Ravens:
Ravens win on D and do enough on offense to post the Must-Win Win. I am not sure how much of this was the Ravens winning, versus the Jets failing, which they did miserably. Any decent QB behind center for the Jets, and this result would have been very different. Four trips to the red zone ended with 3 FG and an INT. Not good, by any standards. Bottom line: Playoffs start Thursday. A Ravens loss virtually eliminates the Ravens who will be 3 games behind Cincinnati in the loss column for the division lead and a virtual 2 games behind the steelers (due to head to head sweep) with only four games left. There is only 1 wild card spot at stake, and a loss would be a mountain too high to climb.

Ravens:
Ray Rice finally got running against the 31st Rush Defense in the league. It wasn’t enough. 2 turnovers and the inability to punch the ball into the end zone with 30 seconds left from inside the 5 did us in. Don’t get me started about the 2 hour delay that blew a storm front through Chicago, and all the momentum out of our sails. Flacco’s trademarked inconsistency, and our inability to move the ball on the regular basis continued to plague us in what is becoming one of the worst defenses of a Super Bowl title. With that said, we are 1 game out of a wild card spot, and one analyst figures that when push comes to shove, it will be us or “them.” And we don’t want “them” making an appearance. Our job is clear now: Win at ALL cost.

Ravens:
Winnings games you shouldn’t is a good sign. The Ravens had no right to be leading 17-0 at half time, and no right to win that game, alas, they did. Mike Preston (Baltimore Sun) said the game should have ended in a tie because no team deserved to win is pretty accurate. The Raven’s defense stumped Cincinnati, and the Raven’s offense stumped themselves (again). How much longer can we tolerate an incompetent running attack? Our 2 touchdown drives were the result of a 48 yard pass interference call, and short field turnover. In a must win scenario, this awkward win saved the season for now. The Bengals are only 1 game ahead of us in the standings, and with a rematch set up for the last game of the season, our future is still in our hands. One final note, the Ravens have the 3rd worst offense in the NFL right now as they continue to go in the wrong direction.

Ravens:
Well, after 11 straight wins, I guess Cleveland is entitled to win one. That aside, we weren’t meant to win that game. It was obvious from the (bad) late hit call for hitting a diving quarterback, that a win was not going to happen. Once again, we failed to run the ball, or pass with any consistency. We are not done yet, but a loss to Cincinnati on Sunday will pretty much kill us. Every game is a must win from here on out. No excuses.

If you look at the best defenses in the league, you will once again notice that the AFC North has 2 of the 5 best D’s in the league. But who authorized Cleveland and Cincinnati to occupy those spots? Probably the same bozo who authorized the inverted standings.

On another note, the Ravens officials who control M&T Bank stadium have started lobbing retaliation shots at the Orioles and the city of Baltimore for failing to move the Orioles game so the Ravens could open the season at home. While the NCAA is entertaining bids for Lacrosse final four locations over the next several years, M&T Bank stadium authorities have failed to submit a bid because, “They can’t be certain it won’t interfere with the Orioles Schedule.” This is just sour grapes, because if the NCAA Lacrosse Finals weekend is on the calendar now, the Orioles would have to work around that when forming their schedule. The Ravens need to get over it. The world does not revolve around the NFL.

Ravens:
We didn’t lose! And actually, we gained a little with the Browns and steelers losing. The Ravens signed Free Agent Running Back Bernard Scott to strengthen our backfield with Rice and Pierce nursing injuries. This weekend starts a string of 8 must win games, but Cleveland will be no cake walk. Jason Campbell put up good numbers against an undefeated Kansas City Team, only losing by 6 points. In our first meeting in Baltimore, the Ravens depended on 2 second half touchdowns to post a win, but this time it’s in Cleveland, where they seem to bring extra venom for some reason.

Ravens:
We SUCK. Can you find a more descriptive term? We gave up gobs of yardage on the ground to a team that averaged 60 yards a game, we still can’t run the ball, and pass protection still had it’s lapses. Our pass rush bordered on non-existent, and we once again posted only mid-teen on points. It’s a bye week, and Harbs has some asses to kick for 2 weeks. Losing to the steelers is inexcusable with the way their season has been going. We need answers, and we need them now, because if a trip to Cleveland doesn’t right this ship immediately after the bye week, it’s going to be a long 2nd half to this season.

Ravens:
The Ravens inability to establish themselves on offense produced this loss. A heavy dependency (again) on a passing attack using yet to be proven receivers because the running game went no where cost the Ravens the game as was exhibited on the 4 failed running plays inside the 5 yard line that resulted in a turnover on downs. More creativity needs to be employed to open up running holes and to protect Flacco from more punt-like INTs (last week), and the sack-fumble at the end of the first half which gave them a second chance at those 3 points they just conceded to us on their previous possession with the wide right kick. The fumble and the failure to punch the ball into the end zone cost us the game. Not to mention, our pass rush put up 3 early sacks on Rodgers, but then failed to produce another one throughout the rest of the game. This was another game that will haunt us down the road, but not as much as next weeks matchup could. The trip to pittsburgh is a MUST-WIN to maintain pace within the division, and to squash any dreams they might have after their first win last week against the Jets. A loss will virtually tie us with them, with both teams sporting 4 losses on the season.

Ravens:
A Raven’s Win! What is more important? Miami proved that they need an offensive line by giving up 6 sacks to the Ravens to lead the league in sacks allowed, while the Ravens are getting false hopes in their ability to run the ball. Suiting up only 3 WRs, the Ravens resigned Brandon Stokely today after cutting him on Saturday in a strategic move (?) that brought in an extra TE that we did not use. The Ravens are obviously in a high stakes poker match, trying to get the right personal on a per game basis, and they are going to need it this weekend against the ever dangerous Aaron Rodgers, who could mimic the week 1 debacle in Denver, if the Ravens can’t find a to tighten up their secondary, or further increase pressure on Rodgers, which could also be disastrous given his ability to throw on the run.

Iggy’s Baltimore Sports Report – September 24, 2013

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
News article today told story of a 24-year old Annapolis man who was hit by a truck bicycling to Miami to complete his 30 ballpark charity tour.

Ravens:
Another shaky offensive performance, but this time bolstered by a pick-6 and kick return TD. The Defense has not allowed a touchdown since Peyton Manning scorched them for 7 TDs in week 1, meanwhile the offensive struggles are centered around an inability to maintain a rhythm on offense. Penalties were a major issue on Sunday, but the Texans set a record of their own for penalties, so it might have been partially attributable to some early flag-happy referees. Pierce did OK substituting for the injured Ray Rice, but holes are not being opened.

I would put Rice at 50/50 for next weeks game against Buffalo. Jacoby “Sweet Pea” Jones is trying to recover his humility.