OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Coach John Harbaugh has often referred to the Baltimore Ravens' "12th man" as the Purple Wall. Lately, that source of pride has shown some cracks.
In a dramatic shift, the Ravens have gone from what many considered the NFL's best home team to one of the worst.
In Harbaugh's first seven seasons (2008-14), the Ravens combined loud crowd noise with relentless defense to produce the second-best home record in the NFL at 45-11 (.804). Only the New England Patriots (49-7) were more dominant at home. During that time, ESPN and Time Magazine both ranked the Ravens' home-field advantage as the top one in the league.