Aug 16, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in the huddle during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Baltimore beat Dallas 37-30. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After seeing significant improvements made to the Baltimore Ravens football team both on the field and with the coaching staff, certainly sportswriters around the web are selecting our local boys to have a very successful year, right? Additionally, there is a perfect 4-0 preseason to bolster such a viewpoint. The schedule is far from the most difficult in the NFL, so surely the Ravens are being selected for high-level playoff participation in the world of predictions!

Not really.

It is a mixed bag of predictions for sure, but honestly it would be expected that an 8-8 team making as many upgrades as have the Ravens would be in for a bit more love from the writers.

But, as with the Orioles, Baltimore teams don’t seem to easily enthuse national writers. Here are some of the predictions of the “experts” around the country … looking at their rankings for the top four teams entering the season, their ranking of the Ravens, and where the writers place the other three teams in the AFC North

SB Nation – Ryan Van Bibber and Ryan Nanni

Top Four – Seahawks, Broncos, 49ers, Packers

Ravens – #12

Other AFC North Teams – Bengals 10, Steelers 13, Browns 28

The SB Nation writers admit that the Ravens look to be a better outfit than in 2013, which they speak of as a season and team “completely devoid of weapons or blockers.” I think that is what is called an overstatement. They presume Gary Kubiak will be good for Joe Flacco, while also questioning the ability of the secondary.

Bleacher Report – Matt Miller

Top Four – Seahawks, Patriots, Broncos, Saints

Ravens – #10

Other AFC North Teams – Bengals 12, Steelers, 13, Browns 28

Our good friends at Bleacher Report have the Ravens ranked at the top of the AFC North, saying that Baltimore looks “poised to rebound.” While taking a positive overall view of the defense, the writer says that “Joe Flacco and the offense are good enough to win the AFC North, especially if the running game can take the next step with Ray Rice suspended for the first two games. Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro will be called on early, but the offensive line and offensive scheme are good enough to protect the young backs.”

AP Pro 32

I will weekly reference the AP Pro 32 rankings in game analyses, and I find them to be pretty fair and accurate week to week.

Top Four – Seahawks, Broncos, Patriots, Packers

Ravens – # 10 (tie)

Other AFC North Teams – Bengals 10 (tie), Steelers, 13, Browns 31

Looking ahead to the week one game they say, “Andy Dalton knows what it’s like to walk off the field a winner in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The other AFC North stadium has been nothing but a place of dejection. Dalton’s Bengals have never won in Baltimore.”

Fox Sports

Top Four – Seahawks, Broncos, Saints, Patriots

Ravens – #9

Other AFC North Teams – Bengals 8, Steelers, 16, Browns 24

While giving the Ravens a higher ranking than most at #9, the Fox Sports writers also put the Bengals at #8. Giving credence to the showings in the preseason, they write, “The offense has looked sharp in every preseason game, and as it transitions to Gary Kubiak’s offensive scheme, Torrey Smith is set to finally break out. The defense has the personnel to keep points off the board and rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley has made a seamless transition into the starting lineup.”

Sports Illustrated

There is not a total ranking of the entire NFL, but four out of six football writers at SI predict the Ravens to win the AFC North, with the other two taking the Bengals. However, none of the four who go with the Ravens have them in the AFC championship game.

But there is this: As an answer to the question of what team that was out of the 2013 playoffs could be the most likely to contend for the Super Bowl, one writer (Jenny Vrentas) took the Ravens …

“Last season was the first time in Coach John Harbaugh’s tenure that Baltimore missed the playoffs. An improved 2014 roster could position this team for another deep postseason run: Tight end Dennis Pitta is back from injury, wideout Steve Smith was a smart free-agent pickup, and their top two draft picks were used to bolster the defense (linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan). The most important addition, though, could be new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who has been entrusted to get the running game back on track and help quarterback Joe Flacco take the next step in his development.”

ESPN

As with Sports Illustrated, ESPN does not rank the whole league, but rather just the divisions. And they have the Ravens in third place. Wow.

AFC North – 1. Steelers; 2. Bengals; 3. Ravens; 4. Browns

They write that the Ravens could get up to 11 wins if Gary Kubiak’s offense revives things, but only eight “if WR Steve Smith’s newfound youth is a mirage and RB Ray Rice (3.1 ypc) gets bottled up again.” And like most everyone, they draw attention to the concerns at cornerback, questioning the durability of Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb.

Jamison Hensley’s prediction:

“The Ravens may have the look of team that will go 8-8 for a second consecutive season, as Advanced Football Analytics projects, but they should get at least nine wins based on the schedule. It’s not out of the question to think the Ravens can get six wins in playing the AFC South and NFC South, two of the weaker divisions in the NFL. If the Ravens split in the AFC North, that will put them in playoff contention.”

NFL.com

Of the 11 writers at NFL.com who look at the AFC North, two pick the Baltimore Ravens, five pick the Steelers, four choose the Bengals.

Here are the quotes of the two smart writers who select the Ravens …

Charley Casserly: “Baltimore will win the division for the third time in four years. While the defense was good enough last year, the 29th-ranked offense held the Ravens back. Improvement on the offensive line and the addition of Steve Smith will push them over the top.”

Adam Schein: “The return of Dennis Pitta is huge for Joe Flacco. And so is the pickup of Steve Smith. John Harbaugh is a great coach. C.J. Mosley improves the defense.”

One of the other writers does select the Ravens for the #1 wild card …

Chris Wesseling: “Baltimore Ravens. I’ve bought into the changes on Gary Kubiak’s offense. The running backs and Steve Smith are in for bounceback seasons.”

Three other writers, including Brian Billick, select Baltimore for wild card #2

The Baltimore Wire

Of course this is the only prediction that really counts and is worth noting. Football analyst extraordinaire Randy Buchman writes:

“Clearly this is a better team than in 2013. The honest Ravens fan had to know that the year following the Super Bowl victory was going to be difficult, given the varied retirements and departures. And it was difficult. The offense is now improved, the defense is improved, the special teams remain special, and the coaching staff is among the very best. The Ravens schedule is easier than most, and since Baltimore could only not be favored in four road games (Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Indianapolis, and New Orleans) the Ravens will be 12-4 … or 11-5 if they drop one of the first two games at home.”