Biggest Threats Against Repeating?

**RavenScallywag** · 08-07-2013, 11:48 PM

In our own division, mainly just the Bengals this year. I don't disrespect the Steelers, but they had similar changes to us in the offseason without really finding any talent to add into that. I think they'll be a thorn, but I put them as 3rd best chances to winning the division, more likely challenging for WC spot.

Texans after the beating the put on us last year, that's a worrisome team to me. Adding Hopkins at WR was big, they still have a dynamic duo at RB, they still have Watt who is a BEAST. Say what you will about Schaub, but he can OWN teams in the regular season.

Patriots are always a tough out, between Brady and Belichik. Some will point to the loss of several receiving options as reason for downfall, but Brady at his optimal play is a QB who can make average WRs looks amazing. Amendola will have a big year if he stays healthy.

Dolphins only worry me a little. They made the biggest splashes in FA, but I still think they have to prove their mettle before we quake in our boots about them.

Denver for obvious reasons.

Colts with Andrew Luck and Pagano will be a tough team even if they are a WC. We bested them in the playoffs, but with experience, Luck is going to be a MENACE. RG3 gets all the hype, but most of us can see Luck is the more dangerous passer.

Until we can show that we can clearly best them, run option teams in the NFC worry me. Seahawks, Redskins, 49ers. We'd only see these teams in the SB because we play the NFC North this year, but...it's a threat to repeating.

GB and the Vikings do worry me a little. GB because Rodgers is the best QB in the NFL, IMO, so he can give us many headaches in coverage. Vikings because AP is the best RB in the NFL, IMO.

**JimZipCode** · 08-07-2013, 11:48 PM

Injuries. Failure of one of the young WRs to step up. Joe showing that last postseason was a mirage. Caldwell not being all that good a play-caller / gameplan designer / OC.

The Bengals catching up if we stumble.

**AirFlacco** · 08-08-2013, 12:05 AM

Ravens beat up Luck in the POs. The Ravens used a relentless blitz to remind everyone that Colts QB Andrew Luck (28-of-54, 288 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) is indeed a rookie.

Rob Long said he liked Luck until he came here and was
totally unimpressed by him. There was that 46-yd bomb from Joe to Boldin so who's
gonna make that play this year?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...icle-1.1234394

**Raven Werewolf** · 08-08-2013, 08:10 AM

AFC: NE/Denver/Pittsburgh/Cincinnati/Indy (ugh)
NFC: Atlanta/GB/SF/DC/NO

And theres always that one out of left field team that winds up in the SB mix..... no clue who that might be this year though.

But I think the ultimate threat comes from within. If the wrong guy(s) get injured...... teams adjusting to Caldwell's scheme and we can't readjust...... the new faces on D don't gel..... complacency (although I don't think that will be an issue with this group.)

**Raven Werewolf** · 08-08-2013, 08:15 AM

Also.... while we're generally talking teams who we might meet in the playoffs/SB as a threat.... another threat in a way is a bad team that trips us up and costs us a home playoff game or even homefield throughout.

I'd hate to see a team like Cleveland or Detroit jump up and bite us and have that game cost us a prime seed.

**Real Fan Dan** · 08-08-2013, 08:16 AM

1. Injuries.
2. Return to form (or not) of Suggs, Ngata, Webb.
3. Ability (or rather lack thereof) of Coaches to get new players to gell as a team, especially on D.
4. Ability of Oline to protect Flacco and make holes for RB's.
5. Ability of Torrey Smith to keep improving and at least two other receivers to step up and get open.
6. Ability of Coaches to quickly develop an effective offensive gameplan based on the talent available.
7. Denver
8. NE
9. Houston
10. Green Bay
11. Bengals
12. Steelers

I figure #'s 2-6 have to happen at least by the Bye.
#'s 7-12 we need to win at least 3 of them and the rest of our games.
It would help if Denver doesn't have quite as good a season as last year. ;)

As for the NFC i guess there's two different ways to do it:
We either have to be so dominant that it doesn't matter what they do so long as we execute. If not, the Ravens have to come up with an offensive scheme for the playoffs that so is different from the reg season that nobody will know wtf we're doing next, not to mention being lucky as shit.

Inability to do that is the biggest threat to repeating.

**JAB1985** · 08-08-2013, 08:19 AM

Its typically not one teams chance to win but a group of teams that have about the same chance. weve been lucky to be in that group pretty much the past 5 years. This years group before the season starts would appear to be the same as last years. NE, DEN, HOU, CIN, SF, GB, NO, ATL, and Ill throw SEA in there too.

the greatest threat from repeating i would say would come from the AFC because we have to make it to the SB first. so looking at those teams Id say DEN and HOU are the strongest. I think both barring injury are going to be the top competition this year. Honestly once we get to the SB the NFC doesnt really worry me too much. we can beat SF obviously and the only other team id be worried about matchup wise would be SEA. GB, NO, ATL all would have to improve greatly on defense for me to consider them an actual matchup problem. Still plenty of time for them to do so though.

**Ravenswintitle** · 08-08-2013, 08:31 AM

Not scared of any team and you never know what injuries will do to any of them including the Ravens. Houston looks very good but if they lose JJ Watt, different story. NE will always be a threat until they stop winning 10+ games.

The loss of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed (not to mention Ellerbe, Kruger, Pollard, etc) still may have more of an impact than a lot of fans are willing to accept. Time will tell

**HoustonRaven** · 08-08-2013, 09:09 AM

So not scared of GB at this point. They have been killed by key injuries already, particularly on their O line. They allowed something like 6 Billion sacks last season so they are going to continue to leak like a submarine with screen doors.

Houston does seem to have survived free agency relatively in tact, though it's still a team coached by Kubiak and QB'd by Schaub, both of whom shrink under pressure.

My concerns (outside of the ever present injury bug) are the usual suspects -- Pitt, NE, Cincy and Broncos

**BPF2** · 08-08-2013, 09:17 AM

Agree with pretty much everything stated. RealFanDan probably summed it up as close to what I would have.

I think the AFC could be open this year. The usual main threats all have some weaknesses to overcome:

We turned over a lot of our roster, then lost Pitta. Need to gel on defense, need couple guys on offense to step up.

NE - losing all those receivers is a big deal, but Brady tends to overcome and he plays in a horrible division where the only threat I see is a split with MIA.

DEN - losing Dumerville and Miller (4 games) is going to take a toll. Who steps up in their absence? Does it expose the secondary? Champ is another year older. Koppen out for year. How is Peyton's neck and how will he play in Dec/Jan?They also play in a weak division.

HOU - I think they'll pick up where they left off, at least for the regular season. Could be #1 seed.

IND - I don't think Luck suffers much of a sophomore slump, but still probably a WC team.

CIN/PIT - not sold on CIN as many are. They struggle against good teams. Not sold on the demise of PIT either just yet. They always manage to hang around. Both teams play us hard.

If there are any sleepers out there, I think MIA has improved, but not enough. And then there's SD. New coach, can Rivers regain his form of old? KC? I don't know about them.

**elland** · 08-08-2013, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Greg

The Bengals did not beat us, they scored more in a scrimmage against mainly a second team wearing the Ravens' uniforms.

agreed + we did dominate in yards and TOP.. more or less just like the week before against the G-men. Obviuosly our lines had the upperhand late in the season.

**HotInHere** · 08-08-2013, 09:33 AM

DIVISION: Cincy. I hate that I am not afraid of the Steelers. It just feels like that team is being SO counted-out that they will just jump up and win 13 games. But on paper I just don't see it. I think we win our division, but Cincy is the most balanced team here. We will beat them only because we have a better QB.

CONFERENCE: Denver. Odds are that we will not win the opener. Certainly we won't be favored. And if that happens, we start a game in the hole to a team that plays in a division full of crap. They will sleepwalk their way to a dozen or more wins, and the road to SBXLVIII will go through Denver. We won a crazy game there last year, much the way the Pats beat us in 2011. We saw what happened in the rematch of that one. I'd rather not have a AFCCG rematch in Denver.

SBXLVIII: The NFC is the stronger conference, and yet all of those teams have big holes. The kind of team that scares me most is a team that can play defense and . That leaves out the NFC South. The East is a bunch of paper tigers. More like paper kittens. I think we can shut down the gimmicky offenses of the NFC West powerhouses. So my surprise team-to-worry-about in the NFC is Da Bears. Solid defense, and they can run the ball and pass the ball well. In fact, they are probably the NFL team that is most like us.