*FAN SUBMISSION by Eddie Ryan of Ireland. Follow him on Twitter @StoryTeller.
The edge. Its the difference between winning and losing. A thin invisible line that separates the have’s from the have – nots! The Baltimore Ravens had it last season;but now it has vanished into thin air.
Courtesy: USA Today
Over here in Europe, they call the condition, ‘Second Season Syndrome.’ It is the curious condition that affects teams or individuals, who return to action after a seasons high performance, to inexplicably plummet to the depths of despair. Yes its official folks, winning can seriously damage your performance levels, or more to the point, winning the ultimate accolade, can mean the only way from the summit, is a spectacular spiral to the pit of despair.
The last back to back Super Bowl winners, were the 2005 New England Patriots. So what happened the preceding eight Lombardi Trophy holders in the following year? Not one of them made to the main event,and a shot at following up. It takes a lot to climb Mount Everest, and having made your decent, a hell of a lot more to go and climb straight back up again.
The Ravens are finding it a big ask. Joe Flacco and the offence are the obvious answer, yet the D’ report card, reads must do better. Flacco was hit a dozen times against teams like the Bills, Packers and Steelers, and the RB Ray Rice’s longest run is a paltry fourteen yards.
Flacco is now the third highest earner in the NFL, but he cannot carry a team even with his powerful array of weapons. Its a collective malaise in Baltimore, that runs deeper than systems and individuals. A loss of hunger, the ability to push for that extra yard. The classic signs of post Super bowl success.
Pete McGrath a famous Irish Gaelic Football Coach put it best. When asked why his team couldn’t defend their All-Ireland Crown, he gave this answer. “We trained well, we felt it was all systems go, but loss of appetite comes like a thief in the night.”
Its not to late for the Ravens to get back on track, but right now in Baltimore, the Champions need to sleep with one eye open!
