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Before we get to see the Ravens in action for the first time in the regular season, it's time to take in, and in this case for Ravens fans, bask in the latest batch of 2015 NFL predictions involving coach John Harbaugh's squad. With the regular season starting tomorrow for two lucky teams and Sunday for the Ravens, here's what they're saying about how the 2015 season could go.
- We've already established that Sports Illustrated, bless their collective hearts, has picked the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. It should be no surprise, then, that SI's Doug Farrar has the Ravens atop the AFC North this season.
"The Ravens, on the other hand, seem to be the division's bastions of consistency, and that had a great deal to do with general manager Ozzie Newsome's personnel acumen. Few understand how to build depth and acquire players at the right time better than Newsome. … There are occasional hiccups in the process, like the sprained PCL that has kept Perriman out of the process since the beginning of training camp, plus the secondary has issues. But overall, the Ravens remain the North's most consistent team. And sometimes, consistency is enough."
- Former Ravens coach Brian Billick was the lone NFL Network analyst to pick the Ravens to win the Super Bowl.
"John Harbaugh has more wins in his seven years as a head coach than anyone in that same span not named Bill Belichick -- and he will out-coach Pete Carroll in another heartbreaking last-second loss for the Seahawks," Billick said.
- MMQB's Peter King has the Ravens in the Super Bowl, losing 31-27 to the Green Bay Packers.
"I see the Ravens winning the North — everything but their receiver group is playoff-formidable. They're built for the bad weather of winter, with a top-three offensive line in the NFL, a good running game, and a tight end group (which could get Dennis Pitta back at midseason) with new juice in rookie receiving tight end Maxx Williams. If they win the North, that's one home playoff game at least. If they win 12 games, that should be enough for two. What they really need, though, is for the rest of the conference to get as good as the North has been in recent years, so the road to Santa Clara won't be all on the road."
- On Grantland.com, Bill Barnwell picked the Ravens early in the preseason to take the AFC North.
"For the few stars the Steelers have, the Ravens simply had more draft picks and managed their cap far better in recent years than their archrival. If everything goes right and all of their superstars stay healthy and productive, the Steelers will again be tough to beat. More plausibly, Pittsburgh should struggle more with offensive injuries while Cincinnati should come back to earth in close games. And that should make Baltimore the favorites to win the league's toughest division in 2015."
Baltimore Ravens Insider
- Barnwell's partner in crime at Grantland, Robert Mays, named Steve Smith Sr. and Kelechi Osemele to his 2015 NFL Triange All-Stars. On Smith, he basically wrote that Smith's retirement tour will be something to behold. He got a little more technical on Osemele.
"While Osemele might not be as consistent as his teammate [Marshal Yanda], when he's at his best he's one of the most physically dominant players you'll ever see. Few offensive linemen in the NFL — even the great ones — can manhandle their opponents to the point that the game tape looks like high school highlight film. That's what you get from Osemele, who regularly sends people into orbit. … Finally healthy, Osemele was the best he's ever been last season, and when he's on — like he was in Week 1 against the Bengals last year — no one drops the hammer like he does."
- Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke had several Ravens on his projected All-Pro teams. He has Yanda as a first-team guard, C.J. Mosley as a first-team inside linebacker, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, right tackle Rick Wagner, outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, and kicker Justin Tucker on the second team.
- FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager has the Ravens earning the second wild card in the AFC, but traveling to Indianapolis in the wild-card round and losing to the Colts.
- ESPN NFL Nation reporter Jamison Hensley has the Ravens going 11-5 this season.