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Today, the Ravens turned in arguably their worst effort of the John Harbaugh era, losing on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-7.
Joe Flacco played his worst game of the year. The defense was horrid early, but started to turn it around late. Fans like to play the blame game, but I can't think of one guy or one side of the ball to blame for this one.
The defense put the team in a hole early, giving up 14 first quarter points, but shut it down from then on. They weren't dominant, but gave up only three combined points in the final three quarters. You could put some blame on kicker Steve Hauschka for missing a 37-yard field goal in the fourth, but the game didn't come down to just one kick. Let's analyze what's going well and what isn't at the midway point.
The Positives
Joe Flacco and the offense: Despite today's horrid performance, you can't complain about the Ravens offensive performance this year. If anything, all you can do is rave about it. Flacco now has 2,044 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, which is certainly what the Ravens can expect year in and year out from him. He's on pace for 4,088 yards, 24 TD, and 14 INT. If he can do that every year, can you really complain? I wouldn't. Ray Rice has been tremendous. Against the Bengals he had 48 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and now has 573 rushing yards this season, compared to less than 500 all of last year.
Much was made of the receiving core. The Ravens didn't bring in any big names in the offseason, signing only Kelley Washington to a one-year deal. As a No. 3, Washington has exceeded expectations. Derrick Mason has been solid, and all in all, the receivers have been good. Even Mark Clayton, who had a key drop against New England, has been better since. Tight end Todd Heap has had a rebound season, and the offensive line has been good as well. So the offense has exceeded expectations, and that is a good thing.
The trio of rookies: Last year, the two rookies who stepped up big time were Joe Flacco (Pepsi Rookie of the Year) and Ray Rice, who was big when he got the opportunity. Now, the three rookies who have stepped up are Michael Oher, Dannell Ellerbe, and Lardarius Webb. Oher has been somewhat inconsistent, but has been solid for the most part. The subject of the book and movie Blind Side has had a stellar debut, and while he hasn't looked like a Hall of Fame offensive tackle at all times, he looks like a future Pro Bowler, without a doubt.
I'm very impressed with Ellerbe. An undrafted free agent signing out of Georgia, he has the looks of the Ravens next Bart Scott, as in he's an undrafted free agent who plays inside linebacker. With Brendon Ayanbadejo out for the year and Tavares Gooden struggling, I really think it's time to start Ellerbe.The 23-year-old has 14 tackles, and if he can start, he won't dominate—yet—but I'm extremely impressed. One question: Why is Chris Carr still a Raven? I've seen some improvement from him lately, but I do think Lardarius Webb needs to get more time. He's got nine tackles on the year, and has looked like the 2009 version of Jim Leonhard returning punts and kicks.
Heart of a champion: What's the one thing I like most about the Ravens? Is it the offensive improvement? The fact that they draft so well? No. It's that they have tremendous heart, will, and determination. That's why I never feel they're out of a game. Even down 17-0 in the fourth, I still felt the Ravens could come back, and had a chance to make it 17-10, but a missed field goal sealed the Ravens' fate. But I'm sure the Ravens will move on from this. Heck, I'm sure tomorrow, they'll have moved on and will be ready to face the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football.
I saw it last year, and I see it this year. I'm sure they'll rebound, and I know this for a fact. I've seen it many times before. The Ravens have suffered even more heartbreaking defeats, but have continued to get up and rebound from them, and having a match with Cleveland coming up doesn't hurt them, either. That's why, after tough-to-swallow losses like these, Ravens fans shouldn't be down, because this team has a great coaching staff, who adequately prepare them pretty much every week to win games. As you see, they have won the majority of the time with this new staff.
Negatives
Greg Mattison: Let me make this clear: I could not be a defensive coordinator in the NFL. But I struggle to grasp the thought process of new Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Just look at how dominant the Ravens defense has been. In 2000, they posted arguably the best single-season defense in NFL history. And from 2001 to 2008, they weren't as good, but consistently near the top in the league, led by defensive coordinators like Mike Nolan and Rex Ryan. Ryan was in Baltimore from 2005 to 2008 and is now famous for his sense of humor, but mostly, his exotic defenses. In Baltimore, he ran all types of blitzing schemes that confused the opposition.
This is what I'll never understand about Mattison. Since the Ravens lost both starting inside linebacker Bart Scott and strong safety Jim Leonhard, the 2009 Ravens unit figured to look different, but think about this: Do the Ravens have Ray Lewis? Check. Haloti Ngata? Check. Terrell Suggs? Check. Ed Reed? Check.
See, the core of the Ravens defense is still there, so what's the point in changing everything? Mattison has made the Ravens a weak team defensively. They're bringing absolutely no pressure, which exposes the corners.
Ray Rice: Don't yell at me. I love how Ray Rice is playing. Here's my complaint: he's underused. With the way I was hyping up RR in the offseason, and with the way he's responded, you'd think he'd get more carries. While I understand the Ravens are becoming a very pass-happy team, I can't say I understand just how much they basically ignore him. He's a threat, a Maurice Jones-Drew of sorts. On the year, he has exactly 999 total yards (573 rushing, 436 receiving), which is borderline insane. But think about this: the most carries he's gotten in a game is 23.
He's definitely getting utilized, and he's part of the reason the offense is so revived. And I definitely do understand that the Ravens don't want to overwork him. They don't want to give him 350 carries a year and see him hit a wall in seven to eight years. That's all fine and good, but his average game consists of 13 carries and 72 yards. I'm sure as the weather turns, we'll see Rice a lot more, but 13 carries per matchup is insulting, especially considering how well the guy is playing.
Steven Hauschka: I've never been a subscriber of the "you win and lose with your kicker" idea, if there is such a thing. But boy, has Steven Hauschka killed the Ravens at times this year. All in all, it's safe to say he has a good head on his shoulders. He's showed some work ethic and it definitely is no easy task to fill Matt Stover's shoes, a guy who was loved in Baltimore. But I have to question the kid's poise. Against Minnesota, the Ravens were down 33-31 with two seconds left. Joe Flacco drove Baltimore down to the Minnesota 27, and a 44-yard field goal would give the Ravens a miraculous, come-from-behind, 34-33 victory.
But he missed it. Against Cincinnati, down 17-7 with a few minutes left, he came on for a 37-yard field goal. If good, Baltimore would be down just seven with a titanic momentum advantage. But he hooked it. And it's not as if he can't make these. In fact, he made a 54-yarder against the Houston Texans, his first career field goal attempt. But in crunch time, he's not a guy I can count on. He's 8-for-11 on the year, which is hardly terrible for a young kicker, who is basically a rookie. I'm not calling for his head yet, but if Matt Stover hits free agency when Adam Vinatieri returns to Indianapolis, Baltimore signing the vet wouldn't surprise me.
Ravens Last Eight Games
11/16 @ Cleveland Browns: It's hard to be confident after games like these, but the Browns? This game should be first degree murder—in favor of the Ravens.
11/22 vs. Indianapolis Colts: This game has the potential to be very tough for Baltimore, but also favors them in a way. Indy has struggled in wins over Houston (20-17) and San Francisco (18-14), so facing Baltimore at M & T Bank Stadium could be too much.
11/29 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: With this revived offense, I'm interested to see how they fare against the Steelers, their No. 1 rival. It depends which Ravens show up, really.
12/7 @ Green Bay Packers: Because of the atmosphere (Monday Night, December weather, Lambeau Field), the Ravens don't have an advantage. But personnel-wise, the Ravens have a huge edge.
12/13 vs. Detroit Lions: Um..yeah.
12/20 vs. Chicago Bears: The Bears have looked good at times, but regressed over time. Ravens should win this, against an inconsistent team—especially if it's in Baltimore.
12/27 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: This game depends really on where the AFC North is at this point. It could determine who takes a Wild Card, whether the Steelers win the division, etc.
1/3 vs. Oakland Raiders: Let's compare. Joe Flacco's career: 15-9 record, over 5,000 yards, 26 TD, 19 INT. JaMarcus Russell's: 7-17 record, 3,796 yards, 17 TD, 21 INT.
Personally, I think the Ravens are in good shape, even after this loss. Six of eight wins (which I think will happen) gives them a 10-6 record, and a very good shot at the playoffs, possibly as the Wild Card, which they were last year.
No team is really threatening for the spot. The Jets (4-4) are struggling, the Dolphins (4-5), just aren't the same team. The Chargers have an outside shot, but continue to exhibit unbelievable inconsistency. The Texans have a shot, but don't have the defense. Honestly, I think the playoff picture will look like this: (1) Colts, (2) Broncos, (3) Patriots, (4) Steelers, (5) Bengals, (6) Ravens.
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