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- A young offensive trio. Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Michael Oher have just five NFL seasons between the three of them, but it's clear already that this group is poised to take the Ravens' offense to a level that hasn't yet been reached in franchise history.

Flacco has the arm to give the offense a deep passing attack that it has lacked in previous years, and there isn't a situation that rattles the Delaware product. Rice has shocked the NFL, emerging as one of the league's top playmakers, and has almost single-handedly carried the offensive attack this season. And despite only having 10 NFL starts to his name, Oher has already shown why the Ravens traded up to snatch him in the first-round of this year's Draft.

This is a group that GM Ozzie Newsome can build around for years to come.

- That they face the Browns twice a year. Let's face it, this franchise is an embarrassment, and the Ravens are lucky to have such a floundering team on their schedule twice every season.

Of course, the Steelers and Bengals face Cleveland just as often as the Ravens do, but having the Browns in the AFC North gives the Purple and Black a nice cushion to fall back on if they need a big win (see: two weeks ago).

- Jarret Johnson. When the Baltimore defense looked like it was on the verge of a collapse earlier in the season, Johnson held the group together with his aggressive, hard-nosed play. The seventh-year linebacker has a team-leading six sacks, many of which came when no one else wearing a purple jersey could even lay a hand on opposing quarterbacks.

Johnson has fought through a nagging shoulder injury this season, and has finally started to draw the recognition that he deserves. In a linebacking corps that features a future Hall of Famer in Ray Lewis and a three-time Pro Bowler in Terrell Suggs, Johnson has been by far the most consistent, effective linebacker on this squad.

- That they don't have to see Carson Palmer more than they already do. Palmer has a ridiculous 8-3 career record against the Ravens, a stat which somehow doesn't get enough attention. The Bengals' QB has averaged nearly 250 passing yards against the Ravens over his career and has 14 touchdowns to just nine interceptions against a defense that has consistently ranked as one of the NFL's best.

Even through Cincinnati's downswings, Palmer has scratched and clawed against the Ravens. Charm City is lucky that they don't see him more often.

- That the locker room stays loose. Thanks to guys like Suggs and Frank Walker, the Ravens have stayed very calm during a tough time in the season. Five losses in seven games might cause some teams to freak out (the Broncos are still 6-4, and their players are starting to lose it), but the Ravens have stayed focused and not gotten overly frustrated.

- That coaches don't have to answer the Paul Kruger questions anymore. Now that Suggs is out with a knee injury, Kruger is in uniform on Sundays. The Ravens' second-round pick in this year's Draft has been inactive for seven games this year, prompting fans (and to an extent, the media) to repeatedly inquire as to his whereabouts.

I've only been covering the Ravens for two years, but from what I've heard from others around the team, never has there been more buzz about a high draft pick not playing. Dwan Edwards was a second-rounder after all, and no one was beating down the doors of Ravens HQ for him to see more playing time.

I joked earlier in the year that the coaches might have activated Kruger Week 4 against the Patriots just to get the questions about the rookie to stop. Well, with Suggs sidelined for the time being, fans will get their Kruger fix for at least a little while longer.

That's what the Ravens have to be thankful for; here's what I have to be thankful for (cue the emotional background music):

I'm thankful for a fantastic family and a great group of friends. I'm thankful to be given the opportunity to cover a professional football team on a daily basis. I'm thankful that I can work alongside a class Ravens organization,.a talented group of reporters, and a tremendous MASNsports.com staff.

And I'm thankful for all of you, who check in and comment and make this blog entertaining and fun for me to write.

I truly appreciate all of you coming here for updates on the team you love, and I sincerely enjoy the banter that we share. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a great start to your holiday season.