ExtremeRavens

Locked inside for six days and slowly going insane. I drafted a number of posts and deleted them all. No reason for you to have to read my ridiculous ramblings. There’s a fun rivalry that has been growing over the last few seasons of Orioles baseball: those who believe that the team is actually interested in fielding a decent product for their fans versus those who believe very much the opposite (that the organization would do anything for a buck, wins be damned). In a not-so-playful way, each side has taken it’s name… Those who are against the team call themselves “the realists.” Those who support the team have been labeled “the warehousers” by their counterparts. It’s so very English Civil War of them. Personally, I call them the ‘cynics’ and the ‘apologists.’ In my varied interactions with these developed political parties, I’ve been called both – though probably more frequently a warehouser than a realist. As in most online conversation, you are labeled by those around you, those who read your what you write. And like all online unmoderated online conversation, there’s an elementary school vibe to it all. Name-calling, labeling, rubber, glue, boing-flip. It’s a shame when quality baseball conversation can be drowned by such nonsense (such an apologist, I know). I like to think that I tend to walk the very fine line between taking either side in the great debate. As such, I’d like to point out a few tenets that I believe about Orioles baseball in its present form. First: There is no excuse for the performance of this team over the last decade-plus. None. Second: Peter Angelos does not have the interest of Orioles fans at heart. He has not only made the club unsuccessful for innumerable reasons, but he has alienated a large number of good fans and continues to divide the present fanbase. And relative to the Ravens, the Orioles organization is baseball’s North Korea – isolated, shut down, and pumping out propaganda to anyone that will listen. Third: Despite all of that, there is no grand conspiracy within the organization to keep the team uncompetitive. Nor is there any conspiracy to exploit the fanbase (at least not more than any other professional sports organization). Fourth: While the reign of Andy MacPhail has been unsuccessful thus far (in the standings, at least), I believe that he does have the best interest of the club and its fan at heart. MacPhail’s overhaul of the club is moving forward and you can see that in the recognition received around the league. We’ll discuss all of this a bit more in time – we can talk payroll and revenues, free agent signings and player development, rising ticket prices and falling sales – but for now, that’s all I have. I don’t know that I’ve taken a side. I’m just a fan. But I’m sure there are plenty of people out there willing to tell me just which side I’m on. View the full article

I’m reminded this snowy Wednesday of the Orioles Opening Day game from 2003. The O’s won 6-5 over the Indians, in a game stopped in the 3rd inning for snow. That’s right, snow. I still remember laughing with my friends about the thought of snow in Baltimore during baseball season. This winter being the exception, Baltimore generally doesn’t see snow outside of January and February. I also remember being quite perturbed at the decision-making of the umpiring crew that afternoon – even after the Orioles won. In the midst of the worst of the snow in the 3rd inning, the Indians’ Ellis Burks hit an RBI single to right field. Except that, nobody quite knows where the ball landed or how the ball was hit – just that it eventually wound up in right field in front of Jay Gibbons. Mike Hargrove, the Orioles Manager at the time, rightfully threw a fit at the idea that a ball hit into a white haze could somehow be ruled ‘in play’ and, worse, score a run. Immediately after that play, the game was delayed briefly to let the snow move out of the area. Looking back now, the quotes coming out of the game are just fantastic – at least in terms of comedic value. From Ellis Burks himself: “What ball? I couldn’t even see it at the plate. I told the umpire I couldn’t see it. I asked him if he could see it and he said, ‘A little.’” Bonus odd fact – the O’s won that game in the 13th inning. 13 innings of Opening Day baseball? Who could ask for better? More fun time machine facts: O’s Starting Pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez O’s Winning Pitcher: BJ Ryan Indians’ Starting Pitcher: CC Sabathia Indians’ Losing Pitcher: Jake Westbrook Also pitching for the Indians: Danys Baez The Orioles Starting Line-up Read: Hairston, 2B; Matthews, CF; Surhoff, LF; Conine, 1B; Gibbons, RF; Batista, 3B; Cordova, DH; Gil, C; Cruz, SS. Deivi Cruz? … Wow. View the full article

A whole-hearted and sincere congratulations to Jon Miller, former Orioles television broadcaster and 2010 Frick Award Recipient for contributions to sports journalism. Miller will be inducted into the broadcasting wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as a part of his award. Miller left the O’s on a relatively bitter note after the 1996 season. As many have pointed out, his exit was one of the first in a series of terrible decisions (and non-decisions) by the Orioles front office that has led the team and organization to its current situation. There have always been conflicting reports about Miller’s departure from Baltimore, and as an outsider I want little part of making bogus claims. But I will repeat one of the most popular theories, often attributed to Miller himself in some instances: that Peter Angelos and the Orioles were upset with Miller’s straight-forward and no-nonsense approach to announcing. In other words, Miller had no problem telling fans just how poorly the Orioles were performing as a team or organization. What’s ironic about such a situation, of course, is that Miller was announcing for the Orioles during their last memorable campaign. What exactly could he have been saying in 1996 about a club on its way to the ALCS? I’m sure there were comments about players, coaches, and even Angelos. I’m sure there was also unwelcome commentary on the 1994 strike-shortened season. But the Orioles were a top-performing and top-selling team in 1996. Miller’s words didn’t seem to hurt the club by any measurable amount. It would be interesting, to say the least, to see what Miller would have to say about the Orioles these days if he were working with the club in a regular basis. But I digress. Miller remains one of the best in the game at what he does. When sitting in the outfield bleachers at OPACY and broadcasting my own play-by-play, he’s the man I want to sound like. He’s the man every little kid is trying to emulate from their little league bench, whether they know it or not. Since leaving the Orioles, Miller has been with the San Francisco Giants and has also been featured on ESPN”s weekly Sunday Night Baseball. Even when the Orioles aren’t playing, I occasionally tune in just to hear Miller talk baseball. And he certainly gets bonus points for keeping Joe Morgan on topic (most of the time). So, here’s to Jon Miller. Kudos and keep up the good work, Jon. *I avoided every inclination to turn this post into a rant about the litany of sub-Miller announcers the Orioles have driven through town since Miller, mainly because Miller deserves a post of his own. But be assured – it will come in time. View the full article

As we’re all aware, Miguel Tejada is back with the Orioles for 2010. Like just about every move the Orioles have made (and haven’t made) in the last two-three years, the Tejada signing has come with plenty of commentary from the fan base. What I tend to be hearing most are rants and ruminations about Tejada’s final season-plus as an Oriole in 2007 and the attitude that came with it. The cliched “clubhouse cancer” and “me-first mentality” arguments are ablaze. I’m also seeing lots of “he just wants to win!” rebuttals. In fairness to the naysayers, I have to agree that my final memories of Tejada in 2007 are not exactly fond. From his pouty-pants tantrums to the steroid allegations, Tejada certainly didn’t leave Baltimore fans with a great final impression. But the bottom line is this: I don’t give a hoot about Tejada’s last stint with the Orioles or any outsider’s interpretation of what his impact on the clubhouse will be. First and foremost, chemistry is one of those elusive, intangible, pseudo-theories that managers use to inspire their troops and analysts use to fill dead air time. In the end, it comes down to wins and losses. Win games and team chemistry is great. Lose games and, well, it’s not great. Winning fixes everything; I am not going to fault anyone for being unhappy about winning 70 games a year (a good year, even). Even if I concede that chemistry exists and has an impact on a team, it’s likely the impact on a team that would consider 80 wins a breakout year is, well, minimal. Miguel Tejada’s antics are not likely to mean much in 2010. But also worth note is that Miguel Tejada can still hit. At six million dollars with a few incentive-based figures added on, Tejada is costing the Orioles considerably less than when they had him last. And while his power numbers have faded significantly, his average and doubles numbers have remained. He is, far and away, the best option the Orioles have at 3B this season. Put it this way: for every at bat Tejada gets, that’s one less that Ty Wigginton will have. And for that fact alone, I’m quite thankful. View the full article

As alluded to yesterday, I feel compelled to take some time to discuss the fiasco that has become scheduling and Major League Baseball. I will grant that MLB has some unique challenges to making a decent schedule – different numbers of teams in each league, unusual numbers of teams in each division, and the insanity of putting together 162 games – but it seems that every year the schedules get more absurd and further from anything that could be called ‘rational.’ This post was mostly inspired by something I noticed on the Orioles schedule months ago when the official dates for 2010 were announced. As mentioned in previous posts, the Orioles are one of few teams to not start the season on Monday, April 5. As a result, the Orioles play on Tuesday, April 6, a day that most clubs in the league have off. As annoying as that may be to me, it’s acceptable. What I find silly, though, is the fact that as a result of this irregular start, the Orioles are the only team in the league to play 16 straight games to start their season. From April 6 to April 21, the O’s play every day. Playing 16 straight games over the course of the season is hardly an unusual occurrence. But 16 straight to start the season is unusual. I’m not claiming any kind of conspiracy or anti-Orioles league bias, just annoyance. Most teams start with several days off in their first two weeks of play, allowing all players (but pitchers especially) to get readjusted to the grueling pace that is baseball season. A day’s rest, even after Opening Day, allows most every club to start their pitchers on a six-day cycle, instead of five, allowing for a nice little curve to the early season. Even more ridiculous is that the Orioles get to make a cross-country trip in the midst of that 16-game span. Nine games on the east coast lead directly into nine on the west coast, without the customary travel day in between. Again, no conspiracy theories, just frustration. But the inadequacies of the MLB’s scheduling system do not stop there, nor do they pertain solely to my love of the Orioles. Since the beginnings of interleague play, the introduction of the Rays and Diamondbacks as expansion teams, and the realigning of divisions, the league has found itself including two-game series regularly throughout the season. And to put it plainly, the two-game series is a joke. It has teams traveling more frequently and upsets the balance created in three- and four-game series (namely, that you can’t waltz into town without facing one of your opponent’s top three starters). The blame for the two-game series lies primarily with interleague play, which also provides its own aggravating roadblocks to a decent scheduling system. Make no mistake, when interleague was introduced, I was fan (a much younger fan). But the reality is that interleague play has lost its luster. More importantly, it creates incredible imbalance across the league, and especially in divisions. For example, in the 14 seasons of interleague, the St. Louis Cardinals have never played the Oakland Athletics, but have played the Los Angeles Angels three times (third upcoming in 2010). This system is only further complicated by the league’s ‘geographic rivalries’ system for interleague play. There’s two levels of stupidity here. First, it further imbalance. For example, the Orioles are paired with the Nationals; the two teams play each other six times a season. No exceptions, the teams will play six times. For the O’s and Nationals, that’s actually a decent match by record. But using the same system, the Cardinals are paired with the Royals. Advantage? Cardinals (especially while the Cubs get to play the White Sox). The second level of stupidity, though, is far worse. Currently, there are eight teams who do not have a geographic rival. And because of the unequal number of teams in each league, it would be impossible to match-up appropriately. The result? Some teams play six games against one opponent every year, while other teams get mixed and matched more frequently. While the Mets get to face the Yankees six times annually, the Braves and Phillies get to jump wherever the league desires – Royals, Orioles, Mariners, Blue Jays? Unfortunately, to your fans and owners alike, interleague is seen as something special. Fans get to see teams and players they may never see otherwise. And owners get to bank on having unusual and rare draws to the park to pad their wallets. In other words, the system isn’t going anywhere. One last note on baseball scheduling: There are some days that demand baseball. I advocated in another post that all teams start the season on the same day, and I meant that. But even more important than some arbitrarily set Monday in April are the likes of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. It is inexcusable that any team not be scheduled to play on any of the above dates. Honestly, this just baffles me. Memorial Day and Labor Day should be no brainers. From a business standpoint, they are national holidays during the work week and people are begging to get outside and spend money. This year, there are four teams that will not play on Memorial Day. The unofficial start of summer across the nation, and four teams will not be playing. The Orioles are among those four teams, which obviously annoys me. The Red Sox are among those teams as well, which is absolutely mind-boggling. How the Red Sox let the league screw them out of a Memorial Day game is beyond me. Lucky for the league, Fourth of July is one a Sunday this year and they are protected from their own ineptitude. Otherwise I’m sure we could rant about how a number of teams wouldn’t be playing then either. View the full article

Mark Hendrickson will be back in Baltimore in 2010. He’s taking a small paycut and will likely join the team as a long reliever and spot-starter (especially in the team’s early April stretch of 16 straight games, which I’ll rant on later). I’m torn on the signing, but definitely see the value Hendrickson adds to this club. First and foremost, he adds a left arm to a staff that, before his signing, likely only had two lefties, total (Brian Matusz and Mike Gonzalez). Having Hendrickson around for long-relief – thereby giving the likes of Matt Albers and Koji Uehara a little more rest – certainly isn’t a bad thing. And if you look at Hendrickson’s numbers last season, they were far from awful (well, at least after May). In fact, despite my consistent joking last year that Hendrickson was the king of allowing inherited runners to score, that was hardly the case. It only felt that way. Hendrickson finished the season tied for 8th in the league, allowing just 22% of inherited runners to score. Nonetheless, my assertion wasn’t entirely off-base. Through 2008, Hendrickson was among the league’s worst in stranding inherited runners over the course of his career. And his high percentage of balls put in play (aka, low strikeout rate) was never of much help to his statline. Then again, as a reliever, letting an inherited runner score never affects your ERA – just the guy before you. Regardless, Hendrickson is a necessary addition for this team at this point. If he can maintain his late 2009 form, he’ll be a fine role player (on a team of role players?). View the full article

I was able to purchase my tickets for Opening Day this afternoon thanks to the Orioles limited pre-sale for season-ticket holders. Even though the game is ten weeks out, the thought of hitting the yard for the first time has been on my mind most of the day. Three thoughts on the O’s and Opening Day… 1. Opening Day should be a national holiday. Or at least a local one. Seriously, no one wants to be at work. No kid wants to be at school. It feels like the whole town is out to lunch. It’s ‘America’s Pastime,’ so let America celebrate it. 2. All Opening Day games should be just that: day games. No more of this evening baseball in April. Beer, hot dog, sunshine. To the Orioles credit, they got this one right. Despite the unusual occurrence of having a home-opener on a Friday (Friday!), the Warehouse was wise enough to keep the start time at 3pm. 3. In accordance with establishing Opening Day as a national holiday, the league should be smart enough to straighten out the schedule. With the exception of the Sunday Night Lead-in Game, every other Opening Day game should be played on Monday. O’s fans got the sort-end on this one this year; the Birds open on Tuesday in Tampa. Tuesday. Pathetic. I understand that the league is worried about every team having an off day together, but no fans should have to sit and wait for their magic moment. “You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.” – Joe DiMaggio, on Opening Day. View the full article

Football season is over. March Madness is merely a stand-in. It’s baseball season we’re all desperate for. Good news: Spring Training is just around the corner. For those wondering, Opening Day for the Orioles is Tuesday, April 6 in Tampa. The home opener is Friday, April 9 at 3:30. “There are only two seasons: baseball season and The Void.” – Jonathan Yardley View the full article

Ain’t the Beer Cold!* is an original blog about baseball in Charm City – the team, the warehouse, the fans, the games, the stadium and the experience. Your writer is hopeless baseball romantic, prone to rambling in dramatic prose about the beauty of taking in a game on a summer’s afternoon. At perhaps his most impressionable age, he witnessed Cal Ripken storm past 2131 and Jeffrey Maier steal a season. You are sure to find evidence of such joy and trauma throughout the blog. So join him for a new season in 2010 and all the tales of heartbreak and horror that are sure to follow! *Our name is, of course, inspired by the words and passion of legendary Orioles’ broadcaster Chuck Thompson and we mean only the most respect in borrowing a phrase that still echos around the stadium on a summer night. View the full article

The Ravens dominated the Browns and are more than ready for the undefeated Colts! Well they didn’t really dominate so much, but they did shut them out. No matter how the shutout occurred can you remember a time when the town has been less excited after a shutout? I cannot. Are the Ravens ready for the Colts? I honestly don’t know. This season has had so many ups and downs it’s hard to figure out how the team will play on Sunday. Some weeks the offense hasn’t shown up, other weeks the defense has been terrible so it’s hard to predict the effort we will see Sunday. Even though it was the lowly Browns the Raven’s defense did what they had to do to shut down the Browns offensively. The Browns couldn’t run or pass the ball. Does that mean they can shut down the Colts offense? Not at all, but at least they stopped the run – something they couldn’t do against the Bengals the week before. The offense is what worries me. The Ravens scored one offensive touchdown against the Browns, a team which is in the bottom of the league in yards allowed and close to the bottom in points given up. That isn’t a good sign before a game where you know they will have to score points to stay in the game. The Ravens will have a new kicker this week after releasing Steve Hauschka earlier this week. Hauschka seems like a nice guy but I cannot blame the team for letting him go. The season is far from over and he seemed to have no confidence in his ability. And while there was plenty of blame to go around in the Vikings game, if Hauschka makes the kick at the end of the game this whole season looks different. 6-3 would be a lot better and safer than 5-4. All in all I don’t have a lot of confidence that the Ravens will win this game, but I have hope. I also worry that they can win one of their next three games, which I think is crucial to keep their playoff hopes alive. Again, I have hope though. One thing I really don’t want to happen Sunday is for the game to be decided by a late kick (or miss). I’d hate to see new kicker Billy Cundiff line up to kick with the game on the line and I’d hate to see former Raven Matt Stover kick against us with the game on the line. Both scenarios would be interesting, but nerve racking! Enjoy the game! This entry was written by ExtremeRavens member Spen. View the full article

Joe Flacco is averaging 264 yards passing this season, which is 79 yards more per game than he averaged during his rookie season. He has 12 touchdowns this season, which is two shy of his total in 16 games last season. Pretty impressive considering the expected “sophomore slump”. Here’s hoping Flacco can keep it up, and just not experience the slump. View the full article

Game balls and more recap to come tomorrow… but just one thing I have to say. I sat by the Bronco’s tunnel this afternoon, in fact, just a few rows up the right side of it. And I watched a doozy of a game play out before my eyes. And when it was all said and done, as the Broncos and Ravens were shaking hands across the field, and fans were streaming out of the stadium, Brandon Marshall showed his true colors. Ravens defensive back (and former Bronco) Domonique Foxworth saw Marshall exiting the field towards the tunnel quickly and quietly. Foxworth put a skip in his step to try and keep up with Marshall, calling out to him. Marshall clearly heard Foxworth, he motioned rudely several times over his shoulder. When Foxworth finally caught up with Marshall at the tunnel, Marshall hardly even turned his head, threw Foxworth’s hand from his shoulder, and disappeared. Classy move, Marshall. You were shut down by a defense that was clicking on every cylinder all game long. Your former teammate played a wonderful game against you. Man up and just say it, “I got beat. Way to go, Fox.” The Ravens might want a ‘big play’ receiver. I want no part of Brando Marshall. View the full article

1. Denver’s defense is for real… Not “for real, for real” like the Ravens teams of the past, but they are legitimately good. They stop the run with the best of them, have a great pass rush, and one of the league’s best corners leading a solid secondary. To really mess with this Denver defense the Ravens are going to have to do a number of things well. The Ravens have to maintain some substantial possessions to really tire the Broncos defense. That means running the ball and lots of it. And running ball is going to mean great line play (thank goodness Jared Gaither is likely to be back). But also, the Ravens are going to have to give Flacco time to throw and give him receivers to throw to (no more holding Heap in to block). Bottom line: Cam Cameron is going to have to be on his game – we need the perfect mix of smart and fun offense. 2. The Ravens can contain Brandon Marshall. No, seriously, they can. I know, I know… it sounds crazy. But the Ravens contained Randy Moss. They contained Braylon Edwards. They’ve been able to muzzle some good receivers. But only when those receivers don’t have much help. Brandon Marshall is the Broncos only great offensive threat, with their next best receiver being Jabar Gaffney. The Ravens need to double, triple, total cover Marshall and then force Kyle Orton to make other decisions. Period. 3. The Ravens need to start fast. I’ve seen some criticism of Joe Flacco and the offense for not always ‘clicking’ right when a game starts. But really, none of this team has put it together early in games. Flacco’s apparent slow starts are probably just as much a symptom of bad game planning and lots of bench time (thank you, defense) as anything else. The whole team needs to come out in this game like it decides the season… because in many ways it does. When’s the last time we saw the defense start a game with a big turnover? Where are all the turnovers this year, anyway? And when’s the last time we’ve seen the special teams be truly special and set up both the offense and defense for greatness? Put it all together, guys. Official Prediction: The Ravens figure it out. It may not be pretty or spectacular, but it’s a win. And the home crowd has plenty to do with it. Ravens 27, Broncos 20. View the full article

Mid-season vacation… ahhhhhhhhh. Though, nothing like a Sunday without football to make you realize (a) just how much you miss it and (b) just how much you can get done without a three-hour break starting at 1pm. The Ravens get another fun test this week, the undefeated Broncos led by Josh McDaniel, former Patriots assistant. It’s funny though, most local media outlets have been using the bye week to discuss the Ravens playoff chances instead of the upcoming game. I guess it’s hard to do two weeks of preparation coverage. And it’s probably not very interesting. But here’s the scoop, short and sweet. The key to the Ravens making the playoffs is… winning more games. It’s the simple. Three game losing streaks aren’t going to do it. Losing, period, isn’t going to do it. We can start breaking down the playoff scenarios when they actually make sense. For now, it’s easy. The Ravens are tied for 8th in the AFC at 3-3. Only six teams from the AFC will make the playoffs. Win more games than the other guys. Tadaaaaaaa. View the full article

Through 6 games this season, Ray Rice has proven to be a beast for the Ravens. Take a look at the numbers. 1st in the league in total yards with 766 - more than 127 per game. 9th in the league in rush yards with 441 - and one of only three in the top 10 with more than 6.0 ypc, one of only 2 in the top 10 with no fumbles. 1st in the league in receiving yards by a RB with 325. And all this despite averaging fewer than 18 touches per game. 18! In fact, in three games this season he hasn’t even touched the ball 16 times total. So what’s it going to be… Ray Rice’s nickname? View the full article

Just another quick note about the Ravens loss to the Vikings just over an hour ago… At the end of the first half, and into the third quarter, I was so disgusted by the play from the team, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be posting anything about this game for a few days. It wasn’t just the level of play, it was how they were playing. For the first half of this game, the Ravens looked just weak. Instead of looking like the proud, fiery, intense team we’ve come to love, they looked like a shell of themselves. There seemed to be clear issues on the defense that no one wanted to address… players just left staring at each other. And all the while we got it rubbed in our face as Brett Favre pushed up and down the field, jumping and smiling like a little kid who’d just picked up a football for the first time. That’s the way the Ravens used to play. The second half - and the fourth quarter especially - changed that though. Offensively the team was outstanding, of course. But the excitement and intensity of the offense, the electricity of Ray Rice and the subtle confidence of Joe Flacco, seemed to become contagious. The defense found it. The defense certainly didn’t play lights out and win the game for us, suddenly. They could have, but they didn’t. But they did at least play with a level of confidence that leads me to believe, or at least hope, that they can find some level of greatness again. The feeling was at least familiar. And even with Steven Hauschka missing that kick, I have to think that the Ravens left the field knowing they didn’t deserve to win that game. They deserved to win the fourth quarter, but not the game. And so perhaps we’ll see that intensity from the very beginning in two weeks when we play Denver. If we do, if this team can play with the heart it was lacking all the while against Cincinnati and for most of the game in Minnesota, there is plenty to look forward to. View the full article

The Blame Game: Vikings 33, Ravens 31 He’s not getting the most blame - and he doesn’t deserve the most blame - but someone has to say it. And I will if I have to… Steven Hauschka: 30% Like it or not… when you need a field goal to win, a very makeable field goal, in a dome, with no wind or other issues… it needs to be made. That’s the end of it. The end. There’s nothing more to say. Clutch or not. Last minute or not. Field goals matter at all times; this one happened to determine the outcome of the game. Haushcka has to make the kick. The end. Throw blame everywhere else for our position up to that point, but Hauschka has to make the kick. In the words of a friend, let’s call it “poetic justice.” The minute Stover is picked up elsewhere, the makeable kick is missed. In all honesty, I love Hauschka and all that he brings to the table… but I was probably giving him better odds than most when I was thinking “this is 50-50…” Ravens Secondary: 60% Domonique Foxworth, Fabian Washington, Dawan Landry, Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Frank Walker. Frank f’n Walker. We’re looking at you. For the fourth time in six games you all looked worse than bad. You were pathetic. I’m not holding back anymore. I don’t know if you’re just confused or if you simply don’t have the ability, but you are the reason this defense is crumbling. Even the 100-yard rushers connect back to you. Seriously, Frank, what are you doing? Is it even possible for you to be on the field and NOT have a flag thrown at you. Or not have the QB single you out? And Dawan… on yet another big play you looked absolutely lost. In fact, on one of Favre’s late TDs you almost seemed to be telling Brett to throw it to the man you were simply refusing to cover. Get it together. Coaching: 10% The Ravens defensive woes are not solely the fault of the players or the greatness of the opposing offense. Greg Mattison needs to find a way to get this unit to work together. Maybe it’s about getting Samari Rolle on the field. Maybe it’s about getting Paul Kruger on the field. Maybe it’s about play-calling. Whatever it is, do it. Mattison has been unable to adjust his schemes and his plays to the needs of his players and the strengths of his opponents. Apparently the Ravens are just too easy to read. Even offensively, Cam Cameron took long enough to find his groove. Had the Ravens started showing life just one possession earlier, perhaps that last kick is less necessary. Nice recovery, though, of course. View the full article

Sorry for the delay… it happens! Ravens Rush vs. Vikings Defense: The Ravens can run the ball, or so I believe. But the Bengals managed to stop them and they’ve chosen not to run against other opponents. Put that against the Williams crew and the only rush defense that can rival the Ravens. Edge: Even Ravens Pass vs. Vikings Defense: The loss of Jared Gaither might be hurt more than expected, especially with Jared Allen rushing the corner. The Vikings are talented but Joe Cool and the Ravens can win the match-ups if given time. Edge: Even Vikings Rush vs. Ravens Defense: The Ravens gave up 100 yards to a single back for the first time in nearly 40 games last week. If there’s any back I fear being able to do that again, it’s probably the Vikings Adrian Peterson. But the Ravens can shut him down if they play up to their ability. Edge: Even Vikings Pass vs. Ravens Defense: Brett Favre has been throwing the ball like a 35 year old recently (sorry, mandatory age joke taken care of). The Vikings still plan to keep the ball out of Favre’s hands as much as possible though. The Ravens D needs a good rush and a pick-me-up game. Edge: Even Special Teams: The Ravens are still seeking a solid return man (perhaps Ladarius Webb will get more than a pair of returns this week). Ravens punter Sam Koch continues to make a bid for team MVP (like on most Ravens teams). The Vikings are solid all around. Ryan Longwell is a great veteran kicker. Young’n Percy Harvin is making a splash on returns. The Ravens must contain him. Edge: Even Micellaneous: The Ravens have lost two straight (about the same time they lost three straight last year, eh?)… Joe Flacco is still Mr. Unshakable on the road… The Vikings have one of the best home field advantages in the league thanks to the dome… The Vikings are one of five unbeatens left in the league… The combined record the Vikings opponents is 7-17. Edge: Vikings (+1) Official Prediction This is about as even as two teams are going to match-up in the NFL; they literally go strength-for-strength, player-for-player. A pair of nice defenses, great running games and a great quarterback match-up. In fact, I’m surprised there isn’t more talk about Flacco and Favre. C’mon, both F names, both undervalued coming out of college… right? Ok, stretch. But Flacco is emerging as one of the game’s best and Favre is trying to hold his value. This is almost too close to call. I want to believe the Ravens will win this game (and they certainly can if they play to their strengths), but it’s hard to pick a team that has faded in the stretch for two straight games. The Ravens will play well, but it won’t be enough. The rebound will have to wait until after the bye. Vikings 23, Ravens 20. View the full article

First look at the Vikings so far this season and there’s just one thing to say: there’s a lot of talent on that team and a lot of people to be afraid of. Brett Favre: He’s not even the most important piece on this team, but he has shown several times this season what he’s capable of. The game-winning throw in Week 3 against the 49ers was the manifestation of every fear we need to have about Favre. Adrian Peterson: Stat for stat, pound for pound, yard for yard: there is no better back in the league right now. The Ravens struggled against the Bengals and Cedric Benson, and Peterson outdoes Benson is just about every way. Big Receivers: Bernard Berrian is the vet and is 6′1. The rookie Percy Harvin is the leading receiver and is 5′11. But the real threat to the Ravens is the young gun with a few seasons under his belt, Sidney Rice, who comes in at 6′4. All three can burn. EJ Henderson: The former Terp doesn’t get enough credit for his presence and power in the Vikings defense. He leads the defense in tackles and his impact his felt on every play, just like a certain Raven we know. Jared Allen: The country wonderboy has 6.5 sacks and last week returned a fumble for a touchdown. Allen is in his prime and can rush with the best of them. The Williams Brothers: Overlooked so far this season, the big boys in the middle of the Vikings defense stuff the run, put a good push on pass plays and keep the rest of the defense free to do the fun stuff. All in all… It’s a pretty overwhelming roster to glance at. Some of the names might not be as big as others, but the numbers are all there. I wasn’t buying into the all the hype preseason - and I’m still not sure this is “the best team Favre’s ever been on” - but they have been seriously impressive over the season’s first five games. They boast the only rush defense in the league that can rival the Ravens and pair it with perhaps the league’s best rushing attack. Those two statements alone make them one of the league’s toughest teams. The Ravens will have to win this game by shutting down Adrian Peterson and forcing Brett Favre into his occasionally woeful ways. View the full article

ESPN has a piece up today by Jeffri Chadiha about the emergence of centers as the new stars of NFL offensive lines. It’s an interesting read, and the Ravens feature prominently throughout the article. It includes a good few notes from Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome on how the 3-4 is changing offensive play in the league, but other Ravens players and coaches feature as well. Check it out here. But one of my favorite pieces of the read is the first few paragraphs about former Ravens center, now with the Rams, Jason Brown. It tells the story of Brown going into his meeting with the Rams during free agency and touts not only Browns playing ability, but his poise and professionalism off the field. Jason Brown’s briefcase was the first indication that he was going to be all business when he made a free-agent visit to the St. Louis Rams in March. The team knew the 26-year-old center had everything they coveted for the position: agility, intelligence, leadership ability and a sturdy, 6-foot, 3-inch, 328-pound frame. What they couldn’t have anticipated was his meticulous preparation. After pulling a legal notepad and a ballpoint pen from that briefcase, the Baltimore Ravens free agent interrogated the team’s officials like a defense attorney bracing for a career-making day in court. Scribbling notes furiously and firing questions rapidly, Brown drilled head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney on every possible topic. He wanted to know the vision for the team and the best schools for his children. He asked why certain coaches were hired and how he could jump-start his community work. Brown was a stand-up guy for the Ravens for his time here and is clearly continuing that in St. Louis. It’s nice to catch up with former favorites every once in a while. The article ends with a discussion of Brown and new Ravens center Matt Birk, and how big of an impact both have had in developing the Ravens offensive line over the last few seasons. View the full article

I waited a week and a half before writing this just so it doesn't appear I just have sour grapes over the Ravens loss in New England but certain aspects of officiating in the NFL have bothered me for a long time. Whether we like them or not the rules protecting the quarterbacks are here to stay. My problems are not so much with the rules, but the application of the rules. It seems to me that penalties for roughing the passer are far more likely to be called if there is a marquee quarterback. Do you really think the Suggs roughing the passer call against Brady would have been called against Matthew Stafford? I bet the ref would have ignored Stafford if he turned and made the flag throwing gesture that Brady made. If the rules are going to be in the books, they should be applied equally for all quarterbacks, not just the star quarterbacks. The star players are already better than most other players; they don't need special rules making them even better. The same goes for pass interference rules. It seems to me that a great receiver gets the benefit of pass interference calls far more than an average one. That's not fair, if a player is interfered with, there should be a call no matter the contract or stats of the players involved. Even worse, how often is Todd Heap interfered with and the announcers often justify it by saying that they don't normally call that on passes to a tight end. Oh, so because of his position the rules in the book don't apply. Yeah, that makes sense. There are probably other rules that are applied unevenly as well. All I ask is that the rules are applied equally no matter the players involved. I think that would help the game a considerable degree. After that maybe the refs can focus on spotting a ball correctly on a play that ended right in front of them. Baby steps. This entry was written by ExtremeRavens member Spen. View the full article

Just thought I’d mentioned an interested bit I have been following in a local Baltimore Sun blog about sports and money (or lack of money). Sun television critic David Zurawik has noted the huge increase in ratings for primetime football this year - both for NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Football Night in America) and ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Today he also reported that TBS had huge ratings for the MLB playoffs. His theory as laid out early in the football season is that a bad economy makes for great ratings for sports. Read it here. It kind of makes sense. He compares it to the boom in movie-going during the Great Depression. During our hardships today, we turn to sports. I can’t think of any other good reason these programs, which have tanked in recent years, are flourishing now. So, what do you think? Are you watching more Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football? Are you tuning in to the MLB playoffs? Do you think your viewership (or lack thereof) has anything to do with the economy? Speaking to my experiences alone - I have found myself watching the primetime games more regularly than in the past, and I’m not sure why. In fact, for every good game (Monday’s Jets-Dolphins) there has been at least one bad primetime game. And yet I’m still watching. In past years, I just wouldn’t care. You can also read Mr. Zurawik’s follow-up on TBS here. View the full article

Cincinnati Bengals (4-1): Never thought the Bengals would be the first team talked about in this breakdown… but here we go. The Bengals are an anomaly right now. Their record says they need to be taken seriously (especially with wins over Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Green Bay, and a close loss to Denver). But their statistics say they are just another middle of the road team on all sides of the ball: 18th in total offense, 17th in total defense. The question is: will the record eventually match the stats or will the stats eventually match the record? One of the two is bound to happen. Personally, I’m betting on the latter - but I’ll let the season play that out. Next Game: vs. Houston (2-3) Baltimore Ravens (3-2): The Ravens have had a pretty funky fall from grace in the last two weeks. They had a chance to win in New England on the final drive, but failed. They also had plenty of chances to close out the Bengals (in a game the Ravens had no business winning), but failed there as well. If the Ravens win either of these games, no one even gives a second thought to how “real” the Ravens are. But they didn’t win. And that’s all there is to it. The road ahead is no easier and the Ravens need to establish a team identity and fast. Even the Bengals have one right now, even if its as silly as “winning every game in the final minute.” Next Game: @ Minnesota (5-0) (more…) View the full article

So remember Rex Ryan and his vaunted defense? The one everyone here is crying to get back… the one with Bart Scott and Jim Leonard… the one that Greg Mattison isn’t man enough to inherit? Yeah, that one. Well, Rex and his D just got schooled by Miami’s Wildcat with Chad Henne at the helm. And not just once. Not just twice. But three times over in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Surprising in part because just last year Rex Ryan and the Ravens dominated the Dolphins in Miami twice, and the Wildcat was declared extinct. Everyone’s vulnerable. It’s about making adjustments. The Ravens problems, but they have plenty to work with. It’s just not guaranteed. It takes time, it takes effort. There is a learning curve. Have patience. View the full article

Joe Flacco had his worst game of the 2009 season on Sunday against the Bengals. While he completed more than 70% of his passes, only 4 of those completions went to receivers. Flacco also threw two interceptions, one on the Ravens final offensive play. It wasn’t performance, but it was not the Joe Cool performance Ravens fans have become accustomed to. For the second week in a row, Flacco threw an interception in the red zone - wasting a Ravens scoring opportunity. Last week, miscommunication with Mark Clayton caused Flacco to throw a ball outside while Clayton went inside. This week, Flacco rushed his opportunity and failed to read CB Jonathan Joseph cutting underneath Todd Heap’s route. That opening drive by the Ravens was their best of the game - though it came apart in its final plays with a false start on center Matt Birk and an unnecessary timeout. Early in the drive, Flacco completed 4 of 5 passes and the Ravens were moving with some consistency. After the interception, however, Flacco and the offense really lost their focus. Flacco seemed timid when it came to throwing downfield and to his receivers; he rushed his reads and settled for the check-down too often. And unlike last week in New England, where Flacco seemed to be the offense’s general, this week we saw Flacco flustered and apparently outmatched. Not many people are talking about Flacco’s play in this game; it’s been too easy to blame the defense for blowing a late lead. But Flacco had a subpar game. The good news is that Flacco is still this franchise’s best chance to win. Flacco can and will provide for this offense. He just needs to settle down again and find the calmness that earned him the nickname Joe Cool. He can make any throw you need him to, if he is patient enough to make his reads and trust his line. View the full article