Except for the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks and pretty much every other team with competent management.

Gee, that's funny. I remember you writing once that any coach can get an Ozzie Newsome to the playoffs.

And a wholeheartedly disagree that "all teams go through a similar cycle" as this will be our 3rd rebuilding since 1998. Good teams manage their cap and make tough personnel decisions so they have perpetual success. We have 2-3 year "windows" where the stars have to align for us to make the postseason.

If 5-11 cost Billick his job, why is it okay for this coaching staff to achieve the same record with virtually the same roster?

A successful season will be in the little things.

How many false starts on 3rd & 1?
Can we make halftime adjustments necessary to compete?
How man personal foul penalties when something doesn't go our way?
Can we attack downfield at all?
Can we maintain harmony throughout the year?

Like the Orioles, I think a successful 2008 will have less to do with a win-loss record and more to do with A) the development of a few key young players, and B) a change in the overall culture/attitude.

If we can go into 2009 feeling confident about Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, at least one young receiver (I don't care if it's Clayton, Smith, or Williams), and the interior of the line, I'll be satisfied. If Gaither and/or Terry prove to be more than stop-gaps at tackle, I'll be thrilled. Beyond that, I want to see a major decrease in the number of penalties each Sunday.

For now, it looks like the only real excitement we're going to get is going to come from Yamon Figurs.

When we hired Harbuagh I was really excited. Then when we hired Cam I thought we are really going in the right direction. 8-8 was possible but now since everyone is being negative its really got me thinking we are going 4-12. If the D injured like it was last year then I think we can expect bad results.

After Commissioner Goddell hands the Lombardi Trophy to this year's Super Bowl champion, the next words out of his mouth will be: "The Baltimore Ravens are now on the clock." I hate to say it, but I think its true. The Ravens are either too old or too inexperienced at way too many positions.

I'd like to see.

an offense that had more than 4-20 third down conversion rate.

a special teams that didn't have a 15 yard penalty on every punt kick-off receive.

A quarterback to actually complete a game without a turnover and with a td pass of more than 8 yards. I BET THAT HASN"T HAPPENED BUT ONCE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.
Flacco is the our only chance.

A defense that celebrated only when it got off the field on 3rd down.

A pass defense that can stop an offense when it has to.

No offensive tackles who moonlight as offensive coordinators

Develop one PLAYMAKER on our receiving corps. (derrick mason is a stud, but he's not considered a playmaker) This means TODD HEAP NEEDS TO STAY HEALTHY OR HE SHOULD BE CUT!

Ron Mclean and Ray Rice run so well that mcgahee get's on the bus back to his home town of slackerville.

Jamal Lewis rush for 200 against the ravens and the browns still lose

"Except for the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks and pretty much every other team with competent management."

Don't you mean "every other team with a Pro-Bowler at QB each year"? Because I'm pretty sure you named them all right there. The Chargers didn't start winning consistently until Drew Brees got his act together (and gave way to Phillip Rivers); the Steelers had up-and-down years until they drafted Big Ben; we'll see if David Garrard is the answer for the previously up-and-down Jags; the Cowboys stunk until Tony Romo stepped in. Even the Eagles have missed the post-season two of the last three years, now that McNabb's starting to show his age.

So let's try to keep the Ravens recent struggles in perspective.

Well I'd like to see Gaither on the field and see more of the promise that I saw in the couple of games he started last season. I have confidence in our interior line, which I think will be really good this year, but I'd like to see more out of Adam Terry. I'd like to see the Mark Clayton I saw in 2006 and I want to see if Demetrius Williams can actually become that big deep threat. In general, I want to see something resembling a competent offense, more specifically a competent passing game.

Also, I want to see less stupid penalties and Suggs rebound from last year.

First of all this team finished with 5 wins last year. Tell me what positions this team has gotten better at, the answer is none.They will be lucky to win 5 games again this year. Second of all this team will not get back to getting on track until harbaugh has his own players on the roster that are loyal to him. he will have to weed out all those reamaining veterans that are still loyal to billick and his laid back ways.Trust me Harbaugh knows who those players are and he won't soon forget those that laid down during his first and most important training camp.

Also, let's not forget the refs and how they may work against us too, on top of everything else. I was reading how the refs always seem to help the other team, never the Ravens, on CoastToCoastRavens.com. I think there may be some truth to that, but this preseason it seems as though the Ravens aren't getting as many penalties called against them, which has been refreshing.

Just curious, but isn't this the last year before we get with a massive salary cap number? I seem to remember Dick Cass saying in the spring of 2007 that there was a two year window before the salary cap started to catch up with the team. If that is the case, this season and next season might be pretty ugly.

Actually, the team has gotten better at halfback, fullback, and secondary depth. Walker hasn't played well but Derrick Martin has improved and Washington is an upgrade over anyone they had as a backup last year. I think 9 - 7 (playoffs or not) would be a successful year. Here's to seeing some of these kids mature.

All teams do go through this process, but the Ravens have not won a playoff game since Jan. 2002. It's been quite some time since a playoff win (plus two tough HOME playoff losses during that time - Tenn. and Indy.). Worse, a few of those teams were sold as major powers in the NFL. It has not easy since 2001 SB win.

Obviously if the Ravens continue to have an abnormal amount of injuries to our starters we can expect another subpar season. The injuries hurt us last year and they are killing us again this year. I keep thinking our luck is gonna change but so far it just ain't happening. I just heard the Dwan Edwards is lost for the season. Not a starter but a decent backup.

How can we be expected to be competitive when we still don't have an adequate QB ? I mean where is management and what the heck are they thinking ? This is the NFL..You can't win w/o a QB .How many yrears doeas it take to realize this ??

How many years does it take for this franchise to figure out you can't win w/o a QB ? Come on ...We are not positioned right now to have a starter much less a quality back up . It's going to be a long season folks. I hope I'm wrong .

Injuries in the NFL are the great equalizer and the Ravens have more than their fair share. However, with a little luck, a solid defense and some innovative offense, there's no reason why this team can't at least be 500, which would be a successful season by most standards. Brian Billick went 8-8 in his first season and he had a very talented team.....except at QB! He also had to re-load after the 2001 season and, yes, most teams go through the process periodically because the NFL's free agency and salary cap are almost tantamount to the college recruiting process.

Bob,

I was wondering how long it would take before someone blamed this season on Billick, too. Who put these players on the roster? Who went out and got nut-case MacGahee? Who has never drafted or acquired a deep threat receiver? Who drafted Boller, and don't say that was Billick's pick, because you can't say the good picks go to Ozzie and the poor ones belong to Billick. I just wondered how long it would be until Billick got blamed for the next two sub-par years. It's Ozzie folks...

THE NFL 2008 PROSPECTUS IS CALLING FOR THE RAVENS TO WIN THEIR DIVISION THIS YEAR!!!
THEY EXPECT THE RAVEN DEFENSE TO BOUNCE BACK & THEY EXPECT IT TO BE A DOWN YEAR FOR THE DIVISION.
A GREAT D COULD TAKE THE RAVENS TO THE TOP---IF THEY HAVE A SMART QB---WHO DOES NOT TURN THE BALL OVER.
FIGURS WILL HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT YEAR IF THE RAVENS ARE GOING TO OVERTAKE THE STEELERS. HE HAS TO CONSISTANTLY GIVE THE RAVEN OFFENSE A SHORT FIELD TO WORK WITH. MaGAHEE & RICE NEED TO GAIN 1500-1600 YARDS TOGETHER, FOR THE RAVENS TO DETHRONE THE STEELERS.
EX-BIRDMAN

In my oppinion, the only thing that quallifies as a succesful season, is winning the Super Bowl.

Steelers:
1998: 7-9, 1999:6-10. 2000:9-7, 2001:13-3, 2002:10-5-1, 2003:6-10, 2004:15-1, 2005:11-8, 2006:8-8, 2007:10-6
Eagles:1998: 3-13, 1999: 5-11, 2000:11-5, 2001:11-5, 2002: 12-4, 2003:12-4, 2004:13-3, 2005:6-10, 2006:10-6, 2007:8-8
Colts: 1998: 3-13, 1999:13-3, 2000:10-6, 2001:6-10, 2002;10-6, 2003;12-4, 2004:12-4, 2005:14-2, 2006:12-4, 2007:13-3
Seahawks: 1998:8-8, 1999: 9-7,2000: 6-10,2001: 9-7,2002: 7-9,2003:10-6,2004: 9-7:2005: 13-3,2006:9-7 2007: 10-6
Only the Colts and Patriots out of the list of except teams have a much different record than the Ravens. I am as sick of the wasted offense as anyone, especially having wasted Super Bowl Defenses these past 4 years but it will take 2 or 3 years of reloading and changing the climate of the team and yes developing a QB.

I can,t understand what everybody is so down about. Last year was a bad season sure but considering how many injuries to key personel its a wonder we won any game at all. could the colts, patriots, cowboys, or giants have won as many games without their starting QB,O-tackels,center,tightend ,2nd string tight end, 3rd string tight end, both corners, no 1 pass rusher, return man ? come on people have some faith, Youre starting to sound like the browns fans

It is going to be a tough stretch....

"Except for the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks and pretty much every other team with competent management."
Every one of those teams has had it's valleys Dorian. Maybe you're just too young to remember.

Every team goes through struggles and has up and down years unless you have pro bowl caliber QB play

We need to temper our expectations this year. 8-8 would be a great season. A successful season would be for Flacco to mature and get used to the speed of the NFL, for our young O-line to gel and get invaluable experience and for the offense to learn how to play - in that they need to look like an offense. Watch other teams and then watch the Ravens. Probably related to a QB, but Cameron should help this along. Also, if Boller is out of the year, why not make a push for a veteran (maybe Chris Simms or someone in that mold) to come in and guide the team (and potentially start this year while Flacco figures out how to be a NFL QB).

If the preseason is reflection of what we're going to see this year, we'll be lucky to go 8-8. The offensive line cannot stop anyone. Passing is out of the quaestion when the QB has 1-2 seconds to make a decision. The defense just slows the opponents a liitle but they still march downfiled seemily at will to score. One thing is for sure, I think that Troy Smith is the only QB we have that's mobile enough to be able to do ANYTHING behing our O-line before being sacked. I think it's going to be a long couple of years to re-build and refit.

The problem here is most of our so called "fans" know nothing about football and have all become talking heads. INJURIES kill teams. Last time I checked every team is 0-0 right now. Lets see how the season plays out, if all people want to do is complain then stop going to the games, stop blogging and stop watching. Let us real fans enjoy the games and at least stay positive about some of the future players we are developing.

Success would be achieved if the Ravens didn't beat themselves, but instead forced the other teams to beat them.

I can take a loss, losses happen, but when you blow it with stupid penalties, turnovers and bad attitude then it doesn't matter how much talent you have.

The Rams game was painful to watch but Joe didn't turn the ball over. He protected it and eventually got a touchdown. If they can add to that a solid running game, special teams and defense, then we may have something.

As long as they go undefeated at home (I will settle for 7-1 as long as the loss is not vs the Deadskins and the Steelers), then it will be successful for me. As a season ticket holder, for me, they have to get back home supremacy. I believe before last season Billick had the best record at home of any coach and any team in that 8 year stretch. Even his first year, and those years of rebuilding or let-down years, the Ravens were winners at home or a tough out and mostly kept games close (thank goodness for the D). I am looking for Harbaugh to re-establish that home dominance and toughness by running the football and get back to playing Ravens D and that will be a successful season for me in 2008, and in 2009 I will look for them to take that confidence to the road. Ravens will make great strides if they can get the rushing attack and the scoring D back into the top 10 this year.

Almost forgot cannot lose to Philly at home either.

A real fan would stop all the moaning and would wait to see what happens. This season is a learning season with a practically entirely new coaching staff and new players. If the Ravens have an 8 - 8 season that would be a success. And stop talking about Flacco. The majority of our good or great quarterbacks past and present did not have great seasons starting out. How long did it take Peyton Manning to win the superbowl. How many times did Favre win the superbowl. Give the Ravens the unconditional support so many other teams get from their fans. Remember, the Ravens are not the worst team in the league.

An 8-8 season should get Harbaugh the coach of the year award. Lets face it. We still dont have a proven QB. We dont have A playmaker in the wide receiving core. We have a young and mostly unproven offensive line. We have a well past their prime defense that is in definite need of an overhall in the secondary and on the outside of the defensive line. Im thinking I would be content with a 6-10 season with far less penalties and glimpses of an actual offense with a QB stepping up and solidifying the job. Also we really need to trade Suggs to Arizona for Boldin. He will give us a legitimate playmaker on offense for Flacco to throw the ball to.

With Dwan Edwards on IR, I guess we all need to stop suggesting we trade Suggs away. And the staff's faith in Cody is shown by how fast we traded to get D line help (Marques Douglas?)

Aman,

Realistically you may want to mark October 26 home game on your calendar as the most exciting home game this season. Ravens will be playing against the Mighty Okland Raiders...the looser getting the first pick of the draft. It will be tough to win that one though, on the heels of loosing the week before AGAIN against the hapless Parcells Miami Dolphins.
I am so sorry you are a season ticket holder...

I just wonder if Dan Cody is going to finally play this season???

you "fans" are soooooo negative. you need to listen to cheryl and justin. preseason is for testing your younger players and figureing out who to cut and who to keep. Our defense has the most picks and is 4th in sacks this preseason using mostly 2nd and 3rd stringers. Offensively we are getting used to a new system and will soon be getting our starting tackels back, plus our starting running back and D. Williams. I think we'll be ok.[the browns and bengals are looking pretty bad so far using mostley 1st stringers]