Ravens Roost 4

Ravens:
Who wanted that game less? In a game where both teams scored 25% 3rd down efficiency and 10+ penalties for about 100 yards, the steelers gave that game to us. Not only did they give us a 3 quarter head start, they also gave us 8 MORE points to start the 4th quarter to make sure it was enough, before the worst botched on-side kick in NFL history. Were they paid to throw that game? Unbelievable. In the end, we are in first place, and still can’t get the ball into the end zone. No, I don’t count a club record 95-yard catch and sprint as an offensive TD. That’s called a failure to tackle.

Seriously, what this game was about, was improving Ben’s record in games started after an injury to 2-6 by having the steelers run the ball into the jaws of death for 3 quarters to protect his surgically repaired leg, before throwing in the hat and dissecting our secondary.

Can this tiny bit of momentum get us through the rest of the season? Doubtful. Ineptitude on offense will lead to our eventual demise. We cannot continue to play like this and win. Next up: The Cursed Browns. Can we keep them 0-fer? Remember, this is their Super Bowl each year.

Ravens:
Great news! The Ravens are 1 game out of first and play the evil pittsburgh steelers for a share of the division lead. Bad news is that if we blow this opportunity, the team will be totally demoralized, 2 games out of first, and for all intents and purposed done for the season. Rumor has it that Ben will be playing, but I still think it is a publicity stunt to keep the Ravens off balance. We shall see.

In order to win, the Ravens generally need to play better in all aspects of the game. If they can’t figure that out this week, then start counting the days until Spring Training.

Ravens:
Good news or bad news? Good news is that we won’t lose next weekend. Bad news is that we still have half a season to watch this pathetic excuse for a football team. Offensive line isn’t holding. Flacco’s 2 INT led to the difference in the game. Our only touchdown was a failed punt by their kicker. At least our penalties were down.

Despite all these challenges, we are still only 1 game out of first, with the post-bye week must win game against the steelers. Lose that, and we might as well race Cleveland for a higher draft pick, although they have a health 3 game lead on us.

Ravens:
What more can I say. O line is not give time for Flacco to throw and the secondary ain’t worth crap. And the penalties? WTF? Is this a semi-pro team? This is going to be one long season if answers aren’t found FAST. As a side note, they keep changing Offensive coordinators, but the results aren’t changing. May, just maybe, the problem is the QB, and not the coordinator? Just thinking out loud. All this, and still only 1 game out of first. Only positives I can say is in the realm of wishful thinking.

Ravens:
The players didn’t seem to understand the importance of this game. Trestman out. Will it make a difference? After all the coordinators have rotated through, what is the one thing that remains constant? Joe Flacco. Average Joe Flacco. Love him. Hate him. Accept him. Your choice. In the end, his numbers are middle of the pack, and will always be so, and it is our near future. Change the O coordinator will hopefully push forward the concept of mixing up the offense to keep the D off balance, and running the ball when running is working. Long season ahead folks, and pitchers don’t report for a while.

Ravens:
Hindsight is 20/20. So, do you want those 2 critical decisions reversed? Quite frankly, given the same situation, I would do it the same way again, and expect different results. Anytime I score a touchdown, and have the chance to go for 2 and tie the game, I am going for it. Similarly, to accept a penalty and give them another shot at 3rd down knowing if they fail, it will be a longer field goal attempt or even be out of range, I am taking it. You have to depend on your D. If they can’t get that done (ultimately giving up 7 in this case), do you really deserve to win? These are the gutsy calls that separates .500 teams from winning teams. You have to make these hard decision, especially in the ultra conservation NFL, if you want to win. But your team has to deliver for you. Some times these choices pay off, and you are a genius. Other times… not so much. This week… not so much.

Now, the biggest game of the year. Yeah, the stealers are a big game, but do you actually expect this Ravens team to win the super bowl this year? Hope, yes. Expect, no. Therefore, you must have this local rivalry win to put those potato fans back in their place: the fryer.

Ravens:
Drama? You want Drama? We got your drama right here! Just as the guy sitting in front of me at the Orioles game was saying that we can’t win 2 weeks in a row on a game ending INT, we snag a game ending INT. Flacco was his usual inconsistent self. If it wasn’t for the 21 in a row, his numbers would have been horrible. Running game? What running game? Our defence came through, but what will they do against a good QB? I opponents for the first three weeks combine for a 1-8 record, and now we go up against a surprisingly 2-1 Raider team. PS: I still don’t think the place at the end of the first half was leveraging, but I will take it.

Well, it is what it is, and it all looks the same in the standings, which now has us alone after the stealers got their behinds handed to them by their cross state rivals. This week, the Ravens enter the game as 3+ point favorites, which is the standard home field advantage. Just goes to show that the odds makers don’t know what to make of us either.

Ravens:
That is the ugliest 2-0 I have seen in a long time, but this is Baltimore Football. Can’t win without drama, and boy did we produce some drama. Inconsistent offense, which a shaky streaky Joe Flacco, and non-existent run game; and a defense that was easily devoured if the pass rush didn’t get to the QB in 3.2 seconds nearly done us in. It is clear that beyond our defense front, there is wide open spaces, and I estimate that any quarterback worth his salt will wipe the floors with us. Special teams generated the sparks we needed with the Block-2 PAT which started are excavation out of our 20 point hole.

Next up is a toss up game against the Jags on the road. They are not the push over team of recent years, and could make us pay for incompetence. If the Ravens have aspirations of building on this 2-0 start, they need to find more receivers than Pitta, Wallace and Smith (and figure out how to run the ball goes without saying). Defensively, our secondary needs to get faster, or read the QB better to make up for the fact that they aren’t. Otherwise, they will become Swiss cheese. Hester, just keep on running (and hold on to that ball). Good things will happen yet.

After studying they statistics further, I reverse my pronouncement on Monday night: Ravens for the win!

Ravens:
The first win is under the built, but boy was it ugly! Other than a 66 yard touchdown reception, the offense sputtered the whole game. Fearless Joe Flacco looked anything but fearless, and mostly uncomfortable in the pocket and rolling out. The run game was weak, the special teams was anything but special unless you count their remedial status (special Ed?). The defense and the Bill propensity for flags saved our bacon on many occasions. I held my breath as Harbs went against conventional wisdom by taking points off the board when Buffalo was called for leveraging. In the end, it is what we are accustomed to in Baltimore: winning ugly.

Next up is a reeling (yes, already) Cleveland Browns team, who just placed starting QB RG-knee, on the 8 week DL. Line is the Ravens by 6.5, but expect us to play down to their level… Again.