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.

Ravens Best Texans 41-13

What they're saying around the web:

Associated Press: The Baltimore Ravens have won four straight, rookie Joe Flacco is showing the poise of a veteran and Ray Lewis looks as good as ever.

Sporting Life: The Ravens' stifling defence intercepted Sage Rosenfels four times. Two of those picks led to second-half touchdowns, as Baltimore erupted for 29 points after intermission, a second-half season high.

Baltimore Sun: The Ravens' fourth straight win - their longest streak since December2006 - improved them to 6-3 and moved them into a first-place tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers (who have the tiebreaker edge because they beat the Ravens this season).

FanHouse: The Ravens offense was able to move the ball at will, with both the run and the pass, and really were only stopped when they made mistakes or penalties. TE Todd Heap and RB Willis McGahee had huge games with two touchdowns for each. Rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco played for the most part, a very poised game.


One Winning Drive: Haloti Ngata showed sheer dominance throughout the game. From snagging an interception in the red zone, forcing an interception, and nearly blocking a punt, Ngata is having a Pro-Bowl year.

East Coast Bias: The team sorely missed Trevor Pryce last year, and it's showing now with him present. Pryce and Haloti Ngata are eating up four linemen by themselves, much as Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams did for the Ravens' 2000 championship run. This defense is not as strong as that one - just look at the corners - but this offense is better than that one too. The similarities are eerie, really.

Knee-Jerk Reaction: Ravens/Texas

The Ravens put together another impressive win today against the Houston Texans. The team is firing on all cylinders and has proven they are a contender.

The veterans are meshing well with the young guys.

It feels great to see Todd Heap's name on the scoreboard again.

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.

Joe Reitz gets his chance

Tight End is a position that is currently an unknown for the Baltimore Ravens. Quinn Sypniewski is out for the year with a knee injury, David Wilcox is still out because of toe surgery, and Todd Heap is temporarily sidelined with basic football injuries. With the usual suspects out, Joe Reitz has been getting snaps with the first team offense.

Reitz is a former Western Michigan basketball star. Thats right, I said basketball. He stands 6 feet and 7 inches off the ground and weighs 270 lbs. Keep in mind, Todd Heap was a basketball star himself. The Ravens can only hope for the same type of success out of Reitz that they've gotten out of Heap.

Football is in the air. Sniff it long and sniff it good.