AP Panel on Ravens

**Dade** · 07-31-2012, 05:59 PM

No surprise here. I try not to pay attention to these "power rankings". They're just upset you with the bone head analysis. Past few years the Ravens have been proving them wrong.

**GOTA** · 07-31-2012, 06:02 PM

Why is it that 10 analysts all have positive things to say about the Ravens and on average rank #5 in the NFL, just 1 guy on the panel thinks they're old on defense and ranks them #17 and most of the Ravens fans focus on that 1 negative comment? What is the love with persecution? Taken as a whole it's a very positive piece.

Looking back at my original post I'm just as guilty. Why do we seem to enjoy the negative comments more than the positives around here?

**TheJoeFlaccoShow** · 07-31-2012, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Why is it that 10 analysts all have positive things to say about the Ravens and on average rank #5 in the NFL, just 1 guy on the panel thinks they're old on defense and ranks them #17 and most of the Ravens fans focus on that 1 negative comment? What is the love with persecution? Taken as a whole it's a very positive piece.

Looking back at my original post I'm just as guilty. Why do we seem to enjoy the negative comments more than the positives around here?

Because that is obviously the most ridiculous inaccurate one of the bunch.

I bet if you polled 100 sportswriters there would not be one that had us below 10th, much less anywhere near 17.

**leachisabeast** · 07-31-2012, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Why is it that 10 analysts all have positive things to say about the Ravens and on average rank #5 in the NFL, just 1 guy on the panel thinks they're old on defense and ranks them #17 and most of the Ravens fans focus on that 1 negative comment? What is the love with persecution? Taken as a whole it's a very positive piece.

Looking back at my original post I'm just as guilty. Why do we seem to enjoy the negative comments more than the positives around here?

It's pretty much the same for every good teams fan base. If this was the Steelers, they would be doing just the same whining. If it was the Rams or something, they'd be throwing the guys a parade, and probably even flattered by the 17th ranking.

**GOTA** · 07-31-2012, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

It's pretty much the same for every good teams fan base. If this was the Steelers, they would be doing just the same whining. If it was the Rams or something, they'd be throwing the guys a parade, and probably even flattered by the 17th ranking.

You're probably right. The bar is very high here.

**The Excellector** · 07-31-2012, 06:18 PM

I think that they all understand that, while the injury to Suggs could hurt their SB chances, the Ravens will still be in the playoffs and deep in the mix. They just don't know if the Suggs injury will impact the Ravens THAT much. Berman said it best, the Ravens should have been in the Super Bowl last year.

When you look at the division, the Bengals have tried to make upgrades, but you have to wonder about if they've done enough to take down Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Pittsburgh seems to be getting ready for one last push before the next wave of veterans leaves, but as long as Ben is healthy, they should be in it. However, a few explosive runs from Rice and the combination of Flacco and Smith, basically, did in the division last year. So, what are these teams showing that will help them do a better job of stopping one of those issues, let alone two. Much respect was given.

**Corey** · 07-31-2012, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Why is it that 10 analysts all have positive things to say about the Ravens and on average rank #5 in the NFL, just 1 guy on the panel thinks they're old on defense and ranks them #17 and most of the Ravens fans focus on that 1 negative comment? What is the love with persecution? Taken as a whole it's a very positive piece.

Looking back at my original post I'm just as guilty. Why do we seem to enjoy the negative comments more than the positives around here?

We are here to debate. Obviously, we all agree with all those guys that have us ranked highly. And that leaves just one point to debate and thats the idiot that has us ranked in the bottom half of the league.

It's not that we focus on the negative. We just agree when people think we are awesome and we disagree when they think we are not.

**Dade** · 07-31-2012, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Corey

We are here to debate. Obviously, we all agree with all those guys that have us ranked highly. And that leaves just one point to debate and thats the idiot that has us ranked in the bottom half of the league.

It's not that we focus on the negative. We just agree when people think we are awesome and we disagree when they think we are not.

Good point. However no matter how good you are there will always be some knucklehead who puts you in the bottom half of the league. It gets kinda old to continue to debate this topic over and over.

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**leachisabeast** · 07-31-2012, 08:23 PM

I think it's also because no one in their right mind should put a team who came within one dropped pass from the SB at 17th, no matter what they did in the offseason, it's just down right stupid. It pisses us off because we know they wouldn't do it to the Patriots, or the Packers because they are both big market, pass happy teams that everyone loves. No one really likes the gritty Ravens from Baltimore with a big strong QB who looks like he drives trucks for a living.

**JAB1985** · 07-31-2012, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by psuasskicker

This is such a common misperception with most of the media. Lewis and Reed are such cogs, and Suggs has been in the league for a long time too...it seems like our defense is really old. But it's not at all. Suggs is still in his 20s; Ngata, Webb and Smith are all coming stars and have years left to play. Lewis and Reed still have time to play effective football to find some new stars to replace them if they need to.

This defense may or may not be elite, but it's not going to be bad and isn't likely to be average unless a few more people beside Suggs get injured.

- C -

agreed. we actually got younger on defense with the losses of Redding and JJ and additions of the rookies. even most of our FA signings on defense were actually younger guys (mcbean & graham). Ray missed 4 games last year and we may not have been elite, but we didnt drop off much either, and that was with an injured ellerbe and an olb playing MLB for the first time.

Originally Posted by GOTA

Why is it that 10 analysts all have positive things to say about the Ravens and on average rank #5 in the NFL, just 1 guy on the panel thinks they're old on defense and ranks them #17 and most of the Ravens fans focus on that 1 negative comment? What is the love with persecution? Taken as a whole it's a very positive piece.

Looking back at my original post I'm just as guilty. Why do we seem to enjoy the negative comments more than the positives around here?

In all honesty, i hate the media in general. When you have such blatant outliers without doing even a notion of thought its infuriating. 4 years straight in the playoffs to worse than more than half the league, because were old on defense when we actually got younger. Its just bad analysis, without a shred of research, imo.

I just wanted to point out how ridiculous it was nothing more. eisen and some of those others i happen to really like. a top 6 preseason makes sense because its going off last year more than this year. Anything less than top 10 just seems biased to me.

as JFS said we do have high expectations here and like corey said anything that goes against that we wont like either. I do however like that the vast majority dont feel well fall off that much, because we shouldnt in all honesty.