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Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: Nothing went according to plan for the 2007 Ravens. It’s easy to forget the Ravens won the AFC North by five games in ’06 and were the favorites to win the division again, especially after the team lost eight in a row following a 4-3 start. Injuries mounted on both sides of the ball. The offense suffered when QB Steve McNair couldn’t replicate his ’06 form and missed more than half the season with injuries. The defense was again stout vs. the run but had myriad problems against the pass when CBs Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle were out of the lineup. The Ravens’ second below-.500 season in three years cost head coach Brian Billick his job. After Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett turned down the position, the Ravens hired Eagles assistant John Harbaugh.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/10/07
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at Cincinnati
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+2½
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20-27
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09/16/07
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NY Jets
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-9½
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20-13
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09/23/07
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Arizona
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-7
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26-23
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09/30/07
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at Cleveland
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-3½
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13-27
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10/07/07
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at San Francisco
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-3½
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9-7
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10/14/07
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St. Louis
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-9
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22-3
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10/21/07
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at Buffalo
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-3
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14-19
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BYE WEEK
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11/05/07
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at Pittsburgh
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+9
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7-38
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11/11/07
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Cincinnati
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-3½
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7-21
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11/18/07
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Cleveland
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+1½
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30-33 (OT)
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11/25/07
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at San Diego
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+9
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14-32
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12/03/07
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New England
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+19
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24-27
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12/09/07
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Indianapolis
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+9
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20-44
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12/16/07
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at Miami
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-3½
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16-22 (OT)
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12/23/07
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at Seattle
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+12½
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6-27
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12/30/07
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Pittsburgh
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+3
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27-21
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Team MVP: RB Willis McGahee didn’t disappoint in his first season in Baltimore, rushing for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns on 294 carries. McGahee and WR Derrick Mason (103 catches, 1,087 yards) were the most consistent offensive weapons for the Ravens, who were without TE Todd Heap for much of the season and did not get the kind of production anticipated from WR Mark Clayton.
Biggest surprise: OLG Jason Brown made the leap from average starter to key cog for the Ravens’ offensive line. Expect Baltimore to try to sign Brown, a restricted free agent, to a long-term contract a year from now. In a lost season for the Ravens, they at least learned that the Brown-Ben Grubbs guard tandem could be a strong one for years to come.
Biggest disappointments: Where do we start? The team’s QB play was a problem all season. McNair’s play fell off. Kyle Boller didn’t develop as Billick had hoped; his Ravens career could be over. The defense was compromised by the struggles of the backup defensive backs. A wholesale overhaul of the reserve ranks could be coming.
Offseason outlook: Billick lost his job because of the offense’s many issues, with quarterback being the most pressing. It will not be a surprise if Harbaugh decides his starting quarterback isn’t currently on the roster. However, don’t expect sweeping changes — the Ravens are pleased with the vast majority of the current core of the roster, and most of the adjustments figure to be minor in Harbaugh’s first season on the job.
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