Six things we learned during the Ravens-Colts game
1. This team can still play defense. When Fabian Washington got absolutely flambéd by Colts wide receiver Pierre Garçon early in the game, every French-speaking Ravens fan was probably mumbling "Mon Dieu" to themselves. It looked like this was going to be one of those 41-7 blowouts. But give the defense a lot of credit. They collapsed the pocket, and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison -- who has taken a lot of heat from fans here and elsewhere -- blitzed Peyton Manning enough times to clearly rattle him. (Quick aside: You will never, ever find a shortage of NFL analysts willing to praise Manning, but it's stunning to me how many of them let him off the hook for the two or three really dumb throws he makes a game. Ed Reed made a nice break on the ball on his interception, but that was a really bad decision by Manning. There is no question the guy is one of the best to ever play the position, but as smart as Manning is at supposedly reading coverage, I'd still take Tom Brady in the clutch. I find it preposterous that so many people pick Manning without hesitation.) Back to the Ravens: Haloti Ngata's presence on run defense was a big help, and even though Ray Lewis didn't have his best game, he was still rallying to the football and it was his punch that caused that goal-line fumble. The defense definitely played well enough to win. Jarret Johnson has developed into a great player. To play this well, without their best pass rusher, after so many uneven games was commendable.
2. Ed Reed tried to lateral on that last play because that's what Ed Reed does. And as great as he is, the head coach needs to pull him aside and tell him to not do it anymore. I'm a big fan of Reed. And I think, for the most part, Ravens fans are probably going to be a little harder on him than they should be Monday morning. Yes, it was a foolish lateral attempt, and maybe the Ravens would have been able to complete two 20-yard passes and kick a miracle field goal had he simply downed the ball. But think about this for a second: Ed Reed has lateraled, or tried to lateral, every time he's had the ball this year. That's obviously something the Ravens teach their defensive players, probably going all the way back through Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan and Rex Ryan. Rich Eisen even pointed it out on the NFL Network recently, and Drew Magary of Deadspin/Kissing Suzy Kolber pointed it out as well. He is so desperate to turn a big play into a bigger play, he tries to make something extra happen. Which is fine, except when it's not. If the Ravens are going to put him back there to catch a punt in that situation, the special teams coach, or the head coach, really needs to pull him aside before the play and say "Make your moves, but do not pitch the ball." That's the kind of discipline that this team just hasn't had this year. It's a cliche to talk about how little things win football games, but this situation is a great example of why it's also a truism.
3. Right now, John Harbaugh looks like a special teams guru the same way Brian Billick looked like an offensive genius. Harsh? Maybe. But true? At this point, how can you argue otherwise? As good as Billy Cundiff looked -- and it's clear he was a massive mental upgrade over Steve Hauschka -- Matt Stover still kicked the game-winning field goal. That has to sting a little. But let's put aside the Stover issue for a minute because it's been debated ad nauseum. The special teams this year have been totally inconsistent, at least by the standards of someone who earned his reputation as a great special teams coach. Chris Carr seems to fair catch punts whenever he has room to roam, and let them go when fair catching them could save the Ravens an extra 20 yards. Lardarius Webb had a great kickoff return against Denver, but against the Colts, he was extremely lucky a challenge overturned a fumble that probably would have put the Ravens in a 14-0 hole. Matt Katula's high snap contributed to Cundiff's one miss, and he bounced a snap to punter Sam Koch two games ago. Koch had a punt blocked earlier this year against the Chiefs. Ed Reed's foolish lateral on a punt return probably cost Baltimore a shot at a 55-yard field goal, at worst. Losing Brendon Ayanbadejo definitely hurt the Ravens, both on defense and on special teams, but it's still surprising this has been such a major issue for this team.
4. The Ravens have way more success running the ball from the spread formation than they do from a normal or two tight end formation. So go with it. It's easy to look like a genius in hindsight, so bagging on Cam Cameron for his play-calling when the Ravens had three straight plays from the 1-yard-line and couldn't get in isn't going to come across as some tremendous insight. Obviously they should have done something different, so here is my suggestion: The Ravens don't have enough beef and strength between Matt Birk, Ben Grubbs and Chris Chester to stuff it down a team's throat when they know it's coming, so the Ravens might as well just spread out and let Ray Rice make a cut on a stretch play. Seriously. Birk is a great player, but he's not as young as he once was. Grubbs and Chester still need to get stronger in the weight room. All three got pushed backward on those plays. Wouldn't have mattered if Le'Ron McClain had the ball instead of MacGahee. But the Ravens tackles can and do mow people down, and Rice has great vision. If Flacco had come to the line with everyone spread out, the Colts still would have suspected the Ravens were going to run it, but Rice is good enough that he still might have found a seam and picked up that one yard. And if the other team overplays the run, both slot receivers or the tight end should be wide open.
5. Joe Flacco can't rely on Ray Rice too much in the passing game. After a pretty shaky first half, Joe Flacco really picked it up in the second half and was really clicking, finding Rice underneath for some nice gains and hitting Derrick Mason for some key first downs. Right now, Rice is catching the ball out of the backfield like a poor man's Marshall Faulk, and it's really become the most consistent offensive weapon the Ravens have. But Flacco went to his security blanket one too many times at the end. Go back and watch the play where he throws the interception to Gary Brackett. Todd Heap is lined up in the slot and runs a dig, meaning he fakes to the outside and cuts back toward the middle. Even though Heap is hurt and gritting his way through most of this game, he's open here and probably should be Flacco's primary read on that play. But Flacco wants to dump it to Rice, who has three guys around him.
Listen to Rice's explanation, which I think I should point out wasn't blaming Flacco as much as it was just trying to clarify what happened.
"I knew they were double covering me," Rice said. "I was trying to clear out for an underneath route for Todd. I took two with me. I'm not sure if Joe had pressure or not. But that's a play we can execute. If I take two, somebody is going to be open. That's the moral of the game. That backer [Gary Brackett] after speaking to him, he was actually suppose to be blitzing. He knows the kind of guy I am out of the backfield, so he felt the need to come out and the ball was right there."
Reads like that are simply part of Flacco's maturation process. He'll see that on film and he'll be livid with himself and somewhere down the road, he'll make the right read. But remember, he's still a second-year quarterback figuring out the tricks defenses play. We forget that sometimes just because he's not Kyle Boller.
6. Shocking as this is, the Ravens are still in the hunt for the playoffs thanks to two really bad losses by the Steelers and Bengals. It's important to first point out that, right now, the Ravens don't deserve to be in the playoffs if they keep playing like this. So expecting them to magically turn it around is a little silly. But ... the Steelers clearly are suffering from a typical post Super Bowl hangover (Drink like a champion today!), and if Ben Roethlisberger's injury is serious, it's possible the Ravens could sweep them.The Bengals have punked the Ravens twice this year, but I'm still not sure you can rule out a total collapse from them. But let's say the Bengals win their division, despite their horrible loss to the Oakland Raiders. If the Ravens could somehow -- and I understand, you're dying with laughter just reading this -- beat Pittsburgh twice and avoid another stinky loss to an inferior team, all they would have to do is finish with a better record than the Jaguars, Broncos and Texans. (This is assuming the Chargers win their division, which I think they will.) And Baltimore holds the head-to-head tie-breaker over the Broncos, who right now look like they might not win another game anyway. The question is, what have we seen from this team -- at least in terms of a complete effort -- that makes us believe that is even remotely possible?
[Cue the Jim Mora voice!]
Playoffs? Playoffs?
Comments
7.) Peyton Manning is the Ravens daddy! *LMAO*
Posted by: Paternity Test | November 22, 2009 7:44 PM
KVV,
Couldn't agree more with your comparison to Billick, the so called Offensive genius, and Harbaugh, the Special Teams Guru and defensive backs Wunderkin. I really think Harbs got caught up in his own press clippings. He was so smug that he thought he could replace Stover with any clown off the street (see Haushcka), that he could bring in retreads like Foxworth - a career back-up - and make him a shut down corner. He could take Carr, a guy whose better days are behind him - and make him a starter. Get your ego in check Harbaugh. Stop combing your brain for new cliches and start focusing on winning football games. Leave the PR stuff to Kevin Bryne.
Posted by: Special Teams Guru | November 22, 2009 8:07 PM
Cameron seems to have lost confidence either in his offense, Flacco, himself or all three because this is not the offense that dominated defenses early in the year. And, if you're determined to run the ball in short yardage situations, it makes sense to give it to your biggest "stud", Le'ron McClain and let him run over somebody!
Posted by: Jerry B | November 22, 2009 8:19 PM
Today the Ravens were the Ravens' own daddy. And no one is laughing.
Posted by: Negative | November 22, 2009 8:29 PM
Congrats on a hard fought win Paternity Test.
Posted by: CRZA | November 22, 2009 8:31 PM
I learned that the Ravens offense is imitating a Billick offense with a decent qb in charge.I learned that using McClain as a feature back is not in the cards this year.I learned that our wildcat formation must be a thing in the past and Troy Smith will never pass a ball from it.Lastly,I learned that our defense still has some mojo left in the tank and that the rookies are going to make mistakes in the process until next year.Oh yeh,this is only Hardball's second year as a head coach; need you expect too much so soon?
Posted by: Dan R. | November 22, 2009 8:45 PM
You are absolutely right, they still have a chance. When people were going through scenarios before the weekend, everyone assumed they would lose this game yet still have a chance, so they are actually in better relative shape due to unexpected Pittsburgh and Cincy losses. Pittsburgh is beatable with Polamalu and maybe Ben out. With the win over Denver, they don't need a better record than the Broncos, right?
But the way the team is losing, you wonder if they can get it together to win the necessary games from here out. After the absolutely inexcusable coaching errors, too many players are making mistakes we did not see at beginning of season, and Reed has been burned before with this lateral stuff.
At least the kicker looks like it is not a question mark, so one issue (probably) addressed.
Posted by: Trav | November 22, 2009 8:47 PM
Regarding No. 3 (Harbaugh/Billick), they both had a lot of success as coordinators so its hard to argue that either are "frauds" in their respective areas of expertise. Yes, it's ironic that as head coaches their "old" units were problem spots, but to say this proves that neither is a genius or guru (terms, by the way, heaped on them by the same media that criticizes them now for not being such) is a pretty serious accusation because it implies that their status is illegitimate. If someone spends a lifetime coaching football, and endures all the ups and downs, family relocations, etc. that comes with it, and rises in the ranks over time, I'd have to believe that they know something about their profession.
The real question is whether or not Harbaugh is worthy of being a HEAD COACH for a team whose owner says has a "Super Bowl nucleus." Billick's passing offense never achieved a high ranking but he was organized (look at his coaching tree), a good motivator and strong enough to take all he bullets for the organization (you're welcome, Ozzie). Harbaugh can always find a few special teamers or a coordinator to improve that unit enough to be serviceable; but can he handle all the other aspects of the job?
Posted by: Bernie | November 22, 2009 8:55 PM
This is a reminder to Ravens fans in the draft, they didn't address the wide receiver position. According to Ozzie and Eric, they believed in Demetrius Williams coming back this season strong. Even if they weren't able to get Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt, Mike Wallace of the Steelers was drafted in the 3rd round and was available when the selected Ladarius Webb. Instead, the Ravens for some reason are in love with Linebackers and Hybrids, and now there is no vertical threat on the offense as D. Williams can't even get on the field. I also was looking around the league today and saw that the Raiders upset the Bengals who swept the Ravens this year easily. My initial projection was the the Ravens were going to finish 8-8 but now I revised that to 7-9, they will lose to the Raiders too. With all that I've said, when will this Steve Bisciotti finally see that it's not the coaches fault that there is no talent on this team or that the talented is overestimated and that falls on the shoulders of Ozzie & Eric.
Posted by: james | November 22, 2009 8:57 PM
Peyton watched this one from the sideline, and was a non factor. Cameron lost the game.
Posted by: rvnmaniak | November 22, 2009 9:17 PM
The conservative strategy was the correct one. Safe passes to Mason & underneath throws to Rice kept the chains moving & Manning off the field.
The coaching failure was on that goal line series.
No reason not to sneak again on 2nd down.
No reason not to use other red zone weapons on 3rd down. This needed to be play action or a run/throw option involving Rice, Heap, Mason & some form of misdirection. The Indy defense knew exactly what was coming & made the play.
LeRon McClain proved last year how effective he could be punishing opposing defenses. The decision not to keep Neal as blocking back has negated McClain's strength & value to this team.
This was the biggest offseason personel mistake. It has completely undermined the Raven's winning offensive identity from 2008. Now we play as a finese team, except without the big receiving threat required to be effective.
Posted by: Tully | November 22, 2009 9:19 PM
Why do we continue to neglect the importance of timeouts? If we had timeouts to call after the 2 min warning and made the field goal, Ravens wouldve been the victor. Nuff said.
Posted by: Jacqueline | November 22, 2009 9:31 PM
It's about time somebody publicly questions why we always run from an obvious run formation, and why we NEVER spread out a defense with four receivers on a running play. Doesn't common sense dictate that it's easier to run the ball when the other team can't put nine in the box (which it can't do when you have four receivers on the field)? Hopefully Cameron read this column.
Posted by: David | November 22, 2009 9:33 PM
I dont think you guys can put Hauschka failure on Harbaugh. The foxworth signings absolutely, but its so difficult to replace a legend no matter what position it is, and good kickers are scarce in the NFL. The decision to not keep Stover basically came down to money. Im not even sure that Stover could of even made some of the kicks that Hauschka missed.
Posted by: stewie | November 22, 2009 9:37 PM
I cringe whenever the team's best player, Ray Rice, is standing on the sideline watching Willis get the ball. Oh and by the way Rice would have converted from the one.
Posted by: Scott L | November 22, 2009 9:52 PM
below your statement on manning vs brady. YOu mentioned that you would take brady any day? well all qb's make bad throws. dan d mentioned that manning made the wrong decision. Brady's first two games were slow and indecisive.
ever find a shortage of NFL analysts willing to praise Manning, but it's stunning to me how many of them let him off the hook for the two or three really dumb throws he makes a game. Ed Reed made a nice break on the ball on his interception, but that was a really bad decision by Manning. There is no question the guy is one of the best to ever play the position, but as smart as Manning is at supposedly reading coverage, I'd still take Tom Brady in the clutch.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 22, 2009 10:38 PM
Whatever happened to the goal line/short yardage set with Ngata as fullback and LeRon as tailback?? I think that would have worked out nicely today!
Posted by: Derrick R | November 22, 2009 10:57 PM
First and goal on the one yard line and The Ravens run three plays up the middle. In that case
why didn't they activate Ngata to play as an offensive lineman, or allow Rice to run an end around, or throw a quick pass to the corner of the end zone to a tall receiver. Where's Demetrius Williams when The Ravens could use him. Maybe Rex Ryan did run this team last year, because there are no thinking heads now.
Posted by: Jim | November 22, 2009 11:16 PM
Funny how if we had made that 30 yard field goal we might have actually won the game down the stretch. The new kicker did a good job though, not going to blame him. Just thought it was interesting that the missed FG hasnt come up yet in this thread.
Posted by: GregVT | November 22, 2009 11:34 PM
Frustrating loss AGAIN?! Yes....but here's the deal....I figured the Ravens to go 2-1 this three-game stretch; still can do that. Then, the remaining 'maybe/what if' game is the 2nd Squealers game...5 & 1 sneaks us in; run-the-table and no doubts....STILL very doable. Don't lose faith.
Posted by: Bob from Houston | November 22, 2009 11:53 PM
Kevin,
"[A]nother stinky loss to an inferior team?" What inferior team has beaten the Ravens this year? Losses to Cincinnati, Minnesota, New England, and the Colts. The Ravens are a better than average team, but nothing more than that. They've beaten the teams they should have, and lost to better teams. It's encouraging that they could have beaten a few of those better teams--and the way they lost some of them was certainly frustrating. So, they have three must wins left (Detroit, Oakland and Chicago), which I am confident they will do. It comes down to the Green Bay and two Pittsburgh games. It's nice just to be contemplating the possibility of playoff football at this point in the season.
Posted by: Jim | November 23, 2009 6:39 AM
I get the feeling that all the people coming up with creative plays the Ravens should've run on the goal line, would be asking why we just didn't run the ball from a power set if one of those plays resulted in a loss or a turnover. Ngata was a game-time decision and hadn't practiced in a while so I doubt he's gotten many reps in the Jumbo Package lately. LeRon McClain was just a big tailback last year, and therefore has very little experience playing fullback in the NFL. It would be like asking Earl Campbell to gain 20 pounds and play fullback after rushing for 1,000 yards the year before. Like Birk said, it wasn't the play-calling (it seldom is unless you're Norv Turner); it was the execution.
Posted by: Bernie | November 23, 2009 6:43 AM
I think you can go on and on about who did what or who didn't. I was pleased that the Ravens showed up and seemed to be prepared to play for a change.
every game has it great plays and bad plays on both sides. This one sure did. I was proud of the Ravens, I actually thought they were going to win. oh Well - Don't give up guys. The team was here to play, once again the coaching staff NOT SO MUCH..
Posted by: Grey32 | November 23, 2009 8:24 AM
The Ravens are never going to get over the hump until somebody puts some blame on Flacco. Flacco has to be smarter. He & M. Clayton are not working hard enough together. There's no excuse for Clayton to not be on pace for a 1500 yard season. NONE.
Posted by: dspedden | November 23, 2009 8:31 AM
I say it every week. Harbaugh is way over his head. You can blame Reed and you can blame Cameron too. But, how dumb can you be to burn 2 time outs on one play? Who calls a timeout and challenges? Lose the last two timeouts that you need for your team to drive down the field and win? Dumb. If they had the timeouts the Reed lateral may not have happened. Harbaugh is not a head coach and I knew it from day one.
Posted by: Devin | November 23, 2009 8:59 AM
Jerry B., I was actually wondering if Cameron actually lost his playbook and stumbled across Billick's old one?
Posted by: Who dat? | November 23, 2009 10:04 AM
I will give the Ravens D credit, they did what most teams could not, slow down Manning. But you have to score touchdown to beat the Colts. By the way, Colts defense is #1 in scoring defense!
Posted by: Indyfan | November 23, 2009 10:57 AM
do i have to say it again?
20 seconds on the clock.
trapped on your own 35.
no timeouts.
a lateral was a bad move, but reed was looking for the defense to make something happen since the offense showed all day that it couldn't get the job done. NO MORE STRAINED LATERALs ED! lol. only do that when its the easiest and smartest play. make sure its a move and not just an instinct. but you forgot number 7.
7. the play-action doesn't exist anymore.
Posted by: space | November 23, 2009 11:08 AM
do i have to say it again?
20 seconds on the clock.
trapped on your own 35.
no timeouts.
a lateral was a bad move, but reed was looking for the defense to make something happen since the offense showed all day that it couldn't get the job done. NO MORE STRAINED LATERALs ED! lol. only do that when its the easiest and smartest play. make sure its a move and not just an instinct. but you forgot number 7.
7. the play-action doesn't exist anymore.
8. the ravens were a 'marshall/bowe/ chris chambers' away from beating the colts, the patriots, and the bengals. harsh but true.
Posted by: space | November 23, 2009 11:09 AM
You cannot win with qb throwing only to two receivers, Rice and Mason. Don't know whether other receivers don't get open, but it's bizarre to watch this at a pro level.
Posted by: Chris | November 23, 2009 11:11 AM
If ya can't score a TD in this league, you're not gonna win many games.When you're playing a team like the Colts, you can't give them any rope. Ed Reed...just fall on the ball, please...at leeast give us a chance. Good or bad, half full or half empty, this week was an opportunity lost.
Posted by: Brak | November 23, 2009 11:21 AM
I agree with most of the post here except that the head coach has never said that he called the special teams for the ravens so he is not the primary fall guy on that. Also, Ron McClain was a fullback for this team before he was used as a tailback not the other way around. Joe has offically hit the sophmore slump and you don't need reaps to play fullback smash when you've played ruby all your life and run the plays before. Last but not least Cam is quickly coaching himself out of a job. You can't show your good plays your first year and totally bury them the next. He is showing the signs of a guy who went 1-15 as a head coach. But I agree we can still do this we must make better calls , get better middle line play, and rediscover our offensive edge. Just think...jumbo package off-takle left dive qb keeper right bootleg/todd heap option pass .... and that's just first down;=)
ps didn't we have 7 redzone trips and no touchdowns?
Posted by: Big Shane | November 23, 2009 11:25 AM
By the way, the NFL will proably be sending a letter saying that they blew two calls /decisions. First, the coach called the timeout to stop the clock, however, the officals huddled up to disgust the ball placement and therefore it was suppose to become an offical timeout not baltimore's therefore the coach felt he still had two timeouts to work with. he proably took a shot at the replay since it was such a big play but the refs blew that one. Also, ed made a forward pass/lateral not a fumble dead ball at that spot. 10 yard penalty ravens ball with 19 sec left
Posted by: Big Shane | November 23, 2009 11:38 AM
The Ravens seasons has been all about the what ifs...I will never understand the Matt Stover thing. The Ravens are still in the playoff hunt but the need to get their collective butts in gear. The hits the front office is taking is a little severe on the posts. Flacco did hit 8 different recievers against Indy and they have had a weird year but they can move forward successfully. Final thought though What if Mason had stayed retired we would already be talking about next year, the draft, etc. Speaking of the draft the Webb selection has already paid dividends and will in the future.
Posted by: chuck | November 23, 2009 11:50 AM
Maybe there is a chance, on paper, to make the playoffs, but I wouldn't start lining up for tickets just yet. Beating the Steelers twice is next to impossible even in our best years. I'll still pull for them, but if I were a betting man I wouldn't bet the farm.
Posted by: WisconsinRavenFan | November 23, 2009 12:45 PM
Maybe there is a chance, on paper, to make the playoffs, but I wouldn't start lining up for tickets just yet. Beating the Steelers twice is next to impossible even in our best years. I'll still pull for them, but if I were a betting man I wouldn't bet the farm.
Posted by: WisconsinRavenFan | November 23, 2009 12:47 PM
I live in Houston, Texas and I like the Ravens. I watched the game on TV yesterday and I saw the Ravens deciding to go with field goals instead of touchdowns. You can't beat the Colts scoring only field goals, simple as that. Whether the Ravens make the playoffs this year or not, I really believe that they need to make some changes next year.
1. If nothing else, they need to improve their secondary. At times, the Ravens give up too many big plays in the passing game.
2. Cam Cameron needs to go and they need an offensive coordinator who's going to open up the playbook and get more receivers involved
3. By any means whether it be the 2010 draft, free agency, or trade, the Ravens really need help at the WIDE RECEIVER position. Aren't we all tired of them quickly drafting defensive players (Linebackers)????
Posted by: Ravens Fan in Houston, TX | November 23, 2009 1:56 PM
we had a better array of plays that had more of an exotic feel last year in the first 3 games of the season than we do now and that was with a Rookie QB we were helping along. Talk about bland and predictable. What the heck is going on? The dump off to Rice will not always work regardless of how talented Rice is.
Posted by: ght | November 23, 2009 3:35 PM
On the late INT, one of the OL moved and should have been flagged for a false start, stopping action. As luck would have it, our kind of luck this year, the play kept on and Flacco threw the INT, game over. I swear, just can not win with refs on either sode of the issue anymore.
Posted by: GHTpdx | November 23, 2009 3:39 PM
"But the blame can't be put entirely on the offense. Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis looked stiff and tired Sunday and has become a liability on passing downs."
Case closed: Thanks Mike Preston for telling the truth. Poor little Ray Ray couldn't handle it so he ran and hid from the big bad media after another loss.
Posted by: The Real Reason | November 23, 2009 3:58 PM
Kevin,
I agree that Manning gets a complete pass by the talking heads. The interception he threw to Landry was Boller-esque. He often bails under pressure and throws off his back foot. That aside, he is a great QB. One of the best ever. But I'm a little sick of how they talk about him like he's flawless. However, that's typical of the ESPN types. They ride every story line and every star into the ground.
Posted by: Rick P | November 23, 2009 7:25 PM
Wow, lots of highly qualified football minds with something to say. To read the combined posts above, Harbaugh, Cameron AND Ozzie should all be fired.
First, Harbaugh. The head coach's job isn't to run the unit they had success with in the past. That's the ST Coordinators job. Cutting Stover looks stupid now, but he cost them a roster spot every time he suited up (terrible on kickoffs). Stover had to go sooner or later, it just turns out later would have been better. I love the guy and what he did for the Ravens over the years, but it's no coincidence that nobody picked him up until injuries became a factor.
Second, Cameron. It's always hard to tell if plays break because of execution or play-calling, but Flacco has looked mediocre at best since the Denver game (especially against Cleveland) , and OC's live and die by their QB's. Not having a solid receiving corps also plays into it, but Flacco has made some bad decisions lately. He'll improve with time.
Third, Ozzie. Again, it's easy to say they should have drafted a WR. But the Ravens have wisely stuck to their guns in choosing to pick the best player regardless of position. Haloti Ngata raised a few eyebrows when they picked him (a lot of blame was placed on Ray Lewis for demanding the pick at the time), and now the concern is being able to re-sign him. Ben Grubbs is turning into a mainstay of an improving (and still very young) OL. While those guys may play positions ignored by those who want Fantasy Football stats, they`re the foundation of any successful team. Ozzie`s track record is stellar in the draft, and he's proven to be only willing to make big paydays for in house free agents, which is exactly as it should be. To be as consistently competitive in the NFL as the Ravens have been is extremely difficult. It's a very short list of teams that have done better, and one of those teams is in our division. You don't see the Steelers, Colts or Patriots overreacting to personnel needs either, and there's a good reason why.
Finally, the secondary. Foxworth has improved dramatically, and I don't believe was ever a major problem. He got burned on a few deep plays where the QB had way too much time and he got absolutely no safety help, making him look foolish. Reed is clearly playing around an injury, and Landry has been terrible in coverage and average on the blitz (losing Leonhard was bigger than losing Scott, but cap issues played into it). Washington, on the other hand, has shown less. I'm curious to see if Webb can continue to play well as a starter, as Chris Carr is a bigger question mark.
Overall, this is still a very solid team. The combination of officiating and sheer bad luck have conspired to make them look worse than they are. I think the playoffs are a stretch, but I'm encouraged by a core nucleus of solid young players (Flacco, Grubbs, Gaither, Oher, Foxworth, Rice, Webb, Ngata) that will give the Ravens a foundation to build from for the foreseeable future. The sky is not falling.
Posted by: Graham M | November 24, 2009 5:44 AM
Hmm. Unimaginative offensive play calling. Failure to commit to the run. Stupid penalties. Leaky offensive line. Undisciplined, bonehead plays. Fire Billick and replace him with a tough coach who won't let the inmates run the asylum! Eliminate Camp Creampuff. Then the Ravens can learn to be smart, tough, and disciplined. I'll be glad when they replace Billick with a disciplinarian to get some order in here!!
Posted by: CHARLIE666 | November 24, 2009 12:15 PM
Please folks...when you hold Peyton Manning to 17 points, you have given yourself a chance to win....this one falls squarely on the offense ... and don't blame the coordinator, he NEVER touches the ball ... the game is ALWAYS won or lost by the players on the field... is FLACCO incapable of checking off?.. does he not have a feel for the game while its unfolding? Fact is: when Joe elevates his game, the RAVENS will fly again. Take it to the bank.
Posted by: czardine | November 24, 2009 1:16 PM