The Best Baltimore Ravens Blog

Oh no not again!

2012-01-26T08:12:00.003-05:00

Since Cam Cameron joined the Ravens coaching ranks in 2008, his offenses have ranked 18, 13, 22 and 15 overall in yardage. His passing offenses have ranked 28, 18, 20 and 19.

Prior to joining the Ravens and dating back to 2002 Cameron led offenses ranked 16, 14, 10, 10, 4 and 28 overall and 22, 19, 16, 12, 16 and 24 passing.

Is there any real evidence there that might suggest that Cameron can pilot even an above average offense or passing attack?

Recently on Sirius/XM NFL Radio, Greg Cosell from NFL Films discussed the Ravens offense.

His opinions were anything but flattering.

In so many words Cosell stated that the Ravens passing game is:

• Archaic – their formations are a throwback to the 60’s

• Unlikely to be successful with their scheme

• Predictable in that for the most part they run only 2 routes in the route tree

• Unimaginative in that it lacks bunch formations, rubs, drags and crossing routes

• Lacking in diversity and therefore it invites press man-coverage and nearly every catch is contested

• Wasteful in that a very capable third WR, Lee Evans, was on the field for only 8 of the 63 offensive snaps, nearly unheard of in today’s pass happy NFL.

Yet indications are that Cam Cameron will be back for a fifth season as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Last year he was saved by his head coach and the lockout. Could it be that this year he’ll be saved by a lack of viable coaching alternatives?

Successful teams lose coaches late in the league’s calendar year and when seeking replacements the pickings can be slim. Teams that have experienced coaching staff overhauls have depleted the more attractive options.

Insanity has been defined as, Doing things the same way and expecting different results.

Cam Cameron is probably returning as offensive coordinator.

See a parallel?

Related topic (link): Why Cameron & Flacco need to be separated

It was a very good year!

2012-01-24T15:44:00.001-05:00

The Ravens experienced several peaks and valleys during the 2011 season. Despite a 12-4 record (13-5 overall) the campaign was gut-wrenching in many ways for Ravens fans. Some were frustrated, others teased by the club’s potential. Perhaps expectations were set artificially high during the Opening Day waxing of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the end 2011 was a successful journey for the team, the city of Baltimore and all of the team’s fans both near and far – one that included an AFC North Division Title, a first round bye in the playoffs, a Divisional Round victory at home and 1 completed catch away from the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance.

Maybe the suddenness of the journey’s end has left us reaching for answers or in some cases pointing the finger of blame. Others are even buying in to carefully crafted traps of deception set by the diabolical Bill Belichick.

At the end of the day what we do know is this – the proverbial brass ring, that Silver Betty and companion for the Ravens’ lone Lombardi Trophy was within our collective reach. Yet in a few fleeting seconds it was snatched away and now like 30 other teams the Ravens and their fans have to decompress, take in another Super Bowl without representation and look ahead to next season.

One of the tragedies in the loss to the Patriots in the AFCC is that it will be without a doubt the last time this exact collection of players comprises the Ravens roster. Each season there is a 20-25% turnover in the 53 man squad. Some fringe players will go. Others will feel the blade of the salary cap.

And then there are those like Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg who the Ravens parted ways with as part of a youth movement. Might there be another player or players who meet a similar fate in 2012?

This is the business side of football.

The players get it and after the past offseason, so too do the fans.

Fortunately for all of us emotionally invested (and more) in the team, solace can be found in the knowledge that the Ravens are guided by some of the league’s best leaders in the form of Steve Bisciotti, Dick Cass, Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta and the entire front office. They will re-tool and augment the roster in the professionally successful way they always have. The additions and changes coupled with the battle tested experiences of the past four consecutive post season appearances will bode well for the Ravens.

And they’ll be back.

But until then as we mourn the sudden end of a season, let’s remember the good times, the fun times we experienced. The laughter and cheer; the new friendships, those re-kindled, other deepened.

We were there. We were all there. And despite some frustrating lows in retrospect it was a hell of a ride.

And chances are, we’ll do it again.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: AFC Championship Game

2012-01-23T09:04:00.004-05:00

Had you known in advance that Joe Flacco would clearly outplay Tom Brady and that New England’s All-World signal caller would not throw a single TD pass chances are you would have marked your calendar on February 5 for the Ravens’ second Super Bowl appearance.

But it wasn’t meant to be.

A dropped pass, a missed field goal, an interception overturned due to a ticky-tacky call – alter any of these events and it’s quite likely the story, for Ravens fans, would have had a happy ending. But in the end we were left with shattered hopes and moral victories.

THE GOOD: Anquan Boldin had 6 catches for 101 yards and stepped up when it counted most…Torrey Smith may have had 3 TD’s if not for the disruptive force called Vince Wilfork. He is explosive and his experience in the AFCC will only serve to accelerate his maturation process...Dennis Pitta had 5 catches for 41 yards, most of which were either first downs or a touchdown. He's sure-handed and heady…Lardarius Webb is closing in on elite corner status quickly. Limiting Wes Welker to 53 yards and his acrobatic INT when the Ravens really needed a momentum shifter added to his burgeoning reputation as a playmaker…Bernard Pollard while not a flawless tackler in space did a nice job keeping the Patriots’ dangerous tight ends in check. He also gets a big assist on Jimmy Smith’s clutch interception to help set up a potential game winning/ending drive…Ray Lewis did a nice job of patrolling the short middle zones while chipping in with 12 tackles…Paul Kruger was active and explosive as an edge pass rusher and in hindsight should have taken some of Jarret Johnson’s snaps…Ed Reed’s presence influenced Tom Brady’s decision making throughout the contest and he made a clutch play breaking up a third down pass to Aaron Hernandez to force a New England punt.

THE BAD: Perhaps the single most disruptive force on the field yesterday was Vince Wilfork and the two players most responsible for his dominance were Matt Birk and Marshal Yanda. Yanda, perhaps not all that healthy, clearly slumped down the homestretch this season…Ed Dickson has become a very unreliable receiver. His hands have been consistently shaky over the course of the season’s final quarter pole. Yesterday was no different. Dickson mental lapse wasn't exactly endearing either. Facing a favorable 2nd and 3 at the Patriots 30 yard line, Dickson committed a false start. Two plays later the Ravens turned it over on downs…Dannell Ellerbe was awful, regularly trailing plays and missing tackles in space. And his facemask penalty on a 1 yard second and 6 Benjarvus Green-Ellis run at the Ravens 15 yard line helped set the stage for the Patriots first touchdown...John Harbaugh should have called a timeout instead of rushing Cundiff out there for a game tying field goal. And by the way, why did they have to rush anyway. What was special teams coach Jerry Rosburg doing? Why isn't that unit ready for what was the most important field goal in Cundiff's and Rosburg's career? And what's up with Harbaugh pushing kicking coach Randy Brown?

THE UGLY: Let’s start with the National Anthem, a wretched, nails-on-the-chalkboard rendition by Joan Rivers’ older sister, Steven Tyler…Michael Oher just seems to get worse with experience. Maybe the Ravens should hire Sandra Bullock as offensive line coach…Lee Evans, had the opportunity of a lifetime to finish a play and put the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVI. Instead, he could go down as the Ravens answer to Bill Buckner…Billy Cundiff, what was that? When the Ravens lined up for that field goal on the right hash mark, it is hard to deny that I expected him to push it right like he has in the past. But that duck hook off the tee was disgusting – and so costly. Cundiff's kickoffs were substandard as well and the kick coverage included its usual sloppy tackling.

THE MEGAN FOX AWARD: Yesterday while channel surfing all of the networks covering the NFL, by far the most discussed player was Joe Flacco. He was clearly in the crosshairs of the national media and the pressure to perform was enormous. Despite constant penetration up the middle from Wilfork, Flacco answered all his critics and delivered an outstanding and clutch performance. If Lee Evans finishes a perfectly placed back shoulder pass for what would likely have been turned in for a ticket to Indianapolis, Flacco would be the talk of the sporting world today. But Evans and Cundiff took that opportunity away. Flacco on the day was 22 of 36 for 2 TD’s and 1 INT and 306 yards and a 95.4 quarterback rating. He also contributed with his feet rushing for 27 yards on four carries, one for a key first down to help extend the Ravens’ lead to 4.

Earlier in the week when asked about how he is viewed by the media Flacco responded, “I don’t care. I will be wearing a ring, and we will be holding a trophy. The perception probably won’t change, but it does not really matter.”

You are wrong Joe. The perception has changed and you stepped up when it counted most. Count me among those who believe that it could be a launching pad to bigger things and better things for you.

A team, a color galvanize Baltimore

2012-01-22T12:47:00.003-05:00

Driven by adrenalin tied directly to today’s game I awoke at 5 AM. Walking down to the kitchen I peered outside to our snow covered deck and our string of purple lights intertwined with the guard rail.

Their glow coupled with the light of the approaching dawn cast a purple glow upon the virgin snow.

And I smiled.

Today I thought, would be a purple letter day!

The excitement of the playoffs has been nothing less than exhilarating. Every play, every second is riveting. We see men, our hometown gladiators digging down into the depths of their souls, the wells of perseverance to capture sports’ ultimate prize.

This season has had a unique texture. It has been anything but smooth. Inconsistency has plagued the Ravens, particularly on the road. Our quarterback has weathered a barrage of criticism normally earmarked for a losing team, not one who has won more games than any other quarterback over the last 4 years.

As fans we’ve waited for the Ravens to gel, to show signs of peaking. And we still wait.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Ravens opened the season annihilating their bitter arch rival the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7. Was that their peak?

Does it even matter?

Actually it doesn’t. What has happened is over and done. All the statistics are part of history for both teams. Past successes or failures have no influence upon what happens today. For the players today it is all about preparation both physically and mentally; winning more of their assignments than they lose; it’s about adjustments and execution.

It’s about winning and losing.

Winning has kept the Ravens’ season alive and to stay alive they will have to repeat what they did two years ago in Foxborough.

As an analyst of the team, I think the Ravens will pull off the upset in a nail biter today and they will go on to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI. It will be a rematch of Super Bowl XXXV.

As a fan of the Ravens of course I want to see them succeed for reasons I can’t even begin to count. But mostly I want the buzz in this town to continue. We are intoxicated by the Ravens. We bathe in a sea of purple – together. The team’s success has galvanized the community. Neighbors seem like family; strangers like friends; problems are mere temporary blips on life’s radar screen.

It’s as though all is good in the world when the Ravens are winning. We talk and walk and behave like the community we want to be.

I think back to the magical 2000 season. The day that the Ravens won the Super Bowl there was one arrest made in Baltimore – one! Some dude was outside of some bar taking care of “business”. He didn’t want to wait in the bathroom line.

Yet for a moment in time we put aside our troubles and became one within Ravens Nation.

It can be that way again – a big town stuck in the shadows of DC and Philadelphia, the Rodney Dangerfield of the East Coast, can become the town everyone is talking about if only the Ravens can put together 120 minutes of outstanding football. It starts today with 60 minutes of that flavor in New England.

Ray Lewis deserves it.

Ed Reed deserves it.

Joe Flacco deserves it.

And our city, unfairly cast as nothing more than a cesspool of violence, STD’s and questionable politics, deserves it.

Let’s do this!

DOMINATE!

Be RELENTLESS!

PLAY LIKE RAVENS!

Let’s make that purple glow and those prideful smiles perpetual.

LET’S GO RAVENS!

Cameron's Last Stand?

2012-01-21T07:08:00.002-05:00

Last season after the Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional round of the playoffs, frustrations boiled and it was only natural to assess the damage and allocate blame.

As certain as death and taxes, the Baltimore Ravens were carried by their defense while the offense struggled again, finishing 16th in points scored and 22nd overall in yardage – average to below average rankings.

Cam Cameron was once again squarely in the crosshairs.

Steve Bisciotti wanted Cameron replaced yet somehow John Harbaugh convinced the Ravens owner to give his offensive coordinator a mulligan. Notice was served (4:00 mark of video) and Cameron was granted borrowed time.

Now here we are a full year later and the Ravens have matched their 2010 win total and they’ve won yet another playoff game. On Sunday they will fight for the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI.

That’s progress for the team but is it enough to save Cameron’s job?

Comparing this season to last the Ravens improved their overall offensive ranking from 22 to 15. They’ve also experienced a bump in their points ranking from 16 to 12. Is that enough for the Ravens’ owner?

Let’s consider the club’s investment in offense since Cameron’s arrival. Two of the last 3 first round picks have been on offense (Flacco, Oher) and 19 of the 31 picks overall. Other investments have been made in the way of trades and free agent acquisitions to help support Cameron and Joe Flacco. The Ravens gave up draft picks and money to acquire Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans while they’ve added Bryant McKinnie, Andre Gurode and Vonta Leach via free agency.

But not much has changed really and it begs the question, “Have they realized a satisfactory return on their offensive investments since Cam came on the scene in 2008?” The Ravens’ defense, despite its aging, is still asked to do all the heavy lifting.

Yesterday on Sirius/XM NFL Radio, Greg Cosell from NFL Films discussed the Ravens offense.

His opinions were anything but flattering.

In so many words Cosell stated that the Ravens passing game is:

· Archaic – their formations are a throwback to the 60’s

· Unlikely to be successful with their scheme

· Predictable in that for the most part they run only 2 routes in the route tree

· Unimaginative in that it lacks bunch formations, rubs, drags and crossing routes

· Lacking in diversity and therefore it invites press man-coverage and nearly every catch is contested

· Wasteful in that a very capable third WR, Lee Evans, was on the field for only 8 of the 63 offensive snaps, nearly unheard of in today’s pass happy NFL

As a result Cosell concluded, the Ravens are “not difficult to defend.”

Consequently that makes it even more challenging for the Ravens to succeed offensively and it places a far greater burden on Joe Flacco.

You have to wonder why Cameron would take such an approach to offense knowing that his job is at stake. Given his 28 years as an offensive football coach don’t you think that Malcolm “Cam” Cameron is aware that his offense is only a tad more sophisticated than plays drawn in the dirt?

Of course he does!

The more important question is, “Why hasn’t he changed it?”

Is he capable of change or is his quarterback incapable of embracing and/or processing the change? Would all those bunch sets, rubs, multiple personnel packages, etc help or hurt Flacco?

We don’t know and we won’t know until they try.

But will they?

The Ravens are slow to the line of scrimmage. Plays seemingly aren’t relayed to Flacco in an expedient way leaving little time for pre-snap adjustments. The Ravens don’t equip Flacco with a playbook arm band like more accomplished quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Might that be why they are slow? What would they do with the additional time pre-snap? After all it was only last year that Cameron said that audibles are overrated.

TJ Houshmandzadeh this past offseason said that when he was in Cincinnati Carson Palmer called three plays in the huddle and until he got to the line of scrimmage they didn’t know which play the Bengals would run. Comparitively speaking Houshmandzadeh added, that during all of the plays he experienced as a Raven, Flacco audibled only a couple of times.

Is Cameron that much of a control freak or is he afraid of what might happen if he gives his signal caller newfound freedom?

Clearly Flacco hasn’t grown the way the Ravens expected him to in year 4 as a starter. Is there upside in Flacco and if so how do the Ravens tap into that? Is Cameron willing and able? If not, is this as good as it gets with Flacco under Cameron’s tutelage?

Obviously this doesn’t sit well with Flacco’s teammates. We can only guess what the locker room consensus is but earlier this week Ed Reed clearly provided some clues.

"I think Joe was kind of rattled a little bit by that defense," Reed said Monday during a Sirius NFL radio interview. “They had a lot of guys in the box on him. And, I mean, they were getting to him. I think a couple times he needed to get rid of the ball. I don't know how much of the play calling, he could have made audibles or anything like that, checks or whatnot, man, but it just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense, you know, of times past. You know, it was just kind of like they was telling him to do, throw the ball or get it here, you know, get it to certain guys. And he can't play like that."

Many in the media have suggested – some to blown out of proportion heights, that Reed’s comments were unnecessary and poorly timed shots at Flacco. But were they? Might Reed’s anxiety over the team’s offensive play actually be an attempt to serve notice to Cameron? The Ravens’ personnel department can’t be all that happy about the ultra slow maturation of Flacco. It bogs down the development of other offensive talent. Baltimore is quickly becoming a place where wide receivers’ careers go to die. And what GM wants that rap?

Joe Flacco’s rookie contract expires after the 2012 season. With Cam Cameron guiding the way there’s little reason to expect a much different offense next year. Flacco’s numbers suggest only slightly above average quarterback play. Do you think he’ll want a contract commensurate with those stats or with the Ravens impressive team record while Flacco is at the helm?

Win or lose on Sunday, win or lose in two weeks, it’s time for the Ravens and Cameron to part ways. Clearly the team wants to give Flacco a chance to grow and surround him with talent and coaching to ensure that happens. For the moment, he’s stuck in neutral.

Just as clearly they want Flacco to be the club’s long-term solution at quarterback. And in order to see if he is that solution and to assess his worth when his contract expires, Cameron needs to be pushed aside now shortly after the Ravens last play this season.

Only then will we know if Cameron’s offense is truly stuck in the 60’s or if it has been dummied down to match up with Flacco’s cerebral cortex.

Bisciotti’s checkbook needs to know.

Evidence suggests Ravens can beat the Patriots, and they will!

2012-01-18T13:57:00.004-05:00

Heading into the AFC Championship, all week long media outlets (us excluded of course) will be analyzing, overanalyzing, opining and beating more dead horses than a glue factory. You will hear very little that will please you because undoubtedly all of the national pundits and douchebags (like Skip Bayless) will be totally smitten with Love Potion No. 12 and huggin’ the Ugg-in’.

So before these bozos have you looking for the nearest cliff or bridge, check out these morsels to kick around the water cooler:

· The Ravens are the only NFL team to earn the playoffs the past four seasons – and the only team to win a playoff game each of those four years (2008-11)

· John Harbaugh is just the fourth head coach in NFL history to earn the playoffs in each of his first four seasons

· Ray Rice became just the second player in NFL history to post multiple 1,000-yard rushing/700-yard receiving seasons (also in 2009)

· WR Torrey Smith (second-round pick) ranked No. 3 in the NFL in receiving yards by a rookie, posting Ravens rookie records in catches (50), receiving yards (841) and touchdowns (7).

· Joe Flacco is the only starting QB since the 1970 merger to make the playoffs in each of his first four seasons.

· The Ravens own the best playoff winning percentage (.625) in NFL history (since 1970 merger), compiling a 10-6 postseason mark.

· The Ravens are 7-4 on the road in all-time postseason play, posting the second-best road win percentage (.636) since the 1970 merger.

· In their postseason history, the Ravens have dominated the turnover battle, registering a +17 mark in 16 games.

· Baltimore’s 32 INTs rank as the most in NFL postseason play since 2000, while the 552 INT return yards also stand first.

· Ravens are 8-2 all-time when leading at halftime in a playoff game; 0-4 when they trail.

· When leading after 3 quarters in postseason play the Ravens are 8-0.

· The Ravens have never allowed a 300 yard passer during the post season

· Ray Rice ran for an 83-yard TD, the second-longest run in NFL postseason history. His jolt was the longest in Ravens playoff history

· Suggs has the NFL’s most postseason sacks (10) since 2008.

· During the 2009 WC Playoff game #Ravens forced QB Tom Brady into 4 turnovers (3 INTs and 1 fumble)

· During that 1/10/10 WC Playoff Game the #Ravens ran up 24 points v. #Patriots in the first quarter.

· The Patriots had the 31st-ranked unit in 2011 (411.1 ypg), allowing 293.9 passing yards and 117.1 rushing yards per contest.

· Ed Reed & Bryant McKinnie & Patriots NT Vince Wilfork all played on the 2001 (12-0) Miami Hurricanes & won the BCS National Championship.

· Ravens are 11-0 in 2011 when scoring 20+ points.

· Tom Brady has a career QB Rating v. Ravens of 77.9 with 4TD passes and 3 interceptions in 4 games. He has been sacked 10 times in those 4 games. Against the rest of the league he has a 96.9 QBR.

· In his last 2 outings v. Ravens Brady’s QB Ratings were a putrid 69.5 and 49.1.

· The Patriots were 0-2 during the season against teams with better than a .500 record (Steelers & Giants). In those games Tom Brady had 4 TD passes and 2 interceptions in total and a combined 86.4 passer rating. Against teams with .500 or worse records Brady was 13-1 with a 108.6 QBR.

So for those who think the Ravens don't have a shot on Sunday, you're wrong. The NFL is all about matchups and the physicality on the line of scrimmage. And if the Ravens can win there (and their history in New England says they can) then all of the pretty stats Brady has compiled against lesser opponents won't mean a thing. Your proof lies above.

Look for the Ravens to win in the trenches and for Joe Flacco to make some plays in the passing game. Let's not forget that the Patriots are just a few weeks removed from allowing the Bills and Dolphins to get out to big leads. Those sexy comebacks won't be in play on Sunday.

And after Sunday, neither will the Patriots.

Ravens 24, Patriots 23.

Two legends could be saying goodbye

2012-01-15T00:26:00.002-05:00

Should the Ravens win today they will travel to Foxboro next Sunday (3:00 kickoff) and it is not outside the realm of reason that the game against the Texans could be the last time we see Ray Lewis and Ed Reed emerge from the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium.

If the Ravens are successful and they run off a three game winning streak on their way to a second Super Bowl title, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of reason – many might even say it’s probable, that both of these locks for the Hall of Fame will retire.

And you know what, that is exactly how I would like to see it unfold.

These two greats, two players from “The U” who helped change our lives with their athletic prowess, leadership and attachment to the community could not only go out as world champions but also be enshrined in Canton together on the very same stage. The thought of that makes me a little misty – really!

There is no doubt that Ray is showing signs of aging and diminishing skills. Ed has been struggling with that nerve impingement for no less than 3 seasons, hanging on because he loves the game and yearns for that ring. Add another year to the mix and consider that teams in the modern era rarely go to the playoffs five consecutive seasons.

Do we want to remember their final days struggling, hurting and aging before our eyes?

Of course we would miss them. “The Dance” would be forever gone and the electric chants of Reeeeeed while echoing in eternity in our minds would no longer fill M&T Bank Stadium. Wouldn’t it be better to see them exit in a blaze of glory?

So while you are in your seat tomorrow or you are somewhere watching the game on TV, take pause and watch both of these men a little longer, soak it in and try to remember and appreciate how blessed we’ve all been to call these men “ours.”

Because if this season ends the way we all hope, tomorrow could be their Baltimore
swansong.

Please Forgive Me!

2012-01-09T12:43:00.003-05:00

So all week long my plan was clear and present. In fact it was perfect, or so I thought.

Step 1: Cheer for the Texans; they win and come to Baltimore

Step 2: The dirty work – hope for a Steelers win in Denver.

Step 3: Steelers continue their winning ways and beat the Commissioner’s Godson and the Patriots in Foxboro.

Step 4: Ravens keep their home winning streak alive and their lifetime mark against the Texans flawless and deliver another problem to Houston.

The plan if properly executed would set up the third game of the 2011 season trilogy between the Ravens and the Steelers.

How could it possibly be any better than to host Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship?

There is not a doubt in my mind that the Ravens would have taken the Steelers down again. NONE! All that silly talk about how hard it is to beat a team three times in the same season was so off the mark as history has proven that 67% of the time the team that won the first 2 games, wins the third.

The matchups just favor Baltimore and Ozzie Newsome carefully constructed this team with the intent to take down those Yinzers. And with a hobbled and beaten Dick Tracy wannabe at quarterback who the Ravens regularly rough up even when healthy, the beating would have been like a new toy on Christmas morning.

Now as the Steelers @ Broncos game drew near, I began to waffle a little on the plan. Could I really root for the Steelers? Wouldn’t most if not all of my vital organs suddenly shut down? Would my family disown me? What a dilemma!

So I met up with some friends at a nearby favorite watering hole to take in the game and as we walked in we rationalized that we would be happy no matter the outcome. If the Broncos won, cool – one of life’s pleasures is a Steelers loss, particularly in the playoffs when they are a prohibitive favorite.

BUT, if the Steelers won then the plan would still be in play.

So the game gets underway and after the first quarter ended, the Broncos had 10 yards of offense and the Steelers had a 6-0 lead. It started to feel like the plan would play out as drawn up. But still it didn’t feel right. It felt a little dirty.

Less than 2 minutes into the second quarter it happened. The plan and the fading clarity came to a fatal crash landing accented by several enthusiastic high fives. Tim Tebow connected with Eddie Royal on a 30 yard scoring strike and following the PAT the Broncos were ahead 7-6. It didn’t feel good – it felt GREAT!

We deep sixed the plan faster than Ben Roethlisberger walks out on a tab.

TEEEEE-BOW, EEEEEE-OOOOH-OH!

The bar was loud. It was almost as if the Ravens were playing. Spirits soared as the Broncos took the lead and then that here-we-go-again feeling dominated the atmosphere when Pittsburgh tied it up at 23. We’ve seen this Steelers Houdini act before.

But Houdini was slain on the first play of overtime. WOW!

Cheering for Tebow felt like a baptism and my sins – my dirty stinking sins and that hideous plan washed away by that beautiful Rocky Mountain spring water. Taste the cold!

So NOW the new plan is for Tebow to work his magic again – to laugh at that 13 ½ point line and believe.

And then maybe, just maybe we can invite No. 15 and his divine connections to our cathedral, M&T Bank Stadium on January 22.

Yep, this Plan B is not so bad…

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m next in the confessional line and I’m sure my penance is going to be a doozy.

Why can't Billick get back on the coaching carousel?

2012-01-04T14:09:00.005-05:00

During his 9 seasons in Baltimore Brian Billick compiled a record of 85-67 (.559) including a 5-3 record in the playoffs – and of course a World Championship in Super Bowl XXXV.

Billick has been away from the sidelines and in broadcasting booths and studios ever since Steve Bisciotti abruptly fired him on New Year’s Eve, 2007.

Billick deserved it.

Inside sources agreed and offered comments that included but were not limited to:

“He lost the team.”

“His commitment to Boller split the locker room.”

“He was arrogant and crass and disrespected the scouting department.”

Billick’s departure in many ways was a self-fulfilling prophecy. He said on several occasions that the coaching life cycle is 7 years after which the same old message from the same old ball coach no longer delivers the intended results. A look around the league suggests that Billick’s theory is off since several highly successful coaches with tenures at or exceeding 7 seasons are still going strong.

Maybe given Billick’s style 7 years is about right.

But I have a feeling that being in the booth, watching and analyzing teams and games as an analyst has helped to give Billick a new perspective on coaching. He’s an extremely bright man and he will process his experiences while remaining mindful of past transgressions. Eventually he will marry up the good aspects of Brian Billick with what he’s learned and become an even better head coach – provided of course that he’s given that opportunity.

And you have to wonder why he hasn’t.

This is just a guess but maybe Billick’s coaching well has remained dry because he came to Baltimore to provide a spark to a struggling offense -- a spark that never ignited. His offense was carried by an inherited championship caliber defense that was worthy of more than one Lombardi. Consequently the perception may be that he never accomplished what he was hired to do and in the eyes of some stood in the way of Ray Lewis & Co.

Is yesterday’s perception today’s reality?

Smart folks do learn from their mistakes.

Stubborn people don’t.

The guess here is that today’s Brian Billick is smarter than he is stubborn, humbled and energized by his experiences.

The team willing to give him a second chance will benefit.

A league with teams that willingly hire unproven head coaching talents like Jason Garrett, Josh McDaniels, Todd Haley, Pat Shurmur should be willing to bring on a former Super Bowl Champion head coach.

The question shouldn’t be, “Why hire Brian Billick?” but rather, “Why not?”

Why are we so hard on the Ravens?

2012-01-03T12:26:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has followed this site or my blog for any amount of time knows that I love the Ravens. There are many journalists who wouldn’t admit that out of fear that it might jeopardize their journalistic integrity. I happen to believe you can be objective and a fan at the same time – and admit it.

Closet fandom doesn’t sit well with me.

Recently I took pause to reflect upon the season as both a journalist and a fan. Sometimes it’s difficult to separate the two.

Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta once said to me that I write like a coach might write. He said when “we” do well you find a weakness in the game as part of an effort to get better. A coach might prefer to break you down when things are going well so that no one rests on their laurels. Need a little shower on your parade? I’ve got it!

Conversely if the Ravens performed poorly, I’ll find the silver lining and build on in order to learn from the loss, move on and hopefully get better.

I respect Eric as a family man, friend and an NFL personnel guy so it’s only natural that I’m flattered that he cares enough to read this blog and share those opinions.

That said, I think I have failed as a coach’s writer this season and it took a rant from one of our site visitors today to make me realize that.

The Ravens are 12-4 and the second seed in the postseason dance. For the first time they swept all of their home games; swept the AFC North while winning the division and they are 6-0 against all teams still alive in the NFL. Yet for some reason my intestines are tortured practically every game I watch and expletives will fly from my mouth like saliva from an upset Bill Cowher’s.

And I’m wondering why?

Sure the Ravens could get better. John Harbaugh could help foster a better team killer instinct; Cam Cameron could utilize the skill sets of his offensive squad and work between the hash marks more efficiently; yes Joe Flacco can look clueless and listless at times and he can master the finer nuances of solid quarterback play; Jerry Rosburg’s special teams units leave much to be desired.

The list could go on.

But the bottom line is the “W” and there are 12 of them on the board for the Ravens. It doesn’t matter how they got there – they are there and 20 other teams are not. They are there and they get a week off and they get to play at home. They are there and just 2 wins removed from their second Super Bowl appearance. Only 3 other teams in the NFL can say that.

Think about that and then ask yourself given all of those positives, why is it that the Ravens have been so heavily criticized by their own fans? It’s nuts! And trust me, I’m not blaming anyone. I’ve done it too!

But I’m not doing it any more.

Look back to last season. No one and I mean NO ONE expected the Green Bay Packers to get on a roll and win the Super Bowl as a 10-6 wild card. But they did. This year, look around. Do you see any team without warts?

· Green Bay has the 32nd ranked defense and New England the 31st
· Houston and Pittsburgh are both nicked up and resemble infirmaries
· Denver is 8-8 and riding a 3 game losing streak
· Cincinnati is 0-7 against the playoff teams
· San Francisco has very little playoff experience and a challenged offense
· New Orleans has the 24th ranked defense and they were smoked earlier this season by the 2-14 St. Louis Rams
· The Lions surrendered 45 points to a backup quarterback during Week 17
· The Falcons are like the Wicked Witch to water when they play outdoors
· The New York Giants are ranked 29th against the pass in a conference that features
Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees during the playoffs.

So the next time you think about bitching like I have about a team like the Ravens who millions of NFL fans across the country would love to call theirs, think about where they are and where they could be and then chill and be thankful that they are YOUR BALTIMORE RAVENS.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to give myself an overdue and well-deserved ass beating.

If Texans win on Saturday Super Bowl XLVI will turn purple

2012-01-02T17:38:00.003-05:00

This week the Ravens and to some degree their fans get to sit back, rest a bit both physically and mentally before cranking up the adrenaline throttle in preparation for January 15, 2012 at 1:00PM. Together we can take in all the games, the most interesting and perhaps most pivotal of which for the Ravens is the Bengals v. Texans game in Houston this Saturday at 4:30PM.

The oddsmakers have installed the home team as a 3 point favorite and if it plays out that way and the Texans win, it should be music to the ears of Ravens fans. That means the Ravens would host the Texans a week from Sunday and in all likelihood, despite being banged up, the Steelers will draw the Patriots on Saturday, January 14.

Earlier this season the Steelers beat the Patriots on October 30 at Heinz Field by the score of 25-17. It wasn’t that close. And despite their injuries, if the Steelers can take the early lead on January 14 in Foxboro, I don’t think they’ll give it up as easily as the philanthropic Dolphins and Bills who wet the bed after taking 17-0 and 21-0 leads on the Patriots, respectively.

After the Ravens hand the Texans a Charm City beat down, they will get ready to host the Steelers on January 22 at 3PM.

Now unless you’ve just returned from a tour of duty in the caves of Afghanistan, you know that the Ravens swept the Steelers during the 2011 regular season and that fact seems to make many fans a little uneasy.

“It’s so hard to beat a team three times in the same season.”

No it’s not!

It’s hard to PLAY the same time three times in the same season. BUT if one team beats the other during the first two games it’s actually more likely that the winner of games 1 and 2 also wins the third. In fact during the modern era of the NFL (when the AFL & NFL merged) this situation has presented itself 18 times and the team that has taken the first 2 games also won the third 12 times – 67% of the time!

Root for the Texans on Saturday and if your cheers are answered by Arian Foster & Company, prepare to see the Ravens represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI.

Oh and as the home team they’ll get to wear purple too!

You with me?

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Ravens @ Bengals

2012-01-02T11:48:00.004-05:00

At the beginning of any season the number 1 priority for all NFL teams is to win their division. The Ravens can now cross that off their list of objectives as they are the newly crowned AFC North Champion and today they sit just 2 more wins removed from the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance. And they did that by slaying another monster yesterday in Cincinnati – the road.

The road hasn’t been kind to the Ravens nor has the Queen City (1-5 during last 6 visits prior to yesterday) and consequently many, me included, didn’t think there would be a happy ending on Sunday.

THE GOOD: Terrell Suggs has always found the sledding tough against Bengals’ stout offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, one of the league’s best and probably its most underrated. But Suggs kept working and battling and eventually he made 2 key plays: the forced fumble on Jermaine Gresham and the sack of Andy Dalton. One paved the way for no less than a 10 point swing; the other helped to hold the Bengals to 3 when they ventured deep into the Ravens red zone…Haloti Ngata was disruptive with a strong interior push to move Dalton off his throwing mark plus he made a couple of athletic plays as a pass defender, one nearly resulting in a diving interception…One of the knocks on Bernard Pollard when he arrived was said to be his limited skills in pass coverage. That was not the case on Sunday as Pollard was not only physical as usual but he also broke up 2 Dalton passes and he recovered the Suggs forced fumble…Lardarius Webb also broke up 2 passes and did a very nice job on Pro Bowl rookie WR A.J. Green, helping to limit him to 2 catches for just 26 yards...Cary Williams was active with 6 tackles and 3 passes defended in his first outing since recovering from a concussion. His efforts along with those of Chris Carr were key, particularly after Jimmy Smith was knocked out of the game with concussion-like symptoms of his own.

Joe Flacco was efficient and could have been even more productive if not for the ultra-conservative play calling of Cam Cameron and the butterfingers of Lee Evans. Flacco QBR on the day was 112.7…Dennis “American Express” Pitta is beginning to look more and more like Todd Heap. The second year TE chipped in with 6 catches for 62 yards and a score. He was strong with yards after catch…Despite fighting off the pain of separated rib cartilage, Marshal Yanda was a force in the running game. His key block on Rey Maualuga on the team’s first possession paved the way for Ray Rice to go 70 yards untouched for the score…Vonta Leach is paying huge dividends and as the season wears on he only seems to be getting stronger…Props to Ricky Williams for cracking the 10,000 yard barrier and providing solid relief of Ray Rice, chipping in with 28 yards on 6 carries…Excellent challenge by John Harbaugh on a Cedric Benson run that was initially ruled a first down. The challenge overturned the call on the field and forced a Bengals punt. The Ravens responded during the change of possession with an 11 play, 80 yard drive that ended with a 9 yard scoring toss from Flacco to Pitta.

THE BAD: Either Ray Lewis is still hurt and no one is saying or the aging process has accelerated tremendously down the back stretch of his 16th season. He looks stiff and slow particularly in open space and he shouldn’t even be on the field when the Ravens are in the dime... Another seemingly injured Hall of Fame player on the defensive side, Ed Reed looks forward to tackling the way a star of HBO’s True Blood welcomes a sunny day at the beach. Although it’s difficult to see on television one would hope that Reed had a big hand in limiting A.J. Green. Otherwise this All World player is more of a liability than the playmaker he once was…With each passing game Lee Evans draws closer to being labeled a bust. His drop of a deep pass from Flacco is akin to a slumping hitter in baseball swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. He seems to be pressing… John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron have to be held jointly responsible for the Ravens lack of a killer instinct. They just seem afraid to go for the kill shot despite the Bengals selling out to stop Ray Rice. The game should never have been as close as it was. Maybe both should watch a few Patriots’ games or better still, maybe they were tuned into the Giants v. Cowboys game, when despite a 10 point lead with under 4 minutes, Eli Manning was taking shots at the Dallas secondary and eventually one landed for the kill.

THE UGLY: Outside of their kickers, special teams for the Ravens are just flat out awful. We regularly witness their inability to cover punts and kicks now they’ve added poor punt blocking to their woes.

THE MEGAN FOX: Is there any doubt? With 191 yards on 24 carries and 2 big touchdowns (70, 51), his 14th and 15th of the season Ray Rice, despite Bengals’ resources deployed to prevent him, carried the Ravens to victory. Somewhere John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron should be doing Rice’s laundry and even clipping his toenails – and doing so happily. He bailed out their lackluster game management which prevented an unwelcomed trip to Denver.

MEGA(N)BYTES: The Ravens are 5-0 this season against all teams still alive in the AFC Playoffs, 6-0 against all 12 playoff teams in the NFL…According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley the Ravens non-divisional opponents in 2012 are: HOME: Denver, Oakland, Dallas, NYGiants, New England… AWAY: KC, San Diego, Philadelphia, Washington, Houston.

The Top 10 Ravens Moments of 2011

2012-01-01T11:59:00.002-05:00

Every year when the calendar winds down to its end, reminiscing runs rampant. So why should we be any different, right?

Earlier this week I posted a thread on our message board (which by the way if you haven’t seen the new one, check it out – without a doubt the finest Ravens community on the planet and I’m allowed to say it because I had nothing to do with it) polling asking our members their thoughts on the Top 10 Ravens Moments in 2011.

And they delivered.

Now I took it upon myself to cut and paste all of them which you can see at the link above. I then paired it down to the top 17 moments, gradually grinding it down to 10 – not an easy job. Then after assembling the 10 I ranked them. And here they are – in my opinion of course with a big tip of the hat to my collaborators – the message board members.

10. JUDGEMENT DAY ~ The front office taking the hard line approach to let go of some hometown favorites (Todd Heap, Kelly Gregg, Willis McGahee and Derrick Mason) in order to get younger and create cap space to extend Marshal Yanda and make strategic acquisitions in the form of Bernard Pollard and Vonta Leach.

9. I’M GOING TO KANSAS CITY ~ Joe Flacco connects with Anquan Boldin to seal the wild card victory in KC over the Chiefs to advance in last year’s postseason dance.

8. MUTE THE MEGAMOUTH ~ Rex Ryan brought his swagger and bloated bravado to Baltimore in an early season Sunday Night game and from the very start it was obvious that despite Ryan’s claims prior to the game, the best defense that night wore all black and from the opening snap they were on attack. Ed Reed on a blitz, sacks and strips Mark Sanchez, a play eerily similar to one back in 2004 against Sanchez’ back up Mark Brunell when the later was a Redskin. Reed nearly finished the trifecta by scooping up the fumble for a score but teammate Jameel McClain was there to clean up and score the game’s first points.

7. HERE COMES THE SPIDERMAN ~ Despite dominating the Jets offense during the aforementioned game, Sanchez & Co. were hanging around thanks to the struggles of Joe Flacco. The Jets forced a Flacco fumble and were ready to make it a 3 point game until Lardarius Webb picked off a Sanchez pass and returned it 73 yards for the score. It was the dagger the struggling offense couldn’t provide.

6. 3 CATCHES, 3 TOUCHDOWNS ~ Torrey Smith's first 3 catches as a professional all went for scores and all in the first quarter in St. Louis.

5. REDEMPTION SONG ~ Anquan Boldin takes over and wills his team to overcome a 21 point deficit against his former employer, the Arizona Cardinals – the biggest comeback win in team history.

4. THIS IS HOW WE DO IT ~ On the season’s opening drive against their bitter archrival, Joe Flacco connects with Anquan Boldin on a scoring strike to set the tone for the game. The rout was on.

3. THE KILL SHOT ~ The Ravens have had the Steelers on the ropes in the past and let them off with devastating results. To start the second half in the season’s opener Haloti Ngata knifed through Pittsburgh’s interior offensive line to greet Rashard Mendenhall just as Ben Roethlisberger handed him the ball. The massive collision forced a fumble, recovered by Ngata, followed immediately by a nice waggle play the resulted in a Joe Flacco to Ed Dickson scoring strike. There would be no letting the Steelers off the ropes.

2. HARBAUGH BOWL ~ Who knows if the Ravens will be a host on Thanksgiving again in our lifetime. This special night was electric for so many reasons, not the least of which was the first ever meeting of opposing head coaches who are brothers. A special night, and a great defensive performance which included 9 sacks.

1. 92 YARDS ~ The Ravens trailed the Steelers at Heinz Field 20-16 with 2:21 remaining and 92 yards of real estate to navigate for the win. Despite the incredible odds and a history of failure Joe Flacco engineered the signature drive thus far in his young career. The exclamation point was a 26 yard strike to Torrey Smith in the right corner of the end zone. The Ravens completed the seasonal sweep of the Steelers.

Do you agree with our list? Did we leave any off the list that should be included?

Here’s to starting a new list for 2012 beginning TODAY!

Are the Ravens for real?

2011-12-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

Sunday will tell us a lot about the inconsistent AFC North leaders

For all intents and purposes the playoffs start on New Year’s Day 2012 in Cincinnati for the Ravens and in order for them to advance beyond the first round, given the team’s ongoing struggles on the road, John Harbaugh & Co. more than likely need a win at Paul Brown Stadium.

And that won’t be easy!

Consider the following in recent meets with the Bengals:

· The Ravens have lost 5 of their last 6 games in Cincinnati, the only win being a game started by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who up to that point had only 1 career victory.

· Since 2005 the Ravens have averaged 14.5 points per game in Cincinnati while yielding 15.8 points per game. During those 5 road losses @ Cincinnati since ‘05 the Ravens have averaged just 10.6 points per game while yielding 18.4 points per game.

· Offensively the Ravens have averaged 299 yards per game in the Queen City since 2005. To put it in perspective, this average would currently rank 29th in the league.

· During their last two visits to Paul Brown Stadium the Ravens have scored a total of 17 points.

· Joe Flacco has a career QB rating in Cincinnati of 58.3 and 33.1 over his last 2 starts there.

When the Bengals visited M&T Bank Stadium earlier this year, a game won by the Ravens 31-24, the Bengals racked up 483 net yards of offense and that was without star rookie WR AJ Green. Oh, and let’s not forget a very favorable call overturning a Jermaine Gresham touchdown that probably would have forced overtime and who knows what else.

And now there’s the issue of mounting Ravens injuries and a struggling defense.

The Ravens are built to stop the run and force teams to become one dimensional. But during the last two games teams are averaging 131 yards on the ground and 4.2 yards per carry. That could influence defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to deploy more resources to stop Cedric Benson and free up AJ Green, Jerome Simpson and Jermaine Gresham to see more one-on-one coverage. And let’s not forget that Simpson in 2 career games against the Ravens has averaged 10 catches for 137 yards. Jimmy Smith and Chris Carr might look very inviting to Andy Dalton.

The Bengals survival this season may rest on this game. The playoff implications are huge.

And as in any playoff game to win, teams have to bring their A game for 60 minutes.

Recent history suggests that the Ravens don’t do that in Cincinnati.

On Sunday we’ll find out if they will be contenders or pretenders in the 2012 postseason dance.

At times the Ravens could be better with Ray Lewis on the sidelines

2011-12-26T08:56:00.004-05:00

It is unlikely that Baltimore Ravens fans will ever experience another player like Ray Lewis. For 16 seasons the man has delivered while performing at or near the top of his profession.

Ray Lewis is a man of God with deep spiritual and religious principles. They guide him and influence his massive role in the community. Children aspire to be like him.

He is a leader, a motivator of men. He is a role model for his teammates in that he prepares for and studies his next opponent like no other. He is a rare breed – a talented overachiever. He doesn’t take his bountiful athleticism for granted.

Instead he is dedicated to conditioning in order to stave off Father Time and extend an already highly decorated career.

His work ethic is unparalleled.

Add it all up and you can see why Ray, despite participating in the ultimate team sport, has earned special privileges not available to his teammates.

Ray Lewis is the Ravens’ rock star.

Whether he’s participating in a game or not Ray rallies his mates before each game demanding their focus, championing togetherness and challenging each and every one of them to “Dominate your man!”

And at this time of year, when the bumps and bruises, aches and pains are as common a locker room presence as adhesive tape, the challenge to dominate becomes even more daunting. And with each passing season, the Decembers get a little longer and require each player to dig a little deeper into the well of perseverance.

Sixteen seasons, 221 regular season games, 1,997 tackles and countless practices later Father Time is finally catching up and Ray Lewis’ game seems to have fallen off markedly as this season continues.

Has Ray reached the bottom of his well?

Sure, there will be times when Ray will still make a highlight reel play or two. His instincts are unmatched and that alone can give him an edge when competing. But he just can’t consistently get it done anymore. He can’t dominate his man on every play – probably not even on most plays.

Unfortunately for the Ravens they are in many ways trapped by Ray’s desire to compete. He’s earned a level of respect within the organization that will never be extended again to any player – ever! The team is also a bit hamstrung because they don’t have many if any inside linebackers as good as Ray, even at the ripe age of 36.

But that doesn’t mean the Ravens can’t take Ray off the field in certain sub packages.

Since his return to the lineup in San Diego after recovering from a turf toe injury, Lewis has been exposed as an extreme liability in pass coverage and the truth be told, he should NOT be part of any third down sub packages designed to stop the pass.

He doesn’t get to the quarterback as a blitzer.

And in space he looks every bit of his 36 years.

But who’s going to tell Ray? Who is going to remove him from those sub packages?

Answer: Ray should remove Ray!

The man has always implored his teammates to, “Take care of the man next to you!” He has pleaded with them to be willing to do anything it takes for each other.

It’s now time for Ray to practice what he preaches. It’s time for Ray to help his coaches get beyond the rock star treatment and go to them, tell them that the best thing for the team is to pull him in certain third down packages.

Something has to give. Either the coaches need to man up and make it happen or Ray needs to kick foolish pride to the curb and volunteer.

One way or another on third and long, in order for Chuck Pagano’s defense to, “Get off the field”, Ray Lewis needs to get off the field first.

Lewis & Levens knew that to play they might pay

2011-12-25T20:27:00.003-05:00

NFL players today understand the risks they take when they step out on to an NFL field. Most of them have understood the risks for quite some time. They are accepted as occupational hazards.

There’s nothing new about this and most players are willing to roll the proverbial dice in order to play a game they love while being paid handsomely all the while hoping they never suffer a life altering injury.

This week we learned that the Ravens all-time leading rusher Jamal Lewis along with former Green Bay Packer Dorsey Levens filed a lawsuit against the NFL and NFL Properties in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The suit alleges that the NFL has known about the potential long-term harm caused by concussions for many years.

Today’s players are bigger, faster and stronger. That isn’t news to you, me or Messrs. Lewis and Levens. We and they have all seen how yesterday’s players like Mike Webster, Andre Waters, Terry Long and of course John Mackey have suffered from dementia, severe depression, some even driven to suicide because they were so mentally tortured.

It’s safe to say that as players continue to develop, the hits will become more vicious and the consequences more serious unless precautions are taken. The NFL is taking those precautions and they continue to explore new and better ways to protect players.

Has Muhammad Ali sued the WBA or WBC?

Eric Lindross hasn’t sued the NHL.

They knew the risks.

Sometimes the precautions aren’t taken until there are casualties.

Like Ali and Lindross these players exchanged the risks for the fame and fortune.

Unlike those greats, Lewis and Levens don’t want to be held accountable for their own decisions.

They deserve nothing more than their pensions and benefits.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Browns v. Ravens

2011-12-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

HO, HO, HO

Santa Claus visited M&T Bank Stadium on Christmas Eve 2011 and he looked strikingly similar to Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur. The Browns skipper’s inept sideline leadership, play calling and clock management played a huge role in gifting the Ravens a 20-14 victory and keep their 2011 home record at an unblemished 8-0.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

The Ravens jumped out to a 20-0 lead but as they have so often in the past, they took their collective foot off the accelerator and let an inferior opponent back in the game. The Ravens clearly lack a killer instinct and the blame for that falls on the shoulders of three men: John Harbaugh; Cam Cameron; and Joe Flacco.

The team now will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in a flexed game (4:15 kickoff) to try and secure a first round playoff bye. It won’t be easy. The Ravens have scored a total of 17 points during their last two visits to Paul Brown Stadium during which Joe Flacco has tossed 6 interceptions and posted a putrid quarterback rating of 33.1. The extended forecast for the game is for partly cloudy skies and moderate temps in the 40’s. The Ravens have been installed as an early 3 point favorite.

Now, back to Pat Shurmur and the season of giving...

THE GOOD: Despite resources deployed to shut him down, Ray Rice still managed 135 yards of offense including a 42 yard touchdown reception on a perfectly executed wheel route. Joe Flacco delivered an excellent ball dropping it in a bucket beyond D’Qwell Jackson and in front of the oncoming safety…Flacco looked sharp in the first half although he waited too long to deliver the ball to Torrey Smith who had beaten the corner and the safety on a go route. Flacco had a QB Rating of 133.7 in the first half…Vonta Leach is seemingly growing stronger as the season progresses. The Ravens acquired him with December and January football in mind and their investment is paying big dividends. On one play Leach dropped Browns DE Jabaal Sheard and then continued to release in the right flat to provide a dump off option for Flacco…

Brendon Ayanbadejo was active making two keys plays. He sacked Seneca Wallace after torching the statuesque Tony Pashos off the edge and he was in position to knock Peyton Hillis out of bounds during the Browns final possession to force a key turnover on downs…Bernard Pollard had a plus outing with 8 tackles.

THE BAD: The Ravens rushing defense was beaten consistently throughout the divisional contest. Despite keying in on Peyton Hillis, the big bruising back still managed to average 4.7 yards per carry on his way to a 112 yard afternoon. Haloti Ngata and Terrence Cody struggled to win at the point of attack and too often looked like they were on roller skates. When that happens it almost always spells trouble for Ray Lewis who managed 10 tackles, few if any of which were at or behind the line of scrimmage. Lewis has also become an extreme liability in pass coverage and he needs to get off the field in obvious third down passing situations…Ed Reed has had a bad season so far and not until his blitz to force Wallace to get rid of the football too quickly on a key third down was he noticeable for anything positive. He was by far the less effective Ravens’ safety yesterday. He and Lewis, sure-fire Hall of Famers, are looking every bit their age as of late...Chris Carr has had a rough season. Yesterday was no different. Always a slow starter, there is little to no evidence thus far this season that Carr can be counted on. If concussed Cary Williams is unable to go in Cincinnati, is anyone confident that he can stay with AJ Green or even Jerome Simpson?

THE UGLY: Let’s start with the uniforms! The last time the Ravens wore that sad purple and black combination was the last time they lost at home – last December to the Steelers in the “Polamalu Game.” Can someone burn that combo?... Ed Dickson doing his best Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran impersonation yesterday…Joe Flacco’s second half – a QB Rating of 4.9 and yes the decimal place is correct…The injuries are mounting. Just when he seemed to be getting his mojo back, David Reed is lost for the year with an ACL tear; Cary Williams and Dannell Ellerbe could both be lost for the Cincinnati game with concussions; Marshal Yanda may have broken a rib or two and experienced trouble breathing…Special teams were horrific save for Shayne Graham. Sam Koch had a bad day; Graham struggled with his 5 kickoffs – only 1 of which reached the end zone (without a touchback) and that will threaten a coverage team that struggles without Cundiff’s touchbacks. Josh Cribbs’ 84-yard jaunt for his 11th career TD return is the third the Ravens have allowed this season for a score. That hasn't happened in nine years. If Cam Cameron is on notice, why isn’t Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg?...John Harbaugh needs to be held accountable for not putting away a staggering opponent. That soft approach is as contagious as a killer approach. Perhaps that in part explains the road struggles against sub .500 teams.

THE MEGAN FOX AWARD: The Browns initial drive looked like it would go the distance until Lardarius Webb made an excellent interception to reverse the game’s early momentum. Webb had 4 defended passes on the afternoon. On a day when there was little to get excited about other than Rice’s TD catch and the play of Ayanbadejo, Webb’s effort was the best choice for TMFA!

I couldn’t really give this to Pat Shurmur, could I?

Z on TV has no C-L-U-E when it comes to Baltimore sports talk radio

2011-12-21T09:21:00.003-05:00

Like many of you I learned yesterday that 105.7 The Fan’s Jen Royle is leaving Baltimore to head back to her native Boston. We wish you the best Jen.

I never really had the pleasure of spending any time with Royle but from what I hear from others who I do know and know Jen, she’s a good girl who was miscast by management at 105.7 The Fan. And she can’t be blamed for that. The blame rests on the shoulders of the station’s management . They know what Jen Royle is and the truth be told, they aren’t always concerned about the quality of their programming – only the profits.

By her own admission on air when she first started covering the Baltimore Ravens, Royle didn’t know much about football or the team. And to put her on air is really an insult to the station’s listeners. But 105.7 doesn’t really care about that if they can finagle a buck.

But even in her comfort zone of baseball, Royle brought little to the table except filler and fluff and to pair her up with baseball minds vastly superior to hers (Bob Haynie and Jim Duquette) only exacerbated the problem and accentuated her deficiencies, particularly for the station’s true customers – the listeners.

The Sun’s TV critic David Zurawik has a different take on Royle’s departure.

“Royle, who has used social media as well any sports reporter in Baltimore, has been a controversial figure, there is no doubt about that. But as was the case with Anita Marks, who left a talk-show post at WJZ-FM last year, gender surely played a role.

Let's be honest, the largely male sports-talk audience here seems to have some real issues with any woman on-air who has strong opinions on sports.”

Hey David Zurawik – YOU ARE DEAD WRONG!

Baltimore sports fans, men and women simply demand competency when it comes to covering their sports teams. And for you to apply a broad-brush stroke like that suggesting that local sports fans have issues with women sportscasters is grossly irresponsible, inaccurate and smacks of a hidden agenda.

Like many columnists for The Sun, your opinion on this topic at best hardly seems pure and at worst is driven by the bottom line of the propaganda engine you work for.

Photo courtesy of bmoremedia.com

Why call that stadium Snapdragon when POS is more appropriate

2011-12-20T13:29:00.003-05:00

They say absence makes the heart grow founder and I’m sure many of you have experienced the emotion. On a similar level, sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have until you compare your good fortunes to others. Such is the case when comparing M&T Bank Stadium to Snapdragon Stadium (fka Qualcomm Stadium).

Snapdragon is a dump!

First, the tailgate lots make the streets of Bagdad seem like the entrance to an exotic resort. Jersey walls and sketchy fencing partition the lot. And the surface seems to provide evidence that Snapdragon played host to some international terrorist hand grenade chucking contest. And the irony is, unlike M&T the police on hand don’t allow you to drink from glass containers. That’s a bit like Rosie O’Donnell worrying about the color of her mascara.

Ok, so you think you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, eh?

Well entering this relic makes walking into M&T seem like a pleasant and uninterrupted stroll in the park. Getting into the Chargers’ crib is anything but a snap (dragon). To access the field level seats you have to navigate a few flights of stairs down where you will find a dungeon-like concourse that is about as “wide” as the men’s room at M&T. There you feel like you are in the bowels of the stadium where if you really want a beer, prepare to sacrifice about half a quarter of game action.

Here are a few other Snapdragon observations…

· Scoreboard ~ Don’t ever complain (not that you would) about the big boards at The Vault. The pair of boards at the Dragon are about as big as the flat screen I gave my son earlier this year for his college house.

· Ooo That Smell ~ Since beer vendors don’t exist at the Dragon, or ushers for that matter, a few of the Chargers fans nearby opted instead for the Pineapple Express. Hey, maybe it was medicinal Mary Jane?

· The Lighting ~ It felt a little dim to me but maybe that’s a California thing since the Niners had trouble at Candlestick last night. That’s pretty funny, Candlestick.

· The Seats ~ We plunked down a nice chunk of change for lower level field seats, 18 rows off the field behind the Ravens bench at the 45 yard line. But because the seats are set so far back from the field, it’s hard to see much if anything on the far sideline.

· Pumped up Kicks ~ San Diego has a bit of a reputation for not being great supporters of the Chargers. But I have to admit that initially I was impressed with the level of noise in the stadium – until I looked around to see who was generating the noise. Few were doing much cheering – certainly not enough to generate that wall of sound. Color me suspicious but I think big old Snapper is pumping in crowd noise. When the Ravens went into a no huddle “attack”, the noise dropped noticeably and it made me wonder if the noise was on some kind of recorded loop.

Of course none of these things would have bothered me in the least had the Ravens not had it handed to them so convincingly.

Thank you Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers!

Ravens made me don a bag!

2011-12-20T06:52:00.002-05:00

On Thursday I traveled to San Diego with my wife and a couple of friends to enjoy the many things the area offers and of course to take in the Ravens v. Chargers contest.

The long weekend was amazingly entertaining. We visited several local spots, took a ton of great pictures, visited with some family and friends, engaged in many side-splitting humorous moments, enjoyed some great cuisine and on and on.

Throughout the long weekend, things happened that we hopefuls took as omens – signs of things to come when the two teams put the ball in the air. The sunsets had hints of purple; a lady arrived in our hotel lobby carrying purple roses; the gift shop had purple hoodies with San Diego embroidered across the chest.

In retrospect maybe I just had my doubts given how ineffective the Ravens have been on the road (now 3-4) and I conveniently interpreted the “signs” in a positive way.

But they sure did seem to be everywhere.

And so were Ravens fans.

I was very proud of how well represented Baltimore was. The tailgate lots were filled with purple as fans proudly sported their colors. The parties outside the stadium were off the hook high voltage (Chargers pun intended) and the expectations soared as fans discussed the possibility of hosting an AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Everyone thought that Sunday night would be a night to remember.

And it was but for all the wrong reasons.

We sat behind the Ravens bench, lower level 6, around the 45 yard line. I watched the team on the sideline and there was very little positive energy, only frustration. Cary Williams was pulled from the game and there seemed to be some jawing between him and Chuck Pagano. Williams sulked on the end of the bench while I did pretty much the same from my seat.

It was obvious to me that the Ravens had no answer for the Chargers – they were so well prepared for the Ravens in all phases of the game and when they took a 17-7 lead late in the second quarter, you could just sense that the Ravens had no chance.

What a buzz kill!

You know one of the risks you run when you visit another team’s stadium as a fan is a loss and when it happens and you are wearing your colors, it’s an invitation for ridicule.

“Thanks for visiting and leaving your money behind.”

“Ray Lewis is an old man.”

“Suggs looks like he was out too late last night.”

“Your quarterback sucks!”

Reality began to sift in and I went into decompression mode. Suddenly my team and yours went from the driver’s seat to road kill; from the No. 1 seed to wild card status. It then seemed possible that the Ravens could sweep their division and still lose it.

I wonder how often that happens.

We had plans for a big post-game celebration. My cousin who is a native of San Diego County visited us in the Gaslamp District for dinner. I was hardly the best of company. I tried to put a positive spin on things but I couldn’t really find one. Our team was just spanked in all phases of the game.

Descriptions like “frauds” and “posers” parted my lips angrily and rather easily.

A great meal at Lou & Mickey’s tempered my mood a tad, followed by my little numbing go-to after dinner drink – Black Sambuca. Almost fittingly, my cousin, a Chargers fan who clearly seeing my agony was a much more gracious winner than I ever could have been, had a White Sambuca.

The metaphor didn’t escape me – the good guys and the bad; the winners and losers.

As we paid our check to leave, our waitress came out with a bag for a friend’s leftovers. But I had other plans for that bag.

After punching out a few holes in it so that I could see without walking into a wall or worse, an errant Billy Cundiff kick, I walked down Fifth Avenue wearing it over my head, complemented by my Ray Lewis jersey. Ravens fans that passed by gave me consolation punch shakes and hugs. A couple posed for pictures. Another said, “My God did we sh*t the bed or what?”

Those fans, the bag and the laughter surrounding it all from my wife, cousin and friends helped me to move on (and now with perfect knowledge so have the 49ers). I even wore my colors out of the hotel Monday morning and on to the plane. It’s water under the bridge and time to move on.

Maybe the loss was a blessing in disguise. Perhaps it helps to temper and make more realistic our expectations. It’s hard to put a lot of stock in a team as inconsistent as ours.

I’ll try and remind myself of that because my devotion to this team coupled with their Jekyll and Hyde ways is enough to make a Fruit Loop out of me.

My wife already thinks I’m half way there.

Is There a Toe Monster at M&T Bank Stadium?

2011-12-14T23:34:00.002-05:00

First Ben Grubbs; then Ray Lewis; and now Lardarius Webb. Each of these key Ravens players has been slowed by turf toe. Some think that turf toe is the result of banging the big toe into the front of a shoe resulting in a swollen toe and a hideous blood blister under the big toenail.

That’s not the case otherwise modern medicine would allow for swelling reduction, perhaps cutting out the nail and soon thereafter a player could be back out on the field.

So what exactly is turf toe?

According to WebMD.com, “Turf toe is a sprain to the ligaments around the big toe joint, which works primarily as a hinge to permit up and down motion. Just behind the big toe joint in the ball of your foot are two pea-shaped bones embedded in the tendon that moves your big toe. Called sesamoids, these bones work like a pulley for the tendon and provide leverage when you walk or run. They also absorb the weight that presses on the ball of the foot.”

Ben Grubbs is back. Ray Lewis appears to be back but unfortunately it appears to be exit stage San Diego for Webb.

Generally speaking fans want to know three things when it comes to turf toe:

1. What causes turf toe?
2. Does the artificial turf increase the chance of occurrence?
3. How long is the average healing process?

Here are the dummied down answers (mostly for me)…

1. If a player is tackled or forced forward while the toe stays flat to the ground and it forces bending of the toe beyond the normal range of motion, the toe is compromised – hyperextended, leading to ligament damage.
2. Artificial turf has less give and consequently it increases the risk of such hyperextensions.
3. Two to three weeks of rest and perhaps extended time for physical therapy in order to re-establish strength and stability.

The Ravens appear to have taken extra precautions with Ben Grubbs who missed 6 games while resting 7 weeks, including the bye. Ray Lewis has missed 4 games but is expected to return to the field on Sunday against the Chargers. Lardarius Webb? Who knows, time will tell. But the guess here is that if he does miss against the Chargers, the Ravens may rest him against Cleveland and if a bye seems probable, they may give him off against Cincinnati and the first round bye week

Let’s hope the M&T toe monster has had his fill.

Will You be California Dreaming?

2011-12-13T20:52:00.004-05:00

Each season I take a look at the Ravens schedule and select an away game, sometimes two and try and figure out a way to rally my wife and a few friends for a Ravens Roadie. It’s not all that hard – kind of like convincing a sailor to pay a visit to the gentlemen’s club after months at sea.

Naturally our roadies are destinations that are either south or west. You see as I get older (it beats the alternative) the more averse I grow to cold weather.

So off we go to San Diego this Thursday morning to help paint the town purple!

San Diego and the surrounding area offer a ton to see and do and while I’ve had the pleasure to visit SoCal fairly often (I once worked for a company based in Long Beach), I know I’ll be like a kid on Christmas morning.

So many things to do and so little time…

The plan is to go to the no huddle offense and score at will. I’m hoping to see Ravens fans in bars, hotels, restaurants and of course on the tailgate lots. I want to capture all the moments in pictures and video and I’m hoping you will be part of that.

Let us know your plans.

Where will you be? What will you do on game day? After a hopeful win?

Like Tom Petty once sang – I NEED TO KNOW!

If you are looking for a place to hang with birds of a like feather try Dirty Birds in Pacific Beach. They are offering 20% off your tab this Thursday through Sunday if you are a Ravens fan and present a valid Maryland driver’s license. This isn't happy hour! It's happy long weekend!

Dirty Birds features the No. 10 ranked wings in America as determined by Yahoo Sports and TheDailyMeal.com and they are the ONLY true Ravens bar in the San Diego area, not some poser national chain that is simply selling out on their hometown team.

Just tell everyone that owner Leigh Gibson invited you!

How can you not root for Tim Tebow?

2011-12-13T13:05:00.005-05:00

Without a doubt Tim Tebow is a major lightening rod and strangely enough, a polarizing one at that.

And I wonder why.

In Tebow we see a man of strong faith and spiritual conviction. He willingly accepts blame and enthusiastically distributes credit. He lacks prototypical NFL quarterback talent yet he continually finds a way to get the job done in Denver and is 7-1 as a starter.

So what’s wrong with that?

Why aren’t we as Americans universally behind Tim Tebow?

This great country of ours has been built upon overachievers pursuing a dream. Why then can’t a winning quarterback be built the same way? And how Tebow wins today doesn’t necessarily mean that he plans on winning the same way in the future. By his own admission he is a work in progress – one who I might add is progressively working!

The hate makes no sense – unless of course the strength of Tebow’s faith leaves those who lack such convictions feeling a bit insecure.

But his faith should be inspiring not intimidating. Driven by faith Tebow will be a great teammate; an outstanding role model for children; and for the doubters it will propel his work ethic providing the fuel to enable him to reach his fullest potential.

Anyone who hates THAT has issues.

If you aren’t inspired to root for Tim Tebow, you are simply uninspirable.

I have no idea where it will end for Tebow. Conventional thinking suggests his bubble will burst at some point. Actually I tend to agree with that yet I hope he proves me wrong.

In the meantime, count me among those who will cheer him on throughout his journey hoping that his bubble survives. Unless of course along the way there's an encounter with the Baltimore Ravens.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Ravens v. Colts

2011-12-12T10:44:00.004-05:00

The Baltimore Ravens v. the team formerly known as the Baltimore Colts. Just the mention of the game in years past was enough to raise the collective blood pressure of Baltimore area fans. Mix in the Colts 8 game winning streak against the Ravens and you might expect a pretty tense atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium.

Not yesterday, not the entire week leading into the game. No one was worried and with good reason.

The 2011 Colts stink!

It is mind boggling how much a difference one player makes to a franchise but let’s be honest here, the Colts are a team in decline even with Peyton Manning behind center.

This game wasn’t as close as the score and the Ravens for most of the second half were in cruise control. It seemed a bit like the varsity taking it easy on the JV team.

THE GOOD: Ray Rice was elusive and decisive. He showed great vision on his 6 yard TD scamper in the second quarter and he was patient and explosive when needed when executing screen passes and while positioning himself for Flacco checkdowns…Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith continue their purposeful downfield blocking…Except for a couple of breakdowns during which he predetermined where he was going with the ball despite coverage (see: the interception by Joe Legefed and the dropped potential pick 6 by Antoine Bethea) Joe Flacco had a solid day that could have been even better if not for some effective (albeit illegal) arm barring on Torrey Smith. Flacco used cadence to his advantage. Let’s hope that is a sign of things to come. Flacco was also effective extending plays and ad libbing…Lee Evans sideline grab was a thing of beauty.

Cory Redding is playing near Pro Bowl level. Let’s not forget that Redding was once the Lions’ franchise player. He has been miscast for years and is now finding his place with the Ravens. His day included 3 tackles for a loss, a sack and a QB hurry…Jameel McClain had arguably his best overall game as a Raven leading the team with 8 tackles, 1 for a loss and he was much better when dropping into coverage…Bernard Pollard had his first interception as a Raven but perhaps even more impressive than snaring a Dan Orlovsky overthrow was his coverage throughout the game. Granted Orlovsky won’t be confused with Philip Rivers but Pollard’s 3 passes defended cannot be overlooked…Terrence Cody was stout at the point of attack…Sam Koch tilted the field in the Ravens favor averaging a net of 45.7 yards on his 3 punts…The Ravens were on pace to set a franchise record for fewest yards allowed with 91 surrendered with 2:18 remaining until the Colts' final drive of 76 yards…Lardarius Webb and the punt return team seem to be developing a little rhythm now. That couldn’t come at a better time.

THE BAD: The coach's decision to keep Ray Rice in the game at the end only to be pounded into the line and burn clock against a soon-to-be 0-13 team made no sense. Ricky Williams should have been the workhorse there and Anthony Allen should have been active for the very same reason…Flacco and Cam Cameron need to do some clean up in short yardage situations. The Ravens didn’t have a checkout answer when a fourth and 1 play at the Colts 42 with 9:58 left in the game was doomed from the start. The Colts had 11 attacking the LOS and Ray Rice yet Flacco still went with the play.

THE UGLY: The Ravens entered the game yielding 31 yards on average on kick returns. The Colts entered the contest averaging just 17.9 yards per return. Against Jerry Rosburg’s kick coverage unit the Colts averaged 30 yards per return. That’s just unacceptable. Playoff games are often determined by turnovers and big plays in the return game. It’s time Rosburg cleans this up and gets the right personnel on the field.

THE MEGAN FOX AWARD: Despite being hog-tied, handcuffed and the recipient of more hugs than Boo-Boo the Bear, Terrell Suggs managed to get 3 sacks and force 3 fumbles (all recovered by the Colts). He very easily could have had 5 if the man hugs weren’t so plentiful. Suggs also added a QB hurry and 2 other tackles for a loss. No other premier pass rusher holds down the edge on running plays the way Sizzle does. He should get serious consideration for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

MEGA(N)BYTES: By the time the Ravens tee off against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football in America, the Chargers could be eliminated from playoff contention. Their best hope for a post season appearance is if they can win the AFC West but if the Broncos beat the Patriots in Denver (New England is favored by 6) on Sunday afternoon and the Jets can go into Philly and take care of the Eagles (The Toe Monster is a 3 point dog), Rivers & Company’s fate may be sealed. For the record the Ravens are now listed as 2 1/2 point favorites over San Diego…Terrell Suggs now has 13 sacks on the season and that represents a career best. The Ravens all-time record is 15 thanks to Peter Boulware’s terrific 2001 season…Second round pick Torrey Smith caught his 6th TD of the season against the Colts and that marked Joe Flacco’s first career TD pass against Indy. On the season Smith has 37 catches for 693 yards, averaging 18.7 yards per catch. Smith is well on his way to the most productive rookie season in team history. Comparatively speaking the numbers from first round picks Travis Taylor (28 catches, 276 yards, 9.9 avg, 3 TD’s) and Mark Clayton (44 catches, 471 yards, 10.7 avg, 2 TD’s) pale in comparison.

A Summer Tradition Fades Away

2011-12-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

A very good friend of mine, when measuring the importance of tried and true customs once told me, “Tradition doesn’t graduate.”

That poignant statement hung in the air for me for a few moments. And when it finally soaked in, I knew he was right. All of those traditions passed down from generations; family gatherings; friends hoisting a memorial toast at a special happy hour; the list could go on. But each and every one has significance and these traditional events help sustain and honor the memories. Tradition allows them to echo in eternity.

Tradition doesn’t graduate.

If only the Baltimore Ravens shared that conviction with my friend, there would be happier fans in Ravens Nation today.

Yesterday we learned that the Ravens would not host their training camp at McDaniel College in 2012 and from the looks of it, training camp outside of the team’s headquarters in Owings Mills is a thing of the past and apparently that tradition has graduated.

“In 1996, Westminster was the best place for us to have training camp,” general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome explained. “How teams conduct training camp today is vastly different. Our football needs and requirements are different. The absence of two-a-days, how much space we need for the players and the meetings, the limited number of practices allowed by the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement), the importance of having an indoor field when the summer storms come – all of that and more football-influenced factors, had me recommend to Steve (Bisciotti) and Dick that we hold camp [at team headquarters].”

The backlash from the fans, particularly those who made the trek to Westminster a traditional summer event is predictable and arguably warranted. Those who depend upon the economic boost provided by the McDaniel College camp will be hurt financially and forced to adjust.

Most will argue that the move was driven by greed but the Ravens say no.

“This is not a financial decision,” team President Dick Cass pointed out. “Because of our training camp sponsors and partners, we did not lose money going to Westminster.”

According to the team, this really boils down to what they believe is best for the players and coaches to prepare for the season.

Both Newsome and Cass point to the following as the driving forces behind the decision:

Cass and Newsome pointed out a number of issues that provoked the Ravens to make this decision:

• Facilities at the team’s Owings Mills facility are conducive to the best practices, especially in bad weather when the team can quickly move inside without losing the limited practice time. The team’s state-of-the-art weight room, conditioning machines and medical/training areas are significantly better.

• Ravens have outgrown the Best Western Hotel. “There aren’t enough rooms for our players, coaches and staff. Nor are there rooms for the individual position meetings that are an everyday part of football preparation,” Cass noted. (Each year the Ravens have added trailers to hold position meetings and use as office space for the staff.)

• Technology requirements, including computer and video, have changed dramatically in recent years. Capacity at the hotel is not compatible with team needs.

• The new CBA limits teams to one practice per day, and the efficiency provided in Owings Mills with meeting space, fields and video and IT operations allows the team to maximize the preparation for the season.

Still the fans will be disappointed – some bitterly. You can count team owner Steve Bisciotti among them.

“We completely understand that this takes away an important part of our connection with our fans. I regret that,” Bisciotti continued. “Hopefully, we can find other ways to continue this outreach. We’ll have more to say on this as we develop these programs.”

Let’s give this time to marinate. Let’s see how the club engages the community with these new programs and determine if such new programs coupled with what’s best for the team justifies this gut-wrenching decision.

Old treasured traditions cast aside aren’t easily forgotten.

It’s hard to watch them graduate.

But maybe new programs lead to new traditions.

And maybe the people will come with newfound smiles.

Time will tell.

Ravens should keep Ray Lewis on the bench

2011-11-29T07:30:00.002-05:00

Towards the end of the Special Sound FX featured on NFL Network which showcases the Ravens v. 49ers Thanksgiving game, John Harbaugh while pacing the sideline and Ray Lewis nearby asks rhetorically after David Akers tied the game at 6-6, “Where else would you rather be?” Ray Lewis replies, “On the field.”

Harbaugh: “Oh yeah, sorry man!”

But it begs the question, when will Ray Lewis get back on the field?

I don’t know about you but I’ve had my share of ankle and toe injuries as it relates to the Baltimore Ravens. Knock on wood, things could be far worse but these nagging injuries that just won’t go away just seem to linger.

• Lee Evans injures his ankle area in the preseason and so far has missed 7 games
• Jimmy Smith suffered a high ankle sprain during the season’s opening kickoff against Pittsburgh and missed the rest of that game and 4 others
• Ben Grubbs struggled with turf toe and missed 6 games

And now the turf toe monster has bitten the team’s leader Ray Lewis.

But there are plenty silver linings gleaned from all of these injuries.

• Evans’ injury gave Torrey Smith more playing time than ever imagined and his productivity has exceeded expectations in his rookie season and the maturation process has accelerated
• Cary Williams and Lardarius Webb have shaped into a formidable cornerback duo in Smith’s absence and with his return, the secondary’s depth grew deeper
• The next man up after Grubbs was Andre Gurode and while he certainly had his fair share of struggles, Gurode’s time on the field in a Ravens uniform allowed the 5 time Pro Bowl center a chance to develop rapport with his O-Line mates and re-experience guard play

Which brings us to Ray Lewis…

With Dannell Ellerbe down v. San Francisco, Albert McClellan got the call to fill Ray’s shoes and if the Ravens are smart, they’ll keep McClellan or even a recovered Ellerbe on the field in place of Ray for the next two games.

If the team and more specifically the medical staff learned anything about any of those aforementioned injuries, exercising on the side of caution and providing extra rest pays dividends. Lee Evans made a huge play against the Niners and should be another vertical threat for Joe Flacco going forward; Jimmy Smith gets to grow as a nickel without the pressures of being a starting rookie corner.

It is no small coincidence that the offensive line play has picked up measurably since Grubbs’ return and there are no apparent lingering issues with the turf toe. The team podiatrist was spot on. The extra rest helped and the same prescription should be extended to Ray Lewis even if he is chomping at the bit.

Sit him against Cleveland and the winless Colts and have him ready for the late December stretch run. To give in to Ray’s angst to get back to where he wants to be – “on the field” given these next two very winnable games would be a mistake.

We’d all hate to hear that, “sorry man” again from Harbaugh – particularly if it is in response to Ray’s season coming to a premature end due to one nasty toe that simply needed a little R&R.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Ravens v. 49ers

2011-11-27T06:06:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite of holidays. Just the thought of this day of thanks stirs up warm tinglies as families gather to spend time together and to focus at least for a day upon all that they have instead of regretting what they don’t have or fretting over what they aspire to have.

There’s a calm about Thanksgiving. It’s like calling a timeout in the game of life. Thanksgiving allows you to exhale; to look around you and at your loved ones; consider who you are and what you are because of them.

It’s serene and pure in its beautiful simplicity.

And this Thanksgiving was the most beautiful of all. And the game time pleasantry of 53 degrees for a November 24, 2011 8:29PM kickoff certainly added to it.

Before moving on to the game I have a confession…I am a 49ers fan. No they aren’t my number 1 and anyone within earshot of me on Thursday Night knows for certain who is. But when the Colts left Baltimore, I became a 49ers fan. The 80’s and 90’s 49ers were easy to root for and I couldn’t help but gravitate to a quarterback with a smallish frame and somewhat limited physical skills who was a winner. Joe Montana reminded me of Johnny U in many ways.

So I quietly pull for the Niners except when their success negatively impacts the Ravens.

You see unlike too many Baltimore citizens who adopted different teams when the Colts left town, I immediately dropped the Niners to No. 2 in the pecking order – and it’s not even a close second. Civic pride means a little more to me than those sellouts who remain Colts or Steelers fans.

Just sayin’…

Now, let’s get it on!

THE GOOD: Joe Flacco threaded a few important passes into some tight windows. His two tosses to Dennis Pitta, one to Ed Dickson and a slant to Torrey Smith immediately come to mind. Flacco managed the game well and did not predetermine his throws and force passes into places he should not. His deep post to Torrey Smith was spot on and hit the arm-barred rookie in stride resulting in a 50 yard penalty…The offensive line was outstanding in pass protection and they kept their signal caller clean all night. It is no small coincidence that this unit has been markedly improved since the return of Ben Grubbs…Vonta Leach on separate occasions annihilated the 49ers highly touted inside linebacker duo of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman…

Lardarius Webb is becoming a playmaker and he’s steadily improved his technique throughout the season. That improvement was on full display as he blanketed the much bigger Braylon Edwards to intercept an Alex Smith toss near the end of the first half…Bernard Pollard was a great pickup by Ozzie Newsome and what he lacks in pass coverage is more than made up for by the impact plays he does make and his menacing enforcer-like presence between the hash marks. He led the team with 8 tackles…Lee Evans made only 1 grab for 8 yards yet its importance cannot be understated. Evans caught a third and 7 pass a few yards short of the sticks yet he did his best LaGarrette Blount impersonation and drove defender Carlos Rogers forward and beyond the first down marker. The effort kept what would eventually be the game’s only touchdown drive alive…Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano was masterful with his personnel groupings and protecting a thin group of inside linebackers.

THE BAD: It seems almost a weekly occurrence that something or someone that special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg touches ends up here. The kick return teams and kick coverage teams continue to struggle and in a game where field position was critical, Rosburg’s units did little to tilt the field in the Ravens’ favor. Ted Ginn, Jr. averaged 31 yards on 3 returns and by now Rosburg must be holding his breath each time Billy Cundiff fails to nail a touchback…David Reed dressed on Thursday night and again he showed up on film for all of the wrong reasons. This time he was deeked by punt returner Ginn and consequently failed to find a perfectly placed punt by Sam Koch and pin the Niners inside their own 5…The Niners conversion of a third and 17 from their own 26. OUCH!

THE UGLY: Cam Cameron’s short yardage and red zone offense continue to be putrid. Over the course of the last two games the Ravens are 2 of 9 attempts when facing a third and 2 or less. And in the red zone against the 49ers Cameron’s crew ran 12 plays in total for a net of just 17 yards. The quarterback draw call was a joke and detected before the snap by Patrick Willis. Flacco running the ball is akin to Robert Plant playing lead guitar for Led Zeppelin. And while the Ravens pattern of following up a successful second down pass play with a quick QB sneak to convert a third and 1 or less is usually a plus tactical move, not having a plan B when the defense has that scouted out is rather embarrassing. When it was obvious that the Niners had the play snuffed, Flacco stood behind center looking like a child in a shopping mall who couldn’t find his mother…The 12 men on the field penalty against the Ravens defense AFTER a timeout on fourth and 3 at the Ravens 40 with 0:23 on the clock is inexcusable.

THE MEGAN FOX: The defensive front four was outstanding. They held Frank Gore who had been averaging close to 100 yards per game to 39 yards on 14 attempts. And they were absolutely menacing to Alex Smith who was sacked 9 times and hurried 12 other times. That accounts for nearly two-thirds of Smith’s 33 drop backs. Haloti Ngata had 2 sacks and 2 hurries and the underrated Cory Redding had 2 ½ sacks to go with 4 QB hurries. But the game’s MF Award Winner has to be Terrell Suggs not only for his production (3 sacks, 3 hurries, 1 forced fumble) but also for his on the field leadership given the absence of Ray Lewis. It was a T-Sizzling Thanksgiving.

In closing and getting back to what an absolutely memorable day this was, I’ve always believed that Thanksgiving is the true starting point of the Holiday Season eventually culminating for me with the spirit of Christmas. That spirit, regardless of your religious convictions is captured in the closing scene from the movie Scrooged starring Bill Murray. It absolutely represents the core of any faith.

This year, given how so many families have struggled, so many have lost loved ones to tragedies, even casualties of war, Murray’s message resonates perhaps even more today than when the show hit the big screen in 1988.

Watch the clip below.

Feel it.

May it put a little love in your heart, capture it, nurture it and replenish it and your spirit today, during The Season and every day of your life.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Is Joe Flacco a "Franchise Quarterback"?

2011-11-16T07:46:00.003-05:00

Well to answer that question we have to define what one’s interpretation of the word “franchise” is in the description of “franchise quarterback.”

Some use it as a synonym for elite and if that is your preferred context for the term, then no, Joe Flacco is not elite and I don’t ever see a day when he will be elite which in my opinion, means a top 5 QB in the league.

Elite quarterbacks don’t become elite overnight. They work at perfecting their craft through film study and refining the finer points of quarterbacking. Aaron Rodgers over the weekend informed the ESPN broadcast team during production meetings that to be an elite QB you have to want to be great. And wanting isn’t just saying it. It means putting in the work to become elite.

How quick is their release? Do they possess good ball handling skills? Are they leaders and do they move their team to and from the huddle with precision and purpose? How do they process post snap adjustments by the defense? Do they throw to spots before the receiver arrives? Do they use cadence to create advantages for the offense?

I don’t see Flacco doing many of these things and for me that means he isn’t driven to become great. Placing blame on his coaching is fair but I also think Flacco needs to take some of those things upon himself and from where I sit, I see no evidence that suggests he does. From my vantage point there isn’t much progression from Joe since his rookie season. There’s some but not 60+ starts worth of progress.

Now if your definition of franchise quarterback means a long-term solution at quarterback for a team, then yes Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback. He can provide years of above average quarterbacking and at times flirt with the label of elite. But consistency is Flacco’s Achilles’ heel and in my opinion consistency in excellence is a pre-requisite for elite.

There is a silver lining in not having an elite quarterback. A team doesn’t have to invest so much of its cap resources in one player and should that player go down as in the case of Peyton Manning who covers up for many of his team’s inadequacies, there isn’t a total collapse. Plus it has been proven that through solid drafting and strategic free agent signings that an above average QB is good enough to win a championship.

As for re-signing Flacco, I do think the Ravens will do that and they’ll pay him commensurately. During our Ravens Rap program in Ocean City earlier this month, Steve Bisciotti when asked what it might take to sign Flacco -- $40-45 million guaranteed, Bisciotti’s replied, “It won’t take that much.”

Stay tuned and keep an eye on what happens with Matt Ryan’s contract situation. That could be an effective gauge for what it will take to extend Flacco.

Time for Harbaugh to man up!

2011-11-15T15:13:00.002-05:00

Whether it’s sports or business or even at home one of the more important things that a teammate, co-worker or family member should possess is accountability.

Everyone makes mistakes and the only way any of the above gets better as a unit is to identify, admit to and work to correct those mistakes.

Humility is an understated quality. Some are afraid to admit mistakes because they believe it represents weakness which ultimately leads to disrespect. It’s quite the opposite if you ask me. Having the guts to man up and admit the error of your ways and commit to correcting them shows far more character than sticking your head in the sand and pretending the screw ups either didn’t happen or fail to acknowledge their occurrences.

What does that accomplish?

We’re all very well aware of the puzzling dearth of touches for Ray Rice during the team’s 3 road losses. In Tennessee Rice had 18 chances to advance the ball (13 rushes, 5 receptions); in Jacksonville the number fell to 13 (8,5); and then this past Sunday the number again hit 13 touches (5, 8).

Harbaugh vowed after the debacle in Jacksonville that Rice would run it more but that hasn’t really happened.

Down by 12 at half to the 29th ranked offense in the league that puts up an average of 16 points a game, the Ravens ran the ball just once – ONE TIME in the second half during the 34 offensive snaps taken after intermission.

During his weekly Monday presser a chippy John Harbaugh defended the team’s decision to shut down the rushing attack.

"I don't know how you would do it any differently," Harbaugh said. "We were in a situation where we lost two possessions. When you don't have very many plays, it's hard to build up your running game. And when you're down, you've got to throw it to get back in the game.”

Down 12 coach to the Seahawks…THE SEAHAWKS and TAVARIS JACKSON! And you are really trying to justify 33 throws v. 1 run?

Really?

No one is buying what Harbs is selling and let’s just hope he’s more humble in front of his players.

After the game Ray Rice declined interview requests, saying he would reserve his comments until Wednesday. "I don't want to say the wrong thing right now.”

Naturally everyone is blaming the play caller Cam Cameron. Did Cameron miss all those open receivers? Did Cameron drop all those passes? Did Cameron fumble 2 kickoff returns? Did Cameron fail to force a punt when the Ravens had the great Tavaris Jackson on the ropes facing a first and 20 from his own 10 yard line?

Rhetorical questions for sure and I’m not here to defend Cameron’s play calling or his handling of Joe Flacco. There’s plenty of blame there.

But if John Harbaugh is more involved in the offense this year as he promised during the offseason it stands to reason that if Cameron truly was directing the offense and ignoring his playmaker running back that Harbaugh at any time could step in and say, “Hey Cam, we need to get the ball in Ray’s hands.”

So if we’re to take Harbaugh at his word – that he’s more involved in the offense and that he believes the game situation necessitated the play calling that went down, then the Ravens are in trouble.

If he’s just giving lip service to the media and in turn the fans, then he’s disrespectful and is lacking in accountability.

And if he delivers this same insulting spin to his players and means it, how can he ask them to be accountable when he is not?

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Sleepwalking in Seattle

2011-11-14T06:44:00.003-05:00

This just in from Forrest Gump: “The Baltimore Ravens are like a box of chocolates. You just never know what you’re gonna git!”

And that pretty much says all you need to know about this 2011 John Harbaugh squad through Week 10.

They’ve lost to two of the league’s worst teams, the Jaguars and Seahawks who entered each contest with five and three game losing streaks respectively. These are teams that the Ravens are supposed to control. They should be dictating the game but instead these teams despite their inadequacies are able to neutralize Cam Cameron’s primary offensive weapon – Ray Rice and dictate to them. In these two losses combined Rice had 13 rushes for 55 yards. COMBINED!

Now that’s not to point the finger solely on Cam Cameron but clearly the Ravens abandon the run far too early and you have to wonder why. Teams that are successful on the road travel well because they play good defense, protect the football and control the clock with an effective rushing attack – see San Francisco 49ers circa 2011. Yesterday the Ravens did none of that.

Yesterday the Ravens were hardly Sleepless in Seattle. The really never woke up.

Let’s get to it – there’s plenty of blame to go around…

THE GOOD: The many Ravens fans who made the long trip out to the Pacific Northwest for the game. CBS spent a good deal of time focusing on you. The Ravens should consider reimbursing you for that unpleasant exclamation point to end your journey…Ed Dickson (10 catches, 79 yards, 2TD’s) and Dennis Pitta (4 catches, 49 yards) continue to impress in the clutch. Can we now do away with all of the Joe Flacco excuses about not having Todd Heap around?...The O-Line in Pass Pro ~ Joe Flacco threw the ball 52 times and was sacked only once. He was given ample time to set and throw despite the Seahawks knowing that the Ravens would be chucking it to get back in the game. And through it all the pass protection held up well…Cary Williams and Lardarius Webb both answered with a couple of passes successfully defended in key situations, particularly challenging when the opposing QB is not under duress.

THE BAD: Joe Flacco’s inconsistencies continue. He missed open streaking receivers twice in the first quarter (Boldin, Smith) running 9’s down the right side line. He also was high and wide too often while trying to operate the 2 minute offense at the end of the first half. Later he inexplicably misfired to a wide open Dennis Pitta. Too many times he threw that ball when and where he wasn’t supposed to and was very fortunate only to have been picked off once. Flacco’s passer rating continues to tumble and he currently sits at No. 26 in the league…Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith didn’t help matters much. Both dropped key passes to stall drives…The offensive line provided little to no push in the ground game and it could explain why Cam Cameron quickly abandoned it. But as Pete Carroll’s coaching staff proved, sometimes you just keep feeding “The Beast” as they did with Marshawn Lynch. The Ravens ran 66 offensive plays and could only find 5 to hand it to Ray Rice?

Remember the movie “Ghost” where Patrick Swayze could enter and take over the body of the living? I’m thinking that for Greg Mattison and Chuck Pagano. Too often yesterday Pagano unnecessarily gave mad respect to a quarterback (Tavaris Jackson) who has proven nothing in the NFL. The Seahawks offense heading into the game was ranked 29th overall and they had allowed the second most sacks (29) in the league. Despite those telling stats Pagano had no answer and the Ravens put Jackson on the ground only once. Pagano’s unit had a chance to get the ball back for the team’s offense with plenty of time and good field position when Seattle had it first and 20 on their own 10 but they let the great Tavaris Jackson off the ropes…

John Harbaugh needs to be a beacon of objectivity on the sidelines and if he can’t be he needs to entrust someone who can. A head coach has to strip down the emotion and make decisions from a mind set of clarity. Harbaugh’s feeble challenge of a first down at the 2 minute mark cost the team a valuable timeout. How he chose to handle a kickoff from the 50 down by 5 with just under 6 minutes to go (Cundiff registered a touchback) was essentially a gift to the Seahawks. There were other more challenging and creative options available to take advantage of that prime kickoff LOS. Then after the Seahawks took possession they were flagged for a false start to set up a first and 15 at the 15. After an incomplete pass Seattle was flagged for illegal motion. Why take that penalty? Isn’t 2nd and 15 in that spot more desirable?

Chris Carr seemed to be chasing receivers with the ball all day. Isn’t it time for a little more Jimmy Smith?…Jameel McClain couldn’t cover a corpse with a blanket…Ray Lewis was pretty much owned by Marshawn Lynch and yes Jarret Johnson, that is your jock out there on the 42 yard line.

THE UGLY: Many are quick to criticize Cam Cameron but for me the worst coordinator on the team’s coaching staff is Jerry Rosburg. His return teams lack cohesiveness and don’t seem to have a plan, particularly the kick return team that seemingly meanders around aimlessly. David Reed’s decision making has been questionable as a returner as of late and his ball control speaks for itself. Why he was even allowed to go back on the field is a mystery and it’s pretty bad when taking a knee in the end zone is your most productive option. The coverage teams were beaten to the punch by the Seahawks and they simply looked like they wanted it more. From top to bottom Rosburg’s men stunk. From Morgan Cox to Billy Cundiff to even the usually reliable Sam Koch who “booted” a 28 yard punt from his own 14 to set up another Steven Haushka field goal. This was a mess of epic proportion! …”Hello Bryan, Bryan McCann. Hey this is Ozzie Newsome. How are you my friend?”

THE MEGAN FOX AWARD: Subbing for Megan today is Roseanne Barr and the RB goes to, who else, David Reed.

ESPN Sells Out Again!

2011-11-13T12:04:00.006-05:00

Every now and then I try to put on my objective journalistic ball cap and remove emotion with the sole intent being to achieve clarity of thought and unbiased opining. But then I remember that we are a fan site and that it’s not only ok to wear your heart on your sleeve, it’s preferred.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t offer quality and objectivity. It just means that with the delivery the tenor is a little more celebratory after a win and little more painful after a loss.

That’s our M.O.

It’s what we are supposed to do.

But how do you explain ESPN’s blatant selling out to the Terrible Towel-a-ban?

Here they are, the self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader” trumpeting the horns of “Towel Around the World”, a blatant attempt to jump on the world’s biggest bandwagon – Steelers Nation. They are supposed to be a beacon of objectivity but instead they are ESPN: (An) Extraordinary Sports’ Prostitution Network.

They are the ultimate sell outs and I so wish they we all had a worthy alternative.

Sure NFL Network is great for the NFL but c’mon CBS or Fox or NBC – can’t you guys come up with an alternative to television’s street whores? (With all due apology to the world’s oldest profession.)

I’m sure Steelers fans are smiling and laughing over this one.

Go ahead ESPN, keep feeding the Towel-a-ban. One day you’ll hang from those towels and we can call you EPSN, Entertaining Pittsburgh Steelers Nation (only).

Introducing Profootball24x7.com: "Do what you love, love what you do"

2011-11-08T20:12:00.008-05:00

For many years and as recently as 2005 I worked as an Account Executive for commercial finance companies offering equipment financing solutions for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies. It was a great career that provided challenges and lifelong friendships. Yet the job wasn’t really the one I had envisioned for myself during my formidable years.

But sometimes life can get in the way and as you take on more debt and obligations you are forced to think rationally, logically and you seek paths from point A to B to C and so on and so forth. Logic stymies imagination which in turn makes the realization of dreams that much more of a long shot.

Many of us learn that the hard way and looking back I wish that I hadn’t been in such a hurry to advance from point to point. But it’s water under the bridge and as a father the best way to utilize my experiences is to churn them into lessons for my children.

Since this side of their toddler years I’ve always told my kids to pursue an education because it gives you options. But when you finish with your education, before you burden yourself with debt and other obligations, pursue a career you love so much that you’d almost do it for free. If you can make that happen, you’ll never feel like you’ve worked a day in your life.

Eventually “Do what you love and love what you do” became my personal credo.

Professionally speaking I may have talked the credo but I certainly wasn’t walking it. In many ways I thought it was too late.

Then one day I woke up after having gone through several company acquisitions that impacted my job and decided to kick logic to the curb and start practicing what I was preaching.

Soon thereafter Ravens24x7.com was born.

Our site has gone through a few face lifts over the years and we’re continually refining it to make it better for our customers and our sponsors. That will never stop. And as we have morphed into something bigger and better almost always there were two prevailing thoughts guiding our direction:

1. We never wanted to lose our fan flavor – after all we are fans and we wear it like a badge of honor; and

2. One day we will take this 24x7 template and apply it to all 32 teams

It absolutely made sense but how and when tempered the ambition for awhile.

But not anymore!

With all the pride and passion in my being, along with my two outstanding partners we present Profootball24x7.com – a collection of 32 NFL fan sites all designed in essentially the same way.

Our job now is to go out and find fans, both bloggers and even 24x7 operators in each of the league’s cities to bring their own local flavor to their town’s 24x7 the way we hope we’ve done with Ravens24x7.com.

Maybe those fans are armchair quarterbacks who want to share their opinions; maybe they are those callers to sports talk radio; maybe they’re college students or recent grads looking to expand their resumes.

Some of our writers just do it for the “love of the game.” Others get their blogs sponsored and earn some extra cash for their opining. Now we’re hopeful that there are still others who will want to shape their livelihoods around the NFL.

The job is mobile, it can be run from anywhere, AND it channels your passion for football in a profitable way that never, ever feels like work.

I should know, I wake up early each day eager not because I have to but because I want to. The difference is invigorating. I’m now living the life I described to my children.

Perhaps you or someone you know can too.

If any of this interests you drop a note to Tony at: TL@profootball24x7.com

Profootball24x7.com, “Where football isn’t just a game!”

Get busy living, or get busy dying...

Thank You Smokin' Joe!

2011-11-08T08:52:00.003-05:00

As a kid I looked up to my Pop. I still do. I remember way back when the way we used to take in the games together given the relatively limited technology available to access the sporting world.

Memory lane includes summers with extension cords, rabbit ear antennas and tin foil to take a portable black and white TV on to the patio to watch O’s games; listening to Chuck Thompson and Vince Bagli on WCBM, hanging on their every word as the Colts competed to pull off another win; trying to work through the fuzzy static on Channel 20 in my parent’s bedroom – the best vantage point in the house to soak in the signal and take in the Bullets game.

“Bullseye!”, exclaimed Jim Karvellas.

And then there was professional boxing.

Boxing seemed like a very macho sport for men only. Moms in the neighborhood didn’t care much for it but the Dads embraced it with the same affinity that they did basement poker games with their buddies and cheap cigars.

Some might go to closed circuit events which in those days seemed very pricey. Others would tune in by radio, waiting with baited breath for post round updates.

My earliest recollections of these days included the combatants Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

I didn’t quite get the name of Ali, particularly when Dad would refer to him simply as “Clay.”

The political and religious aspects of Ali’s new name didn’t resonate with me. I remember not understanding them but given the context in which he was described, I sensed that he was a polarizing figure. For reasons that have nothing to do with politics or religion I may have picked Cassius Clay as my guy. I just thought the name was cool. But Muhammad – I couldn’t relate to. It sounded to me like a name I’d heard in my Catholic elementary religion class.

My guy was Smokin’ Joe Frazier.

Smokin’ Joe would bob and weave like a malfunctioning piston. He didn’t talk as much as Ali preferring instead to let his left hook do the talking. And boy did it make a statement to those who felt its wrath.

Joe won that first epic battle with Ali. I remember Dad talking about how both fighters spent days in the hospital after their match. Their heads looked like warped melons. These men were then modern day gladiators. And it was hard not to at least in some way idolize them.

Boxing back then seemed to have more dignity than today. It almost had a higher social status vibe about it than other sports. Maybe it was the exclusivity of it that made it appear that way. And it was real unlike my other Channel 20 favorite – the roller derby or even WWF (which never appealed to me).

Whatever the reason, I know that even today when I hear the name Joe Frazier that somehow, it inspires a smile or at the very least it reminds me of a childhood memory that reconnects me to people, places and things that have come and gone.

And in these busy days, the cerebral respite is welcomed.

Thanks once again Smokin’ Joe for the ride down memory lane.

You will be missed.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: No. 5 Carries Ravens to Victory!

2011-11-07T12:16:00.003-05:00

Ok I have to admit to an affliction that I’ve had for about 16 years which at this point has no cure and it may be worsening. It’s called Football Tourette’s.

Whenever the Ravens play the Steelers the conditions are nearly perfect for the syndrome’s side effects to really rear their ugly heads. If you need a visual, think back to the movie A Christmas Story and the father’s inability to control his knee-jerk profanity when his furnace acts up.

This is why I turned down several offers to go to take in the game at various establishments around town. I didn’t want to put myself or even more so my wife in an inevitably embarrassing position.

And so I watched from home determined not to allow the relentless persistence of my FT to win. I tried and tried despite the temptations. Yet the syndrome’s will was too strong despite my determination and eventually I succumbed to its force.

The caving was akin to the Steelers’ defense when facing a force named Flacco last night in Pittsburgh.

Despite several key dropped passes and the team’s inability to get a ground attack going, Joe Flacco stood strong, confident and focused and eventually he finished off a 13 play, 92 yard drive capped by a 26 yard scoring strike to Torrey Smith with 0:08left on the game clock.

Flacco has had his critics and I’ve been among them. But on this cool evening on the shores of the Monongahela River, Joe Cool finally put the team on his back and carried them to victory against a formidable opponent.

THE GOOD: Terrell Suggs was kept in check for the most part but if anyone for a second sees him as simply a pass rushing specialist, that serves only to cheapen his true status as a complete defender. As he has been so often in the past, Suggs was a thorn in Ben Roethlisberger’s side, intercepting a pass deep in Ravens territory to thwart what at worst looked to be a game tying drive to start the second half…Cary Williams and Lardarius Webb were generally in the right area. Williams had a couple of nice passes defended and Webb was excellent in run support. Given the ample time that Roethlisberger had to throw this pair did a nice job particularly when you consider that one safety spent most of his time near the box (Bernard Pollard) and the other (Ed Reed) might as well have been on a Coast Guard Long Range Interceptor II patrolling Three Rivers…

Dennis Pitta was clutch hauling in 5 catches (all for first downs) and having a sense of where he needed to be to convert the drive sustaining plays…Ben Grubbs’ return to the lineup was huge and he provided stability to pass protection missing on the left side since his toe injury first became an issue…John Harbaugh’s challenge of a play ruled a Hines Ward catch on the field was surprisingly successful and forced the Steelers to settle for a field goal and not a fourth and 1 conversion attempt deep in Ravens’ territory…Give Cam Cameron props for moving Anquan Boldin into the slot area and away from underrated CB Ike Taylor. Taking on William Gay, Boldin was able to corral 4 passes for 51 yards during the 92 yard scoring march…David Reed was more decisive as a kick returner this week and Billy Cundiff was clutch with a half ending 51 yard field goal to push the Ravens out in front 9-6…Torrey Smith was plus while showing character and responding to adversity in the clutch.

THE BAD: Chuck Pagano’s second half game plan was one lifted from Greg Mattison’s playbook. Playing with a lead the Ravens have been successful attacking opponents. Instead Pagano seemed fearful of the big play ability of Mike Wallace and the conservative approach opened the door for Roethlisberger to make plays on second efforts. The pass rush in the season opener almost single-handedly ushered in a win; the lack of one nearly ushered in a loss yesterday…The Ravens running game struggled. The Steelers were prepared for the stretch runs and zone blocking and the Ravens couldn’t answer. Twenty-seven rushes for a 2.5 yard average isn’t going to win you many games on the road…Joe Flacco obviously is a better quarterback from the gun and in a no huddle. Why it takes desperate times for desperate measures to break out that part of the playbook remains a mystery…Those bubble screens are missing the bubble (blocking). How about redesigning those Cam and get some blocking out there in space?

THE UGLY: Torrey Smith is an incredible man with off the chart character. If not for the game winner that character would have been severely tested this week because his game was a model of extreme inconsistency. His drops and holding penalty nearly did the Ravens in.

THE MEGAN FOX: Watch and listen to the national sports pundits when the topic of Joe Flacco comes up and common themes surface – inconsistency and an inability to will his team to victory. Consistency happens over time and Flacco still has some work to do there. But yesterday in Pittsburgh Flacco was a prime time quarterback against an elite rival on a national stage in hostile enemy territory. Despite a struggling running game and receivers who just couldn’t seem to make clutch catches (other than Pitta) Flacco was unflappable and determined. He doesn’t talk much, doesn’t spread blame or take credit. His words on this night at Heinz Field were not his sword – his perseverance and big right arm were. Time will tell how much the Ravens offense grew on November 6, 2011 in Pittsburgh but if this season ends with the Ravens making a February trip to Indianapolis, this night for No. 5 just might be the one that the critics point to and say, “This is the day it all changed for Flacco.”

And just maybe that Football Tourette’s will be cured.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Ravens v. Cardinals

2011-10-31T12:27:00.002-04:00

So will the real Baltimore Ravens please stand up? Are they the team that opened the season in dominating fashion against the archrival Steelers or are they more like the team that looked dazed and confused in Jacksonville last Monday night?

Yesterday against the Cardinals in their own crib, they were a little of both while providing little evidence to dispel their burgeoning reputation as a Jekyll & Hyde squad.

THE GOOD: Let’s hope that Joe Flacco provided enough evidence to Cam Cameron to convince him to use the shotgun and no huddle offense more regularly. Looking back on Flacco’s career his best performances seem to take shape when running a no huddle. Unfortunately, the Ravens rarely employee the approach unless they are desperate (see Falcons and Vikings on the road). Flacco is a rhythmic passer and the no huddle obviously helps him to find that rhythm. The up tempo approach also seems to help the offensive front provide adequate time to throw as the no huddle serves up a secondary benefit of wearing down opposing pass rushers. Flacco’s second half QB rating was a solid 94.0…Terrell Suggs was menacing contributing a whopping 13 tackles, 4 of which were for losses, a sack and 2 QB hurries…Paul Kruger chipped in with 2 sacks and 2 QB hurries…Bernard Pollard is a menacing presence when he can play close to the line of scrimmage. He had 5 tackles plus a sack and a QB hurry…Chris Carr’s return provided a boost to the secondary. It was good to see him contributing and getting back in the flow. He’ll be counted on in situational sub packages against the Steelers’ speedy receiving corps…Vonta Leach was a wrecking ball in short yardage and goal line situations.

THE BAD: Joe Flacco’s first half at home against an inferior opponent…Torrey Smith dropping a pass in traffic leading to an easy and potentially devastating interception…The offensive line, particularly the left side. Bryant McKinnie and Andre Gurode looked like they dressed up as zombies for Halloween…Jarret Johnson was unusually weak holding down the edge against the run.

THE UGLY: No matter how you dress it up, losing to a (1-5) team at home by the score of 24-3 U-G-L-Y, for this there is no alibi…Special teams were anything but. The coverage was shoddy, tackling pathetic and the plan of attack suspect. It’s difficult to understand why David Reed insists on coming out of the end zone when he accepts a kick 7+ yards deep particularly when you consider that teams have to run 5 fewer yards to make the tackle. Reed lacked purpose and failed to follow the little blocking provided. Jerry Rosburg’s return teams (both kick and punt) seem to be missing a plan and if there is one it’s either poorly executed or they need a new one. It sort of reminds me of watching 6 year olds playing soccer. Both teams just follow the ball all over the field like honeybees...The penalties (11 for 99 yards) were ridiculous and the Ravens better clean that up before heading into Heinz Field on Sunday night.

THE MEGAN FOX: Sometimes you throw to excellent receivers that aren’t really open because you know that at best they can make a play or at worst they will become an effective defender if the pass is poorly thrown. Anquan Boldin is one of those guys. Boldin was targeted 12 times and hauled in 7 of those Flacco tosses for 145 yards, 80of them coming on one 88 yard drive to close the deficit to four (24-20) in the third quarter.

T.O. to B'more is enough to make you cry!

2011-10-26T12:11:00.002-04:00

When you struggle on offense and your receivers are stuck to opposing defensive backs like they are Siamese Twins it’s only natural to want someone, anyone who can get open. Terrell Owens could be that guy!

But it ain’t gonna happen! Not here in Baltimore.

You may recall that the Ravens brokered a deal with the 49ers back in the day to obtain Owens but the deal fell through after Owens threw a tantrum like a toddler who just got his lollipop taken away. The tantrum included some unflattering remarks about Ozzie Newsome.

Per Owens vis-à-vis his then agent David Joseph, Newsome allegedly said that he, “was a black man from Alabama just like T.O.” and added that “sometimes a black man’s gotta be slapped.”

In his narcissistic diva autobiography Owens claimed that he was stunned by the alleged remarks from Ozzie and that they were the primary reason he refused to report to the Ravens.

Newsome would later scoff at the allegations and explain, “I did tell T.O. that he should check with the veterans we brought in over the years. I told him to call Rod Woodson, Shannon Sharpe, Michael McCrary, and Sam Adams, and they will let him know how we treat veterans here.”

So let’s just scratch T.O. off that rumor list and while you’re at it, deep six any thought of Randy Moss as well. Volatile receivers just aren’t going to work here – not with an offense lacking identity and leadership.

"How to say "I f'd up" in 293 words", by John Harbaugh

2011-10-26T11:19:00.004-04:00

“Now, that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’m even more sure that it was the right thing,” Harbaugh said. “And I think you can go both ways on it, but we had a chance to do a probability study, and that’s another thing that Matt Weiss does, and the probabilities are for kicking the onsides kick. And that’s giving a 21-percent onside kick recovery rate, and that’s assuming that that’s a touchback, so that they get the two-minute warning – which to me, if I’m them, I’m bringing the ball out, unless it’s kicked out of the back of the end zone. So, you know what? I think it’s fair to say you can do it either way.

“I felt strongly about the onside kick, and the main reason was because I thought we were going to get it. So, you can take that 21-percent and make it 50-percent-plus in my mind, because I liked our scheme on that play. And if you look at the way, we had them outnumbered at the point of attack. If that ball goes 10 yards, which is not asking too much, then we’re going to recover that ball. Now we’ve got the ball with two minutes, plus two timeouts, plus the two-minute warning, to go from the 45- to 50 into close field goal range and give us the best chance to make a kick and win the game. I felt strongly about it then, and I feel even more strongly about it now that it gave us the best chance to win. But, I also acknowledge you can definitely make the case the other way. If everything works out perfectly the other way, you have a chance to win the other way, too.”

For some reason this spin has me thinking about an old Wings song from 1979…

You want percentages coach?

Billy Cundiff has had 70% of his kickoff go for touchbacks.

And Blaine Gabbert up until Monday had won exactly 0% of his starts.

Just admit it Harbs, you were wrong!

Hey and since I’m showing my age (see video below), I have a new nickname for you… “The Fonz.”

Ravens Lack Leadership

2011-10-26T08:30:00.005-04:00

John Harbaugh’s decision to try the onsides kick against the Jaguars made no sense. Sure he can try and spin it his way but I’d respect him more if he just said, “Sorry guys, I screwed up!”

But don’t hold your breath on that.

Let’s reset the situation.

The Ravens score their first points of the night and close the gap to 9-7 with 2:02 to go. They have 2 timeouts left and the benefit of the 2 minute warning as an additional timeout.

Billy Cundiff, aka Mr. Touchback knocks it through the back of the end zone as the Ravens give it back to rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Now you know Jack Del Rio isn’t going to put the ball in the air at this point. He’ll grind it out on the ground and eat up some clock and force the Ravens to burn their timeouts.

So chances are the Ravens would get the ball back and take over around their own 35 yard line with about 1:30 to go and tasked with advancing the ball 40 yards to set up Cundiff for a walk off win. If after 3 plus seasons and 61 starts you don’t have confidence that your quarterback can make that happen, then you’ve got the wrong guy leading your offense.

Look, this wasn’t Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers or even Ryan Fitzpatrick that the Ravens were going up against. This was Blaine Gabbert who after 4 sacks and 92 yards passing to that point was probably one more nervous play from soiling the bed.

Now compare Harbaugh’s clock management in this contest to that in the team’s other loss in Tennessee. Down 23-10 with 7:03 left in the game and facing a 4th and goal from the Titans 11, Harbaugh decided to kick the field goal and give it back to a red hot Matt Hasselbeck and ask his tired defense to stop the Titans’ offense not once but twice AND answer those stops with two scores of their own.

Add it up and the logic is missing. Harbaugh was willing to send out a struggling defense to thwart a hot 3 time Pro Bowl QB yet afraid to ask an effective defense to stop a rookie QB in the national spotlight.

Seems to me the Ravens head coach is about as “consistent” as his quarterback.
Where Harbaugh does show consistency is in his highly crafted ability to spin doctor team issues without really meeting them head on – at least not publicly.

“I decided I wanted to go for the onside kick because I felt like we needed the short field and I felt we were going to get the onside kick,” Harbaugh said.

“I think when you watch the way it was executed, we would have gotten it if it was kicked a little further. You’ve got to kick it 10 yards; Billy [Cundiff] knows that. If we could have gotten it, we would been in good shape and it gave us the best possible chance to win. That’s why we did it. But you can certainly make a case the other way.”

That’s your leader ladies and gentlemen. Come to think of it the only effective leaders on this team (and this includes the coaching staff) are all on the defensive side of the ball and it’s this lack of leadership that suddenly brings the team’s coaching staff into question.

The Ravens offensive line is a mess. Is first year offensive line coach Andy Moeller capable of fixing it?

Cam Cameron’s track record speaks for itself and the message isn’t all that great. But as bad as he is, what would the Ravens do if he says, “I’ve had enough” or if he and Joe Flacco have such a strained relationship that they can’t work together? Who would create and implement the game plan and make the in-game play calls?

Harbaugh? A guy who has never been an offensive or defensive coordinator?

You know Brian Billick was many things, some good and some bad but one thing he wasn’t was afraid to surround himself with the best coaches available, many of whom have gone on to be head coaches in the NFL. The Ravens faced one on Monday night.

Who on Harbaugh’s staff is head coaching material? You could make the argument that Chuck Pagano could one day be capable but other than that, where is the depth and quality in coaching? Who has the cache to step up and challenge Harbaugh when needed?

Could it be that Harbaugh doesn’t want coaches surrounding him who during tough times could threaten his job? Maybe that explains his unwavering support of Greg Mattison.

Sure, this loss in Jacksonville was just one game but I can’t help to think back to the 2007 season when a talented Ravens team with a struggling quarterback was 4-2 and coming off a very sloppy win at home over a bad St. Louis Rams team. The signs and the problems were there but masked brilliantly by Brian Billick’s clever spinning – at least temporarily.

Eventually those problems manifested themselves in a 9 game losing streak and the end of the Billick era.

That’s not to say that the same can or will happen to the 2011 Ravens. But once again, the signs are there. Ray Lewis’ face says it all.

The Scenery Only Changes for the Lead Dog

2011-10-25T19:15:00.003-04:00

We all know how bad the Ravens offense is. I fully expect to see a “Parental Guidance Suggested” warning sign when I finally muster up the courage to torture myself and review the game again on DVR.

Where do Cam Cameron and Joe Flacco go from here?

Well the optimist might say the Debacle by The Landing was merely a temporary blip on the radar screen and things will get better this week with a little home cooking while hosting the Arizona Cardinals.

The pessimist might tell you there’s only one way to go but up.

That’s a bit like the Lennon/McCartney penned, “Getting Better.” McCartney in his enthusiastic vocal sings, “It’s getting better all the time” only to be answered by Lennon’s sobering, “It can’t get any worse.”

Let’s hope both Beatles are spot on but I have my doubts.

We’ve seen this kind of offensive offense before during the Boller Era. The complete futility was evident in their play and in their body language. The hopelessness on Ray Lewis’ face on the Ravens bench told the story. It was painful.

In this new NFL, the era of high flying offenses and rules geared towards producing points the Ravens could only muster ulcers for the Ravens defense and their fans. After three quarters Joe Flacco & Company produced just 57 yards of offense – just a few shy of the total number of points the Saints put on the Colts this past Sunday night.

It took them until the third quarter to get a first down – A FIRST DOWN!

This is supposed to be a Super Bowl contender?

And in the midst of this horrific performance Cam Cameron came up with an epic idea –let’s pull the best offense player by a mile and put in Ricky Williams. Well even Cameron was bright enough to realize that wasn’t going to work but by then the damage was done. Ray Rice’s mojo was zapped. Let’s call it Cameron Kryptonite.

We could go on and on about Cameron’s play calling; Flacco’s execution; an offensive line which engages oncoming pass rushers like Republicans embrace Obamacare; receivers suffering from separation anxiety.

This year it was supposed to be better. We’re all aware of the expectations, about how Flacco would come into his own in year 4 and have a greater stake and say in the offense; how the team would attack and put opponents away. We heard about the addition by subtraction as it relates to the departures of Jim Zorn and Al Saunders. We remember how John Harbaugh declared he would be more involved in the offense.

But not much has changed. It may even be worse now than it was last year.
Good or bad, one game doesn’t make a season. Yet the signs are daunting and the smoke is visible.

The Ravens offense just doesn’t look big league and they struggle mightily when teams mix up zone coverages and get pressure with four or five pass rushers. They don’t seem to adjust in game, preferring to stick with an obviously faulty game plan. Is it Cameron? Is it Flacco? Is it both?

There are subtle things that might not go on the stat sheet but things that better offenses do that the Ravens are seemingly incapable of. They have no sense of urgency; they look confused; they lack leadership; they can’t get to the line in time to check out of plays; they don’t change up cadence and place and already challenged line at a greater disadvantage; and they seem to refuse to try a no huddle before it’s too late to change the pace, tempo or more importantly the results.

Quite simply put, Cameron’s offense just looks dysfunctional and the fear is they will bumble away another outstanding season for the defense, like this organization has so many times before.

Something has to give – something has to change.

Apologists will argue that this is just one game, a momentary lapse of reasoning. But is it?

Consider the games against the Titans, Jets and Jaguars, even the Texans – all subpar offensive efforts. The Ravens are 20th in the league overall on offense; they are dead last in red zone efficiency among teams with winning records; and Joe the Quarterback is 19th in the league in QB rating with a very pedestrian 76.2.

How can they expect to be a title contender with such egregious inconsistencies on offense?

Soon the Ravens will have to make a decision about the future of their offense. You can’t fire all of the players so the crosshairs will center upon Cameron. Harbaugh managed to save Cameron for 2011 and he can thank Steve Bisciotti and the lock out for winning that battle. But you have to wonder where it goes in 2012.

Do the Ravens give Cameron another shot and risk losing the defense? Wouldn’t it be wise to see what Flacco can do free from the Cameron’s play calling, particularly in a contract year? Apart maybe we can really see where the fault lies.

But nothing will change this year. There’s not a coach on staff who is equipped to design and implement a game plan or make the in game calls – and that includes Harbaugh.

So how do they get better?

Well for starters they all need to stop kissing each other’s ass and be accountable. Cameron could start by stop being such an apologist for his inconsistent QB. Harbaugh can start saying things like, “I blew it by going for the onsides kick!” Flacco might want to accept responsibility for the offense’s lack of tempo, confidence and sense of urgency. Take control and please spare me the, “Well that’s not really part of Joe’s make up!” because IT BETTER BE! If he doesn’t have it, force it upon him and if he can’t take it, get him the hell out of the way.

In today’s NFL quarterbacks must be leaders. They can’t just hitch their wagon to a great defense.

The time has come for someone on offense to take charge and if they don’t there will be more meltdowns like yesterday.

One looms on November 6 if they aren’t careful.

THE GOOD, BAD, UGLY & THE MEGAN FOX: Flacco's play like a fart in a phone booth

2011-10-25T02:09:00.007-04:00

The Baltimore Ravens won’t admit it but they are so hard up to have a franchise quarterback that as an organization they are willing to look away and away and away from the inefficiencies of Joe Flacco. They will stick their heads so deep in the dirt hoping that when they shrug off the topsoil and raise their collective head that Flacco actually has a game face of confidence.

Dive back in the dirt – Flacco looks like he’s seen a ghost.

Who you gonna call?

The guy just doesn’t have “it”. After 3 plus seasons isn’t it painfully obvious that he will never be a Top 10 QB in the NFL?

When all is right in the world and the Ravens have a lead, are at home and they are running the ball ok, Flacco can do some damage. But when things unfold as they did in Jacksonville, Flacco is like a ship without a rudder. He’s lost in space and possesses the poise of Rainman when he’s about to miss the next episode of “Wheel of Fortune” or heaven forbid, he farts in a phone booth.

Maybe that should be the name of the team’s offense – Farts in a Phone Booth.

I mean why not, they stink!

How many Super Bowl caliber teams have ever said, “Hey remember in Week 7 it took us almost 2 ½ quarters to get a first down against a 1-5 football team?”

Yes that’s a rhetorical question.

Look, there is no redeeming quality, silver lining or something to build on in this Debacle by the Landing. Going forward it will be all about will, determination and desire. I have no doubt that the defense is willing to suck it up and respond to this adversity.

As for the offense, let’s just say they might be Pittsburgh’s favorite unit in the NFL. Is there any doubt that Steelers’ fans were dancing in the street and rejoicing in their new position atop the AFC North as a result of the inept performances of Joe Flacco, Ray Rice & Cam Cameron?

I can’t help but think back to Steve Bisciotti’s comments pertaining to the team’s offensive coordinator -- “we like Cam under fire.”

Really?

Maybe it's time to shoot, aim and FIRE!

Congrats Ray!

2011-10-19T09:39:00.001-04:00

Big props to Ray Lewis for being the first member into the 40-30 club (sack-interception). To continue to play at such a high level in his 16th season is a physiological marvel. This man, this leader will be incredibly missed and only when he’s gone will we fully realize just what he means to the Baltimore Ravens. As Ravens fans we’ve been blessed by No. 52 whose echo in Charm City’s heritage will nearly approach that of Johnny U.

Say Your Prayers!

2011-10-19T09:23:00.002-04:00

During Sunday’s game against the Texans, the first half ended with a Hail Mary pass from Matt Schaub into the Ravens end zone. On the play Chuck Pagano, after a time out mind you, decided to rush only 1 player, Terrell Suggs. The other 2 defenders at the line of scrimmage could have called Domino’s and got their delivery. They just stood there.

In hindsight, Schaub could have stood there too and waited until a player decided to break out of the end zone cluster and then completed a TD pass. Chuck, here’s hoping you take that play to the shredder. If another team has an opportunity to “pray” against the Ravens and they’ve seen this method of defending the prayer, it could prove costly.

Above Average NFL Quarterbacks

2011-10-19T09:15:00.002-04:00

Carson Palmer is heading to Oakland! I must admit that I didn’t think Palmer would play this season and that he’d be involved in a draft day trade next year. But a possible two No. 1 picks is really hard to turn down, particularly for a guy who almost can’t return as a Bengal. Big win for Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis.

The deal places a lot of pressure on Palmer. Can he step out of the gym and on to the field and justify the hefty price tag? One thing going for Palmer is a great running game which might become even better since the big right hander’s resume commands more respect than Jason Campbell and certainly the next man up, Kyle Boller.

Trades don’t happen often in the NFL. Being the ultimate team game, it’s hard to pull and plug players from one system to another and expect similar results. This isn’t baseball. But given all of the frustration from fans regarding Joe Flacco, I wondered if given the opportunity to make this same deal and you were Ozzie Newsome, would you?

I happen to consider Flacco to be an above average quarterback and in the case of the NFL that means he had to fall in the top 15 quarterbacks. If you take Peyton Manning out of the equation because we aren’t exactly sure at this time if he’ll ever resume his career, the top 15 in my opinion are:

Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Aaron Rodgers
Philip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger
Sam Bradford
Matt Stafford
Matt Schaub
Josh Freeman
Michael Vick
Matt Ryan
Joe Flacco
Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Ryan Fitzpatrick

Arguments could be made that Cam Newton, Jay Cutler, Kevin Kolb, Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Sanchez all belong in this grouping. Some might argue that players like Andy Dalton and Colt McCoy will soon be part of this group. And certainly Carson Palmer qualifies as above average. Add it up and that’s 23 quarterbacks, probably 12 of which could jockey for the bottom five spots in the Top 15.

Where does Flacco sit in your opinion?

And if you have him towards the bottom third of the top 15 it remains an interesting, volatile and debatable question, “Would you trade an above average QB for 2 No. 1’s?” You can vote here.

The Palmer deal might evolve into a win-win but if the Bengals don’t bungle those picks, it is a big win for them particularly since Palmer was never going to take another snap as a Bengal and Mike Brown’s dusty wallet can remain dusty. He won’t have to pick it up to pay Palmer again.

And I thought that the cinema adaptation of Mike Brown’s life would feature the dude from Weekend at Bernie’s! Brown deserves credit for this fleecing.

It's 1 O'clock Somewhere!

2011-10-19T09:13:00.001-04:00

One thing that as a fan I can’t get behind is a night game. I hate night games at M&T. Sure the national stage has some allure to it and your team gets exposure but I’d rather speak softly and carry a big stick; fly under the radar and pull a surprise attack. Besides, if you are like me and enjoy a great tailgating event, it’s always nice to do have a nice opening act (pregame tailgating) followed by the headliner (the game) and of course an encore is quite nice (the postgame tailgate).

Night games, you lose the encore and it’s replaced by miles of red tail lights because nearly everyone leaves at the same time when it’s midnight.

Just give me some good old fashioned, “It’s 1 o’clock somewhere!”

The Main Event

2011-10-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

Why is it that Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz won’t be fined for their little stiff arms while Ray Rice gets a $7,500 bill for his – one that was so offensive it wasn’t even penalized on the field.

On the surface it looks to me like Schwartz overreacted but then who knows if Harbaugh said anything to the Lions’ skipper after the exchange. Some of you may recall that Schwartz was a Ravens assistant during the Marchibroda years – one of which Jim Harbaugh was the Ravens QB. There are rumors floating about that the two never really liked each other back then.

Hey how about a 3 round bout for charity guys?

Proceeds will go to the RPA.

I’m sure the Commish could get behind that…

Fines, fines everywhere there's fines!

2011-10-19T07:56:00.002-04:00

Count me among those who think the fines in the NFL are out of control. Count me also among those who think that these unruly fines are part of a conspiracy.

Stay with me here…

It’s no secret that the Retired Players Association wasn’t exactly thrilled with their slice of the pie in the newest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Law suits have been tossed around and meetings were scheduled between God Goodell and the RPA to try and settle the differences.

But perhaps to ease the pain, $25,000 fines are being levied as quickly as those cameras around the Baltimore Metro area can take a picture of your license plate for keeping up with traffic and mailing you an invitation to pay $40. It’s ridiculous. Matt Birk was fined $5,000 by the league for taking a mic out of his shoulder pads (one that the league requires to enhance viewer enjoyment for the game’s sights and sounds) because it was sticking him in the neck.

So what does this have to do with the RPA? Well those retired players are the beneficiaries of those fines. Maybe this is Goodell’s way of still getting what the owners wanted at the bargaining table for the retirees without it costing the owners.

Danger in the Meadowlands?

2011-10-18T13:33:00.001-04:00

The Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets have more in common than just Rex Ryan, Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard. The temperament of the 2007 vintage Ravens and the 2011 Jets seem to be about the same. Back in ’07 there was a lot of frustration simmering at the surface during Brian Billick’s last season with the team. They got off to a 4-2 start after an ugly win in San Francisco (9-7) and a win against a hapless St. Louis Rams (22-3) at home. But despite the decent start, you knew things weren’t right.

Following that win over the Rams the Ravens would go on a 9 game losing streak, including a loss to the then winless, Cam Cameron led Dolphins – the only win Cameron had as a head coach. The streak ended on a gift from the Steelers whose playoff seeding was set, win or lose game 16.

Given the offensive struggles of the Jets in 2011, a defense that isn’t performing to its standards and their volatile temperament fostered by the head coach, this season could turn on the Jets like the Ravens ’07 season. And the balance of their schedule suggests this isn’t an impossibility or just wishful thinking on the part of yours truly.

Mason deserves more from B'more!

2011-10-18T12:30:00.002-04:00

For the life of me I don’t get all the hate and bile directed towards Derrick Mason from Baltimore Ravens fans. All Mason did during his 6 seasons in Baltimore was to give all that he had. Sure he yapped when things weren’t going well offensively and ok, I get that the needle leaned towards the selfish side but from his arrival in B’more to his departure, no one was a more consistent or more reliable starter than Derrick Mason.

No one!

Mason never missed a game as a Raven, playing in 96 consecutive regular season games and 8 playoff games. He is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver in receptions (471) and yards (5,777). He was also a leader on offense, a role normally reserved for the quarterback but given the temperament of the men behind center the Ravens have employed, Mason seemed more like the offensive alpha male than anyone else.

He played fearlessly, practiced hard and always respected the game.

If the Ravens had 53 Derrick Masons during his 6 season here, there would be another Lombardi Trophy in the Ravens’ trophy case at The Castle.

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: Ravens v. Texans

2011-10-17T17:38:00.002-04:00

The Ravens entered yesterday’s game against the Texans well rested. Many believed that besides rest the down time might be spent on self-scouting and refining some of the areas where the team needed some polish, such as in red zone efficiency and in chemistry building along the offensive front. If they did invest some sweat equity in those areas, yesterday produced no dividends.

The game was a rather strange one since it isn’t often that you see a team win by 15 points while losing the turnover battle by -2 and the other team converts 5 of their first 6 third down attempts from more than 8 yards out. But like a pitcher who wins without his good stuff, the Ravens found a way to improve their record to 4-1. If this team can correct their red zone woes (more on that later), develop some consistency in pass protection and get some key contributors like Ben Grubbs, Lee Evans, Jimmy Smith and Chris Carr healthy, then a solid argument can be made that the Ravens are the AFC’s best.

THE GOOD: Arian Foster is a very good back. That said he had a very bad game and if not for 3 dropped passes and several slips on cutback attempts during stretch runs, we might be talking about a different outcome or at the very least a closer game. But give the Ravens front seven along with help from safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard their due for taking Foster out of the game, winning first down and forcing Matt Schaub into 16 third down conversion attempts that on average were just shy of 7yards…Jarret Johnson was an anchor on the edge and also menacing when rushing Schaub. He had a momentum sustaining sack of Schaub in the third quarter…Lardarius Webb has been very steady at corner and pound for pound is one of the team’s best tacklers. He was beaten a couple of times in man coverage on slants but if not for razor sharp precision from Schaub each of those passes could have been knocked down. Webb minimized the damage each time with an immediate take down.

Ray Rice needs to touch the football no less than 20 times per contest because eventually he’ll break off a play of 20 or more yards…Joe Flacco continues to struggle in the red zone but give him his due for delivering in the face of extreme pressure between the 20’s. His fourth quarter toss to Anquan Boldin from his own 25 yard line which was caught at the Texans’ 20 traveled no less than 60 yards (thrown from outside the right hash to the far side of the left hash). What made the throw a thing of beauty was its accuracy given the fact that Flacco was sent tumbling immediately after completing the throw…Speaking of Boldin, his strong hands alone should invite attempts by Flacco because he consistently comes up with catches even in tight coverage. He just needs a chance to make a play on the ball. He had 8 snags for 132 yards.

Torrey Smith had a productive day and like his sidekick Boldin he would have eclipsed the 100 yard mark had Flacco thrown to him a little sooner in the second quarter when running a 9 route from the Texans 24… Brendan Ayanbadejo made a great tackle after a Schaub to Owen Daniel pitch and catch. If Ayanbadejo misses that take down, it could have gone for six…Danny Gorrer gave defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano some quality snaps yesterday in nickel packages…

THE BAD: The Ravens red zone offense is among the league’s worst (ranked 27th entering the game). The stats will show that they were 2 of 4 in the red zone yesterday but 1 score was aided by an outstanding run by Rice to the Texans’ 4 and if not for two personal fouls by Antonio Smith giving the Ravens a fresh set of downs twice while inside the 2, they could have easily been forced to settle for 3 on their opening drive…Joe Flacco badly overthrew a wide open Ed Dickson during the waning moments of the first half. That connection would have at the very least provided an opportunity for 3. Instead, it was intercepted by Johnathan Joseph…

Dickson should be on the field for every offensive snap. He’s just a matchup nightmare. But yesterday, he was on the sidelines quite a bit. After a closer look, his suspect blocking more than likely cost the young tight end snaps in the first half. One missed pass pro assignment nearly sent Flacco head over heels into Ostend Street…Fellow tight end Dennis Pitta looked a bit out of sorts and obviously on a different page than Flacco. With more time to prepare for this game coming off the bye, one would think this potentially productive combination would be more finely tuned. Pitta added a false start to boot deep in Ravens territory…Two players usually as dependable as death and taxes were off their games – Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda…John Harbaugh mismanaged the clock at the end of the first half. When you are at home and you genuinely believe that you are fielding a high level quarterback, you don’t allow the opponent to burn off the play clock when they are facing a third and 12 from their own 18 with 1:15 left in the half and 2 timeouts.

THE UGLY: Flacco continues to show inconsistent pocket awareness and if his fumbling continues it could prove costly on the road…The Ravens better get it together in the red zone or it will cost them in the future particularly when playing tough opponents outside the comfy confines of M&T…The secondary had a costly breakdown in the third quarter when Pollard committed his coverage to Owen Daniel running a crossing route, vacating his area on the field despite Daniel already attracting three defenders. Ed Reed couldn’t close in time and it ended with a 32 yard scoring strike to Jacoby Jones.

THE MEGAN FOX: Billy Cundiff set a club mark with seven touchbacks, one of which sailed into the third row of the end zone seats in the east end of the stadium. He also was flawless in five field goal attempts despite some tricky crosswinds. A few seasons ago when Matt Stover retired, we all expected to miss his consistency. Outside of the Hauschka hiccup season, Cundiff has made the transition from the Ravens ROH member seamless.

And that’s saying a lot!

Ravens not impressed with Steelers

2011-09-28T12:42:00.001-04:00

The Ravens were not very impressed with the play of the Steelers on opening day. That’s not to say that they will take the regular AFC North Champion lightly but some insiders were surprised by how easily the Ravens pushed around both of the Steelers lines. Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel are all players who appear to be losing the battle with Father Time and that has affected the productivity of the dangerous outside tandem of James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.

On offense the men tasked with protected Ben Roethlisberger are in tatters and it calls into question their collective ability to keep their signal caller healthy and their ability to create space for RB Rashard Mendenhall. And from what I’m hearing, there are some who genuinely believe that the Steelers recovery from these decaying trends could take a couple of seasons.

Ravens Defenders on the Move: Webb, Kindle, Kruger

2011-09-28T12:05:00.002-04:00

The play of Lardarius Webb and the expected return of Jimmy Smith following the team’s bye in Week 5 might help motivate such a roster move. Webb has been one of the team’s surest tacklers and he’s supported the run better than any member of the secondary – by far. His technique continues to improve as well. Webb makes plays and if Cary Williams becomes a good player and Jimmy Smith is what the Ravens believe him to be, don’t be shocked to see Webb line up at safety at some point in time in certain sub packages.

A lot has been made of Sergio Kindle’s inability to be among the active players so far this season. Critics will say that he’s just not good enough while supporters will argue that he’s improving but in order to be active he has to contribute on “teams” and that has to happen on the practice field. Albert McClellan seems to be the player standing in Kindle’s way and the solid play from Paul Kruger does little for the former Longhorn’s chances as a situational pass rusher. Maybe the inactivity isn’t necessarily a knock on Kindle but a credit to the guys in front of him.

Back to Kruger for a moment, don’t be surprised if he chips away at Jarret Johnson’s playing time particularly if opponents take to the air more frequently. Kruger is a better pass rusher than JJ and has shown an ability to drop into zones in coverage. If Kruger’s development continues, JJ could be another of those Ravens favorites who move on much like Messrs. McGahee, Gregg, Heap and Mason did this past offseason.

Flacco emerging as leader

2011-09-28T12:01:00.002-04:00

Team insiders have been impressed by Joe Flacco’s developing confidence and his maturation as a leader. Word is that at least some of the big strike attempts made by the Ravens in St. Louis were Flacco’s choices while at the line of scrimmage. (I guess audibles aren’t overrated after all). This coupled with Joe’s post game comments centering upon the importance of an attack mentality in the NFL helps morph a once seemingly fearful offense into a fearless one.

That doesn’t mean that Cam Cameron’s unit is without weakness. Michael Oher continues to put the offense at a disadvantage with costly penalties. His move to right tackle was supposed to help temper the miscues. So far they haven’t although that said, Oher has played better on the right side. It will be interesting to see what the Ravens decide to do during the 2012 offseason about the left tackle position. Either way there will be questions. Will Jah Reid and Oher duke it out for the right tackle slot in ’12? Will they bring back Bryant McKinnie or will they lean on the draft for a new left tackle? Keep in mind the team needs to get younger at linebacker and they will probably need to replace Ben Grubbs who is expected to command a paycheck that the Ravens are unlikely to sign.

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: Ravens @ Rams

2011-09-28T05:28:00.001-04:00

Throughout the entire week leading into the Ravens game against the Rams in St. Louis fans and the media both wondered aloud – which team, the one that hosted the Steelers or the one that was rolled in Nashville, would show up at the Edward Jones Dome.

Many worried that a 0-2 hosting team might play with a level of desperation – particularly one that many believed would compete for the NFC West Divisional Title.

It didn’t take the Ravens long to answer their critics and ease the collective mind of their fans after Joe Flacco and Torrey Smith connected on a 74 yard scoring strike on their second offensive play from scrimmage.

They never looked back and why would they after jumping out to a 21-0 lead on the heels of 3 first quarter scoring strikes from the Flacco-Smith pitch and catch tandem.

The win sets the Ravens up nicely for a Sunday Night showdown with Rex Ryan & the Jets at M&T Bank Stadium.

THE GOOD: Joe Flacco made good choices throughout the contest, stood strong in the pocket, bought time when needed and kept his head downfield to make the most of opportunities in the St. Louis secondary. He fired lasers from start to finish…Ray Rice made the most of a relative modest number of touches (8 runs for 79 yards, 5 catches for 83)…Andre Gurode was solid subbing for an injured Ben Grubbs…Anquan Boldin brings a defensive attitude to the offensive side. His physicality at the position provides a spark even when a catchable TD pass that evaded his grasp did not…Ricky Williams was productive in his relief role of Rice…

Terrell Suggs was strong off the edge, disrupting Sam Bradford regularly. Plus his multi-technique play isn’t appreciated as it should be. He not only contained a reverse but also dropped Lance Kendricks for an eight yard loss. Later he read a screen to his side and dropped back in coverage and that forced the Rams signal caller to dirt the ball after the play was diagnosed and busted…The defensive front was stout across the board. Haloti Ngata, Terrence Cody, Cory Redding, Pernell McPhee and Paul Kruger all had plus outings. Ray Lewis refused to be beaten while exerting that unparalleled will upon St. Louis. Lardarius Webb has shown improvement at corner and his technique on his interception was text book. He was also productive in the return game.

The coaching staff had a great game plan across the board. Offensively Cam Cameron and his staff found something in that Rams secondary that they thought was too inviting. Give them credit for going after it again and again because the Rams had no answer. Props also go to Chuck Pagano’s gang for re-energizing the pass rush and slowing down Bradford’s fast break offense. John Harbaugh has run his winning streak to 9 following a Ravens loss.

THE BAD: This will amount to nothing more than nitpicking. The aforementioned miss by Boldin; Flacco’s bad impersonation of Mike Vick and subsequent fumble following a run; Billy Cundiff’s two misses from 51 yards out; Michael “The Penalty Machine” Oher; no matter how Harbaugh spins it there is no excuse for leaving Joe Flacco in the game. It was a perfect opportunity to play Tyrod Taylor. Harbs challenging a fumble with 3:20 left in the game leading 37-7 deserves a C’MON MAN!

THE UGLY: Terrell Suggs after a sack. Well maybe before the sack too.

THE MEGAN FOX: This one is a rather obvious choice. Torrey Smith made the most of his opportunity filling in for the injured Lee Evans, gathering in 5 passes for 152 yards and 3 TD’s plus a nicely executed bubble screen that was recorded as a 10 yard run since the pass was actually a backwards toss. Smith played as though his hair was on fire, running hard with purpose. He attacked footballs thrown his way, particularly on this third TD, a fade route to the front left corner of the end zone. “Tweet’s” overall performance validated the organizational support of his play and it sets up well moving forward. He’ll need to be accounted for and when Evans returns the underneath routes should be even cleaner. On Smith’s post pattern TD Boldin was also wide open coming across to the area that Smith cleaned out with his route.

This game by the gateway to the West should not be forgotten any time soon.

It just may have opened up a gateway to more aerial assaults by Cam Cameron’s offense.

A sad day in Ravens Nation

2011-09-23T13:37:00.002-04:00

Ravens Nation is saddened today by the loss of Orlando Brown at the age of 40.

So young, so full of life.

It leaves us all feeling a bit anesthetized – perhaps humbled by our collective mortality.

When I think of Zeus, I recall a beast of a man on the field. A player you wanted on your side because when the game was on he was ferocious. Zeus took the description of Game Face to a new level.

I’ll remember him as a mauler just as much as I’ll remember him for shoving referee Jeff Triplette to the ground after the official mistakenly hit Brown in the eye with an errant penalty flag.

When I think of Zeus’ alter ego Orlando I will remember a gentle giant, a happy-go-lucky man who took pride in his ride. A guy who would show up at Ravens Roost bull roasts and enthusiastically extend that huge mitt of a hand.

But these things aside, the lasting image I’ll have of Orlando was in Westminster a few summers ago during Ravens camp. Brown showed up wearing a Spud Webb jersey. The irony of this behemoth of a man wearing a tiny NBA player’s jersey was both comical and revealing.

Total opposites, just like his personalities on and off the field.

Rest in peace big fella!

Ravens Nation will miss you…

THE BOXER LACKS PUNCH

2011-09-22T12:34:00.001-04:00

The Ravens SS Tom Zbikowski is rather stealth these days on the football field and when he does show up, it’s for all the wrong reasons. He hasn’t made an impactful play in either of his two starts this season and it might be time to give Haruki Nakamura and/or Bernard Pollard some of his snaps. There has to be some disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff when it comes to Pollard, a player whose paycheck is far north of his playing time.

As for Nakamura, he’s a far better cover safety than Zibby and from what we’ve seen lately a better tackler too. Add it up and it spells “Knocked Out” of a starting job.

At least that’s the way I see it…

WILL THE REAL RAVENS PLEASE STAND UP!

2011-09-22T12:32:00.002-04:00

Are the 2011 Ravens the team we saw on opening day against the Steelers or the bunch we watched this past Sunday in Nashville, devoid of any sense of urgency?

Or does the real Ravens 2011 vintage lie somewhere in between?

Against the Steelers the Ravens were the clear aggressors. They delivered the physicality, the tempo and a killer instinct rarely seen from a Cam Cameron offense. In LP Field the Ravens executed poorly, delivered frighteningly familiar results against a Cover 2 defense and despite being down by 2 scores late in the game they moved to the line of scrimmage at a snail’s pace.

Steve Bisciotti once said that he likes Cameron under fire. If they fail to produce in St. Louis, watch out!

It’s next to unconscionable that the Ravens can’t find mismatches with speedy TE Ed Dickson or that they can’t execute a professional bubble screen to Torrey Smith to at least get him into the flow of the game. And not just a throw to the outside so he can go one on one with a corner! How about getting the linemen out in space and at least trying to turn a short toss into a big gain?

How can the Ravens invest their newfound cap dollars?

2011-09-22T12:29:00.001-04:00

Well, the names Rice, Flacco and Grubbs come to mind as possibilities. Flacco has another year on his 5 year rookie deal so the Ravens will probably wait that one out. Plus the guess here is that Flacco’s handlers probably will price him among the Top 10 QB’s in the game, perhaps even higher. I’m not so sure at the moment that he ranks there and it behooves the team to wait it out and see. That’s the beauty of a rookie contract.

As for Grubbs, the Ravens signing Marshal Yanda did in any possibility of the fifth year former Auburn Tiger landing a lucrative long-term deal in Baltimore. The bet here is that the Ravens will go after a Yanda-like player in the draft who will deliver a better value in terms of cost to performance. That’s not to say Grubbs hasn’t been a good player but given Yanda’s deal and Grubb’s first round status in the same draft class as the team’s resident pig farmer, he will no longer be the right player, right price.

And let’s not forget the Ravens may have left tackle issues in 2012 to address. It doesn’t appear that either Michael Oher or Jah Reid is suited to play the blind side.

So that leaves Ray Rice…

And the franchise tag will just scream his name, particularly on the heels of the fat contracts of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson landed.

Rice is the team’s best offensive player but given the nature of the position, Ozzie may find the franchise tag to be the right price in the short-term. That said 2013 will be D-Day for Flacco and the thought of extending both players in the same season might prove to be a drain on cash flow. Either way it will be interesting to watch these chess matches unfold.

Bisciotti Delivers Ngata!

2011-09-21T11:03:00.002-04:00

Each year Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti joins us on the Ravens Rap in Ocean City, a momentary lapse from his vow of silence during the season. Bisciotti is always candid and engaging both during and after the show when he mingles with the enthusiastic crowd on hand.

Last year during his appearance I asked him about re-signing Haloti Ngata and added that he better be prepared to back up the Brinks Truck.

Bisciotti promised that Ngata would be going nowhere because he represents all that the Ravens want in a player on the field, in the locker room, as a leader and in the community.

I could almost hear that backup warning signal from the iron-plated vehicle powered by the sincerity in the Ravens owner’s voice.

And he delivered!

Ngata’s new 5 year deal gives the Ravens some salary cap breathing space and now Ozzie Newsome & Co. have a few extra bargaining chips to help the team now or in the future. On the surface the terms of the deal look to be a perfect example of a well executed win-win. The team locks up arguably its best defender while Ngata lands a mammoth deal that still allows him the luxury to earn that rare third long-term deal during his career.

Once the 5 year deal is complete, Ngata will only be 32 years old, not exactly long in the tooth when it comes to run-stuffing defensive tackles. That carrot if you will, may fuel Ngata’s motivation even more and that is good news for the team and bad news for Ravens’ opponents.

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: Ravens @ Titans

2011-09-19T07:50:00.005-04:00

Dear John, there are letdowns in the National Football League!

The Ravens ventured into LP Field on Sunday riding a wave of confidence thanks to a dominating performance against the Steelers on Opening Day. All week long the team talked about putting the big win behind them and focusing on the Tennessee Titans. They vowed not to overlook Mike Munchak’s squad in a stadium where the Ravens have historically enjoyed a great deal of success. Earlier in the week John Harbaugh chastised a member of the media for inquiring about the possibility of a letdown.

"I’m embarrassed for you when you even say that. There’s no such thing as that in the National Football League."

Maybe he should be embarrassed by that letdown instead.

Like the Steelers the week before, the Ravens seemingly bought into their own hype and as they learned on Sunday, showing up isn’t good enough no matter who your opponent is. The Ravens looked very robotic and the robot was short-circuiting. The Ravens arrived with a poorly concocted plan on both sides of the ball and they never adjusted. I couldn’t help but think of this Planet Fitness commercial after reading some of the post game quotes from Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh.

The Good: Most will single out the collective play of the secondary and label it an F and it would be hard to disagree. But I liked the way Lardarius Webb continued to compete and in the second half he made some very good plays defending the pass and supporting the run defense. He’s a very sure tackler…The defensive front was stout while containing the explosive Chris Johnson limiting him to 52 yards on 24carries…Billy Cundiff was money, nailing both FGA’s and on kickoffs he was 3 for 3 on touchbacks…The punt coverage teams were also a bright spot…Ray Rice’s effort on the screen pass for a score along with the lead blocking combined to produce Cam Cameron’s most efficiently executed play of the day. Memo to Cam: Ever hear the expression, “Keep doing it until they stop it?”...David Reed's 77 yard kickoff return to set up the tying field goal before halftime.

The Bad: Bryant McKinnie looked like he aged 5 years in one week…Hey Michael Oher, it goes something like this: “On your mark, get set, go.” …When Cameron had Willis McGahee it seemed that whenever Willis entered the game he carried the ball on the very first play after the substitution. Now he’s doing the same with Ricky Williams who responded with a fumble…Cary Williams’ Nashville homecoming was a flop. He needs to be headier, study film a little more and not let emotion dictate his play…Jameel McClain trying to tackle yesterday looked like a pitcher trying to hit. It’s time for Dannell Ellerbe to get the start…Speaking of line-up changes, here’s a vote for Haruki Nakamura to play over Tom Zbikowski who makes about as many impactful plays as Jameel McClain which is another way of saying none…Did Ray Lewis look slow out there or what? He is for the most part an ineffective blitzer and lately he couldn’t cover a corpse with a blanket. They won’t do it because it’s Ray Lewis but he really needs to come off the field in dime packages.

The Ugly: You’ve all heard of the Bermuda Triangle. The Ravens passing game may soon be referred to as the Baltimore Triangle. That’s where receivers go, never to be found again. Cam Cameron and Joe Flacco go into vapor lock mode against teams that can pressure the quarterback with four and play efficient zone on the back end. This game was very similar to the offensive meltdowns we’ve witnessed against less the than stellar defenses that employ such schemes. The Colts and the Bengals come to mind and almost always Cameron abandons the run to soon. His game plan was ill conceived. Too bad he doesn’t have months to prepare for each opponent like he did for the Steelers…Chuck Pagano never adjusted and his unit failed to disrupt the timing of Matt Hasselbeck. He focused on taking Chris Johnson out of the game. Mission accomplished! The Titans adjusted – Pagano did not…Every time I see Domonique Foxworth on the field, he’s chasing a receiver, a few steps behind. Chris Carr and Jimmy Smith, boy do we miss you…And last be certainly not least, what was John Harbaugh thinking sending Billy Cundiff on to the field for a 29 yard field goal trailing 23-10 with 7:02 left in the game. Granted the way the Ravens were executing converting a fourth and goal from the 11 would not be an easy task BUT, asking a defense for two stops and the offense for 10 more points in under 7 minutes was CLEARLY a far more daunting task, particularly the way both had played for the game’s first 53 minutes. One big play could have turned the tide. I’m sure Harbaugh will get some flowers and candy from Mike Munchak later today.

The Megan Fox: Megan obviously had a bye week or she’s wanted in Nashville for some criminal offense. Speaking of crimes, what a shame for the Ravens to lay such a big fat egg after taking the AFCN driver’s seat in convincing fashion in week 1. This week is going to be a lot longer than last…

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: Redemption Song

2011-09-13T09:51:00.003-04:00

Sunday was a beautiful day and undoubtedly one that will echo in eternity for Ravens fans.

We’ve basked in the glow for a couple of days now; marinated in the nectar of victory while reliving every great play and every Ravens score.

Months and months of tortuous ridicule from those black and yellow clad fans armed with an inflated sense of self-entitlement all exorcised within 60 minutes of magnificent execution by the hometown team.

We are Ravens Nation!

Yet this feeling that we share of glorious exultation must pale in comparison to that of none other than Joe Flacco.

Remember for a moment how you all felt around 4PM on Sunday. You embraced your friend; enthusiastically high-fived a relative stranger who shared your colors. Perhaps you were at home and you danced with your dog, wet-kissed your wife or body-bumped your Ray Lewis Fathead; maybe you took in the game at a local or out-of-town sports bar where celebratory music filled the air like a sweet symphony.

It was a moment you’ve longed for – one that was within your grasp last January only to slip through your fingers and into the opportunistic palms of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now take that feeling and give it an exponential boost.

Can you feel that? Can you imagine that?

That’s where Joe Flacco was late Sunday afternoon.

All of the Jamie Dukes and Warren Sapps and LaMarr Woodleys and Ryan Clarks and Casey Hamptons – every one of them zapped by the mute button and force fed heaping portions of humble pie courtesy of a chef from Audubon, New Jersey.

Some will say (probably Merrill Hoge for starters) that it was only one game. And while true for most, for Flacco and his teammates it could be THE game.

You see while the records and stats will show a decided edge to the Steelers in this heated rivalry (yes Ryan Clark it is a rivalry), particularly in the post season, those stats can be misleading. The media and naturally the northwestern PA fans will tout the popularly held opinion of Steelers dominance over the Ravens. Even the Steelers themselves have gulped down that tainted concoction of Pittsburgh KoolAid.

The Steelers have hardly DOMINATED the Ravens. That’s like saying Affirmed dominated Alydar despite winning each leg of the Triple Crown by 2 lengths – in total. They have simply been a team that knows how to win better than John Harbaugh & Company.

But after Sunday’s game the pendulum could be swinging the Ravens way.

I can’t help but to think of another bitter rivalry, that between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox that took a turn back in 2004. After falling behind 0-3 in the ALCS and down a run in the ninth in Game 4, the Sox amazingly took the series 4-3 en route to their first World Series title in 86 years. Since then, the rivalry has been fairly even with perhaps a slight edge to Boston.

And as pointed out by my colleague Steve Hamrick in his piece earlier today A Perfect Maturation, the Ravens experienced some similar issues with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in the late 90’s. But those evil spirits were cast out on opening day of the 2000 season when Tony Banks hit Shannon Sharpe for a game winning TD.

We all know what happened that season…

But back to this season…

I’m sure Joe Flacco was busting at the seams after his dazzling performance on Sunday and rightly so. Let me put it out there now – he is the Megan Fox this week not only for his performance but for his overdue redemption. That said, I’ve opted not to format this in the usual way only because there was very little bad (I could get picky and criticize Domonique Foxworth for playing too soft or Chuck Pagano for going with a 3 man rush deep in the red zone…was Gregg Mattison nearby?) and absolutely no ugly. And while Joe gets the MF (be nice) he had support – a ton of it!

Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata were dominant... Bryant McKinnie was everything he was touted NOT to be leaving us all to conclude that he was a cap casualty – PERIOD!... Lee Evans although shut out helped to take the top off the Steelers defense and move Troy Polamalu outside of the box and away from the line of scrimmage…Anquan Boldin looked like the No. 1 he was hired to be…Ray Rice was possessed and followed a bulldozer named Leach…Ed Reed was “there”…Jarret Johnson might now be the most popular player amongst his peers and perhaps many Ravens fans after de-cleating Hines Ward…the list goes on.

For other NFL teams the scary thing about the Ravens win has to be the complete team effort delivered by the Baltimore Ravens from top to bottom particularly at the line of scrimmage. Both lines controlled the game so much so that they made the Pittsburgh Steelers look like creampuffs. They flat out beat up the Steelers and after you beat up the bully, more times than not you win physically AND mentally. And the later might be the team’s most compelling victory on Sunday.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once wrote that, “In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm; in the real world, all rests on perseverance.”

The idea in 2011 is to hoist the Lombardi in Indianapolis in February.

But to get there, Joe Flacco and his mates need to keep grinding and overcoming one obstacle at a time.

Sunday was one helluva start!

60 MINUTES!

2011-09-10T07:36:00.004-04:00

Last year after the Ravens blew a late lead in Baltimore to hand the Steelers a 13-10 gift-wrapped win, some within earshot of the Steelers locker room claim that Head Coach Mike Tomlin praised his team for playing 60 minutes of football while adding, “because the Ravens don’t.”

Folklore?

Perhaps, but when it comes to the Ravens and Steelers you have to admit, the Ravens have failed to finish games when playing with a lead.

Whether it was Cam Cameron’s fault, Michael Oher’s, Matt Birk’s line call or that sluggish clock in Joe Flacco’s head, THAT play at THAT point in the game allowing THAT player to go unabated to the quarterback is flat out inexcusable.

The loss cost the Ravens a chance to win the AFC North and it forced them to hit the road during the post season, a rugged detour for any team with Super Bowl aspirations. And then there was that loss in the Divisional Round of the playoffs when the Ravens suffered a team-wide meltdown as they blew a 21-7 third quarter lead in Pittsburgh.

All of those demons, the talk of Ben Roethlisberger’s winning streak against the Ravens and the chatter about the team’s inability to beat the Steelers in big games –every single one of those demons were about to be exorcised. Yet the win slipped through the team’s collective hand like a Ray Rice fumble, a bad center-to-quarterback exchange, a would-be go ahead TD pass to Anquan Boldin and a drive extending connection to TJ Houshmandzadeh – gone, gone, gone and gone.

The Ravens have been forced to live with that playoff loss for 8 months. It has burned in their souls and maybe even provided an added stimulus to their offseason workouts. The media has pounded the team, particularly Flacco for not being able to win the big one against their archrivals – for not being able to get over that huge hump on the shores of the Monongahela River.

And it just sits there.

And it lingers and gnaws at Flacco.

Sure he plays it off like it doesn’t bother him but given the mountain of criticism and the wrath of fans who desperately want to beat their dreaded towel waving Yinzer neighbors to the northwest, you know that those losses are just camped in Flacco’s craw. So as important as this game is for the Steelers, it’s more important for the Ravens and their signal caller.

A loss at home to the Steelers sets the stage for an uphill fight for the divisional crown but even more daunting for the Ravens is the thought that those demons will only worsen and the fan base will grow even more restless. That monkey on their back will resemble King Kong with a loss on Sunday.

More than likely the game will be close. That’s just how these two clubs roll when they square off. These two evenly matched teams are very, very similar, the primary difference being that the Steelers possess an ability to make plays when they count the most and usually those plays finish games and ultimately drive a stake through the hearts of their opponents. These teams are also intimately familiar with each other.

At least they used to be.

There’s very little that either of these teams can do that will surprise the other. This will be the ninth meeting of the two clubs in the last 36 months. But that said the Ravens may actually have an edge in the area of familiarity given all the new faces.

The Steelers knew what they could and couldn’t do with Derrick Mason and Todd Heap. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau didn’t have to respect the Ravens speed on the outside because for the most part there was none. He could allow Troy Polamalu to roam, to play up inside the box or even at the line of scrimmage. The Ravens just didn’t have that quick strike ability and without it, LeBeau could choke the intermediate passing game and squat on Ray Rice and the running game. That has changed.

And with that change so too could there be changes in the way Cam Cameron attacks LeBeau’s unit. At least we can only hope so. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results could land you in the Fruit Loop Farm.

With familiarity, opponents can play instinctively. Without it, they need to slow down and react. Steelers’ cornerback Ike Taylor understood all of Mason’s idiosyncrasies. But how will he fair against Lee Evans, Torrey Smith or Tandon Doss? James Harrison had an idea what would work against Oher but what does he know about Bryant McKinney? James Farrior could read Le’Ron McClain but what can he expect from Vonta Leach? And Cryin’ Ryan Clark he should could mirror Todd Heap in the secondary but can he stay with the speedier Ed Dickson?

The uncertainties create pressure and the pressure slows a player down in order to think, process, assess and finally respond to an opponent’s movements. Tendencies are learned on the fly but the learning curve present opportunities to the guys on the other side of the ball.

This is where the Ravens have a decided edge but the edge is only as good as the level of execution and a full game’s worth of commitment to executing.

The Steelers have Mike Wallace and the Ravens will undoubtedly account for him.

But John Harbaugh & Co. might be better served by remembering another Mike Wallace.

Ravens sign Gurode...what's next?

2011-09-04T17:57:00.003-04:00

The Ravens today agreed to a deal with Cowboys 5-time Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode (pronounced jer-ODD). The 1 year deal has a maximum value of $3 million.

Gurode underwent surgery on his right knee and according Shan Shariff from 105.3 The Fan’s New School in Dallas, the Cowboys weren’t thrilled with his conditioning when he reported to camp. Mix in his $5 million plus salary and the belief that backup Phil Costa, an undrafted player out of the University of Maryland, was playing just as effectively, and Gurode’s days in the Big D were numbered.

Pending a successful physical Gurode will sign his deal tomorrow.

It remains to be seen who will be the Ravens primary starter at center, Gurode or incumbent Matt Birk. Interestingly enough Gurode’s maximum salary matches Birk’s deal. The Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome stated today that the addition of Gurode is a depth move.

“To have a successful season, you have to have quality depth across the board”, said Newsome. “We just added great depth to the interior O-line."

Time will tell how it plays out but options include cutting Birk, assigning Mattison to the practice squad or making a move elsewhere on the roster. Mattison has played in only 2 NFL games and therefore he has practice squad eligibility remaining. The Ravens could also opt to move one of the surprise roster additions to the practice squad.

The team doesn’t have to make a roster decision until after the Ravens v. Steelers game. They get a 1 week roster reprieve due to David Reed’s suspension.

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: The Turk Looms

2011-09-02T19:17:00.004-04:00

Last night’s preseason game between the Ravens and Falcons was a true test of your fandom. Watching the game was difficult enough only made worse by WBAL-TV and their antiquated production. Reruns of the 1970 World Series on MASN seem more cutting edge than Rave TV. Between the quality of play and the broadcast production, I was hoping the game would be pre-empted by reruns of Two and a Half Men.

WBAL’s graphics are horrible; the camera crew follows the action like a blindfolded kid playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Qadry Ismail – wow, he had me on the edge of my chair with those riveting interviews. I swear I thought he was going to ask Bryant McKinnie, “So, what’s your favorite color?”

Ok, on to the game…

John Harbaugh decided on Wednesday night that he would sit most of his key starters in Atlanta including the entire O-Line. Maybe there’s some gamesmanship at work there or maybe he just didn’t want the Steelers, particularly defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to come up with a diabolical plot to confuse an offensive front that has so far practiced sparingly together.

Time will tell if that was the right approach but it did allow all of us to see the players jockeying for position on the depth chart in their most extensive action to date.

So what did we learn about the reserves? Which players successfully made a case to be part of the 53 man squad? Did anyone slip? Some of it was good, some bad and some ugly.

This “The Good, Bad, Ugly and the Megan Fox” will focus upon the players by position and determine who will make it and who could make it. Your opinions are certainly welcome.

Note: The number in parenthesis is the total carried by the team to start the 2010 season by position.

QUARTERBACK (2)

IN: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor

Note: Third-stringer Hunter Cantwell struggles against the 2’s and 3’s so he’s a practice squad guy at best.

RUNNING BACK (4)

IN: Ray Rice, Vonta Leach, Ricky Williams, Anthony Allen

Note: Jalen Parmele is well-liked by the coaches and the team may have gone with a fifth RB if Taylor’s injury wasn’t an issue. But it could be and if it is, Parmele may be working in another city. Damien Berry is a solid practice squad candidate.

WIDE RECEIVER (6)

IN: Anquan Boldin, Lee Evan, Torrey Smith, David Reed(reserve/injured list), Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams

Note: Brandon Jones loses out in a numbers game but played and practiced well when called upon. He may get looks from other teams in need…Marcus Smith’s impersonation of a WR finally ends…James Hardy’s hamstring and unimpressive camp…David Reed’s 1 game suspension gives the team a 1 week reprieve on a roster spot, essentially allowing them to carry 54 players through week 1.

TIGHT END (3)

IN: Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta, Kris Wilson

Note: Time for the Ravens to finally admit that Davon Drew was a bad draft pick back in 2009

OFFENSIVE LINE (8)

IN: Bryant McKinnie, Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk, Marshal Yanda, Michael Oher, Jah Reid, Mark Levoir, Bryan Mattison

Note: Ramon Harewood did little during the preseason to warrant another team claiming him for their 53 man roster. He’ll be placed on the practice squad. Tim Barnes is likely to make it to the PS also.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

IN: Haloti Ngata, Cory Redding, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee, Paul Kruger, Brandon McKinney

Note: Team likes their defensive rotation up front and they could go with 9 D-Linemen again and if so they will be Lamar Divens and Bryan Hall. A castoff from another team is also a possibility and if that happens Hall could be a PS guy

LINEBACKERS (9)

IN: Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Sergio Kindle, Jarret Johnson

Note: One of if not the toughest unit to predict for the 53. Tavares Gooden isn’t dependable while Jason Phillips is slow in pass coverage and sideline to sideline…Prescott Burgess is a solid special teams player while Josh Bynes is an up and Albert McClellan has been steady. Newcomer Michael McAdoo will get some consideration but probably hit the PS. Brendon Ayanbadejo might not make enough plays to justify the higher pay. Close call here but this group will see some surprise cuts -- final 3 will be Phillips, Bynes and McClellan.

SECONDARY (9)

IN: Ed Reed, Bernard Pollard, Jimmy Smith, Cary Williams, Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura and Domonique Foxworth.

Note: Foxworth should take a pay cut and if he does, he’s in. If he refuses he could be the odd man out and that would pave the way for another corner. Chykie Brown hasn’t played well during camp so don’t let the pick 6 foul you. He’s been outplayed by Talmadge Jackson and Josh Victorian and to an extent by Danny Gorrer. Mana Silva could be a PS candidate.

SPECIALISTS (3)

IN: Sam Koch, Billy Cundiff, Morgan Cox

The roster decisions at linebacker and in the secondary are difficult enough. Tyrod Taylor’s injury while not believed to be serious has to raise concerns. Adding a third quarterback makes the decisions at LB and in the secondary even more challenging. The feeling here is that there will be some surprise cuts just as there was back on Black Monday.

It won’t be pretty for some.

You know kind of like last night’s game when the following would have been a nice pre-emption.

Eagles paint themselves into corner with Vick deal

2011-09-01T05:57:00.004-04:00

The moment that the Eagles contemplated trading Kevin Kolb you just knew a big pay day was in store for Michael Vick who yesterday agreed to a six year, $100 million deal that includes $40 million in guarantees.

What other choice did they have? The club lost all of its bargaining power the moment Kevin Kolb became an Arizona Cardinal.

Vick dazzled the NFL and captivated Eagles fans in 2010.

And now he has the club and those who bleed green by the short hairs.

It’s easy for a player with a checkered past to walk the straight and narrow, to talk the talk and to toe the line of conformity when the personal stakes are high. Just two years ago Vick left a federal prison. He paid dearly. He did the time and his financial bleeding was significant.

He had no one to blame but himself for the butchered dogs and a shattered career.
Then like Mighty Mouse, along came Andy Reid to save the day for Vick once he was released from the pokey.

Vick’s journey since he again joined the ranks of the free has been fairly predictable. And now that he’s successfully executed with razor sharp precision a plan to restore his status in the league and his personal balance sheet, we’ll find out just how sincere and remorseful he is.

Apparently Reid believes he is.

"I'm very proud that [Michael] has been able to achieve success again in this league”, said the Eagles skipper. “But he'll be the first one to tell you that there is a lot of work yet to be done by him and this team as a whole.

"There's no doubt in my mind that he will continue on that path."

C’mon Andy, there has to be a little doubt.

This contract is a big risk for the Eagles. Not only should they at least be partially haunted by Vick’s checkered past, there has to be some concern about what they will get between the lines from the gifted QB and just how long he’ll deliver it.

Only once during his eight seasons in the NFL has the 31-year-old Vick played in all 16 games. The strength of his resume lies primarily in his legs and given the Eagles suspect offensive line the odds are against 2011 being Vick’s second complete season.

Vick has won 8 games as the Eagles starter – EIGHT GAMES!

Are Reid and the Eagles’ ivory tower as enamored with Vick’s brand of football as the rest of Vickadelphia? Or did the Eagles simply paint themselves into a corner?

Vick’s new deal places him in elite company – above the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees and just beneath that of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. But none of those quarterbacks is so heavily dependent upon their legs and therefore it’s safe to say their career longevity will outdistance Vick’s and they’ll perform to the level of their respective contracts.

Will Vick ever do what Donovan McNabb couldn’t? Will he even match what McNabb accomplished?

Did the league figure Vick out towards the end of the 2010 season?

Could he revert back to his thug-like ways?

These are all legitimate questions that must be lingering in the halls of 1 NovaCare Way. Time will tell if Vick will deliver the way Andy Reid expects. We can only hope.

But if he doesn’t deliver Jim Mora, Sr.’s description of Vick back in 2006 could prove to be prophetic.

“Coach Killer.”

The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox: Preseason Ravens v. Redskins

2011-08-26T12:26:00.003-04:00

The third preseason game is widely viewed as the real tune-up for the season opener and it is generally the most entertaining contest on the preseason docket – a docket often brimming with yawners.

Thursday night’s game was about as exciting as a preseason game could be and for the Ravens offense, it showed that they could come off the mat and get back into the fight.

Entering the Battle of the Beltways Cam Cameron’s unit had struggled to find a rhythm (despite what John Harbaugh says) and collectively they looked to shed the monkey on their back. Flacco’s completion percentage was down; he had yet to throw a TD pass and the offensive line was as reliable as wedding vows from Tiger Woods.

The first quarter of the game was not only more of the same for the offense it was arguably worse, marked by a Flacco to DeAngelo Hall pick 6. To their credit the first and second team offenses each rallied and now they can carry some confidence into their home opener against the Steelers and that’s a whole lot better than marinating in the stench of the ineptness we witnessed in last night’s first quarter.

Before I get to The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox, it’s worth mentioning that players play at different intensity levels during the preseason. Upper echelon players aren’t going 100%. There’s too much at risk financially. Other veterans whose starting positions are secure, same thing. Reserves, rookies and players on the bubble are playing with their hair on fire because their futures depend upon it.

Consequently the results are mixed and it’s nearly impossible to project future performance levels during the regular season when all players are dialed in at 100% based upon the varying and conflicting agendas that permeate during the preseason.

THE GOOD: Joe Flacco rebounded from a slow start to finish the evening 17 for 29, 217 yards, 2TD’s and an INT. When Joe looks at the tape he’ll see that he predetermined where he was going with the football on that pick 6. No. 5’s highlights included a terrific back shoulder throw to Ed Dickson between two defenders for a 33 yard gain along the left hash mark. Flacco was also effective under fire finding Ray Rice to keep plays alive. On one such play He hit Rice for a 6 yard gain avoiding a sack and picking up a first down. On the very next play he dropped a 9 route right in the bucket down the right sideline to Lee Evans who beat DeAngelo Hall on a 35 yard scoring strike.

Ray Rice ran with determination and a spark while following some solid run blocking up front. He broke arm tackles when he had to and accelerated quickly when space was there and despite the attention he attracts, he continues to find space as a check down receiver despite being a small target. Both he and Ricky Williams did a nice job in pass protection.

Anthony Allen ran hard and looks like a 7th round steal. He churned out 27 yards on 4carries and continues to impress with his quick accelerator. He had a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter but was unable to corral a touch pass from Tyrod Taylor in the left corner of the end zone. Vonta Leach is a battering ram and his contributions in short yardage cannot be understated. Cam Cameron needs to show more confidence in that…

Ed Dickson has a vertical aspect to his game and the ability to produce yards after the catch that Todd Heap didn’t possess. If he can develop consistency he will be a force. Thursday night was a start…Lee Evans’ play must put a smile on the face of Ozzie Newsome. In two preseason games he’s shown that he can toe-tap a sideline for a first down, get deep and make catches in traffic…Receiving mate Anquan Boldin was adept at finding soft spots in the Redskins zone and on this night was much more sure-handed than he had been last Friday against the Chiefs…Tandon Doss is polished, instinctive and he has very good ball skills. For the moment he’s earned the No. 3 WR position. Whether the Ravens give it to him remains to be seen…David Reed shows flashes but his alligator arm effort on a slant from Taylor is a bit concerning. Reed looked explosive in the return game as did LaQuan Williams on his 38 yard punt return to set up the team’s game winning drive…Brandon Jones will get lost in a numbers game but he’s done very little wrong during training camp. Sometimes the NFL is political. He made a great play to get to the pylon for the winning score last night. Here’s hoping that others were watching and that he can catch on with another team.

Defensively Cary Williams was a half-step behind in man coverage a couple of times but showed good presence of mind to recover and strip Santana Moss in the end zone. He needs to improve in run support but look strong blitzing from his corner position to record a pressure and knockdown of QB Rex Grossman…Lardarius Webb is explosive in short spaces and that makes him a threat when blitzing from his nickel position. He also showcased textbook coverage while finding his man, positioning himself and turning for the ball to intercept a deep pass from John Beck. He gets the Sybil Award too. He can look so dangerous on one play and then look like he’s auditioning for Dancing with the Stars when covering a slot receiver with good change of direction skills. He gets turned around far too often for someone possessing such athleticism…

Cory Redding played well both in run support and rushing the passer. Pushed by the solid play of Art Jones, the veteran is stepping up and picking up where he left off late in 2010…Pernell McPhee continues to make plays and make observers wonder how he was still around in the fifth round.

THE BAD: Jah Reid is a tough player once he’s engage with a defender. But in space against faster opponents he struggles. Ryan Kerrigan made him whiff after a spin move even though he had some chip relief provided by Leach…Not sure where the safeties were last night, maybe at Mother’s in Federal Hill because none were very noticeable or around the ball during passes over the middle…The linebackers’ drop have to be questioned too because the center of the Ravens defense looked like the Grand Canyon at times…Jimmy Smith can play but he still needs to learn as evidenced by the mental breakdown that led to a 24 yard scoring strike from Grossman to Moss on a third and 15.

THE UGLY: Torrey Smith on an end around for a loss of 7. Somewhere along the Redskins sideline Donte Stallworth had to be laughing. Smith also did his best Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran impersonation with two drops on perfectly delivered passes from Flacco…Michael Oher takes the bait every time on overload blitzes. The man he’s lined up on takes a hard angle to the left; Oher follows then before he can recover the DE gets to the QB untouched. The Steelers did it with Troy Polamalu (a play I’ve seen on ESPN about a million times) and the Redskins did it last night, with Brian Orakpo getting the easy sack…When fighting for a job you can’t fumble. Unfortunately for Jalen Parmele he did exactly that…Domonique Foxworth is recovering from his ACL surgery from a year ago. I get it. But on field, he looks just like Samari Rolle did when he was no longer effective.

THE MEGAN FOX: Back during the lockout days when the fellas were practicing over at Towson University, I watched Tyrod Taylor and wondered why the Ravens wasted a sixth round pick on him. I had him cut and heading for Canada. But ever since those days he has steadily progressed and has grown better and better each time he takes the field. His athleticism, escapability, toughness and poise are impressive and now he’s standing in and delivering passes on time while making plays with his feet when the offensive front breaks down. He made an All-Pro touch pass to Anthony Allen that should have won the game but the rookie RB couldn’t hang on. Taylor shrugged that off on the Ravens’ next possession and calmly took his team 35 yards in 32 seconds with no timeouts to win the game on a pass to Brandon Jones.

The Ravens dialed up the 3T Network – Tyrod Taylor Time, and he delivered.

Shoe leather never tasted so good!

Death robbed us of Flanny

2011-08-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

In sports you often hear the phrase, “he was robbed” when describing a play that unfolds in a way we didn’t expect.

Today, the fans of Baltimore were robbed when we learned of the passing of Mike Flanagan.

Death is a notorious robber.

I’m sure most if not all of you have been subjected to the criminal behavior of this thief before in some way, shape or form. After the immediate shock and heartache settles a bit, human nature takes over and we seek answers to the how’s and why’s as if the knowledge can somehow make it all better.

Sometimes it makes it worse.

Yet at the end of the day, when the uncomfortably numb feeling and surrealism subside we have no choice but to dust off, begin the healing and be happy that the person we lost had even in a small way touched our lives. We’re better because they came along.

Fans of the Orioles will remember Flanny in many ways. They’ll share their own favorite highlights of the former Cy Young Award Winner.

For me, it took place in 1979 during the first game of the World Series.

The Orioles hosted the Pirates at Memorial Stadium and the conditions were anything but ideal for the Fall Classic as a wet snow fell from the sky intermittently during the damp and unseasonably cool October 10 night.

Unfortunately for me, I along with 3 buddies purchased tickets months before to go see Styx at the Capital Centre that same evening. But before Dennis DeYoung, JY and Tommy Shaw took the stage we learned that the Orioles had jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. With Flanny, a 23 game winner that season on the bump facing Pittsburgh’s Bruce Kison, we had little reason to worry and we felt quite confident and comfortable.

Our collective peace of mind was sweetened by a healthy dosage of Styx’ “Pieces of Eight” LP along with their new record “Cornerstone” and of course the classics from “Grand Illusion.”

As it turns out, our comfort zone was an illusion.

Throughout the balance of the game the Pirates chipped away at the O’s lead thanks in part to 3 costly errors leading to 2 unearned runs. Protecting a 1 run lead heading into the ninth, Flanagan showed grit and determination, staples of his character, and registered a complete game 5-4 victory on 150+ pitches while scattering 11 hits.

The game outlasted the concert and we were able to catch the tail end of the nail biter on radio.

I’ll never forget that night.

And I’ll never forget this night (now morning) either.

I learned of Flanny’s passing through a series of text messages and Tweets during the early evening. There were inconsistencies in the reports of Flanny’s death so I tuned into the MASN broadcast of the Orioles @ Twins.

Not a word was spoken about Flanny.

Jim Palmer and Jim Hunter called the game. Surely if this story was true they would be talking about the tragic demise of their colleague and friend and if not, maybe the news was kept from them so that they could get through the game unburdened by a massively heavy heart.

Palmer and Hunter joked throughout the game and the more I paid attention for clues provided by the “body language” and tenor of their dialog, the more I was convinced that somehow in this modern age of information flow the pair were successfully kept in the dark.

I was wrong.

To my amazement both Palmer and Hunter had learned of Flanny’s death earlier in the day. Their professionalism during the broadcast combined with the expected and understandable meltdowns during the post game discussion were an absolute labor of love for their fallen mate. They could not have been more flawless while doing their jobs or more beautifully human when remembering Flanny.

Hollywood at its best could not re-create this touching scene.

And to make the broadcast even more poignant, heartfelt and real, host Amber Theoharis along with analyst Rick Dempsey and MASN’s Tom Davis also stepped up with “A” games when conditions were anything but ideal.

Just like Flanny on that snowy October night…

We watched the MASN crew’s collective heart break before us yet their love and commitment to Flanny provided enough inspiration to allow them to plow through when the easiest thing would have been to call it a day.

God bless them.

In the end the how’s and why’s of Mike Flanagan’s demise don’t matter much. What does matter is the way we preserve Flanny’s memory and legacy. Insensitive media outlets be damned, the best thing we can do is to follow the wonderful example of the MASN crew and treat this tragedy with class, dignity and respect.

I think Flanny earned that and his wife and three daughters deserve it.

To do anything else is to rob them!

R.I.P. No. 46

Ozzie Newsome to Domonique Foxworth: "I'd like to see you in my office"

2011-08-21T11:52:00.001-04:00

This needs to happen...

Ozzie: "Fox, you know we liked you a couple of years ago and that's why we paid you handsomely to bring you here. I think you know we haven't gotten the returns we expected.

"I appreciate your dedication to rehabbing and I know you are coming around. But others have stepped in front of you on the depth chart and we need to make this right for both you and for us.

"If we cut you, we'll save over $4 million on the cap and that's money we could use for other areas of need. In all likelihood, you will not get half of what your contract currently calls for, if that.

"But we like you Fox. We want to keep you. We appreciate your leadership. But you are going to have to work with us. We need to tear up your contract and replace it with one more in line with your production and expected playing time and one that is more cap friendly.

"We have to do something and we hope that you can work with us towards a mutually beneficial deal. If you can't, you leave us with little choice."

Ravens v. Chiefs: The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox

2011-08-20T01:03:00.003-04:00

There’s something painful about a preseason game. Things just never seem to flow properly. It’s a time for adjustment, fine tuning, dress rehearsals and sound checks. It’s even that way for the fans. WBAL interviewed some folks in the tailgate lots and some dude was on camera saying, “I think we can go 11-4 or 12-3.”

Hello, the lockout didn’t shorten the season.

If they could only shorten these preseason games!

THE GOOD: Tyrod Taylor is a playmaker and he is growing seemingly on a daily basis. Behind an offensive line that relatively speaking would make Swiss Cheese look like an inpenetrable levy, Taylor somehow managed to make chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what. He might not be your prototypical No. 2 QB but he absolutely is a guy you want on your football team. Word to Troy Smith apologists – this guy is already better than the former Raven and Heisman Trophy winner…Ray Rice ran with purpose and it’s easy to see how he and FB Vonta Leach will soon become the Ravens’ answer to Batman & Robin…Jalen Parmele and Anthony Allen also attacked the Chiefs’ defense with some very determined running…Back to Vonta Leach – what a load! Hey Brandon Siler, the license plate of the vehicle that trucked you was MD License Plate 44…Oniel Cousins actually played decently at right guard in support of the running game…Ramon Harewood had a plus effort as well at left tackle v. the Chiefs’ crash test dummies…Props to Jah Reid who was workmanlike and played nearly the entire game…Terrence Cody was a force in limited action as was Haloti Ngata.

David Reed made a nice catch despite tight coverage for a 41 yard pick up. He just seems to have that special ability to make plays…Jameel McClain was solid filling in for Ray Lewis while Dannell Ellerbe showed what he’s capable of when prepared and focused…Pernell McPhee may prove to be the best value pick of the 2011 draft class. The heavy handed LB keeps showing up on tape…Sergio Kindle is another player who seems to have that ability to be impactful, nearly blocking 2 punts…Cary Williams despite giving up the Chiefs only TD in single coverage deep in the red zone continued his solid play. No wonder the Ravens opted not to pay Josh Wilson nearly $5M/season…DT Bryan Hall had a sack and he’s had a productive summer. Keep an eye out for this sleeper…Haruki Nakamura continues to push to play beside Ed Reed. He’s beginning to separate from Tom Zbikowski who has been rather stealth. That said Bernard Pollard does stand in his way.

THE BAD: If Joe Flacco was a pitcher, we’d say he didn’t have command of the strike zone against the Chiefs. He was often high and wide with his throws and he never really seemed to develop a rhythm. As if we need proof that the rhythm skipped a beat or three, he took the field for a highly uneventful series in the third quarter and managed to move the offense 3 yards in 3 plays before getting the hook…Michael Oher is still in a funk. The team should be worried more about left tackle than right tackle…Special teams struggled for the majority of the game and they lost the battle for field position. Sam Koch eventually overcame a sluggish start to rally with a couple of late second half bombs…Terrell Suggs looked like he went through the motions, failing to contain Le’Ron McClain on a screen pass.

THE UGLY: The second team offensive line looked like they would have struggled in pass protection whether they were facing the Kansas City Chiefs or Archbishop Curley High School….Lardarius Webb looked sloppy and clueless as a punt returner. He fumbled away his first return costing the team 3 points and his presence of mind as a returner leaves much to be desired…Jason Phillips played like his shoes were tied together. He is pretty much worthless as a pass defender and fell once while untouched and dropping into his zone on one pass play…Anquan Boldin may need to update his eye prescription. His effort on a nicely thrown deep post by Flacco in the first quarter was weak. It almost looked like he never picked the ball up. Then in the second quarter he whiffed on a well placed ball from Flacco on a third and 15 which looked to be good for a first down…WBAL’s broadcasts are so minor league. Other than a BAL production, the last time I watched a game WITHOUT the yellow first down line was probably back in 1984. Seriously! And Qadry Ismail, he’s just flat out embarrassing. Can’t someone give him a job on QVC promoting vegetable slicers?

THE MEGAN FOX: In his Ravens debut Lee Evans validated the wildly supported opinion that Ozzie Newsome fleeced the Bills when he obtained the speedy receiver for a fourth round pick. Evans had 3 catches (all for first downs) for 68 yards – a very successful outing given the growing pains of practice earlier in the week. Welcome aboard Lee!

Ravens Roster: Leadpipe Locks & the Bubble Boys

2011-08-19T13:38:00.003-04:00

I have gone through the Ravens’ roster as it sits today and I have circled who in my opinion are 38 lead pipe locks (list below) to make the Ravens’ final 53 man roster. The mix of those players goes like this: (2) QB’s; (5) WR’s; (3) RB’s; (2) TE’s; (5) OL’s; (8) DB’s; (5) LB’s; (5) DL’s; (3) Specialists.

The rationale behind the players that I have NOT included among the 38 may stem from performance, salary cap issues; an abundance of talent at the position or there may be less expensive players outperforming those with bigger paychecks.

Another factor that may weigh into the shaping of the roster is the de-emphasis on special teams thanks to the insanity of the new kickoff launching pad – the 35 yard line.

Last season the Ravens final 53 man roster on opening day consisted of: (2) QB’s; (6) WR’s; (4) RB’s; (3) TE’s; (8) OL’s; (9) DB’s; (9) LB’s; (9) DL’s; and (3) specialists.

So with that in mind players who in my opinion are NOT locks to be on the squad come September 11, 2011 include: WR’s Marcus Smith; James Hardy; LaQuan Williams; Brandon Jones; RB’s Damien Berry; Matt Lawrence; Jalen Parmele; Anthony Allen; Ryan Mahaffey; TE’s Davon Drew; Jonathan Stupar; Kris Wilson; O-Linemen Tim Barnes; Justin Boren; Bryan Mattison; Ramon Harewood; Oniel Cousins.

On defense I’ve omitted: DB’s Domonique Foxworth; Chykie Brown; LB’s Albert McClellan, Brendon Ayanbadejo; Prescott Burgess; Tavares Gooden; Jason Phillips; Dannell Ellerbe; D-Linemen Brandon McKinney; Cory Redding; Lamar Divens. All of the D-Linemen look safe but could be challenged by diamond in the rough Bryan Hall.

Add it up and that’s 28 decent to good players looking to win one of the remaining 15roster spots and that does not include any potential free agent additions to the guard/center, offensive tackle and backup QB positions.

The fight for survival will be fierce and it sets up nicely if you are looking for positional battles to watch tonight. Here are a few of the better ones:

WIDE RECEIVER: Scratch James Hardy off your list for the final 53. He’s practiced sparingly and when he has his drops are more memorable than his impressive size and physique. The best he can hope for is an injury settlement…Marcus Smith’s hands are a soft as a pizza stone. Can special teams play save him? Doubtful…Brandon Jones hasn’t done anything to hurt himself but the vibe is that he’s looked upon as a stepchild. He’ll have a difficult time…LaQuan Williams has done everything he’s been asked to do and the coaches seem to be giving him attention. He could be a surprise No. 6 WR if he can contribute on Jerry Rosburg’s units. More than likely, he’s on the practice squad – assuming he doesn’t impress the pro scouts from other teams too much.

RUNNING BACK: Damien Berry has shown some flashes but as they say, you can’t make the club in the tub. His ankle injury is hurting his chances…Matt Lawrence’s knee issues continue to be problematic…Jalen Parmele’s job is more secure given the injuries and Anthony Allen’s less than impressive performance thus far…Ryan Mahaffey could be a practice squad player.

OFFENSIVE LINE: This unit is under fire more than any other on the team. My count leaves 3 spots open (assuming the team keeps 8 as they did in 2010) and the players battling for those spots include: Ramon Harewood, Oniel Cousins, Bryan Mattison, Tim Barnes, Justin Boren and Ryan Bartholomew. Potential free agent signings only serve to heighten this competition.

SECONDARY: The way I see it, there’s only 1 spot left if the team carries 9 DB’s as they did in ’10. Battling for the spot are Domonique Foxworth, Mana Silva, Chykie Brown, Talmadge Jackson and Josh Victorian. Foxworth has been soft and needs to step up, particularly when you consider his big salary…Silva has played well at safety but is a long shot…UDFA’s Jackson and Victorian have outplayed Brown with the edge going to Victorian thus far.

LINEBACKERS: Last year there were 9! This year so far only 5 are locks. Competing for those 4 spots are Albert McClellan, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Prescott Burgess, Tavares Gooden, Jason Phillips and Dannell Ellerbe.

Lead Pipe Locks for Ravens 2011 Roster

QUARTERBACK: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor (2)
WIDE RECEIVER: Anquan Boldin, Lee Evans, Torrey Smith, Tandon Doss, David Reed (5)
RUNNING BACKS: Ray Rice, Ricky Williams, Vonta Leach (3)
TIGHT ENDS: Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson (2)
OFFENSIVE LINE: Marshal Yanda, Michael Oher, Matt Birk, Ben Grubbs and Jah Reid (5)
SECONDARY: Ed Reed, Jimmy Smith, Cary Williams, Bernard Pollard, Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura (8)
LINEBACKERS: Ray Lewis, Jameel McClain, Terrell Suggs, Sergio Kindle, Jarret Johnson (5)
DEFENSIVE LINE: Haloti Ngata, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee, Paul Kruger(5)
SPECIALISTS: Billy Cundiff, Sam Koch, Morgan Cox (3)

One Team's Trash is Another's Treasure

2011-08-15T12:07:00.002-04:00

Some teams get excited about new players that join their teams after leaving other teams. The Chiefs and their fans are happy with the additions of Kelly Gregg and Le’Ron McClain. And now they’ve added Jared Gaither.

Judging from the performances of their offensive tackles during the Thursday night preseason game in Philadelphia, the Ravens could use some reinforcements at offensive tackle. It would seem that they’ve given up on Oniel Cousins as a tackle (and rightly so) and they are now giving him a shot at guard. That leaves Michael Oher, Jah Reid and Ramon Harewood to man the offensive edges. It is unlikely that the team will start the season with those three only.

And that makes the Ravens decision to abandon Jared Gaither even more interesting. Terms of his deal with the Chiefs have not been disclosed but it is believed to be a one year deal and generally speaking those don’t often push past the $3M mark.
If they could trust Gaither even a little bit, wouldn’t that deal be worth the risk given the team’s depth issues at the position?

Apparently the uninspired, late- for-meetings and weight lifting sessions, somewhat injury prone tackle persuaded the Ravens to answer, “No!”

Ravens fans deserve the truth!

2011-08-15T10:52:00.002-04:00

If you were to take most media reports as gospel as they relate to the Ravens free agency efforts this summer, several sources would have you believe that the team:

• Had major interested in trading for Osi Umenyiora and that some within the organization openly campaigned for the Giants defensive end
• Courted Malcom Floyd who eventually took less money to stay in San Diego
• Was left standing at the altar by Derrick Mason to play for Sexy Rexy & the Jets
• Signed a player in Lee Evans who “can be difficult to deal with at times”

But you all know better than that which in part is why you are reading this. Because you want the truth!

So here it is…

On Umenyiora: Since last season a Ravens’ source has shared with me after inquiring about the Big Blue sack master (given the team’s then inability to get to the quarterback), that the front office doesn’t think that Osi is a fit for what the team does schematically on defense. Umenyiora is a 4-3 defensive end and a less than enthusiastic participant in run support. Couple that with his contract demands, the cost to get him (probably a second round pick) and the emergence of some young players who can get after the quarterback (Paul Kruger, Art Jones, Sergio Kindle & Pernell McPhee) and it’s easy to see why those ill-advised hopes promulgated by the media for Umenyiora went sayonara.

On Malcom Floyd: The Floyd noise was nothing more than his agent’s efforts to pump up the volume for his client. The Ravens had a need, his client fit the need and he once played in Cam Cameron’s system. Behind the scenes Floyd’s agent baited The Ravens into the Floyd Sweepstakes but the Ravens only gave them a weak, low ball offer.

On Derrick Mason: If the Ravens had wanted to keep Mason, they would never have cut him. They would have re-negotiated with him from the start. Truth is, the Ravens were ready to move on after last season – and they did. Unless of course you believe some of the misinformed members of the media who enjoy playing their version of connect the dots and mistake it for the truth.

On Lee Evans: The Ravens closely studied the rosters of all NFL teams during the offseason and throughout the lockout to seek players who may be expendable and could help the Ravens. Ozzie Newsome and his staff spotted one in Lee Evans and they targeted him all the way back in March. Newsome’s patience paid off because the player they landed is a big schematic upgrade over Mason and a vastly superior player than Floyd.

And as for Evans being “difficult to deal with at times”, I’ve heard nothing but extremely positive comments about the former Bill from teammates and Buffalo media members who cover the team.

But I suppose good guys don’t sell newspapers or generate web traffic so they just make stuff up.

Hey it works for the tabloids, right?

Ravens @ Eagles (Preseason): The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox

2011-08-11T23:56:00.004-04:00

The Ravens fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love by the score of 13-6 in a preseason game that put to sleep even the patrons in the Red Bull section at The Linc.

We all expected sloppy offensive play given the abbreviated training camp and the lost OTA’s but this was even worse than expected. Eagles fans should be demanding a refund.

THE GOOD: Dennis Pitta made a great catch on the very first offensive play and added 3 more catches on his way to a four catch, 47 yard performance. Jalen Parmele ran hard and posted 35 yards on 7 carries. One of the pleasant offensive surprises during camp so has been the performance of UDFA WR LaQuan Williams who looked sudden while chipping in with 3 catches for 46 yards. Tandon Doss continues to impress and seems fearless in traffic and RB Damien Berry has a burst and an elusiveness that needs to be watched.

On the defensive side Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle and Arthur Jones all look like they can add something special to the Ravens defense. Each is relentless and showed an ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. Newcomer Bernard Pollard looks like a playmaker and could eventually be the starter if Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura continue to contribute rather pedestrian efforts.

THE BAD: Chris Carr looked lost at corner while Ed Reed just punched the clock. I’m not sure what Tavares Gooden is doing on his supposed road to improvement but whatever it is, he needs a new GPS. Lardarius Webb is still looking for his jock at the 5 yard line trying to stay with the great Chad Hall. Cary Williams received many accolades for his performances thus far during camp but tonight he played soft in coverage on the edges, yielding far too much real estate to less than established receivers. The tackling on whole was awful as was the third down efficiency on both sides of the ball. By the way, was there a single receiver wide open tonight besides Ray Rice? How many Eagles were wide open?

Tyrod Taylor showed the world why the Ravens need a backup quarterback. I hope Ozzie Newsome sent, roses, candies and a full body massage the way of Mrs. Marc Bulger. I’m not a Troy Smith fan but if I had a choice between Taylor and Smith, it’s Smith every day of the week and twice on Sundays. But I’m still hoping for the Mrs. Bulger suck up. Taylor while wearing No. 2 made me think back to the days of Anthony Wright. And then I nearly shed a tear, wishing that Wright too might consider a comeback. Cam Cameron has been singing Taylor’s praises and it has me wondering when Cameron last visited the optometrist.

The coaching staff didn’t exactly bring their “A” game. They need work too! Substitutions were sloppy and they failed to challenge an interception by Eagles’ DB Jarrad Page who clearly had only 1 foot in bounds.

THE UGLY: The offensive line is a sieve. Oniel Cousins should just be cut tomorrow or just dress him up as a matador. He’s pathetic! But of greater concern was the play of Michael Oher. Maybe offensive line coach Andy Moeller needs to pick up the phone and call Sandra Bullock and snap No. 74 out of it.

The rule change to move the kickoff line to the 35 is ridiculous. The NFL has effectively taken away one of the more exciting plays in football. What’s next, flags for the quarterbacks?

THE MEGAN FOX AWARD: Megan was given the night off. There was not a single standout performance for the guys in the purple jerseys tonight.

Ravens' fans suffer growing pains during team's youth movement

2011-08-08T21:14:00.004-04:00

Baltimore is an interesting town and its citizens collectively suffer from an inferiority complex. That’s not meant as a knock. That’s just the way it is.

I should know…I’m one of you.

Back in a day, Baltimore was viewed as a gas stop between DC and Philadelphia. Today thanks in large part to popular TV drama series like “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life on the Street” it is seen by many as a cesspool of drugs, STD’s and violence.

Those of us who were born and raised here in The Land of Pleasant Living know otherwise. We see it as a metropolitan area of ethnic neighborhoods, rich with character; a mecca for exquisite culinary arts; a charm city by the Chesapeake featuring generation after generation that never leaves home.

Yet when we hear about our crime blotter it dents our civic pride.

Baltimore was often overlooked. Were we a small, unattractive city or were we just a big town lacking a true identity?

Then one day along came Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts to give the city a red star on the map and register an identity in the consciousness of our country.

The Colts flourished and soon thereafter so did the Orioles. We became a town of sports champions and as America noticed we embraced it to soothe our insecurities.

Predictably we attached ourselves to our sports heroes. Besides Unitas there were other Colts and then Orioles like Frank and Brooks Robinson. They were more than stars of their respective sports – they were and are Baltimore icons.

Now, fast forward to the modern day, and the state of sports here in Baltimore…

The Orioles are a train wreck and there’s no relief in sight. Nearly polar opposites of Peter Angelos’ money sucking machine, the Ravens are a finely tuned organization that continues to get better. And as we have in the past we gravitate towards those players with whom we can identify.

And THEY become our contemporary luminaries.

As a result of the Orioles struggles combined with a difficult economy and so many political uncertainties the Ravens have become a sanctuary – an escape from the insanity. They are an oasis in which to bathe in good news within the barren desert of bad news that envelopes us.

But along with that lofty perch the Ravens occupy here in Baltimore there comes pressure.

If the Ravens make decisions and act upon them in a way that confuses the fans, there is a backlash. And we’ve seen that over the past two weeks – two weeks during which we've witnessed the exodus of popular players like Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg, Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. Those moves were for many the equivalent of dumping waste in our oasis.

McGahee was a touchdown machine with a boyish charm.

Gregg – a lunch pail blue collar overachiever and an underdog just like the town that embraced him.

Heap – a player who has been with the franchise for two-thirds of its existence.

And Mason, a player who stepped up as a leader on offense when the team desperately needed one.

Letting them go isn’t easy for this town. And that’s understandable.

But you should take comfort in the fact that those guys in the Ravens ivory tower have forgotten more about football and about running an NFL team than any of us will ever know. They have the short and long-term best interests of the team in the forefront of their minds.

And now they have determined that it’s time for some of the young guys to step up.

The league’s best teams do this all the time. We’ve seen the Colts let go of Marvin Harrison and the Steelers parting ways with Alan Faneca and Plaxico Burress. And let’s not forget about how Bill Belichick quickly says goodbye to the Teddy Bruschis and Mike Vrabels of the world.

Besides if the Ravens could have afforded to keep all of those players, would they have made much of a difference? Would all (save Gregg) have made the Ravens offense any better?

It’s often said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

Maybe it’s time to do things a little differently.

It’s ok to miss them – to be nostalgic and reminisce. Those players are ingrained in our civic souls. But to sustain excellence you have to be willing to change and adapt even if it hurts a little.

And that’s not easy, particularly for us Baltimoreans who are as loyal as rescued mutts.

That’s just the way it is.

Despite Reported Free Agent Misses Ravens STILL a Player's Choice

2011-08-06T17:01:00.004-04:00

To those who believe that the Ravens suddenly have some of the Orioles’ stink on them and teams no longer want to play here STOP! The Ravens are generally viewed as one of the best teams to play for by the players. There's no stink on the team. No Syd Thrift Confederate Money.

Here's the inside skinny...

The Ravens have about $2M left under the cap. Malcom Floyd wasn't coming here unless they extended Haloti, ASSUMING THE RAVENS WERE GENUINELY INTERESTED.

Secondly, contrary to what has been reported, Mason was NOT given an offer by the Ravens. When I asked if they (the Ravens) were surprised that Mason accepted the low offer by the Jets I was told, "No, a low offer is better than no offer."

Many writers have contacts with agents and they get their info from them. These agents can and will and do play the writers to gain leverage for their clients. As I was reminded the agents ALWAYS have an angle to benefit themselves.

Same thing with Jerricho Cotchery – Ravens have no interest, that’s just more agent spin.

The Ravens are committed to getting younger. Expect some previously relative unknowns to emerge in 2011.

Lastly, don't believe everything you read!

Except this of course!

Smash Mouth Returning to M&T?

2011-08-05T17:50:00.003-04:00

I’m all about judging a General Manager’s offseason in its totality and a GM in general by the number of wins and losses. Clearly that’s the ultimate measuring stick.

The “game” is anything but over and the outcome without question lies in the balance. But that said, there have been some first half errors made here by the team’s front office that has them down on the scoreboard and forced to play catch up.

The smart guys in the Ravens ivory tower came out flat at best when the free agency bell rang. Because of limited cap space they released three starters and a quality reserve player. Why wasn’t the cap managed more efficiently? Is it time to upgrade at the position of capologist?

That $2.5 million in cap space that the team could have gleaned from a March release of Willis McGahee (click here for details) would have given the team at least some free agent flexibility.

The inability to extend Haloti Ngata has the front office handcuffed – I get that. But why are other teams like the Steelers and Jaguars and God forbid, the Raiders able to effectively extend franchised or highly paid players in order to free up needed cap space to augment their rosters or get in under the cap?

The Ravens need a backup running back and a center – any center with experience at this point might do just fine!

Cam Cameron needs a wide receiver. Do the Ravens even have a No. 2 receiver at the moment? Their inability to bring in Malcom Floyd now has them collectively looking at Derrick Mason like he’s the old aging girlfriend they tried to abandon at the bar when they flirted with the younger, taller one. Now new girl has left for some SoCal surfer dude.

What if after this introspective weekend of meditation as Mason ponders his future in the NFL he says, “No thanks guys, I’m staying here in Nashville” or “It was fun Ozzie but I’m going to the Big Apple”.

What then?

Are we going to turn to highly inexperienced players like Torrey Smith, Tandon Doss and David Reed to be difference makers when they haven’t had the luxury of OTA’s?

Randy Moss…Randy Moss…paging Mr. Randy Moss.

Even if Mason does come back, will the offense be any better? Will they even be as good?

Sure they’ve added a solid player in Vonta Leach but can Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta pick up the slack for Todd Heap? Even if they do catch as many balls, can they be the blocker that Heap was?

Can Anthony Allen or Damien Berry spell Ray Rice the way Willis McGahee did?

And let’s not forget that the Ravens need a backup quarterback. Spare me all the Tyrod Taylor accolades please. If the Ravens need to turn to Taylor because Flacco can’t go on a given week (or more) it’s not going to be pretty. And the frustrating thing about this situation, is that the club knew back in March that Bulger was going to retire.

Yet we’re all here watching Taylor and the great Hunter Cantwell as Nos. 2 and 3 on the QB depth chart.

Wow!

Forget about those lofty passing expectations for No. 5. Instead get ready for three yards and a pile of rubber pellets football at M&T Bank Stadium this year.

On a brighter note, I do think the defense will improve. Pagano seems to have restored some of that Ravens swagger and several of the players look like they are ready to step up their games. And like his predecessor Harbaugh will be riding the Ravens defense, managing time of possession and hoping Sam Koch can help give the Ravens short fields.

At this point in the new season after falling behind during free agency, what other choices does Harbaugh have?

Bring back Jared Gaither!

2011-08-05T12:32:00.003-04:00

In Week 2...

It’s possible that the Ravens could try and lure veteran backups in after the first week of the season. That way, if for any reason the player doesn’t work out, they could cut ties with the player(s) and not owe them a dime.

Perhaps there’s a veteran quarterback who is familiar with the Don Coryell system that Cam Cameron runs who is among a team’s final cuts. The Ravens could bring that QB in during Week 2. The same could be said of a running back or even an offensive tackle.

Take Jared Gaither for instance.

There have been some unsubstantiated rumors swirling about regarding Gaither and the NFL’s substance program. I’m not confirming or denying them, but if I’m hearing these rumors you know league executives are too.

Match these rumors up with a work ethic that has been heavily criticized along with a season missed due to a back injury and that could explain why such a promising left tackle is seeing little interest in the free agent market.

If Gaither is still out there after the Ravens play the Steelers during Week 1, I would be on the phone to his agent Drew Rosenhaus extending his client the opportunity to put all rumors and uncertainties to rest and turn his career around.

And if he fails to do so, just cut him and the opportunity cost is just a few wasted game checks.

But the upside could be substantial.

Are Ngata's agents preventing a Malcom Floyd signing?

2011-08-05T11:51:00.003-04:00

Haloti Ngata’s deal is said to be close to being completed and an educated guess is that it will be roughly 6 years, $72 million with about $40 million guaranteed (with maybe $18/18 M signing/option bonuses).

And while one source has shared that the deal is pretty much done, could it be that Ngata’s agent is holding the deal up knowing that his client’s signing could allow the Ravens to make other moves?

Think about it this way. If you are Priority Sports Management (Ngata’s agency) and you see that the Ravens have to free up space to sign WR Malcom Floyd or QB JP Losman or RB Clinton Portis or C/G Rich Seubert and your client’s signing is the linchpin that frees up all of these player signings (hypothetically), might you not want the Ravens to sweeten the offer just a bit?

The Ravens cap for the moment is pretty close to the brim. Estimates point to about $3-4 M in cap space – just enough to fit the reported offer to Floyd. But if the Ravens make that deal before they extend Ngata, they will have no emergency fund. No money to sign a much needed swing interior offensive lineman to pick up the slack for Casey Rabach and his failed physical.

And that leaves them fiscally vulnerable.

Bulger's retirement will force Ravens to look for vet backup QB

2011-08-01T10:32:00.004-04:00

Ravens24x7.com has learned from a team source that QB Marc Bulger has decided to retire and that leaves the Ravens with few options in the free agent market. It is highly unlikely that they would go into the 2011 season with Tyrod Taylor second on the depth chart at quarterback.

When questioned whether the threat of retirement was a negotiating ploy and could the two-time Pro Bowler change his mind, the texted answer was a blunt, “No!” The source informed us that Bulger made his decision back in March.

Quarterbacks that the team could consider include: Chris Sims, Trent Edwards, Jake Delhomme, J.P. Losman, Brodie Croyle, Rex Grossman, Jim Sorgi, Troy Smith and Shaun Hill.

Are the Ravens patient during free agency or broke?

2011-07-28T16:50:00.007-04:00

Why are the Ravens slow to do anything? Try this, they are a little less than $8M under the cap and that is BEFORE Marshal Yanda's new deal. Now granted the releases and signings haven’t officially taken place but that’s the snapshot o f the Ravens cap as provided by our own Brian McFarland (who will have a more comprehensive piece on this topic tomorrow).

So now you know (at least in part) why the team released Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg, Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. They desperately needed the cap space for Yanda.

So where was the hiccup? Why did these cap issues just suddenly creep up out of nowhere?

Last week ESPN’s John Clayton reported that the Ravens were $1.8M over the cap and that number did not include the RFA tenders which totaled around $10M. Then the minimum salaries went up by $55K per player for about three-fourths of the team’s roster. Not all of those add into the cap because of the rule of 51, but that also took away another $1.5M or so.

Bottom line, until the Ravens can sign Ngata to a long-term deal or restructure other contracts, they appear to be handcuffed.

At the end of the day, maybe Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens are not as much patient as they are broke.

This isn’t shaping up well so far for the Ravens, a team that had secondary issues heading into the off season with pending free agents Josh Wilson, Chris Carr and Dawan Landry. They have an unsettled situation at right tackle and no experience in the backfield behind Ray Rice. The last time the Ravens had such thin depth there, was back in 2001 when Jamal Lewis went down and the team had to turn to a rapidly aging Terry Allen and the plump and unproven Jason Brookins to carry the rock for Brian Billick and Elvis Grbac.

Where will the pass rush help come from?

What about WR where the team suddenly seems thin without Derrick Mason?

Can they even afford Marc Bulger as a back-up QB?

Who will be the swing interior offensive lineman now that Chris Chester is gone?

It’s not over until it’s over but for the moment, the Ravens are down a few scores at the half.

Ravens let one slip away

2011-07-27T22:04:00.004-04:00

So Josh Wilson is a Redskin…

I have to admit, this one stings a bit.

But before we explore that, let’s dial it back 48 hours for a moment.

When I first heard about the Ravens parting ways with fan favorites Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg, Todd Heap and Derrick Mason I was quite surprised by how swiftly the Ravens moved. After all, Ozzie & Co. are often very pragmatic.

The first two, McGahee and Gregg were understandable – players not performing to the value of their respective contracts.

Heap’s dismissal was difficult to see coming despite the hints the Ravens provided last year when they drafted tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta in rounds 3 and 4 respectively.

Upon further review, Mason’s release isn’t shocking given the $4.5 million price tag for a 37 year old wide receiver, but a mild surprise nonetheless.

Add it all up and the message was clear – these guys have a plan and they are ready to execute it.

Or so I thought.

Now granted it’s much too soon to start grading the Ravens’ offseason. That’s about as short-sighted as grading an NFL draft the day after it happens. But that said the Ravens are off to a bad start.

Yes they did tackle priority No. 1 – signing Marshal Yanda. But since then you might conclude that someone slipped Ambien in the Ravens front office water cooler.

A little over a month ago a Ravens source informed me that when the lockout ended and the predictable chaos ensued, the Ravens would be prepared and patient – a staple of the Ozzie Newsome repertoire.

On another occasion the same source explained how pleased they were with the Josh Wilson acquisition, particularly when the cost was just a fifth round pick.

The Ravens have uncertainty in their secondary. Jimmy Smith is a rookie without the benefit of OTA’s. Chris Carr could be moving on – the same for Dawan Landry. Lardarius Webb had an inconsistent 2010 and Domonique Foxworth is coming back from a major ACL tear. We all know how that can go.

And then there was Josh Wilson, a player who came on strong at the end of the season and reportedly was the team’s next targeted signing.

And a 3 year, $13.5 million deal with a $6 million signing bonus sent him packing down the BW Parkway to wear burgundy and gold.

They let Wilson walk for that reasonable number.

It was like turning down front row seats at a Springsteen concert for face value.

I don’t get it.

But I’ll rely on blind faith and believe that a week or so from now, it will all be clear to me.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go and find my glasses.

Introducing RaveOnTV

2011-07-26T18:27:00.003-04:00

We are extremely pleased to announce that we have formed a partnering relationship with B’more Birds’ Nest featuring GOOBVISION in our brand new RaveOnTV.

Goob was the 2010 DirecTV Ultimate Displaced Fan and he will be providing video blogs that are short and sweet, entertaining, funny, occasionally informative and delivered straight from the heart of a diehard Ravens fan.

Goob’s contributions will be complemented by other video blogs, details of which are still being developed. Word is that there will be at least one Erin Andrews-like video blog and a visual fiesta of the popular The Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox.

We look forward to this season, and hope you’ll be here to enjoy the ride with us.

Ravens part ways with some fan favorites

2011-07-26T07:47:00.005-04:00

At 5:48PM, just hours after the NFL announced that the lockout had officially ended, Ravens Executive Vice President & General Manager Ozzie Newsome issued the following statement:

“We are excited to be back in the business of football and looking forward to having our players back.

“With this agreement comes a new salary cap, unlike last season when there was no cap. We will be making a number of roster moves in the next 48 hours that will free up salary cap space. This will give us the ability to make offers to our players we want to re-sign, plus put us in a position to sign free agents from other teams.”

Within an hour Black Monday started to unfold as we learned of the Ravens decision to part ways with (in order): Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg, Todd Heap and Derrick Mason.

The first two came as no surprise. The productivity of both players fell far short of what their respective salaries suggested -- McGahee ($6.0M) and Gregg ($3.5M). This is the business of the NFL.

Todd Heap would be next to fall along with his $4.6 M salary. That is a big number for a player who by most evaluations doesn’t crack the top third of the league’s best tight ends. It’s possible that the Ravens could bring Heap back at a more reasonable number but then again, there is a reason the Ravens drafted two tight ends in the third (Ed Dickson) and fourth (Dennis Pitta) rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Perhaps this was part of Ozzie Newsome’s plan all along. You may recall back in 2002 Shannon Sharpe was a salary cap casualty, supplanted by Heap who was then in his sophomore season.

And then there’s the player generally considered to be quarterback Joe Flacco’s security blanket – Derrick Mason. Before the 2010 season Mason announced that he was retiring only to return with a new two-year deal structured like a one year commitment. At the age of 37, despite few if any signs of slowing down, Mason’s scheduled $4.5M sticks out like a Terrible Towel at a Ravens Convention.

And the salary cap knife took notice.

Each will be missed in many ways and it’s possible that Heap and/or Mason will return at market value salaries. But if this truly is goodbye I’ll remember each in different ways:

McGahee, for his boyish optimism and that unforgettable run against the Raiders to put the Ravens into the playoffs during the 2009 season.

Gregg, Buddy Lee, for showing us that all things are possible for those who relentlessly pursue a goal and also for that against-all-odds sack of Michael Vick.

Heap, for laying out his body time and time again, the catch against the Chargers during the 2006 season and of course, HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAP!

Mason, for your leadership when the offense had none, your consistency and that TD catch against the Titans (1:36 mark of video below) during the Divisional Playoff Game from the 2008 season.

Today is a day for heavy hearts. And yes I get that this is football, that it’s just a game and that all of these players are wealthy and will lead good lives. But nevertheless, today feels like one of those days when a co-worker who has become your friend, decides to leave the company or perhaps even more fittingly they learn that there’s been a cutback and their jobs are no longer available.

Thank you gentlemen for all that you've given as winners both on and off the field. Your achievements and good deeds will NOT be forgotten!

And our memories are safe from the blade of any salary cap knife.

The Two Minute Drill: Ravens, NFL News & Notes

2011-07-23T10:04:00.003-04:00

Competitors don’t like to be backed into a corner so when you take some of the planet’s greatest competitors (NFL athletes) and pin them to the wall almost always a brawl of sorts ensues.

I am a bit curious as to why exactly they feel/felt so cornered. Didn’t they have an opportunity to sign this new CBA first on Wednesday?

We’ve all heard about how animated some of the player reps were in DC on what was to be player-signing-Wednesday. That just tells me that DeMaurice Smith and his merry band of filibusters did a poor job of keeping all player reps appraised of the developments during negotiations.

Tell me again, how can the players, out of one side of their collective mouth say that they have seen the new deal and then out of the other side say that the owners sneaked some things in there?

I got a kick out of Pete Prisco’s Tweets (including the one pictured) on Thursday after the owners ratified the new CBA. He beat up on the players side pretty good, particularly DeMaurice Smith.

Here are a couple other priceless Prisco-isms:

* If the players don't take this deal, after looking at it, they are crazy. Crazy. The owners gave them what they wanted. Look at it.

* Every NFL player has Twitter. They can tweet in their vote for recertification. This is the immediate era we live in, right?

And while we’re on the topic of Tweets, how about this short-sighted blonde moment from ESPN’s Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth):

* Think about this. If a preseason game is lost players stand to lose about $700 per man the league $200 million. Advantage players.

I don’t think so!

If the league loses preseason games pal, do you really think the players will only lose their $700 stipend? Really? Schlereth, you are a broadcaster on the worldwide leader and obviously you have no clue how the salary cap works! You don’t think that the $200+ million earned each preseason week by the league impacts the players?

Go back to sleep!

Not sure why I even pay attention to this cat. He’s the same analyst who labeled Haloti Ngata a bust.

And last but not least, HOO-RAH for SIZZLE! Terrell Suggs shared his thoughts on the stalled new CBA recently with The Sun’s Matt Vensel.

“I think it’s bananas. It’s crazy that we’re still here, that we ain’t got nothing done. What’s going on right now is just ridiculous,” Suggs said Friday afternoon. “We’re in a very fortunate business. The NFL is a very fortunate business. The players are very fortunate. And like I’ve said, who’s really losing out is the younger guys in the league and most importantly our fans, the people who make our business run.”

Wait to drive 55!

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