My Anquan Boldin Blog

The Baltimore Ravens entered the regular-season finale in 2008 needing a victory to reach the playoffs and last season was no different as an 8-7 Ravens team went to Oakland knowing a loss would keep them at home. Baltimore had little trouble in a 21-13 victory that got it a Wild-Card round matchup with New England.

And the Ravens then laid a 33-14 beat down on a Pats team that had been unbeaten at home in the regular season. Baltimore also snapped the Patriots' home playoff win streak at 11 games, handing New England its first home playoff loss since 1978. The Ravens did this despite Joe Flacco going 4-for-10 for 34 yards and a pick.

While Flacco was lousy in that game and then the following week in a loss to the Colts, he was very good during the season with 3,613 yards passing on 63.1 percent completions with 21 touchdowns and 12 picks. Pretty much all his numbers were up from his rookie year despite the lack of a true No. 1 receiver. The real star of Baltimore's offense last year and one of the NFL's breakout players was running back Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star joined Jamal Lewis as the only Ravens player in team history to have more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Rice rushed for 1,339 yards and caught 78 passes for 702 yards. But other than Flacco, Rice and to some degree Derrick Mason (73 catches, 1,028 yards, seven TDs) the Baltimore offense lacked playmakers.

Baltimore thinks it solved that problem with the offseason trade for Arizona WR Anquan Boldin and the signing of Donte Stallworth, who sat last season out due to suspension. Boldin should give the team the No. 1 threat it has lacked for years, but this still will be a running team.

The Ravens remain among the league's best defensive teams, ranking third overall last year and fifth against the rush. They have one of the best players in the league on the defensive line (Haloti Ngata), at linebacker (the ageless Ray Lewis), and in the secondary (Ed Reed). The only concern for this unit is whether Reed will miss the first six weeks, as he has hinted he may go on the PUP list as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. Certainly that would hurt this unit.

The experts list Baltimore's 2010 wins total at 9.5 and the Ravens as the AFC North favorites at -160.

Let's see how the 2010 Baltimore Ravens schedule breaks down:

Week 1: Monday, Sep. 13, at NY Jets, 7:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, Denver, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at New England, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Buffalo, 1:00 PM
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, Miami, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 11, at Atlanta, 8:20 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM
Week 14: Monday, Dec. 13, at Houston, 8:30 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, Cincinnati, 1:00 PM

This schedule is ranked as the 12th toughest in the NFL, with an opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.508 (130-126). The Ravens don't have to worry much about travel, with 15 of their 16 regular-season games in the Eastern Time Zone for only the second time in team history so watch those NFL point spreads. And there are no West Coast trips, which is always a benefit.

If Baltimore can get to the bye week above.500 that would be a major accomplishment and set this team up nicely for an easier schedule post-bye. Four of the Ravens' first six games are on the road, including the first Monday night game (against the Jets) at the new Giants Stadium. That's the first time the Ravens will face former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, New York's head coach. That game should be a bruising, low-scoring affair. The Jets have opened as three-point favorites. Then Baltimore gets a chance for revenge against a Bengals team that swept the Ravens last year, allowing Baltimore a total of just 21 points. Of course a former Ravens defensive coordinator also coaches Cincy: Marvin Lewis. It's the first time in franchise history that Baltimore opens with two road games - a split would be a great result.

The Ravens should handle Cleveland and then catch a huge break that they play Pittsburgh in Week 4 and not Week 5 because Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be not allowed back until after four games. Thus a road win there could give Baltimore the early upper hand for the division. The Ravens will be solid favorites in home games against Denver and the Bills but a likely dog at a New England team that will be out for vengeance - if Pats WR Wes Welker goes on the PUP list, Baltimore would avoid him as it did in last year's playoff game.

Baltimore should beat Miami with a week off prior before facing three straight NFC South teams. That quick turnaround against the Falcons likely favors Atlanta because at least it's at home on the short week. And that tremendous Carolina ground game will challenge the Ravens. That game at Houston looks like a loss as Baltimore traditionally has not been a good team on Monday nights (5-8). The matchup against the Saints marks the fifth year in a row the Ravens face the reigning Super Bowl champions. That it's in the elements is a huge advantage for Baltimore. And really there's no reason the Ravens shouldn't win their final two games rather easily.

As an NFL handicapper, it looks like an 11-5 team to me and the AFC North champion. I hate to project much further, but the Ravens seem like excellent value to win the AFC at +600 as well as +1100 to win the Super Bowl. If everything breaks right and there are no major injuries (especially to Flacco, Boldin and if Reed gets 100 percent), there is no reason this team can't win it all.

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The Baltimore Ravens are getting very excited for the 2010 NFL season and how it may play out. They have a core group of young, talented offensive players, finally picking up the lagging spot of the club that has existed for years. Meanwhile, defensively the team expects to be as stout as ever, making them a formidable unit that can challenge anyone.

The team is of course headed up by future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Prior to last season there had been rumors that Lewis was nearing the end of his career. However, last year he was rejuvenated on the field, and had one of his best seasons in recent memory. With the rest of the talent on defense, this makes the Ravens the same old, in your face, smash mouth, tough and rugged defensive unit that everyone always expects.

The offense though may be better than it has ever been. Quarterback Joe Flacco has continued to improve, and is ready to become one of the premier players at his position in the league. The same can be said for running back Ray Rice, who seems ready to take the league by storm and showcase his great combination of talents.

Plus, they finally have a star wide receiver, with the acquisition of Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals. A late offseason pickup also added former Bengals and Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the team too.

With the Ravens, the story used to be that you could win by just scoring a few points against that rigid defense, because the offense was second tier. But now the offense is first rate, which makes the team a very scary proposition for other opponents around the league to have to square off against.

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The Baltimore Ravens have rebounded from a disappointing 2007 season with back-to-back playoff appearances. A strong running game and a dominant defense have helped them achieve their recent success. However, the organization has acknowledged that the passing game must improve in order to take the next step, and it has brought in Anquan Boldin to help make that happen. In this article, we'll take a quick look at the offense and the defense. Then, I'll make my prediction on Baltimore's finishing position in the AFC North.

Offense: Third-year quarterback Joe Flacco has impressed through his first two seasons. He threw for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns with 12 interceptions last season. He was on pace for even better numbers before leg and hip injuries limited him down the stretch. With his size and great arm strength, Flacco has the potential to become an elite passer. He has already shown that he is a winner, leading the Ravens to three playoff victories in five career playoff games. More wins will most certainly follow as he continues to mature. We could see him take a huge stride in 2010 with the addition of Boldin, who finally gives the Ravens a true No. 1 receiver.

Despite dealing with injuries, Boldin hauled in 84 passes for 1,024 yards last season. He and Derrick Mason, who is coming off a 73-catch, 1,028-yard season, should help the offense improve on the 213.7 yards per game it averaged through the air in 2009.

Boldin and Mason will certainly get their opportunities to star as defenses stack the box in hopes of limiting Ray Rice. Rice is coming off a Pro Bowl season, during which he amassed 2,041 total yards from scrimmage. 1,339 of those yards came on the ground.

Tackles Michael Oher and Jared Gaither lead a formidable offensive line.

Defense: Baltimore ranked No. 3 in the NFL in scoring defense last season, giving up only 16.3 points per game. Baltimore also ranked No. 3 ranked in terms of total defense, giving up just 300.5 yards per game.

Middle linebacker Ray Lewis continues to be the emotional leader of this unit. He teams with fellow linebackers Terrell Suggs and Jarret Johnson, and defensive lineman Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg, to anchor one of the best front sevens in football. Draft picks Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody add additional depth.

Safety Ed Reed was contemplating retirement while dealing with a painful nerve impingement. But that talk has subsided, and it appears the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be back to lead Baltimore's secondary.

Prediction: 1st AFC North - Bringing in Boldin should instantly improve a passing attack that was lacking playmakers. Since Baltimore already has a strong running game, and one of the NFL's best defenses, I don't see anyone standing in their way of an AFC North title. Pittsburgh must deal with the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger, and it is hard to imagine Cincinnati not dealing with chemistry issues after signing Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens.

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#25 - Baltimore Ravens - Jermaine Gresham - Oklahoma

After all of the rumors about every WR in the league being traded to the Ravens that was suspected of being shopped, they finally got one. Anquan Boldin is their biggest offseason acquisition and should help this team immediately. Flacco finally has a good WR to work with, and we'll see if Boldin can be a true #1 receiver. Boldin needs to be paired with a deep threat, so the team should consider getting Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech here, but Jermaine Gresham can be just as good of a receiver. Todd Heap is only 30, but you wouldn't guess it the way he's fallen off the map. He used to be an elite pass catching TE, but injuries have really messed up his game. Jermaine Gresham should be a top 15 or even a top 10 pick, but he was injured for all of last year. He's the concensus #1 TE in this draft class and very worthy of it. Giving Joe Flacco Anquan Boldin for short passes and Jermaine Gresham in the end zone will help his development into an elite young QB.

The defense seems like it will be good forever, but the team needs to make a couple of good picks and start to think about finding a replacement for the 34 year old Ray Lewis. The team also needs more depth at corner. The team didn't add any big names in free agency, only resigned Derrick Mason, so they will have to look in the draft. Ozzie Newsome is one of the best college talent evaluators, so expect the team to be fine.

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