Everything to do with Ravens Roost 4
A day after losing 31-28 in OT to the Redskins, the Ravens fired Offensive Coordinator, Cam Cameron, and promoted Jim Caldwell (previously our QB coach … and Head Coach of the Colts) to the position. Here’s the link:
Brace yourselves … Peyton Manning’s coming to town this weekend!
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.
Roost 4 members @ Little Havana getting psyched for Sunday game! Go Ravens!!!
Ravens Roost #4 will host a tailgate party this coming Sunday, December 2nd, before the Ravens game against the Steelers at 4:15pm. The RV should be on the lot behind ABC Rental (corner of Russell and Hamburg Streets) around 10:00am or shortly thereafter. The grill and tables will get there 12:15ish. As always, please bring your favorite beverage and something to throw on the grill. Reminder … the lot will fill early this week with the Steelers in town … so plan accordingly! Hey diddle diddle, Ray Rice up the middle! Go Ravens!!!
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.
Reminder … Ravens Roost 4 meeting tomorrow night (Monday, November 26, 7pm at Jilly’s!)! We’re taking orders for embroidered merchandise, signing-up for our Holiday Party (Friday, December 7th), and … if you haven’t paid your dues for 2013 … last call! Go Ravens!!!
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.)
Ravens Roost #4 is now accepting orders for embroidered merchandise! Attached are a flyer with pictures of the items available and an order form that includes pricing. Orders must be submitted no later than Wednesday, December 5th, for delivery in-time for Christmas. Please either print the order form and deliver to Tom Thompson or e-mail your order to Tom. Money will be due upon delivery of your order.
Flyer: Roost #4 Merchandise Flyer
Order Form: Roost #4 Merchandise Order Form
Please contact Tom if you have any questions.
Ravens Roost #4 will hold its annual Cosmic Bowling Challenge to benefit Special Olympics Maryland from 8-11 AM on Sunday, December 9th, at the Normandy Brunswick Lanes on Route 40 in Ellicott City. Links to a flyer with more details and the registration form are below:
Flyer:Â Cosmic_Bowling_Challenge_2012
Registration Form:Â Cosmic_Bowling_Form_2012
C’mon-out all you bowlers! Let’s get a whole bunch of Roost #4 members & friends out for a great time and a great cause! The bar will be open! Contact Frosty to register.
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!