Back to the Receiver Drawing Board

Upon news of Drew Bennett retiring plus Joe Flacco saying he's unsure if Derrick Mason will return (credit both to the Baltimore Sun), the Ravens are back to the drawing board with a new wide receiver. So, looking at the possible options, what are the pros and cons of the next possible moves?

Option A: Sign a new wide receiver.
--Possibilities: Marvin Harrison, Plaxico Burress, D.J. Hackett, Joe Horn, Amani Toomer among others
--Pros: It will not cost much and allows the Ravens to sign who they want to the offense without another team's say.
--Cons: None of these players have been signed yet, making you wonder if they still have what it takes to be a big wide receiver. Plus, some of these players are having issues with the law, which could affect their ability as well.

Option B: Trade for a receiver.
--Possibilities: Brandon Marshall of the Broncos, Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals
--Pros: Both are proven receivers that could become #1-WR easily in their spot. Plus, they want out of their current location, and a place with a team that reached the AFC Championship last season as the clear #1 would likely get them to play hard.
--Cons: For both, money is a certain factor. They will cost high draft picks to bring here plus a very high contract to either one after a year. Plus, neither have good reputations; Marshall with the law, Boldin as a teammate. These factors could be problems for the Ravens.

Option C: Go with who you have.
--Pros: No extra money is spent plus you can grow your current WR corps. Expect a lot of two tight end sets with Todd Heap and L.J. Smith with this decision. Plus, you can only gain something if Derrick Mason returns.
--Cons: The current WR corps minus Mark Clayton is unproven, so there is a lot of risk. Plus, injuries would be issues with most of them.

Option D: Try to get Derrick Mason to return.
--Pros: If successful, you get back Mason, who is a solid leader on the field plus a reliable receiver.
--Cons: Even if you get Mason back, the WR corps is still a problem with injuries. Plus, it is very unlikely that Mason will return, and the Ravens would not have a backup plan if that happened.

Obviously this is not a good situation, and with the start of training camp today for the rookies, it might be a lot worse. But Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh will have decisions to make soon.

Personally, I believe going after Marshall or Boldin is not worth the overall price. Although talent wise they are the best, the Ravens will have issues with them short and long term. Although it won't solve a lot, bringing in a D.J. Hackett or someone probably is the best way to go; a low cost wide receiver that could compete with Clayton and Williams. The point is that no decision is a perfect one for the Ravens.

Drew Bennett Signs With Ravens, Problem Solved?

The Ravens once again turn to a former Titan for a need, this one being wide receiver Drew Bennett, who signed a one-year deal with the Ravens on Friday, almost two weeks after Derrick Mason retired.

Bennett was on the Titans for six years, then joined onto the Rams in 2007 and 2008. Before that, he had caught at least 700 yards in his last three years with Tennessee, including over 1200 in 2004. He got hurt with a foot injury in the opening game this past year and had his six-year contract terminated by St. Louis after the season. Now 30, he won the receiver tryouts and will join the Ravens for this season, meaning Baltimore believes his foot is fine and will have him on the field.

Bennett will likely get the #1 or #2 spot with the other going to Mark Clayton. Demetrius Williams and Marcus Smith will probably fight for the slot position. The Ravens may employ their tight ends a lot with Todd Heap and L.J. Smith to balance the air attack for Joe Flacco.

I'm not sure if this is who the Ravens need at wide receiver in place of Derrick Mason, but this might have been the best option. It is concerning that no one wanted Bennett beforehand, but that would have been a problem with anyone they picked up in free agency, including Marvin Harrison. It is also concerning the Ravens are depending on another receiver with injury issues. But, it will mean the Ravens will not do a high risk trade for players like Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin, whose respective teams would have likely raised the price for their talented but risky off the field receivers.

But this does bring up the question of Mason's retirement. The buzz had gone around that John Harbaugh was not sure if Mason had retired, that maybe he would want an extension or just didn't want to go to training camp. But signing Bennett may be an important move to this. Obviously the Ravens would love to have Mason back, but Ozzie Newsome can not bank on convincing Mason to change his mind. At the very least the Ravens need another receiver that can play to be ready. The door is not shut on the situation, but the Ravens are ready to move on if nothing changes.

No matter what, the Ravens will be readying their two tight end sets to have their best core of ball-catchers on the field to help Joe Flacco. This is not an easy situation to deal with and the problems are not over, but Bennett was a good pickup considering the situation in Baltimore.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

For Ravens, No Cavalry Coming to Bail Out Wide Receiver Position

Do you know when the last time we had a post (aside from Free Kicks) that wasn’t about the Orioles? A month ago, on May 17th. That is incredible, considering even last year we couldn’t keep up with that much content on the team as it entered their annual free fall. This year it seems as though nothing can stop the news coming out of Camden Yards, even as the team hovers ten games under .500. However, I think we all need a break to talk about that other Baltimore team- the Ravens, who in most recent years have made this city forget about the Orioles by mid-May. While the O’s struggle to find a steady rotation, the Ravens are finding themselves in their own struggle for players, most notably at the wide receiver position. Many names have been thrown out over the past six months- Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, and most recently, Brandon Marshall.

So who has Ozzie gone out and gotten? No one. Not in free agency, not in the draft, and not in any trades. But don’t for a moment confuse this with satisfaction with the Ravens current roster. Derrick Mason is a solid, sure-handed receiver with enough speed to be a productive Number 1 guy for another couple years, but he has had very little help from his supporting group and is not the kind of guy you want going deep anymore. Likewise with Mark Clayton, who was drafted as an ideal slot receiver but has not had the opportunity to play much at that position due to the lack of a consistent Number 2 receiver on the opposite sideline. There was nothing sadder last season than seeing Mark Clayton try to go deep and look overmatched and out of place as he struggled to make the catch. Clayton is a very good player, but only in the right role. He can be electric going over the middle, but given the limited options he is forced out of his natural position.

And then there is the enigmatic Demetrius Williams, who when he was drafted was thought by many as one of the shrewder moves by Ozzie Newsome as he picked up the 6-2 speedster in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Since then we have not seen all that much of the supposed deep threat, having played in just 16 games since his rookie season, and in only 7 last season. Consistent, nagging injuries have slowed Williams’ career almost to a halt, and it will take a great (and injury-free) season to assure the Ravens that he can be productive for them. I want him to be successful, but in his fourth year it is time for him to put up numbers or find another less painful line of work.

Behind these guys are a host of also-rans and late round picks who failed to make an impact last season- only one ball was caught last season by a wide receiver that wasn’t caught by either Mason, Clayton, or Williams. So what are the Ravens to do? Certainly they could use a talent like Brandon Marshall, this week’s wide receiver “trade me” flavor of the month. However, his price tag of a 1st and 3rd round pick, in addition to his demands for a salary in the $8-9 million stratosphere, not to mention his laundry list of criminal complaints (and ongoing prosecution) make him an unpalatable choice. As far as other trades go, the Ravens value their draft picks and utilize them incredibly well. As such, I couldn’t see the Ravens giving up any more than 2nd and 3rd round picks, almost as much as they gave up in the Willis McGahee deal. There is a chance this could happen. If Brandon Marshall is traded (and the Broncos GM has indicated he will try to unload the troubled wideout), that could open up another player for the Ravens to acquire, in addition to a trading partner very eager for additional draft choices to take the sting out of their deal. This will depend on where Marshall lands, but if he heads to the Browns then Cleveland would be even more apt to part ways with Braylon Edwards (whose drops might decline with a decent quarterback).

This isn’t altogether likely, but I suppose the lesson to take from all these trade rumors is this: Even when you are in a serious need for a player and there are good players out there, it still doesn’t make sense to make a deal. The Ravens will keep looking but for now they will have to hope that Demetrius or one of the young guys like Ernie Wheelwright or Justin Harper become a legitimate threat for opposing defenses. The price tag is far too high for a known commodity in the NFL. This team might have to just sit with what they have rather than mortgage the future- and with young Joe Flacco under center, the future is what matters.

UPDATE: My mistake- I wrote that Justin Harper was the #4 receiver for the Ravens while I meant to refer to Marcus Smith, the other second-day receiver Baltimore drafted last season. The point remains though, thanks to Windsor for the heads up.

First Look at Ravens Biggest Needs in NFL Draft

Well, as free agency starts to wind down, it is time to turn our eyes to the NFL draft as the way for the Ravens to fill several glaring holes- and not all of them on offense. While the acquisition of Matt Birk may have dulled the impact of losing Jason Brown and Dominique Foxworth could become a solid cover corner in the Ravens scheme, Baltimore is far from a complete team. Let’s take a look at some of the positions Ozzie Newsome will look to fill next month in the draft (in order of this blogger’s sense of priority).

Wide Receiver- Not only do the Ravens lack a consistent deep threat (Demetrius Williams simply hasn’t panned out the way we had hoped), all three starting receivers look to become free agents after this season. It has been a long time since the front office has been this close to the cap, and likely won’t be able to hold onto all of them (and they may not even want to). With a legitimate speedster at #2, the coaching staff would be able to move Mark Clayton to his natural position in the slot and allow Derrick Mason to stay on short routes to compensate for his declining speed. I love the way Hakeem Nicks plays, and his crisp route running would make life much easier for a young quarterback like Joe Flacco, but he doesn’t have true gamebreaking speed. Not to be a homer, but it would feel great to get Mr. 4.30 40-yard dash Darrius Heyward-Bey in a Ravens uniform to line up along the sideline.

Tight End- At the end of the 2007 season, Baltimore fans were surprised by the pass catching ability of mostly blocking tight end Quinn Sypniewski, who reeled in 34 balls for 264 yards in his sophomore campaign. He should return this season from a year on Injured Reserve and give the Ravens some depth at the position. However, with Todd Heap’s recent injury struggles and a lack of true playmakers at the position, Baltimore will almost certainly look to target a pass catching tight end, perhaps as early as the second round. There is a glut of similarly talented tight ends in the draft who should be available late in that round, and any one of them could fit into the Ravens scheme- a quarterback’s best friend is a consistent receiving tight end (just watch the end of the Titans-Ravens playoff game). It is critical that some pressure be taken off of Todd Heap over the middle of the field- a receiving threat on the other side of the line might be just what this offense needs.

Defensive End- I know I am going out on a limb, but I would not at all be surprised if the Ravens went after a tweener end/outside linebacker. With Terrell Suggs held for a year on a franchise tag and Trevor Pryce not getting any younger, it is critical that the Ravens have a legitimate backup plan to develop from within the organization. I thought Dan Cody would be that player a couple years ago, but the Oklahoma standout simply could not stay healthy and missed out on a heap of talent. The only player the Ravens have at right end behind Pryce is 32 year-old Marques Douglas. They will need a better plan than that going forward.

Offensive Line- The Ravens had one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL at the beginning of last season. This season they should be near the middle of the pack, with the addition last season of Willie Anderson and this year’s acquisition of Matt Birk, both of whom might not be playing football 3 years from now. Anderson himself could save the Ravens $2.9 million in much needed cap space with a release, something that could happen if the front office is able to reel in a right tackle in the second or third rounds. Adam Terry has battled injuries and inconsistency, and it is possible that another competitor in the mix could make everyone better. Having Birk leading the line with accelerate the mental development of a young line; Baltimore may even look to pick up a “project” at center in the 5^th or 6^th rounds to learn from the veteran.

Honorable Mention: Cornerback- I will give a pass here because of Foxworth, but this situation bolts up to #2 if Samari Rolle is released.

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 27, Jaguars 7

The word of the game is.....congratulations. With their win over Jacksonville, the 11-5 Ravens get the last wild card spot to enter the playoffs. The Ravens knew they had to win to be in, and they looked like a team that needed a victory. The coaching staff from top to bottom had the Ravens ready, and the players put their heart into it as well. Normally, the Ravens do not do well with expectations, but they did today. Nothing is perfect, but this game was excellent.

The AFC playoff picture proved to be a nightmare. The 11-5 Patriots are not here. The Ravens were not expected to have a good year at all with a new head coach, new quarterback, and a bad year last season. It did not help when Baltimore started 2-3, capped by a 31-3 drubbing by Peyton Manning and the Colts. But the Ravens put a good streak of wins together against mid-level teams, and won games they need to win to get to this point. Everyone from coaching to management to the players deserve credit.

Offense - Overall Grade: A-
Quarterbacks: A
Joe Flacco had one of the best days we have ever seen from a Ravens quarterback. 17 for 23 for 297 yards, showing very good accuracy in throwing. Five passes of at least 25 yards, four coming in the first half, and no turnovers; you can't ask anything more of him. Troy Smith did not do bad on his time, but this day was about Flacco. A rookie quarterback had to led the team to victory to reach the playoffs, and Joe Flacco did just that.
Running Backs: B-
The ground game was not as effective as they normally are. LeRon McClain only averaged 2.8 yards a carry and McGahee only carried the ball four times. But they finished well, scoring three touchdowns combined. They assisted the air attack with good blocking, especially Lorenzo Neal.
Wide Receivers: A+
Mark Clayton was a huge deep threat, torching the secondary for 128 yards on just four catches. Derrick Mason despite missing practice all this week and being hurt caught six passes. With all of the issues and injuries in the receiver corps, Clayton and Mason stepped up big despite that they knew they were the only deep threat targets.
Tight Ends: B+
Todd Heap caught three passes and did a good job blocking. He was key on Baltimore's final first half drive, catching two passes while in the hurry-up offense.
Offensive Line: B
Flacco was only sacked twice and the penalties were to a minimum all games. The run blocking was suspect, not giving McClain enough holes, but the red zone blocking and the pass defense was well executed all game.

Defense - Overall Grade: A-
Defensive Line: B+
Though Maurice Jones-Drew had a few big runs, the defensive line was solid through out the night. Haloti Ngata was being used as a tackle and an end, maybe a sign of the future? The pressure on David Garrard was good, though they need to finish tackles a little better in the future, especially on running quarterbacks.
Linebackers: A-
Ray Lewis recovered two fumbles, almost had a third and was everywhere on defense tonight. Terrell Suggs was good as well, though his roughing the quarterback was obvious and unnecessary. But the whole gang was a force. Let's hope this is not Ray Lewis's last game at M&T Bank Stadium as a Raven.
Secondary: A
With all of the injuries, to Dawan Landry, Chris McAllister on IR plus Ed Reed, Samari Rolle, and Fabian Washington, David Garrard could not do anything against the secondary tonight. With the exception of the blown coverage on the Alvin Pearman touchdown early in the first quarter, Ed Reed snagged two interceptions inside Baltimore territory. Even Corey Ivy got in the game and sacked Garrard; the only sack of the game.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: A-
Kicker: A-
Matt Stover converted two short field goals and three extra points, missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. Steven Hauschka had a kickoff that was held like a field goal attempt that was destroyed, nearly going between the uprights. I hope he stays a Raven next year, Hauschka has a monster leg and could be a fine kicker.
Punter: A-
Had a short 32-net yarder in the first half, but landed one on the 5-yard line plus had two touchbacks, ending any chance of a Jacksonville comeback in the fourth quarter.
Coverage: A
Brian Witherspoon was going nowhere fast, even being tackled on the 8-yard line on a kickoff.
Returning: B-
Tom Zbikowski was not good on returning kickoffs, though he was not given a chance after two returns due to Jacksonville's non-existent offense plus he did not turn the ball over. Jim Leonhard never had a chance to return a punt. The kickoff returner will be a big question in the playoffs, as no one has emerged as a hand-down starting returner.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A
Offensive: A-
The air attack reigned supreme, as Flacco was given good plays to heave the ball downfield. It is difficult to run an offense with just two dependable receivers and a running game that was not working, but Cam Cameron found a way to do it. Only thing I question is putting Derrick Mason in difficult spots when he is hurt.
Defensive: A
Only seven points when the Ravens need a win, no more than 13 points allowed in any home game. No more needs to be said.
Head Coach: A+
I wanted to add this in for this game. The Ravens have played every week since the unexpected bye week in week 2, and John Harbaugh came out early in the week and said the Ravens were not tired. This rookie head coach has exceeded all expectations and has looked like a seasoned veteran coach out there, trusting his coordinators and keeping a calm head in the locker room. It is clear the players respect him and will go the distance for him, no matter what the circumstance.

MVP/LVP:
MVP- Joe Flacco
As stated earlier, he needed a good game, and gave a great game when the Ravens needed to win to reach the playoffs. 17 for 23 for 297 yards with just two reliable wide receivers.
LVP- Tom Zbikowski
It is difficult to give an LVP is such a great game. Zbikowski was not effective on his two kickoffs, both times just running into blockers without much manuevering.

The Ravens as the 6-seed will take on the 3-seed AFC East champion Dolphins in Miami in the wild card round of the playoffs. Back in October, the Ravens had a 14-point victory over the Dolphins. Cam Cameron could get his second victory as Ravens offensive coordinator in Dolphin Stadium despite that he only had one as the Miami head coach last season.

(Photo credit: AP, Getty Images)

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 34, Bengals 3

The word of the game is... savage. The Ravens were absolutely relentless in dismantling the Bengals, and didn’t take their foot off of the gas pedal until they had obtained a 31 point advantage over their division rival. Up 13-3 at half, the Ravens could have been content to play it close to the vest and let their defense win the game. Instead Cam Cameron decided to go for the jugular, opening up the aerial attack and knocking out the Bengals while they were staggering. On both sides of the ball the Ravens smelled blood and swarmed the wounded Bengals.

This game was one that the Ravens were heavily favored to win, and by extension it was a game that they could not afford to lose. It’s always dangerous in the NFL when you’re facing an opponent with nothing to lose while you have everything to lose. The Ravens needed this game to stay on track for a possible playoff berth. Now they can exhale and start looking to the final quarter of this surprising season, standing at 8-4 and in the driver seat for the last AFC playoff spot.

Offense - Overall Grade: A-
Quarterbacks: A-
Joe Flacco finished this game with tremendous numbers – 19 of 29 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, Flacco did start off the game very slowly, seemed to have difficulty moving through his progression, and occasionally got antsy in the pocket. He delivered some excellent deep passes, and hopefully this game represents a breakthrough in his chemistry with Mark Clayton. If Joe Flacco can feel as confident with Clayton as he does Mason, this can become a legitimate passing attack come late December when teams start bearing down on Mason.
Running Backs: C+
Willis McGahee did not play today; one has to assume it was a combination of 1) injury, 2) the success of La’Ron McClain and Ray Rice, and 3) the fact that the Ravens were playing the Bengals. Unfortunately it looked as if the Ravens could have used Willis, as La’Ron McClain and Ray Rice were both ineffective until the game was well out of hand. In the first half this group did just about nothing, and put all of the offensive weight on Joe Flacco. This was certainly by design on the part of the Bengals, but more is expected of these young running backs.
Wide Receivers: A
Who needs a third wide receiver? Clayton and Mason were dominant today, as Mark Clayton exploded for 164 yards and a touchdown receiving, and a 32-yard touchdown pass. Derrick Mason was his usual reliable self, and hauled in Clayton’s 32-yard touchdown pass. These two took full advantage of every opportunity thrown (no pun... okay yes, pun intended) their way.
Tight Ends: B
Todd Heap had a good day, and seems to be slowly returning to form. Make no mistake, until the Ravens have more depth at tight end Todd Heap will not have the opportunity to be the All-Pro he can be. Still, it’s good to see Todd producing again.
Offensive Line: B-
Flacco was given decent time, however the run blocking was insufficient. Against a defense such as that of the Bengals, it’s expected that the offensive line should generate at least some steady running lanes but that was not the case today. That being said, the offensive line is severely hampered by injuries and Jared Gaither was clearly playing in pain.

Defense - Overall Grade: A+
Defensive Line: A+
I can’t think of any way to grade down this group. They dominated the line of scrimmage for all 60 minutes, and there is no other way to put it.
Linebackers: A+
Cedric Benson and Chris Perry were hounded by this group, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was absolutely shell shocked by the end. No group epitomizes the aggressiveness of the Baltimore Ravens than this linebacking corps. Merciless.
Defensive Backs: A+
Yes, Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh got their catches, but let me put it this way: Ravens Secondary 7, Cincinatti Bengals 3. Ravens Secondary wins.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: B+
Kicker: A
Stover did his job, converting on each of his opportunities and both of his extra points.
Punter: A
Sam Koch had an excellent game, averaging 47.3 yards on 7 punts, with four going inside the 20. It’s hard to ask for much more from your punter.
Returners: B
Although he didn’t generate very much in terms of positive field position, Figurs played with intelligence and confidence. This should generate into better returns down the stretch.
Coverage: C-
This is starting to become awfully disconcerting. The coverage unit, particularly on kickoffs, was a sieve. For a team supposedly littered with special teams ‘aces’, the certainly give the opponents great field position. This is going to come back to bite the Ravens if they don’t get things straightened out.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A
Offensive: A
Great job of game planning by Cam Cameron—the offensive coaching staff clearly isolated Leon Hall as the weak link in the Bengals’ secondary and exploited that weakness. Attempts were made to run the ball early, but Cameron made the adjustments to burn the Bengals for jamming the box to stuff the run. Just once, though, I would love to go through a full game without a timeout being called the first time Troy Smith tries to enter the game.
Defensive: A+
Make it a clean sweep of A-plus’s for the defense (I must be losing my edge). But I’ll put it this way; it’s really tough to get a group to focus for all 60 minutes against a team like the Bengals. It would have been really easy for this group to let up for just one drive on this game and let in a touchdown, but they didn’t.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Mark Clayton– Boy howdy, I’m incredibly happy that Mark Clayton finally had the opportunity to make plays like this. If you take a close look at the plays that Clayton made, it’s in all of the little things he did where he found his success. How Clayton shielded the defender on that fade in the third quarter was a thing of absolute beauty. He can run, he can throw, he can catch; here’s to hoping that this isn’t the last time that the former Sooner finds himself here.

LVP (Least Valuable Player) –La’Ron McClain– Statistically he had a decent game, however the mass majority of that success was found when the game was well out of hand. The Ravens need more production out of their starting running back. McClain was handed the starting job for this game, but with that job comes the responsibility to produce.

(Photo Credit: Brendan Ayanbandejo (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun), Mark Clayton(center) (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun), Mark Clayton(right) (Christopher Assaf/Baltimore Sun), Jim Leonhard (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun))

Ravens-Eagles Preview: Not So Sunny for Philadelphia

Sorry Terps, there’s always next year. Well, if Darius comes back and the team can find a quarterback who doesn't need a sideline therapist to keep composed and a defense that won't get gashed by every counter or cutback on a stretch play, then there is next year. Otherwise, I will defer to Windsor's analysis. My god that was ugly. Uglier than the Raven's loss to the Giants? Yes, much worse.

In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing if the Ravens can rebound from their drubbing last week at the hands of the New York Giants against the underachieving Eagles. Philadelphia was favored by some going into the season to win the NFC East, they are currently waiting for their first win in the division. The Eagles, for their part, are still actually in striking distance of a wild card spot in the NFC while the Ravens cling to that #6 spot in the AFC. This game will be about which team can recover from embarrassment- the Ravens D (particularly in the running game) and Donovan McNabb (for having no idea that a game could end in a tie… or maybe the fact that they tied the Bengals… either one). Let's toss out the Mentor vs. Pupil stuff... if they don't care, I don't either. Everyone knows what each other does anyway, it won't make much of a difference this week.

What I’m Wondering:

Will Joe Flacco bounce back from last week’s performance?
Flacco played very well last week, but there is a chance that his actual numbers got to him. Mason failed to catch that big gainer that turned into an interception and ensuing touchdown that put the game out of reach, and Joe showed surprising elusiveness in limiting the number of sacks by the Giants. His poise was impressive given the lack of the running game, and he was entirely unafraid of the pass rush being sent his way. However, he still threw two interceptions and orchestrated an offense that was six feet under by the 4th quarter. He has the opportunity to reverse those fortunes against a banged up Eagles secondary, but a great deal will depend on the ability of the offensive line to keep the #1 pass rush in the NFL at bay. Last week I saw a turning point in Joe Flacco’s season. He will either break and fall into rookie habits trying to save the offense on his own, or he will play within himself and play mistake-free football. Will Flacco start playing like a rookie or keep a clear head under pressure?

Will the Three-Headed Monster stay under the bed for a second straight week?
Last week I predicted that McClain, McGahee, and Rice would struggle but still turn in a decent performance against one of the top rush defenses in the league. I was wrong. It is difficult to say with certainty how bad the running game really was, as the Ravens fell behind so early so quickly, but I was intrigued by Coach Harbaugh’s insistence in keeping with the run. This was likely to protect Joe Flacco and keep the game from collapsing in front of his rookie QB. The Giants gashed the Eagles for 219 yards rushing two weeks ago, and now it could be the Ravens’ turn. This football team cannot afford to have Joe Flacco be the leading rusher for another game. It is odd that the running game struggled so badly as the offensive line wasn’t abhorrent in pass protection, particularly given the general wisdom that run blocking is easier than pass blocking. Will the Ravens running backs return to form or be swallowed up by the Eagles defensive line?

Has the defense gotten over that black eye yet?
When Ray Lewis comments that the defense was surprised and unprepared for the Giants’ intensity and aggressiveness, you have problems. Luckily for Baltimore, the Eagles are legendary for not having any semblance of a goal-line back; Westbrook is a 5-tool player (to borrow a baseball reference) but cannot get the tough yard inside. There won’t be Brandon Jacobs across the line. However, a game like last week’s can have a lasting effect on a team’s psyche. The Ravens are used to entering every game as the intimidator, for beating up the other team at the line and not backing down. Last week the Giants were the aggressor and took it to them from the opening snap. The Eagles know that in order to stay in the playoff hunt they have to win a game like this. Look for them to throw everything they can at this defense. Will the defense regain their swagger or are they still wounded after the whooping they received last week?

My Mildly Informed Analysis:

The Eagles schizophrenic offense has traditionally been led by running back Brian Westbrook making miraculous plays and quarterback Donovan McNabb making the most out of substandard receivers and rescuing drives with his feet, but this traditional model may be getting an overhaul. Offensively, this is not the Eagles offense of the last few years- and it may not be a good thing. While most prognosticators have hailed the emergence of rookie DeSean Jackson as a go-to wideout with gamebreaking potential, but in many ways the passing offense is as inconsistent as it has ever been. McNabb is en route to his most interceptions in a season since 2000, when he finished with 13. Additionally, his 88 yards rushing puts him on pace for the lowest yardage in his career, sporting a 3.8 yards per rush average. For comparison, Joe Flacco has 35 rushes for 142 yards, a 4.1 yard average. This is not the Donovan of old.

Brian Westbrook, on the other hand, has taken his normal place for the Eagles this season- on the injury report. The dynamic Philadelphia back is listed as questionable and did not practice on Friday; it doesn’t look good for him playing on Sunday. However, even if he does play, he has not been as effective this season as in the past. After averaging almost 1300 yards rushing and 750 yards receiving over the past 2 seasons, Westbrook has been hemmed in by opposing defensive coordinators, dropped for losses by frequent penetration and consistent coverage out of the backfield. He is currently on pace for less than 1000 yards on the ground and 400 yards through the air.

I am excited about the Ravens prospects against this offense. The Ravens rank 2nd in the NFL with 15 interceptions despite losing their entire starting secondary for stretches of the season. When the running game fails Donovan and his legs aren’t quite quick enough to make up positive yards on his own, he will force the ball into coverage and the Ravens will make him pay. Unlike the Giants, the Eagles are a finesse running team. This team has never been one to pound the ball through defenders. The Ravens defense is too good to be tricked by the moves of Buckhalter if Westbrook is out tomorrow. The Eagles are 26th in the NFL in rushing. The Ravens are still 3rd in rushing defense. It will come down to Donovan, and when a team is one dimensional this defense will feast.

The Ravens offense has problems of its own, however. I won’t dwell too much on Joe Flacco this time around. We are starting to understand what we have in Flacco- he will force some balls now and then, but by and large he has not taken huge risks. This is due in no small part to the coaching staff giving him a very conservative play calling to work with. One issue not getting enough attention for the Ravens is the inability for any receiver not named “Mason” to make plays downfield. Mark Clayton was brought on board to turn small catches into big gainers, to catch the short slants or screens and make a man miss. Unfortunately, he is averaging only 2.2 yards after catch, the lowest YAC of any player on the team with more than 4 receptions- lower than any of the running backs, Todd Heap or any other receiver. Moreover, the so-called #2 receiver has only 21 catches this season, paltry in comparison to the 53 from Derrick Mason. Last week was a perfect example. 9 catches by the running backs, 7 receptions by Mason, and only 1 by Clayton. With Lito Sheppard and Asante Samuel in the secondary that sports the #11 pass defense, more than one receiver will have to step up and make multiple plays to take the pressure off of Flacco and the running game.

Speaking of which, the Eagles pass rush might be the most underrated in the country with 36 sacks on the season, the most in the NFL through 10 games (the Steelers have 37 after Thursday night’s win). The running game will be crucial in keeping the mad blitzer at bay- defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has a penchant for blitzing up to 45% of the time and has been known to send the house on any 3rd down situation. The Ravens will have to replicate at least some of the Giants’ success on the ground to keep the Philadelphia defensive line at home. As far as keeping Joe Flacco upright, I am starting to believe in this offensive line. They limited the Giants to only 1 sack, and Flacco did an excellent job of stepping up to avoid the pressure as the defensive ends flew up the field. If Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain can pound the ball between the tackles, the Ravens signal caller might not have to dance quite so much in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield.

The Rundown

Last week I fought to be enthusiastic about the Ravens and give them a shot against the Giants. This week I feel very good about their chances. The Ravens offensive line has proven that it can protect the quarterback (how they are doing it I have no idea), the defense will not stay down two weeks in a row, and the Eagles lack the very elements that allowed the Giants to dominate the football game. Namely, a bruising running game and the killer instinct to punish opposing teams into submission. The Eagles are much better than 5-4-1, but they have not shown it this season. They have played down to the level of their competition and their superstars have been anything but. The Ravens are a surprise team this year, and they will surprise the Eagles.

The nod goes to the Ravens, 28-21

Photo Credit: (Sports Illustrated: Al Tieleman)