Ravens:
I think the diaspora has finally dissipated. The Offense lacks a go-to receiver, and the defense is in runes… or is it? Pete Prisco on CBS had an interesting article outlining what we lost, and what we have to replace the holes. His summary is that we will be okay, and I feel the same way. We do have money available, and we have pulled in a few lesser free agents, but all in all, the only thing we really need right now is a go-to receiver (I guess we were too quick to trade Q), and McKinnie to sure up the front line, because without that front line, Joe is just average, and not Super Bowl MVP.

Ravens:
With Flacco now the highest paid player in the NFL, the Ravens need to fill in the pieces around him. Next up on the priority list is Ellerbe, who could command significant dollars on the open market, but has expressed his desire to stay in Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Ravens are trying to negotiate a pay cut for Boldin. If unsuccessful, the Ravens would release Boldin, who has already stated his intent to retire if that does happen. The bigger implication is the loss of a “go to” receiver for the Ravens, that is not easily filled. Other free agent news has Cary Williams on the market, Ed Reed still in limbo, and Paul Kruger heading for the exit. Restricted free agents Pitta, Dickson, and Art Jones have been tendered contracts, but if the Ravens want to keep Ellerbe, they will have to do more acrobatics, which may include the release of Vonta Leach, and/or restructuring contracts of big names, like Ngata, Suggs, and Yanda. That is fine and dandy for 2013, but only amplifies future salary cap problems (see the stealers for a prime example).

On Monday, Joe Flacco will sign a long term deal with the Ravens that will make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, but if the deal doesn’t include Bryant McKinnie, we won’t get our money’s worth. It was the addition of McKinnie to the O-line at the start of the playoffs that finally gave Joe the time to throw and be the elite quarterback, albeit for 4 games, that he claims he is. Traditionally, the year after a huge contract signing (6 years, $120.6M) is a huge let down. Retiring Ray Lewis and Matt Birk freed up $6M in cap space, but more must be freed to keep us a contender. If Flacco was under a microscope before (Remember, I keep calling him “Average Joe Flacco”), the next several seasons will amplify the magnification on him, as he now tasked with proving he is worth of every dollar now being paid to him.

Ravens:
Well, with Joe Flacco’s head swelled larger than the Good Year Blimp, things are going to be tough next season. The kind of money Joe is asking (over $20M/year, to make him the highest paid QB in the NFL), will put us further into Salary cap hell. Ravens really can’t negotiate with other free agents until Joe is settled, which is supposed to start taking place this weekend. Options are to use the restricted Franchise tag (worth about $14.6M, but other teams could make him an offer, and we would have to match), use the unrestricted franchise tag (worth just over $20M), or sign him to a long term deal. Obviously, the latter is preferred, and I would recommend giving him a ridiculously long contract (8 or 10 years), with a base of $17M this year, which goes up $1M or $2M per year, and tag on a big signing bonus. That would give us wiggle room in the future. There are other complications that can arise, like Flacco protesting the Franchise tag, and having to cut several key players to make salary cap space, but first things first, we need to make “average” Joe, well above average.

Ravens:
I can finally say it! Team of Destiny. 4th and 29: That was the first sign. 70 yard TD to Jacoby Jones with 30 second left in Denver to send the game to overtime: That was the 2nd sign. But now, with the game on the line, the defense kept Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers out of the end zone, and the moniker is official. Team of Destiny. Only 1 team in the playoffs was an underdog, and won. The Ravens did it. Not once. Not twice. But three times they were underdogs, and came out victorious. And if you thought winning the title was remarkable, then came the victory parade! Un-bliev-able hon!

Now, bask in the glory that comes with drafting 32nd in the league, because all hell is about to break loose. It’s what we in the business call “Salary cap hell.” Flacco’s agent is demanding that Joe be paid the highest of any quarterback in the NFL. Joe put all his eggs in one basket, hoping for a big payday at the end of the season, and he is probably going to get it. But at what cost? Joe made $8M in 2012. A Restricted Franchise tag would earn him $14.6M, and an unrestricted franchise tag will earn him almost $20M. Peyton Manning only gets $18M (not including his commercials). With a salary cap of $120+M, Joe figures to make 1/6th of the entire payroll, which doesn’t leave much room for the other 52 guys, and that pinch is going to come soon as key players are going to be cut, or let walk in the coming weeks. Outside analyst put Boldin and Jones as potential candidates to be released from their contracts. Ed Reed is a free agent already rumored to be going to NE, and, the Ravens figure to only be able to keep Kruger, Ellerbe, or Williams on defense. I tried to figure out what will happen, and I got a headache. This is why Ozzie gets paid the big bucks. This is why Ozzie has headaches. This is why our GM is collectively referred to as the Wizard of Oz. Ozzie, go work your magic, because now that we have tasted that sweet success, we want more.

Ravens:
With all the success of the Ravens, and human interest stories of how we got there, what does the media hone in on? Ray Lewis and the double murder charges of 2000 in Atlanta, and a publicity stunt by SWATS to claim that he used banned PEDs to recover and take the field. First of all, the double murder is 12 years ago. He did his time for obstruction of justice, and paid off the family of the so-called victims (true victims wouldn’t have found themselves in an alley fight). ’nuff said there. Now, with regards to the Deer Antler Velvet Spray, here is what I have summarized from the whole stink: There are small amounts of IGF-1 in the live antlers, but by the time the antlers get processed, little to no amount of the hormone can be passed on in pill or spray format (confirmed by JHU professor); There is no reliable test for the substance because it is so similar to a comparable human hormone; the players have not approved any test that might produce a positive result in this area. Long story short, this story came out of Boston after the Pats lost the AFC championship game, in what appears to me as a publicity stunt to get alternative natural medicines on the radar. I’m done with it. Move on.

Now that this “distraction” has taken over, Ray Lewis has been the center of attention (his preferred location), allowing everyone else to stay relatively low and focus on what they are in New Orleans for in the first place: prepare for the biggest game of their lives. Going by the Stats, the Niners have a better Defense, and the Ravens have a better offense. Flacco is currently on a post-season tear that ranks among the top 6 performance all time by any quarterback in the post season. If he can continue that progression for one more game, he will not only have back up his claim as being an elitest quarterback, but he will probably have the Super Bowl Ring to back it up. The Ravens have guaranteed that Flacco will be back with Baltimore next season, and the only question at this point is if it will be as a franchised player, estimated to be worth about $14.6M, or signed to a long term deal. I’ll discuss this more in the coming weeks.

Two weeks off is a long time to wait, but it does allow both teams to get healthy before the big game. Unfortunately, it can also destroy momentum. Current Vegas odds are still favoring the Niners by 3+ points, which suits the Ravens well, still carrying the “No Respect” card. Raven players have presented themselves more relaxed and comfortable in their surroundings then the Forty Niners, which could mean… just about anything. I predict a good game. Look for the Ravens to present a balance attack with runs and passes, with Flacco periodically testing the cornerbacks and stretching the field. On Defense, they need to be wary of the versatility of Kaepernick, and shut down gore. The real x-factor in the game will be special teams: The Ravens are certainly built to break one loose with Jacoby Jones… but the coverage team is almost as apt to give it right back. Anything goes, but GO RAVENS!

Iggy’s Ravens Report – January 23, 2012

News & Commentary

Ravens:
Unbelievable… Again! The Ravens are going to the Super Bowl. Let me say that again: The BALTIMORE RAVENS are going to the SUPER BOWL! We exorcised the ghost of Bob Irsay. Then we conquered the man, myth, and legend known as Peyton Manning (and the A-hole GM John Elway >*spit*<), and now, we defeated our own failures of years past. We earned this trip. We pulled ourselves together at the perfect time: the playoffs. By how, after 16 games, did we rise above the inconsistency that has plagued us for, oh…um… 5 years? There are many answers to that question. First, it is Caldwell. Jettisoning Cam Cameron was a long time coming. Caldwell understands quarterbacks. He understands Flacco. He understands how to use the weapons we have and build a plan around it. Next is getting healthy at the right time. Our "starting" defense didn't take the field at the same time until the playoffs, and now it shows what we can do. Thirdly, it is Bryant McKinnie. We renegotiated his contract to start the season with a bonus for snap counts and then benched him until the playoffs. He was the missing piece of the offensive line that has given Joe the time pick his receivers, and not settle for one in a panic. These are a few of the many factors that have come together at the right time, and given us a chance to become legendary, once again.

Well, now that we are here, can we finish what we started? Can we send Ray Lewis out with the biggest bang possible in this league? The answer is simple. YES WE CAN. But we need to find new motivation. There is no Irsay, Elway, Manning, Lee Evans, or Billy Cundiff to overcome now. If anyone, it is the San Francisco 49ers who have a chip on their shoulders. They lost the only previous meeting of two brotherly Head Coaches in NFL history 16-6 on Thanksgiving night just over a year ago. They have a very passionate head coach, and a 2nd year quarterback who continues to find ways to win. In our corner, is the winningest quarterback in the NFL over the last 5 years, an emotional Ray Lewis, and a 4+ point “underdog” rating to stoke our fire. We have experience, and are the only underdog team to have won this post season, and we’ve done it twice thus far. So, can we do it? We have the heart and we know what it takes. No it is only a matter of execution. Just take a few extra minutes in practice on special teams, please, or I’ll have to talk about another type of execution.

Ravens:
Unbelievable! That’s the only word I can come up with. In the 4th longest game in NFL history, the Ravens enter the come 9+ points underdogs and beat the top seeded Broncos on their home frozen turf. In a game that the Broncos literally gave away by failing to take this game and the Ravens seriously, Flacco hit 3 homeruns, and Corey Graham picked off 2 Peyton Manning passes that are sure to give him nightmares for months to come. The 2nd rates Broncos defense dared Flacco to beat them on deep balls, and he did. With time outs left and Manning as their QB, the Broncos twice let the clock expire instead of trying to drive for points. Finally, in something that should NEVER happen, Jacoby Jones got behind the corners AND the safeties for a 70 yard touchdown with less then a minute left. How do you obtain a #1 seed, and make those kind of mistakes and errors? Simple: You didn’t take your opponent seriously. After all, you just pounded their rotting dead body in to their own home turf a month earlier. The path was paved, but they walked on the grass: The frozen grass.

Now, after excising the demons of Irsay and Elway, the Ravens find themselves 9+ points underdogs again, this time to nemesis New England, where we have to go deep into our souls to remove our own demons from last year: Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff. Their memory, and it will be brought up every day for the next week, is what stands in the way of our destiny. What will it be Ravens? You are where I never thought you would be all season long. Prove me wrong again and take us to the show!

PS – Who says Suggs is a gimp (2 sacks), and Ray Lewis (17 tackles) is washed up and should have retired well before this year? Keep calling them that, and you will find yourself gimpy and washed up… and, so help me, if Dan Dierdork is broadcasting the AFC Championship game… … … I better not finish that thought.

Ravens:
Despite horrific officiating, the Ravens found enough luck to advance to the divisional round of playoffs by giving up 400+ yards of total offense, but keeping the colts out of the end zone. Ray Lewis lead the team in tackles, and showed great heart in his last home game with the team, while Ray “flu-like Fumble-itis” Rice should have had a few less carries. The next order is much stiffer, as the significantly underdog Ravens travel to Mile High Denver to face arch-nemesis Peyton Manning, who just schooled us last month. Hopefully playing with more heart and determination, the Ravens will need to depend on more big plays on offensive against a defense much better than Indy, and continue to shut down the opposing QB.

Ravens:
In a virtually meaningless game, the Ravens lost to the Bengals, on an afternoon where both sides rested key players to get healthy for the playoffs. Next up is the Colts on Sunday afternoon, where a healthy diet of Rice and Pierce could go a long way to making the next round of playoffs in either New England or Denver, since Houston collapsed worse than the Ravens in December… In other news, Ray Lewis announced that he will retire at the end of the season.