Video Interference: Ravens-Raiders Referees Weaken Integrity of Officiating

With 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter of Sunday’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco took a third-down snap and dropped back to pass, not knowing that the footsteps he made in the ensuing six seconds would potentially change the NFL’s use of instant replay in future seasons.

Flacco evaded pressure from the Raiders defense and started to scramble toward the line of scrimmage, seemingly intending to advance the ball a few yards across the line of scrimmage with a short run. As he approached the line, Flacco spotted running back Ray Rice alone in the end zone. Flacco then rifled the ball to Rice in an attempt to score a touchdown in the waning moments of the half, but the pass sailed over Rice’s head and fell incomplete.

The problem with Flacco’s decision was that he had already passed the line of scrimmage at the moment he released the ball. According to NFL rules, such a play constitutes an illegal forward pass, a penalty that demands a five-yard penalty on the Ravens and a loss of down; additionally, because the action occurred within the last two minutes of the game, it required a deduction of ten seconds off the game clock.

Everyone watching the game knew Flacco had committed a penalty. In spite of the obvious infraction, no official called a penalty on the play.

There is a general understanding among football fans that instant replay cannot be used as a tool to call penalties that are not originally called during the course of the play. The next five minutes of television shattered this understanding entirely.

Knowing that Flacco almost certainly committed a penalty, the NFL officials in the replay booth took the play into their own hands, calling for an official video review of the play, which they are legally allowed to do with any controversial play within the final two minutes of the half. After reviewing the play, the officials determined that an illegal forward pass did occur and penalized the Ravens for down and distance in relation to the previous play.

Under league rules, the wording of the instant replay policy allows the instant replay process to be used in helping determine whether or not an illegal forward pass occurred; in the spirit of the law, however, this application was probably intended to clarify whether or not an illegal forward pass is made during an attempted lateral, not when the pass was intended for a down-field target.

When a play like that occurs, such as the famed Music City Miracle , then the penalty is appropriate, but in this situation, the results could have been disastrous for the Ravens.

The outcome of the play was an incomplete pass, leaving 12 seconds on the game clock before halftime with the ball on the Oakland 15-yard line. Because of the penalty instituted by the replay booth, the field goal attempt ended up being snapped from the 20-yard line, meaning it was 37 yards long. Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed the attempt wide to the right side, meaning the Ravens had less than a one-touchdown lead (14-10 rather than 17-10) heading into halftime.

Did Cundiff’s miss ultimately affect the end result of the game? No. But the significant role that the officials played in altering the circumstances of the kick could be crucial in future games. The way in which the penalty was called, even if it was the correct call, sets a precedent that is dangerous if not counter-productive to the review process.

Imagine a similar situation in which there are less than two minutes left in the game and the ball is spotted just inside field goal range. Then imagine that the offense throws an incomplete pass, but the booth chooses to review how many people were on the field at the snap of the ball. (This assumes that the excess of people was an accident, as it is unlikely that an NFL team would actually try to run a play with 12 players.)

After review, the officials agree that there were 12 offensive players on the field at the time of the snap. The offense is penalized five yards and is now out of field goal range, despite the fact that the result of the play did not help them at all.

It’s scary to think that officials who aren’t on the field can have such an impact on the game, but that potential is now on the table. Just don’t blame Joe Flacco.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ravens-Steelers: A One Round Prize Fight to Save Baltimore’s Season

For fans of the Baltimore Ravens, there exists no phrase in the English language that evokes as much hateful emotion as “Pittsburgh Steelers.” 

The words themselves are difficult to say without a sarcastic sneer on one’s face—testimony to the acrid feelings shared by all Baltimoreans on any given Sunday when “that black and gold team” wins. 

No fans are more familiar with Ben Roethlisberger’s habit of escaping the pocket and finding an open receiver; no team knows and respects and loathes the other team’s defense as Baltimore despises Pittsburgh. The mere mention of last year’s AFC Championship game gets the blood pumping at exponentially high levels in fans crossing the Ostend Street bridge toward the stadium gates. 

Not even the Bronx Bombers themselves eclipse the Steelers’ mark for “Most Hated Baltimore Opponent.” I won’t speak to Pittsburgh’s most hated opponent, but here’s evidence of the lengths the team will go to make sure the Ravens feel unwelcome.  

Pick your generic insult: Somewhere, that jab will be sold on a t-shirt outside M&T Bank Stadium in the hours before tonight’s game. 

Whatever the normal price of your ticket may be, it just went up $100. If you think you’ve seen Ray Lewis fired up this season, you haven’t even come close. All-black Ravens jerseys or normal home colors, rain or shine, NBC or Section B, Row C, this is a game you will not want to miss, wherever you pledge your team allegiance. It is, like most years, the best game the AFC North has to offer.

Last year, the margin of victory in each of the three games between these teams was a single digit (three, four, and nine). 

This year’s editions of each rank in the top ten in total defense, points allowed and rushing yards allowed. Both have had two tight losses to division leader Cincinnati and other games where they were oh-so-close but could not pull out a win. 

With records near the .500 mark, both teams would love to have this game to help their push for the sixth AFC playoff spot, but the Ravens need it most. As they stand at 5-5 with games still to play at Green Bay, home against Chicago and then in Pittsburgh on Dec. 27, their season is riding on the outcome of this game.

Fans are well aware that the conditions of tonight’s game are such that the Ravens are already in a good position to succeed. Clear weather, relatively low winds and 71,000 of their loudest, closest friends will support them in their efforts, but simply having Uncle Mo’ on their side won’t be enough to get the job done.

Thanks to Derrick Johnson , the Ravens have been spared the experience of facing Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has completed more than 68 percent of his passes this season and has an uncanny knack for wriggling out of tight situations. 

This is a colossal advantage for Baltimore: Because backup quarterback Charlie Batch was also injured in last week’s Steelers-Chiefs contest, the task of leading the Steelers’ offense now falls to third-stringer Dennis Dixon, a man who has exactly one pass attempt in his two years in the NFL. 

Dixon’s lack of experience should give the Ravens plenty of opportunities to create confusion; the ideal result would be for Dixon to struggle so much that the Pittsburgh offense becomes one-dimensional, allowing the Ravens to focus on running back Rashard Mendenhall and eliminate any hope Pittsburgh has of sustaining long scoring drives. 

The flip side is that Dixon gives the Ravens more to worry about, since he is quick on his feet and dangerous in the open field in a way that Roethlisberger simply is not.

When the Ravens offense takes the field, the key is distribution. 

In recent weeks, Joe Flacco has thrown 62 percent of his passes to wideout Derrick Mason or running back Ray Rice, which is a departure from early-season games in which complementary receivers Mark Clayton, Todd Heap and Kelley Washington were more involved. 

Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron needs to implement a balanced attack in which the Steelers cannot target one receiver without the risk of giving up a big play. Additionally, backup running backs Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain should carry the ball at least 5-10 times between the two of them to change the pace of the offense and make sure Rice doesn’t tire early. 

If the Ravens are forced to rely on their inconsistent special teams play, they will have sorely missed their mark.

For the Steelers, this game will be about minimizing the decisions Dixon must make in the pocket and finding different ways to get the ball into the hands of Mendenhall and wideouts Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes as quickly and safely as possible. 

The running game will most likely be the focus of Ray Lewis and Co., so Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, if he is wise, should use Dixon’s ability to scramble on pass plays to his advantage. 

I expect the Steelers to play their normal brand of smash-mouth defense with or without injured safety Troy Polamalu; their bigger problem is fixing the play of their special teams unit, which allowed a crucial touchdown to Kansas City last week. Return man Stefan Logan will also need to make a big play if the offense sputters under Dixon’s control, or the Steelers may be out of luck.

Although the season’s end is a long way away, the winner of tonight’s matchup will determine which team sets themselves on the path to the final playoff spot.  Because they still have a home game left against the Ravens, the Steelers would be less hurt by a loss, but that’s not the case for Baltimore. 

This is a make-or-break game with all the trappings of playoff intensity.  If the Ravens lose, they cannot point the finger at anyone but themselves.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Too Legit To Quit: Baltimore Ravens Midseason Report

For lack of better phrasing, this is awkward.

Clearly, the Ravens were not expected to be sitting in third place in the AFC North at 4-4 heading into Week nine.  The offense has been unexpectedly good; the defense, unexpectedly bad. 

At times it seems that fate has conspired against John Harbaugh’s team: Mark Clayton’s hands were just a little slippery in New England, Steve Hauschka got a bit nervous in Minnesota, and the officials may have been overzealous with their flags in the first Bengals game, although that wasn’t necessarily the determining factor in the outcome of the game. 

There have been moments where second-year players Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have looked spectacular, and others where they have disappeared or been flat out bad. These are uncharted waters for a team that is used to relying on its defense to preserve games. 

The offense is ranked in the top ten in the NFL in points per game and yards per game, but the normally top five defense has been less than impenetrable, falling all the way down to 19th in pass defense and 13th in average yards allowed. 

Still, as much as Baltimoreans everywhere wanted to shoot their television sets during last Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, there is reason to believe that things can turn around.  I was a skeptic like many others.  But having tried to analyze what happened to a supposedly good team in the last few games, I’ve found evidence that, although improvement is needed, this team can still make the playoffs.  Save that cyanide for at least two more weeks—there’s football yet to be played.  I’ll start with an issue that may be the most obvious, but still needs to be analyzed.

Staying Grounded

In every win so far, the Ravens have compiled more than 100 yards rushing and held their opponents under that mark.  The only instance in which those statistics did not lead to a win was the Week four matchup against the Patriots, and it’s not a reach to say that the Ravens could have (and probably should have) won that game. 

Whatever happens in the upcoming weeks, it is absolutely imperative that the Ravens get the ball to each of their three running backs, even if that means only handing off to McGahee and McClain a handful of times.  Ray Rice has been the workhorse of the three, but it’s important that he stays fresh so he can still be effective later in the season.  Rice has carried more than 15 times only twice this season, in wins against Kansas City and Denver. However, be careful not to misconstrue this as him being the focus of the offense correlating to Baltimore wins, as the Ravens are only 2-3 when he gets 20 touches or more. 

Balance is important, and it’s Cam Cameron’s job to find and maintain that equilibrium in sharing carries and mixing runs with passes—but running comes first. In the last few weeks, it’s been difficult for Cameron to maintain the pounding ground attack that Baltimore thrives on because the Ravens have fallen behind early and have been forced to pass in order to get back in the game. 

In every loss, quarterback Joe Flacco has attempted more than 30 passes.  In the brilliant season he had last year, Flacco averaged just over 26 attempts per game, and although he has played well for a second-year player, he’s still young and given enough chances, he will make mistakes.  As dumb as it may sound, Cameron has to control Flacco’s opportunities…rein him in, so to speak.  Those extra opportunities are the ones that get him in trouble—he’s not yet good enough to carry the team by himself, and if he tries to force things and hope for the best (a la Brett Favre, on occasion), he will get in trouble.

I know that stats should not define an offensive gameplan, and I’m not qualified enough to assess Cam Cameron’s tendencies as an offensive coordinator, but when it’s not clear whether he should call a run or a pass (e.g. 2nd-and-5, or something to that effect), it’s not a bad idea to keep the ball on the ground. It’s safer, and it seems to be more effective.  Of the remaining teams on the Ravens’ schedule, only two have run defenses ranked higher than 15th: Pittsburgh (1st) and Green Bay (4th).  Those games will be difficult, but previous contests against the Vikings and Bengals have shown that Baltimore can at least be competitive against highly ranked run defenses.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have to take care of business against opposing running backs.  They sorely missed the presence of hole-clogger Haloti Ngata, who did not play in last week’s loss to Cincinnati because of an ankle injury. Consequently, the Bengals rolled up more than 140 yards on the ground en route to a win.  Ngata’s mammoth size (6’4″, 345 lbs) allows the Ravens to play with only three down linemen, which creates more blitz opportunities for the linebackers.  Without the big fella, Baltimore tends to use a four-man front, which has not been as effective in controlling the line of scrimmage. 

Ngata is questionable for tonight’s game against the Browns, but regardless of whether or not he plays, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison must find a way to keep Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis contained.  Regardless of what happens against Cleveland, Ngata’s playing time needs to be monitored, and if necessary, limited in the coming weeks in order to minimize the risk of exacerbating his injury. It may be risky for the Ravens to keep Ngata on the sidelines on third and short situations, but unless the play occurs at a crucial momentum turning point during the game, it’s better to hold him back.

I’m not an expert on the Ravens’ defensive scheme, but in a situation where Ngata is not on the field, it would seem logical for Mattison to use five or six players to control the line, depending on the situation.  The Packers are the only team left on the Ravens’ calendar who are ranked in the top half of the NFL in rushing, which bodes well for the defense.  They have a bigger (although related) problem to worry about.

 

Pressuring the Quarterback

The injury to Ngata and the lack of youth on the defensive line has prevented the Ravens from getting much pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.  The defense has just 17 sacks so far, which is half the number accumulated to date by the league-leading Vikings.  In each of their wins, the Ravens have sacked the opposing quarterback at least twice, but that won’t necessarily be enough to keep them in future games.  In games against teams who pass at least 30 times per game, the Ravens are 1-1 (lost to the Vikings, beat the Chargers), and four of their remaining opponents rank among the top twelve in the NFL in passing offense (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, and Indianapolis).

Whatever it takes to rattle the opposing passer, the Ravens have got to find a way to do it.  Clearly, the secondary is not as capable as those of years past, but playing more inept defenders in coverage is not going to help the situation.  This is where the D-line becomes vital to the survival of the team. If they can’t rush the opposing quarterback’s decision-making process, the Ravens secondary will look worse than a tomato going through a Cuisinart.

Again, I can’t say I have a bottomless knowledge of the intricacies of the Ravens defense, but given the personnel on the depth chart, it appears that the speedier linebackers and defensive backs would be the likely blitzers while the older D-line would serve to clog up the trenches.  The stats support this idea to an extent (Jarret Johnson and Terrell Suggs are among the top three sack leaders on the team), but Chris Carr is the only defensive back who has registered a sack this season. 

Tonight’s game against the Browns would be an ideal situation in which Mattison could test out a few blitzes that utilize the secondary, since Cleveland’s offense is very weak (next to last in the NFL).  Dawan Landry has been a ghost this season, so why not use him and Carr to try and make an impact in some way other than defending the pass?

 

Second Half Prospective

I’ve covered the two points that I think are most important.  Ravens fans are buzzing right now about Steve Hauschka’s lack of execution, but I’m honestly not worried about him. 

Harbaugh’s a special teams coach, and he had faith enough in Hauschka to release the Ravens’ all-time scoring leader before this season began.  The field goal against the Bengals was not as game-changing as people are making it out to be, and I think most of them will admit that. 

The kicking will come around, and a game against the Browns should give Hauschka a good chance to get some confidence back with a few simple extra points.  Assuming he recovers from his recent woes, the plan for the rest of the season is plain, although not simple.  The Ravens need to go at least 6-2 in the second half, and that means running the table on non-conference opponents.  Basically, Baltimore needs to steal a win from Indianapolis or win one of their two meetings against Pittsburgh, neither of which will be easy.  But the Ravens got themselves into this mess, and it’s time for them to mop it up, starting with Cleveland tonight.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Too Legit To Quit: Baltimore Ravens Midseason Report

For lack of better phrasing, this is awkward.

Clearly, the Ravens were not expected to be sitting in third place in the AFC North at 4-4 heading into Week nine.  The offense has been unexpectedly good; the defense, unexpectedly bad. 

At times it seems that fate has conspired against John Harbaugh’s team: Mark Clayton’s hands were just a little slippery in New England, Steve Hauschka got a bit nervous in Minnesota, and the officials may have been overzealous with their flags in the first Bengals game, although that wasn’t necessarily the determining factor in the outcome of the game. 

There have been moments where second-year players Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have looked spectacular, and others where they have disappeared or been flat out bad. These are uncharted waters for a team that is used to relying on its defense to preserve games. 

The offense is ranked in the top ten in the NFL in points per game and yards per game, but the normally top five defense has been less than impenetrable, falling all the way down to 19th in pass defense and 13th in average yards allowed. 

Still, as much as Baltimoreans everywhere wanted to shoot their television sets during last Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, there is reason to believe that things can turn around.  I was a skeptic like many others.  But having tried to analyze what happened to a supposedly good team in the last few games, I’ve found evidence that, although improvement is needed, this team can still make the playoffs.  Save that cyanide for at least two more weeks—there’s football yet to be played.  I’ll start with an issue that may be the most obvious, but still needs to be analyzed.

Staying Grounded

In every win so far, the Ravens have compiled more than 100 yards rushing and held their opponents under that mark.  The only instance in which those statistics did not lead to a win was the Week four matchup against the Patriots, and it’s not a reach to say that the Ravens could have (and probably should have) won that game. 

Whatever happens in the upcoming weeks, it is absolutely imperative that the Ravens get the ball to each of their three running backs, even if that means only handing off to McGahee and McClain a handful of times.  Ray Rice has been the workhorse of the three, but it’s important that he stays fresh so he can still be effective later in the season.  Rice has carried more than 15 times only twice this season, in wins against Kansas City and Denver. However, be careful not to misconstrue this as him being the focus of the offense correlating to Baltimore wins, as the Ravens are only 2-3 when he gets 20 touches or more. 

Balance is important, and it’s Cam Cameron’s job to find and maintain that equilibrium in sharing carries and mixing runs with passes—but running comes first. In the last few weeks, it’s been difficult for Cameron to maintain the pounding ground attack that Baltimore thrives on because the Ravens have fallen behind early and have been forced to pass in order to get back in the game. 

In every loss, quarterback Joe Flacco has attempted more than 30 passes.  In the brilliant season he had last year, Flacco averaged just over 26 attempts per game, and although he has played well for a second-year player, he’s still young and given enough chances, he will make mistakes.  As dumb as it may sound, Cameron has to control Flacco’s opportunities…rein him in, so to speak.  Those extra opportunities are the ones that get him in trouble—he’s not yet good enough to carry the team by himself, and if he tries to force things and hope for the best (a la Brett Favre, on occasion), he will get in trouble.

I know that stats should not define an offensive gameplan, and I’m not qualified enough to assess Cam Cameron’s tendencies as an offensive coordinator, but when it’s not clear whether he should call a run or a pass (e.g. 2nd-and-5, or something to that effect), it’s not a bad idea to keep the ball on the ground. It’s safer, and it seems to be more effective.  Of the remaining teams on the Ravens’ schedule, only two have run defenses ranked higher than 15th: Pittsburgh (1st) and Green Bay (4th).  Those games will be difficult, but previous contests against the Vikings and Bengals have shown that Baltimore can at least be competitive against highly ranked run defenses.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have to take care of business against opposing running backs.  They sorely missed the presence of hole-clogger Haloti Ngata, who did not play in last week’s loss to Cincinnati because of an ankle injury. Consequently, the Bengals rolled up more than 140 yards on the ground en route to a win.  Ngata’s mammoth size (6’4″, 345 lbs) allows the Ravens to play with only three down linemen, which creates more blitz opportunities for the linebackers.  Without the big fella, Baltimore tends to use a four-man front, which has not been as effective in controlling the line of scrimmage. 

Ngata is questionable for tonight’s game against the Browns, but regardless of whether or not he plays, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison must find a way to keep Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis contained.  Regardless of what happens against Cleveland, Ngata’s playing time needs to be monitored, and if necessary, limited in the coming weeks in order to minimize the risk of exacerbating his injury. It may be risky for the Ravens to keep Ngata on the sidelines on third and short situations, but unless the play occurs at a crucial momentum turning point during the game, it’s better to hold him back.

I’m not an expert on the Ravens’ defensive scheme, but in a situation where Ngata is not on the field, it would seem logical for Mattison to use five or six players to control the line, depending on the situation.  The Packers are the only team left on the Ravens’ calendar who are ranked in the top half of the NFL in rushing, which bodes well for the defense.  They have a bigger (although related) problem to worry about.

 

Pressuring the Quarterback

The injury to Ngata and the lack of youth on the defensive line has prevented the Ravens from getting much pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.  The defense has just 17 sacks so far, which is half the number accumulated to date by the league-leading Vikings.  In each of their wins, the Ravens have sacked the opposing quarterback at least twice, but that won’t necessarily be enough to keep them in future games.  In games against teams who pass at least 30 times per game, the Ravens are 1-1 (lost to the Vikings, beat the Chargers), and four of their remaining opponents rank among the top twelve in the NFL in passing offense (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, and Indianapolis).

Whatever it takes to rattle the opposing passer, the Ravens have got to find a way to do it.  Clearly, the secondary is not as capable as those of years past, but playing more inept defenders in coverage is not going to help the situation.  This is where the D-line becomes vital to the survival of the team. If they can’t rush the opposing quarterback’s decision-making process, the Ravens secondary will look worse than a tomato going through a Cuisinart.

Again, I can’t say I have a bottomless knowledge of the intricacies of the Ravens defense, but given the personnel on the depth chart, it appears that the speedier linebackers and defensive backs would be the likely blitzers while the older D-line would serve to clog up the trenches.  The stats support this idea to an extent (Jarret Johnson and Terrell Suggs are among the top three sack leaders on the team), but Chris Carr is the only defensive back who has registered a sack this season. 

Tonight’s game against the Browns would be an ideal situation in which Mattison could test out a few blitzes that utilize the secondary, since Cleveland’s offense is very weak (next to last in the NFL).  Dawan Landry has been a ghost this season, so why not use him and Carr to try and make an impact in some way other than defending the pass?

 

Second Half Prospective

I’ve covered the two points that I think are most important.  Ravens fans are buzzing right now about Steve Hauschka’s lack of execution, but I’m honestly not worried about him. 

Harbaugh’s a special teams coach, and he had faith enough in Hauschka to release the Ravens’ all-time scoring leader before this season began.  The field goal against the Bengals was not as game-changing as people are making it out to be, and I think most of them will admit that. 

The kicking will come around, and a game against the Browns should give Hauschka a good chance to get some confidence back with a few simple extra points.  Assuming he recovers from his recent woes, the plan for the rest of the season is plain, although not simple.  The Ravens need to go at least 6-2 in the second half, and that means running the table on non-conference opponents.  Basically, Baltimore needs to steal a win from Indianapolis or win one of their two meetings against Pittsburgh, neither of which will be easy.  But the Ravens got themselves into this mess, and it’s time for them to mop it up, starting with Cleveland tonight.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ravens Review: Sizing Up the AFC North

The 2008-2009 NFL season was as close to perfection as the Baltimore Ravens could have hoped. Despite early doubts in new head coach John Harbaugh and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, the Ravens excelled in the AFC North, losing only to the future world champion Pittsburgh Steelers on three separate occasions by a total of 16 points. As the 2009-2010 season approaches, the Steel Curtain remains Baltimore’s most challenging division opponent, but Harbaugh would be wise not to overlook the previously impotent Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

Begin Slideshow

Worth Raven About? Baltimore In Preseason Driver’s Seat To Start Week 3

Entering the the third week of the preseason, the Baltimore Ravens sit atop the AFC North at 2-0. However, they have yet to compete against the cream of the crop, as neither the Redskins nor the Jets made the playoffs last season.

The Ravens’ next two contests against the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons will challenge them on both sides of the ball, especially when playing defense against the run. 

Even if Baltimore does emerge undefeated from the preseason, that is no indication that they will have a good regular season (lest we forget, the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason last year).

With that guarded optimism in mind, here are a few position-specific items of interest that fans should monitor as the preseason progresses:

1) The Battle for Carries

Although Head Coach John Harbaugh has made it clear that second-year man Ray Rice is currently No. 1 on the depth chart at running back, his numbers would suggest Harbaugh is hedging his bets. 

Though Rice has played a more prominent role in preseason games, his numbers (13 carries, 51 yards, 1 touchdown) are almost identical to those of backup Willis McGahee (12-49-0). 

We’ll see if either back’s carries change in the course of the next two weeks, but it’s more than likely that Harbaugh will maintain an equal workload for both and will turn to the back in whom he has more confidence when the game is on the line.

2) Oher’s Transition

First-round draft pick Michael Oher has impressed fans thus far with his play at right tackle, but his real test will come in the next two games. Oher will take on Pro Bowl talent Julius Peppers on Saturday night when the Ravens play Carolina, and he’ll face a similarly athletic Jamaal Anderson in the finale against Atlanta. 

For a rookie, Oher’s performance has been up to par, but will it continue against more experienced players? Time will tell.

3) Special Treatment

The preseason has been a bit of a headache for special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, but the smoke is starting to clear. Steve Hauschka appears to have held off newcomer Graham Gano to retain the kicking duties, but the competition for return duties is less black and white. 

Free agent signing Chris Carr has performed as well as advertised, returning three punts for 29 yards and two kickoffs for 36 yards. Beyond Carr, the waters are a bit muddied.

Draft choice Lardarius Webb muffed a punt against the Jets, but at least he’s been getting opportunities to perform. Webb has four returns in total (two kicks, two punts), but veteran Yamon Figurs and undrafted rookie Jayson Foster have only returned one kick each, which is hardly enough to determine whether they are game-ready or not. 

Don’t be surprised if Carr sits out much of the next two games as the younger guys are given opportunities to prove themselves.

Baltimore Ravens Position Battles: Kelley Washington a Solid Fit at WR

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Going into this week, the Baltimore Ravens’ receiving corps was deep in terms of personnel but on the shallow side talent-wise and very banged-up. 

Primary target Derrick Mason, fresh off a superb 1,000-yard season, recently underwent surgery to repair his injured right shoulder and could be sidelined until Week 1. 

Mason’s counterpart, five-year veteran Mark Clayton, has been limited in practice with an unspecified injury, and slot receiver Demetrius Williams is just beginning his return from the ankle surgery which kept him on the injured reserve list last season. 

Behind those three, not one of the other eight wide-outs on the roster has more than two career NFL receptions. 

Despite the confidence in the current receiving corps expressed by GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens asked three veteran receivers to participate in the three-day mini-camp held this past weekend, including the ex-Jaguar Jerry Porter, ex-Bengal Tab Perry, and former Patriot Kelley Washington. 

Harbaugh expressed interest in signing at least one of the three. 

Here’s a breakdown of the competition for that one roster spot:

To start, let’s eliminate Jerry Porter from the competition. 

Is that a quick judgment? Yes, but it’s not altogether undeserved.  Unless Porter shows flashes of the skills he had when he caught 14 touchdowns between 2004 and 2005, he won’t be tapped. 

Porter played only sparingly last season with the Jags (11 catches) and he isn’t a good special teams player, which is an automatic deduction in Harbaugh’s eyes, a former special teams coach himself.

Now let’s compare Perry and Washington. Though both are good special teamers, Perry has the clear advantage, having set a Bengals single-season record for return yards. 

Washington is more involved as a gunner on punts and kickoffs, and he has shown the ability to make plays.

Nonetheless, with Yamon Figurs struggling on returns this past season and the departure of Jim Leonhard, Perry gets the nod for being more suited to the Ravens’ needs in that category.

In comparing the receiving stats of Washington and Perry, it’s clear that although both have been in the NFL long enough to have established themselves as guys who know the game, neither one has caught many balls. 

Washington has a career total of 73 catches for 896 yards and nine touchdowns, but he hasn’t caught more than 10 passes in a season since 2004.

Seen side-by-side with Washington, however, Perry pales in comparison.  Despite his prowess in the return game, Perry has yet to catch more than 10 passes in any season in his short career. 

So, what’s the conclusion? For me, the return game is very important, but it takes a back seat to the offense with all the injuries to the guys that actually play every possession. 

Washington has shown he is capable of contributing to the offense, but he’s also ready, willing, and able to play special teams whenever necessary, and that’s a quality that should endear him somewhat to Harbaugh. 

Also, Washington was rumored to have had a better tryout this weekend than Perry, so that helps his stock.

Moving forward, I see the Ravens doing one of two things; signing Washington or working with the current squad. 

Ozzie Newsome is not known for signing a player just to fill a need if the player is not high quality to begin with, so I don’t think he’ll settle for anything less than someone guaranteed to contribute. Washington certainly fits that mold.

If none of the trio have done enough to improve their stock significantly through their tryouts this weekend, I wouldn’t rule out the Ravens pursuing another handful of available receivers, including Plaxico Burress (if he stays out of jail). 

But that’s still a long way off. Let’s see if any of these three get signed.  If we have to pick one, I’m pulling for Washington.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010