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NFL Football Players Draft Injuries Rookies Season SuperbowlPublished: January 6, 2010
Last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens (9-7) punched their playoff ticket by defeating the Oakland Raiders (5-11) 21-13 in Oakland.
The game plan they followed to secure the AFC’s final playoff spot looked eerily similar to the blueprint used a year ago, when Baltimore reached the AFC Championship Game—limit the amount of time an opposing offense has the ball by putting together a successful running attack.
Ravens fans all over the country were hoping Baltimore would return to this proven formula that worked so well, especially during the Brian Billick era.
Now it looks like the team finally listened to their toughest critics, as the Ravens have ranked second in the NFL in rushing over the past six weeks.
As Baltimore clinches their second consecutive playoff berth, they will head back to New England to face the 10-6 Patriots, where in Week 4, the Ravens came up 10 yards short of what could’ve been a game-winning touchdown.
Baltimore dropped that contest 27-21 in what turned out to be one of their more bitter defeats of the season.
In order for the Ravens to topple the Patriots for the first time in franchise history and move on to the divisional round of the playoffs, they must stick to their roots in the running game.
Baltimore’s third-ranked defense, which has improved vastly during the second part of the season, must limit penalties and mental errors if they want to slow down Tom Brady and company and ultimately limit the time the Patriots’ offense is on the field.
Everyone knows the Ravens become a very dangerous team when they make it to the postseason. The last two teams that defeated Baltimore in the playoffs, ended up being crowned Super Bowl champions; Pittsburgh in 2008 and Indianapolis in 2006.
Let’s examine some other key things the Ravens must do in order to be successful this Sunday against one of the toughest teams in the playoffs this year.
Revisiting Baltimore’s running attack, they need to duplicate what they did last week against Oakland. Both Ray Rice and Willis McGahee need to carry the load behind an offensive line that’s finally healthy again with the return of Jared Gaither.
Le’Ron McClain might be the best blocking fullback in the NFL, which is why he’s headed back to the Pro Bowl this year. If McClain can repeat the success he’s had this season against the Patriots on Sunday, both Rice and McGahee should get the opportunity to spring loose for some big gains on the ground.
Depending on how the Ravens running attack fares will ultimately dictate how much Cam Cameron decides to utilize Joe Flacco. Baltimore’s passing game has been an entirely different story throughout the regular season.
Flacco started the 2009 season on fire, but eventually his role in running the offense was reduced, due to the fact that the Ravens were labeled as a “pass-happy” team.
Opponents started to figure out that Derrick Mason was Flacco’s favorite target nearly 70 percent of the time, so John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron had to draw up new schemes on offense.
One player that came on strong during the last six games was Todd Heap. As the Ravens’ offensive line started to heal, Heap returned to a more traditional role.
Heap has racked up four touchdowns in just three games averaging more than 11 yards a catch.
Heap must be utilized as a traditional tight end in order to create more mismatches with the Patriots’ defense.
With Jared Gaither healthy, the probability of Heap making a few key catches in this game is highly likely.
Heap is always a threat to score inside the red zone, and Flacco needs to go through his progressions in order to find Heap, who does a great job of creating separation from defenders inside the end zone.
When it comes to the Ravens’ third-ranked defense, they just need to come out and play penalty-free football.
If Haloti Ngata and the rest of the Ravens’ front four can apply pressure on future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady, the improved Baltimore secondary should be able to successfully play their zone coverages.
However, with the injuries to Fabian Washington and star rookie Lardarius Webb, Baltimore must find a way to put two bodies on Randy Moss, the Patriots’ main deep threat.
Dawan Landry and Domonique Foxworth have stepped up their game, but they will need to play as close to perfect as humanly possible to slow down the Brady-to-Moss connection.
Ed Reed, back from a groin injury and a neck problem that has plagued him for two years, looks primed to help Landry and Foxworth over the top. Reed hasn’t played as sharp as in recent years due to injuries, but he always poses the threat of making a game-changing play.
If Reed is up to task, Tom Brady won’t be throwing in his direction.
If Sunday’s game turns out to be a close one, as all indicators point to it being one, special teams might be the difference once again.
The Ravens have a solid punter in Sam Koch, but the place-kicking game has been atrocious this season. The virtual carousel of kickers Baltimore played this season cost them a few wins in 2009.
So with that said, the utter lack of consistency from Billy Cundiff has to have the Ravens a little worried, especially in a game that could come down to three points or less.
John Harbaugh, being a special teams coach for so many years with Philadelphia, has to be disappointed with the play of Cundiff. And quite frankly, Harbaugh has failed to address the issue to the satisfaction of Ravens fans.
If there’s one area that Baltimore can’t match the Patriots in, it’s the kicking game, so let’s hope the Ravens don’t have to rely on a clutch kick to win the game.
With all of the above taken into consideration, the Ravens do match up well with New England.
And, with Week 4 maybe still on the team’s mind, they’ll be looking to redeem themselves for the mistakes that cost them a close game last time in Foxboro.
One more noteworthy tidbit of information Baltimore must take into consideration—Tom Brady, although dealing with rib and finger injuries, will be at his best in the playoffs. You can’t take a player like Brady lightly, no matter what condition he’s playing in.
So John Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens’ coaching staff must convey this message to the defense.
I’m sure Ray Lewis will do his part to get this prideful squad fired up and prepared for what Brady and the rest of the Patriots’ offense will do.
This matchup Sunday has the potential of being one of the best playoff games in many years.
No predictions will be made on my part, out of respect for my fellow friends who happen to be Patriots fans and all-around good people.
All I can say is get excited about the game, and make every effort to watch it on TV, or attend it in person.
It could be one for the record books!
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: December 12, 2009
Last Monday, Baltimore had the chance to show everyone watching around the world why they deserve to be included in the six teams the AFC will send to the playoffs in January.
Once again, they managed to disappoint an entire fan base, while proving their critics’ main talking points all season long, to be correct.
While it is safe to say the Ravens peaked too early in the season, the recent sloppy games the team has strung together when they desperately needed wins, is reason enough to say they don’t deserve to be counted in the playoffs.
Let’s examine some of the major factors that have led me to dismiss this team from playoff contention.
First, and foremost, the Ravens’ utter lack of urgency throughout the latter portion of this season has left many fans wondering (including me) if they even want to make the playoffs.
Monday night’s game against the Packers was a microcosm of the Ravens’ troubles during the 2009 NFL regular season.
Baltimore had the chance to put the Packers away numerous times during the penalty infested contest, but they couldn’t overcome troubles of their own. The 12 penalties for 135 yards that Baltimore amassed ultimately prevented them from being competitive in a game that was closer than the final score suggested.
Revisiting the Ravens’ self-destruction at Lambeau Field Monday night, the team’s offense, on average, took 23 seconds to break the huddle, with the play clock often reading one second at the time of the snap.
In essence, Baltimore was milking the clock the entire time they were playing from behind. The team was sluggish from start to finish, and the play-calling from Cam Cameron was predictable and ineffective.
The realities of the Green Bay game are important to bring up, especially if anyone thinks the Ravens should be rewarded for their recent dismal performances.
Outside of the poor play on the football field, the Ravens’ front office failed to make the necessary adjustments to the roster when injuries started to take hold of the team.
Take in part what the Saints did recently, when they realized injuries to their secondary might cost them crucial games down the road.
What did they do? They brought in two solid veterans to fill the gaps, one player being Chris McAllister, a former Raven and perennial Pro Bowler.
Ozzie Newsome and company never entertained bringing McAllister back to Baltimore, sighting that he wasn’t in “football shape.”
Even in the face of the Ravens’ own injuries and terrible play at corner, this idea never crossed anyone in the front office…I can guarantee you that much!
So how did the Ravens address their painfully obvious disposition at defensive back? They did absolutely nothing. They stuck with “green” players who have yet to prove themselves in an NFL game, let alone in the playoffs.
Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh stuck to the notion that speed and youth at that position would somehow help their ailing pass defense.
The stubbornness amongst most Ravens assistants to address problems on defense, transformed a once-proud squad into a bunch of underachievers.
If anyone in that office believes the defense can carry this team through the playoffs as they once did, should be barred from the NFL permanently.
All of this is simple math, really. With the production on offense up by only 25 percent from last year, and the defense yielding 70 percent more yardage to opponents, the numbers aren’t where they should be.
This is especially true with a young quarterback in Joe Flacco, who’s had to endure unnecessary pressure due to the drop-off in defensive production.
Another key point often overlooked by many, is the fact that Flacco hasn’t been dealt a mentor…a veteran quarterback under whom he can develop.
The blame falls squarely on Ozzie for not installing some sort of system for Flacco in Baltimore. So the end result is Flacco will undoubtedly have to put in more work than the average second-year quarterback.
Still, with all of the adversity and lack of weapons at wide receiver, Flacco has managed to have a decent sophomore season.
It’s extremely uncomplicated to keep finding faults with the Ravens’ organization this year, and reasons why they really don’t deserve to make it to the post-season.
Unfortunately, there are space constraints on Bleacher Report servers, and I don’t want to run the risk of filling them up with my ongoing rants.
I will say one thing. I’ve always held some form of hope for the Ravens this year, and was always quick to their defense. I can no longer consciously do this, and at the same time be taken seriously in this sports community.
So to all of you Ravens fans out there, we’ll have to wait for the off-season to see how the team tackles these issues.
Even if the Ravens win out the rest of their schedule and make the playoffs, I still stand by my point.
Baltimore doesn’t deserve to play with the AFC’s elite in the postseason.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: November 30, 2009
This was not a game for the faint of heart. Every single second of this AFC North showdown lived up to the pregame hype. And if you didn’t have a bottle of Valium in-hand, you probably weren’t even watching the game.
We all know the Ravens (6-5) and Steelers (6-5) hate each other. It’s a deep-seeded hatred players on both sides take personally.
Even though the rivalry is 14 years young, it has grown into one of the most sought after matchups in the NFL. Sunday night’s game certainly didn’t fail to disappoint the most die-hard of fans.
Baltimore came into the game knowing what was on the line—their entire season. Their offense, which has had trouble establishing itself at the beginning of games, came out on fire. The Ravens’ first possession on offense ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Willis McGahee. The Ravens offense was poised and in-sync for the entire first half of the contest.
This was only the start of one of the more memorable games in recent history.
Due to a concussion Ben Roethlisberger received last week against the Chiefs, Pittsburgh was forced to start third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon.
Dixon, a second year player out of Oregon, had only attempted one pass in the NFL prior to Sunday night’s game. However, he was a marquee player at Oregon, and a runner-up for the Heisman trophy in his senior year. A devastating injury cost him the honor of the Heisman, and hurt his stock in the NFL draft the following year.
Dixon filled in well for the injured Roethlisberger. He was able to exploit the Ravens’ blitz packages, and kept the vaunted Ravens’ defense on their toes for the majority of the game.
The inexperienced Dixon finished the game with 172 all-purpose yards, and two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Dixon did throw a costly interception in overtime, which all but ended the Steelers’ hopes of pulling off an upset in front of a sold-out crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.
On the other side of the football, the Ravens had to overcome great adversity towards the end of the game in order to come out on top in this heated matchup.
One of the worst aspects of this game was the quality of the officiating.
Baltimore was on the receiving end of some highly questionable no-calls that occurred when Joe Flacco tried to locate Derrick Mason and Todd Heap in the end zone. The no-call on Mason even had Chris Collinsworth pining for a flag to be thrown.
The final blunder by the officiating crew came on the last play in regulation, when Flacco was sacked, resulting in the Ravens’ field goal unit rushing to the line to attempt a game-winning kick. Luckily, for the sake of the officials, Billy Cundiff’s kick came up a few yards short.
Instead of spotting the ball where Flacco went down, they gave Baltimore a spot where the ball came out due to a fumble. The rule simply states that the ball must be spotted where the player originally went down. The officials seemed to have no clue in this instance.
All of these extra obstacles the Ravens had to overcome during the game didn’t end up playing a major game-changing factor.
Flacco shredded a usually stout Steelers secondary, throwing for 289 yards and a touchdown. He overcame five sacks, a fumble and was able to make the big plays when he needed to—something that he was having trouble doing during his three game slump.
On 4th-and-5 in the fourth quarter, the Ravens opted to go for the first down inside their own territory with only one time-out left. Joe “Cool” Flacco remained calm, and found Ray Rice on a short check-down pass.
Rice made the play of the game, taking the ball down to the Steelers’ 10-yard line. This short pass ended up resulting in a 44-yard gain, as Rice eluded defenders during the scamper.
This crucial play set up the ensuing field goal by Cundiff, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, Baltimore’s defense rose to the occasion. They were able to keep the Steelers’ eighth ranked pass offense in check.
Dennis Dixon’s inexperience surfaced in overtime, when Baltimore called a masterful zone blitz to confuse the young quarterback. The result was an interception by talented young linebacker Paul Kruger, who dropped back into coverage after fooling the offense into thinking he was coming on the blitz.
This set up the game-winning field goal from only 29 yards out.
The excellent winning effort by the Ravens moved them into second place in the tight AFC North, and ensured them a more favorable spot in the AFC wild-card race.
And the game ball goes to…
Joe Flacco and company on offense and the entire Ravens’ defense.
It was refreshing to see a more aggressive attack on offense. Flacco wasn’t limited in this game and did an excellent job of picking apart a good Steelers secondary.
Ray Rice made some game-changing plays, and continues to show why he’s a top-five back in the NFL. He tore apart a good Steelers run defense all game.
The Ravens’ defense was solid, to say the least. They held one of the best offenses in the league to total 298 yards. So the whole defense gets a game ball, too.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: November 29, 2009
The Ravens have found themselves in many close games this season. However, none of those games can compare to what’s on the line tonight in Baltimore, as the Ravens take on a Steelers team playing without two of their best players in “Big Ben” and Troy Polamalu.
Ben Roethlisberger will be sidelined with a concussion he sustained against Kansas City last week. It appeared Roethlisberger might suit up for the big Sunday night game, when reports were released mid-week that stated he had passed a battery of tests that measured his cognition.
On Friday, Roethlisberger complained of headaches during physical exertion, which gave the starting role to third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon, a second year man out of Oregon.
Even with the big injuries to Pittsburgh, the Ravens will have their hands full with a solid Steelers’ defense – a defense that will be without their biggest playmaker in Troy Polamalu.
One thing the Ravens understand is the fact they must win this game in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. A win tonight for the Ravens will put them in second place in the AFC North at 6-4; either one or two games in back of Cincinnati, depending on how they fare against the Browns today. A loss might all but end any hopes for the Ravens’ playoff chances.
With the entire Ravens’ season at stake, Baltimore needs to take a more explosive approach to this game.
The Ravens have returned to a more balanced attack on offense in the past four games. This has lead to Ray Rice becoming one of the best all-around backs in the NFL. He’s been a threat both running the ball, and catching passes out of the backfield.
With that said, Baltimore needs to do more than check the ball down to Rice in order to win this contest.
Cam Cameron must reopen the playbook to Joe Flacco. In games where Flacco was limited by Cameron, he struggled mightily, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns (1 TD and 3 INT’s in the last four games).
If Flacco is cut loose from the recent conservative approach on offense, he should be able to take advantage of a Steelers defense that has struggled without their top playmaker in Polamalu. In fact, the entire outcome of the game will rest on how mistake-free Flacco can play.
With the Ravens looking to get back on track, this will be the game in which they can accomplish that. Baltimore and Pittsburgh always play each other close, but the Ravens have the edge in this one, due to the Steelers’ misfortunes.
If Baltimore can strike early and quick, this might be a game where the Ravens never look back at their opponent.
Predictions for tonight’s game
Ray Rice should be a big factor, as usual, in both the running and passing game. Look for him to rack up over 100 all-purpose yards, and a touchdown.
Joe Flacco will end his mid-season slump tonight, as Baltimore will come out of the gates on fire at home, knowing what’s on the line. Flacco should finish with 250 yards, two touchdown passes, and no interceptions.
Final score: Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 27
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: November 22, 2009
Early in the season, the Ravens’ defense was the brunt of criticism in Baltimore. I was one of their toughest critics when they started to slide early in the season. Now it appears Baltimore’s offense is having trouble establishing any kind of rhythm.
Through their first five games, Joe Flacco was posting career numbers, and the rest of the offense was clicking. The media hyped the emergence of the Ravens’ offense. Flacco and co. were manufacturing ways to win, despite poor defensive performances at times.
Coming into today, Flacco has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, racking up 2,199 yards in the process.
Today the Ravens looked like the Ravens of old—Their defense outplayed a struggling, conservative offense. Baltimore (5-5) could only manage five field goals, en-route to another heartbreaking loss at the hands of the undefeated Colts (10-0).
Flacco was efficient in the losing effort, but simply being efficient isn’t enough when you’re facing Peyton Manning on the other sideline. Flacco finished the day 23 of 35 for 256 yards, and one interception.
Derrick Mason had the biggest day on offense, finishing the game with 9 catches for 142 yards. He was also the recipient of a 45 yard pass that took Baltimore all the way down to the Colts’ one yard line. The Ravens ended up with only three points to show for the effort.
Ray Rice was held to under 100 yards rushing, and wasn’t too much of a factor in the Ravens’ overall game plan.
Baltimore finally had a solid day on defense, against one of the more explosive offenses in the NFL.
Somehow, without Terrell Suggs active due to a knee injury, the Ravens held Peyton Manning in-check for the better part of 60 minutes. The front four pressured Manning enough to disrupt his timing, which allowed for the corners to keep pace with the speedy Indy receivers. Manning was picked-off twice, once by Dawan Landry and another by ball-hawk Ed Reed.
However, both turnovers only resulted in field goals. On the Ravens’ ensuing drive, newly acquired kicker Billy Cundiff missed an easy 33 yard chip-shot, slicing it far to the right.
The pathetic attempt by Cundiff cost the Ravens three points and ultimately the ball game.
The last chance Baltimore had to put the Colts away came on a drive that ended with a Flacco interception. Flacco attempted to dump the ball off to Ray Rice, but didn’t see Gary Brackett coming across the middle of the field. Brackett’s interception snuffed out any hope for a Ravens’ comeback.
Left tackle Jared Gaither appeared to flinch before the snap. The Colts’ defense reacted by pointing at Gaither in hopes of drawing a flag. Confused that a whistle hadn’t sounded, the Ravens decided to run the play anyway.
The misunderstanding on the part of the offense subsequently resulted in Flacco’s only bad pass of the day.
It was another tough loss for the 5-5 Ravens. Now they’re one game out of the wild-card hunt, and desperately need to find their old winning ways.
Notables
This was the Colts’ seventh straight win over the Ravens.
Ray Rice failed to reach the end zone for the first time in five games.
John Harbaugh decided to bring Billy Cundiff on as the Ravens’ kicker even after admitting Steve Hauschka was their best option during last week’s tryouts. Both kickers competed against each other for a spot on the roster. Harbaugh admitted the competition was “close”.
Biggest “head-scratching” moment
The play-calling by Cam Cameron when Baltimore had the ball first-and-goal, inside the Colts’ five yard line. Why not use LeRon McClain, one of the best goal line backs in the NFL. The Ravens also could have used a five-wide set to allow Flacco a short pass attempt.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: November 9, 2009
Many Baltimore Ravens followers are saying our team is one missed kick and one dropped pass short of being 6-2 this season. “Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” is how that saying goes.
It seems that John Harbaugh and the rest of the gang are resorting to excuses for poor play, when they should be looking at how the team is performing on the field, and addressing the problems head-on.
Ravens fans deserve better than the type of play that transpired in Cincinnati on Sunday—a devastating 17-7 loss to the first place Bengals.
I give credit to the Bengals for playing solid football in every category, but it’s nothing the Ravens haven’t seen so far. How does a team like Baltimore completely shut down the Broncos, one of the best teams in football, and then play as if they had nothing to play for in Cincinnati?
It’s this question that poses the most concerns for Ravens fans everywhere.
There has been a lot of chatter in Baltimore about Greg Mattison and his competency as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. The dialogue is well-founded when you see a defense go from first to worst in less than a season.
However, I don’t think all of the blame rests on a single person. In order to be successful in the NFL, you need to play to your strengths. You need to find a blueprint that fits the team and run with it. So far the Ravens have yet to find that blueprint this season.
Baltimore is dealing with a growing identity crisis in 2009. Against Cincinnati on Sunday, the Ravens were uncharacteristically quick to abandon their game plan, as they fell behind 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Flacco started throwing the ball carelessly, which resulted in two interceptions within Bengals territory. The “run-first” Ravens then stuck to short check-down throws, due to good coverage on Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton for most of the game.
Their offense just couldn’t develop any sort of rhythm, and subsequently lost the time-of-possession battle by 20 minutes.
I mention “run-first,” because the key to the Ravens’ success in the past has been their running game. They carried over the same three backs from last season, and Ray Rice has developed into one of the best all-around backs in the NFL.
Why are they shying away from the three-headed running attack which proved to be immensely successful last year? Abandoning this formula has already proven to be costly for the team this season.
The Ravens need to find their roots again in the 3-4 defense. Ray Lewis and company flourished in this formation, and they had much more success in stopping both the run and the pass.
Going back to the 3-4 would allow the team to get pressure on the quarterback, while enabling the young players in the secondary to cover the opposing receivers more efficiently.
Of course it’s easy to sit back and play armchair quarterback, without knowing what’s going on in the locker room and in weekly practices, but the concept is simple—never abandon what works.
My Outlook for the Rest of the Season
Frankly, I don’t believe the Ravens have the personnel on defense to get to the playoffs. Major changes are needed in the secondary, and it’s just not going to happen this season.
I’m afraid it’s going to take another offseason before the Ravens can reflect on the changes they need to make in the problem areas. I would like to see Lardarius Webb gain more playing time, especially with the injury to Fabian Washington at corner.
Webb has proven to be a brilliant special teams player, and has shown what he’s capable of in coverage. He filled in well when Washington went down during the second-half of the game on Sunday.
Everyone knows that special teams play an important role during the course of a season, let alone a few close games. Baltimore needs to invest in a kicker that can deliver under pressure.
Steven Hauschka has failed to control his nerves during pressure situations in games where three points mattered. This was apparent a few weeks ago against Minnesota, and this past Sunday at Cincinnati.
This is a failure of the coaching staff—either they spend more time with the young kicker, or sign someone else to the team during the offseason.
The bright side to the Ravens’ dilemma is that they’re only two games out of first place in the AFC North. Historically, the Bengals have trouble in November and December, and the Ravens have a chance to gain ground on Pittsburgh if they can win both matchups.
That’s a tall order, but the Ravens and Steelers always play close.
There are eight weeks left in the NFL regular season. That’s a lot of football left to be played, and anything can happen. If Baltimore can fix some of the problems listed here, they have a good shot at making the playoffs—they still control their own destiny.
Unlike the pundits, I’m not going to award the division to Cincinnati just yet!
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: October 12, 2009
What was predicted to be a one-sided ball game by many, ended up being another disappointing outing for Baltimore, and a head-scratcher for so many of their fans.
I was travelling the day of the big game, and ended up having to resort to a local bar in Orlando, Florida, where I proceeded to view the game without any audio. Nevertheless, I still got a great impression of what happened on the field, and where the Ravens stand after this massively deflating loss.
Everyone knows that great teams know how to bounce back after a loss, and much confidence was placed in Baltimore to do the same after their loss to New England. They were a touchdown favorite to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, who were coming off three straight comeback wins in the waining seconds of those games. Cincinnati easily could’ve brought an 0-4 record to M&T Bank Stadium, if it weren’t for Carson Palmer engineering comeback drives in all three of those games.
The margin of victory for the Bengals in their previous three wins only totalled 13 points, with the biggest win coming against the Packers, a seven point victory. So this is why most people believed Cincinnati wasn’t up for the challenge, including me. Well, this wasn’t the case at all.
First, and foremost, what I saw out of the Baltimore Ravens was completely uninspired play on both offense and defense. Joe Flacco spent most of his time on the field, walking with his head down in-between plays. His posture didn’t exude confidence for the first time in as many games as I can remember. His drowsy play rubbed off onto his teammates, and it showed. He looked completely rattled for most of the game, and failed to locate his usual targets, even though the offensive line provided him with plenty of time to throw. Flacco ended the day 22-of-31, for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Most of that yardage came on short screens to Ray Rice, who was the only bright spot on a Ravens squad that looked dull and lifeless.
I’d have to look at the game footage again, but the coverage Cincinnati provided to Mason and Clayton didn’t warrant constant screens and check-down passes to Ray Rice and Todd Heap. So, is Baltimore’s offense as good as people say it is?
Baltimore’s defense suffered a moral loss on top of their poor performance Sunday. They allowed Cedric Benson to cross the century mark, rushing for 120 yards on 27 carries. Benson was the first running back to do this since Larry Johnson of the Chiefs, 40 games ago. This was a streak the Ravens were proud of, and prided themselves on, and all they could do was allow Benson to smash his way up the middle to rack up that yardage. Most of this was a product of sloppy play on defense, and missed tackles all over the field.
Carson Palmer had a solid day, nothing spectacular however. The Bengals tried to keep their offensive attack balanced, which was the game plan to face Baltimore’s solid defense. On plays Palmer made, he made to receivers that had no problem running routes and finding open holes in the Ravens secondary. The secondary was the biggest suspect on the Ravens defense during this game, and really has played poorly all year. So, is Baltimore’s defense as good as people say it is?
The short answers to both questions I pose above are “Yes”, and “No”, respectively.
Baltimore does have a vastly improved offense, thanks in part to the play of second-year man Joe Flacco. Every team and player is entitled to a poor game or two, just as long as it doesn’t become a chronic problem. Cincinnati had a little extra to play for, especially their defense, as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer witnessed the sudden passing of his wife on Thursday.
So needless to say, the defense was fired-up all game. They understood sole possession of first place in the AFC North was on the line, just a little more than the Ravens seem to understand. So just because Flacco couldn’t get into a rhythm, doesn’t mean he, or the offense has hit a wall. It doesn’t dwarf the good things Baltimore has done on offense this year. Their offense is off to its best start in franchise history. They happened to face a slightly more motivated Bengals team.
Baltimore’s defense this year has some troubling problems, however. The Ravens can’t deny that problems in their secondary need to be addressed if they want to enter the post-season. The play of both Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington has been terrible.
Dawan Landry seems to be absent from every game—I don’t think I’ve heard his name called this season. So far, this shift in defensive strategy has failed, and all the money invested in Domonique Foxworth has been a waste. Every team that faces the Ravens know they can exploit their secondary. This is due to undersized corners that play overly physical, and tend to draw flags at crucial moments during a game. The Ravens need to trade Todd Heap and a draft pick or two, for a proven corner. Unfortunately, the poor play of Baltimore’s corners and the rest of their secondary drags down the entire defense.
What the Ravens need to do, in a nutshell, to win games:
Joe Flacco and the rest of the Ravens offense are going to be under tremendous pressure unless John Harbaugh and Greg Mattison make major adjustments on defense. Wow, this sounds strange…Baltimore’s offense putting pressure on their defense to perform! A change needs to be made at the corner position. As I said above, this needs to happen in the form of a trade.
The Ravens were looking to trade Todd Heap to another team, for a receiver, before the beginning of the season. Now they need to look for a corner before the trade deadline is upon them. This scenario unfortunately won’t play out this season.
Since the Ravens aren’t likely to make any big changes at corner, the offense has to remain explosive, as it was during the first three weeks of the season. Cam Cameron has done a great job of play-calling this season. This team needs to tune the media out, and go back to what worked for them early on. People wanted to see a more run-heavy offense, but this isn’t going to work against the good defensive teams that are yet to come.
If Joe Flacco has to throw the ball 40 to 50 times a game to win, than that’s the game plan the Ravens must stick to. It’s worked in the three wins Baltimore has had, because all those opponents didn’t expect that kind of attack from the air. It also turns out that Baltimore has enough talent at the receiver position to pull it off, which was a major question mark before the season started. So unless we stick to the passing game, our defense is likely to be on the field more, which isn’t a good thing this year. Ray Rice needs to be a crucial part of that aerial attack. He’s proven to be the back we thought he would, and he’s created major problems for every opponent thus far.
So all Ravens fans need to remain optimistic, even after these past two losses. There’s plenty of football yet to be played. But how much do the Ravens miss Rex Ryan right now?
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: October 9, 2009
This article is for all you gamers and NFL fans alike.
It’s easy to see, more now than ever, that much emphasis is put on pre-game predictions.
Traditionally, most predictions that “count”, have been made by pundits, commentators on television and radio, and the Vegas “smart money” picks we see everywhere. However, a new type of predictor has hit the sports scene with a vengeance in just the last few years. It’s the “Madden Forecast”, or more appropriately this year, the “Madden 2010 Forecast“.
ESPN is obviously one of the largest sports media outlets in the world, and one of the most respected. Every week, eight major sports analysts make their predictions for what they believe the outcome will be in every game that weekend. Their records are impressive this year, with “Mort” leading the pack at 48-14 to date (12-2 last week). Not far behind in third place, is Accuscore at 45-17 (11-3 last week). On the same page as the analysts predictions, you can find an inconspicuous link called “Madden Simulation.” Well, it looks like ESPN has committed a tremendous amount of time and effort into this year’s “Madden Simulation” section.
So, this poses the question, are “Madden Simulations” an accurate predictor of NFL games? It seems as if these simulations picked up steam on ESPN after the popular services like Accuscore and whatifsports.com started becoming involved in intricate and detailed game predictions. Both of these services offer a “paid” subscription for a more in-depth game analysis. On the flip-side, access to all “Madden 10” predictions or simulations are free through espn.com.
The first time I visited the “Madden Simulation” page, I was astounded at just how much information was available to me. But what sports nut is going to trust the outcome of a video game? This year, along with the two previous NFL seasons, ESPN is including full commentary on the outcome of the simulation, and why certain teams won or lost the game. They also include player analysis and predictions, as if they were sitting back for an hour, watching the computer do battle against itself. Actually in essence, that’s what they do!
To answer the question I posed, over a three year period, these “Madden Simulations” hold an accuracy rate of close to 72 percent! That’s above and beyond what Accuscore and whatifsports.com do in a single season. Maybe that’s why every Sunday morning, when you tune into “Sunday Countdown”, you see Tom Jackson lining up virtual football players to illustrate a play, or to break it down. Those same “illustrated” players come right out of the “Madden 10” video game.
Not to get too technical, but with Artificial Intelligence (AI) now smarter than ever, computers are able to take into consideration player tendencies, injuries, weather, and even the crowd. Games like “Madden 10” have long been built on factual, historical statistics. So that alone, helps to give some validity to their accuracy over the years.
With the Madden gaming franchise now boasting “The smartest Artificial Intelligence ever seen in a video game”, maybe we should pay more attention to these simulations. I don’t think, however, we should take them too seriously. After all, this new “Madden 10” content was intended just to bulk up ESPN’s website, and make predicting the outcomes of NFL games just a little more fun.
So, even though predictions from this video game franchise seem to be increasingly accurate over the past several years, I’d keep my money on the live experts that analyze these games every week!
If you have the chance though, be sure to check out this year’s Madden content on espn.com. It’s fun, and it gives some lighthearted insight into every single game, every week. You also might like what they say about your favorite team!
Image courtesy of easports.com
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Published: October 9, 2009
After a few battles of my own with some Patriots fans on this site, regarding the poor officiating in last week’s game, I’m not sure if I have enough brain power to write this blog, but I’ll try.
Just to set a few things straight, since this is my first article, I am a Baltimore Ravens fan. My viewpoint on certain subjects might be slanted towards Baltimore, but I promise to keep an open mind, and to be as fair as possible in the articles I write.
The Ravens have yet another big test this week, as they host the 3-1 Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. There’s no doubt the entire Ravens organization is fuming after last week’s debochle in New England, over a couple questional personal foul calls against Suggs and Ngata, respectively. The true test for the Ravens is how they respond to the loss, and some negativity that accompanied it.
This year is a special year for the Ravens. As everyone knows by now, the Ravens have an excellent offense to complement a very good defense. Some people might argue that the defense has lost a step, and their usual superstars in the secondary have been playing with their eyes closed (Reed and Landry). I don’t see this to be the case at all.
It’s clear Baltimore has shifted their philosophy somewhat, on defense. They’ve elected to play with speedier corners rather than your typical, tall coverage corner. The speed they have in Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington clearly makes up for their lack of size in the secondary. Last week this duo did a good job in shutting down a premier receiver in Randy Moss, who is a prototypical NFL receiver. This week, the Ravens have a similar challenge in containing Chad Ochocinco.
Lately, the Ravens have owned the Bengals. Last season, they swept Cincinnati in two convincing wins. This game is important, because the AFC North seems to be in a transition of powers. The upstart Bengals look to be a team to contend with in the future. They come complete with a revamped defense, and an offense that now features a running attack along with the usual passing threat. Carson Palmer hasn’t looked great this year, but he always has the potential to beat teams with the deep ball. However, now the Ravens have a similar attack on offense to counter the Bengals if they start to put points on the board early.
I have all the confidence in Joe Flacco. With just one year under his belt, he has shown poise, athleticism, strenght, and deadly accuracy. The entire Ravens offense looks like something no one has ever seen in fourteen years, since the organization entered the league. When the opposing team puts up points, Baltimore has done a great job of answering right back. Years ago, when the Ravens didn’t have this potent offense, fourteen points would have been tough to overcome.
Given the way Baltimore has played so far this season (7-1 including the preseason), and the team Cincinnati has coming into Baltimore this week, you have to give the nod to the Ravens. Last week, Cincinnati struggled mightily with a Browns squad that could pass for a talented high school team. Great teams would have put the Browns away by halftime, yet it took five quarters and a field goal to end it in overtime, for the Bengals to pull that win off. Baltimore had no problems with the teams they were supposed to beat so far this season, with big wins over Kansas City and Cleveland. The tough win in San Diego (where Baltimore was supposed to lose), was just reassurance that they can finally win the close games, and big games they’ll be involved in this year.
If Gaither is ready to go this Sunday, which most reports have him saying that he’s ready, that should solidify the offensive line. Also, with Baltimore playing on a high emotional level, they should be able to give Cincinnati problems all day.
Look for Ray Rice to get more touches this week, as Harbaugh stated they don’t want to lose that important identity. McGahee should be in the mix too, especially on screen plays. The entire playbook is now open to Flacco, and he should have a field day against a shaky Bengals secondary. This game has the chance to turn into a shoot-out, since both teams are adjusting their defensive schemes. With that said, in the end, it shouldn’t be a close game. The “smart money” is on Baltimore in almost every media outlet.
After what should be a game full of big plays on offense, I predict the Ravens to take this game from Cincinnati, 37-17.
Things to watch for in this match up: An angry Ravens defense, playing with more passion; Flacco picking apart a mediocre Bengals secondary (possibly for 300+ yards, 3 TD’s); A big game from Ed Reed – He’s notorious for giving Carson Palmer huge problems in the past, so look for a big play or two from him as he’s starting to come into form, finally.
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