As the ex coach used to say, "it is what it is" and the Ravens clearly are not going to the playoffs this year. They will likely finish 8 and 8 or worse.

They came into the season with some key questionmarks. Key factors such as the change in defensive coordinators, the loss of Bart Scott, the lack of size and separation at wide receiver, and the rookie kicker gamble have all apparently worked against the team.

Hopefully these issues will be properly addressed and fixed in the offseason.

I agree with Gil. The defensive coordinator is incompetent and must go -- he is running a defense that is utterly unsuited to his personnel. The Ravens have no secondary. They can't cover receivers. Under Ryan, they made up for this with lots of aggressive blitzing, which they could do well. Mattison keeps trying to play this conservative cover defense, and either we fire every defense player and hire new ones, or we fire the defensive coordinator and hire a new one. Which seems more plausible?

The lack of a fast receiver has plagued the team for years and somehow they never manage to solve it. It took them a decade to get a decent QB, though, so let's hope that a decent wideout will appear before Flacco is 40.

Horrible officiating is not unique to Ravens games; it's just that fans notice the blown calls in their own teams' games more. The league needs to start firing officials. At present there seems to be no consequences for incompetence on the part of officials; indeed, just the contrary. If any player or coach points out how vile the officiating has become, it's the player who gets fined, not the incompetent ref.

Way too early to call it an 8-8 season. Maybe not too early to say 9-7, but other than that . . . don't know. The secondary coach needs to remind the backs how to cover (wow . . . ) and the WRs need to get open. Mattison needs to watch more tape . . . of what Rex was doing. Ed Reed may need either a new shoulder or a super-serious painkiller they only give the military if he wants back in the pro bowl again. And Hausckha needs a brain transplant. Still, too early to say it will be 8-8.

Way too much overreaction. It was a tough loss- but you know what- the bengals were coming off a bye- had pretty much everything ti gain- and not much to lose- and they came out and played like it. Let's face it- they are a good team. That doesnt mean we arent.

It felt like this when we lost to the Giants last year. The Bengals are a good team regardless- but you give them home field coming off a bye week and a fast start. Chalk it up to them being better yesterday.

The Ravens need to licks their wounds- take a deep breath- and regroup against Cleveland. I realize a win against them wont prove anything- regardless of the game being in Cleveland on a monday night and them coming off a bye.. but hey- every team faces adversity and we need to overcome it.

I can't believe we are 4 and 4! a dropped pass by clayton, a missed kick by steve and bad calls hit us hard. Trading bart scott, jim leonhard (a future star) and last but absolutely not least the great rex. ray is getting old, suggs is out of shape, ed reed has a bad shoulder, wilis has disapeard along with the running game and greg mattison is not defensively educated. i dont like the choices of the baltimore ravens. we are better than this! we are inconnsistant. suggs can be outstanding, ray needs to wake up, chriss carr should hold on to the football, ed needs some high powerd pills for that bad shoulder hes ben nursing, we need bart, jim and rex PERIOD!