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)

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 31, Chargers 26

The word of the game is... sweltering. The players on the field in Qualcomm were dealing with 100+ degree temperatures, and the game matched that in its intensity. The Ravens and Chargers played to a thrilling shootout; certainly all of Baltimore was sweating as the Chargers continued to slice the Ravens’ secondary through the second half. The Chargers had the Ravens on the ropes defensively; however the Ravens offense took the game over for the second week in a row. Joe Flacco threw for two more touchdowns and Willis McGahee added two more to match San Diego’s scoring.

But for as unorthodox as this game was for the Ravens, it did find a way to end in a classic fashion. With the Chargers going for it on fourth and two Ray Lewis shot through the line and crushed Darren Sproles along with the hearts of all Chargers fans in attendance. The secondary might’ve stunk up the joint this afternoon, but the Ravens’ linebackers are still alive and well.

Offense - Overall Grade: A
Quarterbacks: A-
Without Joe Flacco the Ravens would be winless at this point in the season. He has been able to not only manage the offense but bring it to an all new level for this franchise. No, he wasn’t perfect, but he did everything he needed to for the team to win. Flacco couldn’t find the deep ball today, but executed well on short ot intermediate throws. The one interception was more a result of a freakish jump off the line by Shawne Merriman than anything else.
Running Backs: A
Willis McGahee was absolutely brilliant, and was the stabilizing force for the Ravens in this game. Ray Rice continues to show vastly improved patience from last year which is allowing him to finally find some open running lanes. All three backs are starting material.
Wide Receivers: B-
This unit was unable to get any deep separation, which in turn took a key part of Joe Flacco’s game away. Still, Derrick Mason was his usual reliable self and Kelly Washington stepped up big-time for the Ravens and looks to be a huge contributor throughout the season. Clayton’s drop late in the fourth quarter was inexcusable and nearly cost the Ravens the game.
Tight Ends: A
Todd Heap continues his comeback tour, hauling in another touchdown and showing some of that athletic ability which made him a top-tier tight end before he encountered his rash of injuries. His leaping ability led to a huge pass interference call which set the Ravens up for a big score with what would otherwise be an incompletion (or worse). Still, the Ravens are looking for LJ Smith to come back from injury soon to free up Heap to get still more involved in the open field.
Offensive Line: B+
For a stretch, this group was absolutely dominant, taking advantage of a battered San Diego defensive line. Still, late in the game they weren’t able to assert their will when they needed it; if this group could just make that one more step up, this team can be something special. Oher already looks like an NFL veteran – and a good one at that.

Defense - Overall Grade: C+
Defensive Line: B+
This group was excellent against the run and got some good penetration, however they need to start finishing on some of those quarterback pressures. If Rivers was able to sidestep as many of the tackles as he did today, this unit will have its head spinning against Roethlisberger. The biggest key is for Suggs to show up, because he was nearly absent today when he should have thrived against the depleted offensive line of the Chargers.
Linebackers: A
From Ray Lewis to Tavares Gooden to Jarrett Johnson to Antwan Barnes (et al), the Ravens franchise just continues to find and develop the finest linebackers in the league. The entire linebacking corps had an excellent game, although it would have been good to see more pressure on Rivers (though the secondary made that more difficult). And speaking of which…
Defensive Backs: F
An abysmal performance. This unit was humiliated by a veteran quarterback and a corps of physically dominant receivers. Surely it was not for lack of effort; this group was just overmatched and embarrassed. The Chargers were able to throw away from Ed Reed all game, rendering him ineffective.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: A
Kicker: A
Steve Hauschka only had one field goal to make, but without that score the Ravens are most likely on the losing end of this game. His kickoffs were great, with the exception of the fluky out-of-bounds kick due to the returner catching it with a foot out of bounds.
Punter: A+
Sam Koch is an artist. Three of his punts were within the 10 yard line, and two were within the 5. Very very impressive.
Returners: B+
Chris Carr rebounded with a much better week on punt and kickoff returns. Still looking for him to break one, but this was a good start.
Coverage: B+
For the most part, Darren Sproles was contained on kickoffs. Prescott Burgess was a monster on special teams, and Lardarius Webb made a great save on a Koch punt to plant it at the one.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A-
Offensive: A
Cam Cameron had an excellent feel for the game this week. He had the run and pass balanced very well throughout the afternoon, and finally seemed to get a good rhythm going with how and when to use his three backs. It’ll be exciting to see this offense develop as the season progresses, because it’s clear that they’ve only touched the surface of their potential.
Defensive: B
The jury is still out on how this defense will fare down the line wit Greg Mattison at the helm rather than Rex Ryan. For this game it’s awful hard to blame the coaching staff for the horrendous secondary play; most of the time the players were in position to make plays, however they were just flat-out beaten. Still, they were gashed for the second week in a row…

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Willis McGahee– Like Todd Heap, he seems to be enjoying a bit of a comeback tour this year. He, more than any other player, seemed to recenter the Ravens’ offense when they needed it the most. He’s showing the vision, power, and speed which made him such a sought-after commodity by the front office when he was acquired. Two touchdowns to back him up don’t hurt either.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Fabian Washington– Quite frankly, he was the worst player on the worst unit in this game, so that’s why he has this dubious honor. He certainly was not alone in his struggles, but Foxworth had at least a few impressive pass defenses.

(Photo Credit: NFL.com)

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 Season Reaches an Abrupt Finish

The Ravens just got finished off by the Steelers tonight, in a tough and hard-fought battle sealed by a late Polamalu interception for a touchdown. Don't tell me this doesn't hurt, and don't tell me that the silver lining is the most important thing. We have all offseason to try to be positive on this season. I'm not going to write on here that 'well, we should be happy with our season' and 'there will be brighter days ahead'. Let's paint this situation for what it is. It stinks, it hurts, and that hurt won't be lessened by forced positivism.

The fact is the city of Baltimore had their hopes pinned on this team, and now those hopes have been dashed by the Ravens' most hated rival. What do us Baltimoreans have to look to now Around the Harbor? Terps basketball. Lacrosse. The Orioles.

On a last remark, our thoughts and prayers here at Around the Harbor go out to Willis McGahee. He battled hard and was certainly NOT the reason the Ravens lost.

Postgame will go up sometime tomorrow. (sneak peek : Jared Gaither is LVP)

Ravens-Steelers Preview, Part 3: Ravens Offense vs. Steelers Defense

Programming note: This is ATH's 250th post! Hoorah!

Much attention has been paid so far to the dominance of the Ravens’ defense during these playoffs, and it is much-deserved. Despite the yardage given up, they have only allowed 9.5 points per game in their two contests this season. While the Steelers weren’t quite so stingy last weekend, allowing 24 points on 3 Chargers passing touchdowns, this defense is still arguably the best in the NFL. Remember, this team has had almost the exact same schedule as the Ravens, yet their defense leads in all significant statistical categories over the Ravens. This may be partially aided by a better offense than the Ravens, but nevertheless it is impressive. They have not forced as many turnovers, but that is about it. It will take a very innovative attack to neutralize this pressure and allow Flacco the time he needs to deliver the deep balls that have become the staple of the Ravens scoring offense.

However, I do not like the over-reliance on the deep pass that Cam Cameron has instilled in his young quarterback. At the risk of being repetitive, it bothers me a great deal that Flacco has very few short routes to take advantage of on passing plays aside from a delayed dump-off to the running back for minimal gain. About midway through the season, Mark Clayton began hitting his stride and taking the short slants he was accustomed to catching to the house, burning secondaries along the way. Cameron took that and began to have Clayton go deep more often. Granted, this has been effective and has allowed the Ravens to get some big plays, but it has also made them unable to convert critical first downs. When the shortest route is a 15 yard out pattern to the sideline by Mason, that leaves the quarterback in the pocket for far too long and forces him to throw it away. Even Todd Heap is being used on deep routes over the middle of the field- he is good at it, but it is overworked to the point of taking away the types of throws that keep drives alive. As a result, the Ravens have gotten away somewhat from their ball-control offense and have limited their passing game to the point of predictability.

As anyone who watched the Dolphins and Titans game can attest to, the short passing game can complement a running attack that goes south to the point of extending time of possession and getting key first downs. Sometimes, on 3rd and 5 it is okay to run a 7 yard route. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Cameron has been calling 15 or 20 yard routes on those plays and exposing his quarterback to undue pressure. Some would counter that by citing Flacco’s relative inaccuracy with the football on shorter routes as the reason why Cameron has stuck with the deep throws he can make. Flacco’s problem is that he throws it too high on short routes, he puts a little too much on it and lays his receivers out. This is not too much that it should be taken out of the playbook. The Steelers defense will be watching the deep routes, and Troy Palomalu will be looking for an interception. Throwing in some short slants or out routes will play keep-away with the better DBs on the Steelers and extend time of possession for the Ravens. The Ravens won’t get past this contest with 9 first downs like they did against the Titans.

Keeping the Steelers defense on the field will be critical. As has been generously documented, the Ravens D is exhausted and if it is put in a normal contest between these two teams, they will break first. That is no slight to Baltimore, but they have fewer bodies to go around and have been playing for 18 straight weeks. Moreover, with Le’Ron McClain banged up and Willis McGahee struggling this season, the Ravens will need another option to come through big, possibly in the form of a rejuvenated Ray Rice. Rice has not played since Week 14 against the Redskins, and apparently could have carried the football for the last two weeks but the coaching staff elected not to. Prior to the Steelers taking the football and not giving it back to the Chargers, Darren Sproles had a surprising level of success against the Steelers through the air, with 5 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. However, on the ground the entire Chargers team only managed 15 yards on 12 carries. The Ravens must establish a presence in the middle of that Steelers defensive line, and if Le’Ron McClain is not 100% that will be incredibly difficult. Assuming he can run with his normal level of power, he should be able to duplicate his success from the last time these two teams met, when he ran for 87 yards on 23 carries. After he establishes himself with a couple solid runs, the Ravens would be wise to swing Rice out or run a screen to draw the defense in and spread them out. Pittsburgh will be putting 8 in the box and daring Joe Flacco to throw. That doesn’t mean he has to throw deep or has to do anything miraculous. Sometimes the easy throw is the right one. If Rice is successful on one or two screen passes, the defense will be forced to check for it on every play, and it may add just an instant of hesitation, which will be all McClain needs to find the hole and make a play.

Unfortunately, the Ravens signal caller had a career-low 22.2 passer rating during the Ravens 13-9 loss to the Steelers in their second matchup of the season, in which Flacco threw 2 interceptions and completed only 11 passes for 115 yards, the second-lowest number of completions and the lowest yards this season. All this despite his being sacked only twice all game. “Joe Cool” will have to bounce back, as Pittsburgh clearly saw something that they could exploit. Going into the game, the Ravens had scored 36, 34, and 24 points in their previous 3 games. Against the Steelers, they mustered only 9 points and while they came painfully close to the endzone 3 times, each time they had to settle for chip-shot field goals. If any of those field goals is converted into a touchdown, they have a whole other ball game. The Ravens will not win this game on field goals alone, as the Steelers know how to put the ball in the end zone when they have to. Baltimore runs the ball an astonishing 80% of the time in goal-to-go situations (that is, 1st and Goal, 2nd and Goal, etc.). This week they will have to put some faith in their quarterback to make the throw at the goalline, because I doubt the Steelers will be relaxing on the run game. Play action passing has been very good to the Ravens in completing deep passes downfield, why not at the goalline?

The Steelers defense is menacing. They will apply pressure at any opportunity (the team is 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 51 on the season) and stack up against the run. They don’t care what people have said about Joe Flacco’s calm demeanor and easygoing state of mind, they want to rattle him and make him realize the gravity of the game he is playing in. They won’t rattle him, but they could force him into throwing the ball away or not having enough time to recognize the coverage. Flacco has been incredibly diligent these playoffs in holding onto the football and not throwing interceptions- but unless he has time in the pocket, he may not spot that trailing safety before he lets go of the ball. Moreover, unless the Ravens have a legitimate threat of a rush, the Steelers will ignore a gimpy McClain and go after Flacco. The Ravens offensive line has been adequate this year, but they won’t be able to stop a pass rush with reckless abandon for the run. The key for the Ravens will be to establish a variety of offensive approaches- short routes, screen passes, etc. that avoid the biggest threats of the Pittsburgh defense and can neutralize their ability to react quickly to the play. Then, only then, can Flacco air it out and hit big.

Ravens-Steelers Preview, Part 1

Well this has certainly been the more hyped matchup (as expected), and Steelers-Ravens is always a game to watch. First there were bragging rights on the line. Then there was the AFC North Division Title on the line. And now there is a Super Bowl berth on the line. If the first two games are any indication, this will be one hell of a game- if anything, we will see our share of injury time outs. I cannot believe that the Ravens are in the AFC Championship game, it is absolutely incredible as a Ravens fan that they have gotten this far. As last week, we are going to have a much more involved preview session for playoff season. Here is our schedule for the next few days:

Today: What I’m Wondering
Friday: Steelers Offense vs. Ravens Defense
Saturday: Ravens Offense vs. Steelers Defense
Sunday: An Extended Rundown with Predictions

What I’m Wondering:

Will Flacco stay unflappable? Will he stay upright?
Joe Flacco was sacked 5 times in the Ravens first matchup against the Steelers. He was only sacked twice the second time around. However, he also happened to throw 2 interceptions and only complete 11 passes en route to throwing for only 115 yards- his 22.2 passer rating was worst for his rookie season, including the playoffs. I am not certain what the Steelers saw in the tape, but it is likely that without those interceptions the Ravens might manage a touchdown or at least hold onto the ball longer than the first time around. Joe Flacco will not only need to be competent this weekend and not make mistakes, he will have to make plays for the Ravens to win. And not just the occasional bomb to Derrick Mason, either. With the Steelers stuffing the box with defenders against the run, Cam Cameron will have to open up the playbook on those 3rd and longs to enable Flacco to have a variety of 1st down options- and it will be up to the rookie to complete them. Is Joe Flacco ready to win versus “not lose” a ballgame?

Which stellar defense will step up this week?
Well, while much of it was in garbage time, the Steelers did allow 24 points to the Chargers despite them being completely one-dimensional on offense. The Ravens allowed the Titans to rack up 391 yards and pierce the red zone 3 times, but forced 3 turnovers in their own territory and took advantage of a missed field goal to hold Tennessee to 10 points. It is hard to say which is better, and it is hard to say which one will perform better this week. The Ravens are banged up, worn out, and gassed after playing for 17 straight weeks. Also, they happen to be playing Ben Roethlisberger, who always seems to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the 4th quarter this season- and the Ravens, if the last couple weeks are any indication, will be out of bodies and out of energy by late in the game. Add in injuries to Samari Rolle, Terrell Suggs, and the mere presence of Corey Ivy on the field, and I can’t say the Ravens will outplay the Steelers. Even if the Ravens can throw on Pittsburgh, the Steelers are too well rested to get gassed in the 4th. Will the Ravens be able to overcome injury, aches, and pains to play in midseason form?

Which injury will hurt the Ravens the most against the Steelers?
This one is tough. You could make the case for Suggs, but I believe that the Ravens have linebackers in waiting who, while not as good as the Pro Bowl pass rusher, can still do a decent job- there is not as huge a dropoff in talent as there are at other positions. Samari Rolle will be a tremendous loss if he cannot play, but only because it would wind up with Corey Ivy as the nickel back. I don’t want Corey Ivy on anyone, much less an underrated receiver like Nate Washington. Believe it or not, I am going with Le’Ron McClain. Against the Steelers, the biggest need on offense is for a running back who can punish the Pittsburgh defense as much as they punish the running back. Last weekend McClain was running like a big back, but not a powerful back. He wasn’t getting a push at the point of attack, and whatever was wrong with his ankle really showed. I am sure he will play this week, but if he cannot drag defenders or hit the lane with determination, the Steelers will drop him right at the line. I am more comfortable with our depth on defense than on offense- I don’t trust Willis McGahee to carry the load this week and be successful.

Ravens-Titans Preview, Part 3: Ravens Offense vs. Titans Defense

Much is made of the dominant tackles the Ravens sport along their defensive line, but even they must pause and admire what the Titans have been able to accomplish with their own pair of All Pros in Albert Haynesworth and Kyle VanDen Bosch. Those two players have helped anchor a defense that, despite their absence for stretches of the season due to injury, still managed to register 44 sacks on the season (10 more than the Ravens) and limited opponents to 94 yards per game on the ground (only 13 more than the Ravens allow). And in case anyone is wondering, they will be back from injury in time to make a huge impact on this game. The playoffs is a time when injuries seem to magically disappear over the week. Adrenaline kicks in, and caution is largely thrown to the wind when the player or coach has to make a decision that could determine whether the team makes it to the next step towards the Superbowl.

As much as that adrenaline kicks in however, it cannot overcome the wear and tear that comes with playing 16 games straight. Remember, the Ravens had that early non-bye week in Week 2 of the season, and has played every week since. Nicks and bruises are piling up, while the Titans had a later bye and got to enjoy a bye week as the #1 seed in the AFC. Why do I mention this in the Titans Defense preview? This team has also been incredibly physical at the line, forcing 23 fumbles this season, good for 2nd in the NFL. They are one of the few teams capable of matching the Ravens punch for punch, and with an extra week of rest one can expect more than a few of those hits to land. It will be essential that the Ravens establish an early presence at the line, hammering with Le’Ron McClain, who had a great amount of success in limited action in the first matchup with the Titans. McClain was given only 11 carries, but made the most out of them with 51 yards.

For all their success stopping the run, they are rarely tested with powerful inside runners like McClain. In the AFC South, Joseph Addai, Steve Slaton, and Maurice Jones-Drew (and even Fred Taylor at this point in his career) don’t pack the same punch that the 260 fullback out of Alabama does. In fact, his 4.9 yard per carry average against the Titans is his highest all season when he had 10 or more carries that wasn’t inflated by a long touchdown run (see: Cowboys game). The Titans will be keying in on him unlike the last meeting, but McGahee’s ineffectiveness against the Titans the first time around will likely not be duplicated, and we will be seeing a lot more of McClain. Tennessee will start the game with 8 men in the box, daring the Ravens to run the football. And they will. The first quarter will likely be a battle of wills to see who can control the line of scrimmage. Cam Cameron will not be afraid to send his bowling ball into the heart of the defense and see whether he can find a crack in that rested Tennessee line. Watch carefully at the center of that line. While he hasn’t been mentioned much in these previews this season, center Jason Brown could be the most important man in determining the success of this running game. If he can occupy one of those beasts in the middle of the line by himself, McClain will get enough of a hole to create a legitimate threat of a running attack. If he doesn’t, there will be a lot of weight placed on the shoulders of Joe Flacco.

However, as Falco put it to me earlier this week, “The Titans never got a dose of Flacco” in Round 1 of Ravens v. Titans. The passing game consisted of the re-emergence of Todd Heap (the tight ends on both teams had a great day) and a couple of unwise interceptions in Flacco’s worst game up to that point. Frankly, the Flacco that the Titans are seeing on Saturday is not the Flacco they saw back in October. And if that isn’t enough to get me the award for Most Obvious Observation, Tennessee looks to feed on his mistakes. While they were unable to register a sack on Flacco, the secondary forced 2 interceptions out of the rookie QB. This unit has been able to rack up 20 picks on the season, putting them in the top 10 in the NFL.

At face value, the secondary is not overwhelming with talent. Nick Harper was unable to hold onto his starting job with the Colts which landed him in Tennessee as their #1 corner, but he is not their greatest threat. Michael Griffin has had an outstanding second year in the league, registering 7 interceptions from the Free Safety position, but the real emerging star of this unit is Cortland Finnegan. In this 3rd year in the NFL, this 7th round pick has asserted himself as a solid second cornerback capable of keeping pace with any receiver on a weekly basis. His 5 interceptions are more than any other cornerback on the squad. With his speed and Harper’s experience, it is likely that Harper will be paired with Derrick Mason and Finnegan with Mark Clayton to try to eliminate the deep threat. Expect to see Griffin shade toward Clayton on those deep routes. Tennessee is well aware of Joe Flacco’s penchant for the deep ball, and will keep their ball hawks back to take advantage of a throw that is just a few feet off. However, if Flacco can throw the deep routes as he did late in the regular season- where either the receiver or no one catches it- the Titans could be waiting a long time for that turnover.

The key for the Titans, even more so than the Ravens, will be to apply pressure early on Flacco. They will look to rattle him as every team has tried this season, with the same theory that if they can get in his head they can take control of the game. Unfortunately for Ravens’ opponents, Flacco hasn’t shown that weakness just yet. I agree that the rookie makes unwise throws into coverage, but it is rarely because he is worried about the pressure behind him. The Titans are well aware that they failed to sack Flacco the first time around. They won’t just be keeping 8 in the box to stop McClain, they will be looking to break the pocket- and the Raven’s passing game. The Ravens rank around the middle of the NFL with 33 sacks allowed. The Titans’ defense ranks 5th in the NFL in sacks registered. Baltimore will have to do quite a bit to duplicate their performance from Week 5, and Ravens fans should not expect another perfect performance from the offensive line against a defense that will look to blitz a lot more than in their first matchup.

The Titans played it safe on defense in Ravens v. Titans Round 1, but that was because they could afford to. Joe Flacco wasn’t trusted to win any games, and the running game was still trying to find itself with Willis McGahee. This week will be entirely different. Look for some heavy and varied blitz packages from Tennessee, and a great deal more vertical passing from Baltimore to complement. The Ravens have a much more efficient offense than they did early in the season, but the Titans will have a much more aggressive scheme drawn up to match.

Ravens-Titans Preview, Part 1

Well, it is the middle of the week with the Ravens coming up against the Titans on Saturday, which means that from here on out you will have Ravens coverage every day up until and through the game. As I started to write the preview for this week, I tried to be as detailed as possible and quickly realized that this would be more thorough (and long) than any other preview I had written this season. I imagine that would be appropriate, given the magnitude of the game, but I don’t want y’all to have to sift through all of it the day before the game. We have decided instead to break things up, and show a little bit of the preview each day. Our schedule:

Today: What I’m Wondering
Tomorrow: Titans Offense vs. Ravens Defense
Friday: Titans Defense vs. Ravens Offense
Saturday Morning: An Extended Rundown with Prediction

And now, onto the preview, part 1!

What I’m Wondering:

Will Joe Flacco rebound from a poor statistical performance against Miami?
As I wrote on Monday, I was happy with what Flacco did against the Dolphins. He did just enough not to mess up the game and came close to making some big plays. He won’t have the luxury of just coming close against the Titans- he will have to connect. He won’t just have to avoid interceptions, he will have to throw touchdowns. Kyle Vandenbosch and Albert Haynesworth will test the interior of the Ravens offensive line again, and it will be up to Flacco to get the ball out of his hands and avoid drive-killing sacks. In Week 5, in his 4th career start, Flacco went 18-27 for 153 yards and 2 interceptions. That will not cut it in a playoff game. In his defense, he did avoid getting sacked, but that can be credited just as much to the offensive line. He will have to use that time in the pocket to make smarter decisions, and 13 starts later we should expect him to be able to do so. Flacco followed up that performance against Tennessee with a demoralizing debacle against Indianapolis. That will have to change this week for the Ravens to take a lead- the Titans will try to shut down the run. When they do, Flacco has to be ready to connect with his receivers.

Will the running game get started against the Tennessee defensive line?
This is closely related to the first point, but it is no less important. In Week 5, Willis McGahee was still firmly established as the team’s #1 back and he had the carries to prove it. Willis took the ball 22 times for 64 yards, while Le’Ron McClain carried half that number of times for 51 yards. This rushing attack is very different. Since Week 12, McClain has carried the ball an average of 22 times per game himself, while McGahee is averaging less than 10 carries per game in that span. Against a tough, massive defensive line, it will be essential that the Ravens establish an inside presence on the ground. Since the first matchup between these two teams, McClain has taken over the #1 back role and will certainly be featured heavily to bear down on the defense and take control of the game. If McClain can get rolling, it will set up excellent play action opportunities- but that is a very big if.

How will Kerry Collins handle the Ravens defense?
I am certain that this week Kerry Collins is watching a lot of film on Ed Reed. As much as Ravens fans would love to remember 2000 and expect Collins to fold against an aggressive pass rush, one needs to look no further than the 4th quarter comeback to see that the Titans quarterback still has what it takes to win ball games against the Ravens. While he threw 2 interceptions in that Week 5 matchup, he also delivered when it counted and took out the Ravens defense in the same way the Dolphins had success- underneath passing that exposes the gaps left by blitzing linebackers when safeties are playing deep. I don’t think Collins will be scared to pass the football, though he will avoid throwing it anywhere near Ed Reed. I expect the coaching staff to tell Collins not to try to be a hero against the best defensive player in the NFL (I don’t care how the voting went down). Collins will be playing with a chip on his shoulder, looking to exorcise some demons from the Superbowl all those years ago. He will not be easily rattled or intimidated. The Ravens will have to beat him, not just scare him into mistakes.

Playoff Report Card: Ravens 27, Dolphins 9

The word of the game is... confident. The Ravens were certainly not perfect on offense or defense, but their calm, collective effort suffocated the Dolphins in their first playoff game since 2002. Coming into this game the talk around Baltimore was that the Ravens would have no place losing to the Dolphins and fans were sizing up future playoff matchups against the Titans or Steelers prematurely. Miami still said the right things in that they felt they could make noise, but there was not that same conviction that has fueled the Ravens. That disparity showed itself today in that the Ravens did not blink in the face of adversity, and while Miami still made it a game they still stumbled notably under the playoff pressure.

For the Ravens, their effort was flawed to be sure. Joe Flacco was somewhat erratic, only completing 9 of 23 passes on the game, but he did not turn the ball over nor did he take a sack through the course of the game. The defense, while brilliant, did let Miami make sustained drives down the field in the third quarter. The running game was hot and cold, and its ineffectiveness through much of the second half put the defense in terrible spots. However, the Ravens overcame these flaws just as any great NFL team must do, and prevailed to a victory against a very competitive Dolphins team.

Hide the women and children. Baltimore is about to come crashing into Nashville.

Offense - Overall Grade: B-
Quarterbacks: B
Joe Flacco protected the ball well, but he was erratic throughout the game. He missed several wide open throws which contributed to the defense not getting a significant rest throughout the second half. Make no mistake, he must play better against Tennessee, but no, I don’t think that this is a case of the playoffs being too big for him. Joe was poised and made smart decisions with the football with the exception of one dropped interception in the first half. This young signal caller is the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game on the road.
Running Backs: B-
Le’Ron McClain ran fairly well today, but seemed slow in finding the hole and lost a key fumble on the Ravens’ opening possession. In the second half the Ravens needed this unit to step up a whole lot more and churn out first downs, but they couldn’t do it until late with McGahee’s big run. And speaking of which, I believe McGahee just made a strong case for getting the ball more often.
Wide Receivers: B-
Derrick Mason is an absolute star, a consummate professional. That being said, someone else has to step up in the passing game. Mark Clayton was open for a few big plays, and while Flacco missed on several there was one deep pass in which Clayton did not extend on what could have been a catchable ball. Marcus Smith has to stop being invisible.
Tight Ends: B
A big catch in the first quarter to set the Ravens up for a field goal, but also a big drop which stopped them from getting a potential touchdown. Todd Heap is working his butt off on blocking, particularly on the unbalanced line, and as a receiver. Expect the Ravens to draft at least one tight end come May.
Offensive Line: B
Not a terrible day by any stretch, but the Ravens really needed this group to assert itself in the second half in the running game and they just didn’t. Also, the procedure penalties in the first half were killer. Flacco was kept clean for the most part, and there were certainly holes that McClain failed to exploit, so the grading shouldn’t be too harsh on this bunch.

Defense - Overall Grade: A
Defensive Line: A+
The Dolphins’ running game was knocked out in the first quarter and never got back up. This is rooted in the success of the Ravens’ front, which controlled the line of scrimmage and got consistent penetration into the Dolphins’ backfield. Trevor Pryce played a monster of a game, and came close to several very big plays.
Linebackers: A
The famed linebacking corps of the Baltimore Ravens did not disappoint on this afternoon, as they shut down Ronnie Brown and the much-hyped Wildcat formation along with putting consistent pressure on Chad Pennington. Each of those four picks were influenced by the constant pressure of the Ravens’ front seven, and they deserve just as much credit for them as the secondary.
Defensive Backs: A
Were it not for the long Miami drives in the second half, this would undoubtedly be an A+. All week long the Ravens had heard about how the Dolphins never gave the ball away; so instead, the Ravens decided to simply take the ball themselves. Fabian Washington and Ed Reed had very strong games; by contrast, Corey Ivy set new lows for tackling in the secondary with his whiff on Davonne Bess resulting in a 45-yard catch and run.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: B
Kicker: B+
Matt Stover converted on his opportunities, but the kicks certainly did not inspire confidence. What was both uninspiring and ineffective was the performance of Hauschka on kickoffs, which certainly must improve.
Punter: A-
As always, Sam Koch put together a very strong performance, albeit not one of his best. He did pin Miami back on the 2-yard line once, and came close to pinning them deep on one other occasion but just missed.
Returners: B+
Is it just me or is Tom Zbikowski a halfway-decent return man? It’s a good thing too, because with Figurs reaggravating his hamstring, the Golden Domer is now the primary for the rest of the playoffs.
Coverage: A
A very solid day for the Ravens coverage teams; Miami had no room to run on returns, and the Ginn was kept in check all day. There was some success by Cobbs on kick returns, but he seemed to be the Ravens’ proverbial kryptonite in both offense and special teams on this afternoon.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A
Offensive: B
Cam Cameron put together a good, solid game plan; the Ravens held onto the football and kept Joe Flacco from getting hit too hard or asking him to make too many plays. Certainly there does need to be more consistent production from the offense, as the short-lived drives kept the defense from properly resting. I am somewhat surprised to not see more trickery today, but I certainly expect to see some next week against a far superior defense to Miami’s in Tennessee.
Defensive: A+
Rex Ryan had this group in the right mentality this week, and the Ravens were all over what the Dolphins wanted to do on offense. They controlled the line of scrimmage, stopped the running game before it could get going, and rattled Chad Pennington into coughing up the game.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Ed Reed–I know he gets this award constantly, but when he doesn’t deserve it I promise I’ll stop giving it! Reed picked off two more passes today, and returned one for a touchdown which gave the Ravens their first lead. His second interception closed the door on a drive that most likely would have resulted in a touchdown for Miami. Ed Reed is invaluable to this team.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Corey Ivy– I know he gets this award constantly, but when he doesn’t deserve it I promise I’ll stop giving it! Corey Ivy has neither the speed, nor the strength, nor the skills to be a nickel cornerback in this league. He is a liability in the secondary, and it’s only going to show more as the Ravens move deeper into the playoffs. p.s. I freely invite Corey Ivy to make me look like the idiot that I am by having a big game down in Nashville this coming Saturday.

(Photo Credit: Ed Reed(Gene Sweeney Jr/Baltimore Sun), Ray Lewis(Doug Kapustin/Baltimore Sun), Cam Cameron (Doug Kapustin/Baltimore Sun))

In Defense of Willis McGahee

As the Ravens prepare for their playoff game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Willis McGahee got in trouble for some comments that he made, including saying "I can't play for no one else but me" and "I'm used to competing, but with the injuries and whatnot holding me back, I look at it as a loss." He also has blamed injuries and the change in coaching philosophy for his lack of production. The Baltimore Sun's Bill Ordine has the quotes and thoughts on the situation.

McGahee's comments have reminded people of why the Buffalo Bills traded him, because he was publicly unhappy with the situation, and now with these comments, the Baltimore media is all over him now in a time where the Ravens are trying to compete in the playoffs. Some in the media, including David Steele and Peter Schmuck of the Sun have criticized McGahee for his comments, calling him "selfish" and "self-centered."

However, I do not believe McGahee's comments are as bad as they seem. I agree, this is probably not the right time to bring out comments like these. But you have to feel for McGahee. When healthy, he is an extraordinary talent. He has suffered injuries in the worst possible times, including a terrible knee injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl with the University of Miami plus his injuries this season, and he has to fight very hard to get back to playing shape. You cannot question his work ethic on the field; he puts 100% every game, and even though he has struggled, he still fights. His touchdown against Dallas was key in keeping the Ravens in command of that game, subsequently assisting greatly in the playoff race.

He has had four different head coaches in the last four years, including Mike Mularkey and Dick Jauron of the Buffalo Bills then Brian Billick and John Harbaugh with the Ravens, plus a number of different quarterbacks from J.P. Losman to Steve McNair to Joe Flacco and it is difficult to constantly change your system to accompany all the new things with a different head coach and a different offense. There has not been much consistency that McGahee can work with. Not to mention this season, it had to be hard seeing the Ravens draft a new running back in the second round after he rushed 1200 yards the previous season. We all agree that Ray Rice has done a good job, but in McGahee's shoes, that had to be seen as a blow to him.

McGahee came to Baltimore with a positive attitude, and he wants to compete. Of course he is going to be upset, he wants to help the Ravens out and be a good player. So he wants to play for himself, so what? Shouldn't every player want to be their best? McGahee does not have a good choice of words, but there is no question that McGahee wants to do well, and I doubt this will be a detrement to the Ravens. If this gets worse, then the Ravens will have to deal with it in the offseason, but for now, the focus is on Miami.

(Photo credit: NFL)

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 33, Cowboys 24

The word of the game is... gutsy. This is a cliché word, I know, but what else can you say? The Ravens came into a very hostile Dallas stadium on a historic night for the home team, and beat a team with, quite honestly, superior talent. This was not the perfect night for offense; the Ravens sputtered through nearly the entire game, failing to get into the endzone in the first half despite numerous opportunities. This wasn’t the perfect game for defense; there were significant coverage breakdowns that the Cowboys didn’t exploit and the defensive line was pushed around most of the game.

So what was so great about this game, and how did the Ravens win? The Ravens won with guts. They played hard, they played for each other, and they played disciplined. It sounds awful melodramatic to say that, but anyone watching that game could see the difference between the two teams playing. Both were sloppy in execution, but the Ravens had every man on the field playing hard each snap. Those intangibles trumped talent yesterday.

Offense - Overall Grade: B-
Quarterbacks: B+
Joe Flacco didn’t light the world on fire, but he certainly was poised. Flacco was battered heavily in the first half, as his offensive line allowed him to get mauled to the tune of five sacks. Occasionally Joe held onto the ball a little bit too long, and some of his passes sailed on him that could have been big plays. Still, Joe answered the critics claiming that he had hit the ‘rookie wall’.
Running Backs: B-
Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain had the highlights of the game with their 77 and 82 yard touchdown runs, respectively. Those two runs sealed the game for the Ravens, both responding to Dallas scores late. However, it’s important not to forget that this group got next to nothing done prior to those runs. Le’Ron McClain had a few good runs, but neither was reading the lanes particularly well. Hopefully McGahee’s excellent few runs down the stretch will propel him forward.
Wide Receivers: B
Derrick Mason. What can you say. The man played with one arm, played in pain, and ultimately made the key plays in the game. He recovered the Le’Ron McClain fumble, caught Joe Flacco’s touchdown pass, and converted several other first downs. His performance was a microcosm of the attitude the Ravens showed in this football game.
Tight Ends: B+
Todd Heap was excellent as a pass receiver, getting open several times down the field. Flacco wasn’t able to make a couple of key connections with him, most notably on a sure-fire touchdown to Todd Heap in the first half, but the point is that he got himself open and in a position to make plays. Heap got beaten very badly as a blocker; the assignments were tough but he has to make them for the offense to run. As I’ve said many times before, Quinn Sypniewski has been missed.
Offensive Line: C-
After the first half, make no mistake, this grade was a flat-out F, no doubt about it. They hung Joe Flacco out to dry, missed a key block on what would have been a touchdown throw to Mark Clayton, and opened up no lanes in the running game. However, this group was somewhat redeemed in the second half; they didn’t let Flacco get sacked and the late-game run blocking was brilliant.

Defense - Overall Grade: B-
Defensive Line: B-
The Ravens’ defensive front was uncharacteristically bullied around by the opposing offensive line. For much of the game even stalwarts like Haloti Ngata were getting pushed off the ball by the Dallas line. There was very little penetration in the running and passing game.
Linebackers: B
Again, an uncharacteristically poor performance, as there were several missed tackles by usually sound tacklers in Bart Scott and Ray Lewis. The coverage on flare patterns to the running backs in the flat was excellent, and the blitz execution was sound.
Defensive Backs: C+
They got lucky. Tony Romo missed an awful lot of deep throws that could have won this game for the Cowboys. Credit Rex Ryan for putting Tony off balance, but those lapses could have been devastating. Ed Reed, however, had a couple of interceptions and his big return on the latter turned into an unlikely late field goal in the first half.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: A
Kicker: A
Until the late runs, Stover was the offensive MVP of this football team. He made four field goals, accounting for twelve of the Ravens’ 16 points heading into the fourth period. The kickoffs were hurt somewhat by the deactivation of Hauschka for the game.
Punter: A+
Sam Koch was absolutely brilliant this night. He averaged a net punt of 46.6 yards (with a long of 61) and converted a fourth-and-8 with a 9 yard run out of a fake field goal. Sam Koch is the most underrated punter in football.
Returners: A-
Jim Leonhard was outstanding. Yamon Figurs was not. Just when it seems that Yamon might be back on track, he has this game in which he not only failed to produce field position on kickoffs, he almost gave the game away late with an inexcusable fumble. Jim Leonhard is getting better and better on punt returns; he doesn’t have blazing speed, but boy can he stop and start on a dime.
Coverage: B
Miles Austin got some good chunks on kickoff returns, and Adam Jones broke loose late for a significant return. Other than that the coverage was OK, particularly on punts. The blocking was decent on punt returns but certainly on kickoffs Yamon could have used more help; then again, he could have just missed the lanes so it’s hard to say.

Coaching - Overall Grade: A
Offensive: B+
This wasn’t a particularly good offensive showing, but Cam Cameron did what he could to move the ball against Dallas. The most important thing that Cameron did was to tweak how to attack the Dallas defense as the game went along. The reappearance of Troy Smith in the offense was a welcome sight, along with the use of the tight end screen and a couple option looks with Flacco. Against great pass rushes, Cam needs to start going to the short passing game earlier instead of letting his quarterback get beat up waiting for deeper routes down the field.
Defensive: A
Rex Ryan and his defense shut down the explosive Cowboys offense for three and a half quarters yesterday, and that was an immense accomplishment. Tony Romo was harried and confused for nearly the entire game yesterday. An excellent adjustment by Rex was to shut down the draw game that the Cowboys were running so effectively early in the game.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Derrick Mason– Not only was it his six catches and a touchdown, but his attitude. Derrick Mason was a warrior and embodied what the Ravens did last night. Undermanned, hurt; didn’t matter.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Corey Ivy– Yet again, he was the major weak link in the secondary and let some big plays be made over top of him. Late in the game, in the red zone, why do you let Jason Witten get behind you?

Postgame Report Card: Steelers 13, Ravens 9

The word of the game is... incompetent. The officials and the Ravens offense. Is there any other way to describe it? The officials don’t know the rules and certainly not how to enforce them, and the Ravens offense, well… I believe they were the definition of incompetence today. Joe Flacco couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn for most of the afternoon, and when he did put the ball on the spot receivers couldn’t hang on or were out of position to make the play. The passing game was never in rhythm, Willis McGahee looks like a shell of his former self, and were it not for the superb individual effort of Le’Ron McClain the Ravens might not have put up any points at all.

That being said, the incompetence of the officials is inexcusable. Unlike most of these offensive players, the referees have been in the National Football League for an awful long time. The penalty calls were horribly inconsistent on both sides. The use of replay was an absolute joke, on both the controversial touchdown and the Ravens challenge of a Pittsburgh first down. In the case of the touchdown the replays clearly showed that the ball was outside of the endzone even though his feet were in it, and yet the call was overturned to be a touchdown. And the other: third and one from the 29, no part of the ball carrier or the football gets near the thirty yard line, and every angle confirmed that. And yet, the play stood as called. It could be called highway robbery, but out of respect to the Steelers, I’ll just call it incompetence.



Offense - Overall Grade: F
Quarterbacks: F
Oooh. Ouch. I don’t like saying this about Joe Flacco, but I can’t lie, Joe played very poorly. The coaches did a disgraceful job of getting him in rhythm, as all of his early throws were deep and contested. Running some quick hitting routes could have helped him a good deal. But at the end of the day, Joe Flacco was slow in reading coverage, could not deliver an accurate ball, and for the first time in awhile really did not look confident. Arguably Joe’s worst game as a Raven – is he hitting the proverbial rookie wall? We’ll see.
Running Backs: C-
This might be a mite high considering the poor play of Willis McGahee and the inexcusable dropped passes, but Le’Ron McClain’s tough running was the only offense this group mustered. He didn’t get help from Flacco and got very little from his lineman. Le’Ron continues to be an outstanding workhorse for this team.
Wide Receivers: D+
A poor day all around, aside from a couple of good plays by Mark Clayton. It’s hard to tell from a television viewer’s perspective, but I have to think that the receivers could have done a better job getting open given how long Joe was hanging onto the football. And consider this: if Mason properly times his jump and catches the touchdown pass in the first half, are we even talking about these controversies?
Tight Ends: B
Count me as one who was very impressed by Todd Heap today, both in a blocking and receiving capacity. His work on the weak side of the unbalanced line has been the key to the success of that formation.
Offensive Line: D
The pass protection was pretty good, and Gaither and Terry both had solid games. The two false starts were killers, and this group absolutely has to do a better job run blocking. McClain found his yards on his own, the line did very little to help.

Defense - Overall Grade: A
Defensive Line: A
How can I grade them poorly? They controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game, shutting down the Pittsburgh running game and forcing Ben out of the pocket. Trevor Pryce and Haloti Ngata both came up big today.
Linebackers: A
Again, how can I grade them poorly? This group was absolutely brilliant in all phases of the game. They wrapped up on Ben Roethlisberger when given the opportunity, and they were disciplined in pass coverage. The Ravens’ ‘backers showed off not only their physical skill, but their mental discipline today.
Defensive Backs: B+
Fabian Washington played an outstanding game today, and for three and a half quarters this group was brilliant. However, the coverage breakdowns on Pittsburgh’s final drive were killer.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: A+
Kicker: A+
Stover was the Ravens’ offense, and he was perfect on his tries. Equally important was the play of Hauschka on kickoffs, as he put all but one kickoff in the endzone.
Punter: A
Sam Koch was his usual self today, getting good location and distance on his punts. This was a battle of field position and Koch helped the Ravens win the battle for most of the game.
Returners: A-
Jim Leonhard’s 43-yard punt return was fantastic, albeit somewhat ill-advised. Yamon Figurs started to look like his old self on kickoff returns, but one his second half kickoff returns could have broken for a big gainer if he had seen the correct hole.
Coverage: A+
If the Ravens won this game, the special teams would have been the decider. This unit was outstanding both in blocking and in coverage, downing two punts within the ten yard line. Pittsburgh’s long return off of the muff was an absolute joke, and I do not penalize the coverage unit for officiating incompetence.

Coaching - Overall Grade: B-
Offensive: D+
Yes, the players on the field were not executing correctly, but that’s no excuse for the end result. Cam needed to mix up the game plan somewhat, throw in some gadget plays to get something going. No, I’m not normally a big fan of them in big games, but with the offense running as it was I believe that gadget plays were necessary to loosen things up. The passing routes were altogether too long in developing, and there was little compensation for the blitz. If you want to know how to counter the blitz, just watch Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward in the two minute drill. Cam’s been an outstanding coordinator this year, just not in this game.
Defensive: B
Were it not for that last drive, and probably if the referees had gotten the call right and the Ravens ultimately kept the Steelers out of the endzone, this grade would probably be an A if not an A+. However, the breakdowns in that final drive were horrendous, and the decision to rush three and drop eight on every play was terrible. Why change your game plan when it matters the most?

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Le’Ron McClain– Listen, if I could give it to the entire defense I would, but if I’m only giving it to one player I’m giving it to Le’Ron. At the end of the day, if Le’Ron McClain isn’t on this team I have serious doubts as to whether or not the Ravens would manage even one score this game.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Joe Flacco– Oh, it hurts my heart to say it, but Joe looked awful today. He needs to make faster reads and his accuracy was sorely lacking today. The defense nearly carried him to a win, but even this defense needs a little more from the offense.

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 24, Redskins 10

The word of the game is... retro. This game can really be described as a reflection of the makeup of past Ravens teams. The offense was ineffective, but the defense shut down the Redskins and put the offense in position to score (not to mention putting up a score of their own). The revitalized offense did not, at least for the most part, show up in this game. The running game was inconsistent at best, and Joe Flacco had one of his more erratic games this season. The defense made up for those flaws, and held as best they could after the two second-half turnovers by the offense.

Hopefully the Ravens will not have to rely on their defense to win each of their games during the stretch, but I think all of the Baltimore faithful will take this one gladly.

Offense - Overall Grade:C-
Quarterbacks: D+
Joe Flacco had significant difficulty reading Washington’s defense, and was unusually erratic on his throws. Some of that can be attributed to the wind and poor conditions, but if the defense were not so dominant this evening there is no way his team would have won. The touchdown pass to Mason was severely underthrown, and the interception was not close.
Running Backs: C-
Willis McGahee, hurt or not, was terrible today. The Ravens gave him the start and gave him the ball often early in the game, but he could do very little with it. McGahee fumbled the ball twice, once recovering it himself and the second time losing it. Ray Rice came up with a couple of key plays, and Le’Ron McClain was a horse down the stretch.
Wide Receivers: B
Derrick Mason made an excellent adjustment on his 28-yard touchdown reception, and Mark Clayton had a solid game as well. There were very few opportunities for this group to make plays, as many of the passes were significantly overthrown.
Tight Ends: A
Todd Heap did an excellent job maintaining the weak side of the unbalanced line, and he reeled in two catches for 54 yards. All in all a tremendous day for Todd Heap, who seems to be gradually finding his place in this offense. His focus on the 30-yard lob pass was outstanding.
Offensive Line: C+
Not a bad day by any stretch, as Flacco had decent time in the pocket and the Redskins were not able to get consistent penetration into the backfield. I would have liked to see this group be able to open up more running lanes, as the Ravens’ backs did not have much opportunity to run successfully until later in the second half.

Defense - Overall Grade: A+
Defensive Line: A
Another excellent game, albeit against an offensive line crippled by injury. It still absolutely shocks me that Haloti Ngata is not near the top of the Pro Bowl voting for defensive tackles. If Albert Haynesworth is 1, Ngata is 1A.
Linebackers: A
Ray Lewis led the way with 13 total tackles, but each ‘backer played a part. I honestly felt a little bit bad for the former Terp Stephon Heyer when he was forced to block Suggs one-on-one.
Defensive Backs: A+
Ed Reed loves Sunday night.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: B
Kicker: A-
Matt Stover converted on a 32-yard field goal, and Hauschka performed decently on kickoffs considering the adverse conditions.
Punter: A-
It was a tough night to punt, and so it turned into a very modest day for Sam Koch. He averaged 41.3 yards on six punts; very good in these conditions, though under Koch’s season average. Good job of directional punting to set up the Ravens’ coverage units.
Returners: B-
Is Yamon Figurs losing his job? Again? Figurs returned a punt and a kick, but Jim Leonhard was also put in as both a punt returner and a kick returner, and came up with one very nice 25-yard kick return.
Coverage: B-
The coverage units were better today, but still far from where they need to be in my opinion. If the Ravens want to not only make the playoffs, but go somewhere in them, they need to button down their coverage. There is too much talent on this coverage unit for them to be letting in some of the returns that they do.

Coaching - Overall Grade: B
Offensive: C+
It’s hard to sugarcoat it: the offense was terrible today. The defense bailed the offense out of a very poor performance. Cam Cameron couldn’t find a way to get Joe Flacco in rhythm, and drives often ended before they could start. To his credit, though, he dialed up enough wrinkles in the offense to move down the field when they had to. Still, I have to wonder why Cameron is so reliant on the unbalanced line formation.
Defensive: A+
Rex Ryan had his players in position to shut down the Redskins’ attack, and were it not for a couple turnovers by the offense, he would have added another shutout to his resume.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Ed Reed–Three tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and a touchdown. I think John Madden had it right in summing up Ed Reed as the quintessential ‘ball hawk’. Okay, maybe he didn’t use the word quintessential…
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Willis McGahee– I hate to keep getting on one player, but Willis McGahee really does need to step up his game if he wants to keep his starting job. In the first half he had an unforced fumble that he (thankfully) recovered, which set the Ravens back to a second and 18 in the shadow of their own endzone. 11 carries for 32 yards and two fumbles is not acceptable for your starting tailback, or any running back for that matter.

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

Postgame Report Card: Ravens 36, Eagles 7

The word of the game is... suffocating. Both defenses were, for the most part, brilliant on this afternoon and suffocated the offenses. The Eagles consistently strangled Flacco’s movement in the pocket and choked the running lanes for Willis McGahee and Ray Rice, while the Ravens suffocated every aspect of the Eagle attack for just about the entire game. The difference was that the Ravens, aided by key takeaways, were able to get off the mat and put points on the board which quickly turned the game into a blowout.

But… what really can I say? It was a brilliant showing by the Ravens defense and the Ravens offense did what they had to do; namely, holding onto the football. But the Eagles, the Eagles are the national story. I mean, benching Donovan McNabb, the man who has guided your team for years and been one of the winningest quarterbacks in the NFL for the past several years?

OKAY, this is a Baltimore blog, so let’s talk Baltimore. The Ravens needed this win badly, especially after last week’s debacle in the Meadowlands. Sure, Philadelphia is no pushover but, based on the remaining schedule this really was a must-win for the Ravens. They have a wounded Philadelphia team at home with a loaded schedule against teams such as the Steelers, Redskins, and Dallas down the road. Flacco is happier than anyone to be out of these past two games; he has faced the two best pass rushing teams in the NFL and has kept his composure. Trial by fire, and he’s passed – not brilliantly, but he’s passed.

Offense - Overall Grade: C
Quarterbacks: C+
His numbers were not great, and his first half performance was pretty terrible as he got away with an easy interception which was dropped by a Philadelphia defender. Still, otherwise he made very good decisions with the football and never lost his composure. The touchdown throw to Mark Clayton was something special.
Running Backs: C+
La’Ron McClain was a horse. He was the only running back of the three who was able to get any success whatsoever on the ground and finished with 88 yards and a touchdown on only 18 carries. Rice and McGahee combined for 15 yards on 15 carries. Not all their fault, but they did have some opportunities for success. But, that’s the beauty of the ‘hydra’ running attack – you only need one of the three.
Wide Receivers: B
Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton made some excellent moves after the catch and accounted for 113 of Flacco’s 183 yards passing. It was hard to tell, but it seemed as if this group did not help out Flacco as much as it could when things broke down.
Tight Ends: B
Wilcox’s touchdown catch was one of the prettiest I’ve seen in Baltimore for some time, and I would like to personally say welcome back to Mr. Wilcox. Heap did a decent job in pass blocking and run blocking – there’s a reason he hasn’t caught many balls, and the Philly pass rush was a good reason today. The Ravens needed his blocking on the line – remember, the primary blocking tight end was Quinn Sypniewski. With his loss for the year (back in last spring OTAs), that moved Heap’s responsibility towards blocking as Wilcox is far more a receiver than a blocker.
Offensive Line: C
The blocking up the middle was OK, but the performance of this unit left much to be desired. They had trouble pulling on the outside runs, and the Philly pass rush gave them fits all game. The sack total could have been much worse if not for some nifty plays by Joe Flacco.

Defense - Overall Grade: A
Defensive Line: A
Controlled the line of scrimmage, shut down the run game. A decent push on passing plays, but not great.
Linebackers: A
Jarrett Johnson said hello to the world. Johnson was outstanding, but the rest of the group held up their end as well, getting a good pass rush and making strong tackles in the run game.
Defensive Backs: A+
Clearly you’re doing something right when you chase out one of the best quarterbacks of this century and then embarrass his young replacement. Four picks; one by Fabian Washington, one by Samari Rolle, and two by Ed Reed (who, incidentally, returned the pick 108 yards for a touchdown, a new NFL record). Most impressive about Washington and Rolle’s interceptions was that they were both on deep pass patterns in which the cornerback was on an island. Brilliant.

Special Teams - Overall Grade: D
Kicker: B+
Stover continues to set the NFL consecutive extra point record, clearing the 373 mark. Hauschka barely missed a 53-yard field goal, and Stover converted a 44-yarder.
Punter: A
Sam Koch was the hardest working man in football today. Yeah, he made one very poor punt, but I’m not gonna be the one to mark him down for it.
Returners: B
Figurs was decent, although he got away with one return in which he should have called a fair catch.
Coverage: F
Terrible blocking for Figurs, and they made Quentin Demps look like Devin Hester. On Demps’ return, he didn’t have to make a single move, and that’s troubling from a coverage perspective.

Coaching - Overall Grade: B-
Offensive: C
The Eagles pass rush was able to get to Flacco early, but for some reason they did not compensate by moving to faster developing routes. There was very little use of dump-offs, screens, draws, or quick slants in this game which only emboldened the Eagles to blitz more. The Ravens passed to one slant route all game; it resulted in a 53-yard touchdown because the Eagles were bringing (again) a blitz. Smart move by Cameron going with the hot hand in La’Ron McClain in the second half.
Defensive: A
When you do that to Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and company, you’re doing something right. In fact, you’re doing a good number of things right. I was convinced De’Sean Jackson would burn the Ravens for several big plays, and thanks to Rex Ryan’s defense I was proven very wrong.

And for my MVP/LVP...
MVP (Most Valuable Player) –Ed Reed– This is what big-time players do. Two interceptions, one for a 108-yard touchdown. When Philly was driving late the door was opened just a little bit. Ed Reed slammed it shut.
LVP (Least Valuable Player) –Willis McGahee– This is what big-time players don’t do. 7 rushes for 8 yards won’t cut it for your starting running back.

Bonus grade:
Andy Reid – F
I know, this is a Baltimore blog, but as an NFL fan I cannot believe what he did. This was a huge game for the Eagles, an absolute must-win, and he benches his quarterback who has led the Eagles to four NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. And who does he having coming off that bench? Kevin Kolb. A second year player with next to no NFL experience. You’re asking this kid to come off the bench, on the road, against the Baltimore Ravens, to lead your team from behind? Absolutely unbelievable. If you want to make a change next week, fine, but don’t do it mid-game down by only three.

(Photo Credit: Corey Ivy (George Bridges/McClatchy-Tribune), Daniel Wilcox (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun), Ed Reed (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun))