The Baltimore Ravens have started out the 2012 NFL season in impressive fashion. They were 5-1 before last weekend. In their last game, their 13 time Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis tore his right triceps. Also, Lardarius Webb, their best cornerback, tore his ACL and he is also out for the remainder of the season. Haloti Ngata, their Pro Bowl defensive tackle, has now added a knee injury to his shoulder injury that he has been playing with. Their other Pro Bowl defensive player, safety Ed Reed has revealed that he has been playing with a labrum tear in his shoulder. So the best player on their defensive line, their all-time best linebacker, and the two best players in their secondary are all injured. However, Ngata and Reed continue to play in pain.
The injuries are starting to take their toll on the Ravens. They were crushed by the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Texans were tied with the Ravens for the best record in the AFC at 5-1. Even the return of last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs didn’t help Baltimore. The Ravens, who are always ranked as one of the top defenses in the NFL, were only ranked 26th out of the 32 NFL teams, before the beatdown administered by the Texans. Can the Ravens hold on, and still make the playoffs, with all these injuries?
It’s a good thing they started 5-1, and that after 7 weeks, only the Texans and the New England Patriots have winning records in the AFC, in addition to the Ravens. Normally I would say their goose is cooked, with Lewis and Webb out for the season, and Reed and Ngata playing with injuries, but the Ravens still have a good shot to make it in the playoffs as a wild card at least. Five teams would have to pass them with a better record, for the Ravens to miss the playoffs. With 9 games to go for most teams, the Ravens would really have to go in the tank for this to happen. However, if their last game is any indication of how they will play, then they’re in big trouble. But quarterback Joe Flacco played really poorly in the last game. He isn’t likely to do that the rest of the season.
