After a disappointing season in 2013, the Ravens bounced back with force in 2014. Losing to eventual Super Bowl champs the New England Patriots, many would say the Ravens had a successful year. The Ravens dominated the running game, increasing from 83 yards per game in 2013 to 126.2 in 2014. Joe Flacco also set career highs in many categories, making the Ravens something they aren't used to, having an offense that is feared.
But not everything was clicking for the Ravens last year, most of all the passing defense. Notable example Ravens fans surely know, during the Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots, the Ravens blew two 14-point leads during the game. Also, after the Patriots learned that the Ravens couldn't stop the pass, Tom Brady didn't hand the ball off once the entire second half. The Patriots only had four official rushes in the second half; one was a Tom Brady sneak up the middle, and the other three were kneels at the end of the game. Pass defense is arguably the only missing piece of the puzzle, if the Ravens solve that, can they get to the Super Bowl this year?
Listed are the four key players that, if they perform, will make or break the Ravens quest for Super Bowl 50.
Joe Flacco:
Any surprise here? Joe "Cool" Flacco has been improving every year, and last year showed that if the Ravens can give him a pocket to pass in, Flacco can tear up the defense. Flacco's biggest criticism is that he is too inconsistent during the regular season, but Joe Cool put those critics to rest in 2014. He only had two games without a passing touchdown (tying Peyton Manning) and only had three games with less than 200 passing yards (tying Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady) last season.
While Flacco is a humble guy who has never cared much about statistics, most Ravens fans would agree that it would benefit everyone if Flacco passed for over 4,000 yards. With Marc Trestman coming in as the new offensive coordinator, it will be expected that the passing game will get more focus this year. Joe Flacco has showed the last two years he can air it out when needed, and he is getting more consistent every year. For the first time in Ravens history it can be said the most valuable position isn't a defender or a running back, but it’s Joe Flacco as quarterback.
Steve Smith (Sr.):
Just what the doctor ordered for the Ravens offense. A gritty, tough player that plays like a hockey player. He catches the ball, gets tackled, gets up and tries to tackle the defender. If there was fighting in football like hockey, Steve Smith would get into a fight every quarter. That energy is contagious for the entire Ravens offense. After about Week 2, during the commentary before each game, when the 'keys for the game' were being talked about, one of the keys to the game was to 'get Steve Smith going'. This shows up on the stat sheet as well; the Ravens were 8-1 when Steve Smith had at least 50 yards receiving.
The Ravens know this, and the goal for every game this upcoming season, in the first few drives trying to set the tone of the game, is to get Steve Smith a few catches to get going. It isn't Steve Smith's performance that will be the huge factor this year, it's his attitude. He is the spark plug for this offense, and if he gets going the whole team will.
Jimmy Smith:
The Ravens pass defense was laughable at the end of the year. One of the biggest reasons is that this guy was out of the defensive backfield the last half of the year due to a foot injury. With a crippled Lardarius Webb trying to pick up the slack, good quarterbacks, especially in the playoffs, ripped the Ravens apart in the air.
Without Jimmy Smith in the backfield, the Ravens would once again have to resort to a committee of pass defenders, which didn't work in 2014. Jimmy Smith has all the skill to be considered a top 10, maybe even a top 5 cornerback. He is able to play man-to-man, defending the receiver long enough for the Ravens superior pass rushers to get to the quarterback. The status of Jimmy Smith will be a huge factor in how the Ravens passing defense will perform this year. Without him, it will be hard for the Ravens to make a deep playoff push.
Justin Tucker:
Now the most accurate kicker in NFL history, with a possibly a record pay day coming, Tucker has been key to the Ravens success for the last three years. Justin 'Don't mess with Texas' Tucker has a powerful leg, being 14 for 20 in career attempts of 50+ yard field goals. Being not only an accurate but long kicker has been an invaluable tool for the Ravens, especially in contrast to Billy Cundiff who couldn't make a 50+ yard field goal to save his life. Tucker's leg also shows up on the kickoff team, being in the top 5 in 2012 and 2014 in touchbacks. Taking away the possibility for a good kickoff return is a skill that the Ravens have greatly appreciated.
Justin Tucker has been averaging 6.06 points per game during his career with the Ravens. Since 2012 when Tucker became a Raven, the Ravens have won 12 games (43% of all wins) by 6 points or less. It can be argued, and many Ravens fans would agree, that without Tucker those 12 games could have easily been lost. If Tucker keeps on doing what he has been doing, he will be an critical part of the Ravens 2015 season.