Age, injuries catching up to the Ravens?

Posted by Stephen Rhodes on September 12th, 2007 filed in Opinions

Most football fans would probably have never given a second thought to the Baltimore Ravens’ recent string of injuries.  It isn’t so much the injuries insomuch as the players involved: offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and his nagging toe injury, their All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis and his strained triceps muscle (although Lewis claims it is torn) and quarterback Steve McNair (strained groin).

Their injuries are of major concern to both the team and to Ravens fans everywhere, but another factor in this equation has to be age.  None of the above three players are exactly spring chickens.  As with anyone who has suffered injuries of this magnitude, when you get older, injuries tend to take longer to heal.  Ogden, Lewis and McNair aren’t immune to this, either.  The Ravens, unlike the majority of NFL teams, have many veteran players who play at vital skill positions which means that the players in question weren’t really built to grow and improve as the season wears on.

Also, these players (Ogden, Lewis, McNair) can be considered well past their prime.  Not washed up, just a case of not playing at the All-Pro level that they are accustomed to playing at.  Like any good football team, the Ravens have a “Plan B”.  The Ravens have Kyle Boller as a reserve QB, and also OT Jared Gaither to cover for Ogden.  But just the fact that these players are starting to get injured this early in the season does not bode well for the Ravens. 

Again, that’s where the age factor kicks in; if they’re dropping like flies now, what does that mean for the Ravens when the season progresses?  At the current rate, Ravens fans may be cheering for what could be considered a “shell” of what was once a great team, and it could be a long season for both the team and the fans, as well.