Football season always brings some of the most exciting sports entertainment. It’s time to pull out the jerseys, fire up the grill, and get your fantasy roster in order. Without football, a lot of Americans wouldn’t know what to do with their Sundays, Mondays, and sometimes Thursdays.

This year, the Ravens are once again bringing that excitement that we rely on to get us through the fall and the first half of the winter. With a season chock full of things to look forward to, here are some of a few that I would have checked off.

1. Renewed rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This rivalry has developed into one of the most serious battles across the NFL. I can only think of a few current running rivalries that could outdo this one (Dallas/Washington, Oakland/KC). It always helps when the Ravens and Steelers are competing to be top dog in the division. Their matchup in the AFC championship game didn’t hurt the bad blood, either. This year, the matchup should lack nothing, as both teams have high hopes to advance far into the post-season. As everybody knows, the Steelers own the ultimate bragging right of being defending champions, but the Ravens have a team with more experience than last year’s squad. How can you not be excited for the showdowns between these two team?!

2. Seeing what a Greg Mattison-operated defense can do.

Rumor has it that Greg Mattison understands that if it’s not broken then you don’t need to fix it. Even still, you can’t expect him to not try to put some sort of personal stamp on the defense. Now that he has taken over at the helm, Mattison is also working with a solid defense that’s missing a few key parts from last year. Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard left town to join the New York Jets. The Ravens, however, have a knack for developing outstanding defensive players because of the supporting core of players. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs give the new guys the pointers they need to fill the shoes left by departing players. This year, Tavares Gooden gets the call to fill in for Scott. Don’t think that he’s up to the task because of a lack of experience with the defense? Well, to fix that problem, Gooden has been roommates with T-Sizzle during training camp. And last year, his roommate was Ray Lewis. Talk about proper on-the-job training.

3. Still Wacko for Flacco.

As a rookie last year, Joe Flacco got the job done at quarterback. He was the complete opposite of what the Ravens had in Kyle Boller- poised, patient, and accurate. Flacco didn’t look like a rookie as he stood in the pocket, unafraid of big defenses trying to make his life miserable.

However, the fact of the matter is that Flacco needs to improve in his second year. While he produced good numbers for a rookie last year, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. He’s become the face of the offense, taking on a load that Raven’s fans have been patiently waiting to pass to somebody. With Cam Cameron calling the shots, and a swarm of capable running backs behind him, Flacco should see even more success this season. Finally, it’s not scary for the quarterback to have the ball in Baltimore.

4. The big plays.

If anything is lacking in Baltimore, it’s not the big plays produced by the dominating defense. The big hits from Ray Lewis and company never get old, especially against their division rivals. It’s been nice to have players like Lewis and Ed Reed to solidify the defensive side of the ball. You can’t tell me any Raven’s fans don’t look forward those plays that get everybody out of their seats and yelling at the T.V.

This year, those big plays should be taking place on the offensive side of the ball as well. Cameron’s bigger playbook, along with the experimental wildcat offense that several teams are taking advantage of, should lead to offensive plays that haven’t been seen in Baltimore since the Johnny Unitas days.

There will be many more things to look forward to this year, but these are a few personal favorites. There is nothing quite like football season. What are some things you are looking forward to seeing this season?