The Baltimore Sun today published two articles, oddly similar to one another, about scrutiny of John Harbaugh’s conservative decision-making in the Ravens 23-20 loss to the Steelers on Monday. The first piece, from Jamison Hensley, seems a bit more like reporting the mood around town following the loss. The second piece, from Mike Preston, is simply picking for the sake of picking.

My question: why is Harbaugh taking any heat for the loss on Monday?

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The Ravens defense continued to shock and awe while the offense’s sputtering still showed promise.

Quarterback: C
It was a tale of two halves from the rookie quarterback who held up well in the first half and started to slide, sometimes badly, in the second. While he did throw a touchdown in the first half, he also racked up two fumbles, including losing one that resulted in a defensive touchdown for Pittsburgh. Flacco’s arm strength was on full display and he let the doubters know that yes, he can move sideline-to-sideline.

Running Backs: C
The Ravens struggled early with running the ball, but by the second quarter, the running game was running over Steelers’ defenders. They lost that momentum however, and continued to struggle throughout the game. There were some nice runs, but it wasn’t consistent.

Receivers: C
Without Derrick Mason, the Ravens wide receivers would probably be lost. Mason provides a spark on offense when the unit most needs it. Even with a floating pass from Flacco, Demetrius Williams missed a catchable pass that went through his hands. Daniel Wilcox did catch one in the endzone for Baltimore, but aside from Mason, the receivers were nonexistent.

Offensive Line: C
The offensive line continues to come together as a unit. Again it was a tale of two halves. The line did an excellent job of containing the Steelers’ defense in the first half. But, the second half was a different story, and the total result was five sacks for the opposition.

Defense: A-
This unit played solid, dominating defense, with the exception of Jarret Johnson’s silly penalty. There’s no excuse for it, and the penalty allowed the Steelers to enter Ravens territory for the first time in the game. The defensive backs continue to have tackling problems.

Special Teams: B
Sam Koch is quite the specialist in kick placements. The punt coverage was decent, but Yamon Figurs really seems to be struggling. So much so that the Ed Reed was put it in to return at one point.

Coaching: B
The Ravens called an even-handed game and took some shots down the field in an attempt to keep the Steelers offense. The result wasn’t what they wanted, but it was a start against their first winning-record opponent of the season.

How would you rank the Ravens?

What a doozy of a game for the Ravens and Steelers tonight. I’m still wound up and still emotional about it all… it’s been just minutes since the final kick crossed over… So here’s what I see… Read the rest of this entry »

Heading into Sunday, let’s breakdown the fantasy-side of the Ravens-Steelers match-up.

Quarterbacks:

Joe Flacco: Still has yet to throw a touchdown pass and, last week, finally made some mistakes with the football. I know no one owns him, and it should stay that way for now.

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben got sacked 9 times last week by Philadelphia. Many believe that number could be reached again Monday against the Ravens. If you league counts sacks, you need to be worried. But worry anyway… without proven runner behind him and given two straight questionable starts by Big Ben, it’s time to sit the guy if you can afford it.

Runningbacks:

Willis McGahee: The latest reports are that he will play. If he plays, you play him. The numbers may not be grand, but he is the most likely way the Ravens will find the endzone and he’ll receive most of the carries for the team.

Le’Ron McClain: McClain will be a part of this offensive package all season. He is a great option as a 3rd back, or even a starting back if you have runners on their bye week. He scored his first two rushing touchdowns last week and against a strong Steelers defense, expect him to continue to get goalline carries. The man is a bowling ball, and dare I say again, Jerome Bettis-esque.

Rashard Mendenhall: Perhaps worthy of a spot start in the absence of Parker, but only as a 3rd back. Against a stout Ravens D, he’s hardly worth picking up unless no other option presents itself.

Wide Outs / Tight Ends:

Hines Ward: Has been productive so far this season but has suffered in recent weeks as Big Ben and Parker have struggled. Still worth a start. Always worth a start.

Derrick Mason: Similar to Ward, always worth the start if you have him. He will see the ball and catch the ball and, maybe, will find the endzone. Start him.

Todd Hap: Still struggling, but still a better option than most other tight ends. Heap is going to be a key player in this game and will get frequent looks from Flacco. Start him.

Heath  Miller: He’s yet to be a threat this season, but is still worth the start over many other options. He’s been a poison, much like Ward, to this Ravens defense.

Defenses:

Ravens: They have quickly proven themselves to be the class of the NFL again. The run-stopping power is there and is helping to control the passing game. The pass rush has been brutal, ringing up sacks and helping the secondary get to the ball. Against a weak offensive line and a defeated run game, they deserve the start.

Steelers: At home, they are always tough. The run defense is stout, but is missing one of its biggest contributors in Casey Hampton. Still, the points will come from their ability to control Joe Flacco. At home, with a healthy Troy Polamalu, they might create some fireworks. If you have them, they are probably a good bet to start. It’s not like this will be a high scoring affair…

In addition to our weekly Fantasy Reports, which can be read at www.extremeravens.com or via the message boards, OneWinningDrive is going to be giving a little fantasy breakdown for the Ravens’ game each week. Between predictions and fantasy analysis, it’s all good…

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Following up on his statement in the hours following the Ravens-Patriots game earlier this season, in which he claimed the Patriots have already been “crowned” by the media and the league, Derrick Mason has announced that he intends to extend his version of a truce to the recently defeated New England team.

His peaceful gesture, of course, being a mock Super Bowl Trophy with the Patriots name, and the engraving “2008: 18-1… Close enough, right?”

Mason said today that he felt bad for getting the Patriots hopes up and that he hopes “the trophy can help heal New England’s wounds.”

The Patriots have yet to release a formal response to Mason’s gesture. In week 13, a struggling Ravens team nearly defeated the record-setting Patriots, but fell short in a controversial final few minutes. Following the game, many Ravens expressed frustration with the game and, more specifically, the media’s coverage of both teams. Entering tonight’s Super Bowl the Patriots were double-digit favorites, vying to become the first team in league history to go 19-0.