Ravens Ready To Face Rex

Normally preseason games do not drum up huge storylines, but this one sure does. The Ravens are taking on the New York Jets in their second preseason game tonight, which means for the first time, they will take on Rex Ryan on the opposite sideline.

Not only Ryan, but also two key players on last year's defense, Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard.

At least it is only preseason. Had this been the regular season, a whole slew of stories may have come out. But chances are nothing special will happen. Some New York writers have been trying to drum up that Ryan wants revenge on his old team for not taking him as head coach, but come on, Ryan has better things to do.

But at least for the first series, you have to think it is strange. Seeing Bart Scott going after Joe Flacco? And Jim Leonhard, a guy that got noticed in Rex Ryan's system, now going against the team that made him special? And Rex Ryan, the Ravens defensive coordinator for six years, leading the Jets. Scott has said he will have "no friends" when the game begins, but that is to be expected when players leave.

But we are happy for all of them, and for the Jets, this is a much more important game than the Ravens. For all the Ravens wide receiver issues, they do not have nearly as many questions as the Jets. New York does not know who their starting quarterback will be, and will be starting #5 overall pick Mark Sanchez in the game. Nothing like going against the Ravens defense for your first contest. The Ravens were in this spot last season, trying to find their starting quarterback among Flacco, Troy Smith, and Kyle Boller under a new head coach, and the Jets are going through the same.

For the Ravens, they are still trying to find their solid WR corps. Other than Mason and Clayton, no one's job is safe. Demetrius Williams, Justin Harper, Jayson Foster, and the rest of the corps will need to step up, especially with the injury to Marcus Smith, who is now on the injured reserve. Also, the Ravens will want to see Cleo Lemon to see if he can be a third string quarterback in the wake of the injury to John Beck, plus the possible rumors of trading Troy Smith.

But for the most part, it will just be weird seeing Rex Ryan on the opposing sideline tonight. Let's just be happy it is not the regular season.

Also news: Ravens rookie LB Tony Lein has been arrested for assault on a police officer, the AP reports. The officer claimed Fein was passing a weapon, which actually was a cell phone, and then Fein pushed the officer when confronted.

(Photo credit: The Star-Ledger)

Ravens Offseason Juggling Act Begins

I just had to take this opportunity to outline some of the turnover going on with the Ravens in the postseason, so please excuse the Free Kicks-esque format, it was necessary for organizational purposes. It seems that with the free-fall of Maryland basketball (and the accompanying questions about how the game has passed Gary Williams by) and the annual attempt to piece together a starting rotation on the Orioles (with so many cheap free agents, why haven’t we brought them in?), it is easy to forget that the Ravens have a good deal going on themselves, in the front office, the coaching staff, and on the field.

The Front Office
I sure hope George Kokinis has the same impact on the Cleveland Browns that Phil Savage did. For that matter, I hope his departure from the Ravens has the same impact Savage’s did. That is, very little. The Ravens have a long history of reloading in the front office, like the USC of pro football front offices. There are a lot of great groups, but so long as the Pete Carroll/Ozzie Newsome is there, they will succeed. Since Kokinis is in the division, I won’t wish him the best of luck, but I hope he is happy there in his 4-6 win seasons. Kokinis, as many of you know, has served for the last 6 years and has just been hired as the new General Manager of the Mangini-led Cleveland Browns. I don’t know much about Kokinis except that I hate it when division rivals get our front office people because they have an in-depth knowledge of our personnel and Eric Mangini is a perfect coach to make full use of it. I for one love the Mangini hiring for Browns fans; but I hate it for the Ravens. With any luck I will be wrong, and Mangini/Kokinis will turn out as bad a match as the feared Crennel/Savage duo.

The Coaching Staff
Speaking of Mangini, his former post as Jets head coach has been filled by beloved Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. The man deserved that top spot eventually, and he will have his team fired up like no other. The good news for Ravens fans is that Ryan likely will not be calling the defenses, so the best defensive coordinator in the league won’t ever have the scheme or quality of defense he had here in Baltimore. His replacement, Greg Mattison, is a safe choice. You knew it had to be a Harbaugh hire, and would have to be someone in-house with the unique defense and personnel on that side of the ball. Moreover, in order to persuade Lewis/Suggs/Scott to return you had to have someone at the top they would like and respect, and they have that in Mattison. I doubt he will be a great defensive coordinator in the traditional sense, or he would have been offered an NFL coordinator job earlier. He has only been in the league for one season, either for lack of interest or lack of production, but I don’t anticipate that will be a huge problem- he will take input from the veterans and if the group stays intact there may be a slight dropoff in the defense, but it may not be noticeable if the offense is able to hold onto the ball longer.

There is word that he wants to blitz more, and while I am not sure that is possible, I wouldn’t buy much into it anyway. I have seen a lot of coordinators hired, and I have never once heard any of them say they want to blitz less. They all say they want to be more aggressive, attack the quarterback, etc. Once they are in the booth and are worried about those short crossing routes, we see how committed they really are to sending the house.


The Team
Nothing yet, but it is coming. The move not to franchise Lewis was a good move; he is just not worth that much on the free agent market to merit it. Remember how tough it was to move Jason Taylor? And he was a defensive end (perennial position of need on many clubs) and reigning defensive player of the year! Ray just would not get that kind of money. Hopefully he knows it. I can’t see a scenario where they let Lewis go, not after what he has meant to this franchise. There isn’t even an Aaron Rodgers situation here that would merit pushing out the face of the franchise. Terrell Suggs has suggested that he, Bart Scott, and Ray should take hometown discounts to stay together, and Scott made similar remarks earlier in the season, noting that when players leave this scheme they tend to have less success with other clubs. I certainly hope they are genuine sentiments, but they will not settle for pennies on the dollar, and I don’t blame them. The Ravens will be in a real crunch this season, with Jim Leonhard and others also looking at other clubs. I doubt Leonhard will want to stay if he has a shot at losing his job to a healthy Dawan Landry, so Baltimore may have to pony up a respectable contract offer or make him some promises in order to keep him. This will be a dicey free agent market for the Ravens, and they won’t even have to look past Owings Mills to keep it interesting.

Rex Ryan To Become Jets Head Coach

The Associated Press is reporting that Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will be the Jets head coach next season. Many had speculated this would happen once the Ravens season was over, and now it has happened. All three Ravens defensive coordinators in history have moved on as a head coach, the first two being Marvin Lewis to the Cincinatti Bengals and Mike Nolan to the San Francisco 49ers, though Nolan no longer retains his job.

Ryan has spent the last ten years with the Ravens starting as a defensive assistant then becoming the defensive coordinator in 2005. He has always been a popular figure around here as some even wanted him as head coach when Billick was fired. Even when he wasn't chosen here or for any other potential jobs, John Harbaugh asked him to stay and Ryan was a huge help to him all season. The Ravens defense has been great as always this season, being in the top-3 in nearly every category, and he has garnered respect from most of the players.

This now bodes the question, who will be the new defensive coordinator? Normally the Ravens tend to look in house for the defensive coordinator. There is not one standard for the Ravens, as Lewis was brought in at the start of the franchise, Nolan was a former defensive coordinator of three other teams, and Ryan has found in house. But the job is a valuable one, as the Ravens are always known for defense.

We here at Around the Harbor wish Rex Ryan the best in New York. Don't let all that Brett Favre nonsense cloud you, that is what cost the last coach his job.

(Photo credit: NY Daily News)

Christmas Comes Early for Maryland Sports Figures

Even though the economy is down (understatement, I know, but bear with me), we here at ATH have a wealth of generosity in our hearts, and an overabundance of the giving spirit this time of year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (please comment if you celebrate Kwanzaa, I have yet to meet someone who does), you must agree that our Maryland sports figures are in need of gifts as much as anyone else. Here are some gifts we had in mind for our favorite (or least favorite) athletes, coaches, and executives…

Michael Phelps: Acting lessons for a year. Trust me Michael, or have you not seen that episode of Saturday Night Live yet?

Joe Flacco: Eyebrow trimmer/tweezers. Those things are out of control, and with his success this season he has to look good for those offseason interviews.

Ralph Friegen: A blindfold. That way, he won’t know whether the Terps are playing a good or a bad team that week. I know it isn’t on him, but I couldn’t very well give them to the players!

Nick Markakis: A contract extension. No joke here, get this man his extension before his price tag goes through the roof- the cost of this great player is only going up with time.

Cal Ripken Jr.: $398 million. That is the value of the Baltimore Orioles according to Forbes. Yes, Peter Angelos has given up some of his power to Andy MacPhail, but the man is still in charge and still has the final say over what this team does. Am I the only one who sees a time bomb ready to blow up this rebuilding project? Buy it, Cal.

Andy MacPhail: 2 starting pitchers. It is the least we can give him, though it might be tough just to get one.

Rex Ryan: A head coaching job. I want him to stay as badly as anyone, but if you need a motivator and a leader, this is your guy.

John Harbaugh: A candy cane. I know the offense seems to be reverting, but someone please tell coach it’s okay to smile sometimes, even to Ray. Maybe that’ll help him cheer up some.

Gary Williams: A big man. Braxton Dupree can’t seem to play his size, and in a wide open competition, no one else was able to set up. He needs a big man who can play up to his size and occasionally score.

Mark Teixeira: A Nationals uniform. Look, I don’t want him elsewhere in the division, and I am not sure that the money on him couldn’t be spent better elsewhere. Let him lose 90 games a year for 3 years, then opt out, then maybe sign with the O’s when they are good again.

Ed Reed: Defensive Player of the Year Award. Just give it to him already. Right now.

Dave Trembley: Position prospects in the minors. It won’t do him much good right now, but he’ll thank me later.

Daniel Cabrera: Nothing. I think Baltimore already gave him everything they could, including way too many chances to be successful.

Good luck shopping everyone!

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 28, Browns 10

The word of the game is... vintage. Vintage Ravens football, that is. Utilizing strong defense, a power running game, and capitalizing on turnovers. Certainly there were differences from the old formula, after all the quarterback didn’t lose his composure and the team didn’t rack up stupid penalties. This was a fantastic game if you were a Ravens fan, as they were able to rebound from a 10-7 halftime deficit to land a convincing 28-10 victory. The defense shut out and shut down the Browns offense in the second half, picking off Derek Anderson three times and harassing him constantly. The Ravens successfully rode their momentum to steamroll the Browns in a game that the Ravens very well could have lost considering the lackluster first half performance and failure to capitalize on early drives. This team showed a fire and passion that hasn’t been seen in Baltimore for some time.

Offense - Overall Grade: B
Quarterbacks: C+
Joe Flacco finished the day 13-19 for 129 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Don’t let that line fool you into thinking Joe Flacco had a terrible game; he only made one truly terrible decision, and the other interception was on a flea flicker (although he should have run with the ball or thrown it away because the defense didn’t bite). At the end of the day Joe still showed excellent poise under pressure and had a command of the offense. The yardage and attempts are limited because Flacco was asked to do very little in the second half as the defense and running game took over.
Running Backs: B+
Perhaps I’m being generous in this grade, as this unit struggled to gain consistent yardage in the first half. The running backs get a B+ grade primarily from their dominating performance down the stretch. La’Ron McClain has burst onto the scene as an outstanding power runner who can dominate the fourth quarter. As with the Cincinnati game, he was the closer in the fourth quarter. This unit also accounted for three touchdowns, the most impressive of which McGahee’s five yard touchdown in the first half to put the Ravens on the board.
Wide Receivers: B-
The receiving corps was not involved much at all in the game past the first quarter, and non-existent after half. This was significantly dictated by the flow of the game, but the lack of production sticks them at B-.
Tight Ends: C+
Another lackluster game from Todd Heap, although he was able to catch a couple of balls for 32 yards in total. Ravens fans have to wonder when Todd is going to break out of this uncharacteristic slump, as he still left a number of plays out on the field.
Offensive Line: A-
I thought that this unit did a very impressive job, especially in light of the Browns’ impressive defensive front. The Browns were desperate for a win and threw a lot at the Ravens, and the offensive line did an excellent job by and large of containing the Browns’ pressure. Joe Flacco had good time in the pocket throughout the game and they dominated the Browns up front in the second half. It looks like this young and talented line might be starting to gel.

Defense - Overall Grade: A
Defensive Line: A
Get used to this letter; I’ll be using it a good deal for the defense. The line seemed to get stronger as the game progressed, freeing up the linebackers and steadily shrinking the pocket for Derek Anderson.
Linebackers: A
Each of the linebackers contributed something of their own to this game. Terrell Suggs had two sacks; Jarrett Johnson blew by Joe Thomas for a key sack on third down; Ray Lewis had the hit of the day on Kellen Winslow leading to an interception. And I left out Bart Scott who is more and more looking like the ’06 Bart Scott, shedding away last season’s disappointment.
Defensive Backs: A
To explain how good this unit was, I need to only read one stat line: Derek Anderson – 14 of 37 (37.8%) for 125 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and a 22.9 quarterback rating. Braylon Edwards was held down to only three catches for 27 yards, and Anderson’s lone touchdown came on a screen pass to Jerome Harrison. Jim Leonhard stepped up big-time for Dawan Landry, who is in all of our prayers after his on-field collision.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: B
Kicker: C
Stover was 0-1 on field goals, and although he did successfully kick away from Josh Cribbs, some of his kickoffs were too short and led to excellent Browns field position.
Punter: B+
Sam Koch averaged 48.7 yards on three punts, and did an excellent job of directional kicking to limit Cribbs’ opportunities for a big return.
Returners: A-
Jim Leonhard. What can you say. This backup strong safety earned his paycheck today, not only in filling in for the injured Dawan Landry at strong safety, but in returning punts and kicks all game for Yamon Figurs (inactive (hamstring)). He averaged 26 yards on three kick returns, and 21 yards on a punt return. That’s pretty special.
Coverage: A
The coverage team contained one of the best returners in pro football, along with opening up big lanes for Jim Leonhard. Another plus; only one holding penalty for the game, keeping Leonhard’s excellent returns intact.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A
Offensive: A
Cam Cameron continues to impress with this offense. Like in Week 1, Cam managed his rookie quarterback very well while not coddling him and allowing him to make plays. There was a very good use of in-game adjustments, and the choice to go for it on a couple of key fourth downs helped to give the offense confidence and put the game away. The coaches also recognize that they have a ‘closer’-type running back in La’Ron McClain and they know when to put the game on his back in the fourth quarter. This coaching staff has given the offense a killer mentality for the first time in Baltimore history.
Defensive: A
Vintage Rex Ryan yet again in both drawing up and managing the defense throughout. Although not quite as impressive as Week 1 against Cincinnati, the defense wore down the offense in the second half and not the other way around. Rex Ryan is showing what he can do with some healthy starters.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) – Ed Reed – There are many choices, but the vote goes to Ed Reed for his interception return for a touchdown which broke Cleveland’s back in the third quarter.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) – Joe Flacco – Egh, it’s terrible for me to say this, because he didn’t have a terrible game and he showed good poise. However, he did give the ball away twice and was unable to capitalize on a couple of long drives. For a rookie quarterback in his second game he played fine, but if I have to choose an LVP, I have to choose someone.

Bonus grade:
Intangibles: A+ - The fire and camaraderie that this team showed was absolutely inspiring. Keep in mind that the team was trailing at the half, and the Browns had capitalized on opportunities while the Ravens could not. After Dawan Landry went down at the end of the first half, the group could have lost its composure. Instead this team came out with immense passion and showed something special. Harbaugh has this team in excellent shape.

(Photo Credit: AP)

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 17, Bengals 10

The word of the game is... surprising. Pleasantly, that is. The headline from this game certainly has to be the impressive performance of Joe Flacco in his Ravens debut, but his performance is only one of several impressive performances which can give the Ravens fans hope for both current and future success. The coaching was superb as this team came out of the gates fully ready to play. Cameron did an excellent job managing Flacco, by putting him in good situations while still showing confidence in not ‘coddling’ him. The defense? Outstanding, unbelievable. To hold the Bengals to three offensive points, and Carson Palmer under 100 yards is a mightily impressive task, especially considering the health issues with his top two cornerbacks. If McAlister and Rolle were still feeling the effects of injury, it certainly didn’t show.

Offense - Overall Grade: B
Quarterbacks: B
As a straight grade the performance was not spectacular, but pretty good. For a rookie quarterback starting his first NFL regular season game, it’d be hard to deny the boy an A. However, to judge objectively Flacco did miss several open throws particularly when rolling out of the pocket. He’ll have to be able to command the intermediate to long routes if this offense is going to win games in which the defense isn’t so dominant. The most important thing that Joe Flacco did today was take care of the football; his decision making was by and large flawless through the game. He looked calm and comfortable in the pocket, and did not appear phased by any of Cincinnati’s blitzes. Tangible improvement game-to-game has been Flacco’s biggest strength since he made his preseason debut. And by the way, the boy can move.
Running Backs: B+
Were it not for Ray Rice’s fumble that led to Cincinnati’s lone touchdown I’d be very well tempted to give this group an A+. Rice was otherwise consistent and showed good vision and toughness. La’Ron McClain dominated the Bengals down the stretch. Lorenzo Neal punished defenders and opened holes, not to mention a nifty screen catch and run in the third quarter. Each one of these backs caught the ball out of the backfield fairly well.
Wide Receivers: B
This unit was by and large consistent in catching the football and made the plays that they needed to make. There were some timing issues that must be worked out between them and Flacco, and Demetrius Williams’ lack of playing time in the preseason showed as he was a non-factor in the game. Oh, and there was a perfectly executed double reverse that ended up being a 42-yard touchdown run for Mark Clayton.
Tight Ends: C-
A major disappointment in this game was Todd Heap, who played one of the worse games in his career. He had an early fumble and let a touchdown pass through his hands, which is not what you expect from one of the finest tight ends in the league.
Offensive Line: B+
This unit was far more cohesive than I think any of us could have expected. They wore down Cincinnati’s line from start to finish and gave excellent protection for Joe Flacco. They certainly weren’t perfect and, yes, they were playing against a Bengals defense that only had 22 sacks all of last season, but I can only judge on what I saw. And I saw some very good things.

Defense - Overall Grade: A
Defensive Line: A
Haloti Ngata was an absolute beast, and the rotation of Bannan/Douglas at the other DT spot was able to make up for the void left by the absence of Kelly Gregg. While the defense certainly is better with Gregg, they proved that they’re still formidable without him. They controlled the line of scrimmage, putting pressure on Carson Palmer and stifling Chris Perry.
Linebackers: A+
This unit was in total command from start to finish. Bart Scott was particularly impressive, coming out of the gate strong to prove that last season was a fluke. More than anything else this unit was fully aware and was almost never caught out of position. The accounts of the Ravens Defense’s death have been highly exaggerated.
Defensive Backs: A
There were a couple of mistakes, but those mistakes (that can at least be seen by the common viewer) can be counted on one hand. The McAlister pass interference calls were not egregious (at least the first was not) and the secondary played clean otherwise. When you hold Carson Palmer under 100 yards and make Houshmanzadeh and Ocho Cinco (that is his name…) to relative nonfactors, you’re doing something right. And Ed Reed didn’t hurt his shoulder, so we can all take a big sigh of relief.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: B
Kicker: B-
Stover was 1 of 2 on field goals and 2-2 on extra points. His made field goal was 21 yards but missed badly on his 47-yard try. Perhaps on this grade, he’s a victim of his own success. He has set the bar very high for himself.
Punter: A
Koch was outstanding all day, averaging 48.2 yards on five punts; you can’t ask for much more from your punter.
Returners: A-
The numbers on Yamon Figurs (14 yd average on 4 punt returns) don’t tell the full story. Figurs made excellent decisions in when and when not to field the punts and had a 71-yard return negated by a questionable block-in-the-back penalty.
Coverage: B
The coverage team was decent but gave Holt far too much room on kick returns, allowing him a 44-yard return and an average of about 30 yards per kick return. The blocking for Figurs was average and they did an exceptional job covering punts.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A+
Offensive: A+
Cam Cameron was able to successfully perform one of the most difficult acts in all of football; manage a rookie quarterback in his first professional game. He didn’t put him in tough spots. He allowed his quarterback to make adjustments at the line. He employed the no-huddle when Flacco started to hit a rhythm. Mastko also did a masterful job with the offensive line as they were almost always on the same page despite only being together as a full unit for a few weeks.
Defensive: A+
Rex Ryan was on his game this week. Carson Palmer was consistently harassed, his players were consistently in the right position to make plays, and if the defense ran the same play twice I sure as heck didn’t notice. His best work in a long time – and that’s saying a lot.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) – Joe Flacco – I’m fairly certain/hopeful that this will be the first of many times that Mr. Flacco will be the MVP. He was in command, made good decisions, and surpassed any reasonable expectations for a rookie quarterback in his first start. As Expatriate has accused me, I must admit, I’m ‘Wacco for Flacco’.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) – Todd Heap – I’m fairly certain/hopeful that this will be both the first and last time Todd will receive this dubious honor. He dropped an easy touchdown pass, and fumbled the ball on the second play from scrimmage. Certainly not up to Todd’s standards in any way and I don’t think that we’ll be seeing a similar performance again this season.

One final note regarding John Harbaugh, head football coach of the Baltimore Ravens:
There has been some talk about how this football team would react to Harbaugh’s different style and tougher attitude, and it looks like the critics are being proved wrong. The image of the supposed ‘prima donnas’ on the defense (Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Ed Reed among others) giving Harbaugh a water jug shower and universally embracing him is the image of the week. John, I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful marriage between yourself and the city of Baltimore.

(Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun (Gene Sweeney Jr.))