There are only 32 of them.

That would be head coaching jobs in the NFL. For the thousands of people who get into football coaching, standing on the sidelines of an NFL team -- headphones in place, play card in hand and red challenge flag at the ready -- is the pinnacle.

Maybe that’s why someone would take the job coaching the Oakland Raiders despite what common sense would dictate. The lure of simply running an NFL team must be that overwhelmingly seductive that someone would voluntarily sign up for a tour-of-duty working for Al Davis.

Lane Kiffin’s time in purgatory ended today with the Raiders. He was 1-3 this season and 5-15 overall. If Kiffin thought hanging on would force Davis to honor his contract, well, the young coach is finding out that nothing is quite that easy with Al. News reports indicate that Kiffin was fired, by phone and according to a terse team statement “with cause.” It would appear that Davis doesn’t intend to pay him.

The next guy who will stand on Davis’ sideline reportedly will be Tom Cable, the offensive line coach. And reportedly, Davis interviewed three people, Cable, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and team consultant Paul Hackett. Cable was the, ahem, winner.

Cable was a head coach in college at the University of Idaho, his alma mater. He was 11-35 there. Curiously, as a player at Idaho, he was on the same team as Scott Linehan, who was also just fired as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. But at least Linehan was fired face-to-face and he may actually be paid for the rest of his contract.

Cable will be lucky to get such treatment when his time comes.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

As Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason said after last night's game, moral victories are little consolation.  When an important win is so close as last night's 23-20 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, it's natural to go through the what-ifs and linebacker Jarret Johnson is getting his share of the heat for his foolish personal foul against Hines Ward that shifted the momentum at a point when Baltimore was in control of the game.

But an ongoing problem last night that both held back the Ravens and eventually proved fatal was in the return game.  Perhaps it was the Ravens' special teams strategy to allow Yamon Figurs to return kickoffs regardless of how deep into the end zone they sailed. Or maybe, he was simply overconfident. On the Steelers' first two kickoffs of the game, Figurs took the ball four-yards deep both times. On neither occasion did he get to the 20-yard line, putting the Ravens' offense in the hole at the 16- and the 12-yard lines.  The first possession was a three-and-out and the Ravens managed one first down on their second drive. Fortunately for Baltimore, neither time did the bad field position result in Steelers points but it certainly didn't help the offense get into the flow.

Then, in the second quarter, Figurs muffed a punt.  The Ravens recovered but in the aftermath of the play, Ravens special teamer Brendon Ayanbadejo was called for unnecessary roughness which again put the Ravens inside their own 20 at the 18-yard line.

For the rest of regulation, the return game wasn't a disaster but there was nothing special, either -- short punt returns and punts allowed to bounce and be downed. But then at the beginning of overtime, Figurs finally came up with a return that could have given the Ravens a short field off the opening kickoff. But this time, double holding penalties (naturally, only one was enforced) on Haruki Nakamura and Antwan Barnes put the ball on the Ravens' 15-yard line. Baltimore didn't get a first down and the Steelers converted their own ensuing good field position, starting at their 43-yard line, into a 46-yard winning field goal.

To be fair to special teams, the Ravens' kicking game was a major contributor -- punter Sam Koch was outstanding and Matt Stover was 2-for-2 on field goals -- but the flip side of the kicking game hardly covered itself in glory.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
                    

St. Louis Rams' head coach Scott Linehan became the second casualty of a horrible start joining former Detroit Lions' president Matt Millen.  A week ago, Millen was fired for the ongoing futility of that franchise and today, Linehan was let go after the fourth straight drubbing this year for the Rams. They've been outscored by an average of more than 25 points a game. Linehan was replaced by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who has a head coaching stint with New Orleans on his resume. Linehan's two-plus-year record with the Rams was 11-25.

There was the scent of desperation about the Rams this week as Linehan replaced Marc Bulger with Trent Green at quarterback, used trick plays and went for first downs on fourth down a few times. The Rams still lost to the Buffalo Bills, 31-14. The Rams (0-4) have a bye week.

So, Raiders coach Lane Kiffin was not the first coach to be fired this year. The Raiders (1-3) had another lead slip away yesterday in losing to San Diego, 28-18, with the Chargers scoring 25 fourth-quarter points.  For the time being, Kiffin still is coaching the Raiders although they are in a bye week and that seems to be when these things are happening. Like Linehan, Millen was also fired going into a bye week but, of course, removing the head personnel guy isn't the same as a coaching  change.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

If you haven't read it yet, I want to direct you to Sun Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec's season-ending roundup of the O's season. It's a comprehensive look at the issues facing the Orioles as they move into Year Two of the Andy MacPhail rebuilding era.

As the Orioles were treading water at the .500 mark through the first half of the season, a lot of fans and observers indulged in some wishful thinking that Baltimore wasn't that far from being competitive. The second half of the season should have changed that thinking.  And I don't even mean the 1-11 finish over the last few weeks. By August, it was clear that the Orioles have a critical pitching depth problem as well as just one front-line starter, Jeremy Guthrie. These are two distinct problems and you would hope solving one, meaning reliable, durable starters, would help with the other.

Front-line starters can be pursued in free agency. The depth, however, one would expect to come from the farm system.  Anyone who has followed this team can identify the most pressing needs: pitching, a good-hitting shortstop, pitching, more power at first base, and pitching. Oh yeah, and pitching. The popular free agent to talk about is first baseman Mark Teixeira for the obvious reasons. He's a great player who is local. But the Orioles didn't win just 68 games because of first base (let's give Kevin Millar credit for playing 145 games, hitting 20 homers and driving in 72 runs when so many other guys were breaking down) and chasing one of the most prized free agents this off-season, meaning Teixeira, can't override the much more serious task at hand of rebuilding the pitching infrastructure. MacPhail has a tough job in front of him.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Morgan State doesn't get an awful lot of attention for its football program but this catch by wide receiver Edwin Baptiste should get noticed around the country courtesy of the Internet. Here Baptiste hauls in a long pass in the Bears' 21-7 win over Winston-Salem State last Saturday but what makes it special are what Baptiste earns in style points. Enjoy.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:17 PM | Permalink
                    

The season record so far is 7-3 after wins last week on the Ravens and Eagles, both favorites that covered, and a slip with Carolina losing to Tampa Bay.
You always like to get out to a fast start against the spread because the lines tighten quickly and that early-season low-hanging fruit is less likely to be available.
This week, there are not a lot of games I love so I’m settling for a few I merely like.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay (-1). The Bucs are averaging nearly 24 points a game but I’m still having a hard time believing it. If they beat the Packers, then I have to re-evaluate these guys. But for now, I’m going with Aaron Rodgers continuing his sold play and the Packers to put some heat on Brian Griese to protect a secondary that will be without CB Al Harris. Pick: Packers, getting 1.

Washington at Dallas (-11). The Cowboys almost always beat the Redskins in Irving but what has me on Washington is the point spread and the fact that Dallas is due for a letdown coming off successive big wins over the Eagles and last week against the Packers at Lambeau Field. This is a game where the Washington offensive line has to assert itself so that the running game can keep the ball away from the Dallas offense. If the Washington O-line can manage that, the Redskins should at least cover here. Pick: Redskins, getting 11.

Philadelphia at Chicago (+3). The Eagles have been shutdown against the run this year (2.4 yards-per-carry) and if Chicago has to rely on Kyle Orton to move the ball, well, you get the picture. Eagles running back Brian Westbrook has been iffy for the game (ankle) but has been improving throughout the week. If he doesn’t play, then I may regret this one. Pick: Eagles, giving 3.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-6, 34 over-under). The Ravens started out as 7-point underdogs in Las Vegas but have moved up to minus-5 in some sports books although the consensus is more in the 5 ½-, 6-point range. If the spread were Ravens, plus-7, I would be there. More interesting, I think, is the over-under moving from an opening of 36 down to 34. That’s one low O-U. I figure defensive points or short fields off turnovers ought to help the two teams cover this. And I like the Ravens better in the red zone. Pick: Over, 34 points.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

When will folks learn that e-mail and text messaging have can be dangerous things.

You may have seen this elsewhere but just in case ...

Pittsburgh rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall, who will get his first NFL start Monday night against the Ravens, sent a text message to his friend Ray Rice opining that he, Mendenhall, would have a big game against the Baltimore defense. Rice, the Ravens' rookie running back, wasted little time in making sure his pals across the locker room heard about it. Mendenhall will be replacing the injured Willie Parker on Monday night.

Said Ravens linebacker Bart Scott: "He said later that he was just joking, but it's too late. Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie."

The Ravens have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 21 straight games

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:11 PM | Permalink
                    

Southern Cal’s surprising loss to Oregon State, 27-21, last night certainly gashed the Trojans’ hopes of cruising to the national championship game but it may not be fatal.

Certainly, there are teams that control their own destinies at this point much more than USC – Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Texas, Missouri, just to name a handful. But you have probably noticed something. All those teams are in either the SEC or the Big 12. And as a result, some of them have to play each other. Now, if one or even two run the table, forget about it. In fact, any team that comes out of the SEC gantlet with one loss has to be a strong candidate for the No. 1 game.

But last year, LSU was able to win a national championship with two losses. The last team to run the table in college football was Vince Young’s Texas Longhorns in 2005 and in that championship game, USC also came in undefeated.

So this year, with what figured to be a much easier conference road in the Pac-10, USC was supposed to breeze into January unblemished. Well, the Trojans are no longer California cruisin’, courtesy of the unranked Oregon State Beavers, so there is no margin for error the rest of the way. But if they stay perfect and the rest of the field beats up on each other, the Trojans could still sneak into the Big Game.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Even before Cedric Benson faced alcohol-related charges in Texas in the off-season, he was on thin ice with the Chicago Bears. Benson -- who flashed during the Bears’ Super Bowl season in 2006 with 647 yards, a 4.1 yards-per-carry average and six touchdowns as part of a backfield tandem with Thomas Jones – slumped last year to a 3.4 average and four TDs on 191 carries.

So with the NFL cracking down on bad off-field behavior, Benson couldn’t have picked a worse time to be arrested for boating while intoxicated on a Texas lake in May with a resisting arrest charge included. And then after Benson’s strong declaration of innocence garnered him some sympathy, he was picked up in a DUI incident a month late.

By that time, the Bears had had enough and cut him and he remains, as they say in the NFL, on-the-street.

Now comes word that a Travis County (Texas) grand jury has declined to indict Benson in either case. That’s as complete an exoneration as someone can get. The county attorney said that there were “problems in both cases.”

There’s justice and then there’s justice. The system certainly may have worked in clearing Benson but you have to wonder if it’s all too late to salvage his career.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Obviously, there have been lots of questions directed at the Ravens about the upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Steelers having even more meaning than usual because of the circumstances that it's a Monday night game and last year, the Steelers embarrassed the Ravens, 38-7, in front of a national audience on a Monday night.

And so the thinly-veiled revenge motive was brought up to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs who, in his sly humorous fashion, reminded reporters yesterday, "Not really, if you all remember we played them again later in that year, I'm not sure is you y'all know that but we played them again that year and beat them (27-21). So it's not really a revenge game in there, like I said just another opportunity to line up. It's a divisional opponent so you always have to be ready to play a division opponent so it's definitely going to be a fun game."

Actually, here’s the real difference between this year’s game and last Nov. 5 – the Ravens’ secondary, especially the cornerbacks. Last year, Baltimore was without both Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle and was forced to go with Corey Ivy, Derrick Martin and Ronnie Prude. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan had no choice but to continue going with his pressure defense and the Ravens were torched for five touchdown passes before halftime.

This year, the Ravens will have both McAlister and Rolle starting (Update: Rolle is out for Monday's game with shoulder/neck injury). And, when everyone is healthy, Fabian Washington, Frank Walker, Ivy and Martin provide much more talented depth.
There's better depth at safety, too, with the addition of veteran Jim Leonhard, who will be playing for injured Dawan Landry, and rookies Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Twice this season so far, rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has gone off-script in noticeable circumstances, both times with good results.  The first was his 38-yard run around the right side for a touchdown against Cincinnati.  The second occasion was in the first series against Cleveland last Sunday when he parlayed strong blocking into a  cross-field pass right-to-left to Todd Heap for a 15-yard gain. The play helped move deeper into Browns territory but a field goal try hit the upright.

So, the question to Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was this: When your rookie QB takes matters into his own hands, what's your reaction?

"I would say it's encouraging," Harbaugh said yesterday. "Being creative as a football player at any position is really important and if you look at the really good quarterbacks in the history of the league, they've all had that, haven't they? They had the ability to move around and make plays on their own."

Harbaugh admitted what most coaches would say, that from a coaching perspective the ideal is to somehow control the game from the classroom, the practice field and the sideline. But he understands that's not the real world of athletics.

"As a coach, we like to have everything dial up exactly how we draw it on the board," he continued. "Then all of a sudden, you have to come out here on the field and they play the game. And that's when players take over games, and that's a good thing.  But (Flacco) has to play within certain boundaries and make good decisions and as long as long as a player is making good decisions, you're OK with him."

There is a thin line between a player trying to do too much and taking a calculated risk. The latter is often the difference in a close game. One of the subtle things about Flacco so far is that he seems to have an instinctive understanding of that crucial difference.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Those large packing boxes are always a tip-off.

That's what Lions president Matt Millen had in his office this morning. Also, Millen's wife told ESPN that it was all over for her husband as the guy calling the shots for the Lions. As of this moment, it is unclear whether Millen has been fired or resigned. There has been no official announcement.

This season has started in the way that's been typical during Millen's tenure. Detroit is 0-3 and has fallen behind early in every game. Since Millen became team president in 2001, the Lions are 31-84.

Earlier this week team vice chairman Bill Ford said that if he had the authority, he would fire Millen but until now, Millen has had the support of William Clay Ford Sr., Bill Ford's father.

For years, fans have been calling for Millen's ouster and one organized protest was called the “Millen Man March." Of course, none of this bodes well for the current Lions coaching staff. Head coach Rod Marinelli is 10-25 in two-plus seasons.

We don't think there's any connection but yesterday, we named the Lions as one of the three worst teams in the NFL.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

It has always been true that the NFL is a league of attrition, it just seems that it happens so much earlier in the season these days to key players and in some cases, unexpected ways.
Of course, the most notable personnel loss is New England quarterback Tom Brady, out for the season with a knee injury in the first game of the year. Another high-profile QB, Tennessee’s Vince Young, is watching from the sidelines with a weird combination of knee injury and wounded psyche. The anticipated starter at quarterback for Kansas City, Brodie Croyle, has been out since Game 1 with a shoulder injury.
More recently, the Saints prized off-season acquisition, tight end Jeremy Shockey, will miss four to six weeks with a sports hernia joining New Orleans wide receiver Marques Colston (thumb). Washington’s top preseason grab, defensive end Jason Taylor (calf) is out for the big game against Dallas this weekend.
Of more interest to Ravens’ fans is Steelers’ running back Willie Parker (knee) and defensive tackle Casey Hampton (groin) missing Monday night’s game against Baltimore with injuries.
And we’re not even out of September.
Now today comes word of an odd one. Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been suspended for one game following New York’s upcoming bye week for breaking team rules. Reportedly, Burress failed to show up at the team’s facility yesterday and didn’t return calls when they Giants tried to reach him.
Burress has been a big part of the New York’s 3-0 start with 18 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. He’ll miss the Oct. 5 game against Seattle.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:04 AM | Permalink
                    

If you're the sort who who enjoys a certain predictability in life, then the Detroit Lions are the type of team that will bring you a measure of comfort in an orderly universe.

While NFL franchises' fortunes rise and fall influenced by the draft, free agency, scheduling and the bounce of the odd-shaped ball, the Lions keep plugging along, a model of consistency.  The problem, of course, is that they are consistently terrible. 

At this early stage of the season, three teams seem to be breaking away from the pack as the absolute worst teams in the NFL (there are honorable mentions) and the Lions are right there again.  Detroit slipped to 0-3 with a 31-13 loss to San Francisco on Sunday. Of course, the lightning rod for Detroit's chronic woes is team president Matt Millen. The Lions are 31-84 since Millen joined the team in 2001. Even club vice chairman Bill Ford has said that he would fire Millen he could. However, Bill Ford's father, William Clay Ford, has final say and for reasons known only to him has stuck with Millen.

But along with Detroit, the other two "worst" candidates are Kansas City and St. Louis.  All three of these teams are 0-3 and all have credentials that earn them a stake in claiming to be the worst in the NFL.  Admittedly, It's a tough call.  The Lions have fallen behind by nearly three touchdowns in all three losses so their fans' Sundays have pretty much been over by halftime (OK, they had a brief rally against Green Bay but still lost by 23 points).  The Rams have been outscored an incredible 116 to 29.  And the Chiefs managed to lose to the chaotic mess known as the Oakland Raiders where the coach goes to work every day wondering if Al Davis has changed the locks on him.

After the dead heat that is Detroit, Kansas City and St. Louis, there are three other winless teams.  Two Ravens divisional foes, Cincinnati and Cleveland, are both 0-3 (they also account for Baltimore's 2-0 record).  And Houston has looked as inept as usual with an 0-2 start and would be a "worst" candidate except that the unexpected hurricane bye week left them with one fewer loss than their challengers. But it's a long season.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

If we were talking about poker instead of football, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's style would be called tight-aggressive. It's not a perfect analogy but I think it works. In poker, a tight aggressive player is selective about the hands he or she chooses to play initially but when that player does play a hand, it is with purpose. And, as a result of being selective, when that player does employ deception -- meaning bluffing -- it is often effective.

Getting back to the Ravens, the offense has been an interesting mix of relatively conservative play-calling, especially on first down, with the occasional exotic wrinkle. In Week 1, first down plays broke down to 25 runs and seven passes. In yesterday's game, the Ravens ran on first down 19 times and threw 10 times. Of quarterback Joe Flacco's 17 first-down pass attempts, 10 have been complete for 111 yards (one was intercepted on a flea flicker). Of course, setting all this up has been the effectiveness of the relatively conservative first-down runs. On those 44 rush attempts, the Ravens are averaging more than five yards (5.9 against the Bengals and 3.9 against the Browns).

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Here are two things that Ravens fans might what to look for as this season unfolds as it applies to the offense. While two games don’t exactly establish a trend, a handful of plays have stood out, a few that apply to the design and play-calling of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and a few others that speak to the instincts of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.

First, regarding Cameron and play design. There was one second-half play yesterday that jumped out because, on the surface, it bent a cardinal rule about NFL offensive play, namely avoiding throwing the ball back across the field. In the third quarter, Flacco rolled to his right influencing the Browns defense in that direction and then he threw back left to tight end Todd Heap who rolled for a 17-yard gain to the Browns’ 8-yard line. Baltimore went on to score its fourth touchdown a few plays later for a 28-10 lead.

“We were sprinting out and had Todd coming back to the left and it worked out just the way we drew it up so any time you have that happen, it’s nice,” Flacco said.

In the first quarter, another cross-field pass – this time from left to right – also went to Heap for a 15-yard gain. But that time, floating the ball horizontally across the field was all Flacco’s idea.

“Just trying to make a play,” Flacco said of the improvisation. “What we had originally I really didn’t feel was open and I’ll go back and see if I missed anything. But I had a lot of time back there and I just didn’t want to throw the ball away with all that time and I eventually found Todd across the field.”

Again, I don’t want to read too much into two games but an aggressive influence play – a double-reverse – led to a touchdown against Cincinnati in the first game and another Flacco calculated risk, his run around the right side against the Bengals, ended in a touchdown.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

The scary injury to Ravens safety Dawan Landry was a sobering moment in Baltimore's 28-10 win over Cleveland at M&T Bank Stadium yesterday and it also was clearly a turning point in the game.  At the time, the Browns led 10-7 with less than a minute remaining in the first half and the game was being contested fairly evenly.

However, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said that the Baltimore defense -- specifically the front seven -- blamed itself for Landry being injured and a new resolve took hold. On the play, Browns running back Jamal Lewis had broken into the second tier of the Ravens' defense and Landry and cornerback Chris McAlister had to bring him down after a 9-yard gain.  Landry made contact low and took a knee that left him motionless on the field as his teammates gathered to pray.  He was taken off the field on a cart as the stadium went silent.  Fortunately, Landry had feeling in all his extremities and the diagnosis has been good.

But again, it was the injury to Landry and the realization that Lewis had been allowed to get to the secondary that  motivated the Ravens, according to Suggs.

"We lost one of our soldiers because we really weren't really playing Ravens' defense up front," Suggs said.  "They were able to do whatever they want, and that's not how we play football, and we end up losing a guy.  We all knew it.  It kind of hit the rest of the 10 guys who were out there.  So we got in here, in the locker room, (defensive coordinator) Rex (Ryan) cussed us out the way he usually does, and we came out, we were fired up and it started with a big hit from Ray (Lewis).  After that it just snowballed, we just kept going."

The Ravens went on to outscore Cleveland 21-0 in the third quarter, mostly on inspired defensive play that included two interceptions, one by safety Ed Reed for a touchdown.  In the second half, the Browns had just 17 net yards.

"Right after (Landry) left, I locked eyes with ... (Reed) and said, 'Come on, come on,'" Suggs said.  "We knew it, we knew it.  ... We all looked at Dawan laying there and we were worried.  And the front seven knew, it was like (Jamal Lewis) shouldn't even got (to the secondary).  We definitely weren't playing our most physical football at that moment and he got hurt.  And that's why every time you've got to line up and you've got to be a Raven.  You have the Ravens decal on your helmet, you have to play like a Raven every play so, you know, stuff like that doesn't happen."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

The Ravens are rolling down hill as their running game and somewhat creative pasing game seems to have Cleveland back on its heels. A misdirection passing play that had Flacco moving the Browns defense to the offensive right and then throwing back left to TE Todd Heap moved the ball 17 yards to the Browns' 8-yard line. From there, Baltimore battered its way into the end zone on the ground with Le'Ron McClain scoring his second touchdown of the day on a 1-yard run to finish a 35-yard drive. Ravens are ahead, 28-10. On defense, the Ravens are swarming around Browns QB Derek Anderson. The Ravens ended the third quarter outscoring Cleveland, 21-0.

The fourth quarter has been dominated by the Ravens pass rush and the Baltimore offense controlling the clock converting third-and-short and fourth-and-short downs. By the end of the day, here's the reality -- the Ravens are in first place in the AFC North.

The Eagles beat the Steelers, 15-6, which has Pittsburgh at 2-1. Ben Roethlisberger left the game late in the fouth quarter. Both Cleveland and Cincinnati are 0-3.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:32 PM | Permalink
                    

The Ravens got a go-ahead touchdown courtesy of a familiar combination when a jarring tackle by Ray Lewis popped the ball loose from Browns TE Kellen Winslow and Chris McAlister intercepted to put the Ravens offense in business deep in Browns' territory. Le'Ron McLain scored on a 1-yard run putting Baltimore ahead, 14-10. Then on Cleveland's next possession, Ravens safety Ed Reed intercepted a Derek Anderson pass in full stride and ran it back untouched for a 32-yard touchdown, the fourth TD interception of Reed's career. Baltimore is ahead, 21-10.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

M&T Stadium went silent as a church, fitting in that the Ravens' defense knelt, hands joined in prayer as safety Dawan Landry lay motionless at the Baltimore 30-yard line with less than half a minute left. The safety was trying to tackle the Browns' Jamal Lewis low and after the hit, he remained on the ground face down. He was taken off the field secured to a stretcher on a cart. He appeared to be concious and talking. He has movement in all his extremities and is being taken to Shock Trauma.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:35 PM | Permalink
                    

The Ravens went with the offensive game plan that worked so well against Cincinnati in Week 1 on their second-quarter scoring drive relying on early-down runs and safe medium-range passing from Flacco. It also didn't hurt that the Ravens started from the Browns' 43-yard line after a good defensive stand and a poor Cleveland punt by Dave Zastudil that went just 31 yards.

Flacco completed a third-down 15-yard pass to Derrick Mason that put the ball on the 28-yard line and Le'Ron McClain ran 17 yards to take the ball inside the 5-yard line. Willis McGahee scored on a 5-yard run as Baltimore tied the score, 7-7.

The Browns then pecked away at a 55-yard drive that produced a 38-yard field goal by Phil Dawson and a 10-7 Cleveland lead with just over a minute left in the first half.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:19 PM | Permalink
                    

Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco completed his first seven passes before being intercepted by Cleveland LB D'Qwell Jackson late in the first quarter.  Flacco locked onto TE Todd Heap on the left side and missed Jackson who was underneath.   Until then, Flacco was running the offense smoothly and had just picked up a fourth-and-one on a QB sneak.  On the ensuing position, the Browns drove 52 yards to scored the game's first touchdown on a 19-yard pass play to take a 7-0 lead.

On the next Ravens possession, they tried a deep flea flicker that Flacco threw into what amounted to triple coverage.  Willis McGahee was in the end zone on the receiving end and was ineffective trying to play pass defense with Cleveland taking over on a touchback.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:24 PM | Permalink
                    

Inactives for today's Browns-Ravens game are:

Ravens: WR,RS Yamon Figurs, CB Evan Oglesby, CB Fabian Washington, LB Nick Greisen, OT Oniel Cousins, OL David Hale, DT Kelly Gregg

Browns: WR Donte' Stallworth, DB Sean Jones, LB Kris Griffin, LB Willie McGinest, OL Eric Steinbach, OL Ryan Tucker, TE Martin Rucker

Third QBs:  Ravens, Troy Smith. Browns, Ken Dorsey.

Starting lineup changes:

For Ravens: DT Justin Bannan for Kelly Gregg

For Browns:  WR Syndric Steptoe for Stallworth, LOG Seth McKinney for Steinbach, LOLB Alex Hall for McGinest, SS Mike Adams for Jones

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:18 PM | Permalink
                    

This week's picks are going up a little later than usual, just under an hour before the 1 p.m. games.  Last week, we were 2-1 with the Packers and Colts covering as favorites but stumbling along with the Jets as the Patriots proved they can still win without Tom Brady -- which is probably why New England is getting the respect that was more common last year as 12 1/2-point favorites over Miami today.

Cleveland at Baltimore (-2 1/2).  Without the Ravens playing in Week 2, they remain something of a mystery to oddsmakers and bettors.  Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco was solid in the opening win over Cincinnati and the defense was spectacular but it's beginning to look like the Bengals weren't much of a litmus test.  The Browns are 0-2 but their two losses have been to quality opponents, Dallas and Pittsburgh, and Cleveland is close to desperate. The Browns can't afford to go 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the AFC North and that will make them an even tougher opponent.   I like the home field here for Baltimore.  Pick:  Ravens, giving 2 1/2.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (-3 1/2).  The Steelers have been playing like the Steelers -- a productive ground game and a tight defense.  The Eagles have been flying up and down the field as Donovan McNabb is off to a terrific start.  Philadelphia can be vulnerable to the run at times but the real threat is Ben Roethlisberger making big plays outside the pocket.  The Eagles defense got lit up in a Monday night shootout with the Cowboys and I think they bounce back for a big effort today and again, I like the home crowd although that half-point over a field goal makes me nervous.  Pick:  Eagles, giving 3 1/2.

Carolina at Minnesota (+3). The Vikings are going through a change of quarterback that has the scent of panic to it.  Tarvaris Jackson is out and Gus Frerotte is in.  Plus, Vikings star ball carrier Adrian Peterson has been called a game-time decision but even if he plays, there is the likelihood his nagging hamstring injury limits his touches and effectiveness.  On the other side, Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith returns from a team-ordered two-game suspension.  Pick:  Panthers, giving 3.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:15 AM | Permalink
                    

The October issue of Men’s Fitness magazine features a profile of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and the magazine has sent out some advance Lewis quotes from the story.

In the piece, Baltimore's No. 52 tells the magazine several things local fans have heard before, plus the fact that he’d like to play four or five more years, saying he would like them to be as a Raven.

Here are some excerpts from the piece supplied by the magazine.

This apparently is Lewis reflecting on being in the final year of a seven-year contract.

“I respect the business but when I dedicate my life to this organization, the saddest question I've ever had to answer is, Am I going to be a Raven? Job wise, you don't play with somebody like that. But it's about football now. If you get caught up in [the business] you get too sour. Bottom line is, I'm going to play four or five more years. But I'm a Raven. I bleed purple.”

On mentoring younger teammates and opponents (he was recently credited for providing counsel to the Bengals’ Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson.

“A lot of them call me the Godfather. They ask you certain things and they're craving [knowledge]. A man's pride sometimes gets in the way. But when you see another man go through adversity, you're able to step back and realize, Hey, I can learn something from that guy.”

On his pre-game dances during player introductions.

“When I'm doing all that [dancing], that's me looking at God and saying how amazing He is. It's His stage. For me to walk out of that tunnel and give somebody hope, that's Him. So when you see me make that cross, and then I come out, that's blessing them. …. I'm thinking, This is another freaking opportunity, right now. Do not cheat this moment.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

This is already the Year of Quarterback Weirdness in the NFL and the Ravens find themselves right in the mix.

Of course, the most dramatic twists so far have been in New England and Tennessee where Tom Brady is out for the season with a double-ligament knee injury and Vince Young is nursing a less severely banged-up knee but more worrisome, a wounded psyche. A switch has been made in Tampa Bay. Kansas City is limping along with its third QB choice already the situation is far from clear. And here in Baltimore, although Ravens fans feel pretty good about the quarterback situation at the moment with rookie Joe Flacco, the home team is dangerously thin at backup (it's pronounced BOW-man).

Yesterday, the Ravens disclosed the full extent of Troy Smith's illness and while he is being allowed to work out, it doesn't sound all that promising.  There is no schedule for when he might be fit for live action. The complications of his tonsillitis involved a blood clot  in his neck that led to an infection in his lung, according to the Sun's Jamison Hensley.  Along the way, Smith has lost 20 pounds. So, on a lot of counts, Flacco is the man for the foreseeable future.

For the Ravens, this was not the scenario anyone imagined even as recently as a month ago before the  preseason game with the Vikings when Kyle Boller suffered the shoulder injury that would put him on IR and before Smith fell ill. In the very short term, it has been OK because of Flacco's steady improvement and his performance in a Week 1 win over Cincinnati. And, in fact, perhaps the odd unfortunate happenings have hastened a resolution of the longstanding unsettled nature of quarterback in Baltimore. But Ravens' fans should hope that the weirdness is at an end.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:13 AM | Permalink
                    

Coaches and managers are hired to fired, or so the saying goes.

But how it happens -- or doesn't -- can be odd indeed.

Going to last weekend, Ned Yost, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, had every reason to believe his job was safe.  His Brewers were leaders in the NL wildcard chase and could have swatted away one of their pursuers, the Phillies, in an important series.  Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin -- considered to be on borrowed time as the Oakland Raiders head coach since last January -- figured to be coaching his last game for Al Davis on Sunday in Kansas City.

So Yost's Brewers get swept by Philadelphia and in a stunning move, he's fired despite the fact that his team is still battling for the playoffs with about two weeks left in the season.  And Kiffin, after a surprisingly easy 23-8 win over the Chiefs, still has his job, although he doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic about it. To wit (from Kiffin):  "There are certain things I can control, there's certain things I can't. This happens to be the next one. (Davis) has a decision to make. It does me no good to worry about it right now."

This note.  Big changes often happen in the NFL on Tuesday, the day-off around the league.  It's still early on the West Coast.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Yesterday's Patriots-Jets game didn't have the outcome that I'm sure a lot of third-party fans would have preferred, meaning people who are neither New England nor N.Y. Jets fans.

The Patriots seemed primed to get their comeuppance without Tom Brady and on the other side, there was Brett Favre.  It was an opportunity to prove what non-Patriot fans would like to believe about Bill Belichick, that his genius was limited to Brady's good right arm.  And, it was another opportunity for Favre to prove he's still Favre.

Instead, Patriots' backup QB Matt Cassel did a little Cinderella routine as the Pats won, 19-10, and it was hard not to root for the kid.  That was even more so when you heard him interviewed after the game.  I have never heard him take umbrage at being characterized as a guy who hasn't started a football game since high school.

As it turned out, his debut was reminiscent of the Ravens' own Joe Flacco against the Bengals.  In fact, the Ravens provided a template for the Patriots. Cassel played within himself, completing 16 of 23 passes for 165 yards. He threw for no touchdowns but also didn't turn over the ball.  New England's play-calling kept him out of risky situations; the New England defense stifled the Jets, and the Patriots outperformed New York on special teams. All similar to the Ravens' win over Cincinnati.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The O.J. Simpson trial begins in Las Vegas today and the twist that this offers is mind-boggling.

After avoiding a double-murder conviction 13 years ago, the former football star now faces the possibility of a life prison sentence over jerseys and other memorabilia. The Simpson murder trial was a tangle of racial innuendo and it would appear, this time will be no different.  The Las Vegas jury is an all-white panel, a fact that the defense has already protested.

This Simpson trial is expected to last five weeks and include a parade of eye witnesses who were present when Simpson burst into a room at the Palace Station and confronted two collectibles dealers that he says had items stolen from him.  When you think about, it's absolutely silly.  But the charges are serious, including kidnapping and armed robbery.  In the end, it could cost Simpson a good chunk of the rest of his life.

Another sad footnote: Among the items Simpson was reportedly seeking when he and his cohorts burst into the room was the suit he was wearing when he was acquitted in the murder trial.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

When you look at the images of the devastation left by Hurricane Ike -- just miles and miles of watery devastation (right), people left with nothing -- it seems petty to complain about the inconvenience of a postponed football game but, frankly, that's the nature of the sports beast.

As Pete Schmuck noted in his blog, no resolution was going to make everyone happy, but hindsight now seems to suggest that moving the game to a neutral site to be played either Sunday or Monday would have been a better idea -- from purely a football scheduling point of view.  But, frankly, that decision would have had to be made early, like last Thursday, so the logistics could be set in motion with all due concerns for the Texans and their families addressed.  Of course, if the Houston stadium would have been ready for, say, Monday (the original plan), then the relocation decision would have seemed hasty and unfair to the Texans, especially if the Ravens had won.

I'm not looking to take the NFL off the hook here but this was a difficult call.

Ravens fans are understandably frustrated with it because it's hard to see how this will serve Baltimore's football interests as we march through a grueling 16-game schedule.  Instead of getting a bye week break at a perfect time, the Ravens now find themselves in a three-game road schedule in early November and playing five of six away starting on Oct. 12.

But as I mentioned at the top, too much whining about this is petty.  Those folks down off the Gulf Coast are dealing with a lot more than an inconvenience and will be long after November has past.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
                    

The first week of NFL picks was a mild success and would have been even bigger if we had been bolder about Monday night. The winners were taking the 38-point under on the Bengals-Ravens and giving three points with both the Jets and Saints who covered against the Dolphins and Bucs respectively. We missed Houston-Pittsburgh by a mile taking the underdog Texans who were blown out. On Monday, we liked the Broncos, who were favorites over the Raiders, but we failed to make the pick so we missed out on that easy rout. Record: 3-1.

Green Bay at Detroit (+3). The Packers are still likely to make the playoffs and while Aaron Rodgers has a lot to prove, he seems to be better than adequate as Brett Favre’s replacement. The Lions, on the other hand, appear not to have improved at all on defense. They gave up an average of about 27 points a game last year and started off 2008 with a bang getting lit up by the Atlanta Falcons, of all teams, for 34 points. Pick: Packers, giving 3.

New England at N.Y. Jets (-1.5). Surprisingly, the line on this game has moved steadily toward New England. After the Jets opened as 3-point favorites, the betting public has hammered this line down to as little as one point (the Jets still favored) in some Las Vegas casinos. The story line is familiar to any fan – the Pats lost their Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady, for the season about 7 ½ minutes into the 2008 campaign with a knee injury. All of sudden, the Patriots went from favorites to win another Super Bowl to just another decent playoff-caliber contender. With Brady in the lineup, the Pats would have been about 5 ½-point favorites against the Jets. Adding to the drama of this episode of Life without Tom is that New England will be back at the Meadowlands where the Spygate drama began its run last year. And, of course, there’s Brett Favre playing quarterback for the Jets, which I think is reason enough to make this decision. Pick: Jets, giving 1 ½.

Indianapolis at Minnesota (+ 1 ½). The Colts looked oddly out of synch in a loss to the Bears last Monday night. The reasons, of course, were many. Peyton Manning missed the entire preseason, more than half of the Colts’ offensive line were new starters and TE Dallas Clark was hurt in the first half. But, frankly, the Vikings looked horrible for much of their game against Green Bay and I can’t see the Colts going 0-2, meaning I can’t see Manning allowing that to happen. Pick: Colts, giving 1 ½.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:00 PM | Permalink
                    

So what happened to the Houston Texans against the Pittsburgh Steelers? And can the Ravens -- who happen to be 4 1/2-point underdogs -- lose this game that has been moved to Monday night because of the threat from Hurricane Ike?

Those are interesting questions.

The Texans, according to some observers, were supposed to be among the NFL’s more improved teams this year. Although they were in the bottom quarter of team defense last year, that was supposed to be an improved part of the team with young stars such as Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye and DeMeco Ryans all on the ascent. And on offensive, quarterback Matt Schaub is considered to be the real deal, assuming he stays healthy.

So then how to explain Pittsburgh 38, Houston 17 last Sunday.

More importantly, how did the Steelers’ Willie Parker run free for 138 yards and three touchdowns against a defense that is supposed to have all the ingredients of size, speed and youth going for it. Schaub’s statistics were deceivingly decent: 25-for-33 for 202 yards and a TD. But he threw two interceptions and failed to get the first down on a quarterback sneak near midfield on Houston’s first possession. That gave Pittsburgh the momentum it never lost.
Houston’s defense was so inept at stopping the run that Ben Roethlisberger threw just 14 passes and had just one incompletion. Meanwhile, in playing catch-up all day, the Texans ran for just 75 yards.

For the Ravens all this is good news and bad news.

The good news is that coming off last Sunday’s 17-10 win over Cincinnati (that could have easily been 31-3), the Ravens appear similar to the Steelers in that they were effective offensively in running the ball and effective defensively in stopping the run. So if it worked for the Steelers, it should work for the Ravens, right?

Maybe, but certainly the Texans will come out with greater resolve and perhaps better defensive schemes to stop the run. That means that Baltimore rookie quarterback Joe Flacco may have to move the ball and score points, other than sprinting for 38-yard touchdowns on impromptu naked sweeps around right end.

So can the Ravens lose this game? Anyone who answers, “No,” must have been in Antarctica when Baltimore played oh-and-13 Miami last year. Of course they can. As we mentioned, they're 4 ½-point underdogs in Las Vegas.

So, what gives them their best chance of winning? Mainly, doing what they did against Cincinnati.

* No. 1, protect the football. Last week, rookie QB Joe Flacco’s most important contribution (other than the TD run and a decent block on a double-reverse that also went for a touchdown) may have been not throwing interceptions. As always, the Ravens, in general, and Joe Flacco, in particular, need to protect the ball. Cam Cameron's play-calling has as much to do with that as Flacco's decisions in the pocket.

* Sticking with the run, even occasionally on third-and-long (with a rare exception). Houston will see that the Ravens went 6-for-6 on third-and-shorts against the Bengals. They'll also see the Ravens first down play ratio as nearly 4-to-1 in favor of run. So, Houston will be determined to sell out on the run. At some point, the Ravens may judiciously try play-action. But the chess game of field position worked last week and the Ravens have to resolve to do it again.

* On defense, continue to stop the run first and try to shut off the passing lanes with free runners occasionally teeing off on Schaub. Now that two suspended Ravens DBs have rejoined the team, they should have some depth in the secondary.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Vince Young is saying all the right things in Tennessee as the Titans' third-year quarterback tries to quell suspicions that he may not be mentally tough enough to be an NFL quarterback.

A bizarre chain of events began with Young's second interception of the game on Sunday against Jacksonville (a game the Titans went on to win, 17-10, but with Kerry Collins finishing at QB).  Young appeared disconsolate on the bench and head coach Jeff Fisher seemingly had to convince him to return to the game.  Soon after, Young suffered a knee injury that will keep him out of action for an undetermined amount of time.  Since then, there have been visits to Young by Fisher and others, a strange Monday night when Young left his home and nervous family members called Fisher who called police, and then Young's mother saying her son may want to leave football apparently because of criticism.

Yesterday, Young was doing damage control saying that his state-of-mind can be blamed on the injury and that he's over it, and that he is fully invested in his NFL career.  Hard telling how Young's explanations will play in Tennessee. It's tough overcoming this type of thing from a public perception point-of-view. But one thing that does it every time is certainly still available to Young -- just win, baby.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:42 AM | Permalink
                    

For whatever it's worth, the Orioles hit a benchmark yesterday with their 6-3 win over Cleveland.  It was their 65th victory of the year and that pushed them above the over-under mark that Las Vegas oddsmakers had set for the team before the season started.  In a way, it means that the Orioles have exceeded the expectations of at least one group of interested observers, folks involved in sports wagering.

Actually, it's no small feat.  Only a handful of major league teams have hit their over-under mark faster than the Orioles this season.  However, the O's also had the lowest O-U number in baseball (64 1/2) before opening day, so they also had an easier target to aim for.

The Orioles (65-80) are looking for glimmers of hope anywhere they can find them on the pitching side and I'm not sure how much this qualifies as a glimmer but the recently called-up Brian Bass went 4.1 innings as a starter and gave up just one earned run (three overall).  Two of them scored on an error by relief pitcher Lance Cormier.

Offensively, Melvin Mora continued his outstanding season with a two-RBI double (he has 99 RBIs) and outfielder Lou Montanez went 2-for-4 with an RBI-double as a leadoff hitter.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

The Houston Texans come into Sunday’s game against the Ravens at Reliant Stadium off a 38-17 loss to Pittsburgh. For a team that has struggled since coming into the NFL as an expansion franchise, such a season-opener could lead to a fatalistic attitude from the outset. That the opening defeat simply portends more of the same-old, same-old. But Ravens safety Will Demps, who now plays for the Texans, says Houston cannot allow the bad beating to get to it.

“I wouldn’t say this is the time to panic,” Demps said in a story in the Houston Chronicle.

“You’ve gotta have some amnesia,” Demps continued. “You can’t carry it on for the next week, because if we carry it on or start a grudge like, ‘I should have done this or that,’ it’s just going to lead into the next game.
“Yeah, we got our butts whipped, but it’s about how you do the next day, and we’re very excited about the next challenge.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

They talk about pro football being a game of attrition – but is it Vinny time already?

Of course, the knee injury felt ‘round the football world belongs to New England’s Tom Brady but they’re just one quarterback sack short of all-out panic in Kansas City and Tennessee as well. So can the umpteenth return of Vincent Frank Testaverde be far behind.

In the same game in which Brady was hurt, Kansas City quarterback Brodie Croyle suffered a separated shoulder which has head coach Herm Edwards considering a two-quarterback system featuring Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen. Meanwhile, Tennessee is looking at a two- to four-week recovery for Vince Young (and is that another story) and has veteran Kerry Collins but obviously needs back-up help. Enter Chris Simms, who has been piling up frequent flyer miles making airplane trips to teams with a quarterback crisis.

Young's story goes beyond a banged-up knee, though. The real issue appears to be a bruised psyche. His mother told a newspaper that Young is smarting over criticism of his play. Earlier this week, Titans coach Jeff Fisher had police scouring the countryside for Young because his family was concerned over his state-of-mind. He was booed after throwing two interceptions against Jacksonville on Sunday (a game the Titans went on to win) and he had to be coaxed back onto the field by Fisher. Soon after that, he was hurt.

Now a mother’s concern for her son is genuinely moving but somehow I have to believe that fans and opponents may pick up on Young being characterized by his mother as her “baby boy” who “just needs a lot of love and support.” Again, that’s sincerely touching but is that really how a quarterback wants to be viewed when he has to face down, say, Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher. Who knows, guys like that may be entirely sympathetic? Then again ...

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Lance Armstrong. Brett Favre.

In the details, different circumstances.

In an overarching sense, though, it's really the same thing.

It is difficult to give up what you do if what you do is who you are.  And that is sometimes problematic and can be quite sad but I view the un-retirements of both Favre and Armstrong in a different light. What I see is a refusal to allow external things, whether it's illness or an advancing calendar or even the legitimate longterm plans of someone else, to define their lives and their ambitions.

In Armstrong's case, the seven-time Tour de France champion's comeback attempt is a great thing for cycling overall. At this point, I can't think of anything else that could better revive general interest in cycling in the United States than his return to competition. But I also admire his determination to, in a sense, set the record right in establishing his claim that his seven Tour championships were earned cleanly -- and to do it again under the most intense scrutiny ever.

In Favre's case, as the cruel game he plays takes its toll on a younger quarterback superstar, Tom Brady of the Patriots, and other important  players, such as San Diego defensive end, Shawne Merriman, the graying signal-caller manages to grind on giving a new set of fans in New York hope with each game, with each play. 

In the end, that's what athletes like Armstrong, at 37, and Favre, at 38, really give the rest of us -- a faith that determination, perseverance and hard work still count for something, if even for just one more day, in the face of the most irrepressible and relentless force that works against any of us -- time. Even if one considers the effort ultimately futile, the effort itself is inspiring.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:40 AM | Permalink
                    

An interesting item on the Yahoo blog Shutdown Corner that started with a story in an Ohio newspaper (Chronicle-Telegram), told of a friendly competition between Baltimore Olympic hero Michael Phelps and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

The two have University of Michigan connections and trained together briefly on one occasion. Somewhere along the way, Edwards offered that he would score twice as many TDs this season as Phelps won gold medals (that's eight in case anyone has forgotten).

Looks like Edwards needs to pick up the pace. In Cleveland's 28-10 loss to Dallas last Sunday, Edwards had two catches for 14 yards and no touchdowns.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

It's hard to imagine any one injury have as many ramifications as the knee injury suffered by New England's Tom Brady.

With Brady behind center, one playoff spot in the AFC was a given -- the Patriots were going to be there, probably as one of the top two seeds. However, with Matt Cassel the quarterback of the moment, what are the Patriots capable of accomplishing through the next 15 games? That's anyone's guess.

It is true that a great team still plays in Gillette Stadium. And it is also true that great teams with less than Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl. We need look no further than the example of the Ravens and Trent Dilfer as evidence but you could also argue that Trent Dilfer was far more accomplished than Cassel.

So exactly how big is the dropoff from Brady to Cassel or whomever the Patriots can haul off the street? And does that dropoff make New England a .500 team? And if it does, does that open up a wildcard spot elsewhere in the conference?

In the hard, calculating world of the betting crowd, the loss of Brady represents at least a touchdown. He is probably worth more points from a wagering perspective than any other NFL player. Before Brady was hurt, some legal sports books projected the Patriots as a 5 1/2-point favorite on the road next weekend against the Jets. The most recent odds in Las Vegas sports books have the Jets a 2 1/2-point favorite. That's an eight-point swing, which is phenomenal. The Patriots' odds of winning the Super Bowl reportedly went from 7-2 to 10-1 when Brady was lost for the season.

And finally, the Brady injury has turned the fantasy football world upside down as it shifts the balance in every fantasy league away from teams who counted heavily on last year's MVP.
According to one article, Brady's injury is expected to shift anywhere from $150 million to $1.5 billion in fantasy prize money.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Last night's Orioles rout over Cleveland, 14-3, may have little meaning outside of a mildly  promising outing by pitcher Garrett Olson and the fattening of some offensive statistics, including those of Aubrey Huff who hit a grand slam home run in the sixth inning.  But, in a way, it moved the Orioles to within one win of being able to say that they exceeded someone's expectations in 2008, despite the fact that they just endured an eight-game losing streak and are 14 games under .500.

The victory put the Orioles' record at 64-78.  Before the season started, Las Vegas oddsmakers had put Baltimore's over-under number for total wins at 64.5.  So when the Orioles win their next game (assuming it's soon), they would become only the sixth team in the majors to beat their predicted over-under mark so far. There are three weeks left in the season.

The super-overachievers, naturally, are the Tampa Bay Rays.  Their over-under was 75 and they are at 85 wins already.  The others to top their over-under to date are Florida, Houston, Minnesota and St. Louis.  Teams that have been huge disappointments with no chance of hitting their predicted over-under include Seattle, Atlanta, Colorado, San Diego and even Washington.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Remember when it was good thing to be O.J. Simpson.

Yeah, I know, that was a long, long time ago.

Simpson was on his way to Las Vegas where he's standing trial for that incident at the Palace Station casino where he is accused of bursting into a hotel room occupied by some collectibles dealers and demanding the return of memorabilia that he apparently felt belonged to him.

On the way, he stopped at a gas station and someone who spotted him called the police saying Simpson may have been intoxicated.

Nevada state police stopped Simpson, found he was fine and let him go.

Guess it's not so sweet being the Juice these days.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:35 PM | Permalink
                    

A lot will be written about the season-ending injury to New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady and the impact it will have on the 2008 season but here's an interesting artistic take on the Brady injury. It features the spoken music of an artist whose name, I believe, is Kilian.

The video shows first a completion to Randy Moss and fumble and then the tackle attempt on Tom Brady by the Kansas City Chiefs' Bernard Pollard.

It includes some lyrics with eerie twists, such as:

And i can hear your doctors calling from here, to say:
Killed by his independecy and akilles-heel
Cuz he armed himself with stealthy mass-appeal.

and

Don't stop dreaming cuz this aint over
Wreck of you life, aim til you get sober
Dont stop dreaming cuz this aint over
My friend

(the video does end abruptly)

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:10 PM | Permalink
                    

We pass this along simply as a service to fans --- the Orioles are offering tickets for sale for select home games this month for $1. The seats are in what the Orioles call the MASN Maximum Access Section. When we used tomorrow's game against Cleveland as a test, the links led us to a possible online purchase of two tickets for $1 each in seats in right field (308 UR). That particular game also happens to be a Brian Roberts tee-shirt giveaway promotion. Whether the Orioles are worth the buck, of course, is up to you. Here's the information. A note on the $1 tickets, they are not available for purchase on game day.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

If the Ravens’ defense looked quite a bit different yesterday in the 17-10 win over the Bengals than it did in the preseason, well, it was meant to.

In holding Cincinnati to 154 total yards, just eight first downs and only a field goal that came off offense, the Ravens looked as dominating on defense as they ever have. It was a startling contrast to the preseason when even backup opposition quarterbacks were carving up the defense.

Yesterday, the Ravens’ complex defense at times featured seven defensive backs and committed just the front seven to stopping the run in order to cover the Bengals’ two ace receivers, T.J. Houshmandzahdeh and Chad Johnson.

Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan explained: “The preseason is more just, ‘We’ll show you fire zone (basic zone blitz) on every snap’ -- and some teams run that. But with us, that wasn’t our mindset, our mentality. You know, I don’t think we ran a single call today that we ran in the preseason and I had to bite my tongue and kind of watch it a little bit out there (during the preseason games) but we’ve been working those packages all along.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Certainly, Ravens fans were entertained by Joe Flacco’s debut yesterday in the 17-10 win over the Bengals but the normally thoughtful, articulate rookie QB was almost as entertaining in his post-game interview.

On his 38-yard run around the right side, which clearly was Flacco’s own surprise decision.

“I started running and I was thinking, ‘First down, first down,’ and I got to the first-down point and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don’t there’s anybody here,’ and I just … went up up-field and from there it was like, ‘Oh my God, I think I’m going to get in the end zone here,’ and I just didn’t want to mess it up from there.”

On his block downfield on Mark Clayton’s 42-yard touchdown off a double-reverse.

“I’m supposed to block. I think I’m really just supposed to not mess anything up and get in the way. So I really don’t know what I was doing there. … I don’t know if I knocked the guy over. You can call it whatever you want.”

On the nearly 71,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium chanting his name at one point as if it were a high school game.

“I thought I heard it. I kind of thought I heard it but I wasn’t really sure, I was like, ‘Why would they be doing that?’ Hey, if I can keep them on my side like that, it’ll be a good time.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Sometimes statistics are misleading but a few key ones from yesterday's Ravens' win over the Bengals tell the story clearly.

While Ravens fans should be pleased with the performance of rookie QB Joe Flacco, the offensive star of the game was Baltimore's running game.

While the Ravens piled up 229 rushing yards -- 80 of them on two touchdown plays -- it was those occasions when they needed just a few feet, and got them, that may be most telling. Baltimore was 6-for-6 on short yardage third downs, including five third-and-1 plays. Le'Ron McClain accounted for four of those short-yardage first-down runs, all in the fourth quarter.

Of 20 Ravens' first downs, 12 were rushing plays.

But as Flacco pointed out, what makes for successful third-downs are productive first downs. On 32 first downs, the Ravens rushed 25 times. Interestingly, they averaged more yards per rushing first-down (5.9) than passing first-down (5.6).

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:44 AM | Permalink
                    

There is much to relish about the Ravens' 17-10 opening day win over the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday and a lot of the post-game glow for the next few days will hover around rookie QB Joe Flacco, who debuted with a solid passing day, a 38-yard touchdown run and even a key block on the Ravens' other TD, a double reverse by wide receiver Mark Clayton.

But  I wanted to dwell just a moment on three defensive plays, maybe one or two not so obvious, that were critical in yesterday's outcome.

* The most apparent was DT Haloti Ngata's fourth-down stop of Chris Perry in the fourth quarter.  The situation was fourth-and-1, Bengals at the Ravens' 25-yard line with Baltimore ahead 17-10. Just three minutes earlier, the Bengals had scored off a fumble to get back into the game.  Ngata stuffed Perry for a one-yard loss and Cincinnati never saw the ball again.

*  In the third quarter, with the Ravens ahead, 10-3, and the Bengals in Baltimore territory at the 36-yard line, Cincinnati went for it on fourth-and-2.  This time, it was a pass to Kenny Watson that  LB Jarret Johnson was all over for no gain.  Two-and-half minutes later, Flacco was off on his romp.

* And perhaps the most overlooked play on a day filled with Ravens highlights.  In the first quarter with the score still 0-0 and the Bengals with the high ground in the battle for field position, Cincinnati had the ball in the red zone at the Ravens 14-yard line, second-and-1.  The Ravens blew up a Perry running play in the backfield with Terrell Suggs credited for the tackle.  Faced with third-and-4, the Bengals tried a pass that resulted in a Ravens interception.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

Fullbacks are supposed to be a vestige of another NFL era but Baltimore's Le'Ron McClain proved that the power runner still has a place in today's game when you want to run out the clock. McClain powered the ball down the field on the Ravens' last offensive possession to seal the win.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

On offense, the Ravens are living and dying with their rookies. Near the end of the third quarter, Flacco ran for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a 17-3 lead and it appeared that the Bengals couldn't score a touchdown if the game lasted until Tuesday. Well, maybe not on offense because that's when the Ravens' other offensive rookie starter, Ray Rice, dropped the ball in the Baltimore backfield on a pitch play and it was scooped up by Cincinnati's Johnathan Joseph, who took it the other way for a 65-yard score, closing the gap to 17-10.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:04 PM | Permalink
                    

The Ravens left too much time on the clock on their last scoring drive and gave Cincinnati a chance to come back for their own field goal with less than 10 seconds left in the half. Flacco is 6-for-16 for 45 yards but should probably have four more completions on drops and a TD pass.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:34 PM | Permalink
                    

This could very much be a three-touchdown lead for the Ravens if not for some key errors.

Todd Heap just missed a short touchown pass in the right side of the end zone and earlier, a punt return for a TD was called back by a penalty. This time, Matt Stover kicked the short field goal to put the Ravens ahead, 10-0, with 1:50 left in the first half.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

With 5:30 left in the first half, Cincinnati has just three completions -- none for more than 10 yards -- and only one to a wide receiver. So how important is an intact Ravens secondary?

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:12 PM | Permalink
                    

The Ravens lost a special-teams touchdown by Yamon Figurs on a punt return when Frank Walker was called for blocking in the back. Although Baltimore pushed the ball to the Bengals' 30-yard line, Matt Stover missed the field goal. Score is still Ravens 7, Bengals 0.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Flacco just threw a key block on a double reverse that sprang Mark Clayton for a 42-yard touchdown, giving the Ravens a 7-0 lead. Flacco completed three passes for 28 yards on the 78-yard drive, converted a third-and-1 on a quarterback sneak to keep the drive alive and threw the aforementioned block on the Clayton touchdown.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:29 PM | Permalink
                    

So far, the Ravens' veterans on defense have kept the Bengals off the board. With Cincinnati in the red zone, Ed Reed busted up a pass and Chris McAlister intercepted. The Ravens have the ball on their own 22.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:25 PM | Permalink
                    

On the second Ravens possesion, Flacco had a first-down pass to Derrick Mason juggled. By the time Mason got it under control, he was out of bounds. On third-and-6, the Ravens called a draw to rookie RB Ray Rice and he nearly got the first down. He came up a yard short and Baltimore is back on defense at its own 46. We're playing chess at the moment.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:15 PM | Permalink
                    

We're live blogging from the Ravens and just moments into the game, the offense put the defense in a hole with a turnover. But it wasn't because of a mistake by rookie QB Joe Flacco. Instead, it was a fumble by Pro Bowl TE Todd Heap on a completion that should have been a first down. The Bengals took over on the Ravens' 33 but luckily for Baltimore, back-to-back sacks have forced Cincinnati to punt.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:06 PM | Permalink
                    

Let’s be honest, an awful lot needs to go right for the Ravens to beat the Bengals on Sunday. Actually, it’s amazing that Baltimore is only a two-point underdog but let’s examine how the game needs to play out if the Ravens are to win.

Obviously, the Ravens must protect quarterback Joe Flacco – and we’re not just talking about the offensive line. The play-calling has to be such that it minimizes Flacco’s reads and vulnerability. Of course, the Ravens will have to force the run, even if Willis McGahee can’t play or is limited. Ray Rice or someone is going to have to account for both a reasonable number yards and just as importantly, time of possession. When faced with third-and-long, the Ravens must resist the temptation to put Flacco in risky situations and be content with safe plays, including runs, and punt the ball. If the Baltimore offense struggles, head coach John Harbaugh has to be patient and play the chess game of field position. It’s not particularly palatable but this is the hand the Ravens have been dealt and the defense has been there before and has made it work. Job One for Flacco is protecting the ball. The next priority is moving the chains with runs and quick passes. Do those things and the issue of scoring points will take care of itself. It may not be a lot of points but whatever it turns out to be, it might be enough.

If there are risks to be taken, it will have to be on defense. And you really can’t minimize exactly how great a risk the Ravens will be taking because the secondary is something of a question mark because of injuries. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will have to be at his best with his play-calling and get a little lucky, too. And he certainly needs to avoid getting unlucky (missed tackles, blown assignments). If the Ravens win, you can be sure that there will be a defensive touchdown or an easy offensive score off a turnover.

And finally, the Ravens must win the special teams battle where they should have something of an advantage. Special teams were Harbaugh’s domain for many years as an assistant in Philadelphia so that phase of the Ravens game has probably benefited, especially in terms of personnel.

So, in conclusion: The Ravens have to protect the rookie QB and the rook has to protect the ball. The defense will have to hit a few jackpots when it gambles. Assuming the offense does not surrender field position with turnovers, special teams have to win the real estate battle at minimum and probably even do a little more to help score.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

A few weeks ago, the LPGA said that it wanted its international members to be able to speak English to some degree of proficiency by the end of 2009 -- or face suspension.The policy was seen as particularly affecting the dozens of South Korean players on the tour (reportedly there are 45 South Koreans out of 121 international LPGA members), many of whom have been event winners.

Since then, the LPGA has been criticized to varying degrees by some of its own members, PGA players, sponsors, civil rights groups and elected officials. While everyone seems to agree that it benefits the tour and the international players themselves to be able to give victory speeches and interviews in English, the idea of penalties took the effort in a bad direction, some say.

Amending its position, the LPGA now says that it wants to continue to encourage and help its international players speak English (with language assistance programs) but without the threat of suspension. As one reader pointed out when this story first broke, players being able to interact in some meaningful way with the amateurs who pay a fair amount of money to play in pro-ams is a significant puzzle piece in the complex financial structure that makes pro golf viable. Overall, players proficient in English would seem to be in a better position to cash in on endorsements. So perhaps, the financial motivations for players to be able to communicate effectively will be a better carrot than the stick of the threat of suspension.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It’s time to start making those NFL picks again. Last year, we finished in the black against the spread, although not by much (29-26-2) and we could have gotten off to a great start last night because we loved the Giants but backward glances only distract from the task at hand.

So, here goes for 2008.

Cincinnati at Ravens (+2, 38 over-under) I’m always reluctant to pick games involving the home team for the obvious reason. You don’t want emotion to play a role. To be brutally frank, you have to be a heck of a Ravens’ fan to go with Baltimore Sunday. Rookie coach, rookie quarterback, rookie running back. Actually, I’m just as concerned with an uncertain defensive secondary and the team running around still signing offensive tackles days before the opener. The oddsmakers and bettors noticed, that’s why the Ravens went from one-point favorites to two-point underdogs since this line opened. The smart move, I think, is the under here at 38 points. I believe the Ravens defense will rise to the occasion and the Ravens offense will struggle. Pick: Under (38).

New York Jets at Miami (+3) Another new coaching situation, this one in Miami with Tony Sparano. The quarterback situation with the two teams makes a natural storyline. Brett Favre in the strange role as quarterback of the Jets and the player he displaced in New York, Chad Pennington, now playing for the Dolphins. Quarterbacks aside, the huge contrast here is on the offensive lines. The Jets have been working to build a solid line ever since Eric Mangini arrived through both the draft and free agency. That’s the type of thing that determines outcomes. Pick: Jets (-3)

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-3) After a close call with Hurricane Gustav, New Orleans will have the Saints in the Superdome to open the 2008 season and that should give the home team and even bigger lift than usual. On the field, the Saints have a maturing, versatile offense that features Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, Marques Colston and now Jeremy Shockey. Normally, I don’t like picking against Tampa Bay’s underrated quarterback Jeff Garcia but he can’t play defense against what should be a very productive Saints offense. Pick: Saints (-3).

Houston at Pittsburgh (-6 ½). This game opened at 7 and naturally, if you like the underdog, you’d also like to get the full touchdown. Because of that, this game concerns me on the Texans’ side of it. However, I think Houston can win this game outright if quarterback Matt Schaub takes care of the football. The Texans’ defense could be the difference-maker here and former No. 1 draft pick DE Mario Williams the player who helps Houston score defensive points or at least gives Schaub a short field. Pick: Houston (+6 ½).

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:42 AM | Permalink
                    

Sunday's Bengals-Ravens game will get a footnote in NFL history as the moment when Chad Ocho Cinco had his formal coming out party. The wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson has had his named legally changed to Chad Ocho Cinco and the transformation debuts when Cincinnati's No. 85 wears an Ocho Cinco jersey for Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Here's the official word from the Bengals:
"Effective today, the Bengals begin the process of listing the former Chad Johnson as Chad Ocho Cinco for all club business, per the legal change of his surname effected in Florida. The list of appropriate changes will include the player wearing the name Ocho Cinco on the back of his jersey for Sunday's season opener at Baltimore."

In anticipation of the name change, singer-songwriter Ryan Parker offered this musical tribute to the rechristened wideout.
To turn up the volume, slide the volume control to the right. It is located to the right of the loudspeaker icon in the lower right of the screen.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:28 PM | Permalink
                    

With the Ravens' quarterback situation so stunningly altered, it's interesting to considering  the rapid decline in the fortunes of a quarterback just a few years removed from Pro Bowl-status, Daunte Culpepper.

Today, Culpepper, 31, announced his retirement saying that he was unable to find work.

This is an excerpt from an email he sent explaining his decision: "There was an overwhelming sense that there was no room for me among this year's group of quarterbacks; whether in a starting, competing or a back-up role."

In fact, Culpepper reportedly did have offers from Pittsburgh and Green Bay for backup jobs but the former Viking-Dolphin-Raider decided those weren't for him at the time. Culpepper acts as his own agent and he indicated that his personal approach to representation had something to do with his failure to land an opportunity to compete in a meaningful way for a roster spot.

More likely, it was the serious knee injury he suffered in 2005 and his so-so performances since then.  Last year, with a bad Oakland team, he completed 108 of 186 passes for 1,331 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.  It wasn't great but it wasn't horrible either so you wonder if it is true that he is being blackballed because he is considered difficult, or if maybe his asking price simply has been unrealistic.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:55 PM | Permalink
                    

The first instance of Major League Baseball's instant replay involved not only the Yankees but Alex Rodriguez.  In this case, the call was fair or foul and actually was only slightly in dispute and not particularly critical.  It came last night in the top of the ninth with the Yankees already ahead of the Rays by three runs, 6-3.  A-Rod's homer, which was initially ruled fair and with the call remaining that way after review, made it 8-3 at the time.  New York beat Tampa Bay, 8-4.

A Rodriguez homer earlier this year against the Orioles was one of several that turned up the volume on the calls for replay.  In that instance, the home run was incorrectly disallowed and ruled a double.

So here's a look at how it worked.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:49 AM | Permalink
                    

Funny, weird or sad -- you can decide.

Earlier this week, the Lions signed former Bengals running back Rudi Johnson who was taking the job and roster spot of Tatum Bell whose best days were with Denver.  While Johnson was hammering out the details of his new employment on Monday, his luggage -- a pair of duffel bags -- went missing from Detroit's practice facility. According to Johnson, surveillance video showed it was Bell who walked off with the bags. Johnson has gotten back the empty bags but contends a moderate amount of cash, his identification, credit cards and clothes are missing.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

I know that many Ravens fans will not agree but it is my belief that when Kyle Boller was placed on injured reserve today with a shoulder injury that the Ravens lost their best current quarterback and probably any chance -- albeit a mighty slim one -- to contend for the playoffs.

Before the Joe Flacco or Troy Smith supporters start firing away, let me say that I have substantial regard for the rookie from Delaware. His intelligence, arm strength and quiet determination may make him an outstanding NFL quarterback. There is no rush to that judgment here one way or the other.  And Troy Smith deserves a reasonable chance to prove himself.

However, before Boller got hurt, he was possessed of enormous arm strength, a great deal of courage and and the experience of 42 NFL starts during which he occasionally flashed brilliant and often operated competently. And, yes, I know he also occasionally played as if he were wearing rolling skates. But on a depth chart that originally included Boller, Troy Smith and Flacco, if you took all the components of talent, experience and the sheer ability to throw the football through a small defensive window, Boller was clearly the best guy right now.

That's all gone. And for Boller and the Ravens, it's probably gone for good. He is in the last year of a contract extension and one would think that in seven months or so when free agency rolls around, assuming his injury situation is resolved favorably, Boller will look fairly attractive to some other NFL franchise on the hunt for a quarterback.  After all, if Todd Bouman can land on an NFL roster (he's been signed by the Ravens), one would think Boller will be a hot item on the open market.

So in whatever quarterback controversy that awaits the Ravens for 2008, this much is certain -- for the first time in several years, Kyle Boller will not be part of the debate.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (50)
                    

In an hour or so, the Orioles will play the Red Sox in a game that is so lopsided that the Las Vegas odds are absolutely off the charts.

On a Web site that charts such things, the Orioles-Red Sox opened at plus-210 (Baltimore) and minus-230 (Boston).  The quick primer on baseball odds means that if a bettor wants to wager on the Orioles, he or she needs to invest 100 clam shells to win 210. On the other hand, if the wager is on Boston to win, the investment must be 230 to win 100.

Here's the news, since the open, the odds at some Las Vegas casinos have moved to plus-280, minus-360.  That means that now if you want to wager on Boston to win, you would have to invest  a whopping 360 clam shells just to win 100.  Folks, I gotta tell you that's one heck of a move that's obviously predicated on how much money has moved on the Red Sox.

To put this in perspective, you'll mostly see baseball favorites listed at minus-120, minus-140, minus-160. The next biggest odds difference today is the Astros-Cubs where I noticed that Chicago, as the favorite, was listed at minus-240. 

The huge Orioles-Red Sox odds are mostly about the pitching mismatch.  Boston has Daisuke Matsuzaka (16-2) pitching while the Orioles will start out with Lance Cormier and hold their breath and keep their fingers crossed.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

If there is one good thing to come out of Joe Flacco beginning the season as the Ravens starting quarterback it is this -- he will get more practice reps with the first-string offense.

And frankly, that's about it.

From the beginning, I have believed that throwing Flacco into the mayhem of an NFL regular-season game would not be a particularly good thing.  I still don't.  A number of readers have written to say that the best experience is on-the-job training.  Yeah, maybe, if you're not getting your brains beat in by guys whose salary depends on separating you from your senses.

Sun writer Mike Preston did an excellent job today of enumerating rookie QBs who survived ugly first-year experiences (Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman) and those who did not (Tim Couch, David Carr).  Some will argue that Couch and Carr would have failed anyway.  Maybe, but how do you disprove that?  You can't un-ring the bell once a guy's own bell has been rung so many times that he's nearly shattered. Jim Plunkett is an interesting and rare case study of a high-draft pick QB who was apparently ruined when he was rushed as a starter with New England, but was somehow rescued two stops down the career road in Oakland. Yeah, Plunkett learned the hard way and still  became a Super Bowl winner -- but for some other team. Is that what anyone who roots for Baltimore wants for Flacco?

Right now, here's the best-case scenario from a Ravens fan's point of view: that the kid from Delaware survives to become the NFL quarterback that the Ravens believed he could be when they picked him.  He has shown a lot of promise.  He's ultra smart and eminently coachable; he makes steady, incremental improvement; he has a big-time arm. But fans should forget about wins and losses if he has to play. And especially forget about wins and losses if the guy taking snaps is someone like Todd Bouman or Joey Harrington, either of whom may or may not be the new emergency backup. No disrespect to those players, but if a guy can really come off the street or out of someone else's camp and be even half-competent at running an NFL offense with a week or so of hurried preparation, then teams are wasting a heck of a lot of time with all those minicamps.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
                    

Michael Phelps is polishing his gold medals and the Orioles are polishing off their season in typical fashion meaning that the only sports story in town at the moment is the Ravens and the startling development at quarterback (hopefully, Maryland and Navy football will step up as fall unfolds).

But before we turn our attention to the Ravens and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, a brief observation about the Orioles, whose fortunes have plummeted over the last two weeks. Since reaching a recent high-water mark of 60-63 after beating Detroit on Aug. 17, the Orioles have dropped 11 of 13 games with the pitching staff imploding. Yesterday's 7-4 loss to Boston included 10 walks by Baltimore pitchers who have collectively lost the plate.  Even Jeremy Guthrie, who had been something of a stopper all season, has failed to stem the recent losing tide.

Before the season began, Las Vegas oddsmakers had put the over-under for total wins for the Orioles at 64 1/2. Through the first four-and-a-half months of the season as the Orioles hovered just below .500, it appeared that they would bury that dismal prediction. And with a little more than two dozen games and the record at 62-74, the Orioles should still beat that pessimistic projection.  However, with the pitching apparently absolutely hopeless, while the O's should still best 64 1/2, it appears that it won't be by much.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)