It turned out the Ravens and Los Angeles Rams were headed in diametrically opposite directions when they played at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 17.
Only weeks removed from holding the top seed in the AFC playoff race, the Ravens were on a losing streak that eventually reached six straight games, knocking them out of the postseason.
The Rams, meanwhile, were beginning a late-season surge that ended with them winning the Super Bowl.
From the tight game that unfolded when they faced each other in Baltimore on Jan. 2, no one could have surmised that the teams were going in such different directions. The Ravens dominated early and never trailed until the final minute of a 20-19 defeat.
Weeks later, a one-point loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions looks pretty good in the rearview mirror.
But I'm dubious of using it to suggest the Ravens were virtual equals of the Rams, and thus, connecting the dots, close to being able to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy themselves going forward.
I think it's a leap to suggest they were anywhere close to the NFL's upper echelon in 2021, especially by the end of the season, even though they were a tough out against the Rams.
A debilitating run of injuries to key players had a lot to do with them falling short of expectations, but other factors also contributed. Their offensive line ranked No. 21 in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Tackling woes and red-zone inefficiency were among many issues that arose during a frustrating season.
The teams that went far in the playoffs were more dangerous offensively, sounder defensively, generally more consistent – just better than the Ravens, period, and not by a smidge.
Though they were a tough opponent for the Rams on that given Sunday, the Ravens gave up 24 more sacks than the Rams over 17 games while registering 16 fewer sacks. Those wide disparities make a statement.
The Ravens played most teams tough, but it's a bottom-line business and they went just 1-7 against teams that made the playoffs. The other guys in the Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals, hammered them twice.
But just as I'm against using the narrow loss to the Rams as an indication that the Ravens are close to where they want to be, I'm against using the lopsided losses to the Bengals as a clear indication that the Ravens are miles and miles away.
They're somewhere in between. And it means they have some work to do to catch up with the upper echelon in 2022.
I'm a lot more comfortable suggesting the Ravens' close loss to the Rams simply indicates how flat-out weird the NFL was in 2021.
Even more impossible-to-predict stuff than usual came down. The vagaries of matchups mattered more than records. How else do you explain the lowly Jaguars routing the Colts in Week 18 to deny Indianapolis a spot in the playoffs?
Here's real weirdness: The Rams went just 2-5 during the regular season against teams that made the playoffs – barely better than the Ravens.
It discouraged the idea that the Rams could run the table in the playoffs, but run the table is precisely what they did.
I'm confident the Ravens themselves aren't using the one-point loss to the Rams as an indication that they're close. They're aware they weren't an upper echelon team. Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Eric DeCosta weren't shy about identifying the team's shortcomings when they spoke to reporters after the season.
Heading into 2022, I think you're going to be hearing a lot about how the Ravens are nicely set up for a bounce-back season. They should be getting back a lot of talented players who weren't on the field due to injuries in 2021. Their last-place finish means they'll pick higher than usual in the draft and face an easier schedule.
It makes sense, and dramatic swings in fortune are a common occurrence in the NFL; the Bengals won just four games the year before they went to the Super Bowl.
The Ravens' track record suggests they're a good candidate to fare better in 2022.
But they have some ground to make up.
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February 22, 2022 at 11:39PM
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Baltimore Ravens Have Some Ground to Make Up in the 2022 NFL Season - BaltimoreRavens.com
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