You can bank on.....

Ozzie doing the right (no matter what)!

Because in 2010, and as long as he's here, and as long as the current ownership remains, the Ravens will always be playing 'meaningful games'.

The Ravens care about winning and they're honest with their fans. Wow! What a combination! Imagine that!

Peter,

Can you update us on the progression of our Practice Squad WR's? (Mainly Eron Riley)

Pete,

After reading your article, it sounds like the Ravens players are *finally* feeling some of what the Ravens fans have been feeling for some time now. Most of us thought that this was an underachieving team as the season progressed, and more opportunities were left on the field.

I hope the Ravens use their disappointment as motivation for a better season in 2010. Too many mistakes from both players, coaches, and front office.

Even though folks like Mike Preston called them "average", I believe this team had enough talent to be going to New York and playing the Jets this weekend.

This will indeed be an intersting offseason for the Ravens for all of the reasons stated by two paragraphs above. One might even wonder if the win over NE was worth it given the limitations of the top eight teams -- which BAL is now one -- in going after free agents in an uncapped year.

(I, for one, ALWAYS praise wins over other considerations except the long-term health of a team which I take on a case by case basis.)

As for "underachieving," I really don't buy into it. I had the Ravens at the start of the year with a 10-6 record for '09 -- finishing ahead of PIT by virtue of a tie-breaker. What I did not count on was CIN's improvement to the extent of sweeping BAL and PIT to help drop both teams to 9-7 and winning the division.

Therefore, the 9-7 given BAL's tougher-than-2008 schedule and factoring in CIN's rise was just about right.

BAL was and currently is a flawed team littered with a lot of outstanding players. The fact that the flaws weren't exploited by a NE team that is flawed itself was very nice. The loss to IND was disappointing on many different levels but anyone not conceding IND is the better team is fooling themself.

Comparing BAL to NYJ is an interesting one. While it was true BAL lost to CIN twice during the regular season and NYJ beat them in the playoffs, this was hardly the same CIN team even if was in the same calendar season.

Or the same NYJ team. For all of the hoopla of NYJ getting a benefit versus IND in Week 16, most people forgot MIA beat NYJ twice earlier in the season.

At any rate, I think if BAL had the NYJ's draw, they, too, would have beaten CIN. And SD, which they had already done before they had sorted out their defensive identity. So, it would have been BAL versus IND this weekend instead of last weekend.

Or not.

The NYJ have shown they can stick with IND even when their MVP QB is in there, and their roster of new players are coming together at the right time. IND may have benefited by playing BAL first after their four weeks of practice and little play, but NYJ just may beat IND anyway.

So, it might have been BAL versus NYJ had the seeding been flipped. Whatever.

In the end, BAL finished in the top eight. I hope it's something to build upon for future runs at and in the playoffs. I do not think it was underachieving, however.

Excellent analysis. I also picked the Ravens at 10 and 6 before the season.

I think the Jets have a good chance to beat the Colts because Rex Ryan has had a chance to see what his former defense did well, and not so well. That is an extraordinary study opportunity for a defensive coach as savvy as Rex since the defenses are so similar. Their secondary can cover better so Rex will try to put more pressure on Manning than the Ravens did. I also think that their running back, Thomas Greene will do better than Rice did as he is bigger and stronger.