Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco was up and down most of the season, but in retrospect, you wonder how much that had to do with an offensive line that had players out of position and Cam Cameron's offensive system. Once Bryant McKinnie was inserted at left tackle and Jim Caldwell took over for Cameron, Flacco was as good as any quarterback in the league. Grade: B+
Running backs: Ray Rice made some huge plays over the course of the season, none bigger than his first down on fourth-and-28 against the Chargers. However, he look slow and unsure hitting holes for much of the season and also seemed to go down more often after first contact. Bernard Pierce ran extremely hard and was arguably the team's most effective runner. Vonta Leach is still one of the premiere fullbacks in the league. Grade: B
Wide receivers: Torrey Smith built off of a strong rookie campaign and overcame the tragic death of his brother to have a very good season. Anquan Boldin also had his share of big moments, especially in the playoffs. Jacoby Jones didn't see a lot of time as the third wideout, but he did make some plays when given the opportunity. Dennis Pitta emerged as one of the better tight ends in the AFC and has great chemistry with Flacco. Ed Dickson and Tandon Doss both need to work on catching the ball. Grade: B
Offensive line: It was an up-and-down season for the offensive line, which played great in the playoffs once Bryant McKinnie was inserted into the left tackle spot. Michael Oher is definitely best suited for right tackle and plays well alongside Marshal Yanda. Kelechi Osemele looks like a future start at left tackle. Grade: C+
Defensive line: Haloti Ngata fought through injuries much of the season and, ironically, hurt his knee in the Super Bowl. Terrell Suggs battled back from a torn Achilles only to tear his biceps, yet turned in two great performances in the postseason. He also helped to draw attention away from Paul Kruger, who had a great season. Arthur Jones and Pernell McPhee turned things on late in the year, while Terrence Cody continues to struggle. Grade: C
Linebackers: Ray Lewis missed most of the season with a triceps injury and showed his age when on the field. Jameel McClain also missed significant time with a neck injury. Dannell Ellerbe looks to be blossoming into a star and is clearly the leader at the position going forward, provided the Ravens can re-sign him. Grade: C
Secondary: Considering Lardarius Webb missed nearly the entire season, Jimmy Smith was sidelined with a sports hernia and Bernard Pollard played most of the year with broken ribs, this group held their own. Corey Graham was a savior, moving from special teams to starting cornerback. Cary Williams lead the team in interceptions and Chykie Brown proved he could be a part of the future secondary. Ed Reed appears to have lost a step but is still one of the league's best safeties, and Bernard Pollard remains one of the more unheralded signings of the past couple of years. Grade: C
Special teams: Signing Jacoby Jones and keeping Justin Tucker over Billy Cundiff were two of the best decisions the Ravens made heading into the 2012 season. Jones was a Pro-Bowl returner and helped win the Ravens a couple of games. Tucker also won a couple of games, proving he is mentally tough to go along with his strong leg. The coverage units were solid other than the disaster in Denver. Sam Koch had a disappointing season, but is still league-average. Grade: B+
Coaching: The move from Cam Cameron to Jim Caldwell at offensive coordinator made all of the difference in the world. Dean Pees did a tremendous job despite a lot of injuries and looks like a solid member of the coaching staff moving forward. John Harbaugh made some questionable coaching decisions throughout the year, but he held together a team that was ravaged by injuries and lead them through a brutal stretch in the playoffs to the Super Bowl. It's hard to argue with his success over the first five years of his career. Grade: B+















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