I Smell an Upset this Sunday against the Browns
By Steve | September 28, 2007
Sorry to say that I am sensing an upset this Sunday when the Ravens face Cleveland for their fourth game. Cleveland has always played the Ravens tough despite having inferior teams and of course their fans are still pissed off that Art Modell moved their beloved Browns to Baltimore. With an offense that usually only puts up one touchdown a game and a defense that has not gotten much pressure on the quarterback, especially with Trevor Pryce out with a broken wrist, it could spell trouble.
The Ravens have had excellent field position many times this season and usually come up empty or with a field goal attempt. The offense simply has to put up more then one TD a game plus one to two field goals. The Ravens can’t depend on Yamon Figurs to run one back on most games or the defense to score.
The best story lines are Jamal Lewis facing his old teammates, and of course he will be pumped up to show he is still a top back. And of course the Ravens will have a little extra incentive to shut Jamal down. Their is also the Browns starting QB Derek Anderson who the Ravens drafted in the sixth round and tried unsuccessfully to get him through waivers. He has a great arm and is a fiery guy who has something to prove. Oh, and don’t forget former Raven cornerback Gary Baxter who is trying to come back from off season surgery to repair torn patellar tendons in both knees. 
With Samari Rolle being out again with a mysterious illness, look for the Browns to pick on Cory Ivy and Ronnie Prude. Also Kellen Winslow could have a big game. So here it is. As much as it pains me I am predicting that the Browns upset the Ravens by a score of 30-23.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Clevland Browns, Derek Anderson, Gary Baxter, Jamal Lewis, ravens, Samari Rolle, Trevor Pryce
Prediction Time for week three
By Steve | September 21, 2007
The Ravens should handle the Arizona Cardinals without too much trouble. But, the Cardinals are a very scary team on offense, because of their two All Pro wide receivers Anquan Boldin & Larry Fitzgerald. They both are big and physical wide outs and been in the league 4 and 5 tears. They also have an established running back in former Colt Edgerrin James who rushed for 92 yards in the opener and 128 in a win over Seattle. If the Ravens do not put pressure on Matt Leinart then it could be a long day for McAllister and Rolle. Also Dwan Edwards has to step up and be more consistent while replacing Trevor Pryce.
The Cardinals have only made the playoffs once since moving from St. Louis in 1988 and last won an NFL title in 1947 ( ouch ). They also have a new first year coach in former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt, who is very familiar with the Ravens. We all remember the bow tie wearing Bill Bidwell, who was courting Baltimore as an expansion city. Now, those poor fans in Arizona have to endure the losing. 
It will be interesting to see how McNair performs coming off a groin injury and if J. Ogden decides to give it another try and start. I really don’t think he can play a whole game yet. Well up till now, I have managed to avoid predicting this game.
Nothing comes easy for the Ravens because their offense never puts up that many points. The only way the Ravens can put away a team is if the defense scores and creates turnovers deep in the Cardinals territory. The Ravens have become one of the most penalized teams in the NFL ranking in the top 10 in penalties in three of the past four seasons. It is critical that they stop shooting themselves in the foot.
Despite all of the above my thinking is that the Ravens will come away with a victory by a score of 24-17. This is a team that can upset anybody that takes them lightly, because of their losing history. So watch out because the Cardinals have a lot of offensive weapons.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Bidwell, Dwan Edwards, Ken Whisenhurt, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Leinart
Will the Real Ravens Please Stand Up
By Steve | September 19, 2007
After their first two games, the Ravens are still trying to figure out who they are. Last season the Ravens discovered that they could depend on their defense after only allowing two field goals in two games. Offensively, the Ravens beat Tampa 27-0 and Oakland 28-6 and amassed a total of 535 yards combined.
Now, this year it is different. The defense has only allowed two touchdowns, but is giving up 208 passing yards a game. During the fourth quarter of the Jets game, rookie QB Kellen Clemens looked like Johnny Unitas doing his patented two minute drill. If it wasn’t for Jets receiver Justin McCareins dropping two touchdown balls, the game would have gone into overtime. Billick should add McCareins name to his Christmas card list.
It appears that the Ravens plan on using Willis McGahee in the passing game, which will give them another dimension. McGahee should continue to improve every week while getting in sync with the offensive line. Musa Smith also looks good when he gets in the game. A combination of too many penalties and turnover could lead to disaster when they get to the hard part of their schedule.
It appears to me that unless the offense can stay on the field longer and score when they get good field position, that the Ravens defense can get worn down in the fourth quarter and allow a team like the Jets to make a comeback. We can’t count on a receiver dropping easy potential touchdown passes anymore. I could have caught those balls back in the day.
Tell you the truth, I was surprised that Billick declared McNair the starter so early in the week. I really thought that they would want to get McNair fully recovered from the groin injury and that Boller was good enough to beat the Cardinals at home. Look for a more balanced attack this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. It still seems odd putting Arizona before the Cardinals instead of St. Louis.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Brian Billick, Johnny Unitas, Musa Smith, NY Jets, ravens, Steve McNair, Willis McGahee
Ravens avoid Overtime
By Steve | September 17, 2007
Thanks to Jets receiver Justin McCareins who dropped two potential touchdown passes on the Jets final drive that could have sent the game into overtime. That allowed the Ravens to hang onto a 20-13 victory and even their record at 1-1. My favorite punching bag Kyle Boller actually hand a pretty decent game as he completed 23 of 35 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Boller managed the conservative game plan very well. I have to give myself some kudos for predicting a 21-13 victory and was one one point off. Hope it does not go to my head. 
Willis McGahee had a good game and had 97 yards on 26 carries and should continue to improve. Derrick Mason also had a nice game catching eight for 54 yards. On the defensive side, the Ravens only allowed 69 yards rushing and Ray Lewis finished with seven tackles and had a solid game. Special teams were very good and Yamon Figurs showed his stuff with a 61 yard kick off return. If Yamon stays healthy he will be very dangerous, just like Jermain Lewis was in his hey day with the Ravens.
On Todd Heap’s touchdown catch that almost got taken away, I actually switched to the Orioles game after the fifth or sixth replay, how many different angles can you look at. By the way in case anybody is still interested the Orioles beat Toronto in 12 innings 8-6. In my opinion the Ravens should have put away a team with a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start away and won this game handily. With a better offense the Ravens could have easily won by two or three touchdowns. They won’t be able to beat the more elite teams with the same effort.
The most surprising game yesterday was the Cleveland win over Cincinnati by a 51-45 score in a track meet. Former Raven running back Jamal Lewis had 216 yards on 27 carries, but I don’t miss him.
Next up for the Ravens is the Arizona Cardinals who won yesterday 23-20 against Seattle. Finally a 1 pm start at home. Arizona has a 1-1 record in the NFL west division. It is a very good chance that Kyle Boller will start again while McNair heals his groin.
Topics: Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Jets, Justin McCareins, Kyle Boller, Orioles, ravens, Willis McGahee, Yamon Figurs
Sports hon Chatter
By Steve | September 14, 2007
- The Ravens should handle the New York Jets, even if Kyle Boller starts. If Chad Pennington does not start the Ravens defense will have Jets backup QB Kellen Clemens for dinner. I am looking for a Ravens victory with a 21 -13 score.
- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is nobody to mess with. He came down hard on the Patriots, by fining the maximum of 500,000 to Bill Belichick and 250,000 to the team for the spying incident. Plus if they make the playoffs, they loss a first round pick and second and third round if they don’t. Roger’s nickname should be “The Hammer”.
- It will be interesting to see what plays Billick calls this week on third and short. How about the statue of liberty.
- Remember former Raven QB Stoney Case, who appeared on 10 Ravens games in 1999. Now 35, Case plays in the Arena Football League starting for Tampa Bay before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Maybe, the Ravens should have a reunion for all their former quarterbacks. That would be a hot ticket.
- The Ravens rank #11 with a value of 965 million. The Dallas Cowboys are #1 worth 1.5 billion. Must be nice to be an NFL owner.
- No, it was not a misprint, the Orioles shut out the Angels 3-0 last night. Jon Leister allowed the Angels just 4 hits in 5 2/3 innings. I may just run out and buy his rookie card.
- The Maryland football Terps got thoroughly outclassed last night by losing to West Virginia 31-14 before an ESPN-televised audience and a sold out crowd of 53,107. Maryland could not stop West Virginia running back Steve Slaton, who had 26 carries for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Also WV tailback Noel Devine had a 76 yard run. Too bad because Steve Slaton could have been a Terp.
- During Trembley’s tirade the other night, I was waiting for him to twist his hat around ala Earl Weaver. Earl was ejected 97 times, the most in AL history.
- Those poor Portland Trial Blazers. Greg Oden rookie season ended before it started with having micro-fracture surgery to his right knee. He did say he was sorry to GM Kevin Pritchard.
- It is the 40th anniversary of Denny McLain’s 30th victory on the way to a 31-6 season in which he had an ERA of 1.96 and pitched 336 innings. What’s the odds on that happening again?
- Latest poor sport athlete happened in early September when Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who signed a $91.5 million extension to his contract, and was badly booed by the Cubs fans after being sent to the showers by manager Lou Piniella after a horrible performance. Pay me that kind of money and you are welcome to boo me all you want.
- Lots of luck to AndyMcPhail and company on fixing the Orioles and making them a competitive team. Angelos has dug him a pretty deep hole.
- Is it me, or is anybody else sick of all the replays the NFL shows, especially during a challenge. There must be 7-10 replays from every conceivable angle. There should be a three replay limit.
Topics: Maryland Football Terrapins, NBA, Baltimore Orioles, Sports Hon, Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Andy McPahil, Bill Belichick, Greg Oden, Kyle Boller, Orioles, Peter Angelos, ravens, Roger Goodell, Steve Slaton, Stoney Case
Orioels and Devil Rays are battling it out for last place
By Steve | September 13, 2007
In the last 18 games of the season the Orioles are trying to hold off Tampa and hang on to their traditional fourth place finish. Right now the Orioles only have a slim one game lead over the Devil Rays and don’t have any head to head games against them. That’s too bad because Camden Yards would be packed for the battle to stay out of last place.
The Orioles have a track record of going into the tank for the last six weeks of the season. The worst was the 4-32 finish in 2002. Most fans have completely tuned out the Orioles and turned their attention to the Ravens and can you blame them. If you do watch a game now, you will need a program to identify some of the players. It has the look of a AA team playing a major league team and getting pummeled almost every game by football type scores.
It was fun watching Dave Trembley throw a tantrum about an umpire’s missed call and giving an Earl Weaver like performance. The players and fans gave Trembley a loud ovation and loved his fire. Umpire Paul Emmel ruled Scott Moore out at second base on Jay Payton’s RBI grounder, even though Howie Kendrick’s foot was not even close to being on the base when he caught the ball. Kendrick was in a different time zone and it would have been a shame if the Orioles had any prayer to win, but lost 18-6. These football type losses appear to be the norm now. I guess the Orioles too are getting into the football spirit. This is the first year in a long time that the Oriole fans can’t wait for this miserable season to end. 
It should be a very interesting off season, especially with Andy McPhail now calling the shots ( we hope ). Andy will certainly have a full plate of issues to address and the loyal Orioles fans will be anxiously waiting for him to explain how he is going to fix this ten year nightmare. Over & Under for tonight game against the AL West division leading Angels is 25.
Topics: Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Andy McPhail, Angels, Dave Trembley, Howie Kendrick, Orioles, Paul Emmel, ravens
Billick’s play calling is under the gun
By Steve | September 12, 2007
We are only one game into the season and already Brian Billick’s play selection is being questioned. Of course, it is very easy to question calls after the fact, but some of the calls left me scratching my head. I would love to hear the discussion between the coaches upstairs and Billick in the headset, deciding on what play to call. Maybe Billick over analyzes too much and second guesses him self.
In previous years Matt Cavanaugh and Jim Fassel were convenient punching bags to blame for play selection. How much input does Rick Nueheisel have on the play calling and does Billick really listen to him ? The play that baffled me the most came when the Ravens were ahead 20-19, and facing a third and one at their 35. With McGahee and Smith getting big yardage and considering that the Bengals run defense is soft, Billick calls a pass play down field to Mason that deflects off his hands and is intercepted by Robert Geathers.
Hopefully Billick will learn from his mistakes and use his running game more effectively against the Jets this Sunday. When you think about criticism it is usually always on the offensive side of the ball. You very rarely hear any writers questioning what type of defense Rex Ryan is using to defend a particular play.
It will be interesting this week, to see how the Ravens rebound against a good New York Jets team, especially with all the injured and banged up players. How effective will Ray Lewis and Steve McNair be with their injuries ? Can Yamon Figurs step in for B.J. Sams, who is out for the year and perform at a high level returning both punts and kickoffs and do the Ravens trust his decision making ?. 
The biggest question is how Kyle Boller will do if Steve McNair can’t go. It looks like Ogden will be out for awhile and maybe the year, so if the line can’t protect McNair or Boller, it will be a very long year.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Kyle Boller, NY Jets, ravens, Ray Lewis, Robert Geathers, Steve McNair Brian Billick, Yamon Figurs
Ravens lay an egg in Cincy with Turnovers
By Steve | September 11, 2007
It is amazing that the Ravens even had a chance to win this game while turning the ball over six times. The Ravens must be jealous of the Orioles setting all the futility records the past month and figured it was their turn, with their version of the Bad News Bears. It seemed like every time you looked up there was another Raven player leaving the field with an injury. It was surprising to me that Ogden even started after not playing the last eight months and being sidelined for the entire preseason. Hopefully it won’t be a set back and keep him out for an extended amount of time. B.J. Sams looked great returning kicks, but left the game with a sprained knee. I did not even realize he was hurt till you saw Ed Reed return the fourth quarter punt for a TD.
Never being a big Kyle Boller fan, I did not have much confidence in Boller taking the team to victory after McNair went down with a groin injury. It was funny seeing the training staff surround McNair with towels so the fans and viewers could not see his private parts. If Boller ends up starting most of the games now, then I don’t see the Ravens making the playoffs. McGahee and Smith ran hard all night, but when it came down to third and short Billick elected to call risky pass plays.
The Ravens lucked out with Carson Palmer constantly throwing behind his receivers the first half, that helped keep them in the game. Doesn’t it seem like every time we play the Bengals Palmer goes deep to Chad Johnson for a TD ?.Just think how much better Chad Johnson would be if he did not spend so much time figuring out his TD celebration. By the way you can now find that sport-coat on sale at the Mens Wearhouse. 
While watching the game with my good buddy Bob, we tried everything to change the Ravens luck. I put on my favorite Ravens hat, and had on a Ravens T-shirt. Bob had his Ravens T-shirt and I even had my daughter Michelle stay in the room while the Ravens were playing well and she could have cared less. Somebody even had the nerve to call me during the game, and of course I did not take the call. Bob’s friend Josh warned him not to watch the game on my unlucky TV.
That pass interference call on Heap was a joke, but the Refs made a make up call when they called interference on the Bengals giving the Ravens a chance to tie. That next pass to Heap that bounced off his chest was like a Nolan Ryan fastball that was impossible to catch. The Ravens trainers will be earning their paychecks this week taking care of all the wounded players. That plane ride back to Baltimore must have been like a flying emergency room.
By the way for all you tailgaters, Baltimore has been named the best tailgating city in the NFL by a group of tailgating experts. Denver, Houston, San Diego and Cincinnati rounded out the top five. Doesn’t that make you feel better about the loss.
Surprisingly the Ravens deactivated linebacker Antwan Barnes and kick off specialist Rhys Lloyd, but Stover did an excellent job at kicking most of the balls near or in the end zone. Well, stay tuned for the next episode against the New York Jets this Sunday @ 4:15pm for the home opener.
Topics: Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Bengals, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Kyle Boller, Musa Smith, Nolan Ryan, Orioles, ravens, tailgating, Todd Heap, Willis McGahee
Ravens need to literally hit the ground running
By Steve | September 10, 2007
Turn the clock back to last years opener against Tampa Bay at Tampa and I thought there is no way the Ravens can beat Tampa at home. But, the Ravens dominated the game and won 27-0 on the way to a 13-3 season. Can the Ravens do the same to the Bengals tonight on the national stage at 7 p.m. A win tonight in Cincinnati would set the tone for the rest of the season according to cornerback, Chris McAlister. There are only three players remaining from inception: Linebacker, Ray Lewis, tackle Jonathan Ogden and kicker Matt Stover, who is also the only remaining Cleveland Brown.
In order for the Ravens to have a chance to win the following has to happen. They have to slow down running back Rudi Johnson, Willis McGahee has step up and show the fans why the Ravens acquired him, because he was not impressive in preseason at all. Also if Jonathan Ogden does not play and I really don’t think he will, then the offensive line really has it’s work cut out for them in protecting McNair. The Ravens also have to keep Chad Johnson in check from catching the deep ball from one of the best quarterbacks in the league Carson Palmer. 
It is crucial that we keep pressure on Carson Palmer, because if he has time then like in the past Palmer will have a field day throwing to Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. In fact, I suspect the Bengals will go after Samari Rolle right away and go deep for a quick score. The Ravens have never been a good come from behind team. I am looking for Todd Heap to have a big game against a weak linebacker group. Right tackle Adam Terry will have a hard time against Robert Geathers, who is a strong pass rusher, and the Ravens will need to give Terry some help in order to keep McNair on his feet.
My gut feeling is that the Ravens offense which never really never got it going in the preseason will not all the sudden turn it on and put many points up. It may take a few games for the offense to find a rhythm. Carson Palmer has owned the Ravens in there last five meeting, averaging 272 yards passing and a 108.2 rating and I think he will continue his dominance tonight. so as much as it pains me I am predicting the Ravens lose the opener by a score of 24 - 16.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Adam Terry, Baltimore Ravens, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis
The Ravens X Factor
By Steve | September 7, 2007
Rex Ryan who is entering his third year as the Ravens defensive coordinator is clearly one of the best in the NFL and is the X factor in the Ravens having an elite defense every year. It has been the Ravens good fortune that San Diego decided to pass on Ryan and hire Norv Turner as their head coach. Ryan who has lost 60 pounds during the last year and a half is focused and ready to go. Ryan, 44 joined the Ravens in 1999, the same year that Billick was hired as head coach. According to most players, Ryan’s strength is realizing what you do well and not exposing you. 
Ryan has the family pedigree as his father, Buddy Ryan, was head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, and his twin brother Rob, is defensive coordinator with the Oakland Raiders. In his two seasons as the defensive coordinator, Rex has gained the respect of everyone in the Ravens organization and also through out the league. It is just a matter of time before he gets snapped up as a head coach just like Marvin Lewis, now in his fifth year with the Bengals and Mike Nolan who is starting his third season in San Francisco. Look for the Ravens to be a top ranked defense again this year, thanks to Rex Ryan. Please don’t leave us Rex.
Topics: Baltimore Ravens | No Comments »
Tags: Brian Billick, Buddy Ryan, Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Norv Turner, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Rex Ryan
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