In their 18-year history, the Baltimore Ravens have cultivated a perception that their powerful defense can often carry a below-average offense to the postseason.
But that perception isn't actually true. The Ravens have made the playoffs nine times. In eight of those playoff campaigns, they finished in the upper half of the league in points scored. In six of the nine seasons in which they did not qualify for the postseason, Baltimore finished lower than 20th in scoring.
Contrary to popular belief, success for the Ravens has largely come when their offense has played well.
That doesn't bode well for the 2014 squad. The Ravens are coming off a season in which they finished 25th in the league in points scored and had horrible metrics in nearly every area. And they don't seem likely to get any better.
The addition of new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak notwithstanding, the Ravens haven't done enough this offseason to improve their statistical outlook on offense. At this point, it's difficult to consider them a strong playoff contender.