Which Ravens team shows up in Pittsburgh Sunday?
I was asked the million-dollar question this morning on 105.7 The Fan's "Norris and Davis Show": which Ravens team is more indicative of what we have here in Baltimore right now.
Is it the team that stumbled on offense in the first half of Sunday's 30-27 win over Arizona, the team with a porous offensive line that couldn't protect Joe Flacco, turned the ball over, picked up stupid penalties and generally looked lost for 30 minutes?
Or is it the team that looked rejuvenated in the second half, the team that finally blocked for Flacco, the team that got its up-tempo offense going and moved the ball downfield with short passes, relying on a great individual performance by Anquan Boldin and tough running by Ray Rice?
I'm going with door No. 2. And that's the team that better show up Sunday night at Heinz Field if the Ravens want to avoid a humiliating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that could seriously affect their hopes of winning the AFC North.
The Ravens will be working all week on ways to avoid getting off to another sluggish start. On the surface, you'd think there would be no need for this.
After all, it's Ravens-Steelers, probably the best rivalry in the NFL, a game that brings its own sense of urgency with two teams that basically can't stand each other.
Then again, look what happened to the Steelers in the 35-7 beat-down they suffered at M&T Bank Stadium in the first game of the season.
Sure, the Ravens obviously played well and delivered the proverbial "punch to the mouth" early. But it was just as obvious that the Steelers came out flat and listless -- in all phases of the game.
How do you do that? How do you come out that uninspired for the season-opening game against your fierce division rivals?
Who knows? The stunned Steelers were asked that very same question in the funereal atmosphere of their locker room after the game. And none of them had any real answers.
Still, I don't expect the Ravens to come out flat for the third game in a row, dating back to that 12-7 debacle in Jacksonville. Again, they'll be working all week on ways to avoid such a start. And one way to do that is to go up-tempo on offense from the beginning, something that Ravens coaches have hinted might be in this week's playbook.
It'll be tough enough for the Ravens to win in the snarling, hostile atmosphere of Heinz Field, even with a good start. With a bad start, it'll be all but impossible.
The Steelers are on a roll. They've won four straight games. And they're coming off a terrific win over the New England Patriots, a win in which Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns and the Pats were held to just 213 yards of total offense.
The rap against the Steelers was that they were too old and too slow. And they looked that way when the Ravens smacked them around in the first game.
But they don't look that way any more.
The Ravens better be ready from the get-go Sunday night. Or else they'll be in for a long, painful night.
Baltimore Sun photo of Joe Flacco by Christopher T. Assaf / Sept. 11, 2011
Comments
What Refs will show up?
The last seven games, the refs have negated seven TDs and five INTs.
Not that anybody in the media or NFL would notice.
Posted by: merfzero | November 1, 2011 12:20 PM
Is this a trick question? Can I answer after the 2nd half of the game? hahahaha Yes the Steelers might be on a role but they were on that role "before" the last match. NO ONE expected the Ravens to win the last meeting. The re-match won't be pretty but it will be fun!! Lets play ball and as Sugar Ray Lewis says "It's a man's game!!!" Oh and make sure Torrey is running up and down the field chasing something thrown in the air! hahahaha
Posted by: Deb | November 1, 2011 1:21 PM
Do the Ravens practice in the evenings when they have night games?
Posted by: theSpirit33 | November 1, 2011 1:22 PM
merfzero has the big point. Anyone who knows me knows i am not a homer but i have seen, since the Ravens game, at least a dozen passes defended with more involvement by the db than Ladarius's hand-check on Sunday. Lil Rays penalty was also a cheapie---he was only mimicking what the defender had done and so what anyway. Guys are jumping up and flexing almost every play. YES! The officiating is definitely anti-Raven with some crews being worse than others.
Posted by: rick from oregon via bmore | November 1, 2011 3:37 PM
My guess is a better team. Face it, this team gets way too caught up in beating Pittsburgh. I swear the fans and the players will be more joyous if the beat the Steelers than if they win the Super Bowl. Those boys need to realize there are 14 other games in the season, and they ALL matter.
Posted by: Alex | November 1, 2011 4:30 PM
Kevin, let me again say what has been bothering me and what I said would happen Sunday in comments after the game. I will comment a different way this time. First can we agree that the elite player on our offence is Ray Rice. If we agree on this then let me continue.
When Joe is in the shotgun we do not run the ball. That to me means we are negating one of our offensive strengths.
I don't know if anyone noticed that when we were running the ball we were moving well on offence and only stalled the offence when joe started passing again (fumble & interception).. That is what created the hole we were in anyway.
Now everyone is now wanting the shotgun joe joe for A second half of football??? C'mon Man!!! If this is the only way joe can throw the ball, i would prefer we just get another QB who can play under center so we can run or pass.
I am not ready to turn the show over to joe based on 1/2 a game. Let's come back to earth for a minute please.
Posted by: mahvisions | November 1, 2011 5:00 PM
@ merfzero...
typical Ravens fans...blaming the refs
blah...
Posted by: Jake | November 1, 2011 5:49 PM
A Ravens three and out in P-burg for the first possession would just suck in so many ways. So...
Start by deferring and letting our RAVENS D get warm on the first series...
We start second half with the ball, too!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 1, 2011 5:54 PM
hoping the once again over rated Ravens team shows up. The only reason people overate them is because they hope they will overvome the Steelers. Sad to say the STEELERS OWN THE RAVENS!!!
Posted by: prestonisfatnobody | November 1, 2011 9:12 PM
I'll take Freud for a 100, Deb.
Posted by: T-Sir98, svelte | November 2, 2011 2:59 AM
This game is it for Cam.
I have gone back and forth over who is responsible for the Ravens inconsistency on offense. Is it Joe or is it Cam? I say Cam.
Look around the league and look what the Bengals and Panthers have done with Rookies. Look at what Jim Harbaugh has done with Alex Smith.
Any coach's number one task in their job description is to take advantage of the talents and abilities of their players and put them in the best position to win.
Has Cam done this with Joe? Or has he tried to have Joe adapt to his system?. I say the latter.
You heard confirmation of this on Monday when John was asked about Joe in the shotgun. He stated that a lot of what they do and want to do needs to be run out of certain formations. Does this sound like adapting the system to the players or making the players play within a system?
Why is it so difficult for the Ravens to see that you need to do the following:
1) Run Ray Rice
2) Do play action and limit Joe's reads
3) Put Joe in the shotgun and spread the field.
4) run more hurry-up
Ravens fans have been calling for this for years. This is what the Ravens do well and this hasn't changed.
Cam is now in his 4th year. If he hasn't figured out how to utilize Joe and win this game on Sunday, he should go.
Posted by: Rick H. | November 2, 2011 9:55 AM
I'm a Raven's fan. But I have to admit that their offensive inconsistencies are driving me crazy.
One thing that Pittsburg is ...aside from the opening day loss... is consistant in play calling and QB play.
Sorry fellow fans, put this in the win column for the Steelers, 31-10
Posted by: Ed | November 2, 2011 11:17 AM
Baltimore doesnt stand a chance you won the first game but we will win the 1 that counts.go steelers
Posted by: Donald Wolf | November 2, 2011 1:55 PM
Alright I'm really getting sick of fans referring to the team they support as "we" unless your a player or are apart of the organization its the Ravens, Steelers, etc. Secondly, the Steelers DO NOT own the Ravens in any way shape or form. In any game, the team that is the best and can play 60 min is who wins. Lastly, Yes I support the Steelers, but further more I am a football fan. I know there are 31 other teams in the NFL and that there are better players out there than what is on the Steelers.
I can't wait til Sunday, I've been looking forward to the rematch since the first game on 9/11. I just want to see a good game, no matter the outcome!
Posted by: Annonymous1 | November 2, 2011 2:36 PM
um, ah, Alex? The Steelers have won the Division the last 3 years. Emphasizing the importance of playing them and beating them is a matter of First Things First. Not to mention the Steelers have, what, six rings they're wearin' and you don't get the heavy reliance on beating them, hunh?
Posted by: rick from Oregon via Bmore | November 2, 2011 6:56 PM
Wrong !! The question is which OFC will show up; the guy with the staid predictable play calling that is getting Flacco killed, or the guy in that Arizona second half that put our array of talent in the best position to make plays. Rice in space is enough to wear down those flabby Dls on a hurry. Rice constantly barreling in to dense pile in the middle is a waste of clock time and effort.
Posted by: Tom in bel air | November 2, 2011 8:22 PM