
1) Injury bug
It’s no secret that the Ravens have had their share of bad luck with injuries in the past. In fact, it’s been arguably their biggest curse over the last five years, with 93 players put on injured reserve since 2014.
Not only do injuries hurt the team in an immediate sense, but they’re also detrimental to the development of young players. Guys like wide receiver Breshad Perriman, guard Alex Lewis and running back Kenneth Dixon have had their growth stunted and their chances of starting in Baltimore practically eliminated because they couldn’t stay on the field.
I’m sure the Ravens are hoping quarterback Robert Griffin III’s broken thumb is the biggest issue they’ll face this preseason. While no team is fully immune in a sport as physical as football, they’ll need to do whatever it takes to avoid adding names to their historically long IR lists if they want to make a run at Super Bowl LIV.
2) First-round wide receiver busts
The Ravens have had 25 first-round picks in their history, three of whom became Hall of Famers. Until the 2019 NFL draft, Baltimore had spent just three of them on wide receivers, with none of them panning out.
Perriman, Travis Taylor and Mark Clayton never lived up to their first-round draft status. None were re-signed following their rookie contracts. Instead, the Ravens have used free agency to supplement their failures in the draft, which is a costly strategy that oftentimes hasn’t been effective.
This offseason, Baltimore tried their hand at wide receiver once again, selecting Marquise Brown with their No. 25 pick in the first round. Brown’s Lisfranc injury may give some fans pause, but his explosive speed and playmaking ability, along with how he fits into the new Lamar Jackson-led offense, provide hope this particular curse will finally be lifted.
3) Lackluster offensive coordinators
While the Ravens have always been viewed as a defensive-minded football team stemming from their historic performance in the 2000 season, it’s worth considering the deep-rooted issues that have hindered production on the other side of the ball.
The offense has been as inconsistent as the offensive coordinator role itself. Baltimore has seen seven come and go since 2004, three of which were fired midseason, including the longest-tenured of the group, Cam Cameron. Cameron and the likes of Mark Trestman and Jim Fassel were ultimately fired after predictable, lackluster playcalling failed to provide the offense enough spark to win, the former two with Flacco under center.
Only Jim Caldwell and Gary Kubiak used players to their fullest potential. Caldwell, who took over for Cameron, guided the offense to Super Bowl XLVII and oversaw Flacco’s remarkable postseason run, then promptly left to become the Lions head coach. Under Kubiak, Flacco posted a career-high 3,986 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. Ravens fans can only imagine what life would be like had Kubiak not departed for Denver.
But the coaching carousel at offensive coordinator once again spins this offseason for Baltimore. Gone is Marty Mornhinweg, fired for much the same reason as guys like Trestman and Cameron. In is Greg Roman, with plans to tailor the entire offense around Jackson at quarterback.
Roman may have the best chance yet to break the curse. But his new offensive scheme is going to be tested early and often. If it works, it has big potential, but the flip side is equal potential to fail miserably. This season’s outcome is likely mostly dependent on how Roman’s offense performs.
