 The Baltimore Ravens came into the 2009 NFL season hoping to improve on their 2008 performance. Instead, at 5-4 and third place in the AFC North, they have a huge uphill battle to even get back to 9-7. The Ravens still have a very good chance to make the playoffs, but they will need to put together 10 wins to provide fans with any comfort. The offense has been surprisingly effective and even proficient in Baltimore. Quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice lead the charge for a team that averages 24.7 points a game (11th in the NFL). Flacco is having no sophomore slump with 12 touchdowns to 7 interceptions and a QB rating of 90.7 that puts him in 13th place in the league. Those numbers do not tell the whole story. He is responsible for 244 yards of the Ravens offense every game and is still making the big plays that made him so dangerous in his rookie season. Ray Rice is the other second year player making a difference. He beat out Willis McGahee for the starting spot early in the season and has scored five touchdowns in the last four games. He is on pace to finish the year with more than 1,000 yards and is picking up 5.2 yards a carry when he touches the football. Rice has also been the leading target for Flacco. He has a team leading 49 receptions for 451 yards. Derrick Mason is still the main target though, with 36 receptions for four touchdowns. The Ravens record is confounding when considering that the defense is still one if the best in the league, allowing just 17.1 points per game (5th in the league) and can stop the run and the pass. They even have a positive turnover margin thanks to the defenses 9 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries. For the team to make it to the playoffs they will have to dominate a difficult schedule ahead. They may have four games at hoe at M&T Bank Stadium, but they also have to play the Steelers twice, the Colts, and a Packers team that is a wild card. Get your Baltimore Ravens tickets to see if Flacco and company can extend the regular season into the postseason.
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