The loss was bad, how’s the report card?

Quarterback: B-

Joe Flacco avoided the pass rush all day, made a few impressive runs, and even made a few nice passes. His arm wasn’t quite as sharp was it could have been, though, with many of this throws landing behind their intended targets. The windy conditions seemed to limit Flacco and the entire offensive scheme; the Ravens never even tried to stretch the field. Flacco had two interceptions on the day, though he only deserves credit for one.

Running Backs: D+

How bad was the Ravens rushing attack? Joe Flacco’s 57 yard performance led the team. Similar to in Indianapolis, the Ravens running backs tried to run around the defense, instead of through it.  Willis McGahee was limited by injury again. Ray Rice stepped in and did a fair job, but even he looked scattered. The Ravens couldn’t get anything started on the ground - not that they could be expected to match the Giants 200+ yard performance.

Wide Receivers: D

Derrick Mason had 7 catches and 80 yards, but attempt at impersonating David Tyree may have cost the Ravens the game. Mark Clayton and Yamon Figurs were non-factors. Todd Heap made three catches for a total of 17 yards. This group continues to take the life out of the Ravens offense with dropped passes and poor routes.

Offensive Line: C-

The front five of the Ravens had their ups and downs, as did most units. In the passing game, they kept the rush off of Flacco for most of the game, allowing only one sack. That’s not to say Flacco never felt the pressure, but the line helped him manage it well. In the running game, the offensive line looked lost. No sealed corners. No running lanes. And worse? The unit was charged with five false starts.

Defensive Line: D+

The Ravens defensive line was handled all day by the Giants fron-five. They occasionally got pressure on Manning, but were pushed aside and pancaked time and time again in the running game.

Linebackers: D

Outside of Ray Lewis’ interception, the unit failed miserably. Lewis was mentioned more for missing tackles and overpursuing than he was for making tackles. Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott were never mentioed. Jarrett Johnson’s off-sides penalty negated an interception by Fabian Washington. The unit was out of position and looked out of place.

Defensive Backs: C

The Ravens secondary normally takes the brunt of the criticism in bad losses, but not today. The Ravens secondary was far from stellar, but at least they showed up. Eli Manning and his receiving corps didn’t  beat the Ravens today. Jim Leonhard deserves some credit for a game well-played and being the only Raven man enough to take on Brandon Jacobs face-to-face.

Special Teams: D+

Kick returns by Yamon Figurs were surprisingly strong, but hardly enough to save face for a bad season. Matt Stover had a kick blocked. Sam Koch was bothered by the wind. The unit didn’t necessarily hurt the Ravens effort, but they sure didn’t help either.

Coaching: C-

The coaching in this one is hard to read. To start with, the Ravens looked outmatched. That simply shouldn’t happen. The Giants knew every scheme Rex Ryan had and they came prepared. Offensively, Cam Cameron shut the Ravens down himself. At the same time, however, adjustments were clearly made at halftime and the Ravens looked like a new team. If not for a few mistakes specific to the players, not the coaches, I believe this team would have made things far more interesting. The biggest questions, though, have to be for John Harbaugh, who conceded defeat and truly shut the offense down in the 4th quarter. Running the ball is for eating clock, not saving it.

Anyone that saw the game doesn’t need to be told that the Ravens got it handed to them today. The Giants won in convincing fashion, moving the ball often and with ease, and shutting down the Ravens offense for most of the day.

That said, here are my quick thoughts on the game… and this will be very quick. Like most of us, I need to go drown my sorrows a bit.

First, kudos to Joe Flacco. The line in this game is going to be that Flacco threw two interceptions, one returned for a crushing touchdown right as it appeared the Ravens were about to come to life. If Flacco doesn’t throw that pick, it’s hard to see the Ravens not scoring to make it 20-13, at the least. But Flacco was better than those two picks. His legs were clearly working, as he ran for 50 yards to lead the team. His brain was working too. Sacked just once, Flacco was masterful at avoiding the rush and moving from target to target. It was a shame, however, that his arm wasn’t as up to the task as the rest of him.

Building on the kudos for the Ravens, a few pats on the back for the Ravens OL. Allowing just one sack to one of the league’s fiercest pass rushing attack is no small feat. Their issues with in providing run-blocking were unwelcome, however.

Mini-note: I’m still not sure why the Ravens did not go for it on 4th and short in the 4th quarter of this game. That was a flat-out quitters punt by John Harbaugh.

It’s tough to talk about the Ravens defensive effort. We can really split the game into its two halves. In the first half, the Ravens were just plain beat. The Giants were well-prepared and appeared to know every play the Ravens had in Rex Ryan’s encyclopedia-sized playbook. Manning had time, the runners had holes, and the receivers had our defensive backs just plain fooled. But in the second half, similar to a few other games this year, the Ravens defense came to life. Pressure on Manning was better, though the Ravens managed just one sack. And the running lanes were shut down.

Despite a staggering 200-plus yard rushing total by the Giants as a team, the Ravens were able to hold on to their streak of games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. And if you remove Bradshaw’s 70+ yard carry and Jacobs 30+ yard carry, suddenly the Ravens rushing defense looked respectable. Unfortunately, we can’t remove those kinds of plays looking back.

All-in-all, the Ravens came out weak and it cost them. There’s nothing else to say. This wasn’t the most physical game we’ve ever seen; the physicality hardly lived up to expectations.  The Ravens just missed opportunity after opportunity and they paid for it. Teams like the Browns and Dolphins might let you get away with a few mistakes, but not a team like the Giants.

That said, however, it would be a waste to throw this game at the wayside as we continue. The Ravens should walk away with a number of valuable lessons. Despite the score, in the second half, the Ravens looked like a football team capable of playing with the big boys. They just need to start limiting mistakes and finding ways to win, not just be competitive.

Quarterback: A
For weeks, Joe Flacco has managed the offense, and that trend continued against the Texans. The rookie protected the ball, while still taking plenty of shots down the field. All told, Flacco turned in a solid performance with a 118.9 passer rating that included 185 yards and two touchdowns. Flacco is beginning to come into his own at a very important time for the Ravens. Troy Smith also continues to contribute to the team, as he threw for a touchdown.

Offensive line: B-
For the most part, the offensive line protected their quarterback. Although the unit allowed three sacks, they did a great job at opening up running lanes to help sustain drives. The Texans’ star defensive back, Mario Williams, was held in check throughout the game. Penalties continue to plague the line.

Wide receivers: B
Last week, the offense welcomed Mark Clayton to the 2008 season. This week, it was Todd Heap’s turn to be reintroduced to the offense. Heap turned in a two touchdown performance. Yamon Figurs was serviceable in place of Derrick Mason, who suffered a dislocated shoulder early in the game. Despite the injury, Mason caught three passes for 41 yards.

Running backs: B+
Willis McGahee returned to the field after watching rookie Ray Rice trample the Browns last week. McGahee racked up two touchdowns of his own; his best performance of the season.

Defensive Line: A
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. The unit also held the Texans’ red zone offense in check, limiting them to just three points from inside the five-yard line.

Linebackers: A
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis hauled in two interceptions that looked like they were intended for him anyway. Lewis finished the game with eight tackles. The unit helped ensure that the running game was taken away from Houston, while limiting the short yardage passes of Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels. Terrell Suggs was able to pressure Rosenfels throughout the game, and managed a safety early in the game.

Defensive Backs: B-
The secondary did a decent job of containing Texans receiver Andre Johnson, limiting him to 66 yards and no touchdowns. Samari Rolle returned to the field and hauled in an interception of his own. The unit was exploited a couple of times in the game. One of those miscues resulted in a Houston touchdown. Against a better quarterback, the secondary might have had big problems.

Special teams: B
Steve Hauschka announced his arrival to the Ravens squad by sinking a field goal from 54 yards, while punter Sam Koch held the Texans in check. The kickoff coverage was much improved this week. Matt Stover missed a 50-yard field goal, but that is quite a stretch for him anyway.

Coaching: B+
The Ravens clearly executed the game plan they wanted. The offense continues to field a balance attack to keep opposing defenses honest. The defense continues to dominate opposing offenses, while the Ravens offense sustains drives, eating up the clock and actually scoring. Why was Stover sent out to kick a field goal from midfield when  Hauschka already proved he could kick it from further?

Fans saw a new look from the Ravens offense yesterday, dubbed the Wild Bird. Is this an offense that is here to stay, or will it be migrating south for the winter?

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The Raiders might be the worst 2-4 team in the NFL in recent memory. Offensively and defensively, the team lacks consistency. In their losses, they tend to look as bad as anyone in the league. In their most recent win, they somehow slid past the Jets despite allowing more than 400 yards of total offense and more than 200 yards rushing. The team’s strongest unit is probably their special teams, anchored by (former 1st round draft pick…) kicker Sebastian Janikowski. Punter Shane Lechler isn’t too shabby either, averaging nearly 50 yards per kick and putting 14 inside the opponents 20 so far this year.

But that might be where praise for the Raiders stops… they have struggled on both offense and defense in a number of respects and are still trying to establish their identity as a unit.

Come Sunday, here are two match-ups that will be critcal in either team’s success.

Ravens’ Offense vs. Raiders’ Defense

QB Joe Flacco vs. Oakland’s Secondary

The Raiders defense is far from the league’s strongest. They allow 136 yards per game rushing and more than 220 per game passing. Those numbers rank 24th and 22nd in the league respectively, leaving the Raiders at 26th overall.

That said, the unit still does its fair share in protecting against the pass. The Raiders are in the league’s top 10 in both interceptions (7) and sacks (16). They have also allowed just 8 passing touchdowns so far this season.

Now, none of these numbers are jumping off the page at you, I know. The Raiders, with Rob Ryan (brother of Raven’s Rex) at the helm of the defense, are still just plain average. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be a major factor in this game. The secondary is more than capable as a unit, especially in the hands of DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson. Both are known for being prone to mental lapses, but both have the ability to change games when they need to. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a challenging three weeks for the Ravens, facing three solid teams - all with playoff expectations - and losing all three in difficult fashion. Each game has provided the Ravens with different challenges and new problems for not getting the ‘W,’ but none more so than the Indianapolis loss last week. The Ravens self-destructed against the Colts and lost just about every match-up.

Things will have to be very different in Miami for the Ravens to win against the Dolphins. Luckily, however, the Dolphins are a very different team from the Colts.

Here are two key match-ups to watch heading into Sunday.

Dolphins’ Offense vs. Ravens’ Defense

Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano vs. Ravens’ Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan

Who’s tricks are trickier? Read the rest of this entry »

It may not seem like much, but in discussing the game last night with some other ExtremeRavens staff, I had a bit of a revelation about this Ravens team. Perhaps it’s obvious, perhaps it’s just plain wrong… perhaps I’m bringing bad karma…

But here is how I see this season and our first three games so far - or rather, here’s what I think we’ve learned and can look forward to - and it can’t help but remind me of a team we saw here not too long ago.

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Phew…. what a game that was!!! The atmosphere in the stadium was electric throughout… the only lag coming in the mid-second quarter, but quickly rejuvenated by a stunning start to the 3rd. Here’s what I see right off the bat…

• Joe Flacco made a few mistakes… but he never lost his confidence and he rebounded by making some pretty impressive plays. Honestly, the second interception should hardly count against his record… it was a known risk going into the gadget play of that type. The first was just a bad pass. He appeared to miss some open receivers for big games, settling for lesser gains instead, but he still had the offense moving.

• Welcome back to Willis McGahee… it was a fine effort by Willis. But the standout was again Le’Ron McClain. The Browns, like the Bengals, simply did not know how to handle the big bowling ball of a mixed-back. My only wish is that we had seen more of Ray Rice. When he came in, especially with McClain in front, you could see the Browns hurting.
• Have to take a moment to think about Dawan Landry. So far all news has been good, but still a scary sight. His injury clearly shook this defense and inspired Ray Lewis… which deserves a bullet of his own.
• Ray was a MAD MAN in the 3rd quarter. Whatever happened in that lockerroom at halftime must have been special. The hit he put on Kellen Winslow set the tone for the second half… and you could see that Anderson, Winslow, and every other receiver on the Browns was worried about what Ray and that D would do.
• We might have an ‘aging secondary,’ but they showed their quick feet tonight. Reed and Rolle had nice little picks, not to mention McAlister’s. And the unit played well overall. No disrespect meant to the injured Landry, but this defense was something to see when Jim Leonhard got in the secondary…
• Leonhard also deserves some loving for his strong game as a returner. He was hurt by a few penalties on good returns, but he sure made believers out of a number of fans today with his returns. In the preseason he looked slow, especially compared to Yamon Figurs, but he seems to have figured something out since then.
• My only concern is Harbaugh’s use of Matt Stover. We simply can’t use him in the 45-50 range, unless absolutely necessary. This team has shown it’s ability to make some great 4th down conversions (a welcome surprise, really), but let’s not stretch Matt … as much as we love him.

Finally, we’ve got to take a minute and give some credit to this coaching staff again. Offensively, Cam Cameron had the Browns on their toes… even if it wasn’t always working. The unit is coming together. The running game is solid, the use of play-action is inspiring, and the misdirection is just plain pretty. Defensively, after a slow start Rex had these guys clicking on all cylinders again and executing a great game plan that neutralized a dangerous passing game. And overall, the team did what it will need to do each week… control the ball, control the clock, and give that defense the chance to make big plays.

Baltimore Ravens 28, Cleveland Browns 10.

It can be a difficult task deciding what kind of grade to give each position. Especially when the scoreboard seems to imply a rather close game. Yesterday’s game wasn’t that close however. While Sports Illustrated’s Michael Lombardi gives Flacco a ‘C’ and Harbaugh ‘B’, I gave them both higher grades.

Quarterback: B
Joe Flacco managed the game well, and played within himself. For a rookie starting in his first game, Flacco was cool, calm and collected through the game. All traits that have been missing from the Ravens offense for quite some time. He made a few rookie mistakes, and threw some balls just short. While his passer rating was in the low-60’s, he ran for a touchdown and was betrayed often by his receivers.

Running Backs: B+
The combination of Le’Ron McClain and Ray Rice made the abscene of veteran starter Willis McGahee a distant memory. Both backs ran hard and found holes. The contribution of Lorenzo Neal was also exciting to watch. This was an ‘A’ performance, but Rice coughed up the ball that resulted in a Bengals touchdown, and also dropped a pass.

Receivers: C
The receivers raked up a lot of rushing yards, but the constent drops were a major disappointment. Todd Heap dropped a few catchable passes, as the rookie QB took only a few shots down the field.

Offensive Line: A
Where did this line come from? The offensive line protected their quarterback, and gave him ample opportunity to make his reads and throw. They completly shut down any defensive attack the Bengals had and opened up running lanes for their running backs.

Defense: A
The Ravens shut down the high-powered offense of Cincinnati by playing smash mouth football. The defensive line dominated the Bengals’ running game, while linebackers reinforced the attack. The secondary held up so well, that Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco and TJ Houshmandzadeh were complete non-factors, sans one drive.

Special Teams: C
Yamon Figurs’ ran for a touchdown, but it was called by because of a penalty. A wasted effort that could have demoralized the Bengals for good. Matt Stover badly missed a 47-yard field goal. It wasn’t even close, but it was very ugly. The Bengals had better-than-normal field position throughout the game, and espesically in the first half. Better teams will make the Ravens pay for that kind of position.

Coaching: A
Reversing the reversing, and an even-handed attack of running the ball and throwing the ball, John Harbaugh, Cam Cameron and Rex Ryan managed a heck of a game.

How would you rank the Ravens?

The Baltimore Sun’s Jamison Hensley reports that Rex Ryan has hopes of staying on with the Ravens as the team’s defensive coordinator. Hensley also reports that Ryan denied rumors that he has spoken to other teams about vacant defensive coordinator positions. If Ryan really does want to stay, where does this leave newly hired head coach John Harbaugh? Between a rock and a hard place, quite frankly.

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