Saints (10-3) @ Ravens (9-4)

Posted by darnold on Friday, December 17th, 2010

Filling out the rankings chart (above) is getting to be a bit depressing. As the weeks rolled on, I really expected the Ravens’ offense to inch closer and closer to being a top 10 unit. Instead, even after playing the lowly Houston Texans and their 31st ranked defense, the Ravens dropped in every offensive category when compared to last week.

Total offense: 16th to 18th

Rushing offense: 19th to 21st

Passing offense: 13th to 14th

They did go from the #17 scoring team to the #14 scoring team, but as we know, the special teams and defense had as much to do with that as the offense did.

At least, though, the most important number – wins – moved in the right direction. However, it’s still a little disheartening that the offense continues to struggle as much as it does. Thinking that they can find a quick answer down the stretch seems to be becoming more of a…well, stretch.

This week, the defending Super Bowl Champs roll into Charm City, winners of six consecutive games. They’ve also put up 30 or more points in five straight games, which gives Ravens fans a nice pre-holiday case of indigestion after watching the Texans rack up 21 second half points on Monday night.

Upon further review though, it’s not like the Saints have been hanging 30 on the ’85 Bears. Their recent 30 point outputs have come against the Rams (15th in points allowed), Bengals (28th), Cowboys (31st), Seahawks (24th), and Panthers (26th). Even after blowing their first 21-point lead since 1997, the Ravens much-maligned defense is still fourth in the NFL in points allowed. Throw in a healthy dose of the elements, and this game should be far from the shootout that many are predicting/fearing.

Which isn’t to say that Drew Brees and his stable of big play wideouts/backs doesn’t present a formidable challenge. Brees is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL right now, and is just the type of “elite” signal-caller that the Ravens have struggled time and again to find a way to beat over the past five years or so.

If Brees has one chink in his armor this season, it’s been the interception. “Breesus” has already been picked 18 times, tying his career high. That’s 3.4% of his throws that are being intercepted, highest since his third season in the league in San Diego (for comparison, Joe Flacco’s INT percentage this year is 1.9%). When the Ravens last played the Saints in 2006, they picked him off twice and both were returned for touchdowns. After four interceptions in his first four games back off the PUP list, Ed Reed hasn’t gotten his hands on a pass in three straight contests. Sunday would be a great time for Reed – who looked slow, old, and hurt at times Monday – to come alive again.

When you think New Orleans, you think offense. However, their defense is none too shabby either. After leading the NFL in turnovers a season ago, which helped mask their 25th-ranked defense, this year’s Saints have been much more consistent – at the cost of the turnovers – on that side of the ball. They currently sit as the #6 defense in the NFL, allowing just 308 yards per game. They’ve intercepted just nine passes though, four shy of the Ravens’ 13, and 13 less than the Philadelphia Eagles’ league-leading 22 picks.

They’re more vulnerable on the ground than they are through the air, but nothing the Ravens have done lately inspires any kind of confidence that they can exploit the Saints with the running game. Baltimore is still averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt on the ground, tied for next-to-last in the NFL. Monday in Houston – despite focusing on the running game with unbalanced lines and such – they were even worse, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry. Le’Ron “Ankle Sprain” McClain looked like he was still a bit bothered by the injury Monday, so hopefully he can get back to full strength and do a better job of opening some holes (McClain missed practice Thursday with an illness.)

Todd Heap still hasn’t returned to practice (as of Thursday), so his status is very much up in the air for Sunday. Heap has never been the best blocking tight end, but at this point he is worlds ahead of rookies Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Heap’s absence not only hampered the Ravens in the passing game against Pittsburgh and Houston, but on the ground as well. Keep your fingers crossed that #86 makes an appearance on the practice field Friday.

Even more concerning than their inability to run the ball lately, has been the Ravens’ pass protection. Joe Flacco has been sacked 32 times now, and an incredible 22 of those have come in the six games since the bye (3.67 sacks per game). The Saints are right in the middle of the pack in sacks, with 26 (the Ravens have 24). Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams, who never met a blitz he didn’t like, was surely licking his chops this week looking at film of the Ravens’ inability to stop a rushing safety. That’s right, even after Cam Cameron assured us that whatever breakdown in protection allowed Troy Polamalu to steal the Pittsburgh game from them was fixed, Houston safety Bernard Pollard came untouched over and over Monday night on his way to 1.5 sacks.

WTF, Cam? WTF, Matt Birk? WTF, Michael Oher? Fix it, please.

On the bright side, the Ravens’ special teams have been playing lights out lately. Rookie David “Cop Speed (cuz you got weed)” Reed now leads the NFL in kick return average after his franchise record 103-yard touchdown return last week. He also had an 84-yard return against Carolina. Billy Cundiff is now just three touchbacks shy of tying an NFL record. Sam Koch (more like Sam Kick, am I right?!) was incredible Monday, dropping 5 punts inside the 20-yard line, including the crucial one in overtime. He leads all punters with 34 placed inside the 20. Winning the field position battle will go a long way towards a Ravens win on Sunday.

The New Orleans Saints may be the best team the Ravens play all year (New England would be a close second, but they weren’t playing their best football in Week 6 when the Ravens saw them). Playing them on a neutral field (let’s hope that happens in early 2011) would be a very daunting task, but the home field should really benefit B’More this week. The Saints are a very good road team, but the Ravens are even better at home. They owe the fans one after pooping away the last home game in the final minutes.

Ravens 24 Saints 21

I met this guy – “The Sidewalk Saint” – in the Big Easy last summer. Here’s me showing him what’s what. Let’s hope he remembers me on Sunday, and shakes his fist angrily at the sky after a Ravens win.

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Ravens 34 Texans 28 OT (The JOSH SAVES THE COLLAPSE Game)

Posted by darnold on Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Former University of Maryland Terrapin Josh Wilson was the hero in Houston, saving the Ravens from what would have arguably been the worst collapse in an important game in the team’s fifteen year history. The Ravens blew a 28-7 lead, and were up by 15 entering the game’s final period. However, as has been their M.O. this season, no lead was safe…

Nice company to be in, huh?

Ugh…

Those two ESPN graphics looked to be prescient and incredibly accurate as the Texans scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion with just 21 seconds remaining in regulation to force the extra period. With the way the Ravens defense played over the final quarter, overtime looked to be just a formality in what was to be another Ravens’ collapse and Texans’ come-back win.

Luckily, Josh Wilson stepped up to preserve the win for the good guys.

Let’s dive into this one a bit…

No blowout

With 14:30 to go in the third quarter, this game looked to finally be the complete dominant game that Ravens fans have been waiting for all season. The offense had already put up 21 points, and touchdowns on two of their final three possessions of the half. The defense had held the Texans’ high-powered attack to just a single score, a touchdown on a hurry-up drive to end the second quarter. And kick returner David Reed set the franchise record for longest kickoff return with his 103-yard touchdown to start the second half. Life was good in Purple Paradise.

Slowly but surely though, the wheels came off. Again.

Letting them back in it

In fact, Reed’s kick return touchdown may have been a bit of a blessing and a curse. Instead of a two-score game, the Houston Texans suddenly found themselves trailing by a full three touchdowns. With any minute hopes of postseason play – and likely, their coach’s job – fading before their eyes, they developed a “nothing to lose” mentality. They were forced to throw the ball, and be aggressive. And with weapons like Houston has – wide receiver Andre Johnson, running back Arian Foster, tight end Owen Daniels – they are very capable of putting up points in bunches, which is just what they did.

On the ensuing possession after the kick return, Houston faced 4th-and-3 at the Ravens’ 41. In a 21-7 game, they probably punt there. Trailing 28-7 though, they were forced to go for it. They converted, and seven plays later a Neil Rackers field goal made the score 28-10.

Then came the wonderful Cam Cameron “playing from ahead” offense.

This was a great tweet from Tony Lombardi of Ravens 24×7 during the game:

The Ravens next offensive play was a Ray Rice run for no gain. After that, a nine-yard sack of Joe Flacco. Two plays, and the drive was effectively over, as they faced a 3rd-and-19 at their own 13-yard line. A 12-yard pass to Rice would be the Ravens’ final play of the quarter until he ran for 4 yards on the period’s last play.

In the entire third quarter, the Ravens offense ran 4 plays (not including the punt) for 7 yards.

Still, they led 28-13, so things were looking alright.

Defense gassed

Although they were on the field for about 13 minutes in the third quarter, the Ravens’ defense gave up only two field goals. However, all that time on the field would result in some cumulative fatigue. As a result, those third quarter field goals turned into fourth quarter touchdowns for Houston.

The offense again sputtered, picking up just two first downs before giving the ball back to the Texans. Five minutes and fifteen plays later, the score was 28-20.

The Ravens’ defense was struggling, and obviously needed a break before being sent back out on the field.

Then things really got weird.

More odd clock management

Last year, Ravens fans were frustrated with the way John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco managed timeouts and the clock in the final minutes of halves and games. The Ravens’ two-minute drill was terribly ineffective in 2009, and many of us felt that just from having played Madden for a few years, we better understood how to manipulate the game clock to our advantage than the Ravens did.

Obviously, that’s ridiculous. But so is the way Harbaugh used…and continues to use…timeouts.

For whatever reason, those situations have been more rare in 2010 – the Ravens haven’t had too many occasions where they’ve had to run a two-minute drill and put up points. The first Pittsburgh game comes to mind, but that’s about it.

However, the Ravens’ coaches’ questionable decision-making with regards to clock management have reared their ugly head in other areas. Last week, it was Cam Cameron’s decision to pass the ball on 2nd-and-5 in the game’s final minutes, resulting in Troy Polamalu’s sack-fumble and a Steelers win. Last night, a similar situation presented itself.

The Ravens led 28-20 with 2:58 remaining in the game, and faced a 3rd down and 2 at the Texans’ 44-yard line. Houston had just burned their final timeout of the half. A first down here would seal the game for the Ravens. However, failing that, just keeping the clock running would be the next best thing – a 1-yard run would result in a 4th down, but the Ravens could have taken the clock down to about 2:10, and then either used a timeout or taken a 5-yard delay of game penalty, punted, and pinned the Texans deep with two minutes to drive the length of the field, and – at best – a single stop of the clock from the two-minute warning.

Ravens Nation was screaming – RUN THE BALL.

Did Cam run the ball? Of course not. Incomplete pass, clock stops, and now Houston takes possession with 2:42 to go. They would go 95 yards and score with, again, 21 seconds left. The Ravens could have taken 40 seconds off the clock by running on 3rd-and-2. You do the math.

When asked after the game about the decision to pass, John Harbaugh responded with some nonsense about “not thinking about the clock there,” and that “we wanted the first down.” Really coach, NOT thinking about the clock at all? Your biggest ally at that point in the game? Yeah, that’s not asinine or anything.

And did the rules change? You can’t get a first down by running?

“It’s all Cam’s fault,” is still a popular mantra in Baltimore today, even with the Ravens’ win.

Taking them with you?

As odd as the decision to run the ball on 3rd-and-2 was, the coaches’ use of timeouts down the stretch was even stranger. As mentioned, the defense was GASSED. They had nothing left.

Greg Mattison is being criticized today for his 3-man rush late in the game today. There is some merit to that, however, there are other circumstances to examine. It’s widely understood that the most exhausting thing to do in football is rush the passer. Matt Schaub threw 62 passes in the game, the great majority of which were in the second half. The Ravens didn’t have anybody with enough energy to blitz. This was never more painfully obvious than when, with 1:07 to go, Schaub scrambled for eight yards to the Ravens’ 35. On the play, Jarret Johnson was giving chase, but Schaub – who runs something like a 5.5 40 – looked like Mike Vick running from the tired J.J.

The defense had nothing left. What the team did have left was timeouts. Two of them, to be exact. Twice in the final minute the Texans stopped the clock – once by running out of bounds and once with a spike. Two opportunities for the Ravens to use a timeout and give their defense a breather while not “helping the Texans out” at all by stopping the clock. They chose not to, for whatever reason.

I’m shocked that one of the players – especially an Ed Reed or Ray Lewis – didn’t look around at their exhausted teammates and say “f this, coach,” and take a timeout on their own accord.

Now, with 21 seconds remaining, the score is 28-26. A stop on the two-point conversion try can still win the game. With 21 seconds, any dreams of having time after the kickoff to move down the field and get into field goal range are out of the question. These timeouts can do absolutely no good after this play. You can’t take them with you into overtime.

WHY NOT CALL A TIMEOUT AND REGROUP FOR THE 2-POINT TRY? YOU CAN STILL WIN THE GAME HERE!

This decision still boggles my mind.

The real hero


With all due respect to Wilson, perhaps the real hero of the game is Cory Redding. Redding stood at midfield before the overtime period, and correctly guessed “tails” on the coin flip. Had the Ravens lost the toss, I have no doubt that we would be talking about an 8-5 team today. The utterly pooped Ravens’ defense was not going to go back out there and stop Houston, not without at least a small break.

Tails gave them that break.

With a chance to go win the game, the offense of course failed again. They did at least pick up a first down and hold the ball for three minutes. Apparently, that was all the defense needed.

In the two plays that they were on the field in OT, the Ravens got great pressure with four rushers on Schaub. It was Haloti Ngata harassing him in his own end zone that caused the errant pass from Schaub that ended the game.

Thanks for the drops

This recap is getting a bit too lengthy, so I’ll cut it short and save some other observations (terrible O-line play, great special teams) for a later post. However, any analysis of this game can’t ignore the fact that the Texans started the game unable to catch a cold.

Texans’ receivers dropped five or six passes in the first half, which went a huge way in allowing the Ravens to build the 21 point lead that, in the end, they needed every bit of.

Thanks for being terrible at catching, Texans.

Now the Ravens come back home to face the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, who are finally getting healthy and seem to be hitting their stride as the season comes to a close.

Fun fun.

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Buccaneers (7-3) @ Ravens (7-3)

Posted by darnold on Friday, November 26th, 2010

This week, the Ravens play their third straight game against an NFC South opponent, taking on the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many Ravens fans had circled this game as a win coming into the season, as the Bucs were coming off a 3-13 2009 season, and have the youngest roster in the NFL. Tampa, however, has surprised so far in 2010, matching the Ravens’ 7-3 record, and look to be no walkovers on Sunday. The Ravens should still be able to pick up their eighth win of the year, but this game will be much tougher than we had hoped for when looking ahead to it back in September.

On paper, the Bucs’ offense doesn’t look too intimidating, as they are just 23rd in the NFL in yards per game. Second year quarterback Josh Freeman, though, has been deceivingly efficient, throwing 14 touchdowns to go with only 5 interceptions and 1 lost fumble, good for a QB rating of 92.0 – just 0.1 behind Joe Flacco. Rookie wide receiver Mike Williams leads the team in receiving, with 43 catches for 681 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Ravens secondary, after basically a week off in Carolina last week, will have to be on top of their game, and prove that they can at least stop a good — if not elite — quarterback.

Where Freeman and the rest of the Tampa offense should really give the Ravens and their fans a case of post-Thanksgiving indigestion, though, is on the ground. Freeman is a horse at 6’6″ 250, and can really hurt opposing defenses with his feet. He has 236 rushing yards this season, and averages over 6 every time he decides to take off. Even more dangerous is rookie running back LeGarrette Blount. Blount, the former Oregon Duck (you remember him, right?), is a 6’0 247 lb. battering ram, and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry since the Bucs started really working him into the offense about five weeks ago. Throw in Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, a big threat catching passes out of the backfield, and the Ravens front seven will have their hands full this week.

Blount is like a more athletic Peyton Hillis, who torched the Ravens in Week 3 for Cleveland. The Ravens looked like they had gotten their run defense fixed two weeks ago in Atlanta, completely shutting down Michael Turner. Last week, though, Mike Goodson of the Carolina Panthers went for 120 yards against them. The outcome of this one will depend heavily on the Ravens’ run defense, and they’ll need to perform much better than they did in Charlotte to contain the Bucs’ much more potent attack.

I had hoped to devote an entire post this week to thoughts on fixing the run defense, but I found some other things to write about instead. So I’ll have to just spitball a bit here in the preview…

First off, Brandon McKinney should be back on the field. McKinney played in seven games earlier this year, and started four, but has been a healthy scratch the last three contests. He played very well when he was in there, and could be an asset for this team down the stretch.

Who does McKinney replace?

It may be sacrilege to Ravens fans, but I’d nominate Kelly Gregg. “Buddy Lee” is having his worst season, and at this point is a liability to this defense. He’s a fan favorite, but it may be time to give #97 a game or two off.

The next guy who could help bottle up Blount is Dannell Ellerbe. Ellerbe, whose specialty is being a run stuffer at the linebacker position, has apparently made his way into the infamous John Harbaugh “doghouse,” after some special teams penalties. Ellerbe, like McKinney, hasn’t been active since the Buffalo game. Not only are these two very good at helping shut down opposing running backs, but they should also both have very fresh legs. Keep an eye on the inactive list Sunday morning – if these two are on it, I’d be very disappointed, and that much more worried.

Regardless who is active on the defense, the entire unit needs to tackle better. Freeman and Blount will be licking their chops in film study this week seeing the Ravens’ dismal tackling of late. Keeping the yards after contact down will be especially crucial on Sunday against the physical runners the Bucs showcase.

Offensively, Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens will look to continue the kind of performance they put up in the first half of the Carolina game, and put the second half of that contest behind them. Remember, despite the 37 points put up by the team, the Ravens managed only two offensive touchdowns against the Panthers. Fortunately, they’re generally better at home, having put up 31, 37, and 26 points in their last three at The Big Crabcake. Flacco has eight touchdowns and no interceptions at home this season (although defenders have dropped should-be interceptions on at least three occasions), and will look to continue that trend against a Tampa squad that is tied for second in the NFL with 15 picks.

The Bucs’ ability to force turnovers helps mask their deficiencies in run defense, where they rank 29th, giving up over 136 yards per game. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee should be in for big games, though at this point I’m not still delusional enough to think that Cam Cameron will come into the game with a plan of anything but something along the lines of “we’re going to pass the ball because they THINK we’re going to run it!” I can’t help but think back to the Buffalo game – the Bills came into B’More with the league’s worst run defense, and the Ravens’ first possession went: pass, pass, pass, punt. Tampa can’t stop the run, has very strong cornerbacks in Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib, and thrives on interceptions, so needless to say I expect a similar ass-backwards attack from Cam as the one we saw against Buffalo (at least prior to the Bills playing “light up the scoreboard.”) Hopefully the Ravens have enough talent running routes and throwing the football to move the ball and get into the end zone in spite of the guy calling in the plays.

With this game getting “flexed” by the NFL and moved to a 4:15 start from it’s original 1:00 slot, game time temperatures will drop significantly. Currently, the forecast calls for a high temperature of about 47 degrees on Sunday, which will likely have the mercury dipping near 40 by the time the second half rolls around. Historically, Tampa is awful in the cold; the franchise didn’t win their first game that featured sub-40 degree temperatures at kickoff until their Super Bowl season of 2002. As a Ravens fan who will be sitting at M&T Bank Stadium shivering, I’ll gladly plan on piling on an extra layer if it means the Ravens have even a slightly better chance of emerging victorious. If Mother Nature is on our side Sunday, all the better.

We’ll likely know by game time whether or not Pittsburgh pushes their record to 8-3, as they play at 1 PM. They are in Buffalo, so most likely the Ravens will need this win to keep pace in the division. Moreover, the Ravens need to win this game regardless of what the Steelers do, as the rest of the schedule doesn’t get any easier. If they can’t defeat this feisty but inexperienced (and, truthfully, overachieving) Bucs squad on their own turf, what chance do we really give them against the likes of Pittsburgh and New Orleans here, and Houston and Cleveland teams on the road?

Gotta have this one.

Ravens 27 Bucs 17

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Ravens 37 Panthers 13 (The DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS FINALLY SHOW UP Game)

Posted by darnold on Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Despite leading by just a single touchdown two plays into the fourth quarter, the Ravens dominated the Carolina Panthers over the final ten minutes of play, and two defensive touchdowns gave B’More a comfortable 24 point victory.

The defensive touchdowns were the Ravens’ first two of the 2010 season, an oddity for a unit that has historically had no problem finding the end zone. The first came on an Ed Reed interception (his fourth in four games this year), but it was Dawan Landry who ultimately crossed the goalline, after receiving what may well have been the prettiest lateral of Reed’s lateral-happy career. It looked almost like an offensive option play, the way Reed hit Landry in perfect stride. For all the headaches he induces with those flips of the ball, when it works to perfection like it did yesterday, we hardly have any room to complain.

The second defensive score, on the Panthers’ very next play from scrimmage, was by the other Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis. It was Ray’s first touchdown since 2007 against Cleveland, and his 30th career interception. That puts Ray-Ray into the 30 sack/30 interception “club.” I say “club” in quotes because the only other member is former Patriot Rodney Harrison. Thats right, Lewis and Harrison are the ONLY NFL players to ever amass 30 interceptions and 30 sacks in a career. Watching Lewis get to waltz into the end zone one more time was a great sight for Ravens fans, who know that the sun is (slowly) setting on #52′s time on the field.

While the defense provided the points to finally put the game away, special teams nearly provided the nail in the coffin much earlier in the contest. Rookie David Reed took the opening kickoff of the second half 84 yards to the Carolina 18-yard line. Although he didn’t score on the play, Reed’s return was easily the Ravens’ best of the year, and it looks like the speedy first year player out of Utah has finally brought some stability to the kick return position.

Had the Ravens’ offense been able to capitalize on the great field position, the game would have been effectively over. A touchdown at that point would have put the Ravens up 24-3, and with Brian St. Pierre floundering under center for the Panthers, that would have been all she wrote. Unfortunately, we saw those same old red zone woes rear their ugly head, as Joe Flacco and Co. managed just 3 yards on 3 plays before settling for a 33-yard Billy Cundiff field goal.

It seems like the Ravens’ offense is just completely determined to sleep-walk through at least some portion of games these days. Last week a big deal was made about how they always start so slow in games played outside of M&T Bank Stadium. Well, that problem was solved quickly yesterday, as Flacco hooked up with T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 56-yard touchdown on the team’s second offensive snap. After one quarter, the Ravens led 10-0, and looked to be moving the ball at will against Carolina’s defense. They racked up 258 yards of offense in the first half, and led 17-3.

Then they went into the locker room at halftime and…

took naps?

got deep tissue massages?

hung out in the sauna for 8 minutes?

Whatever the cause, they came out extremely lethargic after the break, looking nothing like the team that had dominated the first half. Taking possession with 9:40 left in the game, the Ravens had amassed just 63 total yards of offense in the second half.

What was most disappointing to me was their complete inability/refusal to run the ball.

Listen, I’m as big a Joe Flacco fan as you’re going to find. Two and a half years into his tenure, I am as “Wacko for Flacco as ever.” But holding a lead in the second half on the road is the time to pound the football, unleash the offensive linemen, and get “downhill” on your opponent.

Not in the mind of Cam Cameron, I suppose.

In the third quarter, the Ravens ran 17 plays – 12 passes and 5 runs.

That’s playcalling. That’s on the coaching staff.

Those 5 runs went for a total of 18 yards (3.6 ypc).

That’s execution. The blame there goes on the offensive line and running backs.

It’s obvious that this team just doesn’t have the make up or mentality to totally stomp on inferior teams – at least not on offense. While frustrating, that’s not necessarily a fatal flaw. What it is though, is a call for the coaching staff to realize it, and stop trying to keep throwing the ball all over the field when the team is leading. Especially as we get into the colder weather here in December, it would be nice to be reassured that the Ravens have the ability to “take the air out of the ball” when they get up, and use their running game to effectively hold onto leads.

Another sign that the Ravens may not have been 100% into the game mentally was the severe case of “fumbleitis” they experienced throughout the day. It started when Flacco and Rice botched a hand off at the Panthers’ 11-yard line midway through the second quarter (Flacco stated that it was his fault; the play was supposed to be a reverse, not a handoff to Rice). It then continued with normally very sure-handed guys like Anquan Boldin and Todd Heap. On the day, the Ravens put the ball on the ground a total of four times, and lost two of those. With three of their next four games against teams with winning records, those types of things could be detrimental to the Ravens’ chances.

Although they provided the knockout punches, it was hardly a dominant effort overall from the Ravens defense. Third string running back Mike Goodson ran 22 times for 120 yards, including a long of 45 (in fairness, 22 of those came in junk time when John Fox should have had his team taking a knee). It appeared the Ravens had gotten their run defense straightened out after back-to-back strong performances against Miami (to a degree) and Atlanta (vintage Ravens run-stuffing), but the gaping holes were there again yesterday. Against a team whose starting quarterback was literally a stay-at-home dad two weeks ago, and who can do next to nothing (88-yard touchdown passes notwithstanding), there is no excuse for a team to run wild like that. I have some ideas for things the team can try to plug up those holes, and I’ll write about that later in the week. For now though, suffice to say that Tampa Bay running backs LeGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams will be licking their chops looking at film this week.

The Ravens are now 7-3 – their best record through 10 games in the John Harbaugh era – and have four of their final six games at M&T Bank Stadium, along with two very winnable road games. While Ravens fans seem to be eternal pessimists, the fact of the matter is that everything this team set out to do is still well within their grasp.

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Ravens (6-2) @ Falcons (6-2)

Posted by darnold on Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Just four days after dispatching of “the other” other quarterback taken in the first two rounds of the 2008 Draft, Chad Henne (to the point that he was benched), Joe Flacco has the chance to take on the guy with which his fortunes will be forever linked and compared, fellow 2008 first round draft pick Matt Ryan.

While Ryan is in no danger of suffering a Henne-like benching no matter how bad the Ravens may (hopefully) make him look Thursday night, it would no doubt mean a lot to Joe to take a 1-0 series lead over the Atlanta franchise savior.

Like Flacco, Ryan has started since day one, making those formerly sad-sack Falcons fans forget all about Mike Vick and his endless string of “Bad Newz.” Those old stories about the Ravens wanting Ryan, and nearly trading up to take him, in the 2008 draft have resurfaced again this week. Regardless of how much truth there is in these “war room legends,” the fact remains that both Baltimore and Atlanta are extremely satisfied with their young signal callers.

The two have nearly identical stats through their first two-plus years in the league…eerily similar, some would say:

Flacco: 8501 yards, 47 TD, 30 INT, 85.8 QB Rating, 26-14 Regular Season, 3-2 Playoffs
Ryan: 8305, 51, 30, 85.7, 26-12, 0-1

Ridiculously similar production, both in stats and in wins. The two also both became the first rookie quarterbacks to start all 16 games for their teams during a season in which they qualified for the post-season.

Enough history, though.

While “Flacco vs. Ryan” is the main event headliner that the NFL is using to drum up interest in this game, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the guys who are truly going to decide the outcome of this match up are the guys on the undercard. Namely….

Ray Rice/Willis McGahee vs. Michael Turner/Jason Snelling

While both quarterbacks are taking greater control of their respective offenses here in their third years, the ground games are still the straws that stir the drink in both B’More and Hotlanta.

For the Ravens, Ray Rice and Willis McGahee have combined for 1121 yards from scrimmage (837 rushing, 284 receiving) and seven touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving.) Throw in Le’Ron “Spit Train” McClain and you can tack on another 146 total yards.

For the Falcons, Michael Turner and Jason Snelling have put up 1172 yards from scrimmage (974 rushing, 198 receiving) and eight touchdowns (7 rushing, 1 receiving.)

That’s some impressive productions out of the backfields for both squads.

While the Ravens inched back into the upper half of the NFL in run defense on the heels of holding the Miami Dolphins to just 73 yards, we’re not quite convinced that they’ve gotten things totally straightened out. Perhaps the Dolphins’ opening drive, during which Ronnie Brown completely gashed the Ravens’ defense, was really just a result of them knocking the rust off after the bye week, but there’s no way to really know, since Miami inexplicably had abandoned the running game by the second quarter.

Turner stands 5’10″ and weighs in at 244 lbs. Think Peyton Hillis of the Browns…but faster. I’ll wait while you go get a drink…

Back with me? Alright then.

Coming out of the bye, the Ravens paid lip service to the fact that they addressed their run gap coverage and tackling issues during the extra week. Then they came out and were immediately dressed in a clown suit by Ronnie Brown. They’ll have to prove that they really did patch up those gaping holes in the ground game on Thursday, because the Falcons won’t be nearly as quick to stop feeding Turner the rock as Miami was with Brown.

Not that things get any easier once Turner is slowed down. The Falcons have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Roddy White. Even though he was banged up last week against Tampa and missed practice this week, White is expected to play. White at even 70 or 80% is a formidable challenge for this Ravens secondary. Josh Wilson is expected to start in place of Fabian Washington, who has found his way to the bench in each of the last two games. Wilson played strongly against Buffalo and Miami. Lardarius Webb has been uneven so far in 2010, getting beat for a long pass along the sideline by Brian Hartline last week.

The Falcons also have All-World tight end Tony Gonzalez. Although he’s getting a bit long in the tooth, Gonzalez is still a big part of what the Falcons do offensively, especially if White isn’t playing at full strength. The hope here is that Ryan is unprepared for the master ballhawk that is Ed Reed, and that Reed is able to bait him into a bad throw or two.

Just in case I have to completely spell it out for you after all that – I’m not at all convinced that the Ravens can stifle the Atlanta attack. I think holding them in the lower 20s for the game should be considered a minor victory. Now, whether or not that minor victory can translate into a true victory in the standings will rest on the shoulders of the offense.

We’ve heard since summer that this was supposed to be the year that the Ravens’ offense can step up and bail the defense out. Thursday night in Atlanta should be a prime opportunity for the O to put up or shut up.

The Falcons defense is tough to figure out. They’re small and fast on the defensive line and in the linebacking corps, leading Sun columnist Mike Preston to predict that the Ravens will have no problem pushing them around and controlling the ball, clock, and game. However, as fellow Sun writer Jamison Hensley points out, the Falcons have gone from the 26th ranked defense against the run to the 6th over their past six games. Unlike the Ravens, who so far just SAY they’ve figured out this run defense thing, with the Falcons, the numbers back up that claim.

The secondary is equally schizophrenic. They are ranked 26th, giving up over 250 yards per game. Despite that, they are tied for 3rd in the NFL with 13 interceptions. Flacco hasn’t thrown a pick in 129 passes, the longest streak of his career; however, those who watched the Bills and Dolphins games know that there were certainly a few during those 129 that could have easily been picked off. The Falcons don’t drop interceptions, so Flacco will have to earn it if he wishes that streak to continue.

This was a game that, at the start of the season, many Ravens fans had circled as a loss. Nothing that either team has done through the first eight games can justifiably alter that prediction. A short week, going on the road, playing against a fellow Super Bowl hopeful, with a quarterback who is 17-1 all-time in his home stadium, in an environment (dome) where they are historically dismal (2-9 all time). If the Ravens are to win this game, they’ll have to overcome a lot of things that aren’t working in their favor.

Which will make it all the sweeter when they do.

Ravens 27 Falcons 24

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Ravens 26 Dolphins 10 (The RETURN OF RAY RICE Game)

Posted by darnold on Monday, November 8th, 2010

Sure, Ray Rice was never “gone,” per se, nor has he missed any significant time with injuries, but the 2010 Ray Rice had, through seven games, looked a bit different from the 2009 version. Due mostly in part to opposing defenses scheming heavily to stop him (but also some other factors, such as too much dancing in the backfield and Joe Flacco sometimes forgetting that he isn’t 7 feet tall), Rice was well off his 2000+ yards from scrimmage pace of a year ago.

Well, the Miami Dolphins apparently see no reason to pay any special attention to Ray Rice when preparing to defend the Ravens’ offense. Asked after the game if they had shadowed or spied Rice out of the backfield, linebacker Karlos Dansby had this to say:

“No, for what?” Dansby said. “Why would we shadow him? He didn’t do anything. They checked down to him, but he was the last resort. Why would we need to shadow him?”

He didn’t do anything?

Ok, Karlos. If seven receptions for 98 yards on the day (along with 83 yards on 22 carries) is “[not] anything,” than I’d be damn happy with “nothing” from Rice every week from here on out, wouldn’t you, Ravens fans?

The 180 total yards from scrimmage were Rice’s most since week 14 of last year against Detroit, when he racked up over 200 total yards from scrimmage. The Ravens had 402 yards of offense against Miami. Rice accounted for 45% of those yards.

That, as they say, is a whole lotta “nothing.”

Red Zone Woes

The 402 yards of offense were great to see from a Ravens offense that B’More has been waiting on to “click” all season long. The news wasn’t all good though, unfortunately.

Miami was the team that came into this game with the reputation of red-zone futility, but it was the Ravens who were forced to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns far too often on Sunday afternoon. On seven trips inside the Miami 20 yard line, the Ravens produced…ONE touchdown.

One-for-seven. Unacceptable.

Granted, the final one of those was at the end of the game when John Harbaugh elected to kick a field goal from the 1 to push the lead to 2 touchdowns and 2 two point conversions at 26-10. There are no excuses for the other six red zone tries.

On the second, following a Lardarius Webb interception and return all the way to the Miami four yard line at the start of the second quarter, the Ravens put together what may well have been the absolute worst red zone series in franchise history. It went like this:

  1. 1-4-MIA 4 (13:25) 23-W.McGahee right guard to MIA 5 for -1 yards (91-C.Wake).
  2. 2-5-MIA 5 (12:47) 5-J.Flacco sacked at MIA 15 for -10 yards (96-P.Soliai).
  3. 3-15-MIA 15 (12:08) (Shotgun) PENALTY on BLT-5-J.Flacco, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at MIA 15 – No Play.
  4. Timeout #2 by BLT at 11:41.
  5. 3-20-MIA 20 (11:41) (Shotgun) 5-J.Flacco sacked at MIA 20 for 0 yards (91-C.Wake).
  6. 4-20-MIA 20 (11:00) (Field Goal formation) 4-S.Koch FUMBLES (Aborted) at MIA 30, and recovers at MIA 30. 4-S.Koch to MIA 30 for no gain (30-C.Clemons).

Run for negative yardage? Check.

Delay of game penalty in your own home? Check.

Wasted timeout? Check.

TWENTY yard sack? Check.

Fumbled field goal try (now from 37 yards out)? Check.

Points? Nope.

To use tired internet language, that is some EPIC FAIL.

What Happened to Ronnie?

Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown started the game out with a bang, as his first two carries went for 12 and 14 yards. Flashbacks to Peyton Hillis in Week 3 were filling the heads of fans all through M&T Bank Stadium. On that drive, which he capped with a 12-yard touchdown scamper, Brown ran 6 times for 45 yards. Despite reportedly spending the bye week focusing on fixing their run defense and tackling, it looked like the Ravens were going to have a long day dealing with the Dolphins’ rushing attack.

Then, Brown just kinda…disappeared.

After picking up those 45 yards on 6 carries on the first drive, Brown finished the day with just 59 yards on 9 carries. Fellow running back Ricky Williams ran just twice for a total of a single yard.

In a game that saw the two teams separated by a single point at halftime (and which the Dolphins had a great chance to be leading at the break), Miami inexplicably abandoned the running game. Twelve of the Dolphins’ last 14 plays of the first half were passes.

Quite puzzling.

And I’m hardly convinced that the Ravens issues stopping the run are suddenly a thing of the past. Atlanta will not be nearly as quick to go away from Michael Turner on Thursday night.

Feasting on Chads

The last time these two teams met was in the 2008 playoffs. The results then were eerily similar to yesterday. In a 27-9 Ravens win, B’More picked off Miami QB Chad Pennington four times.

Yesterday, in a 26-10 win, it was a new “Chad,” but the same old results.

The Ravens intercepted Chad Henne (Pennington is now the backup) three times, with Ed Reed, Lardarius Webb, and Josh Wilson (after he again replaced a benched Fabian Washington) all getting in on the action.

On Reed’s, Brandon Marshall exhibited a severe case of “alligator arms,” with Ray Lewis closing quickly. I’ll get a separate post up with screen caps of the play. It’s pretty embarrassing for Marshall how scared he was of being “Dustin Keller’d,” or “Kellan Winslow’d” by #52.

Special Teams Gaffes (and Redemption)

I already mentioned the botched field goal attempt at the start of the second quarter. I’ll have to go back and watch the play again, but it appeared on first glance as though it was a good snap by Morgan Cox. Sam Koch just botched it, something he has rarely (if ever) done during his tenure as holder for the Ravens.

Koch would later make up for it in a big way.

With just under three minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, Koch lined up for what would have been his first punt of the day. On the play, though, it was Miami who made a big special teams mistake. They left gunner Cary Williams uncovered, Koch saw it, and threw a bullet to Williams, who went 13 yards to convert the fourth-and-10. The Dolphins’ special teams coach was flying down the sideline trying to get a timeout, but did not get it called in time.

Koch never punted during the game, something that has happened only one other time since he has been a Raven (the other being in the 27-13 loss at Cleveland in 2007).

Sam Koch isn’t a “punter.” He’s a football player who happens to punt. Remember Dallas in 08, when he took off running and converted a fourth down off a fake field goal try? Add “amateur quarterback” to “impromptu running back” on Koch’s resume.

Oh, but of course the special teams problems weren’t done for the day. The same drive that included Koch’s first career pass completion ended in a Billy Cundiff missed 37-yard field goal try.

Dolphins Miscues

The Ravens are without a doubt a better team than the Miami Dolphins at this point, but that doesn’t mean this game couldn’t have went the other way. There were a few plays that, had they went the other way, could have kept Miami’s road winning streak alive.

First, there was the 3rd-and-goal from the Ravens’ 1 at the end of the first half. Chad Henne had tight end Anthony Fasano wide open in the end zone, but the ball fluttered over Fasano’s reaching hand. Had they connected (as I’m sure they have on that play countless times in practice), the Phins would have led 14-13 at the half.

The Ravens were also helped by Dolphins cornerback Shawn Smith’s stone hands. Smith jumped in front of a Joe Flacco pass intended for Anquan Boldin late in the third quarter. Smith would have walked into the end zone and pulled the Dolphins to within 20-17. Instead, two plays later came the Sam Koch pass.

And, one play after THAT came…

“Spat Gate”

I saved this for last because I hate that it’s even a thing. Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder is accusing Le’Ron McClain of spitting in his face during an altercation at midfield after Crowder had called a time out.

Earlier today, I posted a video that seems to back up Crowder’s claims.

This is incredibly similar to the incident in 2008, when friend of the Nest Frank Walker was seemingly caught by cameras spitting on Steelers’ punter Mitch Berger. That one was easier to digest. That was Frank Freaking Walker, who all Ravens fans hated anyway, and who we all hoped wouldn’t be long for this franchise.

Pain Train is a different story. He has become a fan favorite with his twitter jibberish and “MCCLAIN 4 RB” campaign. He has twice made the Pro Bowl, and is having another outstanding season. McClain could very well be the best all-around fullback in the game today. He SHOULD be with the Ravens for a long, long time.

However, this incident would mark the second time this season that McClain’s emotions have gotten the better of him in the heat of battle. His unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in overtime in New England didn’t lose the game for the Ravens, but it certainly didn’t help. Now this.

When the NFL sees the video of the spit, McClain should at least be fined. If not by the NFL, then by the Ravens. However, he could also be suspended. The Ravens do not have another fullback on their roster, so that would put the offense in a very awkward position for whatever game McClain may end up being forced to sit out. The Ravens would unquestionably be hurt by McClain’s absence, and for something that is nobody’s fault but his own. That sort of thing won’t sit well with anybody in the organization, from his teammates all the way up to Ozzie Newsome and Steve Bisciotti.

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Play Like a Raven – Week 7

Posted by darnold on Thursday, October 28th, 2010

PlayLikeaRayRice

Ray Rice had a solid, if unspectacular, day Sunday, rushing for 72 yards on 16 carries (4.5 ypc). Mike Preston wrote on Monday that Rice seems to be a bit slow hitting his holes, making too many cuts trying to find the “home run.”

Running back Ray Rice carried the ball 16 times for 72 yards against the Bills Sunday, but he is still slow hitting holes.

Rice had a similar problem the week before against the New England Patriots. The Ravens are opening holes, but Rice is hesitating, trying to bounce outside or cut back for the home run instead of just blasting through the hole.

Additionally, in the fourth quarter, when the Ravens could have really used some yards on the ground to put the game away, Rice was nowhere to be found, for the most part. His fourth quarter touches:

3-7-BAL 10 (9:09) (Shotgun) 5-J.Flacco pass short right to 27-R.Rice to BLT 11 for 1 yard (59-A.Coleman).
1-10-BUF 44 (4:54) 27-R.Rice right guard to BUF 43 for 1 yard (99-M.Stroud, 90-C.Kelsay).
2-9-BUF 43 (4:15) 27-R.Rice left guard to BUF 40 for 3 yards (95-K.Williams, 20-D.Whitner).

I still maintain that Rice is the most important piece to this offense, but his follow-up to his Pro Bowl 2009 season has been a bit disappointing. Let’s hope he picks things up in the second half of the season.

Played Like a Raven – Ed Reed

Mr. Reed made his triumphant return to the gridiron against the Bills, and had a huge say in the outcome of the game. Eddie picked off two Ryan Fitzpatrick passes and caused a Roscoe Parrish fumble. The Ravens had only two interceptions in six games without #20, and that total was already doubled after just 45 minutes of football with Reed on the field.

I’m imagining Tom Zbikowski standing on the sideline, muttering to himself “they never throw the ball to me like that, mehhhh…”

The goofy faction of Ravens fans that maintain the delusion that the secondary is better without Reed (due to his “wreckless” play) will point to the four long touchdown passes as evidence that their claim still holds water. To those people, I’d remind them of the big touchdown passes by Denver in Week 5, and the horrendous play by Ravens’ cornerbacks all day against Buffalo. The bottom line is, if Ed Reed doesn’t play Sunday, the Ravens are very likely 4-3 today.

Honorable Mentions: Ray Lewis, Todd Heap, Marshal Yanda

Did Not Play Like a Raven – Rest of Defense

Holy shitballs. Where to start?

Let’s go down the list, excluding the two players (#20 and #52, of course) named above.

Fabian Washington: “Toast” was burned again and again, to the point that, by Fabe’s own admission, Ryan Fitzpatrick was calling him out via audibles at the line of scrimmage.

“Once they start going after somebody, you’ve got to get them off you then,” said Washington, who wears No. 31. “[Sunday] was, ‘check, check 31.’ That’s what it was. This week, they got me, but please believe I will be back.”

After his great day against Denver, Washington has fallen off a cliff. In New England, he was simply ineffective, and, against the Bills, he had likely his worst game as a pro. Fabe looked completely shell-shocked by the end of his day, which came midway through the fourth quarter when he was benched in favor of Josh Wilson following Fitzpatrick’s final touchdown pass.

Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs: These two are counted on by the Ravens’ defense to be playmakers. Do you remember hearing either of their named called on Sunday? Suggs and Ngata can NOT be invisible, or this defense is in more trouble than any of us realize. Ngata’s play is somewhat excused by the rest of his body of work so far in 2010. Suggs needs to step up down the stretch, it’s just that simple.

Edit: Some guys that know a lot more about football than me say that Sunday was actually Suggs’ best day rushing the passer since the Washington game in 2008, despite his not recording a sack.

The seven total pressures (a hit, six pressures) Suggs recorded in this game was the most since he recorded eight (a sack, a hit, six pressures) in Week 14 of the 2008 season against the Washington Redskins.

Lardarius Webb: He was slowed by a groin wrap, but Webb was the one beaten on the 33-yard touchdown to Stevie Johnson.

Webb said he had his groin wrapped as a precaution, but took it off after Johnson beat him for a 33-yard score in the second quarter.

“That’s not an excuse,” Webb said. “I’m still supposed to make that play. I took it off then, and didn’t have any problems. I’m thinking I never should have put it on in the first place. It’s the NFL. Everybody makes plays.

Webbie also whiffed on several tackle attempts.

Dawan Landry: Sure, he had 9 tackles, but how many did he miss? Unfortunately, they don’t keep that stat on NFL.com (well, fortunately for Dawan). Landry has been sub-par in pass support, run support, and general tackling all season. Maybe during his week off, he can go work out with, and get some pointers from, his brother LaRon, who is having a stellar season down in Landover for the Redskins.

Jarret Johnson, Paul Kruger, Brandon McKinney, Terrence Cody, Cory Redding: Buffalo averaged 3.8 yards per rushing play for the day, and had 132 total yards on the ground. Fitzpatrick was sacked only once, and it was hardly a true sack (he rolled out on a 4th-and-1 bootleg, and was stopped behind the line by Lewis). Nobody on the defense escapes blame for the Bills’ 64% 3rd-down conversion rate on the day.

Just an ugly, ugly performance all around.

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Ravens 37 Bills 34 OT (The SHOULD HAVE SUITED UP THE 2000 DEFENSE Game)

Posted by darnold on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

On Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens honored the 2000 Super Bowl team with a “homecoming” of sorts.

Maybe they should have let those guys play a bit. Even though most of them haven’t stepped foot on a field in nearly a decade, they certainly couldn’t have been any worse than the current Ravens were yesterday.

I’m pretty sure Tony Siragusa could have plugged up the middle and slowed down Buffalo’s rushing game more aptly than Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg, and co. were able to.

I’m fairly certain that Duane Starks would have held his own against the Bills’ wide receivers better than Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb did.

Fabian “Toast” Washington was burned repeatedly

And I’m damn positive that Kim Herring could have stepped in and given Dawan Landry an absolute clinic on how to make a tackle.

On a day when members of the greatest defense of all time were in the house, the Ravens did little to make the former Super Bowl champs proud.

The Buffalo Bills came into Baltimore and ran roughshod over the Ravens’ defense, doing pretty much anything they wanted to all afternoon. They entered the game averaging just 251 yards of total offense per game, and had more than doubled that output (506 total yards of offense) by the time Billy Cundiff’s 38-yard field goal gave the Ravens the 37-34 victory. In overtime. Against, of all teams, the freaking Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo also sported the worst 3rd-down conversion percentage in the NFL entering the game. At the end of the day, one of the two teams was just 2/11 on 3rd downs, while the other was a stout 11/17 on their way to holding the ball for more than 38 minutes. The latter, of course, however inexplicably, was the Bills.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick put an end to the Bills league-worst 58 consecutive games without a 300-yard passer, and did so emphatically; he threw for 374 yards and FOUR touchdowns. Not to be outdone, receivers Lee Evans and Stevie Johnson ended Bills streaks of their own, as each surpassed 100 yards receiving, something no Buffalo Bill had managed in 11 games.

Not that it was a complete aerial assualt – Buffalo also put up 132 yards on the ground for the day.

And yet…as bleak a picture as all of those numbers paint – not only on the day, but moving forward as well – the Ravens still eked out the win.

It was up to the offense to bail the defense out yesterday, and Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Todd Heap, and company were up to the challenge. Finding themselves in a 24-10 hole after Evans’ second touchdown with 5 minutes remaining in the first half, the Ravens’ offense – with an assist from the great Ed Reed (more on him later) – ripped off 17 points in just 71 seconds of game clock to take a 27-24 lead.

The final 7 of that 17 came on a beautiful flea flicker, a play that I would bet the Ravens haven’t hit on in at least five years. From the Buffalo 34, Joe Flacco handed to Willis McGahee, who lateraled back to Flacco, and Joe launched a gorgeous touchdown rainbow to Anquan Boldin.

While Joe didn’t have his best day, he made enough plays to win the game. He connected on just 16 of his 31 throws, but the ones he did hit, he made count: 250 yards through the air was the final result, with three touchdown strikes of 26, 14, and 34 yards.

Ed Reed. The man just makes plays. Even though Reed looked a half-step slow at times during the day, his uncanny nose for the football just will not be suppressed. On the Bills’ first series, when it looked like they were about to pick up a 3rd-and-8 from the Ravens’ 32, Reed came up and put his helmet right on the ball, jarring it free from wideout Roscoe Parrish. The Ravens didn’t recover, but Buffalo lost 12 yards on the play, and the ensuing punt set the Ravens’ up to take their short-lived 3-0 lead. On Buffalo’s very first snap of the second half, Reed, off a tipped pass from Ray Lewis, intercepted Fitzpatrick to set up the aforementioned flea flicker score. And, at the end of the third, with the Ravens holding a 34-24 lead, just a single play after he came up a little lame and CBS analyst Steve Beuerlein noted that Reed looked a little slow, #20 AGAIN intercepted Fitzpatrick, this time returning the pick 40 yards to the Buffalo nine.

That play should have effectively won the game for the Ravens. Unfortunately, Willis McGahee and Joe Flacco botched the handoff on the ensuing snap, and gave the ball right back to the Bills. Instead of a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the defense was faced for the second straight week with a 10 point lead at the same juncture in the ball game. And, just like in New England last week, they would cave.

Buffalo put together a 63-yard touchdown drive and a 59-yard field goal drive – the latter starting at their own 9 yard line with just 3:26 to go in the game – in the fourth quarter, while the Ravens managed just a single first down in the final period. It’s distressing that just a week after blowing a fourth quarter lead, both units – offense and defense – again choked when given the chance to put the game away.

Facing the worst run defense in the league, and having gained nearly 5 yards per carry all day, the Ravens’ fourth quarter play selection was the following:

1st drive: Run (fumble)
2nd drive: Pass (incomplete), Run (6 yards), Pass (1 yard), Punt
3rd drive: Pass (incomplete), Pass (36 yards), Run (1 yard), Run (3 yards), Pass (incomplete), Punt

And in overtime (the drive that didn’t START in field goal range): Run (5 yards), Pass (incomplete), Pass (sack), Punt

Five runs, seven passes.

Now, some will argue that Cam Cameron was just doing exactly what Ravens fans were blasting him for NOT doing after last week’s New England loss – that is, being aggressive and not “going conservative.” To those people, I’d offer this rebuttal: the difference is, in both instances, Cam went AWAY from what was working. Last week in New England, it was the intermediate passing game that was having success – and in the fourth quarter the Ravens decided they were going to play it safe. Against Buffalo – again, the WORST run defense in the league – Ray Rice was having a fairly good day and Willis McGahee was outstanding (besides the fumble), averaging nearly six yards per carry. Add in that Flacco, as mentioned earlier, was erratic on the day (he should have been intercepted at least once, if not twice), and the decision to skew the playcalling towards the pass in the fourth quarter and overtime becomes even more perplexing.

I suppose I just don’t understand NFL playcalling. I’ll leave it at that for now, so I don’t drive myself insane.

Two additional points I’d be remiss not to address: First up, Ray Lewis. With his former teammates watching, is it any surprise that #52 would say, “enough of this bullshit, we’re not losing,” and just straight up maul the football from Bills tight end Shawn Nelson? Make no mistake about it, Ray won the game with that play, as the Ravens had very little hope of stopping the offensive juggernaut that stole the Buffalo Bills’ jerseys and wore them in Baltimore.

The second point, which piggybacks right off of that one – the officials. I’ve complained about the refereeing enough on this blog over the years that I’d be quite hypocritical to not acknowledge that the Ravens were aided monumentally at least once yesterday by the guys’ in stripes. So, referee Pete Morelli and crew: thank you for not blowing the whistle on that play.

In fairness, former NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira says the refs made the right call.

The other curious ruling came two plays before Flacco found Heap to pull the Ravens to within 24-20 at the half. Flacco had appeared to have found Bills cornerback Reggie Corner (great career choice BTW Reggie!) for an interception that would have kep the deficit at 11 points at the break. However, luckily, Corner was ruled out of bounds even after review – and Boldin was not flagged for offensive pass interference (though either player could have been called for P.I.)

The Ravens have problems on both sides of the ball, and on special teams, and we’ll get into those problems deeper here during the bye week. But for now, let’s just thank our lucky (after yesterday, that word bears repeating) stars that the Ravens go into the off date at 5-2 and right where they need to be…record-wise, anyway.

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Bills (0-5) @ Ravens (4-2)

Posted by darnold on Friday, October 22nd, 2010

We all remember the last time the Ravens and Buffalo Bills met, back in the 2007 season.

There are some unfortunate similarities between that game and this one, namely:

  • The 2007 meeting was in Week 7, as is this one.
  • Entering that game, the Bills were 1-4, and the Ravens were 4-2. This time, the Ravens have the exact same record, while the Bills are just a bit worse at 0-5.
  • In 2007, the Bills were coming off their bye week. In 2010, the same holds true.

Let’s hope those are the only similarities, as that game was an epic embarrassment for the Ravens, and one that the ball rolling on what would ultimately be the longest losing streak in franchise history (nine games) a scenario that cost the head coach and quarterback their jobs.

Yikes.

Now that I’ve got you feeling all warm and fuzzy about Sunday’s game, let me go ahead and allay some of those fears. I’ve, for the most part, gotten over my stereotypical Ravens fan fear of games like this…games where the Ravens have absolutely no business losing. That mentality was beaten into us by years and years of Brian Billick teams continually playing down (or up, as the case may have been) to the level of their opponents, driving us mad with losses to teams like…well, like the Buffalo Bills.

Now, to be fair, that 2007 team was a complete mess, and the 4-2 record was a house of cards waiting to crumble for any fan that was honest with themselves. Nobody was talking about the Ravens as true Super Bowl contenders, among the league’s elite, as they are here in 2010, even after the loss last week in Foxborough.

On top of that, as we’ve stressed here time and again, and as Ravens fans are slowly learning to become more comfortable with: John Harbaugh’s teams do not suffer those types of letdowns, and routinely beat the stuffing out of “inferior” opponents. The Buffalo Bills are undoubtedly in that category. Hell, there was an article on ESPN this week asking (in all seriousness) if the Bills might lose to a UFL team. At least there’s no pressure on them right? So they got that goin’.

Moving on to the meat and potatoes of the contest, the Ravens have the edge in just about every category. For starters, the Bills have the NFL’s worst rush defense, allowing 182.4 yards per game, and have allowed at least 200 yards on the ground in three consecutive contests. They no doubt spent their bye week trying to figure out how to plug those gaping holes in the run defense, but nonetheless should be no match for Ray Rice, Willis McGahee (maybe?), and Le’Ron McClain (provided Pain Train knows which play is called). After not seeing a single snap in New England, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Willis get a lot of work Sunday, with the coaching staff giving him every opportunity to have a huge day against his former team.

Their pass defense is ranked 10th in the league at 200 yards per game, but those numbers are a bit deceiving. As discussed, teams don’t have to throw the ball against Buffalo, because it’s just so damn easy to run it. Additionally, they have surrendered 10 touchdowns through the air in just five games, and have picked off just a single pass (by David Garrard in Week 5). Joe Flacco has been very good in the Ravens’ two home games this season, throwing for 458 yards, 3 TDs, and no interceptions. Bills’ staring cornerback Terrence McGee is expected to miss the game with a back injury, which should just open things up more for Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Todd Heap returned to practice Thursday, and should be available despite the neck injury he suffered on that helmet-to-helmet hit from the Patriots’ Brandon Merriweather.

On offense, the Bills aren’t faring much better. Their quarterback position has been unsettled already this season, as they played the first two games with Trent Edwards under center, before trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Former Bengal Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken over the past three games and has played reasonably well, throwing seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. I’d be remiss not to mention though, that those three performances came against the Patriots, Jets, and Jaguars, none of whom have pass defenses ranked higher than 22nd. The Ravens’ #3 pass defense, picked on a bit by Kyle Orton (in junk time) and Tom Brady (when it REALLY mattered) over the last two weeks, could benefit from the return of safety Ed Reed, who is expected to be a game-time decision.

The last time Fitzpatrick faced the Ravens, he was just 12/31 for 124 yards, and fumbled twice. I have to note, however, that Fitzpatrick is a threat to scramble, as he was also the Bengals’ leading rusher in that game, with 3 carries for 29 yards. Against the Jets a few weeks back, he carried 7 times for 74 yards, so the Ravens will certainly have to be aware of his ability to pick up yards with his feet.

If Jarret Johnson is to be believed, Fitzpatrick’s running ability is not flying under the Ravens’ radar.

“He runs around,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’ve had trouble with in the past. We didn’t expect him to scramble and he scrambled all over us. He can create some things.”

The Ravens will also be getting an emotional boost this Sunday, as the team is scheduled to honor the 2000 Super Bowl Team on their 10th Anniversary in a special halftime ceremony. Remember back in 2007, when Pittsburgh brought back all those guys from the 1970s on the Monday Night game against the Ravens, and were up 28-0 after the first quarter or something ridiculous like that? I expect a similar situation Sunday, with the current Ravens stepping up as Jonathan Ogden, Trent Dilfer, Jamal Lewis, Michael McCrary, Tony Siragusa and others look on. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Ray Lewis plays absolutely out of his mind against the Bills. As if the guy could ever play with any more emotion, seeing his old teammates gathered in one place again, especially on the field at M&T Bank Stadium, could provide a boost that will have Bills offensive players tapping out by halftime.

Not that I’m predicting an early blowout or anything. Just saying it wouldn’t surprise me.

Ravens 34 Bills 10

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Play Like a Raven – Week 6

Posted by darnold on Thursday, October 21st, 2010

PlayLikeaRayRice

On Sunday in Foxborough, Ray Rice was again the Ravens’ most important weapon on offense, as evidenced by his 36 (!!) touches. However, all credit must be given to Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense, who figured out a way to keep Rice from going buck wild on them despite getting the ball nearly 40 times. His 28 carries went for only 88 yards (a 3.14 average), his longest run of the afternoon was 8 yards, he managed just 38 yards on 8 receptions (4.75 ypc), and he never really sniffed the end zone.

So, with Rice having a bit of an off day, who stepped up to pick up the slack?

Played Like a Raven – Derrick Mason

The 36 year old wide receiver notched his first 100-yard performance since Week 11 of last year, when he caught 9 balls for 142 yards in a loss to the Colts. Sunday, D-Mase was the Ravens’ most consistent weapon, catching 8 passes for exactly 100 yards. It appeared that he may have made the play that was ultimately going to lead to a win for the Ravens when he had his biggest gain of the day, a 20 yard reception down the left sideline with about 10 minutes left in the overtime period. That reception set the Ravens up at their own 48 yard line, where another two or three first downs (or one big play) would have put them in long Billy Cundiff field goal range.

Unfortunately, that was not to be the case, as the Ravens’ next three plays went:

1-10-BAL 48 (9:37) 27-R.Rice left guard to BLT 48 for no gain (55-B.Spikes).
2-10-BAL 48 (8:59) 5-J.Flacco pass short middle to 27-R.Rice to NE 48 for 4 yards (50-R.Ninkovich, 55-B.Spikes).
3-6-NE 48 (8:16) (Shotgun) 5-J.Flacco pass incomplete deep right to 86-T.Heap (32-D.McCourty).

One knock on Mason’s day, however: If he hauls in that likely touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Ravens are probably 5-1 right now.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Flacco, Haloti Ngata, Todd Heap

Did Not Play Coach Like a Raven – John Harbaugh, Greg Mattison, Cam Cameron

This isn’t the first time the coaches have found themselves in this spot. The last time I decided to pin some blame for a loss on John Harbaugh & Co. was the aforementioned Indianapolis game in Week 11 of 2009. That day, it was clock management from Harbaugh, and short-yardage failures from offensive coordinator Cam Cameron that drew my ire.

As for this loss to the Patriots, no coach escapes blame.

My buddy Glenn Clark damn near gave himself an aneurysm this morning on “The Morning Reaction” on WNST, going off on the “idiotic” notion that the Ravens lost the game due to conservative playcalling on both sides of the ball.

Well, I’m going to respectfully disagree here and instead side with the long list of people who are chalking this loss up to the Ravens “taking their foot off the pedal” after going up 20-10 early in the fourth quarter.

From the fishy situation of not giving Willis McGahee a single snap, to punting on 4th-and-a-football-length from the New England 47 late in the first half, to punting from their own 48 with 9 minutes to play, Harbaugh clearly made some questionable decisions Sunday.

As for Mattison, well…when Tom Brady knows you only have one of two defenses that you play in a given situation (third-and-goal), you clearly need to switch things up:

“They either blitz you or they play eight guys in a zone.”

Mattison had the perfect blueprint to work with on how to beat Brady – the one he engineered in the Wild Card Playoff game in January. Pressure, pressure, and more pressure. However, in the fourth quarter and overtime, the Ravens were routinely bringing only 3 or 4 men at Brady, and he easily dissected the secondary as a result.

Mattison’s game plan wasn’t the only one the Patriots had figured out, though. According to 105.7 The Fan’s Casey Willet, the Patriots secondary has said in the days following the game that by the fourth quarter and overtime, they knew exactly what routes the Ravens’ receivers were going to run. They switched to Flacco’s kryptonite, the Cover 2, shut off those routes, and the result was the endless train of fruitless checkdowns to Ray Rice.

How the hell do the Ravens and Cam, after 2.5 years of Flacco struggling against this defense, not have a “OK, they’re in Cover 2, let’s use this package and tear that shit up” plan? Boggles the mind.

Even if you agree with Harbaugh’s assessment (and Clark’s mouth-frothing rant) that the Ravens did NOT get too conservative, when the other team comes out and says that they knew pretty much exactly what you were trying to do on both sides of the ball, there is no denying that you were thoroughly out-coached.

This one, like the one last November, is as much on the guys in polo shirts as the guys in jerseys.

Dishonorable Mentions: Michael Oher, Le’Ron McClain

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