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 The Ravens suffered another loss on Monday, 26-18 to the Arizona
Cardinals, and dropped to the very bottom of the league with a 1-6
record.
Baltimore is a perennial contender in the AFC North, not far removed
from their Super Bowl win in the 2012 season, and has not faced a
losing campaign since 2007.
But they appear headed for another one despite the fight they
continue to display each week.
"One thing I know is those guys in the locker room, they're fighting
with everything they got to win a game," Ravens coach John Harbaugh
told reporters following their latest setback.
"You have to find a way to overcome it."
Despite their abysmal record, Baltimore has repeatedly come up short
by the narrowest of margins sustaining all of their losses by eight
points or less. Their traditionally stout defense has not been up to
standard, hurt by the loss of linebacker and leader Terrell Suggs,
who had a season-ending torn Achilles in the opener against Denver.
Quarterback Joe Flacco has been uneven thus far, and one of the only
consistent bright spots for the offense is wide receiver Steve
Smith.
Smith, 36, might best embody the tough spirit of the team despite
their standing.
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In what is expected to be Smith's final season, the aging veteran
wears body armor to protect his mounting injuries and still plays
with a ferocity that has made him one of the game's indelible
characters.
The Ravens hope that they, too, can still shine beyond their
circumstances before it is too late. "It's going to be a fight to
the end," Flacco said. "We're not going to give up."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; editing by Sudipto
Ganguly)
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