Ravens-Broncos Preview: Taking Down an Upstart Undefeated

I am going to take a different approach to the preview this week- I am going to talk about one major point for each part of the offense and defense (rushing and passing games) and what the Ravens will have to do in order to win. Because after all, isn’t that what we really care about? This team is good enough that if it plays up to its talent in every phase of the game, every game is more than winnable.

My Mildly Informed Analysis:

Broncos Pass Offense vs. Ravens Pass Defense
Kyle Orton is an effective but not terrifying quarterback. Compared to the other QB’s the Ravens have had to face this year- Favre, Palmer, Brady, and Rivers come to mind- Orton just doesn’t compare. However, he has tall, strong receivers to throw to who can make any quarterback look good. The key in the passing game is not only going to be the ability of the cornerbacks to contain Denver’s threats in Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall, because they won’t, but it will be Dawan Landry and Ed Reed’s commitment to their assignment. I have seen way too much freelancing in the secondary with Reed trying to make plays outside his assignment and Landry biting up on play action. A desperate playmaker will often try to compensate for a weak overall unit by taking more risks- but that often works against the team and allows long touchdowns. The Ravens cornerbacks are not good enough to handle being all alone, the safeties need to be disciplined.

Broncos Rush Offense vs. Ravens Rush Defense
Some have voiced a concern over Tavaris Gooden’s size and whether he is too slight to be an inside linebacker, but I think this is too much worry over making another Bart Scott and not enough looking at what Gooden does well. Smaller, quicker linebackers can be great at stopping the run provided they have the lanes to penetrate to the ball carrier. I have seen Ray Lewis hit too often and taken out of the play, and I put this on the defensive line. Ngata is playing fine, but Kelly Gregg is not the dominating tackle he was two years ago. In the Ravens’ defense, unlike other systems, the DT’s job is not to rush the passer, but it is to occupy the interior offensive lineman and allow athletic linebackers (like Gooden) to penetrate to the running back. That has not been happening, and I see it as the reason that the Ravens have allowed two consecutive 100 yard rushers. It doesn’t matter who carries the ball for Denver- if Baltimore does not control the line of scrimmage, especially inside, they won’t be able to stop the Broncos on the ground.

Ravens Rush Offense vs. Broncos Rush Defense
Ten rushes for Ray Rice? Even against a rush defense like Minnesota’s you need to keep pounding the football just to keep the defense honest. McClain? McGahee? The Ravens made a great comeback at the end of the game, but Joe was being pounded back there when Jared Allen & Co. didn’t have to watch for the run. Flacco was cool under pressure in standing in the pocket despite getting hit, but he won’t be able to keep that up forever. It is okay to run the football once every few plays, Baltimore needs to do what made them great. Despite this, Rice is quickly becoming the next Brian Westbrook with his ability to do so many things on the field, from pass blocking to making linebackers miss in the open field. However, this side of the ball comes down to the offensive line returning to form with (hopefully) Jared Gaither moving back into the left tackle spot and Michael Oher taking his superb play of late to right tackle. That will not only protect the quarterback (as we will discuss later), but it will open up opportunities for Willis McGahee off-tackle rushes or the occasional stretch play to Rice where he could threaten to break a big play. With McGahee and McClain in the fold, Rice has the complementary backs to help him become even more effective than Westbrook, who has suffered being the undivided attention of whatever defense he’s lined up against.

Ravens Pass Offense vs. Broncos Pass Defense
Champ Bailey has rediscovered his old form and Brian Dawkins is showing that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. If the Ravens try to throw at the Broncos secondary all afternoon, they will turn the ball over. No 43 pass attempts this week, and no dropping back 43 times against Elvis Dumervil at linebacker, who has a whopping 10 sacks so far this season. The Ravens offensive line will have to come together quickly to regain their rhythm and work as a unit to keep the Denver pass rush at bay. Utilizing Todd Heap over the middle could keep the linebackers in a short zone and draw attention away from Derrick Mason. I worry about the passing game if Flacco can’t sling the ball to Derrick Mason on a regular basis. If Champ Bailey can shut him down and keep him to 4 or fewer catches, I don’t see how Joe Flacco will get going. If need be he will find other targets, like Rice out of the backfield (or how about swing Rice into the slot receiver spot after the team lines up and get him matched up on a linebacker?) or Mark Clayton. The key here will be Flacco using all of his weapons and getting the ball out of his hands quickly. Of course, in order to do that his receivers need to get in position and catch the ball. I am still not sold that they can do that.

Special Teams
Okay, so I have never considered this before in the preview (because they were too long already), but I found an interesting statistic that I wanted to pass along. Despite being roughly tied with the Ravens in punting distance, Denver ranks second to last in the league in punt coverage, allowing 14.6 yards per return. Baltimore comes in at 7.7 yards per return. That could wind up being a difference of 7 yards of field position each time the teams trade possessions. This is why Lardarius Webb is so important. Not only will he be called upon to take a greater role in the secondary, he will have the opportunity to put the Ravens in great field position if he can break one. With the way the offense has been performing at times, this could be critically important.

The Rundown

Baltimore can score, but how consistently? The offense went into hibernation two weeks ago for 2 ½ quarters after falling asleep at the wheel for a whole game against the Bengals. Was that an aberration? The defense has shown that its flaws are not cosmetic, but are fundamental shortfalls that will haunt this team throughout the season. Will it hold together long enough to contain Marshall, Royal, and running back Knowshon Moreno? I just don’t think so. People keep saying the Bronco’s aren’t that good, yet they keep winning. The offense will once again have to put up big numbers for this team to win. This game was a really tough one to call, and against my better judgment, here's the pick:

The nod goes to the Ravens, 31-28.

What We Learned: Bengals 17, Ravens 14

It was not a goo day for the state of Maryland. No matter where you went, the pain of football was evident, the Ravens lost, the Redskins lost, the Terps lost. In Baltimore this loss was very painful and now many people are in panic-mode. Obviously we are only five weeks in, but with the strength and depth of the AFC, things could be problematic for the Ravens soon, especially with Minnesota coming up.

Things We Learned:
The Reason the Ravens Lost: The Bengals Played Better
It was not the referees or anything like that; the referees were fine. Give all the credit in the world to the Cincinnati Bengals. Their defense stuffed the Ravens offense and allowed next to nothing except one somewhat-fluke Ray Rice touchdown pass. Joe Flacco was constantly being pressured and the running game was not enough to win. Then on the flip side, the Bengals offense was constantly on the attack and led an 80-yard drive to win it all. Had the defense been off the field a little more, then everything for the Ravens might have been fine, but Carson Palmer is too good to be kept down. The Bengals played a great game and legitimately beat the Ravens, no two ways about it.

Conservative Offense? With no McGahee?
Cam Cameron chose a strange time and way to put a conservative offense on the field. Ray Rice did fine, but Willis McGahee saw almost no time on the field, and the Ravens kept running at strange times. Before this, Joe Flacco kept airing the ball, and although the complaint was that he was throwing too much, at least that offense was effective. The offense was terrible, and the reason why the Ravens were in bad shape all game. We hope that Cameron didn't lost confidence in Flacco for the game.

Next Draft: Ravens Need a Cornerback
There is no two ways about it. The current cornerbacks cannot handle the air attacks on the top teams. So far Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, and Carson Palmer all ripped apart Dominique Foxworth and Co., and next Brett Favre may have the chance. Although the unit is not bad, it is clear the Ravens need a top-tier, tall cornerback to cover the most dangerous receiver.

Ravens Need to be Ready for Minnesota
The Ravens have a problem, they are 3-2 and a number of AFC teams look solid, including two others from the AFC North. 11-5 might not be enough to secure a wild card berth. Minnesota is a perfect 5-0 with a solid passing attack led by you know who. Plus, Adrian Peterson is one of the best backs in the game. The defense will need to be ready plus Joe Flacco will need to get out of the funk; the Vikings will not be generous.

Harbaugh's Ravens are Disciplined
Obviously we are disappointed with the field play plus some of the hits. But after the game, the Ravens were not complaining about the refs or anything like that. They focused on what they did wrong. They know they have to improve, which is a good quality for this team to have.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Training Camp Storylines: Meet the Ravens

Last night it took until all of the 5th inning for me to say to myself “this is going to be a walkoff.” The O’s bats did what they do so often- score big and then let it sit. Perhaps if they’d just allowed the Tigers to score first they would have come roaring back. But then again, I have no idea if the numbers back that up. In the offseason I’ll take a look at how often the Orioles really scored a number of runs and then just stopped scoring for the last 6 innings of the game. Either way, games like these break my heart, because they were so clearly in grasp. And now you see it coming, the rising specter of August… the National Football League. With the O’s starting what seems to be their annual free fall (though it is too soon to say for sure), I wanted to take a look at a couple of training camp storylines for the Baltimore Ravens that aren’t about Derrick Mason.

No Longer Playing it Safe with the Rookie
Let’s remember for a moment that Joe Flacco was not light-out last season. He was very good, but very good for a rookie. The playbook was highly limited for him, giving him one or two reads and letting him ease into the game. This team was playing cautious with him, doing everything they could to avoid him getting rattled or seeing him fail. Within this environment he played exceptionally well, but this year will be entirely different. Flacco will be given the entire playbook, and be given more responsibility at the line and in the passing game. Ravens fans will have to hope that he has not only developed mentally (which is to be expected from a second year in the league), but that he has also increased his accuracy on throws 5-15 yards from the line of scrimmage, which tended to sail on him last season, often to disastrous results.

Mike Preston is much more concerned than I am at Flacco’s apparent lack of precision at the start of this year’s training camp, but it will be something to keep an eye on. Even Kyle Boller was impressive at times in his rookie year. Baltimoreans have had 8 months to build up this young quarterback in their minds, let’s hope that even-keeled Joe Flacco can meet the heightened expectations.

Jim Leonhard Out, Dawan Landry Back In
In one season as a starter with the Ravens, Jim Leonhard became the best free safety this team has had lining up across from Ed Reed. He didn’t sit and wait for Reed to make big plays while he stayed back in his zone, he played all over the field, from fielding punts, blitzing, to making electrifying interceptions (particularly in the playoffs); playing hard and playing hurt on his way to becoming a fan favorite. Not much has been made of his departure to the Jets, as the Ravens have safety Dawan Landry back from his season-ending neck injury as well as promising young backups in Haruki Nakamora and Tom Zbikowski. However, it should be noted that Landry is a very different kind of safety than Leonhard. I have been a big fan of Landry’s due to his exceptional coverage skills, but Leonhard brought a unique kind of fire you can only find in a football player who’s 5’8”. Landry’s performance dropped off somewhat in his sophomore season; and with his third year gone he will have to return to his rookie form to secure his place in this defense. I believe that Landry will have a good year, but if not the loss of Leonhard could be much more harmful than Ravens fans- or the front office- expected.

Who Will Win the Running Back Duel?
I was the first one in line to cheer the Ravens when they brought in Willis McGahee. To me he was a running back with exceptional talent who had languished behind a substandard offensive line, and would explode with Baltimore to become one of the best backs in the league. Yea, I was that guy. So far in two seasons, he has been worth far less than the 2nd and 3rd round picks Ozzie Newsome surrendered to get him. After rushing for an impressive 1200 yards in his first season with the team, his production declined last season as injuries and his general performance put Le’Ron McClain in the spotlight instead. Those 1200 yards were nice, but for a team that is meticulous about running the football it wasn’t exactly eye popping. This offseason, Ray Rice has been given the green light for the starting job, though the coaching staff has yet to make any official word. McClain is moving back to fullback on a full-time basis (though I hope for their sake they keep giving him the ball now and then). The second year back out of Rutgers is much shiftier than McGahee and may even have more top-end speed, though it was difficult to tell with how rarely either back got into the open field. Much of this will depend on McGahee’s questionable health throughout camp, but it is likely that the Ravens 3rd running back in the three headed monster could accede to #1 by opening day.

Ravens-Bengals Preview: As Playoffs Approach, "Can Win" equals "Must Win"

Thanks to Falco for holding down the fort and doing both the pregame and postgame for the Terps on Saturday! Windsor and I were visiting our families over the break and barely had time for the free kick on Friday. However, we are sure to be home for the Ravens…

Make no mistake, Cincinnati wants this one badly. Baltimore better want it too. With upcoming games against Dallas, Washington, and Pittsburgh, the Ravens will need every win they can get to cling to that #6 spot in the wildcard race or have a whisper of a hope to win the division outright. Putting away the 1-9-1 Bengals won’t make the Ravens climb the power rankings or get them a segment on Sportscenter, but it will be another AFC win that will be essential when the litany of tiebreakers go into effect. The home team, for their part, has been playing its recent opponents tough since taking down Jacksonville and clawing from the ranks of the “beaten.” The mantra of this team has been to beat the teams they should beat (and lose to the others, but I doubt that is part of the plan), and luckily for them, this should be a late-season tune up. But much stranger things have happened, and I still have my questions.

What I’m Wondering:

Will Joe Play it Safe?
This week will be about mistake-free football. The Ravens are the better team, but the Bengals were tenacious against Donovan McNabb and even Ben Roethlisberger, forcing turnovers and staying in the ball game deep into the second half against the Steelers. The problem however, has been that their offense is more inept than a Kyle Boller squad. In fact, their performance in recent weeks has reminded me of the 11-5 Bengals squad of 3 years ago that won on a huge turnover margin but petered out when Carson Palmer was downed in the 1st quarter of the wildcard round against Pittsburgh. Do I think that this team is suddenly that good? Of course not, but the D has not packed it in for the season. Joe Flacco has kept a cool head this season and hasn’t shown the tendency to play down to competition, but this week will be a test in that regard. The Ravens quarterback ought not assume anything against the Bengals secondary or risk giving the Cincy offense easy opportunities to score. Will the Ravens quarterback take the inferior opponent for granted or patiently carve them up underneath?

How many turnovers/sacks for the Ravens D?
I cannot feign a serious anxiety about the Bengals’ ability to hold onto the ball or protect backup-turned-starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is a consummate backup- not good, not terrible, but not someone you want starting more than a game or two, especially on a team whose offense was struggling even before Palmer went down. This game is not a question of if, but when the Bengals make a horrific mistake. The Ravens defense returned with a vengeance against the Eagles after being gashed by the Giants, will that intensity hold up? Being a divisional game, it might. However, with the upcoming schedule, the defense could be tempted to look ahead as it did against the Browns for the first 3 quarters of their second matchup of the season. To sweep the season series, the Ravens will have to create opportunities for the offense to work with a short field and come away with points early and force the Bengals to attempt to come from behind. Will the Ravens defense make the 3rd year backup attempt to beat them with his arm or come out slow out of the gate and let the Bengals win field position?

Which of the Three Running Backs will succeed against the Bengals?
Willis McGahee has had his big games this season. So has Ray Rice. Last week, LaRon McClain bulldozed the Eagles for 88 yards and 1 score. Which back will perform the best this week? I’m leaning towards a repeat of McClain against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL. The Bengals are like any other team 8 games under .500- they are playing tough but ready to break when they get into a hole. The best way to break a team is by sending a bruiser up the middle and dragging the linebackers for a few yards at a time. However, if the Bengals decide to pin their ears back and attack the line of scrimmage, don’t be surprised to see more screens to get the other backs involved? Who will have the biggest game? It might be a combination, but I wanted to ask anyway.

My Mildly Informed Analysis:

The Bengals cannot score. Were it not for T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Chad Johnson, there would be little reason for them to not punt on 1st down and hope for a defensive touchdown. Perhaps I am exaggerating, let me backtrack here so we can break down what the Ravens will actually be facing. The Bengals running game is 29th in the NFL at a paltry 80.0 yards per game. Even if they exceed that by 50% or more (unlikely against the still stingy Ravens run defense), it wouldn’t be enough to put them in the top 3rd of the league! Why? The departure of reliable back Rudi Johnson is the easy explanation, but this team was still in the bottom half of the league when he was there last year. I would point to the lack of a threat from the quarterback position, allowing opponents to stack 8 or 9 men in the box to stop the run and daring Ryan Fitzpatrick to beat them… and he won’t.

But before we go onto the sexy passing game, let’s keep on the ground. The addition of Cedric Benson did provide a brief spark to the Bengals running game, but we would be wise to keep it in perspective. After a 104 yard, 4.3 yard per carry effort against Jacksonville (currently sitting at 4-7, for what it’s worth), the former Chicago 1st round pick and legendary drunken boater has since been given 39 carries for 77 yards, worse than a 2 yard average. Clearly teams caught on rather quickly to the addition of Benson, and I doubt his running style- predictable and not powerful enough to get away with it will be a problem for Haloti Ngata. Now watch him gash the Ravens for 140 yards runaway-beer-truck style…

The Harvard boy quarterbacks the worst offense in the NFL. Yes, dead last. That is, the Lions, Raiders, and Rams can all claim more competent yardage numbers, and it isn’t close. As far as points are concerned, a paltry 13.5 points per game is good for 31st, edging out the Rams. For his part however, Fitzpatrick has not been awful on paper. In fact, his numbers are similar to what Joe Flacco’s were 8 games into the season- completing 61% of his passes for 6 touchdowns and 7 interceptions- about what you would expect out of a backup in this league. All of you who think a Pro Bowler should be the team’s backup can shut up and get a clue. Backups are supposed to be mediocre, and Fitzpatrick is run-of-the-mill backup material. What is holding him back is his embarrassing 4.9 yards per attempt, which is shocking given the big-play receivers available to him. Either his nerves are keeping him holding the ball too long or his receivers aren’t getting open or he is getting too much pressure to launch the ball deep. We have a winner! Bengals quarterbacks have been sacked an astonishing 39 times this season; only the Lions and 9ers are worse.

Is there any question what the Ravens defensive strategy will be? In case you just stumbled on this blog for the first time… The Ravens will blitz early, often, and from as many directions as possible to fluster and confuse Fitzpatrick the same way the Steelers did a couple weeks ago. Once the running game is contained, this front 7 will pin its ears back and hit Fitzpatrick until he is nervous to take the snap. The secondary might be left on man against a talented group of receivers, but I doubt Fitzpatrick will have much time to consider the matchups, much less throw the ball accurately.

Wow, I just spent an awful lot of time on the 32nd ranked offense against the #3 ranked defense. I may have just written more about the Bengals offense than anyone has been able to all season… there is a reason for that, read on.

Luckily, there is a much more intriguing matchup on the defensive end. The Bengals have the reputation for hemorrhaging points, and it is still true this season as they are in the bottom half of the league with 25.1 points per game allowed, roughly in line with their status from last season. However, they are doing this despite being given much worse field position and a much more mistake-prone offense than any time in recent history (i.e. since Carson Palmer/Jon Kitna). How? I referenced to turnovers earlier, but that was what gave the Bengals the tie with the Eagles, and what sealed the win against the Jaguars. Honestly, it comes down to a passing defense that, while only tallying 8 interceptions all season, is still in the middle of the league in yardage allowed. This is probably a misleading statistic, however. The Bengals have been behind so often there has been little motivation for teams to pass the football for long gains. Teams much prefer to run on them, as they rank 7th in the league in most rushing attempts against.

Does this playbook sound familiar? This sounds very promising for teams that like to run the ball and try to pass conservatively in safe situations. Like the Ravens? Yea, I thought so. We don’t know a whole lot about the Bengals defense because of the state of their offense and the situations they are placed under. The way the Bengals offense plays will be much more indicative of how many points the Ravens can score than will the Bengals defense.

The Rundown

I don’t see how the Bengals win this one aside from pure unadulterated hate and the unpredictable nature of divisional games. The Ravens’ gameplan plays right into the Bengals weaknesses, and if Baltimore’s defense forces an early turnover or helps the offense jump out to a double-digit lead, this could be over quickly. Don’t look for Coach Harbaugh to get fancy this week; he will get a lead and beat Cincy down for the rest of the afternoon.

The nod goes to the Ravens, 27-6

Ravens-Giants Preview: Taking on the Champs

Take a deep breath Ravens fans, this is a big one but it is not the only big one the Ravens will have this season. While a win would mean a lot towards legitimizing this team in the eyes of the nation, it does not on paper mean anything more than any other out of conference game. But I won’t say it doesn’t matter. Ravens fans need this game to see how good this team really is. So far this team has been able to beat up on the inferior competition of this league (winning the games they are supposed to win), but has not yet taken down a true playoff team.

The AFC is tight this year, and with Ben Roethlisberger struggling in Pittsburgh this would be the perfect time to steal a win and make a move for the AFC North division title. Likewise, a loss would still keep the Ravens in the playoff picture with the rest of the AFC East and the Colts fighting for Wild Card spots. Things are so close in the hunt for the playoffs that there is still time no matter what happens… but a win on Sunday would certainly put the Ravens in the driver’s seat.

What I’m Wondering:

Will Joe Flacco be able to handle the Giants pass rush?
The offensive line has performed admirably this season, but this will be the greatest test they have faced this season. In their last game against a blistering pass rush, the Colts sacked Flacco 4 times and harassed him for the entire game- the Colts, for their part, have had a nonexistent pass rush since. Granted, this team is a lot better than they were 4 games ago, but have they have yet to be challenged in a significant way along the offensive line. Of the opponents they have faced over their 4 game winning streak, none have ranked higher than 9th in sacks (Miami)- and Joe Flacco was sacked 3 times in that game. I will spare you more statistics, but the fact is that Joe will get sacked, and it will be more than once or twice. The Ravens rookie has been praised for his composure in the huddle and in adverse situations, but it is doubtful that Justin Tuck won’t rattle him a bit. Will Flacco keep his cool with a 300 pound defensive tackle in his face for much of the afternoon?

Which is better- #1 rush offense or #1 rush defense?
The Ravens have quite a 3-headed monster at running back. Unfortunately, the Giants have a better one. Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw make up the #1 rushing attack in the country, amassing over 168 yards per contest. The Ravens D, on the other hand, are allowing only 65.9 yards per game on the ground and haven’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in almost 30 games. However, it is unlikely that any one of the Giants backs will look to get 100 yards. More than any other team, the Giants will be able to keep their backs fresh while exhausting the opposing defense. If the Ravens offense can’t keep the hydra attack of New York on the sideline they will have to rely on depth at linebacker and along the defensive line- which is something the Ravens don’t have with injuries mounting on defense. Will the Ravens be able to shut down the Giants attack? Will they have enough bodies to keep it in check in the 4th quarter?

Will the Ravens secondary be ready against the other Manning? Or is Peyton the “other” Manning?
Okay, so in writing these previews one begins to notice some patterns. I know I said that as long as the Ravens started a rookie QB he would always be one of my questions- but the secondary? Well, that ground game has given Eli a lot of time in the pocket, and it is unlikely that Rex Ryan will want to sell out on the run and go after the passer too much, which will put the onus once again on the secondary to shut down the Giants receivers. While New York only averages 214 yards in the air, much of this is mitigated by the powerful running attack and the lead that the Giants have held in most of their games. When needed, it comes alive. Unlike previous years, Eli has not shown the tendency to get rattled and put the Giants in difficult spots- he is most certainly a reason they are winning. Aside from a disastrous performance against Cleveland, Eli has thrown 14 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions. Will the Ravens secondary be able to handle the heavier burden they will be given?

My Mildly Informed Analysis:

Much of this game will be about containing the Giants offense- they can drag a drive out for 15 plays and 6 minutes or they can score in an instant. This versatility makes them, in my opinion, the scariest offense to face. Unlike the Saints, for instance, they change their approach to the situation in the game and still be successful. The Ravens will have to be prepared for everything and anything. As far as the passing game is concerned, Samari Rolle will almost certainly be matched up on Plaxico Burress, but unlike Houston this will not be a team effort- it is likely that one of the Ravens safeties will have to creep towards the box or at least be prepared to come in for run support. Additionally, Plaxico is not the only threat the Giants pose in the passing game. Steve Smith (no, not that Steve Smith) has emerged as a potential gamebreaker at the oft-overlooked slot position, though he can move to #2 in a hurry if need be. Amani Toomer is a solid 3rd down receiver who, while he won’t kill you downfield at his age, can get you 5-8 yards consistently and isn’t afraid to get hit over the middle of the field.

Now to the running game… Haloti Ngata is playing like the best defensive tackle in the NFL right now, and he is peaking at the absolute right time. It will be up to him to take on the center-guard combination along the line and free up lanes for Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and others to penetrate the line and get hits on the Giants running backs before or at the line of scrimmage. The Giants backs are all averaging over 5 yards per carry; it will be critical to get that early hit. However, Terrell Suggs will need to exercise a great deal of patience along the edge of the line, as the Giants love to pull a guard or a tackle over to serve as a lead blocker for the running back and sell it very well when they aren’t. It will be up to Suggs to recognize the pulling guard and get in behind him before he is sucked into the play. The Ravens D has a reputation for being overaggressive, and the Giants have a reputation for exploiting this- look no further than last week against the Eagles in which Philadelphia’s blitzers were consistently drawn into the blockers while Brandon Jacobs rushed right by them. The Ravens have the ability to stop the Giants running game- it will all be about how Rex Ryan schemes against it to put his defenders in the right place.

Well, there is another side of the ball too. Those of you hoping there was a porous Giants D that the Ravens could exploit might be disappointed. The Giants are only allowing 87.7 yards per game, and unlike college football this does not take sacks into account. This defensive line could easily set the tempo from the beginning of the game and force Flacco to throw off of his back foot all day… but that would be forgetting the Ravens own three headed monster, one that ranks 3rd in the NFL (and best in the AFC) in rushing. Once again this will also be about scheme. Unlike the Giants, the Ravens have had difficulty getting tough yards in short yardage situations and lack a true power back to bring in (LaRon McClain isn’t quite there yet). It will be up to the Ravens to spread out the linebackers by swinging the backs out on screen plays and quiet the pass rush by running draw plays that will force Kiwanuka and Tuck to hesitate before charging after the quarterback.

Luckily for the Ravens, Todd Heap is becoming a weapon once again in the receiving game and will not be overlooked by a rookie quarterback in need of a first down. Ray Rice and Todd Heap will both serve as consistent safety valve receivers for short gainers to keep the Giants defense guessing. Heap can physically match up with any player on defense- over the middle, for a jump ball in the end zone, or even along the sideline. For whatever reason he has been absent this season, but he has started to come around. The focus however, will always be on Joe Flacco’s ability to make the big play down the field. The Giants will be able to score in a hurry, and it will be up to the Ravens to respond. Regardless of the young signal caller’s recent success (6 TDs to 0 INTs in his last 4 games), the Superbowl Champs will be keying in on him in the secondary and challenging him to throw the ball by putting 8 men in the box if need be. This game will be won or lost offensively on Joe Flacco’s arm and his mind. This is still a pass offense that ranks 28th in the NFL. Just a hunch, but that will improve this weekend.

The Rundown

All things being equal, when the #1 offense meets the #1 defense, defense wins. It should be that way on the ground. The Ravens and Giants boast similarly effective pass rushes and similar ground games. The trouble is that the Giants are slightly better at each. Additionally, the Ravens have only defeated one opponent with a winning record while the Giants have beaten everyone in the NFC East, the toughest division in the NFL. I would like to look at the last 4 games and say the Ravens will take down the defending Champ at their home turf, the Ravens traditional poor performance on the road tips it over for me; I just can’t go with Baltimore on this one.

The nod goes to the Giants, 31-20

A Ravens Rundown

Here we are, heading into the second half of the Ravens' surprising season. There is reason for hope in Baltimore with the 5-3 record and the possibility of truly finding a franchise quarterback. By the same token there is reason for serious concern, as that young quarterback has still not passed the test against an upper-echelon defense and as the injuries continue to play a factor with no bye week to look forward to. So! Questions are abound at this time of year to see exactly where this team is going; that's the exciting thing about the potential for a playoff run, the minutia of midweek practice notes become overanalyzed and dissected. In that spirit, on with the dissection!

Update on the secondary health: On the plus side Samari Rolle is finally back at practice this week and all word is that he should be ready for Sunday. Harbaugh has seemed very optimistic that Rolle would play, but it's very clear that we will not be seeing Dawan Landry or Chris McAlister this week as neither player has practiced for some time.

Regardless, the probable return of Rolle is a huge win for the Ravens, particularly entering this stretch. With the next two opponents being the Texans and the Giants, the Ravens need a cover man who can do a reasonable job against Andre Johnson and Plaxico Burress. No, Samari Rolle is not a shutdown cornerback anymore, but he's still a very capable and intelligent corner who will make an immense positive impact on the secondary. His insertion puts Fabian Washington at the two and Frank Walker at the nickel spots. In my opinion, the secondary will be far more solid now that Walker and Washington have gotten such extended playing time; the experience of successfully covering the other team's top receivers will make them that much more effective now that they're covering the second and third options primarily.

McGahee getting healthy again, but a question of what his role is: Willis McGahee practiced today and it's looking like there's a good bet he will be ready to go on Sunday. I believe he was healthy enough to play on Sunday but the Ravens had the luxury of depth such that they didn't need him to take on the Browns. The real question is that, when he's at full speed again, will he start? McGahee was the unquestioned starter coming into the season, but the recent play of Ray Rice mixed with Willis' injuries forces a re-evaluation of that role. Ray Rice was the sparkplug to the Ravens' comeback on Sunday, and without him I do not believe that the Ravens win that football game.

At the end of the day I believe that a healthy Willis McGahee is the best option for the starting running back. There's a place for each of the three (McGahee, Rice, McClain) in this offense, but Willis' experience and versatility makes him the best starting option. Keep in mind that Ray Rice had significant fumbling problems at the start of the year; it hasn't shown up recently, but that's another factor that makes me lean toward McGahee. I'll be intrigued to see what the coaches end up deciding, and if it means McGahee not starting, how he will handle it.

More questions about receiving corps depth: Ernie Wheelwright was placed on waivers today to make room for the signing of second year safety Daren Stone. This raises a couple questions. Just to get it out of the way, I do have to wonder why they chose to sign this kid Daren Stone. I don't know much about him and this is not a slight to his talent, but the Ravens do expect Dawan Landry to eventually return and have excellent depth behind Jim Leonhard and Ed Reed in the form of Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura. Now to my main point...

Releasing Ernie Wheelwright is very perplexing, considering that he was activated last week over Marcus Smith. All indications pointed to the coaches having a good deal of faith in the receiver, and I don't understand why the organization would reduce receiver depth which they desperately need for unnecessary safety depth. My guess is that Terrance Copper (recently signed) has shown up big in practice and has been tabbed as the fourth option behind Mason, Clayton, and Figurs. I would like to say Marcus Smith has shown something good enough, but if that were the case he would have been activated over Wheelwright. It looks like the staff looks at Smith as more of a project, but with enough potential to take up a spot on the roster even though he has not contributed yet this year.

A final congratulations: Joe Flacco was named this past week's AFC Offensive Player of the week for his impressive performance against the Browns, leading the Ravens from 14 down in the second half against the Browns (in Cleveland) to a win. Flacco was 17-29 for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. This leaves Flacco's streak of consecutive passes without an interception at 88, spanning three games. Another note about Flacco's overall performance this season: during CBS's coverage of the game against the Browns, they noted that Joe Flacco is currently putting up the second most accurate (completion percentage) season by a rookie quarterback in NFL history (second only to Ben Roethlisberger).
One other thing: the NFC Offensive Player of the Week? Fellow rookie Matt Ryan. Can you think of a better year for rookie quarterbacks? I sure can't.

(Photo Credit: Elizabeth Malby/Baltimore Sun (Joe Flacco), Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun(Ray Rice))

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 37, Browns 27

The word of the game is…comeback. After being up 10-0, the Browns went on a 27-3 tear to take what looked like a dominating 14-point lead. But the Ravens locked down their defense and revved up the offense, scoring 24 unanswered points and came away from Cleveland with a 37-27 victory. The Ravens improve to 5-3 and are currently a half-game back of Pittsburgh in the AFC North, while the Browns fall to 3-5.

This win means so much to the Ravens. Cleveland is one of the worst places to play for the men in purple. Browns fans have never gotten over the move of the Browns by Art Modell, and because of that the fans put that much more into their taunts and cheering. The city has not had a playoff win with the new franchise, adding to the frustration. And the Ravens just seem to not play well there. But despite all those factors plus being down 14 late in the third quarter, the Ravens rallied to win.

Offense – Overall Grade: B+

Quarterbacks: B+
Joe Flacco had a solid day, throwing 248 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. He had a few very close throws that could have been problematic, but when the Ravens needed moving and scores, Flacco was at his best. The grade is a little lower with Troy Smith, due to the confusion with his entrances. But overall, Flacco may have had his best day as a quarterback.

Running Backs: A-

Ray Rice was wonderful in place of the injured Willis McGahee, running for 154 yards on 21 carries, the big one going for 60 yards. Moreover, he should some impressive jukes and side-steps when running. His strength has always been his speed, but he showed some great technique today. LeRon McClain's stats, 34 yards and a TD on 14 carries, don't reflect his job, which mainly was going for those short yardage situations, but he did fail to get anything done on a few plays near the goal line. But Rice was the absolute star today.

Wide Receivers: A-

Derrick Mason continues to be Flacco's favorite and most reliable target, getting nine receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown was tremendous, catching the ball and spinning to avoid his defender to easily score. And welcome to the offense Mark Clayton, who had four catches for 87 yards and a score; could have been two if he catches a long one to the end zone, but he had a tremendous day. With Demetrious Williams out for the year with injury, Flacco now getting the ball to Clayton gives him another big threat and spreads out the secondary.

Tight Ends: D

Todd Heap is having a very disappointing year. Today, no catches and two false starts. Just a bad, bad day for him.

Offensive Line: B

For a while, it seemed as if the line were showing the same problems they always were. Flacco was getting hurried, including getting sacked twice, and a lot of confusion on certain plays. But again, once the times got tough, the line stepped up, and protected Flacco and Rice while the scoring machine began. All in all, the line did its job when the Ravens needed them most.

Defense - Overall Grade: B-
Defensive Line: A-
This unit had a strong game, and was occasionally dominant. Ngata and Bannan shut down Jamal Lewis at the line of scrimmage, and Trevor Pryce had his finest game this season, accounting for a sack along with a few key quarterback pressures. Ngata’s pass rush on the Browns’ final offensive play was the key to Suggs’ interception. The line’s grade is docked, however, by the fact that there was a significant stretch through the second and third quarters that this group gave Anderson far too much time.
Linebackers: B+
The running game was wholly shut down, and the linebackers played an equal part to the line in making that happen. The linebackers were weak in covering Harrison out of the backfield and they could not slow down tight ends Heiden and Winslow for the majority of the game. The failure to generate a significant pass rush for much of the game can be significantly attributed to the weakened secondary, forcing the linebackers to play more coverage than usual.
Defensive Backs: C-
It’s almost hard to blame this group, because these players are being pushed into roles that they should not be playing. Fabian Washington, Frank Walker, and Corey Ivy should not have to be the 1-2-3 cornerbacks on the roster. The matchups were difficult, but this unit has to do better regardless of circumstances.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: D
Kicker: A-
Stover was 3-3 on field goals and 4-4 on extra points, so it’s hard to ask for much more from a field goal kicking perspective. However, Stover was unable to put sufficient hangtime and distance on kickoffs to limit Cribbs’ opportunities.
Punter: B
Sam Koch had one abysmal line-drive punt to Cribbs, but outside of that he was alright. Despite his one poor punt he did average 41 yards on six punts, with two placed within the 20.
Returners: C
Musical chairs in the return game for the Ravens, as they used two kick returners (Figurs and Rice) and three punt returners (Figurs, Leonhard, and Reed). None of these returners had much success, and when a team shuffles returners, good things aren’t usually happening.
Coverage: D-
What can I say. They couldn’t block for their return men and they sure as heck couldn’t control Joshua Cribbs in the slightest. Cribbs gained a total of 278 yards between punt and kickoff returns, along with his 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. If the Ravens lost this game, there would be only one place to point the blame.

Coaching - Overall Grade: B+
Offensive: B
This may seem a little harsh since the Ravens offense scored 31 points (six by defense) in the game. Early in the game, the play calling was suspect, as the Ravens seemed to be making overly conservative play calls just to make sure nothing terrible happened. Add to that, the Suggs package caused many problems and did not do any good. However, the fact is Cam Cameron's troops scored 31 points, had the big plays when they needed them, and some of those drives in the second half completely fooled the Cleveland defense. Overall, a job well done by Cam Cameron.
Defensive: B
I really have difficulty grading Rex Ryan on this game, because while his defense was often gashed by the Browns offense, the defense was put in horrible spots by the ineffective special teams and is seriously unmanned in the secondary. The pass defense was suspect, but as usual the run defense was dominant. At the end of the day, Rex Ryan deserves the benefit of the doubt.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Ray Rice– Ray Rice was the difference in this game, sparking the Ravens’ comeback in the third and fourth quarters. The rookie from Rutgers was electric, starting in place of Willis McGahee, rushing for 154 yards on 21 carries.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Corey Ivy– Another very poor day in the secondary, and Ivy was certainly not the only guilty party. However, Ivy was the weakest link in the group and was repeatedly picked on.

(Photo Credits: Ray Rice (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun), Joshua Cribbs (AP))

Ravens-Browns Preview: Great, Now Try it Against a Pass Rush

Well, I hope everyone got all that offensive enthusiasm out of their system with the Terps beat down of the EMU Eagles today, because it isn’t likely we will see much offense today. After a an unexpected bye week in which the Ravens were forced to practice for a game that didn’t happen, they now have to switch gears to face the trendiest preseason pick to take the AFC North crown from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Luckily for the Ravens, the Browns have looked like anything but a playoff team. They look more like, well… the Browns. Will that change this week in Baltimore?

The Browns look like a team trying to recapture the offense of last year’s prolific scoring machine, anchored behind former Raven draft choice Derek Anderson. Anderson, in his two starts this season has only mustered 280 yards and 1 touchdown to 2 interceptions, but has not been aided much by his supporting cast. Number 1 wideout Braylon Edwards had 5 drops last week against the Steelers and is questionable for tomorrow with an apparent shoulder injury. In every sense of the game the Browns look like a team completely lost- poor quarterback play, a secondary that has been absolutely abhorrent without Leigh Bodden to solidify the corner position, and a rushing offense that ranks 27th in the league despite an occasionally stellar Jamal Lewis.

What I’m Wondering:

Will Baltimore Still be Wacko for Flacco?
Joe Flacco is universally adored among Ravens fans for his serviceable performance that led the Ravens to a victory in week one- he managed the game and made very few mistakes against a defense not known for forcing many (the Bengals showed that against the Titans last week). This game will present a completely different challenge against a defense that has loaded up the interior of the defensive line with the acquisition of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. The line has only forced 2 sacks in the first two games, but that is unlikely to continue over the long term. Will Flacco be able to make the necessary plays with his arm and read the blitz against this staunch defensive line?

Will the Ravens be able to “run” away with this one?

Two weeks ago the lone question mark had to be the running game, most notably in the form of Ray Rice’s struggles. While he was given the majority of the carries, he gained only 64 yards and failed to reach 3 yards per rush. La’Ron McClain was more successful, providing a greater burst and an excellent change of pace in the passing game. How will the running back situation shake up with Willis McGahee returning from injury? Will he be able to perform as the every down back in Cameron’s offense? Bear in mind, Rice and McClain were running against arguably the most porous run defense in the NFL- how will that change against the interior of the Browns D?

Is that old school Ravens D here to stay?

I am very curious about this one. Sure the D looked great against the Bengals, but the Bengals struggled almost as much against the Titans and look generally to be an awful team. With Kelly Gregg out for at least a couple weeks, it will be up to Justin Bannan to continue to anchor the defensive line and make sure that Jamal Lewis is hit at the line of scrimmage, if not before. Lewis, as Ravens fans know, has the capacity to dominate when he is able to get a head of steam before churning out the yards after contact he is guaranteed to get. Will the D be able to force Anderson to put the ball in the air and make a mistake against an opportunistic secondary? I see Ed Reed in your future, Derek.

My Mildly Informed Analysis:

I wanted to put my analysis right in the questions, but I just had to hold back. I am excited for this one- I know too many bitter Browns fans not to be. However, this game is about far more than rivalry. It is about one team struggling to reach expectations against another team hoping to win every game but not expected to win many. Make no mistake- the Browns are determined not to go 0-3. Moreover, do not make the mistake of thinking this is a bad football team. They began the season against the best team in the NFL in Dallas (until they lose try to tell me otherwise) and then against the Steelers who they lost both games against last season. This may still be the team that went 10-6 last year, but hasn’t had the opportunity to show it.

The Ravens Offense vs. the Browns Defense
The Ravens offense could be very interesting this week. Fans should expect to see less of Ray Rice but still a good amount of La’Ron McClain, particularly receiving out of the backfield. The one element that Willis McGahee lacks is a consistency in the receiving game, and Cam Cameron will not hesitate to put multiple backs out there who can catch the football. McClain also offers Flacco a safety valve that he has not enjoyed yet from his tight ends or receivers outside of Derek Mason. In 2006 Sean Payton employed a similar strategy with Mike Karney, amounting to several unexpected touchdown catches and just one more weapon for Drew Brees to employ. I am not suggesting that this offense is like the Saints, but only that Flacco could use all the weapons he can get.

And he will have plenty of chances to use them. This Brown defense has its moments, but only when it is able to apply pressure on the quarterback. On paper it boasts one of the best defensive lines in the league, but beyond that it leaves quite a few questions to be answered. If either the running game can wear down the tough interior of that line or the offensive line can continue their dominating performance from the Bengals game, Flacco could get into a rhythm against their secondary. However, one must recall that the dominating offensive line performance was against the worst defensive line in the NFL. With an extra week of practice to gel as a unit, the line could manage some success- particularly with Crennel’s hesitation to blitz.

The Ravens Offense vs. the Browns Defense
On defense, it will be all about turnovers. Make no mistake, this Browns offense is capable of moving the football. Derek Anderson will be out to prove his worth against the wave of criticism thrust upon him since the end of last season. Jamal Lewis always runs hard against his former team. All numbers aside, this team is due an offense output like last season’s. Donte Stallworth may join Edwards on the sideline tomorrow (also listed as questionable), leaving Kellen Winslow as the lone receiving threat- though mismatches may be possible as Winslow runs more like a wide receiver than a tight end. Even so, the Ravens coverage will be able to play closer to the line with the top two “big play” threats essentially neutralized. Aside from this general overview, it is hard to make any determinations about the Browns offense because they have looked embarrassing in their first two games.

The Rundown
This is not the day the Browns turn it around. The Ravens are lighthearted, they are enjoying success but are not burdened by expectations just yet. The Browns are a good team, but even they know they aren’t good enough to make the playoffs after starting 0-3. Cleveland’s defense will be unable to apply consistent pressure- a front four will only be effective when aided by a blitz, which will enable Flacco to engage a worse secondary than most of his 1-AA competition. The Ravens defense will wear down as the season goes on and injuries pile up, but today they will take advantage of a Cleveland team pressing for points and making critical errors down the stretch. They will move the ball between the 20’s, but I don’t expect the Browns to capitalize with touchdowns.

The nod goes to the Ravens, 17-9