Iggy’s Ravens Report – December 18, 2012

News & Commentary

Ravens:
After 3 straight games of “Win and you are in” Division clinching matches (that we lost), the Ravens backed into the playoffs, thanks to the virtual pick-6 that Ben threw against Dallas in overtime. That’s right. pittsburgh put us in the playoffs. Now, back to our game, pass protection stank and running game never got running. The defense, despite their injuries, looked good for a while, but losing the time of possession battle did them in. If Flacco wants to back up his claims of being elite, then he can’t fumble the opening possession, and then throw a 98 yard pick 6, which forever changed the complexion of the game, turning what could have been a 10-7 half-time deficit into a 17-0 flop.

This week, Joe goes against the guy he is most apt to compare himself to: Eli. Both QBs numbers of the last several seasons are extremely comparable with only one glaring exception: Eli has a pair of Stupid Bowl rings, and Joe only has tidy bowl rings. This game can go either way with both teams sucking on Defense thus far this season, and both offenses have been as consistent as a random number generator. This game means more to the Giants, because a loss could toss them out of the playoff picture, where as Baltimore is already clinched a playoff spot, but are pushing for that ever elusive home playoff game.

Iggy’s Ravens Report – December 11, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
I hate deadskin fans almost as much as stealer fans. Week 16 game against the Giants has been moved to 4:25.

Ravens:
In a gutsy, late season desperation(?) move, the Ravens finally parted ways with Cam Cameron, after several heated exchanges between Harbs and Cameron on the sidelines of the deadskin game. Marked by repeated inconsistency on offense, Cameron had lost the support of the players, and finally the Harbaugh and the owner to prompt his removal and the promotion of Jim Caldwell (no, not Bob) as the new offensive coordinator. Caldwell stays as Quarterbacks Coach, leaving open the speculation of whether or not this is a permanent change, a temporary fix, or a trial period. Some have speculated that an off-season move will be made to bring in Norv Turner (Offensive Genius, but head coaching flop) next season. With Cameron trying to force an offensive scheme on the Ravens, Caldwell (Peyton Mannings former mentor, and head coach) has already demonstrated his charismatic flair with the players, and appears poised to develop a game plan more around our assets, then around his own personal agenda. This will be Caldwell first job as an offensive coordinator. A revision of the playbook is not necessary, as Cameron is expected to revive the no huddle offense, and
leverage plays already on paper, but seldom used by his predecessor.

The Pats demolition of the Texans last night virtually assures the Ravens of NOT getting a first round bye. A playoff berth can only be denied via collusion between the stealers and Bengals by virtue of a Week 16 tie, which would otherwise be unlikely. The Ravens hold tie breakers over both teams, regardless of the final three games outcome. Of all the possible playoff scenarios, the simplest is that a win gives the Ravens the division title. This will be third straight week that such a scenario has been possible.

This week, we face a hot Broncos team that has finally gotten use to Manning as their QB. Suggs and Lewis are expected to be back on the field, and will desperately be needed in an attempt to end Peyton’s 8 game personal win streak over Baltimore. Without sufficient pressure on Peyton to make bad choices, he will carve us up like a Thanksgiving Turkey. All he has to do is watch how 2nd and 3rd string QB beat us the last two weeks, and they will have to give him a drool bucket. Despite all our short comings, the Ravens seem to find a way to stay in most games, but what is important now is finding a way to win games and regain some confidence. This is our house. Let that be known. Let that be heard.

Iggy’s Ravens Report – December 4, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
Can’t think after Sunday.

Ravens:
In the worst loss of the season, the Ravens loss to third string quarterback Charlie Batch, failing to lock up a playoff spot, and, worse yet, failing to push the stealers out of the 6th playoff spot giving them renewed hope, after their demoralizing loss to Cleveland last week. As it has plagued us all season, the front line failed to open up holes and protect Flacco, the defensive front line failed to put sufficient pressure on the quarterback, which then exposed the holes in our secondary, which were more glaring on Sunday then they have been all season. Play calling was once again horrible, as we failed to leverage Rice when we needed him the most. On a nationally televised game, we not only showed the country we are not an elite team, but truly the benefactors of a soft early schedule. If you think this is bad, just wait. With RG3, and the Manning brothers on the schedule, we may be hard pressed to win the 2 more games required to clinch up the division, and a home playoff game, never mind the first round bye. Washington is a trap game, and we can’t get in to a shoot out with Griffin. Last time I checked, he was among the league leaders in completion percentage, and can really do a number on us if we are not prepared… and to add insult to injury, Suggs has a torn biceps, but plans to play through it, further neutralizing his effectiveness.

Iggy’s Ravens Report – November 27, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
Regarding Maryland’s move to the Big Ten, I consulted a few local experts, and after the initial shock wore off, they think it is a good move, and actually wish it was happening sooner. They are already tired of hearing “ACC” chants from opposing fans.

Ravens:
After floundering the first half, as we are used to seeing the Ravens virtually dead on the road, the offense came alive in the 2nd half, thanks to a tired(?) Charger Defense, gutsy pass plays by Flacco, creative running by Ray Rice, and possible a little help from the officials. After in depth analysis, I think the refs got the 4th and 29 conversion right, although the ball placement is very suspect both on the previous first down marking and the readjusted location. The defense has improved as young guys are maturing quickly, and having Suggs back on the front line adds a significant element for opposing O-lines to prepare for. Special teams may be subject to some turmoil in coming weeks as David Reed has been activated off the PUP. Ray Lewis is expediting his return and could be back as early as week 15. With a win on Sunday, and a Bengal loss, the Ravens would clinch the division title, but Cincinnati is playing at San Diego, and we know what they have to offer. Roethlisberger says it’s killing him to watch from the sidelines, and he claims he will try to play on Sunday against the Ravens, but we’ll have to see what the medical and coaching staffs have to say about that. 1 game is not more important than the man’s life if that dislocated rib is not completely healed. The stealers still hold the distinction of the number defense in the NFL, and the Ravens still need to get more creative and consistent on offense, otherwise this will be another close slug-fest. Running the rookie up the middle on 4th and 1 will not get the job done when the entire universe knows what’s coming. Fake the hand-off and send Joe on a naked bootleg to the left, with a TE emergency valve cutting across the middle. They would have gotten the 1 yard, and possibly a TD. No one was covering that for SD.

Iggy’s Ravens Report – November 21, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
In a surprise move, bucking 60 years of history, Maryland announced that they will be moving to the Big 10 for the 2014. This will be beneficial for Football Basketball, Baseball and Soccer, but detrimental to Lacrosse. The Big 10 will reported pay the $51M ACC separation fee, and Maryland stands to make $24.7M in broadcasting revenues (as opposed to the ACC’s $17M), with an anticipated increase to somewhere in the mid-$40M within 5 years. Lacrosse will suffer, no longer belong to the ACC. The Big 10 has no organized lacrosse league with only a handful of schools fielding teams, insufficient to hold a conference tournament and well short of the requirements to establish an automatic NCAA bid. Maryland could join an associate league, like the ECAC (Loyola) in Men’s lacrosse, or just play independent. Most notably, Maryland may suffer on the recruiting front without their ACC alliance with perennial powerhouses such as Duke, Virgina, and North Carolina. And, of course, leaving ACC buys local law enforcement about 10 years of riot-free route 1 traffic, without the twice a years Duke basketball games!

Ravens:
The Ravens did not win on Sunday night as much as pittsburgh gave the game away. The stealers failed to run the ball, left in an obviously injured Leftwich, failed to manage the clock, and lost the turnover battle. The Ravens, on the other hand, failed to produce any semblance of offense. Granted pittsburgh has the number 1 ranked D in the NFL, we still had no game plan AGAIN. The stealers made our defense look good. An injured 2nd string QB was rather ineffective, and the return of Suggs had the stealer O-line so confused, they didn’t know how to stop Kruger from breaking free. That pressure covered for the holes in the secondary, although the reserve players covered the field well. This week, the Ravens will need to do more against a better offensive team that isn’t running around like a chicken with it’s head chopped, as pittsburgh was doing on Sunday. Rivers will dissect us given the chance, and these west coast trips also seem to revive the twilight zone (No, not the cheesy teenage vampire books/flicks… we’re talking the realm where anything can happen.)

Iggy’s Ravens Report – November 13, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
College basketball has started with Maryland losing on the road to defending national champion Kentucky. Maryland started slow, but came out strong in the second half, and even took a brief lead late in the game, before losing by 3. Although a loss, it shows good potential to start the season.

Ravens:
In an effort to show we don’t always play down to the level of our opponents, the Ravens came out strong and kept pushing the envelope all game as they stretched the field, and proved opportunistic on special teams. Defense played tough, but still showed holes in the secondary. Despite the team record 55 points, the 3 take aways (to our 1 give away) plus the excess of Oakland penalties helped set the tone for the game. Unfortunately, an analysis of the stats showed that Oakland out-gained the Ravens, matched them in first downs, and won the time of possession battle. Rushing yards was very low against a team that allowed a rookie to gain 251 yards the week before. Although a lot can be said for a convincing win, the real second half of the season starts this Sunday night in pittsburgh (prime time, per usual) where a win will create a 2 game buffer in the division, and a loss will drop us to 2nd place. This must win game starts a nasty stretch of games that can make or break this season, despite our present #2 conference standing… all this drama, and THEY might not have Brainlessberger!

Iggy’s Ravens Report – November 6, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:
Towson is planning to discontinue their Soccer and Baseball programs, much to the chagrin of students and alumni… Loyola is favored to win the MAAC in Basketball this season, after last years trip to the NCAA tournament.

Ravens:
When the dust settles, a W is a W. Moving on to the next game, the Ravens are back at home where they have been nearly invincible lately, demonstrating their Dr. Jeckyl offense. This is a must win, as the remaining schedule could be rather nightmarish if we truly have not turned the corner. After a rookie RB posted 251 yards on Oakland last week including 4 runs of 40+ yards (first time since 1930), the Ravens should be planning a strict heavy Rice diet on Sunday. The defense did better last week, but remember that it was Cleveland. Peas called the game from the booth, and this may have marked a turning point in his coaching style as he was better able to see the field and provide guidance and adjustments. This game should be a win where the Ravens tune up the changes made during the bye week in preparations for back to back road games where the Ravens first travel to arch-enemy stealer country and then head to the west coast for a twilight zone game in San Diego, where it feels like we play (and lose) every year. With stealers regrouped and posting the leagues best defense (again) despite all the injuries, the Ravens need to find a way to keep their opponents off guard, and our defense off the field in coming weeks. The future starts now.