Day 22
3-7.
Forsett done for the season.
Flacco done for the season.
Steve Smith.
Sizzle.
This is completely new territory for Ravens fans. 2-7 was bad and surely something we’ve never experienced before. But for the Ravens to now have a losing record and have lost the starting running back and quarterback in the same game, along with the #1 receiver and its best defender already, this is far and beyond anything we’ve ever seen in the history of the Ravens.
Every Ravens fan could be forgiven if, up until today if they, like I was, just watching the season, enjoying it for what it was, and not worrying about it because next year would be different, but now feel anxiety about next year. Joe will have an MRI tomorrow, but it isn’t even a given that he’ll be back for the start of 2016.
Since the Ravens won their first Super Bowl, next year has almost always been a given for Ravens fans. 2002 was a wash, but they went 10-6 in 2003. 6-10 in 2005, 13-3 in 2006 (even if we lost at home to Manning in the playoffs). 5-11 in 2007, 11-5 in 2008. But with now more uncertainty in the offense, who really knows what the team will even look like? Will Joe come back in time to start the season? If not, who’s the QB? Will Forsett be back? Will Breshad Perriman finally see the field? If Joe’s back, will they even get to practice together before the season starts?
Next year is all we have now, though, and already, Ravens fans are talking draft — will we take a QB with our first pick now? What position will we ultimately pick in?
Whether one has lost all hope for now or next year is all up to how good they think Ozzie and the front office as well as Joe’s doctors are. Whether you think Steve Smith and Sizzle are coming back. And if so, if you think they’ll still be good. No matter what, this is all new and something I hope we don’t ever have to see again.