Are the Baltimore Ravens Faking It ‘Til They Make It?

It would be one thing if the Ravens had injuries at positions eased by great depth; you know, like running back or offensive guard?

Instead, several Pro Bowl-level Ravens are injured, and if the injuries are serious, they could significantly derail the Ravens’ chances for a playoff berth, let alone the Super Bowl.

So here’s hoping that the preseason is little more than rehab for the slowed Ravens stars. We know that Terrell Suggs has a thing for not playing in the preseason, so what’s the whole business with his heel? Let’s hope that’s just an annual “Ya’ll Know My Foot Ain’t Right” preseason clause built into his new contract.

We know that there’s no faking to Ed Reed’s neck injury. While the nerve impingement doesn’t limit him in making solid plays on the ball for interceptions, it does limit his effectiveness in run defense—something that was an integral part of the Ravens’ success in years past.

Kelly Gregg is returning from knee surgery, but now has problems with his shoulder. Yeah, you can hope that’s just something to throw the scouts off before the Kansas City game.

Samari Rolle may have been slightly more expandable than Mark Clayton, but putting your money on oft-injured Demetrius Williams and Derrick Mason, who probably still feels effects from his shoulder injury of a year ago, isn’t the surest of bets—even if they’d like you to believe otherwise.

Every NFL team deals with a plethora of injuries, but the Ravens aren’t a team like the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers, whose systems compensate for deficiencies in talent.

The hope is that the injury reports flowing out of Owings Mills are calculated messages alerting the rest of the league to watch out for a rested Ravens group.

But if they truly are this banged up prior to week one, the hopes of Ravens faithful will join the squad on the “unable to perform” list.

The Case for Colt Brennan

If there’s one reason why Washington coaches, fans, and most NFL enthusiasts should root for Colt Brennan to keep his spot with the team, it lies in a characteristic that Brennan possesses that no other quarterback on the roster could ever hope to find.

The confidence that he will make any and every throw he attempts.

Sure, Washington fans grimace and frown their faces up when Colt Brennan throws garbage time, goal-line interceptions. but they’ve got to love the fact that Brennan has enough faith in his arm, in the play call, and in the receiver that he has no qualms about letting it go. Unlike his counterpart Jason Campbell, he hasn’t shown the regard for smarts that can yield a 6.8 yard per attempt average.

It hasn’t worked out well for him this year, but it’s this same kind of swagger that endeared him to local fans in 2008 when he made Diamond City his personal Big Island.

It’s the same kind of swagger that allows Brennan to keep an even demeanor on great plays and epic gaffes. And its the same kind of swagger that will create a true quarterback controversy when, sans Jason Campbell, the team pursues Colt McCoy in the 2010 draft.

Much of the roster is extremely comfortable with Colt Brennan and his ability. And why? For the exact reasons why they are lukewarm on support for Campbell.

Because they’d rather go to war with a confident, cocky trigger man than a cautious, cannon-armed QB.

The Colt Brennan story is set up too good to have the awkward ending some Washington fans are hoping for: Record-setting college quarterback goes low in the draft, only to battle his way through his first three years as a professional. Through circumstances only fate or Daniel Snyder could author, he becomes the QB the town was always waiting for—a big arm with a big mouth and a penchant for victory.

 

 

Marcus Mason vs. Rock Cartwright

If there is one preseason battle that deserves a lot more attention out of Washington, it is the quiet competition between Marcus Mason and Rock Cartwright for the third-string tailback position.

Much has been made about Marcus Mason’s lack of special teams expertise, but no one can question his title of King of Preseason around these parts. Most fans have been brainwashed to believe that Rock Cartwright is the end all and be all of special teams proficiency, and 25.1 yards per kick return certainly justifies the argument.

But no one ever questions his lack of appearance or productivity in the Washington offense, which is the center of controversy following a couple of anemic outings this preseason.

The question becomes one of what’s most important in winning a football game; big play potential on special teams, or big play potential from the line of scrimmage.  Devin Thomas certainly didn’t look horrible at kick returner in the last preseason game, and Cartwright’s injury may just be enough for Washington to look in another direction for roster spot exclusivity reserved for special teams.

 

But there is a reason that Mason has never appeared in an NFL regular season game, and the hope is that Jim Zorn is competent enough to see a glaring fault that isn’t easily obvious in his outings against second and third-string competition in the preseason.

My sense? You take a chance on Mason. He could be the compliment to Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts that Darren Sproles has been to the San Diego Chargers, and Reggie Bush will eventually be to the New Orleans Saints; not a regular contributor to the offense over 16 games, but someone that can make the most of six to eight touches per game.

Washington has enough weapons in the running and passing game that Mason’s entry on early downs could wreak havoc on linebackers and safeties. You may want to make the same claim about Cartwright, but you can’t; even if he is in the top five in the league at returning kicks.

Mason has worked hard and proven himself to be a speed back in the open, and a competent back running between the tackles. There are questions about the Washington offense, but there’s no question that Marcus Mason gives the offense a far better chance at impacting games than Cartwright does through special teams.

Technorati Tags: Clinton Portis, Marcus Mason, Rock Cartwright

What Baltimore Ravens Fans Shouldn’t Do

Do I like the Washington football team? Absolutely not. Do I love the Ravens? With all of my heart.

But I don’t endorse this. Not one bit.

I assume this video was taken at Fed Ex Field in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which Washington won in convincing fashion. The fact that this guy is making a clown out of himself when 1. Washington won, 2. The Ravens already handled Washington just a week prior shows the lowest form of Ravens fan you can be.

You sir, are a douche. And the hope is that the 300 or so people who read this blog daily out of the Baltimore area may catch you in the streets, and mock you heartily.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens

Washington Redskins Teammates Cooling on Jason Campbell?

Jason Campbell’s teammates are treading a very thin line between blatantly distancing themselves from the quarterback, or extremely lacking savvy when it comes to media questions about the quarterback.

Take today’s Washington Post article about Campbell ignoring the critics. The headline makes you think that teammates will come out and talk about his strong camp, or chide fans and media on their misinterpretation of his lowly preseason numbers.

Instead, you get comments like this.

“If he was smart—and I’m pretty sure he is—he wouldn’t even listen to it. They can’t throw the ball for Jason. They can’t catch the ball for Jason. All they can do is say what he needs to do more of.

Half of them can’t do what he does or haven’t done what he does. I just feel like you have to take it like, ‘They’re doing their job, so let me do my job.’” – Santana Moss

“Some people wanted him gone; some people are happy he’s here. Jason just has to go out and do what he can. He’s got to keep a level head and not get too high, not get too low. He’s still got to lead this team at quarterback. You got guys who are busting their butt to keep him here.” – Clinton Portis

And what about this jewel from Chris Cooley in a discussion on D.C.’s most beloved athlete?

“This is the first year anyone’s cared about hockey,” Cooley disagreed. “It’d be me or you. And if a quarterback came here and played, it’s 100 percent the quarterback.”

To his credit, Cooley is probably too simple to realize he made a backhanded comment at his teammate, so he can partially slide for that one.

But it is interesting of Campbell’s Pro Bowl-caliber, high-profile teammates, none of them have taken the step to say, verbatim, “Jason Campbell is our quarterback. He is our best quarterback, and gives us the best chance to win. I look forward to playing—and winning—with Jason Campbell.”

No, they aren’t required to say anything. But who knows what wonders it would do for the talk radio circuit, the fan reaction, and most importantly, Campbell’s confidence? What wonders could this team accomplish if Jason Campbell’s teammates were bright enough to live off of the fence in the most important season in the quarterback’s career?

Or maybe they are that bright…

Ravens Second String Hangs by a Thread

How much changed for the Baltimore Ravens between their first game against Washington and their second game against the New York Jets?

About the entire heart and soul of the second string offense and defense.

Oh, the first team on both sides of the ball looked great. Save for doses of Leon Washington up the middle, the Ravens might very well have kept the Jets on their side of the 50 for the first half.

But Troy Smith and the second string looked absolutely frayed. The calm that Smith displayed against Washington was far removed from the indecision and poor movement he showed last night.

Perhaps you could attribute it to Rex Ryan’s defensive schemes and his familiarity with the Ravens’ offense. After all, you don’t go to another town and forget the one you built before you left, according to Bart Scott.

But doubt of the game’s outcome should have been removed in the third quarter, instead of the last 30 seconds.

And with a Ravens team that is notorious for injuries on both sides of the ball, depth is absolutely key.

If you were not watching the game and saw the final score and box score, you would think the Ravens’ offense lit it up last night.

But in true RavensTown fashion, the squad won with opportunistic defense and decent play by special teams. The winning points in the fourth quarter were scored by kicker Steven Hauschka on a 42-yarder with a little over seven minutes remaining in the game.

In all, it was a win in classic fashion for the Ravens. But this team has always been as good as its reserves, and right now, there are multiple knots in the second string.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan Has Something To Prove against the Baltimore Ravens

So I’m reading this article in the Baltimore Sun about the Baltimore Ravens excitedly switching to a 4-3 base defense this year. Ray Lewis loves it, and it’s a return to the form that helped the squad win a Super Bowl in 2000.

But leave it up to the hometown paper to bury what should’ve been the lead to an entirely different story on tonight’s game between the Ravens and the New York Jets; Rex Ryan returning to Baltimore with a major chip on his shoulder.

“I want [the Ravens] to know that my guys are playing like Jets and we’re to be taken seriously,” Ryan said. “The fact that I got passed over for the coaching job there…does that mean anything? Maybe it does.”

“I will always think it was BS,” Ryan said. “I always thought I was the right guy for the job.”

 

Really? So we have a coach who knows the Ravens’ tendencies, motivated by being passed over for the head coaching job of the Ravens. We got two former Ravens in Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard who know the full capabilities of their former teammates, playing with a hyped up Jets team coming to town to win one for their new coach?

We don’t get scared in Baltimore, but I’m feeling a little more than anxious about this one.

Yeah. That’s the right word. Anxious.

 

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, Ray Lewis, Rex Ryan

Covering for Jason Campbell

Throughout this summer, much of this space has been dedicated to sticking up for Jason Campbell. When ownership and fans turned their backs on him for the availability of an unhappy Jay Cutler and the national fancy for Mark Sanchez, it was all I could do to remind people that Campbell was the guy for the Washington franchise.

And while there is nothing overtly wrong with Jason Campbell, this preseason has yielded a perspective that some people are all too willing to have.

There isn’t much right with him, either.

 

Most football folks know that preseason is not the time to make film for your regular season opponents, so much of what you see over the next two weeks won’t be an indicator of what will happen beginning Week One. But while Campbell has reduced his uncertainty on what to do and where to go on plays, he hasn’t looked particularly sharp or accurate.

Headed into Friday’s game against New England — in which the starting offense will play at least the entire first half, more than in any of the four preseason games — Campbell has played five series, completed 4 of 13 passes for 48 yards with neither a touchdown nor an interception. He has failed to lead a touchdown drive.

“To me, it’s what we have to do — take shots,” Campbell said late Saturday night. “I can’t worry about my stats and everything, because we’re trying to do something to help us out during the year.”

Fortunately, Todd Collins has not looked spectacular in his outings, so the early indications are that a sputtering first-team offense has very little to do with the personnel. Campbell can rest easy knowing that Collins won’t take his spot. Chase Daniel, on the other hand, might very well supplant Colt Brennan as the king of preseason swag, but that’s another post.

A lot is riding on this season for Campbell, and while his play hasn’t been despicable, it hasn’t been close to remarkable. For someone whose job is on the line, that may not be enough to keep him around the entire season.

Technorati Tags: Chase Daniel, Colt Brennan, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins

Baltimore Ravens Rookie Tony Fein Arrested: There Will Be No Beer Summits

To make a long story short, Baltimore’s finest assumed Ravens rookie Tony Fein and his friends were passing around a gun while at dinner in the Inner Harbor. They investigate, find nothing.

At that point, they could’ve apologized for the tragic misunderstanding. But as men with guns and power tend to do when their macho consciences need assuaging, they overstay their welcome, continue to get up in folks business, and draw the worst out of their victims.

So now Tony Fein is locked up for shoving an officer.

To start, I don’t condone this kind of behavior. But I understand it very well. And don’t assume this is a black thing. Skateboarders understand it, and tipsy Ravens and Orioles fans understand it just as well.

If we all took the time out to understand it, perhaps we would move one step closer to refrain from wanting to shove police officers. And just maybe, officers might learn better than to stay around to get shoved.

Why It’s So Easy to Hate Washington Pro Football

They have an owner who prefers jersey sales over playoff appearances, a reprehensible team nickname, and have one of the more delusional fan bases in the entire NFL. It’s so easy to hate everything about pro football in Washington, and it could never be more evident than in this column by the Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell.

As soon as the Redskins do anything that incites the faithful to use superlatives, or even think such thoughts in the solitude of their burgundy-and-gold basement lairs (been there), the mischief starts all over again.

As the Redskins and their fans start their annual pursuit of NFL Nirvana, it’s essential to hold one thought in mind, annoying and antisocial as it seems: The Redskins are not very good.

Washington fans, by my estimation, are evenly divided into thirds. Those that think the team will contend for the Super Bowl every year, those that think the team will be banished to 5-11 records for the duration of Daniel Snyder’s ownership, and those that honestly assess the division in which they play, the talent that they have, and make a judgment parallel to Boswell’s.

Let’s wait and see, but no reason to get any hopes up.

Washington fans don’t realize it, but the vast majority of them that get face time on youtube and sports talk radio are as ignorant and douchebag as any fan out of Philadelphia or Dallas.

It’s refreshing to converse with a fan knowledgeable enough about the team, and can elaborate on the potential this squad has that just can’t tie it together. This fan is as passionate about their team as they are realistic about their chances, and most will break it down for you S.A.T. style:

Washington is to the NFC East as the Baltimore Orioles are to the A.L. East. Outclassed.

You want so much more for these kind of fans. You want for Snyder and Co. to right the ship and build a team through solid drafting, smart free agent acquisitions, coaching stability and accountability to the emotional and financial investment of the fans.

But knowing that they won’t, you want the fans to get a clue and take their allegiance elsewhere. You want them to avoid jumping off the buffoon bridge with the rest of their Rally Rag-waving friends.

You don’t really want to hate this club. But since so many people insist on not hating the franchise. You must balance out the universe.

In the end, nobody wins. You bottle up internal angst for a team that doesn’t matter. The supporters have angst because they’ll wait yet another year to get their boasting on. None of us have anything to celebrate. Nothing to love.

Everything to hate.

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