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Baltimore Ravens: Offense, Defense and Special Teams Grades

By Joe Serpico

Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s over. After 17 weeks of misery, the Baltimore Ravens have reached the finish line. Now they enter the offseason with a lot to do to turn this team back into a championship contender.

There is a lot to blame for the down season. The shortage of playmakers on both sides of the ball. The absurd number of players on injured reserve. The questionable depth led to many embarrassing preseason efforts that translated into the regular season. The lack of discipline that led to a franchise record in penalty yardage. They had the second-highest turnover ratio in the NFL. And to top it all off, the Ravens “celebrated” their 20th season with the second-worst in the history of the franchise. The only season that was worse was the first year in Baltimore in which they finished 4-12.

The coaching staff does have some to be proud of. John Harbaugh deserves a ton of credit for keeping this team together and fighting to the end. The Ravens did not have much to play for the last month of the season, but did beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and kept the game close in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injuries allowed some youngsters to get added playing time which should benefit the team going forward.

The truth is that none of that was good enough to win. The entire staff here at The Baltimore Wire had the Ravens making the playoffs and we – just like most football fans – were way off in our predictions. All of us predicted at least a 10-win season, but it was the total opposite as they finished with a 5-11 record.

The disappointing 2015 campaign gives Baltimore the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. There are a lot of needs on both sides of the ball and it will be interesting to see what route Ozzie Newsome decides to go. Will he trade back and acquire more picks to reload this depleted roster? That is just one of the many questions that will be asked throughout the offseason.

It was a rough year to be a Baltimore sports fan in 2015. Over the course of the next couple days, you will see our positional and individual grades for the Ravens this season. Today, we will grade the three units (offense, defense and special teams) as a whole. As you can imagine, the Ravens failed this course.

Next: Offensive Grade

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