5 things we learned from Ravens-Bengals game
1. Ed Reed should have his own comic book with some of the ridiculous plays he makes. Technically, this isn't something we learned today, just something we were reminded of. Reed's interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter was as good of a guess as you'll ever see a safety make against a good NFL quarterback. Prior to the snap, Reed was lined up on the opposite hash from Fabian Washington and Chad Ochocinco, and he knew the Ravens were coming at Carson Palmer with pressure from the left. If you look at the tape, you'll see almost no one rushing from Palmer's blindside. Ochocinco thought it was a hot read, and so did Palmer, and Reed saw the whole thing unfold like the field was a chessboard, and he was a grandmaster.
"Ed just made a great play," Palmer said. "With the coverage they were playing, he wasn't where he was supposed to be. He's a great defensive player, and he read the route and reacted."
"Certain quarterbacks have certain tendencies," Reed said. "It was a great jam by Fabian and me breaking on the ball. I watch film constantly, man. We've been playing against each other the last couple years, and I know him just as much as he knows me. It's just competitors going against each other and somebody making a play."
As good as Reed's been throughout his career, I still feel like he's somehow underrated because he's spent his entire tenure playing with Ray Lewis. Whenever people wax on and on about Lewis' leadership, I always feel like it deserves an asterisk because as important as he's been to the franchise, Reed has been the better player the last few years. Between the interception return and punching the ball out of Ochocinco's hands deep in Ravens territory, Reed kept the Ravens in this game. He also deserves credit for something that rarely gets talked about. After Ravens losses in recent years, Lewis has made a habit of ducking out of the locker room without speaking to reporters. He did it Sunday, quickly dressing and disappearing without saying anything. That's his prerogative, and if he feels he's too emotional and he doesn't want to say something that might get him fined, it's probably a smart decision. But Reed didn't want to talk either, and he still did, clearly understanding it was his job to explain to the fans what went wrong on the penalties. That's leadership, too.
"You can't put it anybody's hands," Reed said. "The players come out there to play and win the game, and you've got to win the game on your terms. You can't have close calls. You can't put them in a position where it's a 50/50 call for the referees, because you don't know which way it's going to go. It's not about them, it's about us playing football."
2. Ray Rice can be an feature back like he was in college, and if you thought he was a third-down back because of his height, you don't really understand football. Size does matter for running backs, but what most people don't realize is that Rice has the legs and torso of a much bigger man. He's like a bowling ball. Could he handle 30 carries a game? That's debatable, but the reality is most NFL running backs don't get 30 carries a game anyway. I'm convinced he'd hold up better than Willis McGahee over 30 touches. Rice Had 14 carries for 69 yards and eight catches for 74 yards against the Bengals, and made one of the best plays a Ravens running back has made the last few seasons on his 48-yard touchdown catch, putting a hand down, keeping his balance, and staying on his feet when it looked like the Bengals had him wrapped up. Keep in mind that Priest Holmes was only 5-foot-9, and Marshall Faulk was only 5-foot-10. Rice probably won't ever reach their level, but he can be a running back of a similar mold: A pass-catching threat who can run between the tackles and make people miss in space.
"Right now, I'm trying to be an all-purpose back," Rice said. "I don't want guys taking me for granted out there just saying he's a receiver. [I want to] prove we can run between the tackles. My yards are going to come all-purpose. That's what I know."
3. Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington need some help. They haven't been that great so far this season, but it's not entirely their fault. The pass rush has been so-so at best, and neither corner is big enough nor aggressive enough to keep bigger receivers from taking advantage of them when the quarterback has five and six seconds to throw. On the 73-yard completion to Chris Henry, Foxworth was actually in decent position, but Palmer bought enough time and then made a perfect throw on the run that dropped right into Henry's arms. It's no wonder Foxworth looked like he slowed up on the play right after Henry caught the ball. It was eight or nine seconds after the snap. The pass defense will likely get better, but only when the team puts more pressure on the quarterback. Rex Ryan did that the last few years by blitzing from about 1,000 different angles. Greg Mattison is still figuring out how much he likes to blitz (not as much as Rex) and where to send guys from (usually up the middle). That strategy can certainly work, but it didn't yesterday. Baltimore had just three quarterback hurries and one sack. Trevor Pryce really didn't get near Palmer all day, and neither did Suggs. Jarret Johnson seems like the Ravens' best pass rusher right now, which is a credit to him, but not a good sign for the vaunted Ravens defense. People are going to focus on the fact that Cedric Benson broke the Ravens' 39-game streak of holding running backs to under 100 yards, but the run defense will be fine.
4. Cincinnati is for real. I grew up a Bears fan, so I've always followed the franchise over the years, and I'm not kidding when I say I'm convinced someone switched bodies with Benson. He looks nothing like he did in Chicago, where his favorite play was to run into the back of an offensive lineman and then fall down for a 2-yard gain. The Bengals dug him off the trash heap, and somehow rejuvenated him, and I'm still not sure how they did it. Right now, the best theory I can come up with is they hired a priest to exorcise the ghost of Rashaan Salaam from his body. But Benson's revival has completely changed the face of this team. They can run the ball consistently even against some of the best defenses in the league, which gives Palmer the chance to be a real quarterback instead of someone who has spent the last few years running for his life. Winning and losing are both infectious, which is why it's so hard to turn around a loser. But if you can kick-start the process by lucking your way into a player like Benson, suddenly other things start to come together. Palmer really does believe he can win games in the clutch, and this team is going to be tough all year. Chad Johnson is sort of like the Lady Gaga of NFL wide receivers. His gimmick is so over-the-top all the time that you forget there is actually real talent there. With young players like Antwan Odom and Ray Maualuga, Marvin Lewis might finally be figuring out how to win in the NFL's Bermuda Triangle. The wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer unexpectedly died this week, and the team channeled the emotion from that tragic loss into its play. That wouldn't have happened in recent years. Pittsburgh and Baltimore better get their act together, or one of them will be on the outside looking in come playoff time thanks to the Bengals.
5. As good as Joe Flacco can look at times, he's not there yet, just because he isn't Kyle Boller. Any Ravens fan who watched highlights of the Rams game Sunday probably couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when they saw Boller drop the ball in mid-windup, leading to a Vikings touchdown, just because it probably felt so familiar. Even when Flacco doesn't play well, you get the impression he can still untie his own shoes after the game without falling down. But there are still going to be growing pains, and that's easy to forget because aesthetically he's been such an upgrade over Boller and the final years of Steve McNair's career. I'm certainly guilty of it. If you asked me earlier this year whether I'd rather have Flacco or Eli Manning for the next 10 years, I'd probably have taken Flacco. But the last two weeks have been a reminder that it's easy to get carried away when we've lived through a decade of bad quarterback play in Baltimore. He missed on two big plays Sunday that could have changed the game: the first quarter interception near the goal line when he was trying hit hit Todd Heap, and the overthrow late in the fourth quarter when Mark Clayton was behind the Bengals' defense.
Cam Cameron clearly feels like Flacco throwing the ball gives the Ravens their best chance to win, which is fine, even though it's a clear departure from the strategy of a year ago. You have to throw the ball to win these days in the NFL. Flacco made a great read and throw late in the game to Kelly Washington on 3rd-and-12, and it looked like that might wrap up the game. But Cincinnati stacked the line, stopped Rice twice, and with the Bengals daring the Ravens' quarterback to beat them deep for the first time all game, he got a little anxious and overthrew Clayton.
"I let the ball go, and I didn't think I missed him," Flacco said. "But the ball kept going."
That's OK. Those throws will come. But Flacco clearly isn't quite Tom Brady just yet, as much as Baltimore might want him to be. Arguably, he's not even Carson Palmer just yet. Going on the road next week will be a great test to see if he can take the next step.
-- Kevin Van Valkenburg
Comments
where was Willis today?...no Ray Rice is NOT the answer he just allows the defense to play pass defense more safely... and YES the officials STINK..can you say class ACTION LAW SUIT FOR GIVING US AN INFERIOR PRODUCT...maybe some need to lose there $100k+ jobs to straighten them out
Posted by: Phil Laumann | October 11, 2009 8:13 PM
No longer dominant on defense; Mattison doesn't understand the importance of a pass rush with two of the weakest corners in football; still looking for an identity on offense; no weapons for Flacco; Kelly Washington seems to get open and catch, but is under-utilized; whatever happened to Demitrious Williams? Are we that poorly disciplined or do the refs just have it in for us? And, finally, how did we wind up with the exact same crew of refs we had in Foxborough last week?
Posted by: Jerry B | October 11, 2009 8:13 PM
Sorry but I beg to differ with your "it's no wonder" that Foxworth "looked like" he slowed up. He DID slow up (no optical illusion there) and that's just not good football. Even every high school kid knows you play until you hear the whistle. He doesn't get a pass just because of a weak pass rush.
Posted by: slg | October 11, 2009 8:16 PM
I think you missed #6 The Ravens have a reputation as the bad boys of the league. It's very apparent the officials can and will call everything in the rule book on them. Harbaugh better wise up and get some discipline back on this team. These were 2 games we should have one but the refs kept game killing drives going.
Posted by: biff | October 11, 2009 8:36 PM
Best writer at the sun.
Posted by: Ghost of XmasPast | October 11, 2009 8:41 PM
Yup, #31, #24 and Landry #26, and Carr all seem like they are out of their league. It's not just today either. They look pretty bad. So, if you add that to veteran's mistakes and misses, it's a pretty sad looking story. I don't know the answer, other than to say the dynamics of the Offense and Defense and how they contribute to our game have definitely changed in the past two years and maybe we have some adjusting to do.
Posted by: Lisa | October 11, 2009 9:42 PM
Great assessment of the game and the team. Please keep your insights coming.This was probably the most thoughtful and interesting game/team breakdown I have read on the Sun's websight in a long, long time.
Posted by: ryan | October 11, 2009 9:55 PM
3rd and 10 and we throw to the endzone WOW we learned how to not coach a football game a first down pretty much wins the game
FOXWORTH IS GARBAGE PERIOD HE WILL NEVER BE A GOOD CORNER check back with me at the end of the year HE IS TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: mike | October 11, 2009 10:04 PM
WHO DEY !!!
Posted by: edward Cupp | October 11, 2009 10:11 PM
As a Raven's fan I must say that the defense that we have this year isn't the same defense that we had last year. The offense has taken some very good strides to become better and the defense has become worse. I don't see how we will make the playoffs this year with the lacking defense that we have. I don't like to sound mean or anything but there have been way too many penalties by our defense and to put it bluntly I must say that so far they suck. That's the only word that I can think of to use. So if we are lucky we might go 8 - 8. I don't see how we can beat any of the good teams like the Colts or the Steelers unles we have some major changes for the better.
Posted by: Steven Carson | October 11, 2009 10:32 PM
If we play like this next week, the Vikings will blow us out of the Dome! We have to do better job at getting to the QB. The refs didn't screw us over; we played like crap on both sides of the ball. Thanks to Ed Reed and Ray Rice, we were in the game. Thanks to Joe Flacco and the lousy pass rush (and Ray's stupid penalty), we lost.
Posted by: cabterp | October 11, 2009 11:33 PM
They paid Dominique Foxworth, the nickel back on a poor defensive team, $27 million. Anyone still want to call Newsome "The Wizard"? Can we all chip in and buy Dominique's contract? Since there's no cap next year, we won't have to take a cap hit. We'll just lose $27 million -- ah, sorta like we did on McGahee. The "Wizard"? I don't thin so. We don't have a single NFL corner on the team; and our WRs suck, as a group. I guess we can wait until next year, when Ozzie again will fail to draft the WR and corner we need to compete. Maybe he can use the #2 pick on someone who doesn't even dress, like Kruger.
Posted by: easywriter01 | October 12, 2009 12:20 AM
Great insight. I agree with comments on lack of pass rush, Ravens Defense aura seems diminished, and the officials "have it in" for the Ravens; too bad fans can't rate the officials (officially). However, the bottom line is: If you don't score, you don't win. Raven's status as top contenders will be "Not For Long." I love Joe Flacco as QB, but you've got to be more accurate with your arm.
Posted by: agarcia | October 12, 2009 2:03 AM
The pass rush is not getting to the qb, and most of the blitzing gets picked up. Why did we ever get two of the weakest corners in the AFC West anyway? Still, getting to the qb is a must, that's on the DC (greg matt).
Posted by: B | October 12, 2009 4:56 AM
"Ray Rice can be an feature back like he was in college, and if you thought he was a third-down back because of his height, you don't really understand football". Wrong, sorry but I think anyone who thinks that Ray Rice is better than Willis McGahee doesn't really understand football. These last two losses are ample proof of that. Also, Ray Rice cannot block. He gave up a sack by making a half-assed effort picking up a blitz. He also picked up a personal foul for a chop block late in the fourth quarter.
Posted by: rravenfan | October 12, 2009 7:39 AM
Was Foxworth Newsome's or Harbaugh's idea to sign?
I seems like many of the free agents signed were special team players.
I never liked the idea of signing a "short" CB. Before the Ravens, the Eagles were my team by default. Mark McMillan was a talented but short CB who had no chance against taller wide outs...
Posted by: B_Colts | October 12, 2009 7:44 AM
Ravens are drawing penalties because they've lost their discipline. It's unthinkable that a player of Ray Lewis's usual cool-headedness makes such a colossal boneheaded mistake as a blatant personal foul on the game-deciding final drive. But that illustrates the Ravens' collapse. Something's wrong in their heads right now. Maybe they've been drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid of late.
Posted by: dan | October 12, 2009 8:01 AM
You guys are all crazy if you think the refs lost this one for the Ravans. All the calls on the last drive were definitly warranted. Last weeks calls were questionable for sure, but this week not even close. RAY IS DONE. He is slow and can't tackle anymore except for a big hit here and there. Reed is scared to tackle and to tell you the truth never could tackle. He had a good game this week but 1 good and 3 bad is not a good average for the year!
Posted by: Jim | October 12, 2009 8:17 AM
The running seems to have vanished except for Ray Rice. Reed is always great. Ray Lewis made a mistake. Refs were calling guys for hanging on. You don't give them field position on penalties and expect to win. The last drive by the Ravens was just hoping to use clock. The pass rush is anemic. And yes Joe is good but not a star. Give it time. He didn't have all day like Favre, Rothesberger, Palmer or Manning. The line on both sides seems to have diminished as the offense gets the credit. Maybe Rex Ryan was the Ravens. But the team is still there. And they'll meet these guys again. Win next week and everyone will be feeling better. No one thinks they can win now. Before everyone was thinking can they go undefeated. Get real. Beating Favre and Pitt will be season makers. And then they can destroy the Pats, Giants and Colts.
Posted by: KraftPaper | October 12, 2009 8:19 AM
What can you say??? The Bengals are the best team in this division. Just wait until they clean up the little mistakes that are keeping the opposing team in the game. This team is only going to get better as the year goes on.
Posted by: Lee Stottlemyer | October 12, 2009 8:20 AM
Ok, right now, i'm really sic... Where the hell is our pass rush??? it's time to bring youth in our D-Line when it's obvious passing situation, Kruger? Barnes? Mc clain? Ellerbe? edwards (who made a solid game by the way)?
Because one thing is sure, even with probowl corners, when a QB has got more than 03 seconds to throw , you're DEAD for sure... Yesterday palmer got 06 seconds all game long...
Posted by: mika from france | October 12, 2009 8:39 AM
Everyone always talks about how the Ravens are a bunch of bullies. Fact is the league doesn't want big, tough, hard-hitting players. They want under-sized Cover-2 types so offenses can stay on the field and make the game appear like video football to the fans. That is the rationale for no contact down the field and limited QB hits.
Posted by: Madden Pro | October 12, 2009 8:43 AM
Call me crazy, but I'm still not convinced that Cincy is for real. I believe the teams they're playing are just not that good. Mistakes, cost you! The Ravens started believing the hype at the beginning of the year when they were being picked to go to the Super Bowl. My feelings are they will be fighting to go 8-8.These were 2 very winnable games. If you saw what I saw yesterday...the Ravens have "no identity" on both offense and defense. They're so hung up on being multi-faceted, they stopped doing what they do well. Are other teams that good or are the front 7 for the Ravens just playing poorly when it comes to the pass rush. Brett Favre is going to eat the alive if they don't get some fast young blood up on the line to rush him. Its time to panic folks!
Posted by: D-Will of the people | October 12, 2009 9:12 AM
History repeating itself. Billick has a good year and they give him the keys and he drives the bus over a bridge. Coach has a good last year then he picks his guys and they turn out like crap. Let the Wizard of Ozz pick your players!
Posted by: BrooklynJay | October 12, 2009 10:02 AM
(1) Dawan Landry is our safety this year - not Jim Leonhard - simply because of $$$. while i think Landry is (slightly) better against the run, he is poor in pass coverage, a little too reminiscent of Roy Williams when he was in Dallas. we should have kept Jim and cut Landry - especially after a serious NECK injury...
(2) Foxworth was clearly brought here for the "hometown kid" aspect, because he has done nothing thus far to validate the HUGE money that was spent to secure him.
(3) Fabian and Walker should be dime and nickel backs, respectively. they look like little kids when they line up against NFL #1 receivers and get outjumped for every pass.
(4) Ray And Ed - while still quality players - are showing their age. Ngata is the future of this defense, and i hope we move mountains to keep him here.
(5) Coach Mattison is in over his head. i know that structurally this D is similar to the ones Rex was running, but the execution strategy is totally different. he was simply outcoached in this game, and it - along with poor discipline by several veteran players - cost us the game.
Posted by: JonBoy | October 12, 2009 10:35 AM
in response to Phil Laumann, kelley washington never seems to get the chance to make plays. when he was with the bengals he was a solid receiver. we just had a log jam @ receiver. I think he should at least be the number 2 for you all because he is better than clayton. the ravens played a solid game, the new coordinator wasn't blitzing as much as in the past. The Ravens played a good game, and it really could have went either way.
Posted by: scott dean | October 12, 2009 10:40 AM
Can someone please tell Cam Cameron you can't win in the AFC north if you only run the ball 18 times a game. As for the D if you tackeled as well as you danced maybe you'd be 5-0 instead of 3-2. Bottom line is this team needs some mental and physical toughness. They just got punched in the mouth two weeks in a row and all they could muster was penalties. They should have resigned Bart Scott and let Ray go and picked up Shawn Spring who the Pats got for a bargin price. Its all fixable but the coaching staff needs to quit patting themselves on the back from last year and kick some a@@!!!
Posted by: Steve | October 12, 2009 10:41 AM
One big point was missed. When the Ravens only needed one first down to ice the game, Cameron goes for the long pass to Clayton (just like he did successfully against KC,) which has about a 20% chance of being complete (only 50% even if it hits Clayton in the hands.) Stupid, stupid, stupid. If we just go high percentage for the short gain first down there, game over. The more I see of Cameron's highlight reel style of play calling, the less I like it. We were outcoached, outhit, and outplayed. This team is the 3rd best team in the AFC North with our current O and D coordinators.
Posted by: john | October 12, 2009 11:01 AM
Why weren't we running McGahee/McClain down their throats when we got the ball with a 4 point lead?
Posted by: Mr. Deez | October 12, 2009 11:09 AM
At the beginning of the season I wanted to think that it did not matter we lost Ryan. Defensive Coach changes, which we have had many, never seemed to impact the play of Raven D. I also realize that our D is a little older. Still, the defensive game plan has been very very weak all year. Suggs is very good but we did pay him too much money. He got Dwight Freeney money and you have to double DF. He got Jared Allen money and you have to double JA. Enough on that. Anyway, our pass rush leaves our weakness (corners) very exposed. We need tougher more agressive D play calling. They also seem to have lost some of their passion. I don't think our D coach does 'passion' very well. One last thing, Maybe we can run but I certainly think Joe can throw, I believe that the incessant calls for a more dominant 'run' game impacted how we played yesterday and stifeld our offense. We never had the rythem that we had the first four games because we were trying to put on a pair of shoes that did not fit.
Posted by: RavenKen | October 12, 2009 11:14 AM
Everyone stop panicking!
Pittsburgh is 3-2 just like we are. Our season starts next week in Minnesota. Stop coming down on the team you were so high on when they win. We're still a team every opponent does not look forward to facing week in and week out.
Harbaugh will have the team ready to play. The Ravens play better when they have something to prove and they will prove the critics wrong.
Go Ravens!
Posted by: Purple Koolaid | October 12, 2009 11:28 AM
I miss Jim Leonard. He played hard every game and wasn't afraid to make a tackle. He also gave us a spark on special teams.
Posted by: Hink66 | October 12, 2009 11:53 AM
After Ray creamed #85, did #85 ever get near the ball again?
It may not have been planned that way, but it doesn't seem like that much of a penalty when their best offensive weapon just can't seem to get open after that hit.
Posted by: Dave | October 12, 2009 11:57 AM
"Rice has the legs and torso of a much bigger man" - so what makes him so short? A tiny head?
Posted by: Rob | October 12, 2009 12:13 PM
1/ we had no pass rush : even if we had good corners it's impossible to have a good pass defense without a good pass rush... Maybe our SECOND round draft pick should play??
2/ huge concern about landry coverage skills at this point, he seems to have take a step back since his scary injury...Is nakamura can step in??
3/ even if i'm not happy with the ref, our player also need to get more focus and stop stupid things (specially in the 4th quarter...)
4/Ray rice is the real deal sorry for Mc gahee fans (i am too) but the kid is a great double threat and can handle the job...
5/Lardarius webb is the answer at returner position and maybe at corner too at this point...
and even if it's hard to say that, the bengals got :
1/ a good running game
2/ a good QB with good protection
3/ a good receiver threat
4/ a good pass rush
5/ an emotional boost for the defensive squad regarding zimmer's lost...
too hard to overcome...
Posted by: mika from france | October 12, 2009 12:36 PM
I am a Bengals fan and Baltimore has a writer that a lot of papers and football teams could use. Tells it like it is and does not sugar coat it or come over as a homer.
I tip my hat to the Ravens players. They stood up and made no excuses. A couple of the calls could have gone either way and they did not use that as an excuse. My respect for the Ravens just went up a notch or two!
Posted by: a fan | October 12, 2009 12:51 PM
I'm tired of all the back and forth of Flacco's good, he needs work, he's good, he needs work. It's possible to have a bad game but still be a good player, which Joe is: pretty good but certainly not "great" a few games into Year Two. (That said, I did think the MVP talk was a little premature since the Mannings, Brees and Favre are having great years.)
Posted by: Mike | October 12, 2009 2:10 PM
Among many things missing on this team is one that no one is talking about. Last year when we were protecting a lead, we had the Jumbo package with Lorenzo Neal and Le'Ron Mclain in there who could pound the ball and eat up clock. Why this team doesn't have a second Fullback is beyond me. Go out and re-sign Neal or get somebody off the scrap heap. It's been painfully obvious the past couple weeks when we had to burn clock or get a tough yard we couldn't. McLain's talent is being wasted on this team. As much as we love to say "In Ozzie We Trust", we need to get a Fullback and trust him to help finish games.
Posted by: David | October 12, 2009 2:15 PM
This article is way better than anything I have ever seen Mike Preston write. Mike Preston is a Homer.
Posted by: Ty | October 12, 2009 3:45 PM
To Jon Boy:
Agree with you on all 5 points. Only one you didn't address was Carr.
I don't think I can stomach watching Landry or Foxworth on the field anymore. Ray is still great, but its time to acknowledge the present and build for the future.
I also miss Bart Scott too.
Rex Ryan left some big shoes that are still left open to fill..
Posted by: Lisa | October 12, 2009 3:51 PM
Madden Pro wrote :"Call me crazy, but I'm still not convinced that Cincy is for real. I believe the teams they're playing are just not that good"
So, the fact that we beat you, the defending Superbowl champions and Green Bay means we're not playing good teams? Please. I'll give you the Browns, and 5-0 Denver is only 5-0 because of the still-least-likely-play-of-the-year to Stokley.
Look, I get division rivalries and such, and I'm not saying that the Bengals are going to win the AFC or anything, but to suggest that they've just had a soft schedule so far is living in denial. Yesterday was two very talented teams scrapping for every point they could get, and a couple of careless penalties made an easier job for Cinti to come back.
And who's to say that the Bengals wouldn't have won even without the flags? You might have noticed that Carson Palmer does a pretty good job throwing the ball. And there are one or two guys who can catch it. And Baltimore's D left the middle so open all day that somebody could've driven a bus through it.
Posted by: Bengals Nation | October 12, 2009 4:00 PM
I certainly have no love for the Ravens, but aren't you sounding like a bunch of knee-jerkers? 8 and 8, no playoffs etc. Wasn't it a week or two that this was the best team in the NFL? C'mon guys! The Bungles are going to blow a tire so don't worry about them. Keep looking over your right shoulder at the Burgh or you're going to get blind-sided.
Posted by: The Emporer | October 12, 2009 4:19 PM
Can we all calm down, its week 5
the steelers are also 3-2 and play the exact same teams we do with the exception of the colts. So please, no team has looked impressive this year with maybe the exception of the colts. THe broncos are 5-0 but theyve played inferior competition and new england isnt themselves this year
if i was to pick a year to go 3-2 to start a season and have a chance at the playoffs it would be this year.
Do u remember last years start and then we got blown out of the water by the colts after a couple of bad losses and we were 4-3 i believe so please, we went to the AFC championship game.
Dont get so rattled, our corners are bad but theyll get it together. Theres far too much talent on both sides of the ball to lose to any more inferior competiton
and finally the bengals were playing out of their mind for their coach, they wont finish better then 9-7, well go 10-6, 11-5 and make the playoffs. And u better believe were keeping our RB's fresh come the snow and cold weather
just my two cents, trust me im a doctor
Posted by: Dr_Tarzain | October 12, 2009 4:46 PM
The Purple Kool-Aid is "spiked!"
I hope all of you can see what this team lacks! NO top reciever, NO corners, NO pass rusher, NO quality cordinator to run the defense! They give too much time for the quarterbacks to write a letter home to mom. Out corners are a joke!
First the Ravens raise our ticket prices, and then you overpay Terrell Suggs. I suppose all that money in his pockets is what slows him from the QB? Then you sign Foxworth and 27 million? I suppose he's on the field thinking of his money and not the game!
What is wrong with our offensive schemes? You always run to set up the pass! 12 to 17 runs a game is not enough!
The real deal is the Ravens will not go to a Super Bowl or even the Playoffs for 2009. All of you are still on that hangover of 2008. The Ravens will end up 9-7. REALITY!! Chalk up a loss to real teams like Vikings, Broncos, Colts, and yes as much as I hate to say it. We lose to the Steelers twice again! People dont think with your heart, but with your brain! I'll give us a win with the Packers but that is even close.. We dont need Rex Ryan or Bart Scott. Leonard is missed but what we need or needed is better planning and a deal that that would of got a playmaker!
Posted by: Larry | October 12, 2009 5:32 PM
@ a fan
"I am a Bengals fan (lie - I'm a Ravens Fan) and Baltimore has a writer (my husband, Ya Gay Marriage) that a lot of papers and football teams could use. Tells it like it is and does not sugar coat it or come over as a homer (lie).
I tip my hat to the Ravens players (you guys are still really, really good). They stood up and made no excuses (LIE). A couple of the calls could have gone either way and they did not use that as an excuse(Still a LIE). My respect for the Ravens just went up a notch or two! (you guys are winners)"
Posted by: exposingthepretendfan | October 12, 2009 5:50 PM
After Ray creamed #85, did #85 ever get near the ball again? That's becasue they only have 5 minutes left and as good as they were playing they didn't need him. ou see they have a few good receivers not just one lik e the Ravens. If you only run the ball 17 or 18 times you don't win. Now we play a 40 year old QB who is going to have a 400 yard day. Ray is not good enough any more to cover tight ends down the field. And our DB sad pitiful bad and tey will give up even more yards becasue our 3 ..4 isn't getting to the QB. And Sizzzle is now all smoke and ash for 99% of the game.
Posted by: Bud | October 12, 2009 7:36 PM
This is a great piece, and it cheered me up. I was fretting about how a team could look so good and - a week later - look so bad. Thank you for pointing out that Joe Flacco is not yet a great QB but clearly has the potential, and we should stop gnashing our teeth when he makes rookie-like mistakes.
Also, I loved your Ode to Ed Reed. He doesn't get the media attention here that he should, but the national media is certainly paying attention. I think he and Ray Lewis will be in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Posted by: Carol in Hampden | October 12, 2009 8:29 PM
6th thing that should've been learned by loss to Bengals...perhaps refs didn't cost you game in New England. Maybe you're just not as good as you thought you were! LOL
Posted by: Anonymous | October 12, 2009 9:41 PM
what happened to the suggs package? other teams are still running wildcat like packages and we have gotten to far away from it. we like what Flacco can do but more creative plays help us to win. we need to also bring c-mac back.
Posted by: shane | October 12, 2009 10:08 PM
Yeah, it's those bleepin' refs. That's why Baltimore lost. Not the fact that the Ravens were their own worst enemy Sunday. OR that the Bungles might actually have a defense this year. Ray Ray SHOULD be allowed to take career-ending head shots at people, and chop blocking SHOULD be legal. Wow.. face it, fellas. It was close, tough, and Baltimore wanted it less. We (Cincy) should know: we do this ALL the time. Occasionally, we get tired of it and almost have a good season. We may have our players stalked by salivating cops or put bags on our heads at games; heck, last year we took pride in the morbid fact that we weren't the worst team in the NFL (thanks, Detroit) But it is not because we got a bad rap from the officials. Listen to All-Pro Ed: it should never be about a call or two. Own it. You'll appreciate victories so much more. ps Rice is 4 real.. WOW!
Posted by: jay from cincy | October 12, 2009 11:23 PM
-I knew the secondary would be a problem but I thought for sure the guys up front would be better then what they are. Letting Jim go was a bad move. It also looks like something is wrong with Ngata. I'm not sure if he's injured or recovering but something does not seem right.
-I guess I don't know anything about football because I would take Rice over Mcgahee any day of the week. I don't hate Willis but I think Ray is an upgrade. He can run if he gets the chance but they have not given him a real chance yet. Give him 25 carries and let's see how he does. The most he has been given has been 19 carries back in week 1. The problem this past week is that the coaches gave up the run game. If you looked at the stats from this past week’s game, you would think they were behind most of the game with the amount of throw attempts.
-I'm not giving up on Flacco. He had a bad game. I won't say he's a real MVP candidate but he's above average.
-I was also worried at the beginning of the season about replacing Rex. He’s a special coach. I guess this is what happens when you have a good team with a good coordinator….they’re bound to leave for a head job eventually.
Posted by: DK | October 13, 2009 1:23 PM