Battle of the Beltway Goes to Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens took the field Sunday Night in a game against the cross-town rival Washington Redskins that had major playoff implications. The Ravens came out victorious with a score of 24-10. This win allows the Ravens to keep pace in the AFC North Division race, just one win behind the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, the Redskins's chances of making the playoffs got significantly worse. They are competing with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles for a wildcard spot in the NFC.

Ed Reed=Good

The Ravens defense was fantastic. They battered Clinton Portis to the point of forcing him out of the game. Their blitz packages worked all night, allowing Terrell Suggs to tip a Jason Campbell pass into the waiting arms of Ed Reed. Reed finished the night with two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Did I mention that he ran the touchdown in backwards. The rest of the defense played well. Terrell Suggs was moving quickly around the field, abusing back-up offensive linemen. Haloti Ngata, Trevor Pryce, Bart Scott and Fabian Washington all made their presence felt throughout the game.

Joe Flacco=Bad

Ravens QB Joe Flacco played a terrible game. He seemed out of sync and distracted by the cold weather. Even when he completed passes to Todd Heap and Derek Mason they were floating ducks that were only caught because of outstanding plays by the receivers. The Raven's offense only found their rhythym when they took the ball out of Flacco's hand and put it in the workman-like hands of Le'Ron McClain who carried the team on the fourth quarter drive that sealed the victory.

Jason Campbell=Ugly

No game commentary here, Jason Campbell is just ugly. I actually think he is a really good QB, but man he needs to wear a Ladanian Tomlinson style dark visor.
The Ravens have won 7 of their last 8 games and are looking good. This week's game is huge because it is against the Pittsburgh Steelers, its for a share of the AFC North lead and its at M & T Bank.

Baltimore Ravens declaw the Cincinnati Bengals

Well the Baltimore Ravens did it again. They dominated yet another opponent, with this week's victim being the Cincinnati Bengals. The 34-3 victory was as dominant as a win could be.

The Ravens beat the Bengals in total yards (451 to 155), completion percentage (66.6 to 36.4), turnovers (0 to 1), possession time (38:58 to 21:02) and almost every other major positive statistic.

Mark Clayton stood out with one TD reception and one TD pass, his first since high school. In total he had 164 yards receiving and 32 yards passing.

It also has to be noted that Ray Lewis led the defense again, with 7 total tackles. This is a team effort, but Lewis, Haloti Ngata, Trevor Pryce, and Terrell Suggs have been stand outs.

The Ravens are now 8-4, winning 6 of their last 7 and find themselves in a good position to secure a wild card spot. Lets not get ahead of ourselves though. The team still has to play the Redskins, Cowboys, Steelers and Jags. There will be some tough games ahead, but for now Baltimore is partying.

Return to blogging and football prominence

It has been a long time since I have written a post. I had some major surgery, but have fully recovered. I missed writing, but had to focus on the healing process more than the blog.

Now on to football...

I am proud of the team the 2008 Ravens have become. I have been watching closely throughout the season. They started the year hot, hit a serious bump in the road, and rebounded with a team effort. The team is now sitting at 5-3, in playoff contention and coming off a season sweep of the rival Cleveland Browns.

My observations thus far:

1. John Harbaugh is steady under pressure. Lets not for forget that he is one of the youngest coaches in the league, skipped the period in the normal progression of being either an offensive or defensive coordinator before being a head coach and came from the NFC to the AFC. He has butted heads with star players when needed, added humor to interviews, made positive in game adjustments, and most importantly served as an example to other young members of the team.

2. Joe Flacco's most impressive trait is his character. Sure, Flacco has the physical tools to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL. He is tall, moderately mobile and has a laser rocket arm. It is his composure, desire to learn, and sheer intelligence that will make him a successful QB for a long time. Even when he makes a mistake he comes of the field and immediately talks to coaches about what he just saw.
3. Haloti Ngata is a monster. He is the anchor of a defensive line that has continued their record-breaking streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher against them. He has assumed the lead role, which was previously held by Kelly Gregg. Ngata is an intimidater, a bruiser, and a all-out beast. That is not to say that Trevor Pryce, Terrell Suggs, and others haven't played amazing football, but Ngata has stood out.

4. Ozzie Newsome did a great job this off-season. This year's draft class (Flacco, Rice and the rest) and other pick-ups such as Fabian Washington have made all the difference this season. Without Washington to help in a secondary that seems to be the weak point of the team there would be even more long-yardage touchdowns against the Ravens. Needless to say Chris McAllister is the biggest disappointment of this year.

Its good to be back. There will be much more to come.

No words necessary

Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Football Breakdown

The one obvious fantasy player on the Raven's roster is Willis McGahee. Last season McGahee had 1207 yds rushing and 7 TDs. MaGahee will be a first or second round pick in every fantasy league around the country. After McGahee, which Ravens provide that fantasy impact?

Depending on the rules of your league, you may need a single defensive player in addition to a defensive unit. The Raven's defense as a whole is a good unit to fill the spot. With help at corner this year in the form of Fabian Washington the team will be more stingy then they were last season. As a solo player, look for Ray Lewis who had 121 tackles and 2 sacks last season, Terrell Suggs who had 78 tackles and 5 sacks, or if you're hoping for interceptions Ed Reed who had 7 interceptions for 130 return yards.

If Todd Heap is healthy, he has to be considered one of the top five fantasy tight ends in football. Heap ranks as one of the top receiving tight ends along with Kellen Winslow Jr., Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jason Witten.

If your league is weighted toward the number of receptions, Derrick Mason would actually one of your better receivers. He had 103 receptions of 1087 yards last season, but only scored five TDs. After Mason, the Ravens other receivers don't warrant a draft selection. Keep an eye on Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams throughout the season because they could turn heads if they're healthy.

Finally, the Ravens don't boast a QB worth drafting. With the uncertainty at the position, don't even waste you time looking at Raven's QBs for your team unless you're in a 16 team league.

Terrell Suggs is the Baltimore Ravens "hybrid"

Terrell Suggs don’t fit no mold. Suggs has been franchised by the Baltimore Ravens, but not in a way that has ever been done before. Instead of being tagged as either a defensive end or a lineback, Suggs is both. He will receive $8.5 million, which falls in the middle of the franchise value for both positions. Suggs is his own man and nobody can tell him what to do.

Hopefully this will be a sign of good faith that will encourage Suggs to stay with the Ravens after the season is over.

Terrell Suggs absent from camp

The Baltimore Ravens held a mandatory mini camp this weekend. There was one player not in attendance that was expected to be, Terrell Suggs. Suggs' contract issues have been well documented. He was franchised for the upcoming season, which he openly accepted. Unfortunately for both parties Suggs didn't agree with his franchise position. He wants to be labeled as a Linebacker because it would mean a pay increase of over $800,000. The two parties need to reconcile these differences because the 5-11 Ravens need as few distractions as possible, especially considering they have a new coaching staff and potential franchise QB.

Terrell Suggs, tag em and bag em

Well its official, Terrell Suggs will be the recipient of the franchise tag for the Ravens. This is a brilliant move by Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the front office. It was the logical move, but still brilliant. It's entirely possible that every other team in the league would camp out over night in line to get a chance to sign Suggs because of his versatility had the team not franchised him. Mike Preston from the Baltimore Sun sums it up quite well:

If the Ravens don't put the franchise tag on Suggs, he will become one of the NFL's most sought-after free agents. With the tag, Suggs would earn $8.065 million in 2008, the average salary of the top five players at his position. More importantly, he would stay a Raven. As far as Suggs is concerned, he is still a winner. "I talked to Ozzie [Newsome, Ravens general manager] earlier today, and he said they would put the tag on me [today]," Suggs said. "I'm disappointed because I really wanted a long-term deal, and I think I earned it. But this also keeps me in a Ravens uniform, and this is just another way of eventually getting it done. "I'm a Raven at heart. That's my identity," Suggs said. "I started my career here in Baltimore and want to end it here in Baltimore."

This was an important move if the Ravens want to keep their reputation as one of the premier defenses every year.

Suggs needs some hugs

Terrell Suggs may be the next linebacking leader of the Raven's defense, but only if he is actually in a Raven's uniform. Ozzie Newsome recently said that Suggs will be labeled with the franchise tag if he can't otherwise workout a long-term deal with the team. This means that Suggs would stand to make $8.065 million in 2008, but would become an unrestricted free agent after completing that contract.

Though Suggs has been known to get a penalty or two, he is invaluable to the Raven's defense both on and off the field. He can stop the run, protect against the pass, fill holes, and rush the QB. He can also be the eventual replacement for Ray Lewis in the linebacking core. Suggs is only in his fifth year, which means he has at least seven years left in the league barring any injuries. If the Ravens were able to lock down both him and Ed Reed in long-term deals, they would be the face of the franchise until their days are done in the NFL. Defense is the cornerstone of the team and Suggs is a cornerstone of the defense. It would be truly disappointing if Newsome isn't able to work out a deal to keep Suggs around for a long time. For more info check out ESPN's take.