Last stand: Ravens facing twilight with aging roster

By foxsports
Published

With aging stars and injuries creeping up, the Baltimore Ravens are facing extinction.

Nothing lasts forever. In the National Football League, most entities don’t remain for more than a few years at a high level before receding into the darkness.

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the few exceptions. Since drafted quarterback Joe Flacco and hiring head coach John Harbaugh in 2008, Baltimore has only missed the playoffs twice and suffered just one losing season. The total regular-season record is 77-51 in a sport designed to drag down winners and propel bottom-feeders through schedule and draft order.

Most impressively, the Ravens are 9-5 in the postseason under Harbaugh, including a 6-5 road mark. Baltimore has as many titles as it does losing campaigns under the current regime.

Now, the Ravens must face a stark reality. Their championship window is slamming shut.

Baltimore enduring a nightmarish season in 2015. The Ravens watched as Terrell Suggs, Steve Smith Sr., Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Dennis Pitta, Breshad Perriman, Jeremy Zuttah and others ended their seasons on the Injured Reserve list. The result was Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Mallett starting games in November and December for a team with no hope.

Going into this season, Baltimore is healthier but again dealing with concerns. Pitta sustained a broken finger while fighting with a teammate. At the beginning of training camp, third-round pick Bronson Kaufusi broke his ankle and will miss all of 2016. While Suggs and Smith are both off the PUP list and practicing, there are ample concerns. Suggs is attempting to return from a second torn Achilles tendon at 33 years old. Smith, 37, is also coming off a torn Achilles.

While reports have been glowing about Flacco, he’s also worth watching. The 31-year-old had an ugly knee injury against the St. Louis Rams, tearing both his ACL and MCL. Less than a full year removed from that moment, how does he respond with players coming after him both high and low?

Baltimore has enough uncertainty to last a lifetime.