ExtremeRavens
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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There’s a lot of finger pointing going on in Baltimore right now. Everyone thinks they know what the Ravens biggest problem is and why the Ravens lost on Sunday. Everyone is happy to give more than their two cents.
So far the most popular answer I’ve heard is the Ravens “weak” secondary. Just about everyone is pointing to a secondary that has allowed big numbers to big names. From Foxworth’s lack of physicality to Carr’s stumbles to Walker’s penalties.
In reality, we should be placing blame on every single Ravens player and coach that took the field on Sunday. They all failed. They all had opportunities and they all missed them. What we saw yesterday was exactly the opposite of the sharp, smart and dangerous Ravens teams we have come to know and love.
Following a nasty loss in New England last week, everyone expected the Ravens to bounce back with a vengeance and obliterate the Bengals. Instead, we got a lackluster effort. We got a team that looked too comfortable for its own good and then uncomfortable when it mattered most.
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Only two game balls to give out today… well, make that three…
Offensive Game Ball: Ray Rice. Rice ran fairly well behind an overpowered offensive line and made the offense’s biggest play for its only score. Without him, the Ravens offense doesn’t put a point on the board.
Defensive Game Ball: Ed Reed. Reed played his best game of the year - and it wasn’t just the pick-six or the forced fumble. He actually made some tackles: real tackles, not the kind where he went low to protect himself.
The Half-Assed Ball: Everyone Else. The Ravens were outplayed in every aspect of this game (except long-snapper play). There can be no excuses. The Ravens are better than what they showed yesterday. They have to learn that it’s not just about being a favorite and having the right pieces - you actually have to show up on Sunday.
Next week in Minnesota will be the key… but I expect a very different Ravens team to show up in Cincinnati in a few weeks.
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Stupid Penalties: 40%
Second straight week the Ravens can thank themselves and their absolute lack of discipline for their problems. The officials were not good, but that’s not an excuse. The Ravens apparently didn’t learn anything from last week’s game in New England. I’m still a bit baffled by Steve Tasker’s relentless defense of the officiating - the Frank Walker pass interference and Chad Ochocinco lack of interference calls were particularly questionable, and Tasker failed to even acknowledge the possibility. Meanwhile, the Ravens gave away first downs and yards, play after play. [is defensive illegal formation even a penalty, by the way?]
Stupid Players: 30%
Missed tackles. Missed coverages. Leaving holes wide open. Dropping passes. There are no excuses for the Ravens pathetic play today. As much as players and fans may want to be upset at the officials, the Ravens came to the game today with no emotion and no heart. Half the game, I wasn’t even sure the defense wanted to be there - the secondary was consistently out of position and failed to find the ball while the front seven struggled to find their zones.
Stupid Gameplan: 20%
Noticing a trend yet? This whole game was stupid by the Ravens. I’m not sure what Cam Cameron’s offensive game plan was today. It’s become more and more clear to me that the offense simply does not have a steady game plan. In early games we dismissed the funky offensive style as “taking advantage of weak opponents,” but in two straight losses to good teams, there has been no “settling” of the gameplan. There were stretches where the Ravens looked far too conservative. At other times the Ravens looked far too aggressive. At no point did the Ravens offense look like the force it had been for the season’s first four weeks.
(Stupid) Disappearing Players: 9%
Derrick Mason. Willis McGahee. Kelley Washington. Terrell Suggs. Kelly Gregg. Fabian Washington. Le’Ron McClain. Were any of these guys even on the field today? Did McGahee even get a touch? Did Mason? Washington and McClain each had a moment or two… but I don’t even remember seeing Washington on the field more than two or three times.
Stupid Steve Tasker: 1%
Okay, so maybe he had nothing to do with the Ravens losing, but he certainly had a lot to do with me not enjoying the game. Gus Johnson is bad. Steve Tasker is just dreadful. I’m not sure how, but he’s actually gotten worse since the Ravens earlier games. Do they even show up before Sunday?
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I was browsing ESPN’s coverage of the NFL this weekend and, of course, the Bengals-Ravens game upcoming, when a short paragraph caught my eye.
“The Ravens are actually the worst pass defense this year against No. 1 receivers, although they end up eighth in pass defense DVOA overall because their pass rush and coverage of other wide receivers have been so strong. The Ravens have given up touchdowns to Vincent Jackson, Randy Moss and Dwayne Bowe — and No. 1s (those three and Braylon Edwards) have a 73 percent catch rate against the Ravens (compared with the league-wide catch rate for No. 1 receivers of 55 percent).” (ESPN Sunday Countdown, Contributed by Aaron Schatz ofFootballOutsiders.com)[in the words of Mythbusters, CAUTION! Stat analysis to follow!]
Schatz is using completion percentage (catch rate) to #1 receivers to evaluate the Ravens success. But that catch rate is just a bad stat. Here are final numbers for the #1 receivers in the Ravens four games so far…
- Vincent Jackson: 6 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD
- Dwayne Bowe: 4 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD
- Randy Moss: 3 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD
- Braylon Edwards: 3 catches, 35 yards, 0 TD
With the exception of Jackson, who absolutely lit up the Ravens secondary with help from Philip Rivers, the Ravens have been pretty exceptional against #1 receivers. If the catch rate is high, but the completions rate is low, that points to the fact that QBs just aren’t throwing to their #1’s against the Ravens. Thinking back to Sunday against New England, I don’t remember Moss seeing more 4 balls thrown his way. So while the catch rate for Moss might be 75%, his final numbers were still very average.
Bottom line: I’ll take a high catch-rate with low thrown-to totals every day, especially against #1s. To me, this signals that the Ravens have been especially good against #1 receivers. Maybe it’s because the Ravens are doubling them up, maybe it’s because the Ravens are game-planning well. Either way, the ball is not finding the #1 very often. And that’s a good thing for Baltimore.
When you look at the catch-rate stat this way, it turns the above argument on its head. Opposing QBs are avoiding their #1 receivers against the Ravens (Tom Brady threw to 9 receivers, the Browns to 8). And they are actually completing more passes for more yards to back-ups and check-downs. QBs are getting the ball off, and getting yards. And that leads me to believe, and anyone who’s watched the Ravens will agree, that the pass rush has actually been weaker than expected.
So, to ESPN Sunday Countdown and FootballOutsiders.com… watch the games, not the stats. Football is not a ’statistically perfect sport’ the way baseball is.
And to the Ravens? Continue to control #1’s (here’s looking at you, Chad Johnson). The others won’t do much damage.
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There’s just hours left to vote for One Winning Drive. Click the link above and get your vote in! We can win!! (and there’s nothing up for grabs but the title of Maryland’s Best Sports Blog).
Ravens Rush vs. Bengals Defense
The Bengals rush defense ranks 14th in the league allowing just over 100 yards per game. The Ravens rushing attack is 5th in the league topped 100 yards against the Patriots on just 17 carries. The real question is whether the Ravens will run or not. The Ravens lack of rushing attempts has hurt them several times this season (even in victories). And in limited attempts, stuffing the box on short yardage is that much easier (as the Pats showed). Edge: Ravens +1
Ravens Pass vs. Bengals Defense
The Bengals pass rush has been excellent this year, especially from newly signed Antwaan Odom, who leads the NFL with 8 sacks. As a team, the Bengals have 12 sacks, putting them close to the top of the league. With Jared Gaither unlikely to play for the Ravens, rookie Michael Oher will move to the left side and handle Odom. If the Ravens can contain Odom, they have a good shot. Despite all the pressure, the Bengals have just two interceptions and are 24th in the league in pass defense. Edge: Ravens +1
Bengals Rush vs. Ravens Defense
Cedric Benson has been one of the league’s strongest runners for the last 10 weeks. No, really. Cedric Benson. But even so, Benson is no match for the Ravens top-ranked rush defense, which is showing true signs of greatness (under 60 yards on the ground per game). The Ravens will have to work to contain Benson and the Bengals, but not too hard. Edge: Ravens +1
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With the Texans heading to Arizona this weekend to play the Cardinals, there’s been a popular storyline emerging about a match-up of the league’s best receivers. The Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald is the current ‘it’ receiver after his ridiculous playoff streak last season, while Andre Johnson has been considered one of the league’s best players on a bad team.
So who’s the best receiver in the league?
As always, for me, it depends on how you define best.
Statistically in their career? Randy Moss. In the last three seasons? Probably Fitzgerald, with Terrell Owens and Reggie Wayne close behind. Biggest play maker over their career? Probably Moss again.
Biggest play maker right now? Probably a guy that’s been overshadowed by Fitzgerald recently, his teammate Anquan Boldin.
Boldin’s attitude and history of injury take him out of the equation for some, but his natural ability is freakish. He averages more yards per game than Fitzgerald and more yards after catch (far more in fact, 5.4 to Fitzgerald’s 3.6). The argument could be made that Fitzgerald has simply stolen the spotlight thanks to Boldin’s injuries.
Personally, Andre Johnson hardly figures into the equation. Johnson has made some spectacular plays and long been the Texans lone shining star. But a league star he is not. And that is taking nothing away from his monstrous season in 2008, when he averaged nearly 100 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns.
But, if you were to ask me who I would want on my team right now to build an offense around, it would be Fitzgerald. No questions asked. Raw talent, speed, smart, great route runner and little attitude to boot. Tell me I’m wrong.
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Three story lines to follow as the Bengals come to Baltimore on Sunday…
1. Carson Palmer can beat the Ravens.
The Carson Palmer of 2009 may not be in the same form we’ve come to know, but he is still Carson Palmer. And Carson Palmer has the ability to throw the ball all over the Ravens when he’s feeling good. He’s done it before.
Overall, in nine games against the Ravens, Palmer has a quarterback rating of 87.6 with 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Not outstanding, but not shabby either.
But those numbers are skewed a bit. Palmer either plays his best or his worst against Baltimore. Palmer has six games against the Ravens with a QB Rating over 90 - in four of those games his QB rating is well over 100. In the other three games, his rating is under 60. There’s no middle ground.
Again, this year’s Palmer may not be able to do that - the Bengals are not the offensive force they once were. But if he’s done it before, he can do it again.
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Hey Everybody,
As many of you know, this blog has been nominated for a Baltimore Sun award called a Mobbie (Maryland’s Outstanding Blogs). We started slow but have risen strongly through the course of the contest.
Right now we are ranked as the #2 Ravens blog and #3 Sports blog! Our goal from the very beginning was to be top three in any category we were in, but with the end so near, we have the win in our sights in at least one of these categories.
We know many of you have been voting frequently and we thank you so much! With two days left, we just need a strong push to the finish… visit www.baltimoresun.com/mobbies or click the picture to the right and vote for One Winning Drive!
Thanks for your readership and support!
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Baltimore Ravens (3-1): T
ough loss in New England, but a good showing. Despite a number of problems and mistakes, the Ravens were just yards away from a victory in the game’s final moments. The defense did an acceptable job defending against Tom Brady and his receivers. Still waiting for and expecting this team to get back to its ground-game roots. Next Game: vs. Bengals (3-1)Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): The Bengals barely escaped the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, winning in overtime on a Shayne Graham field goal. Still curious how the Bengals failed to run away with the game, though, as they had a big lead early following a series of Cleveland turnovers. Also wondering what kind of team lets the Browns back into it. Next Game: @ Ravens (3-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): (more…)
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Tony Fein, a member of the Baltimore Ravens during the 2009 preseason, died Tuesday morning in Port Orchard, Wash., according to his agent. No immediate details were available concerning Fein’s death, his agent, Milton D. Hobbs, said. Fein, 27, was an undrafted rookie free agent who was released by the Ravens during final cuts on Sept. 5. Fein was an Iraqi war veteran.
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Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Safety Ed Reed will not be fined for their post-game remarks criticizing the officials in the team’s 27-21 loss to the Patriots. Read more here.
Quite a surprise, actually. Lewis in particular just went off on the officials in the game. But in reality, both players were criticizing the league’s recent moves to protect quarterbacks. As Lewis sees it, the new rules and interpretations make it impossible for a player to hit a quarterback without getting flagged.
No word yet on whether John Harbaugh will be fined for his in-game tantrum, which drew a personal foul, and his post-game remarks which were similar to Lewis and Reed. I would expect Harbaugh to see a lighter paycheck this week.
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Fair is Fair. It’s been pretty well documented elsewhere, but the Ravens simply didn’t do the right things to win Sunday’s game. Somehow, though, at game’s end, the Ravens were still just yards away from winning (or perhaps just one Mark Clayton catch away). All told, that says a lot of good things about the Ravens. For as poorly as they played (from special teams to penalties), they were still right there with a chance in the final moments - and not a hail mary chance, a legitimate chance.
Today as power rankings are released we’re already seeing the Ravens fall a bit, but not too far. ESPN has the Ravens 7th, right behind New England.
Run the Damn Ball, Cam. I’m still trying to decide whether the Ravens failure to run the ball was the result of in-game panic or just a bad game plan. My bet is a bit of both, with a pinch of “inability to adjust” as well. Cameron’s game plan was to pass frequently. As much as we may not like that in hindsight, it actually worked fairly well for most of the game. Minus a Joe Flacco miscommunication leading to an interception, the passing game looked alright.
But the pass-favored attack was made worse by an early deficit. Last year one of the Ravens’ greatest strengths was that they never panicked, even when down early. On Sunday, it seemed quite the opposite. Some early scoring by the Pats had the Ravens scattered.
Finally, even when the Ravens seemed to regain some control over the game in the second half, they failed to reset themselves and their gameplan. One big reason to run the ball is not just to balance the defense, but even a mediocre run nets yardage. 3rd and 7 looks so much friendlier than 3rd and 10.
The Refs. Still not a fan of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed mouthing off - even if I agree with the broader sentiment that quarterbacks are overprotected. And I’m not a fan of John Harbaugh getting in on the action, even in a more subdued, passive way than he did on the field.
It has been interesting, however, to see the national reaction to the Terrell Suggs personal foul in particular. No one seems to like it. In a Baltimore Sun article today the wording of the rule was emphasized - contact to the quarterback below the knee must be forcible to warrant a penalty. Suggs’ contact certainly wasn’t forcible.
I’ve heard it argued that had Brady not moved his leg, it would have been much worse. But last I checked, the NFL didn’t give penalties for almost pass interference and almost facemasks. It’s a fast game, what looks like it could be a penalty one instant can very clearly change.
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Offensive Game Ball: Ray Rice. Rice ran for more than 100 yards on just 11 carries, including a 50 yard run that set up the Ravens third touchdown and made it a three point game. Rice also gets the game’s underused game ball for only seeing 11 touches. Even 10 carries for 50 yards sounds good (Rice’s numbers minus his big run), so we all have to be wondering why Cam didn’t put the ball on the ground more.
Feelin’ Fine Ball: Ray Lewis. Because I’m feeling a fine coming his way for his post game remarks. I didn’t agree with every call on the field out there today, but the Ravens need to learn how to take their losses and the game’s circumstances and move on.
Lesson Learned Ball: Terrell Suggs. Asked post-game about his personal foul on Tom Brady, Suggs replied quietly, “it is what it is.” That shouldn’t be taken to mean Suggs liked the call, but he knows how to keep his pay check fat.
Buddy Buddy Ball: Tom Brady. Brady played a good game. But between his Manning-esque “flag wrist” asking for a personal foul and the closing shot of Brady walking off the field with the refs… I can’t help but think it. These refs know they have a job to protect the league’s stars.
Fired Up Ball: John Harbaugh. I’ve got mixed feelings on Harbaugh’s tantrum. I don’t think it cost the Ravens as much as some fans do, but there’s no way to tell. I do know that I want my coach to care enough that he’s ready to go. First time we’ve seen Harbaugh go off like that. Probably won’t see it again for a while.
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I’ll get to a more complete review of the game tomorrow, along with our not-so-standard game balls. But for now, it’s time to play something we like to call The Blame Game.
Offensive Play Calling / Cam Cameron: 40%.
Dear Cam, take a look at the numbers. Your offense ran the ball just 17 times for more than 100 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per rush. Meanwhile, you threw the ball 47 times for 264 yards, averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. What does that mean? That our rushing game was actually far more effective than our passing game.
I don’t know that anyone thought the winning team in this game would come out with fewer than 25 rushing attempts… let alone fewer than 20. The Pats, despite managing only 85 yards, ran the ball 30 times. Where was Le’Ron McClain on 4th and short?
And please don’t give me that “game circumstances forced us into a different mode.” First, the lack of balance was apparent from the first moment of the game - the Ravens managed just 7 rushes in the first half. But additionally, the Ravens were never anywhere close to being out of this game. The rushing attack should have been featured more prominently. Period. It’s been said since our Week 1 victory against Kansas City.
Third Down Penalties: 25%.
I’m doing my best to not put blame on the refs. It truly wasn’t the refs fault (at least not most of the time). But despite being stout on defensive third downs throughout the game, the Ravens continued to give the Pats second chances. The second roughing call on Brady was extremely questionable. I heard it justified with a “if Brady doesn’t move his leg, he gets hit.” I didn’t know the NFL gave out penalties for almost roughing the quarterback.
Regardless of the calls, the Ravens need to be better about keeping their play in check. The defense looked confused and overmatched at various times and penalties are a symptom of that disorganization. Good teams don’t give second chances.
Meanwhile, a big kudos to John Harbaugh for letting the refs have it on some of the game’s more questionable calls.
Mark Clayton: 15%.
I’m trying to hold off on Clayton a bit here. If the Ravens perform better earlier in the game, if they play their game for three quarters, the team shouldn’t even be in that kind of position. But regardless, Clayton dropped the biggest pass of the game. It was a great play call, a great route and a rocket pass to Clayton’s hands. Top receivers are paid to make those catches. We’re still waiting for you to prove yourself, Mark.
Chris Carr: 10%.
Carr has yet to be anything but a disappointment on special teams this season. We haven’t seen speed. We haven’t seen agility. We haven’t seen brilliant insight or smart moves. Until today, the most we had seen was the failure to make mistakes. Oops.
Carr’s fumble on the opening kick-off set up a long day for the Ravens. Instead of walking on the field, ready to establish the game’s tempo, Carr handed that opportunity to the Patriots. And it gave Belichick an early look at the Ravens D.
Dawan Landry: 10%.
Landry looked lost on the field for the second time this season. He was confused in Week 2 by the Chargers and looked similarly bothered by the Patriots schemes. He did a fine job in helping double Randy Moss and Wes Welker at various times throughout the game, but it didn’t make up for his mistakes.
Landry’s biggest mistakes cost the Ravens. Early in the game it was a pair of missed tackles on consecutive plays, leading to a Sammie Morris touchdown. The Ravens didn’t have any points to give away today.
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One Winning Drive: Ray Rice Needs a Nickname
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Through 6 games this season, Ray Rice has proven to be a beast for the Ravens. Take a look at the numbers.
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?
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