Let's not get too up or too down about Sunday's squeaky Ravens victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The first half was awful and the second half was fairly impressive, under the circumstances, but none of it applies to Sunday's game against the rival Steelers.

The one thing that's really disconcerting is that the Ravens' offensive struggles of last Monday night carried right through two more quarters yesterday. Not because it reflects a poor offensive scheme, but because the club's halftime epiphany -- articulated by just about everyone after the game -- was necessary after what happened against the Jaguars.

That's why I cling to the belief that the issue is more a matter of mental preparation on the offensive side of the ball, even if everyone at The Castle scoffs at the notion. And that's why I think you'll see a much different team in the Steelers game, which contains no aspect that would allow anyone to let down or lose focus in any way.

The Steelers may win the game, but I'm guessing you'll see a Ravens offense that knows exactly what it wants to do and executes better than it has the past two weeks, even though it will be facing one of the best defensive units in the league.

Sound crazy? Welcome to the NFL.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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For the record, I think the Ravens will cruise to victory today over the Arizona Cardinals, but they will be swimming against a red tide this week. Just look at what has happened over the past 48 hours:

The St. Louis Cardinals staged a pair of amazing comebacks in Game 6 of the World Series and went on to win Game 7 on Friday night.

The Stanford Cardinal needed a last-gasp comeback in regulation and three overtimes to to defeat Southern California at the Los Angeles Coliseum and remain undefeated.

And, the Louisville Cardinals scored a 27-10 victory over Syracuse on Saturday in a Big East showdown that ended a four-game road winning streak for the Orange.

Hmmmm.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Like me, I'm sure you secretly believed way back in April when the baseball season began that Michael Gonzalez would be on the mound in the eighth inning of the seventh game of the World Series. That took some amazing foresight, so give yourself a big round of applause.

While you're at it, give the St. Louis Cardinals some love for the way they swept the final two games at Busch Stadium. Their double comeback on Thursday night was the stuff of legends and they took care of business on Friday night to make good (sort of) on my prediction that they would work their wild card magic on the Texas Rangers.

They didn't do it in six, but they did it, which will only enhance the legend of manager Tony La Russa and put more pressure on the Cardinals to give in to whatever Albert Pujols demands to forego free agency.

It's hard not to feel sorry for the Rangers, who were one strike away from their first world title in two different innings on Thursday night, but it wasn't to be. The baseball gods smiled on the Cardinals, even giving them a rainout to make it possible for Chris Carpenter to come back and deliver a terrific performance in Game 7.

The world title is the 11th for the venerable Cardinals franchise -- second only to the Yankees. St. Louis has a right to be very proud.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Don't see how the final game of the World Series could possibly be as exciting and dramatic as Game 6, but you can't rule anything out with these two teams. The Rangers can hit from one end of their lineup to the other and the Cardinals have Albert Pujols and a less-heralded cast that just seems to find ways to win.

Chris Carpenter and Matt Harrison have not been dominant in the early innings, so you've got to think there will be some runs scored throughout the evening and some drama in the final third of the game.

I'm staying with the Cardinals, though they've already proven me wrong. I had them winning in six, but I can salvage some semblance of prognosticatory self-respect with a Game 7 victory by the home team. Don't know if my theory about wild cards teams is really relevant anymore, but I'll still claim victory if the Cards prevail.

Small World Dept: There are more than 300 million people in this country and yet strange coincidences seem to find me with amazing frequency. Allen Craig, who just hit another home run for the Cardinals and has four or five run-scoring hits in the series, is the son of Ron Craig, who was a Little League teammate of mine in Santa Ana, CA, way back in the mid-1960s. Indeed, it's a small world, as comedian Stephen Wright used to say, but I wouldn't want to paint it.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Oh, what a night. The Monday Night Football crew spent the pregame show trying to decide if the Ravens were the best team in the AFC or a flawed offensive unit in need of more spark from quarterback Joe Flacco. Unfortunately, the Ravens and Flacco weighed in on the wrong side of that argument.

Head coach John Harbaugh will try to explain what happened at his second-day news briefing this afternoon. He'll have had time to look at the film and break down what broke down. I'm guessing everything.

Let us count the ways. Ray Rice couldn't hold onto the ball. Flacco couldn't find any receivers -- though I'm pretty sure the Ravens have some. Brendan Ayanbadejo got thrown out of the game for swinging at Jacksonville tackle Guy Whimper. He was provoked, but it was right after the Ravens stopped the Jags on third down at the 7 yardline, so you've got to show some poise there.

There was a point in the game when Flacco had a pass knocked back to him and caught it, which gave him more receptions than the Ravens had first downs in the first half. Billy Cundiff missed his only field goal attempt, which was a very tough try but might have changed the game if he had made it.

The thing that has me scratching my head the most, however, is the fact that Rice had just eight carries in the game. He clearly was in the penalty box for a series after his second fumble, and the offense steered away from him the rest of the way, which is a curious thing to do to your go-to guy. By contrast, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew fumbled three or four times (depending on whether you count the one that didn't count), but the Jags just kept riding him all the way to a 105-yard evening.

Still, I'm going to ignore the handful of comments here from anguished fans insisting the Ravens will never win with Harbaugh and Flacco. Get a grip. The Ravens are 4-2 and have hammered the Steelers, Jets and Texans.

Clearly, their problem right now is getting mentally prepared to play mediocre teams, something they had better figure out since there are a lot of them remaining on their schedule.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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When the Ravens stumbled against Tennessee, it was almost understandable, but what is happening in Jacksonville is -- quite frankly -- an embarrassment. They've delivered one of the worst offensive performances in the history of the team and they've made every mistake known to a football team to get in position for a very damaging and discouraging defeat.

There have been some strange plays -- including a terrible personal foul call on Bernard Pollard -- but there will be no excuses after this one. The Ravens stunk it up for 55 minutes and will have a lot of soul searching to do this week.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Seemed like everybody on the ESPN pregame show was talking about what Joe Flacco needs to do to become a great quarterback. I'm not saying he's Aaron Rodgers, but what does the guy have to do to get some national respect.

Flacco has taken the Ravens into the playoffs all three of his previous seasons. He took them to the AFC title game as a rookie. He has won four playoff games on the road. He has won more road games than any other NFL quarterback over the past three-plus years. In other words, he just wins.

There have been some times when it hasn't been pretty, but the end justifies the means. Just ask everybody gushing about Tim Tebow after yesterday's game in which he played terrible until the last few minutes of regulation.

Instant update: So far, Flacco isn't exactly lighting it up. The Ravens are 12 minutes into the first quarter and still don't have a first down.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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I'm not really concerned that the Ravens might go into tonight's game against the Jaguars without their usual intensity, but I still think the Jags will be more formidable than people think. Of course, I also thought the Colts would cover 14 points last night, and they couldn't have covered 50.

Don't know why this game concerns me, but I was the only Sun guy in the staff picks section to predict this game will be closer than the 7 1/2-point spread. I think Billy Cundiff will make the difference tonight, for better or worse.

Relax. Probably better.

The Ravens will want to show off a little on Monday Night Football, but that can be a two-edged sword. They need to stop the run and collapse the pocket on the rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Pretty simple equation, but crazy things happen every week in the NFL. Hopefully, for those of you planning a stay-cation during the playoffs, everything will go as planned.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News of the day
        

Relief pitcher Koji Uehara was one of the most dependable pitchers on the Orioles staff before the deal that sent him and $2 million in cash to the Rangers for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter, but he didn't have the same kind of success in Texas and will not be on the active roster for the World Series.

That's got to be a bummer for Koji and baseball fans in Japan, but it might turn out to be a boon for the Orioles if they have any interest in getting him back for the 2012 season. He and his family like Baltimore and his spot in the bullpen is still open. His 2012 contract option kicked in late in the season, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Rangers would consider sending him back for a modest price to move his salary off the payroll.

Uehara is a better fit here anyway. He is not a great hot weather pitcher, so the prospects for a full season in Arlington aren't very good. The Orioles, on the other hand, settled on the right pitching regimen for him and he was very effective here before the trade.

No matter what happens, Koji's absense from the World Series roster make the Orioles' end of the deal look pretty good. Hunter will to to spring camp as a member of the projected starting rotation and Davis facilitated Mark Reynolds successful move to first base.

Reuters photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
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If you haven't already, you can check out my World Series prediction column in today's print edition or on the Web site right here. If you want the short form, I picked the Cardinals in six because I think wild card teams have some extra mojo in the postseason.

Sure enough, the Oakland Raiders traded for Carson Palmer, so you can start rooting right now for the Raiders to miss the playoffs. Palmer has always been a huge pain the backside for the Ravens.

Guess we'll find out on Saturday whether Randy Edsall has gotten out over his skis with redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Brown, who will be starting at Florida State after his surprising fill-in performance against Clemson. That's a tough assignment, and the Seminoles -- unlike Clemson -- will have some film to study.

The Orioles are scheduled to interview Tony LaCava today for their vacant baseball operations job. Jerry Dipoto interviewed yesterday with the search committee. Too early to consider anyone a frontrunner -- except Yankees fans, of course.

Now that former Godfather's CEO Herman Cain is a legit presidential candidate, I'm just going to come right out and say it. Pizza isn't just for breakfast anymore.

Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio is on the hot seat, which has to create mixed feelings about Monday night's game against the Ravens. Maybe catching one of the hottest teams in the NFL at such a vulnerable point is a good thing, since a victory would give the Jags a big boost. More likely, the Ravens take care of business and speculation continues to heat up about a coaching change.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave the right answer when he was asked who was right and who was wrong in the tiff between his brother and Lions coach Jim Schwartz after Sunday's game in Detroit. Harbaugh said he had an idea who was wrong, but kept that to himself and reminded everyone that blood is thicker than water. Savvy answer.

If you get a chance, Sandy McKee's take on the horrible IndyCar crash that took the life of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon is poignant and spot on. Check it out right here.

Everybody has a right to be excited about the great start that the Ravens have gotten off to, but only me and Ravens writer Jeff Zrebiec have a right to get ahead of ourselves and talk about their favorable schedule. The rest of you need to zip it up or you'll jinx it.

The McCourt divorce reportedly has been settled, with Jamie McCourt accepting $130 million and relinquishing any claim to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Glad to hear it. Now, I think she should come back to Maryland and use all that money to spur the local economy.

The Orioles begin the interview process today to find the guy who will replace Andy MacPhail as the head of baseball operations. The candidates who have been identified are very solid possibilities. If the O's hire any one of their top three choices, they'll be pointed in the right direction. Whether anybody can move them into one of the top two spots in the division standings over the next couple of year might be another story.

If the Raiders complete that deal for quarterback Carson Palmer, they could become a very dangerous playoff team.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News of the day
        

First off, I'd like to congratulate myself for having my finger on the pulse beat of the Ravens yesterday. My pregame scouting report was pretty much on the money and I believe I predicted a 15-point victory in the paper. You've probably noticed that I don't like to waste your time rehashing this kind of stuff when I'm wrong.

The Ravens continue to look like an AFC title game team to me, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. They've got a leg up on most of the other conference teams already and their schedule seems very favorable. Other than the Steelers and Chargers on the road, I don't see another loss without some kind of letdown. Of course, there's two thirds of the season left to be played.

Upon further review, I blame both coaches for Sunday's postgame unpleasantness in Detroit. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh clearly needs a refresher course in postgame etiquette and Lions coach Jim Schwartz needed to take the high road and ignore Harbaugh's college-level burst of post-game enthusiasm.

Guess we get a week-long break from the endless back-and-forth about Joe Flacco. He didn't throw any TD passes yesterday, but he played very well. I've never had a doubt the Ravens should sign him to a contract extension -- though they can afford to wait awhile. The guy just wins. What's wrong with that?

If I had it to do over again, I'd still pick the Redskins to beat the Eagles. Rex Grossman threw four picks and the Eagles still couldn't score an impressive win.

The Jets should have an easy time with the Dolphins on Monday Night Football tonight. If they don't, they can stop worrying about the playoffs. There are too many emerging AFC teams ready to take their place.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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If you think the Ravens are going to run over the Houston Texans today at M&T Bank Stadium, you're probably going to be disappointed. And, if you think Joe Flacco is going to throw for 400 yards to make everyone forget his unimpressive performance against the Jets two weeks ago, you've also got another thing coming. At least that's my pregame opinion.

I'm betting the Ravens focus on one thing coming off the bye week against a quality team that will be playing without two of it's very best players. They will focus on execution and balance to assure that they don't get ambushed like they did against the Titans a few weeks ago.

Look for them to open with a nicely scripted drive that includes a little bit of everything. Look for them to press the run harder if it's there in the first half. Look for Flacco to work the middle a little more and go downfield a little less, because the Ravens need to move the ball consistently and -- their great defense not withstanding -- they will need to put 20-plus point on the board to win.

The reason I believe they won't try to establish a quick-strike offense should be pretty obvoius. Cam Cameron will be looking to get Flacco back into a good rhythm and head coach John Harbaugh will be looking to manage the game in a way that reduces the possibility of Texans quarterback Matt Schaub getting on a roll. Remember, the Ravens have some soft spots right now, too, but I don't see this as a nail-biter.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Seems like only yesterday that we were awaiting the return of receiver Derrick Mason to M&T Bank Stadium for the game between the Ravens and the Jets. Now, it looks like Mason will play in consecutive games at M&T -- consecutive for us, not him.

Mason reportedly has been traded to the Houston Texans to fill the void left when top receiver Andre Johnson went down with a severe hamstring injury. It's a little surprising that the Jets were so quick to get rid of him, though he probably ruffled some feathers when he complained publicly about the Jets offensive issues.

It looks like a good move for Mason. The Jets were considered a Super Bowl contender when he signed with them, but their postseason hopes hit a rough patch with a string of losses to the Raiders, Ravens and Patriots. The Texans are in better shape in the standings (3-2), but their nice start has been stunted by the loss of Johnson and a season-ending injury to defensive star Mario Willliams.

Still, the Texans remain in decent position to reach the playoffs from the AFC South with the Colts in crisis and a remaining schedule that is not particularly challenging. Mason will certainly help add some continuity to Matt Schaub's passing attack and help the Texans battle with the Tennessee Titans for divisional supremacy.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It's funny how perceptions can change in a heartbeat. The Orioles remain under legitimate fire from fans and outside observers for their inconsistent player development, and scouting director Joe Jordan has not escaped their wrath. He drafted a lot of good young players, but people tend to point to the clinkers -- like the time the Orioles took Billy Rowell ahead of Tim Lincecum -- when they're venting about the long decline of the organization.

So, if Jordan deserves your scorn, why are the Philadelphia Phillies interested in hiring him as their director of player development? He just interviewed with the Phils and we'll probably hear in the next few days whether he gets offered the job...and accepts.

Instant update: Jordan just confirmed by text message that he has accepted the job with the Phillies. Get Dan Connolly's full story on Joe's departure is right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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If you haven't picked up the print edition yet, you can still read my latest column on what the Orioles need to do if they are ever to be back in the postseason picture. Here's the link to it at baltimoresun.com.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here are some random thoughts to start your day, since you probably are too tired from the bye week to come up with any of your own.

If you had the New York Giants in your knockout pool, you probably deserve to be watching the five or six people who remain alive split up the pot. I know I do. It was like trusting me with your grocery money.

My candidate for the Orioles GM is still Buck Showalter for two reasons: You don't have to ask anyone for permission to talk to him and you don't have to convince him to come to Baltimore.

So far, Michael Vick's new contract works out to $100 million per win.

The Milwaukee Brewers are going to the World Series. Hope I didn't just jinx them.

This is the first time since 2006 that there hasn't been an AL East team in the ALCS. It's only happened three other times since 1995.

The Steelers hammered the Titans on Sunday. I guess they're not quite dead.

It appears the Ravens will be catching the Houston Texans at just the right time, but since this is the NFL -- which stands for No Freaking Logic -- that doesn't mean a thing.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: News of the day
        

Here are a few observations, opinions and self-corrections to peruse while you wait for the non-Ravens game to start:

The Terps: I owe Maryland an apology. I said in Saturday's "News Item" column that the oddsmakers were giving them too much credit by making Georgia Tech only a 14-point favorite. They showed a lot of grit during their second-half comeback attempt and lost by only five. Small consolation, maybe, but a struggling team showed some character yesterday.

The Mids: Went to the Navy game as a fan yesterday and it was tough to watch. The Mids offense took forever to click without benched fullback and captain Alexander Teich. The Mids have to start winning some games to keep their bowl streak alive.

The Ravens: The bye week left me with an empty feeling that nothing on today's schedule can fill. Maybe I could have distracted myself by rooting against the Redskins and Cowboys, but they both had byes, too.

The Yankees: As much as everyone wanted the Yankees to lose to the Tigers, now we're left without an ALCS that includes a team you really want to root for or against. Should have thought about that before I pulled for Detroit.

The AFC: If nothing else, you can watch the Jets/Patriots game and see who the Ravens gain ground on in the quest for the best conference record.

The NLCS: Want the Brewers to win. Thing the Cardinals have all the mojo right now.

Andy MacPhail: The only surprise was that it took so long for Andy to say goodbye to Peter Angelos. I wish Andy and his family the best. He's a class act. The results weren't there at the end, but I still believe the team is better off than when he got here. I'm sure a lot of you would disagree, which is your right.

Buck Showalter: Buck isn't going to be the GM this year, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to be the GM. Check out my column in today's print edition or click right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Ravens obviously are happy to have this week off and there are all sorts of reasons why this was a perfect bye week for them -- and you can check out my latest column on that subject right here -- but that doesn't mean we have to like it.

The Orioles season ended on such a unexpectedly high note, that there actually was a bit of a letdown from that this week, and it's hard to get too pumped up for a weekend of college football when the Terps appear to be cruising for a bruising against Georgia Tech on Saturday.

I wish I could find some reason to think the Terps will rise up and bite Paul Johnson's undefeated Yellow Jackets (5-0) on the rear end, but this one just looks like a major beatdown waiting to happen. Hope I'm wrong, because I think Randy Edsall is going to get the program on the right track -- both competitively and academically -- over the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, Ravens fans will have to settle for rooting against the Steelers and Patriots on Sunday. The AFC North will gain a game in the wild card race on at least one NFC East power, since the Patriots and Jets play each other in the only significant rivalry game of the weekend.

And, no, there hasn't been any word on the Orioles front office situation, though I think that's coming soon.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: News of the day
        

We were pretty sure we'd know something official by this point on the status of Andy MacPhail and Buck Showalter, but there has been no announcement following a summit involving the two of them and owner Peter Angelos on Thursday afternoon. It's no secret that MacPhail will give up his current title as president of baseball operations, but whether he walks away completely or remains in some advisory role remains unclear.

If you had asked me on Wednesday, I would have guessed that MacPhail was going to make a clean break and take some time off with his family. The fact that the announcement has not been made makes me wonder if Angelos talked MacPhail into sticking around for awhile as a special advisor to help the transition to a new front office hierarchy.

I'm guessing Angelos would give MacPhail just about any title he wants in the organization (other than co-owner), because he trusts MacPhail and needs somebody with vast front office experience to call on for advice. Though MacPhail seems to want out, it isn't out of the question that Peter might make him an offer he can't refuse.

I realize there are a lot of Orioles fans who want MacPhail to head on down the highway, but he has had a positive effect on the organization, even if it wasn't apparent in the standings during his 4 1/2 years as GM.

If I was to guess, I would think something will be announced tomorrow that clears up the uncertain status of both MacPhail and Showalter.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Just baseball