ExtremeRavens

Friday afternoon that means just 48 hours til game time. Here’s how the ExtremeRavens staffers see the upcoming Ravens game against the Houston Texans… Baltimore Ravens (5-3, W3) at Houston Texans (3-5, L1) Danielle: Texans 17, Ravens 12. Houston has won three straight at home, and the Ravens (even with wins at Miami and Cleveland) still struggle on the road. Is Baltimore capable of winning this game? Absolutely. The result lies with the Texans’ backup quarterback, Sage Rosenfels, ability to exploit a pass defense that has been exposed in the past. John: Ravens 23, Texans 17. Texans have won three straight at home. Rosenfels hits a big play to Andre Johnson, but also turns the ball over a few times which makes the difference in the game. The Ravens three-headed monster will carry them to fourth straight win. Andrew: Ravens 31, Texans 14. The extremely talented Andre Johnson will get his numbers, but the Ravens will shut down the Texans run-game and will harass Sage Rosenfels all day. On offense, Jared Gaither will be able to keep his ACC-rival Mario Williams incheck while the Ravens continue to progress on offense. Dan: Ravens 27, Texans 10. The Ravens are averaging more than 30 points per game over the last three games, including to games on the road. This week, against a young secondary and coming off a strong performance, Joe Flacco will really show off. What’s your take? View the full article

Lost in Baltimore’s early off-season chatter about coaches and coordinators is perhaps an even larger issue… the guys who actually play the game. Rough estimates at this time, from a variety of sources, say that the Ravens will be somewhere between 5 and 7 million dollars below the salary cap heading into the off-season - and that’s with just 42 players signed. So who stays and who goes in the days before (and after) draft day? (more…) View the full article

With John Harbaugh now in place as the Ravens’ new head coach, attention has quickly shifted to the issues Harbaugh will face in taking over the team. The biggest decision the new coach and his front office have to make is who will be at his side as offensive and defensive coordinators. The Ravens’ defensive coordinator for the last three seasons, Rex Ryan, is a fan favorite and it’s fair to say that most fans would love to have Ryan back in charge of the team’s strongest unit. The Ravens have also expressed interest in retaining Ryan, who is also a front-runner for the open head coaching position in Atlanta. But from a broader perspective, one has to wonder if Ryan is really the best option as this team’s defensive coordinator in the year(s) to come. (more…) View the full article

John Harbaugh was hired by the Ravens yesterday in a bold move that gives the longtime assistant coach his first head-coaching opportunity. The Ravens will introduce the 45-year-old Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach, who comes from a football family, during a news conference at noon today. Harbaugh,... View the full article

According the their website, the Baltimore Ravens have hired John Harbaugh as their new head coach. It will be interesting to get to hear Harbaugh speak. He was a relative unknown, at least to Baltimore fans, when the job search began. He served for nearly a decade with the Eagles as both a Special Teams Coordinator and a defensive backs coach. The Ravens’ webpage say he will bring a “youthful exuberance” to the club. Harbaugh is 45. As a fan, two questions quickly come to mind: first, what becomes of Rex Ryan? Hopefully he lands a head coaching position elsewhere in the league, but if not, I’d hope to see Harbaugh offer him a spot with the Ravens. Second, how is a defensive and special teams coach going to reshape this offense and balance a roster of vets and young players? It’s fair to say he must have been mighty impressive in that interview room. Prediction: we’re going to see a much larger roster overhaul than originally expected. View the full article

“They say you can’t please all of the people all of the time… and last night, all of those people were at my show.” -Mitch Hedberg. The Ravens are set on making the right decision and finding the right man to fill Brian Billick’s shoes. But as the search for a new coach continues, we’re finding out rather quickly that everyone in Baltimore has a different idea of what’s right for the team. (more…) View the full article

It’s been two weeks since the Ravens dismissed Brian Billick as Head Coach, an unexpected move that received rave reviews from most fans. But it is fair to say that all has not proceeded swimmingly since then, and while the off-season has hardly even begun, the pressure to settle the issue is mounting. Perhaps “settle” is a poor choice of words at this point… (more…) View the full article

Jerry Jones has managed to retain offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for at least another five years, but how will such a contract extension and steep pay raise be felt not only throughout the rest of the league, but his own team? Current Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was hired not even a year ago, signed to a three-year deal worth a reported $12 million. In short, Garrett is signed on to make $10 million in the next two years alone. Either Phillips is out after next season (or perhaps sooner if the Cowboys don’t win the Super Bowl), or Phillips is the most understanding coach in America. View the full article

Reports from The Baltimore Sun, ESPN and other national sources have been coming in since early this afternoon saying that the Ravens have asked Jason Garrett to fill their vacant head coaching position. Garrett, presently the Dallas Cowboys’ Offensive Coordinator, has completed several rounds of interviews with the Ravens since they fired Brian Billick the day after completing their 2007 schedule. The Ravens have yet to confirm these reports, which say Garrett is considering turning down the offer in favor of staying in Dallas. Meanwhile, as the Ravens await a response from Garrett, their Defensive Coordinator and fan favorite Rex Ryan is rumored to be the front-runner for the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons former coach, Bobby Petrino, left the team mid-season to return to the college ranks. View the full article