Baltimore Ravens 2009 Season Preview: What's Here Is What Matters

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Up and down, up and down, up and down. In 2004, the Ravens went 9-7, then followed up with a 6-10 mark in 2005. Then in 2006, a 13-3 record, trailed by a 5-11 finish in 2007. So last year's 11-5 effort could be concerning, if you believe in trends. On the other hand, it could just be the start of something special -- if Baltimore can just get over the hurdle presented by the defending AFC North and Super Bowl champion Steelers.

Offense: Joe Flacco's 2008 numbers don't leap out at you -- he barely cracked the top 20 in passing yards and posted 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. But after being thrown into the fire as a rookie, Flacco helped guide his team within one win of a Super Bowl appearance. The Ravens have talked about opening up their playbook for him a bit this season. He's got the arm to do some damage, but who will catch passes? Derrick Mason's return saved the receiver group from total mediocrity, but Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams and others have talent. Utilizing it is another matter. Ray Rice has ascended to the top RB spot with Willis McGahee still getting carries. Tight end Todd Heap is still decent, but the underrated gem on this unit is fullback LeRon McClain, a bowling ball of a back and a solid blocker. He'll need to be too, because the offensive line is one of the youngest in the league, save for center Matt Birk. Heat Index: 6

Defense: There are a lot of talented, veteran guys in place here, but a couple of key losses could loom large. The first is, of course, Rex Ryan, who put his mark on this unit. You can't underestimate the loss of Bart Scott, either, after he racked up 370 total tackles over the past four seasons. Ray Lewis is back, though, and he's the franchise's heart and soul. He's joined by Terrell Suggs at linebacker, giving Baltimore maybe the best 1-2 punch in the league. The front of Trevor Pryce, Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata never get much publicity, but that group is as steady as she goes. Keep an eye on Ngata, who might be on the verge of stardom. We also can't forget about Ed Reed, one of the best safeties of all time -- he provides leadership in the secondary, which may be Baltimore's lone defensive question mark. That said, it's still a pretty talented group. Heat Index: 9

Special Teams: Baltimore was No. 31 on kick returns and No. 18 on punt returns last year. Chris Carr might not help improve that much, but Ladarius Webb could provide a bit of a boost. Punter Sam Koch is back for his fourth season with the Ravens, one year after dropping 34 punts inside the 20. Kicker could be a serious issue -- Sam Hauschka is penciled in, but the team may soon wind up calling Matt Stover, the franchise's kicker since 1991 back in Cleveland. Heat Index: 6

Coaching: John Harbaugh walked through his rookie season hand-in-hand with Flacco, piling up an 11-5 record. Can he do it again without Ryan? It's going to be a challenge, there's no doubt about that, and how successful he is will rest in large part on what Greg Mattison does as Ryan's replacement. Cam Cameron's a solid offensive coordinator -- as already mentioned, he plans to expand his play calls this season, and he may have to so the Ravens can put up some more points and help out the defense a bit. Heat Index: 7


Intangibles: This team has obvious reason to be among the most motivated in the league. Harbaugh, Mattison and the defense will want to prove 2008 was not just Rex Ryan's doing. And the rest of the Ravens certainly can't enjoy watching the Steelers, their arch-rivals, frequently winning Super Bowls -- let alone getting to the big game by beating Baltimore. The Ravens kind of crept up on people last year, however, so the team has to deal with expectations this season, and that's never an easy thing. Heat Index: 9

Total Heat Index: 37/50 -- Below the Steelers, above the Bengals and Browns. Basically, right where the Ravens were last year and right where they belong. This will be a familiar script -- the Ravens will win with defense and mistake-free offense. There are fine options on offense, but no game-breakers, and the special teams could wind up costing them a game or two. This team is good enough to run off another double-digit win season and be dangerous in the playoffs, but on paper, they don't match the elite clubs.