Ravens looking to replicate ‘2005 Steelers-esque’ turnaround
Share this post:
As the Steelers get ready to host the Baltimore Ravens Thanksgiving night at Heinz Field, a question persists.
Are they more like the Steelers than we ever want to admit?
No, not the unbeaten 2020 Steelers. I meant the 2005 Super Bowl champion Steelers.
This year’s Steelers are 10-0, including a win over the Ravens. And the Ravens are 6-4, losers of three of their last four games.
Some in NFL media circles are puffing out their chests about those results. There was a segment of those covering the NFL who felt the 2019 Ravens were a fluke and that this year’s club couldn’t replicate their 14-2 campaign.
I was of the opinion that the Ravens would be close to as good. Maybe not a 14-2 team. But a 12-win group that would still grab the AFC North and would likely be the second-best or third-best team in the AFC.
And maybe one that would do better than it did in the playoffs the year before, having been an upset victim in their first home game — thanks to the Tennessee Titans.
You know, not that dissimilar to the 2005 Vince Lombardi Trophy-winning Pittsburgh Steelers.
Remember, the 2019 Ravens were enjoying MVP Lamar Jackson’s first year as a full-time starter. He was great. They won 14 times in 16 tries. They were the top seed in the playoff bracket. Then they played poorly in the postseason and lost in disappointing fashion.
The 2004 Steelers had Rookie of the Year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger win his first 14 starts. They went into the AFC playoff bracket at 15-1 as the top seed, barely beat an average New York Jets team in the first game at Heinz Field, then they lost 41-27 at home to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
But Bill Cowher’s group rebounded and made it all the way to the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl trophy in 2005.
I viewed this year’s Ravens team as potentially being the same way. Maybe not being quite as proficient in the regular season, but better in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Baltimore, my analogy may be holding up a little too well. In that 2005 season, the Steelers dealt with tons of injuries, scheduling difficulties and tight losses. They were only 7-5 through 12 weeks.
But they got healthy late in the year and had a softer schedule over the last four weeks. Those Steelers faced three non-playoff teams down the stretch in the Minnesota Vikings (9-7), the Cleveland Browns (6-10) and the Detroit Lions (5-11). They won all three games and qualified as the final playoff team in the AFC at 11-5.
A month later, they were hoisting the Super Bowl trophy.
Maybe the Ravens will have the same storyline. After Thursday, the only potential playoff team Baltimore has on the schedule the rest of the way is the Browns (7-3). Their other remaining opponents in December (Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants,
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is banking on similar resilience from this year’s Ravens squad.
"Our backs are against the wall. We have a lot of high character guys on this team that are going to fight." @Mandrews_81 pic.twitter.com/OpIRnlDyeo
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 23, 2020
Hey, we’ve seen a wounded Steelers club on the wrong path clip a winning Baltimore team on the road before. Remember when a struggling 6-5 Steelers limped into Heinz Field with Charlie Batch at quarterback and stunned a 9-2 Ravens unit in 2012?
Or when the 5-11 Ravens surprised the AFC North champion Steelers in the 2007 regular-season finale?
That could happen. Or these birds could just be washed up, and we are watching them circle the drain.