By the end of November in the NFL’s first 17-game season, the Baltimore Ravens sat atop not only their own division, but of the entire AFC conference with an 8-3 record. More impressive than their win total itself was how they were winning given the adversity they had to overcome: injuries to stars, starters and key role players.
I won’t list players that were lost in training camp, preseason, or in the first portion of the season during their hot start. Instead, I’d like to underline just how shorthanded and unlucky the Ravens have been during this brutal stretch — where they’ve dropped five straight games for the first time under Head Coach John Harbaugh.