The 5 Best Teams for the Upcoming 2015 NFL Season
Baltimore Ravens
Projected Record: 8.9-7.1
Playoff Probability: 52.5%
Division Probability: 41.0%
Super Bowl Probability: 4.9%
nERD: 3.80
Despite playing in perhaps one of the league's toughest divisions, as our fifth-ranked team, the Ravens have the pieces in place to emerge atop the AFC North division standings.
Tied with Matt Ryan as the 10th most efficient quarterback with a Passing NEP per drop back of 0.16, Joe Flacco will continue to lead this top-10 offense. Steve Smith, Sr. will hold down the fort until big, athletic rookie Breshad Perriman finds his way onto the field to replace the production they lost with Torrey Smith's departure to San Francisco.
In the meantime, new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman will make use of Justin Forsett's three-down back skill set to move the chains both on the ground and in the air. Indeed, while his Rushing NEP per attempt of 0.10 ranked him as the second-most efficient tailback in the league among all those with at least 100 carries -- with a catch rate that has hovered around the 75.0% mark over the course of his career -- Forsett could also be in line to see the 94 targets per year Trestman's primary ball carrier has enjoyed every year under his play calling since 1998.
On defense, following the loss of Haloti Ngata to the Lions and Matt Elam to a torn bicep, the rest of the team will need to step up to fill the void. Luckily, this team has a number of playmakers in place to maintain their standing as a top five defense as measured by our Adjusted Defensive NEP metric from last year.
C.J. Mosley and Daryl Smith form a formidable linebacking duo on the inside, with edge rushers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. The return of Jimmy Smith and addition of Kyle Arrington in the secondary also helps shore up this team's pass coverage.
All in all, with an nERD of 3.80, the Ravens have just enough firepower on both sides of the ball to make a serious run not just for the AFC North division title but also a trip to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 50.
