Ravens at Patriots: Sunday, Jan. 10, 1pm

[Guest BallTMore]

per WNST text.

[ForceEight]

Yup. And on CBS.

[vmax]

The Ravens caught a break from the schedule makers. A Saturday game would have been brutal.

[vmax]

In the last game against the Pats, the Ravens threw way too much...47 times to 17 rushes...they gained more yards per rush than pass...6.8 to 5.6 per pass.

 

Just FRIGGN'N RUN THEM OVER!!!!!!!!

 

[vmax]

Don Banks on the Ravens chances...

As well as the Ravens are running the ball with Ray Rice and a re-energized Willis McGahee, the key to winning in Foxboro this week will be jumping out to a decent lead on the strength of the Joe Flacco-led passing game. If Baltimore can throw some early points on the board, it may well take the crowd out of the game and throw the Patriots defense on its heels. Then Baltimore can pound away with its two-headed running attack and take some chances on defense with the banged up Tom Brady forced to throw more than he would like. It wouldn't be shocking for the Ravens to pull the upset in New England, but they've got to dictate the way the game unfolds.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/01/06/playoff.power.rankings/index.html

 

He also thinks the Pats will stay at a 50/50 run/pass ratio like the 1st meeting this year...spread the ball to minimize Welkers absence.

 

 

 

LOL...Ray Lewis during his conference call with the Pats media...

On if he thinks this is one of his final playoff runs, Lewis in his typically philosophical self said, “I totally disagree with that. Men and women lie. Numbers don’t. We’re still the No. 2, No. 3 defense in the league.”

[millz58]

Watching NFL Network's replay of Ravens/Pats from this season, saw a couple good plays by ellerbe (one on Wes Welker for minimal gain on pass, another helping run tackle behind line of scrimmage.) Thinking he might help out more this Sunday, given how he's ramped it up a bit recently...

 

BTW, been a long hiatus for me, glad to be reincarnated

[vmax]

BTW, been a long hiatus for me, glad to be reincarnated

 

 

 

Be gratefull you weren't reincarnated as a slug... or worse...a Browns fan....or...a....a...moderator on this board.

 

Good to be hearing from you again.

[vmax]

Welker has been everything to Brady and the offense. He caught a league-high 123 passes. With Welker, Brady is a 68 percent passer with an 8.3 yards-per-attempt average. Without Welker, Brady is a 56.3 percent thrower with a 5.9 yards-per-attempt average.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&page=1standGoal/09wc

 

Let's hope this trend continues for 1 more game.

 

[OutsideRzAcE]

When do we find out who's officiating this game?

[83eh01]

When do we find out who's officiating this game?

 

Who do we not want

 

 

Frankly, I don't even pay attention to who they are and what kind of refs they are.

[millz58]

Be gratefull you weren't reincarnated as a slug... or worse...a Browns fan....or...a....a...moderator on this board.

 

Good to be hearing from you again.

Thanks, my daughter's 5.75 yrs now, she is now quite aware of football, or at least how it matters to me. Much more fun with another viewer (my wife isn't a sports fan.) I'm happy though that my wife asked today "how are the ravens doing" heh-heh, so there's some unity.

[ForceEight]

Weather forecast: 22 and sunny.

[colincac]

Who do we not want

 

 

Frankly, I don't even pay attention to who they are and what kind of refs they are.

Same here, from what I've seen, they all hate us equally.

[cravnravn]

Weather forecast: 22 and sunny.

 

 

Im sorry, but its dark and snowing

[OutsideRzAcE]

Who do we not want

 

 

Frankly, I don't even pay attention to who they are and what kind of refs they are.

 

The announcement of the ref is the second biggest announcement to what day we'd play, especially since we're playing the NFL's Golden Boys. We've been getting questionable PI flags all year. Who do we want? I'll take Houchulli in a second - he is always fair to us. Jerome Boger is fair too.

 

Who do we want to avoid? Obviously Ron Winter - public enemey #1 after that first meeting with the Pats - NFL would be dumb to allow him to ref this game though. Mike Carey is also a douche...i don't think we've had him this year so i'm a little worried. The officials who handled our Green Bay game call the most PI calls in the league - we are in trouble if we get them.

 

At any rate, i'm ready to do my homework as soon as we hear who they are.

[vmax]

I'm hearing temps in the low 20's with 15-20 mph winds....that could help the Ravens.

[thundercleetz]

The announcement of the ref is the second biggest announcement to what day we'd play, especially since we're playing the NFL's Golden Boys. We've been getting questionable PI flags all year. Who do we want? I'll take Houchulli in a second - he is always fair to us. Jerome Boger is fair too.

 

Who do we want to avoid? Obviously Ron Winter - public enemey #1 after that first meeting with the Pats - NFL would be dumb to allow him to ref this game though. Mike Carey is also a douche...i don't think we've had him this year so i'm a little worried. The officials who handled our Green Bay game call the most PI calls in the league - we are in trouble if we get them.

 

At any rate, i'm ready to do my homework as soon as we hear who they are.

 

You're absolutely right, Winter or Carey would be horrible for us.

[vmax]

ExtremeRavens Update:

 

Viv reports that at the opening minutes of Ravens practice that the media is allowed to see, Ravens QB Joe Flacco was seen hobbling around, stiff, and with a slight limp. He believes it's the hip and lower leg injuries that have slowed Joe down this season and that we'll never know how hurt Joe has been while playing this year. He said that maybe Joe wasn't warmed up yet.

 

 

Bottom line: Joe's beat up... but so is everybody else this time of year. We should be aware that Joe's mobility is limited. He's going to be slower setting up from the snap from center...slower to set his hips, slower to move around the pocket and escape the rush.

 

"I haven't seen Clayton all day...anybody know where he is?"

Edited January 8, 2010 by vmax

[cravnravn]

ExtremeRavens Update:

 

Viv reports that at the opening minutes of Ravens practice that the media is allowed to see, Ravens QB Joe Flacco was seen hobbling around, stiff, and with a slight limp. He believes it's the hip and lower leg injuries that have slowed Joe down this season and that we'll never know how hurt Joe has been while playing this year. He said that maybe Joe wasn't warmed up yet.

 

 

Bottom line: Joe's beat up... but so is everybody else this time of year. We should be aware that Joe's mobility is limited. He's going to be slower setting up from the snap from center...slower to set his hips, slower to move around the pocket and escape the rush.

 

"I haven't seen Clayton all day...anybody know where he is?"

 

Heres the Vid Clip..COME ON JOE!!!

http://wjz.com/video/?id=65515@wjz.dayport.com

[vmax]

When do we find out who's officiating this game?

 

 

STERATORE TO REF: One of the relatively newer officials in the league, Gene Steratore, has been assigned to referee the Ravens-Patriots wild-card game.

 

Steratore, a former Big East Conference referee, landed an NFL job in 2003 as a field judge and was promoted to referee three years later in the wake of the retirements of Bernie Kukar and Tom White, the ref known for his pronounciation of our town as "Baldy-more".

 

Currently, Steratore still officiates top-level college basketball games along with his NFL duties. His father, Gene Sr., was also a college basketball and football official.

 

This season, Steratore and his crew -- which includes his brother, back judge Tony Steratore -- worked the Ravens' home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

The Ravens were called for eight penalties for 65 yards in that game. They didn't put away the Chiefs until late in the contest, 38-24.

 

Both Steratore brothers were at the Ravens' training camp several years ago to work some of the practices and to conduct the annual rule-change seminars for players and media.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/blog.cfm?authorid=19

[Guest BallTMore]

Heres the Vid Clip..COME ON JOE!!!

http://wjz.com/video...wjz.dayport.com

 

Wow. That doesn't exactly make me feel warm-and-fuzzy inside. The o-line better play their ass off Sunday.

[thundercleetz]

Flacco needs to get into the weight room and supplement that with eating a bunch. We need to get him up to 250 so he can absorb that punishment. Yeah, Big Ben is a fatass but that makes him better as he is harder to tackle.

[Ravensfan1]

hey guys haven't been on here in awhile but just wanted to let you guys know that although it's bd that Flacco left practice early today because he was sore there is still good news....Randy Moss also missed practice today and was seen limping around the pats facility with a sore knee.