Bleacher Report - Articles by Isaac Barrow

Baltimore Ravens' Main Problem: Lack of Offensive Identity

Isaac Barrow — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:08:30 -0500

After starting the season 3-0, the Baltimore Ravens have scuffled as of late. They lost tough games to the Patriots (27-21), Vikings (33-31), and Bengals (17-14), and even after a very impressive win over the previously undefeated Denver Broncos, the Ravens have lost two of three, and find themselves at 5-5, third in the AFC North. The playoffs are looking like a possibility, but it will be nearly impossible to do it as more than a second wild card. Fans in general love to play the blame game, blaming one person or one side of the ball, and I don't think it's fair to pinpoint one person, but I will say I don't think the Ravens have the identity offensively that they did last season.

2008 was definitely a successful season for the Ravens, as they went 11-5. As a team, they had an identity. They knew who they were. They were a dominant defensive team who played smashmouth ball and forced turnovers. Offensively, they were a team with a rookie quarterback who tried to put their newbie in a situation to succeed by putting him behind a very young, talented offensive line, and gave him three good running backs to give the ball to in Le'Ron McClain (All Pro fullback), Willis McGahee, and Ray Rice. That's a team who knows who they are. They know they have to be themselves - a physical, hard-hitting, run-first team - to be successful.

That's exactly why they went to the AFC Championship Game that year. But this year, things have changed - on offense at least - and it's not positive change.

Throwing the ball: Let it be known, I wanted to see quarterback Joe Flacco throw the ball a lot week-by-week this season. That's why I was glad to see him throw 43, 26, and 35 times in the first three games of the year. But it's really getting out of hand. This is not to say Flacco has struggled. In fact, he's having a Pro Bowl season. His 89.1 quarterback rating is impressive, and he has 2,455 yards (on pace for 3,928), 12 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. On average, the Ravens throw the ball 33.5 times per game, up from 26.75 last year.

Flacco is now a game-changing quarterback, something he wasn't early in 2008, as he was more of a game-manager. But I don't think the Ravens should be using him as much as they have. That's exactly why he's struggled recently. He's been overexposed, if that exists. In a 17-7 loss to Cincinnati, he had his worst game of the year, as he was 18-of-32 with two picks. He was solid in the other three games (Denver, W 30-7, Cleveland, W 16-0, Indianapolis, L 15-17). He threw a backbreaking pick againast Indianapolis, but was 22-of-33 with 251 yards up to that point. The Ravens need to stray away from trying to become a pass-happy team and be themselves.

Le'Ron McClain: Since Willis McGahee struggled last year (mainly due to early injuries), and Ray Rice was just a rookie, somebody had to pick up the slack in the backfield, and that guy turned out to be Le'Ron McClain. The second year fullback out of Alabama didn't ever dominate a game, but did the job of a power back - he wore down defenses, and put games away when the Ravens had small leads. And he finished with 902 yards and ten touchdowns on 232 carries. He ran for over 120 yards against Dallas, but that was mainly because of an 82-yard run in the final two minutes.

So where is he in the gameplan this year? Even with the emergence of Ray Rice, the Ravens need to get this guy far more involved than he is. It's not as if he's struggled. In fact, he's a better receiving threat (18 rec., 142 yards in 10 games, 19 rec., 123 yards in 16 games in 2008). His yards per carry is down from 3.9 to 3.5, but I don't think anybody in their right mind can expect a run-up-the-gut fullback to average much more than 3.4, 3.5 per touch. So far, the guy has 26 carries for 92 yards. Really, that's insulting. Granted, he's doing an excellent job as a lead blocker, but offensive coordinator Cam Cameron must utilize this guy, and he'll be extremely important in December when the weather gets colder.

Ray Rice: Not much can be said to adequately describe what a year Rice is having. At 5'8", 210, he's not very big, but he's having a huge campaign. He hasn't missed a game yet, and has been extremely consistent. He has 148 carries, 733 yards, six touchdowns, and is a dynamic receiving threat, with 56 catches for 515 yards. All in all, he has 1,248 all purpose yards, which ranks up there with the likes of Maurice Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson. But look at the workload he's had this year. If anything, he's extremely under-used. I understand that the Ravens don't want to overwork the guy and have the wheels fall off down the road, but this is ridiculous.

Before I introduce, that, let's talk about another great back. Anyone who watched the Titans 20-17 victory over the Texans knows what makes Chris Johnson so good - speed. He's able to torch defenses through the run and in the pass - just like Rice. This year, Johnson is on pace for 1,987 rushing yards along with 419 receiving. He averages 20 carries a game, and got 29 against Houston. If Rice had 199 carries like "CJ" does, he'd have 986 yards. But it's obvious Rice needs to get more carries. Overall, I think the Ravens need to run a lot more than they are, led by the speedy Rice and 260 pound, All-Pro fullback McClain.

Razzle dazzle: Last year, the thing I loved about the Ravens was not only the balance, but also the razzle dazzle. Almost every game, there were tricks. In the first game, they did a double reverse, which resulted in a 42-yard touchdown run by Mark Clayton. In a Week 8 win over Oakland, backup quarterback Troy Smith threw to Flacco for a 43-yard gain in an eventual 29-10 triumph. Just two weeks later, Smith came in on another trick play and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Todd Heap. Weeks later, the team routed the Bengals, 34-3, and on one play, wide receiver Mark Clayton threw a long touchdown pass to fellow wideout Derrick Mason.

It wasn't just the tricks. On one instance, in fact, the Ravens were leading the Redskins at home, 17-10 after a touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Antwaan Randle El that made an uninteresting game interesting. With 11:22 left, it was suddenly something it wasn't for the previous 48:38 - a game. The Ravens ran a whopping 11 times in a row, ten times with McClain for 43 yards, and Clayton once on a 12-yard reverse. But on third down, the Ravens passed, hitting up Derrick Mason for a touchdown that put all thought of a Redskins comeback to rest. That has been gone this year. They haven't been predictable with their playcalls, but haven't been as balanced.

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Still, the Ravens are having some success offensively, but during this week, not only do they have to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they have to find out who they are. Will they continue to be a pass heavy team? Will they use their three headed - or even two headed - monster? Will they bring back their razzle dazzle? Who knows? But I do know why the Ravens aren't winning - they aren't being themselves. One of the many football cliches you hear is "don't try to play outside of yourself". The Ravens, I think, are breaking one of those.

Philip Rivers: The Ultimate Gamer

Isaac Barrow — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:01:12 -0500

Honestly, I find it hard to gauge the San Diego Chargers. They have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, have won the AFC West three seasons in a row, and draft incredibly well. So why haven’t they won the big one yet?

In my opinion, it has nothing to do with the players, and it’s mainly the coaching staff. Norv Turner has to go, as he doesn’t utilize the Chargers strengths.

Really, he’s not much of a head coach, but more of an offensive genius. The Chargers have talent at just about every position, so it reveals a lot about the coaches when they haven’t been to a Super Bowl yet.

There are tons of good players on the Chargers, like Antonio Gates, Shawne Merriman, Antonio Cromartie, Darren Sproles, and Vincent Jackson. But the best one? Definitely quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers entered the NFL draft in 2004, and was selected by the New York Giants, but since the Chargers pick, Eli Manning, didn’t want to play in a San Diego uniform, the Chargers traded Eli to New York for Rivers.

Four months later, the Decatur, Ala., native signed a six-year, $40.5M deal. With the developing Drew Brees already on the roster, the selection and signing of Rivers was controversial.

In fact, it ranks as one of the best quarterback controversies of all time, up there with Montana-Young, Simms-Hostetler, and even Brady-Bledsoe.

In the first two years, he combined to go 17-for-30 with 148 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and he didn’t start a game.

But after the 2005 season, the Chargers elected not to bring Brees back, and let Rivers get the starting job for 2006. Boy, was that a good move.

The Chargers went 14-2, and Rivers had 3,388 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. In a Nov. 12 game against Cincinnati, the Chargers were down 28-7 at the half.

Former San Diego center Nick Hardwick reminisces: “He's yelling ‘Y'all don't think we're out of this’ to the Bengals. When he said that, I said, 'Shoot, I guess we ain't out of this. Right on.’”

So what happened? The Chargers scored 42 points in the second half , winning the game, 49-41. That’s a leader.

In the playoffs, the Chargers faced the always tough New England Patriots. Rivers struggled, going 14-of-32 with 230 yards and an interception, as the Chargers lost, 24-21.

But would he come back? Absolutely. Under Norv Turner, the Chargers went 11-5.

Rivers didn’t have the best year, with 3,152 yards, 21 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and an 82.4 rating. It clearly wasn’t as good a year as the prior one, but he showed that tremendous leadership.

After a 14-3 win over the Bears in Week 1, the Bolts lost three straight, to the Patriots, Packers, and Chiefs. At this point, they’re 1-3, and in trouble.

But Rivers and the Chargers came back to win ten of the next 12, and even advance to the AFC Championship. It started with a 41-3 win over the Broncos in which Rivers went 13-of-18 with 270 yards and two touchdowns, and from then on, it was tough to stop them.

He came through when it mattered. At 5-5, the chances of the Chargers going to the playoffs were looking dim. But in the next six games, the Chargers outscored their opponents, 183-75, and didn’t lose.

They even won their next two in the playoffs, beating the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. In the AFC Championship, San Diego lost to the New England Patriots (18-0 through that game).

But during that game, Rivers turned in one of the gutsiest performances in NFL history. Against a stout New England defense, he played on a torn ACL, and he announced after the game that it would take six months to fully heal.

And once it healed, you could bet he’d be back. Not only did he return, he had the best year of his career...and that’s a huge accomplishment. His 105.5 passer rating led the NFL, he had 34 touchdowns (a Chargers franchise record), and after a 4-8 start, he led his Chargers back again.

Week 15 pretty much sums up his career, to me. The Bolts are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, and it’s not looking good early. Down 7-0 with 10:53 left in the second quarter, Rivers fumbles, and it’s recovered by the Chiefs.

Down 21-10 with 1:13 left, he throws a touchdown to Malcolm Floyd. That’s great and all, but game over, right?

Actually, no. An onside kick was recovered by San Diego. However, the Chargers still needed to drive 61 yards and score a touchdown. A field goal wouldn’t win it. He calmly threw a 41-yard strike to Vincent Jackson, putting the Chargers on the 20-yard line.

And with 36 seconds left, Rivers hit Jackson again...this time for a touchdown. Think about this...Rivers had thrown for two touchdowns in a span of 73 seconds to lead his Chargers from a 21-10 deficit to a 22-21 win.

And then, in Week 17, the Chargers beat their top rival, the Denver Broncos, 52-21, to win the division.

In the playoffs, Rivers led the Bolts past Peyton Manning’s Colts. Well, to be honest, Darren Sproles won that game, but Rivers did play well. In the next round, they played the eventual Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers, and he played better than just about anyone else had that year.

He went 21-of-35, threw for 308 yards, and had three touchdowns. To put that in other words, that’s like a defense holding this year’s New Orleans Saints to 200 yards and seven points.

In the offseason, he was awarded with a six-year, $92M extension. New contract, new Rivers? Nope. New contract, same (arguably better) Rivers.

He’s had two extremely gutty games. In Week 2 against Baltimore, he threw for 415 yards and two touchdowns, doing basically anything a quarterback could do to win, but the Ravens won, 31-26.

Oh yeah, in Week 4 against Pittsburgh, with his team trailing 28-7 after three quarters, he threw three touchdowns to make it 35-28, but his defense couldn’t hold it, as San Diego lost, 38-28.

Oh, and in Week 9, he threw a touchdown with less than a minute left at the Meadowlands to beat the team who traded him, the New York Giants.

San Diego Chargers fans don’t know how lucky they are. With Rivers, not only do they have an elite quarterback, they have one who has the heart of a champion. With him at the helm, the Chargers are never out of it.

In every game this year, he’s played well, and the reason for the team’s demise in three games has been mainly defense, and now that the defense has figured it out, watch out for the Chargers.

In my opinion, he deserved the MVP last year. Peyton Manning, the winner, had seven fewer yards, seven fewer touchdowns, and one more interception. On top of that, Rivers and the Chargers beat Manning in the playoffs.

In his career, Rivers has 12,942 yards, 92 touchdowns, 42 interceptions, and a 38-18 record.

Remember last year? When the Broncos had a comfortable road to the AFC West title, and Rivers and the Chargers stormed back to win it? I have a feeling it’s happening again.

Once, the Chargers were 3-3 and the Broncos were 6-0, but now, the Chargers are 5-3, while the Broncos are 6-2, so this year could be more of the same.

Rivers provides everything you could ask out of a quarterback. Toughness: he played on a torn ACL in the 2007 AFC Championship. Gaudy statistics: where do I start? Clutch ability: Multiple dramatic comebacks.

That’s the ultimate gamer.

Ravens: Let's Look in the Mirror and Rebound

Isaac Barrow — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:39:59 -0500

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.

Ty Cobb: A Tribute To the Man, the Player, the Hall of Famer

Isaac Barrow — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:17:09 -0500

Anybody who knows anything about baseball—or sports in general—knows the baseball legends. They know Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, even Derek Jeter. But also, they know Ty Cobb. They know the tremendous player he was, but also—and perhaps unfortunately so—they know what kind of person he was off the field. Let's dive into what his life was like—on the diamond, in the clubhouse, and at home with his parents, and wife.

Early Life:

On December 18th, 1886, Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born in Narrows, Georgia. His father, William, married Amanda Chitwood when he was 20 and she was just 12, and she had Ty at the tender age of 15. William was a college graduate, and even a schoolteacher. Since Amanda had a kid at such a young age, she couldn't graduate college not even high school. William bought a 100-acre farm in Royston, GA to complement his teaching income. Ty often worked for his father on the farm, and as williams.edu puts it on William's biography : "It was on this farm that he (William) taught Ty the values of hard work and perseverance."

Young Tyrus spent a lot of time working for his dad, but even more time playing baseball. However, the man of the house didn't approve of it at all, for one simple reason: He feared Cobb would become an alcoholic and ladies man, like most big league players were at the time.

Ty eventually found work in the game, as he was a member of the Royston Rompers, the Royston Reds, and even the Augusta Tourists, but each team didn't see anything special in him. He then tried out for the Annistion Steelers, and after spending some time there, promoted himself.

Grantland Rice was born in 1880, and was the "Mike Wilbon of sportswriting" back then. Cobb sent a letter (under an alias of course), to Rice saying that a "young fellow named Cobb seems to be showing an unusual lot of talent." But that wouldn't do. Tyrus sent it under two more aliases, and in 1905, the Augusta Tourists decided to send him to the Detroit Tigers for $500. But just days later, tragedy struck the Cobb family. His father, a man who Ty very-much respected, was shot—by his own mother. Late at night, William snuck in the house, and thinking he was a robber, Amanda shot him. She was charged with murder.

"My father had his head blown off with a shotgun when I was 18 years old—by a member of my own family," Cobb said. "I didn't get over that."

Playing career:

In 41 games as a rookie, Cobb hit .240, and despite statistics that pale in comparison to the rest of his career, the Tigers decided to keep him around for 1906, awarding him $1,500.

It's a fact that rookies often get hazed—in any sport, at any level. It even happens in high school. In the major leagues, it's even more common. Cobb said hazing damaged him: "These old-timers turned me into a snarling wildcat." In 1906, he became the Tigers starting center fielder, and hit .316. He would never again hit lower than that in his career.

In 1907, because of more playoff time, he had a great year, with a .350 average, 212 hits, 49 steals, and 119 RBI. Unlike legends such as Babe Ruth, he wasn't a power-hitter, but as an overall player, he can't be doubted. Not only did he keep it up, he got better in some respects. From 1907 to 1919, he had a combined average of .377, 708 walks, 212 strikeouts, 740 steals, a .441 OBP, over 2,500 hits, and 1,162 RBI. Ironically, he only won MVP one time, when you could argue he deserved it many more times.

If you're a visitor of baseballreference.com, a site that shows everything related to baseball, you'll know that a category is bolded for players who led the league that year. Just look at Cobb's page . He won 11 batting titles, led in OBP seven times, hits eight times, doubles three times, RBI's four times, and steals six times. From 1906 to 1927, he was one of the most dominant and consistent players in the game. He hit a combined .369, had 1,205 walks, as opposed to just 341 strikeouts, and he also had 1,882 RBI, 885 steals, 4,039 hits, a .436 OBP, and nearly 300 triples.

In his career, he had 117 homers, 1,937 RBI, 4,191 hits, 724 doubles, and 295 triples. But don't take my word for it. There is much debate as to what his career stats really were. Several official sources have conflicting opinions. Total Baseball, as well as historian John Thorn, claim he had a .367 average and 4,191 hits in 11,429 at bats. However, Baseball Reference and some other private researchers say he had 4,189 hits in 11,434 at bats, giving him a .366 average. However, one thing can not be debated: whatever his average was, it stood in the .360's, which is a mark of a remarkable hitter.

Off the field:

Everyone loves Ty—the player. They love how he played. He was good at just about everything. He never struck out, was very productive, consistent, hit for average, and was a good fielder. He had what you hear about most over-hyped prospects: Tyrus had the "five tools." But off the field, he wasn't liked. Heck, he wasn't even respected. In 1907, during Spring Training, the 21-year-old had the nerve to complain about the condition of Tigers Field in Augusta, Georgia, where Cobb used to play amateur baseball. Ty fought the groundskeeper, and when the man's wife tried to break it up, Tyrus decided it was standard to choke her.

But over time, that incident proved to be a small footnote in the long line of off-the-field incidents Cobb was involved with. During the 1907 season, he took part in something positive, beginning a relationship with the drink Coca Cola.

"I always find that a drink of Coca-Cola between the games refreshes me to such an extent that I can start the second game feeling as if I had not been exercising at all, in spite of my exertions in the first," Cobb says.

Just a year later, he married Charlotte Marion Lombard.

So, 1907 wasn't a brutal year. Sure, he fought a groundskeeper and choked a woman, but at least he got married and worked with Coca Cola on an endorsement. Right?

Well, if 1907 was good, 1912 nullified it. In the New York bleachers during a May 15th game, a heckler named Claude Euker wasn't fond of Cobb. Euker called him a "half-ni****", and Tyrus wasn't the most happy about that, saying it was "reflecting on my mother's color and morals." An inning later, he went into the stands and beat the man up. It just so happens that Claude had lost one whole hand and two fingers on the other. When spectators told him this, Cobb said "I don't care if he doesn't have any feet".

Cobb once beat up umpire, Billy Evans. He also once slapped a black elevator operator, and stabbed a black night watchman who tried to break it up. "Sure, I fought," said Cobb in a revealing quote. "I had to fight all my life just to survive. They were all against me. Tried every dirty trick to cut me down, but I beat the bastards and left them in the ditch." He reminds me of former Cardinals offensive guard Conrad Dobler. Dobler, like Cobb, was a longshot to get to the pros. He clawed and fought to do so, and clawed and fought to keep his job. However, Cobb resorted to much more extreme measures.

During the 20's, the latter part of Cobb's career, baseball's superstar was Yankees outfielder Babe Ruth, but Cobb was not a fan of him, when almost everybody else was. Tyrus didn't like that he was very out-of-shape. It's estimated that Ruth was 6'2", 215, which isn't much in today's baseball world, but was a big deal 85 years ago. Also, the "Georgia Peach," as Cobb was called, didn't like Ruth for being a guy who was a frequent visitor at whorehouses and a guy who didn't eat well.

Post-playing career:

In November 1926, Cobb retired. Of course, his final statistics are subject to much debate. He headed back home to Augusta, GA at the age of 40, but his retirement didn't mean he was steering clear of controversy. Very soon after Cobb retired, former Red Sox and Indians legend Tris Speaker also hung up the spikes, and that was suspicious. It just so happens that the two were involved in a game-fixing scandal. Dutch Leonard, a former teammate of Cobb's, accused Ty and Smoky Joe Wood of betting on a Tigers/Indians game in 1919, in which the two bet on a Tigers win. Ironically, 1919 is the same year in which the infamous Black Sox scandal took place.

In 1927, then commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis decided to clear Cobb, Wood, and Speaker of any punishment, mainly because Leonard refused to show at a meeting, and Speaker and Cobb both returned to baseball, becoming free agents.

Cobb was signed by the A's, and hit .357 with 93 RBI in 1927, and in his last year, 1928, he hit .323 with one homer and 40 RBI. Then, he decided to retire again, this time for good.

In 1936, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with greats like Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. It was the first class of Hall of Famers.

In 1949, at the age of 62, he married for the second time, but divorced again seven years later. In June 1961, he checked into Emory University Hospital, and died a month later. When he died, his house was claimed to be worth over $11M, which is equivalent to about $86M today.

The quotes:

"The greatness of Ty Cobb was something that had to be seen, and to see him was to remember him forever." - George Sisler.

"..the most sensational player of all the players I have seen in all my life..." - Casey Stengel.

"I often tried plays that looked recklessly daring, maybe even silly. But I never tried anything foolish when a game was at stake, only when we were far ahead or far behind. I did it to study how the other team reacted, filing away in my mind any observations for future use." - Cobb.

"Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men. It's no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It's a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest." - Cobb.

"When I began playing the game, baseball was about as gentlemanly as a kick in the crotch" - Cobb.

"Cobb is a prick. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit." - Babe Ruth.

"What a hell of a league this is. I hit .387, .408, and .395 the last three years and I ain't won nothin' yet!" - Shoeless Joe Jackson (he posted those averages, coming short to Cobb each year).

Wrap up:

Personally, I can understand Cobb a lot more than most people can. Am I here to justify his actions? No. But I will say that he did it for his father. He once said that his dad was the only man he obeyed, and when William said "don't come home a failure," you can bet that stuck with Ty. He wanted to impress his dad, and in order to not come home a failure, he would do anything he could to come home a successful baseball player—a Hall of Famer—and one of the best that ever lived. And trust me, I'm not digging up some hidden philosophy; Ty has said it himself:

"I did it for my father. He never got to see me play...but I knew he was watching me, and I never let him down".

Benny Friedman: The Football Innovator Nobody Talks About

Isaac Barrow — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:31:27 -0400

Who do we think of as the "innovators" of professional football? Joe Namath, who became the first media superstar and pulled off a titanic upset of the Baltimore Colts? Clark Shaughnessy, who modernized NFL offenses? Vince Lombardi, who took the Packers from a losing team to a dynasty?

There are tons of players who changed the game in their own right, as well as coaches. Heck, even executives play a role. And who can forget how much television has changed the game? There are tons of innovators out there, but one I must get out there is Benny Friedman.

Let's remember. We as football fans love the rifle-armed quarterbacks. Everyone loves a guy with a cannon—like Peyton Manning—but guys like him started to develop after Friedman's time. Born to a Jewish family, he was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, born on March 18, 1905.

Early in life, he did tricks to help his arm strength, such as lift heavy chairs from the leg and throw them from one hand to the other. Those rather unorthodox tricks really helped him out in the long run.

In high school, he was very much overlooked. His head coach at East Tech High, Sam Willaman, had him try out. Even after an impressive workout, Willaman told Friedman that he was too small to play, and that he should transfer to Glenville, where he'd get a chance.

He did that, and got his chance, earning a starting job. The hate from Willaman continued. "I'll bet you dinner on every high school coach in Cleveland that you won't make a football player out of Benny Friedman," said the Tech coach.

After one game, Glenville head coach Erling Theller benched him.

Several games later, Theller left, with four games remaining in the season. Benny finally got playing time, and went on an amazing tear. He got some interest from big schools like Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Dartmouth. However, his choices didn't become so broad late.

Both Penn State and Ohio State thought he was too small, and while Dartmouth showed considerable interest, he wasn't offered a scholarship for football, but rather for academics, and Dartmouth is 502 miles from Friedman's hometown of Cleveland. He decided to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

As a freshman, he had his share of downs. He had another bad relationship with his coach, mainly because of playing time. His coach, George Little, agreed with Willaman that Friedman wasn't a special player. Friedman once considered transfering to Carnegie, and once even quitting football altogether.

But he toughed it out, and earned a spot on the squad for the next year. He only played in a few games, but won all of them. He was dubbed as a star of the present and future, and to make matters even better, coach Little would leave after the year.

Friedman looked rejuvenated, leading his team to 39-0, 63-0, 21-0, and 54-0 wins to start the year. And we thought Pete Carroll's Trojans were dominant. On Nov. 12, 1926, old foes met. Sam Willaman, his high school coach, met up with Friedman, whom he referred to as "too small."

However, that "undersized" quarterback was also a Hall-of-Famer and captain of the unstoppable Michigan Wolverines. The 1926 season opened, and it was the same old for Friedman and Michigan. He led 42-3 and 55-3 wins to open things up, and even beat a tough Minnesota team, 20-0.

Friedman started 4-0, and a loss to Navy hurt their national championship hopes, but they continued to roll and beat the powerful Ohio State Buckeyes.

"Benny Friedman passed all afternoon like only Benny Friedman can," said the New York Times.

Michigan finished strong, ending the season with a 7-1 record, including 5-0 in the Big Ten. Of course, who knows if his skills would translate to the pros? There are guys who had dominant college careers, but didn't have any significant success in the NFL, such as Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich, Tim Couch, and Joey Harrington.

The thing is, Friedman did dominate in the NFL. He signed with his hometown Cleveland Bulldogs of the NFL immediately after graduating from Michigan in 1927. Of course, statistics on completion percentage weren't kept, but the estimation is he completed over 50 percent of his passes, he didn't throw an interception, and had 11 touchdowns.

He didn't stop there. In his first five years—with three different teams—he had 56 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 48-17-4 record.

He was the Babe Ruth of football. He was so far above everybody else. A completion percentage in the mid-50's is considered average now, but the ball was much harder to throw. A good completion percentage during Friedman's era was around 35, and Friedman almost doubled that.

The thing that makes him special is simple. He dominated at Michigan, but he didn't have to make any adjustments in the pros. He looked like the same quarterback. In his first game, he made it look easy, throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Al Bloodgood early. It wasn't any different from his days at Michigan. That's how good Benny was.

From 1927 to 1930, it's estimated that he had 5,653 yards and 53 touchdowns. The second-place quarterbacks during that era had 3,770 yards and 27 touchdowns. That's Ruthian. He was exponentially better than everyone else. He beat the dreaded Packers, and accomplished as much in the pros as he did in college. In 1931, at the tender age of 25, he was tired of the media frenzy surrounding him and called it quits. It's a shame he didn't play longer than he did, but his legacy is certainly in place.

Red Grange, who starred at the University of Illinois, made a great point.

"They talk about great passers today. but remember that the football has changed three times since the 1930s, and each time, it has been made narrower and the axis pulled in. Anybody can throw today's football," he said. "You go back to Benny Friedman playing with the New York Giants in the late '20s and '30s. That ball was like a balloon. Now who's to tell what Benny might do with the modern football? He'd be the greatest passer that ever lived."

That's exactly it. With a football that was much harder to throw, he had success that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have with the ball today, which is much easier to wing 40 yards. It's reminiscent of Babe Ruth. During an era in which batters seldom hit homers, Ruth posted numbers that would even be considered elite now. And during an era in which people didn't throw much—at least not for significant success—Friedman took the league by storm.

Knute Rockne, a former coach at Notre Dame, witnessed Friedman's greatness in person, and described it: "There are those who say Friedman is the greatest passer of all time. They are not far wrong. He could hit a dime at forty yards; besides being a great passer, he hit the line, tackled, blocked, and did everything—no mere specialty man— that's what a fine football player should do."

Who are the best athletes ever? Immediately, the names that come to mind include Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, and of course, Babe Ruth. But add Benny to that list, and put him near—or at—the top.

NFL: Who Are the Top 10 Quarterbacks of All Time?

Isaac Barrow — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:35:20 -0400

1. Johnny Unitas: "Johnny U" is an idol in Baltimore. He has a statue outside of M & T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens play.

Born in 1933 in Pittsburgh, he attended Louisville, and was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Because football salaries weren't nearly as lucrative, he worked construction during the weekend to support his family, and played on a local semi-pro team for $6 a game.

In 1956, he finally got a legitimate shot, but this time with Weeb Ewbank's Baltimore Colts.

He took over as full-time starter the next year, and he became an elite and is the best—ever. He won Super Bowl V, won the NFL Championship twice, including one in 1958 that is dubbed as the "Greatest Game Ever." He made 10 Pro Bowls, won three MVPs (something only Brett Favre, Jim Brown, and Peyton Manning have done), and won 1970 NFL Man of the Year.

In his era, quarterbacks didn't play as much of a role, so it shows how good Unitas was when he threw 290 touchdown passes and has over 40,000 yards.

Stats: 40,239 yards, 290 TD, 253 INT, 118-64-4 record, 6-2 playoff record, 2 Championships, 1 Super Bowl.

2. Joe Montana: It's hard to argue anything Montana accomplished in his career. He was, is, and always will be the face of the San Francisco 49ers, and he's literally the reason for four of the team's five Super Bowl rings.

He and head coach Bill Walsh formed a bond comparable to that of Staubach-Landry and Brady-Belichick. And to think Montana was taken in the third round of the 1979 draft because he was "small," at 6'2", 205. He might have been "small," but his play towered above everyone else's.

He made eight Pro Bowls, three All Pro teams, won a whopping four Super Bowls, winning MVP in three of those games, won the AP NFL MVP twice, and is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, class of 2000.

What do we judge quarterbacks by? Playoff wins. Check. Dominance of an era. Check. Clutch ability. Check. "Joe Cool" had it all. He was 16-7 in the playoffs, and led one of the most famous drives in the history of the NFL, and that wasn't the only time he came up big in the clutch.

Stats: 40,551 yards, 273 TD, 139 INT, 117-47 record, 16-7 playoff record, 4 Super Bowls.

3. Roger Staubach: In the history of a proud Dallas Cowboys franchise, there have been two dynasties: one during the 1970s, and one during the 1990s. The 1970s team featured Hall of Famers, such as Roger Staubach.

Roger was a proud member of the Navy, and even served. In 1964, he was drafted by the Cowboys in the 10th round, which ranks as one of the best draft steals ever. I don't think you can give the guy enough credit. Where he took the Cowboys really sells itself.

In his first two years, he struggled, with three touchdowns, ten interceptions, but a 3-1 record.

From 1971 on, there was no looking back. He went 13-0 as a starter that year if you include the playoffs, and finished his career with an 85-29 regular season record and an 11-6 playoff record. He had a big arm, was accurate, had good decision making, but his mobility gets overlooked. In his playoff career, he had 2,791 yards and 24 touchdowns, and took his Cowboys to the top.

Stats: 22,700 yards, 153 TD, 109 INT, 85-29 record, 11-6 playoff record, 2 Super Bowls.

4. Otto Graham: Otto Graham was the ultimate athlete. He attended Northwestern University, where he was an All-American in basketball. By the time he finished his degree, he had lettered in basketball, baseball, and football.

He decided to pursue football at the next level, and many were interested in his services, including the Detroit Lions, who took him fourth overall in the 1944 draft. However, he was obligated to serve in the US Coast Guard, and then found time to play pro basketball for a year. He made his splash in 1946, and everyone heard it.

With the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1955, he was a winner, and nothing less. To further examine that, he finished his rather short career with a 104-17-3 record, winning championships seven times in ten attempts.

In the three times he didn't win, he was playing in the game, but came up on the short end. His stats are good for the era he played in, and I don't think you can overrate just how good an athlete—namely, quarterback—Otto was.

Stats: 23,584 yards, 174 TD, 135 INT, 104-17-3 record, 9-3 playoff record, 7 Championships.

5. Peyton Manning: Peyton Manning has it all at quarterback. He's got size, a tremendous arm, good decision making, accuracy, and he's a football know-it-all. Coming out of Tennessee in 1998, there was much debate as to whether the Colts should draft Manning or Washington State's Ryan Leaf.

Obviously, the Colts got Peyton and made the right decision. Leaf is currently in jail, and threw 2.5 times more picks than TDs. Peyton has three MVPs, something only three other players have done, and is in good shape to win another this year.

For most of his career, there was a monkey on his back. People said he "couldn't win the big one". In fact, in his first five years in the league, he was a combined 0-3 in postseason play.

He shook that off in 2006, when he won the Super Bowl, beating three of the NFL's best (Ravens, Patriots, Bears) to do so. His career playoff record of 7-8 is shaky, but give him time. He was viewed as a "choker" just a few years ago, and I'm sure he'll add another ring to his name sooner rather than later.

Stats: 47,273 yards, 345 TD, 169 INT, 122-59 record, 7-8 playoff record, 1 Super Bowl.

6. Tom Brady: Tom is definitely Terrific. In his 10-year career, his success has been extremely surprising. At the University of Michigan, he went 20-5 as a starter, but he wasn't a hyped prospect.

To put it in perspective, he was the Andre Woodson (2008 sixth round draft pick, taken 198th overall by the Giants) of the 2000 draft. Brady never even made All Big Ten, earning an Honorable Mention twice. The Patriots decided to take him with the 199th overall pick in 2000, in the sixth round, to back up Drew Bledsoe.

A Bledsoe injury thrust Brady into play, and he hasn't looked back. He's been the ultimate winner, but his numbers have also looked good while doing it.

For example, in a 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week Six, he threw for six touchdowns, five in the second quarter. Brady is a smart quarterback. He knows how to utilize opposing defenses to his advantage, and knows how to build a bond on the field with his wide receivers.

For example, in a segment of 60 Minutes, Brady showed that he can tell wide receiver Deion Branch what route to run by just looking at him a certain way.

Stats: 28,170 yards, 209 TD, 88 INT, 91-26 record, 14-3 playoff record, 3 Super Bowls.

7. John Elway: Elway is truly an intriguing story. At the University of Stanford, he played both baseball and football. As a senior, he finished with a .361 average, nine homers, and 50 RBI. But on top of that, he was a stud quarterback. He was taken by the Baltimore Colts with the first overall pick of the 1983 draft, but John didn't feel the Colts set him up to be the quarterback he thought he could be.

And who can blame him for thinking that? After all, from 1978 to 1982, the Colts had 19 wins, as opposed to 62 losses. He was eventually traded to the Denver Broncos, where he became the quarterback he knew he could be.

He struggled as a rookie, with twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, but from then on, there was no looking back. He made the Pro Bowl nine times, and while he started his playoff career just 6-7, he rebounded in 1997 and 1998, winning Super Bowls both times.

Elway has it all. He won the 1987 MVP, was named Offensive Player of the Year twice, made the 1990s All Decade Team, made five All Pro teams, and had success beyond belief in the pros.

Stats: 51,475 yards, 300 TD, 226 INT, 148-82-1 record, 13-7 playoff record, 2 Super Bowls.

8. Dan Marino: In 1983, a draft that also included Jim Kelly and John Elway, Dan Marino was the last quarterback taken in the first round, selected 27th overall by the Miami Dolphins.

After a rather disappointing season at the University of Pittsburgh, rumor had it that injuries were limiting his mobility and could cause for some limitations in the future. Yeah, so much for that.

People can and will criticize Marino for never winning a Super Bowl. They can also criticize him for finishing a rather lackluster 8-10 in the postseason.

But if you give the guy considerable talent around him, he's a Super Bowl winner. In his career, he finished with 61,361 yards, second to Brett Favre, 420 touchdowns, also second to Favre, and had a solid 147-93 record. He's near the top for nearly every major quarterbacking category in NFL history.

You can't criticize him for that, and if you put him on better teams, he'd win a few Super Bowls.

Stats: 61,361 yards, 420 TD, 252 INT, 147-93 record, 8-10 playoff record, 0 Super Bowls.

9. Bart Starr: In 1956, the Packers drafted their future, AKA Bart Starr, with the 17th overall pick in the draft. Taken "low" as he was, he wasn't expected to be great. But, boy, was he.

At 6'1", 197, he wasn't very big, but his play stood tall above most. From 1956 to 1958, he didn't even look like an NFL quarterback, combining for 13 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, and a 3-15 starter's record. Vince Lombardi's arrival in 1959 changed all of that, though.

With Starr at the helm, the Packers were always in good hands. They won six division titles, five NFL Championships, and two Super Bowls. Starr, individually, was just as good. He finished with Super Bowl MVPs in Super Bowls I and II, won the MVP in 1966, made four Pro Bowls, and had a stone-cold playoff record of 9-1, losing once in 1960, but never again. He finished his career with a record of 94-57-6, and he's a very deserving Hall of Famer.

Stats: 24,718 yards, 152 TD, 138 INT, 94-57-6 record, 9-1 playoff record, 2 Super Bowls.

10. Steve Young: For years, Young was a dominant quarterback. He attended Brigham Young University, graduating in 1983. He finished his college career with 7,733 yards and 56 touchdowns, and he's been enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1983, he signed a 10-year, $40M deal with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL. But that never panned out, and a year later, he was drafted by Tampa Bay in the Supplemental Draft. In '85 and '86, he struggled, combining for a 3-16 record, 11 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. A trade to the 49ers jump started his career.

He was mainly to serve as a backup to Joe Montana, and he did that for a while—that is, until 1991. From 1991 to 1999, he was phenomenal.

In his first full year, he went 5-5 with 2,517 yards, 17 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. From 1992 to 1998, he finished with 77 wins, 24 losses, 24,266 yards, 188 touchdowns and 77 interceptions.

Heck, he even went 8-6 in playoff action, including a Super Bowl victory in 1994. He finished his career with 33,124 yards, an incredible 232-107 TD-INT ratio, and a 96.8 quarterback rating.

Stats: 33,124 yards, 232 TD, 107 INT, 94-49 record, 8-6 playoff record, 1 Super Bowl.

Honorable mention:

Terry Bradshaw: He's a great quarterback, and deserving of his Hall of Fame spot, but I'm not sure I'd want him as a quarterback on a team with an average defense. That's not to take anything away from Bradshaw, but his defense certainly helped him.

Brett Favre: I love Favre, but I don't think he's top ten because of bad decision making and he's not a very good playoff QB.

Warren Moon: Very good quarterback, but his 102-101 regular season record and 3-7 playoff record removes him from consideration of being top ten.

Troy Aikman: Definitely a Hall of Famer, but not quite top ten.

Joe Namath: Gets a lot of love for the upset in Super Bowl III, as he should, but he led the league in INTs four times and struggled with injuries.

Ken Stabler: The definition of clutch, but not the best during his era.

Donovan McNabb: Why He's Much Better Than Kurt Warner

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:07:18 -0400

What's the No. 1 job of a quarterback? To win.

There's no getting around that.

We as football fans can criticize guys like Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco, who don't put up elite numbers but manage to win games. The two have a combined starter's record of 71-39, which any team would gladly take.

When we think of elite quarterbacks, the guys we think of include Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, Jay Cutler, or even Aaron Rodgers. Among these, it's certain Brady and Manning will make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rivers, Brees, McNabb, Warner, Cutler, and Rodgers are all guys who are debatable or not quite good enough to be Hall of Famers.

McNabb and Warner are especially interesting cases. In McNabb's career, the former No. 2 overall pick has 199 touchdowns, 91 interceptions, over 29,000 passing yards, 3,166 rushing, an 82-45-1 starter's record, and nine playoff wins. I'm sure that's exactly what the Eagles expected when they took him so high in the 1999 NFL draft.

Warner wasn't even drafted coming out of Northern Iowa. Kurt has had inconsistent success. He was an NFL MVP in 1999 and 2001, and was in the running last year, but that's really all. In his career, he has a 60-46 record, 29,756 yards, 188 touchdowns and 118 interceptions.

So who's better? I don't think it's even debatable. Donovan McNabb, and by a country mile. Here are five reasons why:

Stats: When you think of Warner, you think of stats. He puts up good statistics when he's played, and won the MVP award in 1999 and 2001. But since then, he's been consistently inconsistent. Get this: From 1999 to 2001, he had over 12,000 passing yards, 98 touchdowns, 53 interceptions, and a 27-8 starter's record. That's a Hall of Famer.

But from 2002 to 2007, he had 11,357 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. That's a middle-of-the-pack quarterback. It's that inconsistency that has plagued him.

People talk about McNabb's ability to run the ball, but from a passing standpoint, McNabb is also better. Warner has 188 touchdowns and 118 interceptions. Both quarterbacks have been in the league for 11 seasons, so they have the exact same sample size.

McNabb in his career has 29,663 yards, 199 touchdowns, 91 interceptions, and 27 300-yard games. While Kurt has 50, that's very flawed. Who has McNabb had to throw to? Greg Lewis? Todd Pinkston? Freddie Mitchell? L.J. Smith? James Thrash? Those five "targets" combine for 924 catches, 12,007 yards, and 67 touchdowns in a combined 35 years of experience.

So, their average year was as follows: 26 receptions, 343 yards and two touchdowns. Warner, however, has had Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin, who combine for 2,508 receptions, 41,060 yards and 256 touchdowns in 40 years of experience. So, Warner's targets' average years are as follows: 63 receptions, 1,027 yards and six touchdowns.

Wins: Like I said earlier, the No. 1 job of the quarterback is to win. And McNabb has done that. Consistently and to the point where everyone expects it or it's a huge disappointment.

In his career, he's 82-45-1 as a starter, and he's been a winner pretty much every year. In fact, he's only had one losing season in his career.

Kurt Warner, however, is 60-46 as a starter with superior talent surrounding him. Also, he's been more consistent. To start his career, Warner had three great seasons, as he started 27-8. But in the next six seasons, he had a 13-29 record, including a 8-18 record with Arizona, where he had Boldin and Fitzgerald to throw to.

Warner has been much better in the playoffs. There's no getting around that. Warner is 8-3 in the playoffs, while McNabb is 9-7. Warner has even beaten McNabb's Eagles once, in the 2008 NFC Championship. But by my count, McNabb has only played one or two bad games in postseason play.

In 2003, he was 10-for-22 with three INTs against the Carolina Panthers, and has 23 TD, 16 INT in his playoff career. And while Warner has been slightly better (26 TD, 13 INT), and has a ring, which McNabb doesn't, that's really the only place in which Warner has an edge.

Where he took the team: While the motivational leaders on NFL teams are usually linebackers, the quarterbacks must lead by example. They need to be very coachable, able to rebound from awful games, and more.

Quarterbacking at the NFL level is no walk in the park. When McNabb was drafted, the Eagles were a terrible team. In the two years leading up to Philadelphia selecting him, the Eagles were a combined 9-22-1. But since, they are 100-63. Hands down, they are the NFC team of the decade.

When McNabb's been healthy, they haven't had a losing season.

But Warner? It's much different. Sure, he guided the Rams from a 4-12 record in '98 to 13-3 the next year, but that's an exception. Why does nobody point out that the Rams finished fourth in defense?

Also, put an NFL-worthy quarterback in that system, and I can pretty much guarantee he posts MVP numbers. So he did. But when he went to the Giants, they were an inconsistent team. And when he left, they were just that: an inconsistent team. And when he joined the Cardinals, they were a mediocre team with two great receivers.

And now, they are simply an above average team who wouldn't compete in any other division.

Habitual year: In a quarterback, you want consistency. It's nice to have a quarterback who posts monster numbers from time to time, but it's a heck of a lot nicer to have one who posts good, solid numbers every year. McNabb is the latter.

Looking at his career stats, he's never really had a "bad" year. He's never had a ridiculous season where he put his name into the record books, but he's been great every year and has won games. What more can you ask out of a quarterback?

His average year consists of 233 completions in 395 attempts, 2,697 yards, 18 touchdowns, eight interceptions, an 86.2 rating, on top of 288 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Warner, on the other hand, is slightly below average when you look at his habitual year. He's had years like 1999 (4,353 yards, 41 TD), 2001 (4,830 yards, 36 TD), and even 2008 (4,583 yards, 30 TD), but that's it, really. Looking at his career stats, he's only had three really good years, seven bad ones, and another is to be determined.

His average year consists of 2,705 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. When you take out three of his huge years, his habitual year is pretty bad, with 1,999 yards, ten touchdowns and nine interceptions. Kurt Warner—call him the three-year wonder.

Head-to-head: So what's the icing on the cake? Is it that Donovan has better stats overall? Is it that Donovan actually wins games? Is it that Donovan is actually a consistent quarterback? Is it that Donovan has done better with lesser talent around him? No, no, no, and no.

It's that McNabb has faced Warner multiple times, and has absolutely owned him. In the Rams magical 1999 year in which they went 13-3, you'll never guess who one of their losses came against. The Eagles. McNabb had three touchdowns, while Warner was 12-for-24. In 2002, same opponent, same story. Eagles 10, Rams 3. Kurt gets picked twice. Good night to Kurt's Rams career.

In 2004, this time with the Giants, he faced McNabb again, losing this time by a score of 31-17. McNabb had a legendary game, with 330 yards and four touchdowns, while Kurt was a pedestrian 16-for-28 with no touchdowns.

In 2008, Kurt's year in which he dominated for the Cardinals, McNabb and the Eagles pulled down the Cardinals' pants and spanked them. McNabb had four touchdowns and Kurt had three picks. Kurt has beat the Eagles once in regular season play, losing four times.

Case closed.

Ravens Lose to Cincinnati: One Man to Blame, and One Man Only

Isaac Barrow — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:48:53 -0400

Heartbreaking. Devastating. Those are the words I can think of to describe the Ravens' 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Why did it happen?

In Bengals fashion, Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass with seconds left, and it's the fourth time the Bengals have won a game in the final minute. Overall, it was just an ugly game. Joe Flacco was 22 of 31, but got picked off twice. The run blocking wasn't nearly as sharp as usual. Ray Rice had 69 yards, but Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee were nonexistent.

Losses like this are extremely tough to swallow, perhaps even more so than blowouts. If you lose a game 31-3, at least it's clear that you're going to get dominated. It's not as traumatizing.

But a loss like this, any close loss, in fact, is tougher. It's more heartbreaking to know you came that close but failed when it counted.

That's what happened today. After losses like this, there's always some blame to be spread. Flacco had by far his worst game of the year, but wasn't even bad. Ray Rice had another good game, as he ran for 69 yards and had 74 more through the air. He even had a 49-yard touchdown.

The defense wasn't horrible, and did enough to win. Sure, the 100-yard rusher streak is over. Cedric Benson ran for 120 yards. The Ravens did a good job of minimizing the damage.

Despite Benson having a great game, along with Chad Ochocinco (7 rec., 94 yards), and Carson Palmer (18 of 31, 271 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) putting forth solid performances, the Ravens held Cincinnati to 17 points. Ed Reed had his first defensive touchdown, returning an interception for 52 yards and a touchdown.

So who is to blame?

The defense for choking in the clutch? The offensive line for not giving Flacco solid protection? Flacco for not coming up as big as he has in recent weeks? No, no, and no.

The man who is to blame is simple—offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. In the past year and change that Cameron has been offensive coordinator, we've seen a new wrinkle in the Ravens offense. There's been much more balance, more dynamic big play ability.

That's why the Ravens are off to such a fast start. They have balance. Teams don't know what in specific to prepare for.

So Cam, I ask you one question. Why are you throwing all of that away? Last week, Cameron decided it'd be a good idea to become a one-dimensional team against one of the best teams and organizations in the NFL, the New England Patriots. Sounds like a blueprint to victory to me. And then this week, Cam thinks it's a good idea to pretend two of the biggest play makers on the team flat out don't exist.

First of all, he didn't set up any plays for Derrick Mason. Mason has always been the Ravens No. 1 receiver, so why wouldn't you involve him in a key AFC North clash? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Also, Willis McGahee. In the first four games, he had seven touchdowns—five on the ground, two in the air. So why would you want to use him deep in Cincinnati territory. It's not as if he's been doing a stellar job finishing drives and scoring touchdowns, being that he's among the league leaders in TD's to start the season.

Let's do a little trivia. How many touches did Mason get? Zero. How many touches did McGahee get? Zero. I'm sorry, and I've always liked Cam as "OC" in Baltimore, but this was an absolutely dreadful game plan.

Watching it, I was reminded of the Brian Billick days. The Ravens would do a draw in shotgun on first down, a run up the gut on second down, and a throw to the flat on third. That's an ideal formula.

That is, an ideal formul if you wish to finish every drive with a three-and-out. Do the players have to execute? Absolutely. Cameron can't make the plays for them, but in this loss, the players were set up to fail.

How is Flacco going to have a big game if every one of his passes is one to a running back in the flat? How is the running game going to do without Willis McGahee?

But again, let's not panic. Last year, the Ravens started worse (2-3), and won nine of their next 11 to make the playoffs.

But I'd love to hear what Cameron has to say about this brutal game plan he put together today.

In fairness, this is the first game I've seen Cam put together this bad a blueprint. But it seems the Ravens are shying away from their balance, which is their main strength. I just have one question ask ...

WHY?

How the Orioles' Problems Can Very Easily Be Solved

Isaac Barrow — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:23:56 -0400

Problem No. 1: The Orioles Need a Legitimate Power Bat To Give Markakis Some Protection

The Problem

In his years with the Baltimore Orioles, first baseman Aubrey Huff was a solid run-producer, but really wore out his welcome. He had a monstrous 2008 campaign, as he drove in 108 runs, leading the team.

This year, he started off quite well, and was on pace for a similar season, but disappeared down the stretch. Through Aug. 16, he had 13 homers, 72 RBI, a .253 average, and .321 OBP.

While it wasn't close to his 2008 performance, he was still driving in runs. However, the O's decided to trade him to the Detroit Tigers for their No. 10 overall prospect, relief pitcher Brett Jacobson.

In my opinion, it was a great trade for the O's. Huff didn't do anything with Detroit in the heat of a playoff run, as he hit .189 with 13 RBI in 40 games. Jacobson, however, gives the O's a power arm out of the bullpen that they'll need in the future.

But there's a problem. Without Huff, the rest of the lineup is missing some protection. Since Huff's departure, star right fielder Nick Markakis is hitting just .259, as opposed to .305 before the trade. I'm sure Markakis wants an intimidating power bat behind him in the order, so who will it be?

There certainly are plenty of big, home-run hitting first baseman out there who can bat fourth every day. But look at the free agent market. Everyone is either old or simply just not that good (Rich Aurilia, Carlos Delgado, Huff, Adam LaRoche, Daryle Ward).

The Solution

I think people may be over complicating this issue. If there's anybody out of the free agent core I'd like, it'd have to be LaRoche, a 30-year-old who hit 25 homers this year. But if the O's can't get him, I think it'd be very smart to not even change anything.

Luke Scott showed last year he can be a competent first baseman, and with the way Felix Pie came into his own late in the season, my decision would be to make Scott the full-time first baseman, Pie the left fielder, and Nolan Reimold DH. But this isn't what affects the batting order. Who will bat cleanup?

It's simple. Matt Wieters. Wieters showed why he came in with so much hype, and finished the year around .290 with 43 RBI, which is simply amazing for a rookie catcher.

So then, you'd have the top three of Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, and Markakis, followed by Wieters, Reimold, Scott, Pie, an unknown third baseman, and Cesar Izturis. Sounds quite good to me. But, if the O's can somehow, someway trade for Adrian Gonzalez (40 HR, 99 RBI) or Prince Fielder (46 HR, 141 RBI), two elite first basemen on the trade block, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

But if teams ask for too much, it'd be wise to keep the continuity, but just switch things up a little bit.

Problem No. 2: Melvin Mora Is Gone, So Who Plays Third Base?

The Problem

Around the league, Mora is very well-respected. At 37, he's certainly had a long career, and in it, has 164 home runs.

In 2008, he was an RBI machine, hitting .285 with 104 runs batted in, and continued to play good defense. In 2009, the defense was still there, but the production wasn't. For a while, he was an automatic out.

He finished the year with a .260 average, eight homers, 48 RBI, and a .321 OBP. At 37, it doesn't appear he'll ever start in the majors again. The O's have basically implied they won't pick up his 2010 option, so he's out of the picture.

So who do the O's go with? Really, they don't have many viable options. It's not as if they have an Evan Longoria waiting in the wing. There are only a few guys I could see taking over.

Ty Wigginton, who played mostly as a backup corner infielder in '09, had a solid finish to the year, which he often does, and finished with a .273 average, 11 homers, and 41 RBI. Except for that, nothing jumps out at me.

Justin Turner is another option. He hit over .300 in Triple A, and showed solid plate discipline in his short stint with the big club.

In the minors, the O's top third base prospect is Josh Bell, who did very well after getting traded to Baltimore, as he hit .286 with nine homers and 24 RBI in 33 games. But remember: He's in Double A. No need to rush.

The Solution

The first choice is Wigginton, being that he's actually proved something consistently, unlike Turner, who hasn't had a chance to, or Bell, who hasn't even made his debut yet.

Looking at the free agent class, a few names jump out. Adrian Beltre, at 31, certainly has some years left in the tank, and while he hit just .265 with 44 RBI this year in 111 games, everyone knows the guy is a solid run producer. He's proven that. In his career, he has 250 homers. I think another guy the O's will find interesting—along with many other teams—is Chone Figgins. In 158 games this season, he hit .298 with 42 steals for the Angels.

Immediately, that's a guy the O's would like. Figgins would cost a lot, but he's not a Boras client, so it won't require a ground-breaking deal. It would make sense, and if the O's can't get him, I think the immediate choice would be Ty Wigginton, but it's very complicated.

If the O's chase Figgins and fail to sign him, Wigginton knows the O's tried to replace him, which could cause for some trust issues between him and the team. But I think Figgins should be the No. 1 choice, with Wigginton as a fall-back option.

Problem No. 3: Who Will the No. 5 Starter Be?

The Problem

For the first time in what seems like a century, the O's go into the offseason knowing what most of their rotation will look like the next year.

In most 2009 preseason baseball magazines, writers thought the Orioles rotation would consist of Jeremy Guthrie, Radhames Liz, Garrett Olson, Matt Albers, and Hayden Penn. Not only was that wrong throughout the year, it was wrong at the start of the season. And that's not to knock the analysts. It just goes to show how unpredictable—and bad—the O's rotation has been over the last decade.

But now, the O's have some stability. They know who the top four will be next year. In no particular order, it'll be Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Jeremy Guthrie. But the No. 5 guy? It's "TBD" at this point.

It could be anybody. Jason Berken is a guy I root for, considering he earned a callup despite not even getting invited to Spring Training. And despite all his struggles this year, I've seen some improvement from him.

But will he make the rotation in 2010? I have my doubts.

Looking at the free agents, there aren't any guys who are worth a fortune, but guys who catch my eye include Brad Penny, Livan Hernandez, Ben Sheets, Joel Pineiro, John Lackey, and Andy Pettitte.

None of these guys will win Cy Youngs, nor are they in their primes. But I think the No. 5 would be a great spot for a vet to step in who has been there. A guy who really knows pitching and what it takes to do it at the big league level.

The Solution

This is, by far, the most complex problem. There are so many options. Personally, I think it'd be best for the O's to pick up Lackey, a true gamer who has over 100 wins in his career, and still has a lot left in the tank.

If the O's aren't interested—or can't buy—one of those free agents, there are still options. With a strong Spring Training, just about anybody could take the spot. It could be a hot prospect like Jake Arrieta or Troy Patton, or even an unsung guy like David Pauley, Berken, or even David Hernandez. Time will tell.

As I said, I think the best option is Lackey. Not only does he know the game, the hitters, and what he's doing on the mound, he's a very good pitcher—for any age.

With the Angels this year, he went 11-8, and is 102-71 with a 3.83 ERA in his career. He averages just 2.64 walks per nine innings, and I think it'd be an extremely smart move to bring him in. He has even had nice things to say about the O's in the past, so there's speculation that he even wants to come to Baltimore.

But, obviously, time will tell on this.

Problem No. 4: The Bullpen

The Problem

In my opinion, this is the biggest problem because there are so many holes.

Many O's fans have overreacted. They have done so in thinking that the George Sherrill trade won't ever benefit the Orioles. However, in return for "Georgie" the O's got two top flight prospects, 3B Josh Bell and SP Steve Johnson. But, the loss of Sherrill definitely did hurt the O's 'pen as a whole.

With the O's, the closer was having a dominant year in 2009, with a 2.40 ERA, 20 saves, and 0-1 record. He got traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the closer role was taken over by Jim Johnson, who is bad in his new role, and really doesn't look like the same guy.

But the problems don't stop there. Overall, the O's bullpen was a struggle. Danys Baez had a pretty good year, with a 4.02 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Cla Meredith, acquired from the Padres, has been solid for the most part. After getting traded to the Orioles, he posted a 3.77 ERA.

But the trio of Matt Albers, Dennis Sarfate, and Chris Ray is tough to watch. Albers had a 3.49 ERA in 2008, mostly out of the bullpen, but his season was cut short with an injury. He was expected to bounce back. So much for that.

In 2009, he was very bad, with a 5.51 ERA and four blown saves. Sarfate, who also had a season cut short in 2008. He too, was expected to bounce back. And, he too, disappointed. He missed most of the year, and finished with a 5.09 ERA. Ray was the most promising of all. He missed all of 2008, and some were saying he could be the closer in 2009. But he was horrible, posting a 7.27 ERA, along with a 2.01 WHIP.

The Solution

It's hard to "fix" a bad bullpen without buying guys, and the O's might not even have to do that. While Albers, Sarfate, and Ray all were brutal this year, but I'm not ready to give up on them just yet.

Give Sarfate a chance. He was respectable in 2008 as a reliever, and we saw the old Dennis late in 2009. In fact, after missing four months with an injury, he came back strong, and allowed just one run in his last nine-and-two-thirds innings.

Albers isn't a guy who will ever be a shut down reliever, more of a ground ball guy. I don't think we'll see him take the league by storm in '10, but improvement? I expect it. As far as the closer situation goes, it's very complicated.

I'm a huge backer of Kam Mickolio, who has electric stuff. He can pitch in the 98 mph range, which certainly sounds like a shut-down closer. He wore down as the year went on and missed about a month with "dead arm."

To back that up: In his first seven appearances, he allowed three hits, no runs, walked two, and struck out 11. In his last four: He allowed eight hits, four runs, walked four, and struck out three in four innings. He has closer stuff, and I definitely give him a long look.

As far as free agents go, Rafael Soriano catches my eye. He has a 2.92 career ERA, and had 102 strikeouts and 27 saves this year. The middle relief guys intrigue me.

I would think the O's will keep Danys Baez and/or Mark Hendrickson, guys who provide stable relief. As a reliever, Hendrickson had a 3.75 ERA.

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It's really that simple.

Ravens: In The Harbaugh, Flacco Era, Times Are A-Changin'

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:46:02 -0400

Anybody who has the slightest clue about the National Football League or the Baltimore Ravens knows that the Ravens are a team built on winning games in the trenches. They have always had a smash mouth, physical, hard hitting defense, and a good offensive line. To further demonstrate, the first two draft picks in Ravens history were offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, taken 4th overall, and linebacker Ray Lewis, picked 26th. They have never - ever - been a team of offensive firepower. Sure, in 1996, they ranked 6th in total offense, but that was definitely not an indication of the future.

In 2000, they won a Super Bowl. How? Defense. In 20 games (including playoffs), they allowed 9.5 points per contest, 240.2 yards, and allowed under 200 total yards in nine different games. But because of the lack of balance, the Ravens were never able to showcase some consistency in Brian Billick's tenure as head coach. A pure example of this is how the Ravens fared from 2005 to 2007. In 2005, they finished with six wins, despite being a very appealing Super Bowl pick. And then, the next year, because of defense, they went 13-3. But of course, in 2007, they went 5-11, and things didn't look up in 2008.

But two selections - the hiring of head coach John Harbaugh (pictured, right) and selection of Joe Flacco in the first round (pictured, left) have changed all of that. The numbers don't lie. In their careers, they are 14-5 in the regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs, and the Ravens have developed a consistent contender. But it's not just that. Nobody doubted that the Ravens could contend with Brian Billick, but it was the consistency that was always a question. There is one statistic that clearly represents that. Under Billick, the Ravens had six winning seasons and three losing seasons. So yes, they were a winner more often than not, but not consistently.

It's also evident that Baltimore is consistent under Harbaugh when you see that the Ravens have done two things: beat who they've been expected to beat, and fight hard with great teams. They've beaten the inferior teams, like the Browns, Raiders, Chiefs, Bengals, Jaguars, have also beaten good teams like the Cowboys, Chargers, Titans, Dolphins, and fought hard against elite teams like the Giants, Steelers, and Titans, who have split a series with the Ravens in 2008. What more can you ask from a team?

Also, the Ravens are road warriors. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens are 8-4 on the road, and look like the same team on the road as they do at home, which isn't the case for most NFL teams. Most teams are rattled on the road, and don't perform as well. It has a lot to do with coaching. The great coaches get their players to win games - even if it's on the road. Sure, it's only 12 games, but the Billick-coached Ravens were 30-42 on the road, including 0-8 in 2005 and 1-7 in 2007. But with Harbaugh, they're a better team. In fact, you could argue they're even better on the road than at home.

Harbaugh has said numerous times he wants to build a dynasty. And it's very early to tell, but not even the biggest Ravens hater can deny they're going in the right direction. Through the first five games of the Harbaugh/Flacco era, the Ravens were 2-3. They started with two wins to open the season, but three consecutive heartbreaking losses (two by a field goal, one by four touchdowns) had them on the outside looking in. But they didn't give in. In fact, they won 9 of 11 from that point, both losses to teams that went to the playoffs (Steelers and Giants).

In fact, since a 31-3 loss to the Colts in Week 6 of 2008, the Ravens are great, with 14 wins and a mere three losses. In those 17 games, they average to outscore teams, 27-14. It's a different team. A completely different atmosphere in Baltimore. The team is more loose, but loose in a sense that the team has a very good locker room bond, probably the best the team has ever had. But not loose to the point where they get complacent or cocky, to the point where they underestimate a team. So they walk a very fine line, and it's a very good one to.

Under Harbaugh and Flacco, many things have changed for the Ravens. Four things, in specific: road play, consistency, perseverance, and offense. That brings me to my third point, perseverance. If there's one thing we hear a lot, it's this: "the NFL season isn't a sprint, it's a marathon." And it's exactly that. It's great to start off on the right foot, but it's even better to finish well. Also, the NFL season is a grind. With the physicality of football, key players down the road will get hurt, or go through slumps. They have to deal with adversity. This is the one thing I love most about the Harbaugh-led Ravens.

After losses, they picked themselves back up. Let me give you some examples. After three consecutive heartbreaking losses in Weeks 4, 5, and 6, the Ravens rebounded, winning four straight contests by a combined score of 134-63. Then, in Week 10, they were humbled by the New York Giants, who ran all over Baltimore, winning 30-10. It was a defeat where the Ravens really had high hopes for a win, only to come far short. But again, they came back, winning their next three games, moving to 9-4. And then, easily the most heartbreaking loss of the regular season came, as they lost 13-9 at home to the Steelers in the final seconds. So what do they do?

Win two in a row, advance to the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, and go all the way to the AFC Championship game. And in the AFC Championship, they lost to the Steelers again, 23-14. And since, are 7-0, if you count the preseason and three regular season wins to start the year. So, there you have it. Under Harbaugh, there is lots of change brought to the table - and make no mistake about it, it's good change. There's much more of a locker room camaraderie, incredible perseverance, and the road play is exponentially better, which is key for any playoff team.

Harbaugh and tight end Todd Heap say that the players don't want to let each other down. "It's an interesting phenomenon when a team has a certain maturity level and a confidence in one another," Harbaugh said. "We're not going to let each other down. You find a way to win. How do you put a finger on it? I don't know. You just know when you see it." Heap thinks it's a matter of attention to detail. "We've got a bunch of guys that know what it takes and play together as a team and don't let little things get them out of focus," said Heap.

And that brings us to the last improvement: offense. As I said, the offense was an ugly nightmare from 1997-2007, and the only way the team won games was with defense. But it's different now. In 2008 and 2009, they are dangerous offensively. In 2009, so far, they are great on offense. When was the last time you could say that? So far this year, the Ravens average 34.3 points per game, second in the NFL just behind the Saints (40.0). Will this keep up? Who knows. It's unlikely the Ravens will finish with 34 points per game by the time it's all said and done, and it's even more unlikely the Saints will be at 40. But I don't doubt the Ravens will be amongst the league leaders in most offensive categories by season's end.

Football calls for many things. It calls for nice guys to do dirty things. For almost all teams, it calls for a little bad blood between teammates. So, great teams have to have great coaching, discipline, character, perseverance, and ability to stick together. The Ravens have all that, and I for one can't wait to see how the next five to ten years unfold.

Ravens-Patriots: Week Four Preview of Two Strong AFC Contenders

Isaac Barrow — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:23:16 -0400

Five Things the Ravens Need to Do to Win

5. Pressure, pressure, pressure.

It's no secret defenses are going after Tom Brady, who missed almost all of the 2008 season. They're going after his weakness. He looks a lot more prone to mistakes when he gets chased.

Under pressure or when being blitzed in 2007, he had 25 touchdowns and five interceptions. But through two games in 2009, he has no touchdowns and three interceptions. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Defenses are going to need to pressure him if they expect to have a good day.

The Ravens don't even have to get any sacks. The Jets didn't get any, but got after him and won, 16-9.

4. Offense: Keep doing what you're doing.

Will the Ravens score 30 points every game? I doubt it. Through three games, they've scored 38, 31, and 34, averaging 34.3 points per game, second behind just the New Orleans Saints. They average 430.3 yards per game, also second behind the Saints.

Will they score 30? Who knows? They face their first legit defense in New England, who has allowed 24, 16, and 10 points per game. If the Ravens can even score just 24 points, they'll likely win with how well the defense is playing so far this year.

3. Pound the rock at a wounded Patriots defense.

It's a fact that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick likes to take away your biggest strength, so he'll definitely commit to stopping the Ravens' great run game. But with Jerod Mayo out and Vince Wilfork questionable, the Pats may not have the personnel to stop it.

The Ravens have done a very good job of staying balanced, and while the passing game is certainly coming around, the run game is still very good, so it'd be smart for the Ravens to pound a Mayo-less and possibly Wilfork-less defense.

2. Secondary: Build on the Cleveland game.

The secondary took some heat after struggling in a 31-26 win over the Chargers, but it wasn't nearly as bad as people thought. The next week, against Cleveland, the Browns' quarterbacks were 17-of-27 with 115 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. All you can ask them to do is build on it.

They won't pick off Brady four times—that's out of the question—but if they can build on their last performance, they'll move forward to the future with a better mind state, with better confidence.

1. Contain, not stop, the duo of Brady-to-Moss.

It'd be way too much to ask for Domonique Foxworth to stop the duo of Brady and Randy Moss. Granted, Foxworth has done a good job, and this is not to knock Chris Chambers, Dwayne Bowe, or Braylon Edwards, but they aren't Moss.

So far, Moss leads the NFL in receptions, with 26, and 281 yards. He averages nine catches and 94 yards per game, but he has yet to score a touchdown. If he goes off like he did against Buffalo (12 rec., 141 yds) or Atlanta (10 rec., 116 yds), it'll be tough to win.

Five Things the Ravens Can't Do

5. Play vanilla defense.

Sure, Brady doesn't look like his poised self in the pocket. But if he has the time, he'll be great—just like any good NFL quarterback. If the Ravens play a soft "vanilla" defense, not bringing much pressure, they can't expect to win. They need to expose the Patriots' offense, and so far they haven't looked at all close to 2007 form, averaging just 20 points per game.

If the Ravens bring pressure, I'd be surprised if the Patriots reach 20 points. But if they don't, expect this game to play the role of a turning point in the season for New England.

4. Be unbalanced.

Sure, quarterback Joe Flacco has played great so far. But what makes this offense great is balance. Flacco can throw for 300 yards if given the chance, but if his accuracy is off, the Ravens can pound the rock with Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and Le'Ron McClain.

The thing the Ravens absolutely can't do now is stray away from that. They shouldn't try to hide Flacco, nor should they try to use him and him only. They need to run and pass.

3. Get rattled by the environment.

The one thing I love about the Ravens is road battling. Under John Harbaugh, they are 8-4 on the road, including 2-1 in the playoffs. They've said they don't care "where they play," which is a great mindset to have. Let's just make sure that doesn't change this week.

Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA won't be a very easy environment for a young Ravens team to handle, so the Ravens can't get rattled by the situation or the intensity in New England.

2. Get outphysicaled by Randy Moss.

Like I said earlier, Foxworth can't get intimidated by Moss, who is much bigger than the former. You can't expect Moss to get completely shut down like Jets CB Darrelle Revis did to him (four rec., 24 yds.), but if Foxworth can just contain him and not allow him to make a vast number of big plays, then the Ravens should be fine. However, if he allows Moss to stretch the field, the Ravens could be in big trouble.

1. Play undisciplined.

If one thing hurt the Ravens in their last meeting with the Patriots, it was lack of discipline. They got multiple penalties, whether it be pass interference, roughing the passer, throwing the flag into the stands, or even a defensive coordinator calling a timeout during a failed quarterback sneak. The Ravens can't afford to do that.

Stopping New England once is tough enough. Giving them another chance and expecting to stop them again is putting yourself in an even deeper hole.

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Comparing the teams: BAL (3-0) vs. NE (2-1)

Total yards per game: BAL (430.3), NE (395.0).

Passing yards per game: NE (287.0), BAL (273.7).

Rushing yards per game: BAL (156.7), NE (108.0).

Points per game: BAL (34.3), NE (20.0).

Third down conversions: NE (46.9), BAL (46.2).

Time of possession per game: NE (35:55), BAL (33:16).

Total yards per game allowed: NE (262.3), BAL (282.7).

Total passing yards per game allowed: NE (174.0), BAL (231.7).

Total rushing yards per game allowed: BAL (51.0), NE (88.3).

Points per game allowed: NE (16.7), BAL (17.7).

Third down conversions allowed: NE (30.0), BAL (31.6).

My prediction: Ravens 23, Patriots 21

Baltimore Ravens: Analyzing Just How Good They've Been So Far

Isaac Barrow — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:02:44 -0400

For once, the Baltimore Ravens are getting respect from the media.

But why? Why now?

It's simple. Because of offense.

Before, the Ravens were a team who won because of their defense, but now, this team is one of the most balanced in franchise history. They have a great run game, a terrific offensive line, and while they don't have a wide receiver of Larry Fitzgerald's stature for quarterback Joe Flacco to throw to, they get the job done.

Let's take a look at just how good the key players have been.

OFFENSE

QB Joe Flacco: Not much can be said about how well he has done over his first 22 games in the pros. In those games, he is 16-6 (2-1 in the playoffs), and that's all that matters. But this year, he's put up the individual statistics to "wow" anybody. In three games, he has 839 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, and has had over 300 yards two times—something he never did last year in 19 tries—if you include the postseason.

He said throughout training camp he was more comfortable with the offense, and that much is clear so far. The 24-year-old has a 101.4 quarterback rating. In his career under pressure or when being blitzed, his poise is apparent—he has 18 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

RB Willis McGahee: Let's make this clear: I had confidence McGahee would rebound from his disappointing 2008 campaign.

But to this extent? No.

In three games, he has 32 carries, 190 yards, five touchdowns, and he also has a touchdown reception. If you want to know exactly how much he's improved, compare his stats to where he was last year at this point. Through three games, he had 50 carries, 172 yards (3.4 YPC), one touchdown, along with five catches for 32 yards.

But this year, he has 32 carries, 190 yards, five touchdowns, six catches, and 41 yards. The odd thing is, he's producing more with less of a workload.

RB Ray Rice: Of course, with a year under his belt, Flacco was seen as a breakout candidate.

But so was Rice, also in his second year in the NFL. And so far, he's delivered. He scored his first NFL touchdown in Week Three. Sure, it took a while, but mainly because he hasn't played in goal-line situations. In three games, he has 38 carries, 192 yards, and a touchdown. But his contributions through the air get overlooked. He already has 11 catches, and despite a healthy Todd Heap, Rice is one of Flacco's No. 1 targets on check-downs.

FB Le'Ron McClain: Because McGahee struggled last season and Rice wasn't ready for a heavy workload as a rookie, McClain was asked to run the ball a lot—232 times, in fact. For a fullback, that's crazy. With McGahee back in shape and Rice ready to become a primary back, McClain has been asked to do the normal job of a fullback—block.

And he's done that very well, as you can tell from the numbers of the running backs. McClain has come through when called upon, and has 12 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, along with eight receptions for 68 yards.

WR Derrick Mason: You can tell this is an important season for Mason.

He briefly retired after his best friend, Steve McNair, passed away, and then unretired. It could be his last season. So far, he's looked like himself. Reliable. In three games, he has 12 catches, 196 yards, and one touchdown.

In Sunday's 34-3 win over the Browns, he caught five passes—enough to surpass 800 for his career. He credited McNair for passing the milestone.

"Over half of them were from him," said Mason of his 800 catches. "We built a bond on the field that a quarterback and receiver have to have in order to be productive in this league. We built that bond for the 10 or 11 years I played with him. A lot has to be contributed to him and I when were in Tennessee, and then here." He's been a sure-handed receiver his entire career, and, including the playoffs, caught 92-of-142 passes thrown his way last year."

WR Mark Clayton: In stretches, Clayton has shown he can be a great receiver. He's just been extremely inconsistent.

In 2006, he broke out. But in 2007, he was a huge disappointment. And then last year, he had games where he looked elite, and others where you could hardly notice he existed. An injury before the season started forced him to miss the entire 2009 preseason, and so far, he is doing a good job, with nine catches, 132 yards, and a touchdown. His three receptions and 44 yards per game line isn't fantastic, but it's expected with a team like the Ravens who spread the ball around very well. Clayton needs to be a lot more like Mason. I'm not bashing Clayton's character, but Mason is a lot more consistent in his play. But what's interesting to me is this: Clayton didn't drop one pass last year, nor did he fumble.

WR Kelley Washington: Sure, new additions like Michael Oher and Matt Birk have done a great job on the offensive side of the ball, but Washington is a huge steal. From 2003 to 2008 with the Bengals and Patriots, he didn't accomplish much, with 73 catches, 896 yards, and nine touchdowns. So in an average year, he caught 12 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown. He's already surpassed that. In three games, he has 12 receptions, 167 yards, a touchdown, and is looking like Flacco's No. 1 target, especially on third downs.

TE Todd Heap: If there was a book about Todd Heap, it wouldn't say much. "Can be a good tight end, but is never healthy." This year, he's healthy, and he's shown he can be a good target for Joe Flacco. It's a fact that a big, reliable tight end usually helps any quarterback, but especially a young one. And so far, Heap has been that.

He had a great first game, with five receptions, 74 yards, and a touchdown. He caught another touchdown in Week Two, and he had a good game against Cleveland. So far, he has 10 catches, 124 yards, and two touchdowns. He was even healthy in 2008, but he dropped eight passes, fumbled once, and had a disappointing year overall. However, his only drop this year was because of a crushing hit, and he's on pace for a much better year.

LT Jared Gaither: The O-line has been great so far this season, and Gaither has improved. In Week One, he was the only weak link on the line. He wasn't really sharp in any phase, but he got better as the game wore on. He also was charged with a penalty, and allowed the only Chiefs sack. In Week Two against San Diego, he was much-improved, and against a better pass rush. He made only one "mistake", allowing Shawne Merriman to beat him and pressure Flacco into throwing an interception. But, Gaither has been pretty solid and is getting better. After all, he's 23 years old.

LG Ben Grubbs: In his short career, Grubbs has been two things—durable and consistent. He hasn't missed any games he's been slated to play in, and he's shown consistent effort, week in and week out. It's been no different this season. In the first game, he had one of his best performances as a pro. He didn't make any mistakes, and he finished his blocks, which definitely helped running back Ray Rice run for 108 yards. In Weeks Two and Three, he put forth two more solid efforts. Grubbs is a guy you never have to worry about.

C Matt Birk: Plain and simple, getting Birk was a tremendous signing. So far, he hasn't been matched up with anyone tough except for Shaun Rogers, who didn't give Birk an ounce of trouble. In Week One, Filmstudy was impressed:

"He couldn’t have had a better debut, displaying excellent footwork and judgment. He missed just two of 85 blocks by my count and led the team with six blocks in level two. There wasn’t much fancy about it, but Birk was able to regularly frustrate Tank Tyler. Tyler registered seven tackles, but none behind the line of scrimmage."

RG Chris Chester: It looked like Marshal Yanda would be the guy at right guard this year, but because he has trouble staying healthy, Chester has seen a lot of time, and has impressed. He played very well in Week One, outside of a holding penalty, and was also very good in Week Two. Chester has versatility. He plays guard for now, but has a chance to be the future center, as does Yanda. If both can learn from the guy next to him (Matt Birk), the Ravens can be very stable at that position for the next decade.

RT Michael Oher: I can't ask anything more from Oher. He's had his ups and downs, like all rookies, but I'm extremely impressed. He had one of the best debuts for a rookie tackle in recent memory in Week One. He didn't make any mistakes, and really had a perfect game. He came back down to earth in Week Two, allowing a sack, but he was great again in Week Three. I love what I see from him, and he has a chance to be the future left tackle, a position he played a lot at the University of Mississippi.

2009 MLB Playoff Preview: If The Playoffs Started Today

Isaac Barrow — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:46:36 -0400

Well, baseball fans, it's that time of year again. October is coming, and with that, so are the MLB playoffs. Let's take a look at what the matchups would be if the postseason started today.

American League

No. 1 New York Yankees (AL East winner) vs. No. 3 Detroit Tigers (AL Central Winner).

Preview: The Yankees, as expected, are the class of baseball right now. At 99-56, they are the best team in the league. Mark Teixeira leads the American League in RBI; Derek Jeter is having another great season; and they have good supporting players like Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, and Jorge Posada.

The pitching is much-improved, and that's the main reason they are where they are. CC Sabathia has 19 wins, AJ Burnett has 12, and Andy Pettitte has 13. And of course, closer Mariano Rivera continues to dominate.

The Tigers, on the other hand, are falling fast. Once with a comfortable lead in the Central, Detroit isn't a lock to even make the postseason. They are 83-71, just two games above the Minnesota Twins, who are on fire as of late. The Tigers have outstanding pitching, with Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, and Rick Porcello, but time will tell if they will get to play in this series.

X-factor: Rick Porcello (DET) and Joba Chamberlain (NYY).

Porcello has had a great year. As a rookie, he's portrayed great command, with just 49 walks in over 158 innings, he has an impressive 14-9 record, and he's just 20 years old.

We know Verlander and Jackson will show up, but it will be interesting to see how Porcello reacts when he's facing the Yankees in a playoff atmosphere. It'll be especially interesting to see how he reacts if it's in a deciding game on the road.

Chamberlain is also an intriguing guy.

This year, he's 9-6 with a 4.72 ERA, and his command has been spotty, to say the least. He struggled in Seattle the other day, so I want to see how he fares, too. He likely won't be used in the bullpen, being that beyond CC, Burnett, and Pettitte, the Yankees don't have much, with Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin. But I want to see how this kid fares.

Prediction: Yankees' sweep, 3-0. Flat out, Detroit doesn't have it.

First of all, it's up in the air as to whether they'll even be playing in October. And if they do, they don't stand much of a chance. Detroit is a good team, no argument there, but New York is the best team in baseball, and have better offense, the pitching staff is debatable, and play better defense.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Los Angeles Angels (AL West Winner) vs. Boston Red Sox (AL Wild Card Winner).

Preview: This is a very even series, in my opinion. The Angels, at 90-63, are just eight games behind New York for the best record in the AL, and are the third best team in the majors.

I like what I see out of them. They play fantastic defense, which is expected with Mike Scioscia at the helm, they can pitch, and they can hit. If you look up-and-down, the Halos' lineup, you'll notice every hitter has a very good average. They have three .300 hitters, and everyone except Mike Napoli is hitting above .280.

The Red Sox are also that way. They have depth at the infield, as they can flop Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek at catcher, Kevin Youkilis, Casey Kotchman, and Martinez at first, and Youkilis and Mike Lowell at third.

They have a solid pitching staff, have one of the best bullpens in the league, and play solid defense.

They have a scary infield, with Youkilis or Martinez at first, Pedroia at second, a defensive wizard in Alex Gonzalez at short, and Youkilis or Lowell at third. Also, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury, and J.D. Drew make for one of the best outfields in the league.

X-factor: Scott Kazmir (LAA) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS).

Kazmir, 25, was acquired by the Angels in a trade earlier this season, and has been great so far. In 20 starts for the Rays, he was 8-7 with a bad 5.94 ERA. And in five starts with the Angels, he has a 2.01 mark, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts. He'll play a big role in the playoffs. Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, and John Lackey are all solid, but Kazmir could be a difference maker.

Having Matsuzaka back healthy could turn out huge for Boston. He's looked very good recently, and took a tough loss today, but he allowed just five hits on one run over seven, and while he walked five, it was typical "Dice-K". He was wild, got in jams, but worked out of them. If he can do that in the playoffs, it's huge for the Sox.

Prediction: Angels win series, 3-2.

I love what I see from this Angels team. The lineup is dangerous from top-to-bottom, they play great defense, can steal bases (which is Boston's achilles heel), and pitch well. And it doesn't help Boston that Jon Lester may be hurt and Josh Beckett is struggling. Angels win an intense series.

National League

Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Winner) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (NL East Winner).

Preview: Last year, after acquiring slugger Manny Ramirez, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked like a completely different team. Before trading for him, they were 54-54, but they went 30-24 with him.

In the Dodger blue, Manny hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games. So, you'd figure the same logic applies this year, right?

As Manny goes, so do the Dodgers? Actually, wrong. The Dodgers are 93-62 when Manny was suspended for 50 games because of a failed steroid test. They have been led by outfielders not named Manny in Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, along with first baseman James Loney, and young pitchers like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw.

The Phillies have been pretty consistent all along.

They have a dynamic offense, featuring Ryan Howard (42 HR, 135 RBI), Chase Utley (31 HR, 91 RBI), Raul Ibanez (33 HR, 89 RBI), and Jayson Werth (34 HR, 93 RBI). Pitching-wise, they get most of their help from youngster J.A. Happ and the newly-acquired Cliff Lee, who is 7-3 since arriving in Philadelphia.

X-factor: Randy Wolf (LAD) and Brad Lidge (PHI).

The Dodgers, surprisingly, have had an inconsistently healthy rotation. Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda have all missed time. Randy Wolf, a vet, has stepped up big time. In 32 starts, the 32-year-old is 11-6 with a 3.24 ERA, 153 strikeouts, 53 walks, and a 1.09 WHIP. I really want to see how he complements the now healthy trio of Billingsley, Kuroda, and Kershaw.

Brad Lidge. Talk about a disappointment.

In the 2007 offseason, the Phillies acquired him for Michael Bourn, and to say he panned out for Philly is a huge understatement. He went 2-0, posted a 1.95 ERA, and he went 41-for-41 in saves. But in 2008, he's been absolutely terrible. He's 0-8, has a 7.51 ERA, and has blown 11 saves. The Phillies could have 100 wins if not for Lidge's struggles. He's meant their downfall at times.

Will he in the playoffs? And what role will they use him in?

Prediction: Dodgers win series, 3-2.

It's tough to write this, honestly. The Phillies have such good pitching depth, and with Ryan Madson at closer, they are in better hands. But the Dodgers are that good, in my opinion.

They have a fantastic outfield, great pitching, two perennial All-Star closers in the same bullpen with Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill, and any team managed by Joe Torre is a good one.

St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central Winner) vs. Colorado Rockies (NL Wild Card Winner).

Preview: This is a very good matchup.

The Cardinals are my sleeper pick to go to the World Series. They have two Cy Young candidates in Chris Carpenter (16-4, 2.30 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.58 ERA). And let's not sleep on the offense.

They have Albert "The Machine" Pujols, Matt Holliday, who has been on fire since getting traded to St. Louis, Yadier Molina, and Ryan Ludwick. They are a team who nobody realizes is 90-65, and has it all. They have two Cy Young candidates, the hands-down MVP, and a good supporting cast.

The Rockies are also on fire.

Once 18-28, the Rockies are 69-40 under new manager Jim Tracy, and appear to be a completely different team. They don't have any superstar pitchers, but Jason Marquis has 15 wins, Ubaldo Jimenez has 14 along with an ERA of 3.47, and Jorge De La Rosa has 15 in addition to 181 strikeouts. Let's not forget the offense.

Clint Barmes has 23 homers, Todd Helton has a .317 average and 81 RBI, Troy Tulowitzki has 30 homers, and Ian Stewart, their version of Ben Zobrist, has 25 homers. They also have a talented outfield, with Brad Hawpe (20 HR, .283 AVG) and Seth Smith (.298 AVG, 15 HR).

X-factor: Matt Holliday (STL) and Dexter Fowler (COL).

With the Oakland Athletics, Matt Holliday wasn't impressive. He wasn't atrocious, but quiet. In 93 games, he had just 11 homers and 54 RBI, but a trade to St. Louis has saved him. In 56 games with the Cards, he has a .354 average, 50 RBI, and a .411 OBP. His playoff performance is crucial for the Cards. Batting behind Albert Pujols, he's getting some pitches to hit, and taking advantage. Let's see if he takes advantage in a playoff atmosphere.

Fowler, one of the Rockies much-hyped prospects going into the year, has impressed most as a rookie. In 128 games, he has four homers, 33 RBI, 27 steals, 111 hits, a .270 average, and .369 OBP.

In other words, his typical 162-game season would consist of five homers, 42 RBI, a .278 average, and 34 steals. Expect that to get even better as time goes on. He's big to the Rockies future success, and that includes the 2009 playoffs.

Prediction: Cardinals win series, 3-1.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Rockies pulled an upset and won, but the Cardinals have what it takes. Both teams have offense. That is clear. The Rockies might have more depth up-and-down the lineup, but the Cardinals have "The Machine", and also have much better pitching. I like the Cardinals here.

Steve McNair: Stay Classy, Cincinnati

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:10:53 -0400

On July 4th, 2009, the world lost a great man when Steve McNair was murdered by his girlfriend at the age of 36. It seemed that the more details that came out, the less people wanted to know.

"This is so, so sad. We immediately think of his family, his boys. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. What we admired most about Steve when we played against him was his competitive spirit, and we were lucky enough to have that with us for two years. He is one of the best players in the NFL over the last 20 years," said Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, who was McNair's boss from 2005 to 2007.

His death hit many people hard, especially players of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, where Steve spent most of his career. His best friend, wide receiver Derrick Mason, even retired. Many argued that he didn't have the emotional strength to come out and play after the tragedy that was his best friend's death.

Eventually, he decided he would come back, but there's no doubt McNair's death is in the back of Derrick's mind. Even a Ravens linebacker, also one of Steve's best friends, said he dedicated not just this season, but his life, to him. "Seasons? They fade. I dedicate my life to him."

Anyone who even makes a casual joke about this is heartless, because the way this has hit people all across the country is astonishing. But at a Halloween display in Cincinnati, the classy fans decided it would be fun to make jokes about it. In defense, King's Island spokesperson Don Helbig had this to say: "Our event does not open until Friday," he said, "We meant him no disrespect."

Yeah. I thought it showed a great amount of respect for McNair, his family, and friends. You know what, I'm considering doing the same thing for Michael Jackson. After all, it would be a tremendous show of respect, right?

Not only did Helbig basically make a joke, he lied. "There was no reference to Steve McNair at all. No jersey, nothing." Beg to differ. Of course, in the picture, there is a man wearing a Tennessee Titans helmet. He's also wearing a shirt that says "9" on it. That can't be Steve McNair, can it? He never wore the No. 9. Did he? To put it lightly, this is tasteless, disgusting, unfunny, and flat out mean.

OK, I'm a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. Therefore, I hate Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett. But if one of those were to get murdered brutally, would I do what these classy Cincinnati residents did? Actually, yes. Yes, I would. It shows respect, like Helbig said. It's not disrespectful at all to their families, friends, loved ones, or teammates.

I would be honored if someone did that for me one day.

It disgusts me. It disgusts me that some people have no compassion whatsoever. Step into the shoes of someone who knew Steve. Imagine you are his wife. Or one of his two sons. Even one of his teammates, like a Derrick Mason, Ray Lewis, Vince Young, Eddie George, or one of his coaches, like Jeff Fisher or Brian Billick. Heck, even someone who had the pleasure of competing against him. You're still greiving over his loss. And then, some hack in Cincinnati thinks it'd be cool to not only make fun of it, but dance around it when questions are asked.

I'm all for a joke or two here and there. For example, if someone does something foolish in a game, like throw an interception to a defensive lineman, fumble in the red zone, or drop a crucial pass, I can understand some jokes. Call them chokers. That's just fine. But make fun of a man who died one of the most tragic deaths in recent memory? Not cool.

Stay classy, Cincinnati.

NFL: The Future at Quarterback Is Bright

Isaac Barrow — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:48:05 -0400

You have to wonder what the National Football League will be like after Peyton Manning and Tom Brady leave it.

Both are first ballot Hall of Famers who have had a tremendous impact on their respective franchises and the league as a whole; so it'll be hard for anybody to succeed them.

So will the league become one that runs the ball more after those two leave? No, it won't. The future for quarterbacks in the NFL is incredibly bright.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, 22 years old

I have gone on record to say that Sanchez will win Offensive Rookie of the Year. And through the first two games, he hasn't made me look bad.

The fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft had led the Jets to a 2-0 record, while going 32-of-53 with 435 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

He's already 1-0 against legendary Tom Brady, and everyone is impressed by his toughness, poise, and decision making.

In a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, he was brutal, throwing a pick-six on his first pass. But he threw a touchdown just a quarter later, and has been spotless since that bad outing.

If he keeps this up, he'll finish with over 3,400 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions; which are numbers better than Matt Ryan posted last year, and certainly deserving of Rookie of the Year.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons, 24 years old

Last year, Ryan had a phenomenal rookie year for the Falcons. He started all 16 games, threw for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and went 11-5 as a starter. He won Rookie of the Year, and much deservedly so.

So, would he have a sophomore slump? So far, it doesn't look like that.

He's won his first two games against tough teams, beating Miami, 19-7, and Carolina, 28-20. He's combined for 449 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. He has a career passer rating of 90.4 in 18 games, and he seems to be one of those guys who just gets it.

Ryan has what it takes to play in the NFL from day one; and he better, considering he was drafted third overall in 2008 and honored with a six-year, $72M contract.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens, 24 years old

Flacco was overlooked in 2008. He and Ryan were the two legit quarterback prospects, and while the latter was taken third, small-school product Flacco was picked 18th by the Baltimore Ravens, who were also in need of a quarterback.

Like Ryan in Atlanta, Flacco emerged as a rookie and appears to be the future of the team. Flacco threw for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and also went 11-5 as a starter.

He looks even better this year, with five touchdowns and two interceptions in his first two games, both wins.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, 25 years old

Rodgers would fill monstrous shoes in 2008 after longtime Green Bay legend Brett Favre retired, un-retired, and was acquired by the New York Jets.

But Rodgers actually did considerably better than Favre. In fact, Rodgers' 2008 season (4,038 yards, 28 TD, 13 INT) was better than Favre's habitual campaign in a Packer uniform (3,853 yards, 27 TD, 18 INT).

If Rodgers gets some help from his defense, he can win Super Bowls. He's shown the poise on the field that proves he won't get rattled in playoff environments.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears, 26 years old

Cutler reminds me very much of Brett Favre. Both have cannon arms and can win games with their arms. However, both have questionable decision making, to say the least.

But nonetheless, Cutler has been, is, and will be for many years to come an elite quarterback.

He had a convincing showing over the weekend against Pittsburgh, winning the game by himself, throwing for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns—not an easy task against the Steelers.

Through his first three seasons, he had 54 touchdowns, 39 interceptions, and 9,024 yards. Through Favre's first three full years, he had 70 touchdowns, 41 interceptions, and 10,412 yards.

Very similar.

Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs, 27 years old

Last year, when Tom Brady went down, Matt Cassel was inserted into his role as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots; and he filled in very well, with 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Many argue he was a product of the system. And frankly, I agree. Look at the players he had around him. The Pats had a very good offensive line, and Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to.

Kansas City was foolish to reward him with a six-year, $63 million extension, and in his first game, he was intercepted twice. But he's still a very solid quarterback and with talent around him, he'll succeed.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers, 27 years old

Rivers, in my opinion, should've won MVP last year. The actual winner, Peyton Manning, had seven fewer yards, one more interception, and seven fewer touchdowns. On top of that, Peyton lost to Rivers' Chargers in the playoffs.

Oh by the way, Rivers took a Chargers team that was 4-8 with four games to go to the playoffs. So far in his career, he has 11,385 yards, 81 touchdowns, 39 interceptions, and a 33-15 record, including 22-6 at home.

That's what I call elite.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, 27 years old

While the consensus is that Rivers is in the "elite" category of quarterbacks, most think Roethlisberger isn't. His average season of 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions warrants that. I agree with it and see some flaws in it.

I agree that he does get a lot of help from the Steelers great defense, but nobody can deny he's a winner, a competitor, and one of the most clutch—if not the most—quarterbacks in football.

In his career, he is 52-22 as a starter, and 8-2 in the playoffs.

Eli Manning, New York Giants, 28 years old

As a quarterback, you have to grow up fast. You have to be mature, relaxed, knowledgeable, and tough at the same time. Manning became all of those during the 2007 playoffs.

From 2004 to 2007, his first four seasons in the league, he was 30-25 as a starter in the regular season, 0-2 in the playoffs, and he had 77 touchdowns and 64 interceptions.

But in the 2007 postseason, he had just one interception, led the Giants to a miracle Super Bowl victory, and in the 2008 regular season, had his best year, with 3,238 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 picks.

And so far in 2009, he's looked pretty flawless with four touchdowns, one interception, and two wins in as many starts.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys, 29 years old

Fans, sportswriters, and even teammates are putting a lot of pressure on Romo.

In his career, the 29-year-old is 28-13 as a starter, has 11,042 yards, 85 touchdowns, and 48 interceptions.

So what's the problem?

Well, for starters, he's 7-10 in December, and has yet to win a playoff game.

It's natural he'll get the "choke artist" label. But I don't think of him that way. He's had plenty of solid "big game" performances late in the year. It's just that some of his lesser moments outweigh them.

Summary

If there's one thing I've noticed over the last two years, I've realized it may no longer be a sin to play a rookie quarterback right away.

Three rookies— Mark Sanchez (Jets), Joe Flacco (Ravens), and Matt Ryan (Falcons)— started right away. And all have been very good. Combined, the three have a 28-10 regular season record.

I think these youngsters learned from the Ryan Leaf saga. They now know you can't survive only on physical skills. You have to have work ethic, maturity, poise, leadership, and the ability to adapt.

So when Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, and Donovan McNabb retire, it'll be a sad time in the NFL, no doubt.

But there are even brighter days ahead.

The 2008 Ravens Offseason: Four Selections that Changed Everything

Isaac Barrow — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:49:41 -0400

For the Baltimore Ravens, 2008 was meant to be a rebuilding year.

It was supposed to be a year in which rookie quarterback Joe Flacco got his feet wet, and unlike 2003 Ravens' first round pick Kyle Boller, learn from it.

It was supposed to be a year Offensive Coordinator, Cam Cameron, began to develop him; as he had Drew Brees and Philip Rivers when he was the OC for the San Diego Chargers.

The Ravens could expect improvement, but not much more.

In fact, how hard would it be to improve upon the Ravens dreadful year in 2007, in which they went 5-11, and finished near the bottom in every offensive category?

Team GM Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end, has been very successful in his career as an executive when he's needed to reload the team. Soon after the season, he fired head coach Brian Billick, which was a tough—but needed—move.

Billick was the head coach in Baltimore from 1999 to 2007, and while his tenure was very up-and-down, he won a Super Bowl, had a solid 80-64 record, and developed a strong relationship with the players.

Even kicker Matt Stover, a classy guy who has been very loyal to the organization, didn't back the move 100 percent. "I'm not saying I agree with it," Stover said, "but sometimes things have to change."

It was needed because the Ravens, who won 13 games in 2006—all because of defense—won just five in 2007—the biggest win differential for any team in the NFL that year.

After 19 days of searching, the Ravens had a choice between two coaching prospects; they could either pick John Harbaugh, an Eagles Special Teams Coordinator, or Jason Garrett, the Cowboys Offensive Coordinator.

After Garrett turned down the Ravens' offer, Newsome went with Harbaugh, who sounded delighted to have the job.

"Up, down, sideways, from the very top, it's a very impressive place to visit," Harbaugh said. "I knew the Ravens had a great organization. Now, I see why. Good people, from Ozzie and Steve to everybody in the organization. It's been challenging, but it has been fun."

Harbaugh earned a head coaching job, which is certainly an honor, but he would be one busy man for the rest of the offseason. First of all, after the disheartening 2007 season, the Ravens cleaned house.

Both Steve McNair and Jonathan Ogden retired, while Baltimore's staff decided to let almost every coach go; electing to keep assistants like Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan and Tight Ends Coach Wade Harman, but not much more.

Harbaugh hired many new assistants, including Cam Cameron, whom he appointed Offensive Coordinator.

Cameron has long been considered one of the finest quarterback developers in the league. In San Diego, he brought up Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, who are both top five quarterbacks in this league.

With a clumsy quarterback situation, the Ravens would need a guy like Cam. “We’re excited to get Cam, because he’s a fine coach and a good person,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “He had other options. We’re going to be tough, we’re going to be exciting, we’re going to be disciplined, and we’re going to play really hard. If we do those things on offense, and we take care of one another, good things will happen.”

But to develop a quarterback, the Ravens had to get someone who had the chance to be a special player. The two quarterbacks on the roster at the time were Kyle Boller, a true bust, and Troy Smith, a guy who was a backup, at best.

So, on draft day 2008, the Ravens traded down—then back up—to select Delaware's Joe Flacco, who threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions as a senior. Of course, Flacco hadn't put up those numbers against top-notch competition, but Harbaugh was convinced Flacco could handle it.

"All quarterbacks have to make a jump from college football," Harbaugh said. "It's a tough jump, and that's been proven. When you get to know Joe, you'll find that this guy feels like he has something to prove. He's a very competitive guy. He's a leader. . . . We're satisfied that he's got the personality to be a real good quarterback."

Scouting director Eric DeCosta referenced both Kurt Warner and Tony Romo when talking about small-school quarterbacks who had to make the jump—and made it quite well, at that.

But the Ravens added one more offensive weapon in the draft. With the 55th overall pick, the Ravens added some depth to their backfield, drafting Rutgers' halfback Ray Rice.

Rice set records at Rutgers, running for a school record 4,926 yards, but he didn't get drafted high because of his size. At 5'8", 205, Rice's durability was a question mark. But there are many small backs in the NFL, like Maurice Jones-Drew (5'7"), DeAngelo Williams (5'9"), and Frank Gore (5'9"), who have succeeded, and Rice doesn't worry about durability concerns.

"I came from an offense where I got the ball 30 times [per game]," said Rice. "I'm a feel-the-defense-out type of a guy."

Joe Flacco loves having Rice in the backfield to toss a screen or hand the ball off to for a nice change of pace. "Ray did a great job for us last year and he's going to be a huge threat out of the backfield," the quarterback said. "You get the ball to Ray and he's going to make a lot out of it. We're excited to have him healthy and ready to go all season."

It's ironic, really. Only one—maybe two—of these moves were accepted by Ravens fans.

Joe Flacco was considered a huge reach and an unknown quarterback prospect. Most Baltimore faithful wanted Boston College's Matt Ryan, who was picked third by the Falcons.

Harbaugh was a nobody before getting hired. Most wanted Garrett, who was the mastermind of a Dallas offense that made some major noise in 2007.

Cameron was—and still is—a great offensive coordinator, but was coming off a head coaching audition in which he went 1-15 with Miami. Rice was insignificant.

And when you think about it, the Ravens got lucky to an extent. Both Harbaugh and Flacco were their second choices. The Ravens have admitted they wanted to trade for Matt Ryan, but the Falcons didn't budge, so they had no choice but to take Flacco. And Garrett was the first guy the Ravens pursued to get a job offer, but he, of course, refused. So then, the Ravens chose Harbaugh—also their second choice.

But look now. The Ravens have a franchise quarterback—the first the city has had since the days of Johnny Unitas, when they were the Colts.

Rice is certainly emerging and Maurice Jones-Drew comparisons are valid. He ran for 108 yards against Kansas City in the opener, and reminds me of former 49ers RB Roger Craig in that he can hurt you on the ground and on screens.

Harbaugh is a young head coach, one of the youngest in the league, and the team doesn't look prone to inconsistency, as they very much were with Billick.

Add to that the fact Cameron is developing Flacco just like he did Rivers and Brees, and through the first two games of his second season, he has 497 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and more importantly, two wins.

The 2008 offseason was one of rebuilding. Getting a new head coach. A new quarterback. Completely changing the coaching staff. The majority of Ravens fans weren't in full support of it. Heck, I'm sure some Ravens players were second guessing the "Wizard of Oz."

But now, nobody—not even the biggest pessimist—can question these four moves.

Owner Steve Bisciotti put it best. “As an owner, you want a coach and quarterback you feel can be in your organization for 10 years,” Bisciotti says. “I’m very hopeful and confident that we’ve got that.”

Why Tom Brady Is the Best Quarterback in the Modern Era

Isaac Barrow — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:16:03 -0400

Go ahead. Call me crazy. Nobody could ever pass the legendary Joe Montana. Not the Joe Montana, who threw for 40,551 yards, 273 touchdowns, 139 interceptions, and won four Super Bowls in his immortal 15-year career. He was nicknamed "Joe Cool" for not only his poise, but his ability to come up big in the playoffs. In fact, during his career, he was 16-7 in the postseason. It's tough to say that someone in the modern era is better than him, surpassing him as the best quarterback ever, but with Tom Brady, it's not so challenging.

Both were drafted considerably low, which is very surprising. Montana, mostly because of his size (only 6'0"), was drafted in the third round (82nd overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. Safe to say the Rams, who picked 81st—along with the the other 80 teams ahead of them—are kicking themselves to the day. Montana was a huge steal, no doubt, but the consensus is that Brady getting taken in the sixth round (199th overall) in 2000 is the biggest robbery in draft history. In my opinion, Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the modern era. Here's why:

Playoffs: People talk about Montana's playoff performances, and make no mistake about it: They were fantastic. Let's not forget, Brady is 14-3 in the playoffs, totaling an .823 winning percentage. Brady has played well in practically every playoff game he's appeared in. In 2001, he led the Pats to close wins over the Raiders (32-of-52, 312 yards), Steelers (12-of-18, 115 yards), and then the Rams in the Super Bowl (16-of-27, 145 yards, 1 TD).

In his postseason career, he is 372-of-595 (62.5 completion percentage) with 3,954 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. If you combine all of his December, January, and February games, Brady is an unfair 42-8.

Montana, who has also been tremendous in the playoffs, isn't quite there. His 16-7 record in the playoffs gives him a .696 winning percentage, 127 points shy of Brady. In the three dreaded months of December, January, and February, Montana is a "pedestrian" 52-16, posting .764 winning percentage, as opposed to Brady's .840. So, shockingly, there is a playoff quarterback better than the Joe Montana.

Statistics: A lot can be judged by statistics. Nobody can question the career Brady has had. From 2001 to 2007, his full years (barely played in 2000, injured in 2008, 2009 just started), he finished with over 26,000 yards, 197 touchdowns, and 84 interceptions, compiling a 93.0 quarterback rating. His average year consisted of 327 completions in 519 attempts, 3,766 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

In Montana's glory years of 1981 to 1990, he totaled 33,107 yards, 226 touchdowns, and 114 interceptions. Montana's conventional year was composed of 3,311 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, worse than Brady's habitual line.

Let's face it: We judge quarterbacks by wins. Dan Marino is one of the best quarterbacks ever, but some knock him because he never won a Super Bowl. Montana and Brady combine for seven. In Joe's regular season career, he had a 117-47 starter's record, while Brady is a whopping 87-24. While Montana has a larger sample size, his winning percentage stands at .713, while at .784, Brady is 71 points higher.

Also, Tom Terrific's 93.0 quarterback rating is 0.7 higher than Montana's 92.3. And Brady, who has 199 career touchdowns and 87 interceptions, averages 2.3 touchdowns per interception, while Montana averaged 1.93 TD/INT.

Help: The quarterback position is an inexact science. People expect wins, but it seems that sometimes, quarterbacks get bashed far too much for losses and get too much credit for wins.

When they do manage to win, fans sometimes say the quarterbacks didn't "earn" it, saying he got far too much help from his teammates, but football is a team game, not a quarterback one. And Tom Brady, while he had considerable help around him and a great offensive line, didn't have Jerry Rice.

In 1981, when Montana won his first Super Bowl, he had Dwight Clark to throw to, who made "The Catch", and from 1980 to 1986, had 700 yards or more each season, including 1,105 in '81. On top of that, the Niners ranked second in defense that year. In 1984, Montana's second Super Bowl winning season, the 49ers ranked first in defense. He also had Roger Craig, a four-time Pro Bowler, and still had Clark. Then in 1988 and 1989, the last two times he won the Super Bowl, he had Jerry Rice, the best receiver in NFL history, at the age of 26 and 27, and in those years, he combined for 146 catches, 2,789 yards, and 26 touchdowns.

This is not to say Montana is an overrated bum who only won games because of talent around him. Montana was a sensational quarterback. He was clutch, but he also had some help. Brady never had Jerry Rice. He never had Roger Craig. In fact, until the Pats acquired Randy Moss before the 2007 season, New England never had a big-time receiver.

Sure, Troy Brown was a consistent player, but he's hardly in Hall of Fame consideration, and he only made one Pro Bowl. When the Pats won again in 2003 and 2004, Brady's main receivers were Deion Branch and Brown, who combined for just 97 receptions and seven touchdowns in '03.

Ironically enough, Brady lost his only Super Bowl with Moss to throw to. If you combine Brown, Corey Dillon, and Branch, there are just five Pro Bowls. But between Rice, Craig, and Clark, you have the best wide receiver in NFL history, one of the most complete backs ever, a consistent threat who made "The Catch", and 19 Pro Bowls.

Think about it.

The other candidates: Yes, there are other candidates. Terry Bradshaw, for one, but he applies to the Montana ruling. Ask yourself this: if Brady had the defense the Steelers had during the 70's, and two Hall of Fame wide receivers, along with Franco Harris and arguably the best center in NFL history in Mike Webster, how many rings would Brady have? I'm sure Brady would have at least five. Bradshaw was a great quarterback, and he deserved the spot he got in the Hall of Fame, no doubt. But he had the best defense, led by Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and L.C. Greenwood. And like I said, he had Franco Harris, a Hall of Fame center, and John Stallworth and Lynn Swann to throw to.

Steve Young and Peyton Manning are also in consideration, but Peyton's 7-8 playoff record is less than stellar, and Young was just 8-6 in the playoffs, so they are Hall of Famers, but not the best in the modern era.

2008 NFL Draft Class: Six Players Highlight a Class To Be Remembered

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:55:10 -0400

It's still way too early to predict how the draft of 2008 will stack up when it's all said and done. But, it has gotten off to a great start, and could some day go down as one of the best classes in NFL history.

There were many great players in that draft, but six players highlight just how great that draft was.

Jake Long, OT, Michigan

With the first overall pick, the Miami Dolphins were up. In 2007, the "Fins" won just one game, beating the Baltimore Ravens at home, 22-16. After the year, there had to be a chance.

Immediately, the team hired Bill Parcells as executive vice president, who promptly fired most of the coaching staff, traded DE Jason Taylor, and released LB Zach Thomas.

In the 2008 draft, they had many choices. Since they had lost Taylor, they would need to add a guy to rush the passer, and Chris Long, a defensive end out of Virginia, was available.

They didn't really have a quarterback either, and Matt Ryan (Boston College) was also considered an elite prospect.

But instead, the Dolphins did what smart teams do: build on the offensive line. They say football games are won in the trenches, and in them, you'll need a big, dominant left tackle like Long.

Jake didn't turn around the Dolphins singlehandedly, but you can't argue he played a key role in the magical year, as the Dolphins went from a laughing stock (1 win, 15 losses) to one of the best teams in football during the 2009 season (11-5, AFC East champs). It was an outstanding pick for the Dolphins and continues to be one.

Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

Before the draft, the buzz was that the Baltimore Ravens, fresh off a miserable 5-11 season, would trade up for Ryan. However, the Falcons refused, and insisted on drafting Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick. He got off to a perfect start.

His first regular season pass resulted in a touchdown to Michael Jenkins. He finished the season 11-5 as a starter. Besides Dan Marino's phenomenal season in 1983, Ryan had the best rookie season for any quarterback, with over 3,400 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He led his Falcons, who were disasterous in 2007, to an 11-5 record.

While the Ravens certainly won't complain with Joe Flacco, Atlanta hit a home run here in drafting Matt. He signed a six-year, $72M contract that looked ludicrous for any rookie, and even he will have trouble earning all that, but he's certainly living up to the hype.

Really, he turned around the franchise. After the Michael Vick dog-fighting saga and the tragedy that was Bobby Petrino's NFL coaching career, the franchise was in meltdown mode. But Ryan has been their savior.

Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware

Flacco went into the draft as the No. 2 quarterback prospect, but wasn't a sure bet to even get drafted in the first two rounds. Because he was at the University of Delaware, scouts questioned how much of his success had to do with a lack of competition.

After the Ravens couldn't get Ryan, they snagged Flacco, who threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions as a senior. Ravens fans had one question: who is Flacco?

But after the season came to an end, everyone had gotten familiar with the name. He started all 16 games, threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 14 touchdowns, and became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.

He was signed to a five-year, $30M contract, and looks to be the Ravens' future and present offensively. He won over his teammates, the coaches, and the fans.

All of a sudden, the Ravens offense is dangerous and balanced, led by a slow, unathletic, 24-year-old quarterback who didn't play big time college football.

Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina

The Titans were coming off a year in which they went 10-6 and even went to the playoffs, but the result was unsatisfactory at the very least. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs, quarterback Vince Young finished the year with nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions, and the team didn't have any playmakers. The 2008 draft would be an ideal place to find one. There were some receivers and game-breaking halfbacks.

At 24, where the Titans were picking, they had a lot to choose from. No receiver had yet been taken, so they could take anyone.

Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, DeSean Jackson, you name it. But the Titans made a marvelous pick, taking East Carolina running back Chris Johnson.

In the combine, Johnson ran a 4.24 in the 40, and he also had the elusiveness that gave Tennessee reason to believe that he'd be a good player. And boy, was he. As a rookie, he started 14 games, and on 251 carries, he had over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. All in all, he had 294 touches, over 1,400 yard, and ten touchdowns. Not a bad pick at 24.

Matt Forte, RB, Tulane

It perplexed me when Forte got drafted so low. Coming out of Tulane, he had a superlative college career. From 2004 to 2006, he didn't have a prominent role, so he didn't post eye-popping numbers, but he still combined for over 2,000 yards on just 448 carries in three seasons.

Then, as a senior, he exploded, with over 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns. There was some fear of him being a one-hit wonder. After all, in the previous three years, his numbers weren't even in the neighborhood of what he posted as a senior. Also, of course, it's Tulane. It's not prime-time competition.

On top of that, he wasn't very fast nor slippery, the polar opposite of Johnson. Because of this, he was drafted in the second round (44th overall) by the Bears. People didn't expect him to make a major impact.

But Forte was the Bears offense as a rookie, plain and simple. He came to compete with Adrian Peterson (not the Adrian Peterson, of course) and Cedric Benson. Benson was released because of legal troubles, and he managed to beat AP2.

In his first game, he made a statement, rushing for 123 yards in a surprising 29-13 win over the Colts. He didn't look back, rushing for 1,238 yards on the season. He also excelled in the passing game, as he caught a whopping 63 passes for 477 yards and four touchdowns. He combined for 1,715 yards as a rookie.

It was third in the league, and it demolished Gale Sayers' team record of 1,374 in 1965.

DeSean Jackson, WR, California

At the University of California, the athletic Jackson excelled. After he left Cal for the draft, he ranked third in school history in receiving yards (2,423) and touchdowns (22), sixth in receptions (165), and over 20 percent of his plays totaled 20 yards or more.

But scouts questioned his attitude. He was coachable, but cocky. That was evident as a rookie, but that’s not what stuck out the most.

Because of his 5'10", 175 pound stature, he slipped all the way to the second round, where the Eagles, in need of some playmakers to help Donovan McNabb, drafted him. He had an embarrassing play in Week 2, where he celebrated a touchdown prematurely, flipping the ball behind his back at the one-yard line.

However, not many remember that after the season he had. He caught just two touchdowns, but he had 62 catches, 941 yards, and 8.8 yards per punt return.

But that's not it: Every draft has it's fair share of gems, and if those six were all this year's version had to show, I would consider this class very much weak. But those are just six names in practically a roster full of good picks.

LB Jerod Mayo (Patriots), the 10th overall pick, won Rookie DPOY, and figures to be one of the best linebackers in the game for years to come. The 23-year-old compiled 128 tackles and four pass deflections in 2008. And forget his blunder on Monday night.

Leodis McKelvin was a good pick at 11 for the Bills. He had 32 tackles, two interceptions, and a touchdown as a rookie. He looks to me like a future Pro Bowl corner. Then, the Broncos selected Ryan Clady. Amidst all the craziness in Denver, one thing "experts" can't criticize is this pick.

In 2008, he started every game, committed just three penalties, and allowed ½ of a sack. Sporting News rated him as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the NFL, and they'd be foolish not to. Then, the Panthers took Jonathan Stewart, who backed up one of the best running backs in football in DeAngelo Williams, and still ran for 836 yards and ten touchdowns.

At pick 22, the Cowboys took Arkansas RB Felix Jones, who is a joy to watch. He can score at any given time, and before he got hurt last season, he was averaging a 8.9 yards per run. He's the Cowboys No. 2 back, and a player any NFL fan should appreciate.

Then there's Dustin Keller, the tight end out of Purdue. With the 30th pick, the Jets nabbed him, and he responded. Dustin had 48 catches, 535 yards, and three touchdowns, and you have to figure he'll be even better with Mark Sanchez, a hypothesis with a similar conclusion that was Week 1, when he had 94 yards on four catches. And there were late-round steals.

I mentioned Jackson and Forte, but other second round picks that look to be selections to remember include John Carlson, Eddie Royal, and Ray Rice.

Carlson was taken 38th by Seattle, and is one of the premier tight ends in football for the future, and he proved that last year. He had 627 yards and five touchdowns with Seneca Wallace throwing to him last year, and 96 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 this year. Royal, taken 42nd by Denver, is ironic.

He wasn't a No. 1 in college, but he exploded for Denver, with 91 receptions, 980 yards, and five touchdowns. Rice, the 55th overall pick, is crucial to the future of the Ravens offense. He's small, but quick, and he compiled over 700 yards of offense as a rookie—and he was a third stringer. Now, he's a starter, and ran for 108 yards in Week 1.

There were more good picks. In the third round, Houston picked up Steve Slaton, who surprisingly led all rookies in rushing yards, with 1,282. There's also Tavares Gooden, the Miami linebacker taken by the Baltimore Ravens, who now takes over for the departed Bart Scott, and is certain to break out.

Only one name jumps out for me in the fourth round, but it's a big one: Tashard Choice. You don't know him now, but trust me - you will. He really came on late in the season when Marion Barber began to slip. In a very dangerous Dallas backfield, he found playing time, and averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 92 carries, running for 472 yards and two touchdowns.

The next round, there are two more good players; cornerback Orlando Scandrick was taken 143rd by the Cowboys out of Boise State, and Cowboys coaches like him. They like him so much that he was able to find good playing time as a rookie, impressive for a fifth rounder. He'll even start this week against the Giants.

Who can forget Tim Hightower, taken 149th overall by the Arizona Cardinals? Nobody realizes it, but he was a bruising goal-line back last year, scoring ten touchdowns.

Then in the seventh round, there's another steal. Peyton Hillis is a very sound football player. The running back for the Broncos starred as a blocking back for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas, and had some fun running the ball with Denver last year, with 343 yards and five touchdowns on just 68 carries.

You heard it here first. This draft will be remembered as one of the best ever for years to come.

Michael Crabtree: An Ignorant Kid Who Found Treasure....

Isaac Barrow — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:41:41 -0400

With the economic downfall in America, professional athletes are becoming less and less admired by the day. And if you're stuck up? Forget about it. In this past NFL draft, 256 kids were given the opportunity of a lifetime. They would have the chance to play football for a living—and make millions doing it.

No. 1 overall pick Matt Stafford signed a day before the draft, inking a deal worth $78 million over six years. Others, like Michael Oher, Jason Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith, and Aaron Curry didn't sign so quickly, but made sure to sign so they could get to training camp, get acclimated to the NFL life, and most importantly, learn the playbook.

But, to some people, some things are more important. Folks, meet Michael Crabtree.

In 2007, Crabtree exploded onto the scene as a freshman at Texas Tech. He was in an offense that also featured quarterback Graham Harrell, who threw for nearly 6,000 yards as a junior. Crabtree was his No. 1 guy. He was a four-star recruit out of Carter High in Dallas, TX, but mainly starred as a quarterback, throwing for nearly 1,000 yards, eight touchdowns, and six picks.

But the Red Raiders bred him as a receiver, and as a freshman, he was Harrell's go-to guy, catching a whopping 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns. His average game consisted of ten catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He slipped as a sophomore, but he still had a good season, with 97 catches, 1,165 yards, and 19 touchdowns. In two seasons, he had 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns.

He decided to declare for the draft and forgo his final two years of college. It looked extremely likely he would be a top-10 pick and the first wide receiver taken. But two months before the draft, he sustained a Jones fracture in his left foot. It required surgery, and he had to miss the combine (which is where all prospects can do is kill stock).

Then came draft day, and there was a shock element. The Raiders, with the seventh overall pick, had a choice to make. They could either take Crabtree or Darrius Heyward-Bey. The Raiders decided to take the speedy Bey and Crabtree slipped to the 10th overall pick, where the San Francisco 49ers jumped on him.

He looked very happy on draft day and it appeared the 49ers had their future No. 1 receiver. After all, Isaac Bruce isn't a legitimate No. 1 target.

Not so fast. It's Sept. 15. Preseason is over. Game one of the regular season is over. And Crabtree hasn't even caught a pass as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. He must be hurt, right? Wrong. Totally wrong. He hasn't even signed a contract yet. His agent, Eugene Parker, represents some famous NFL players, but isn't at Scott Boras' level yet as being a pig of an agent.

"Is he willing to sit out the entire year? I think so. I really think so," Crabtree's friend Deion Sanders said. "There have been two teams that have contacted the 49ers desiring a trade and who will pay this kid and he knows that."

What Deion fails to point out is that, technically, he's not even allowed to get traded yet. The deadline for trading draft picks passed a month ago, so even if teams are interested in his services, he can't be traded yet. Let me make this clear: Crabtree is an NFL-ready prospect. He's tall, has good hands, and is a monster after the catch. But I must question the thoughts going through his mind here.

First of all, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. He has a chance to catch passes for a living, and he's passing that up because he wants $8 million a year instead of four? I don't think the kid gets it. If these draft picks who held out saw what's going on in America (poverty, health care, economic downfall), they wouldn't be so picky with contracts.

I know fans would love to see athletes stop doing that. For example, Mark Teixeira spurned the Baltimore Orioles' offer of seven years, $150 million in favor of the Yankees' eight years, $180 million. With the O's offer, he'd make $21.4 million a year. With the Yankees, he'd make $22.5 million.

What's $1.1 million mean when you would already make 19.4 times that?

Same thing with Crabtree. The 49ers are willing to pay him $20 million over five years, but he wants $40 million. And now he's absolutely demolishing his career. It appears he'll sit out the entire 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Imagine this. If you have a chance to make $4 million a year, come in out of shape, maybe play a prominent role, and go back home, wouldn't you do it? Heck, I would.

But not Crabtree. He's going to re-enter the draft in 2010, and it really makes no sense at all. First of all, if he wants money, this is not the way to get it. He'll be drafted lower than he did last year, he'll get less money, and chances are, he won't live up to his hype. He'll be out of shape at the combine and teams will be turned off.

They'll be more inclined to draft other 2010 draft-eligible wide receivers like Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) or Arrelious Benn (Illinois). Those guys don't appear to be divas like this guy. Michael just seems like a guy who found treasure, didn't know what to do with it, and threw it out. And as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

The Ravens Wide Receiving Corps: Let's Examine This "Problem"...

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:37:00 -0400

The Baltimore Ravens are expected to contend this year. If anything, they look like a good bet to grab one of the final two spots as a Wild Card team. One thing people claim to be a weakness on this team is the wide receiving core. The Ravens have just four receivers, as they cut Eron Riley, Justin Harper, and Yamon Figurs, and decided to keep Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Kelley Washington, and Demetrius Williams.

You have to figure that core is going to catch some criticism. Mason is very productive, but 35 years old. Clayton is inconsistent. Williams has the tools, but can't stay healthy. Washington hasn't really proven much and is nothing more than a No. 5 on most teams.

And the "analysts" who reside in Bristol, CT (ESPN) point this out to be a major weakness.

Really? That logic certainly applied last year, when the Ravens had a non-existent Todd Heap, and only two of those four receivers played a full season with Baltimore. Yet, they went to the AFC Championship. Let's allow "expert" Cris Carter tell it like it is. "They're not that good. If they get in a close game and the other team is just a little better, they will lose."

That's such a complex theory Sir, I don't think I can keep up with that. If it's close and the other team is better, the other team will win. And that argument certainly is fact driven. Do tell, Cris!

But back to the core. People were shocked when the Ravens didn't draft a receiver in the first round, or in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh, for that matter. People were also somewhat surprised when the Ravens passed on free agents like Terrell Owens, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison and also didn't trade for disgruntled wideouts like Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin. The cold truth: it wouldn't make sense.

First of all, would these players really fit? Obviously, guys like Harrison and Holt are as old—or older—than Mason. Harrison is on a steep decline. After catching 95 passes for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2006, he's combined for 80 catches, 881 yards, and six touchdowns his last two seasons.

He's also in legal trouble, and is 37 years old. Nonsensical. Holt is also the same way. He's 33, and had the worst year of his career in 2008, with just 12.4 yards per catch and three touchdowns. Also nonsensical. And where can you even start with Terrell Owens? The Ravens, while looking for wins now, are building for the future, and T.O. is 35, and really seemed inconsistent last year.

Let's not forget that he's selfish. He's the polar opposite of Mason. He's not a team player. He'd also consume about $7 million in cap space that the Ravens would want to use to re-sign Terrell Suggs, which they eventually did, and guys the Ravens want to extend in the future, like Haloti Ngata, Jared Gaither, Fabian Washington, Dawan Landry, and Le'Ron McClain. Bringing in T.O. would cause the inevitable locker room divide.

Houshmandzadeh would be the same thing. He's certainly a fantastic possession receiver, but would the Ravens want to pay him $44 million over four years like the Seattle Seahawks did? Absolutely not.

Like I said, the Ravens want to pay guys like Suggs, Ngata, Gaither, and McClain, homegrown guys who are also younger then T.J. The same logic applies with Marshall and Boldin. Marshall is a walking headache. We all saw the infamous practice video. The one where he refused to catch passes, punted the ball after running drills, and walked across the field during sprints.

If he wanted to kill all of his trade value, he did a mighty good job. He wants one thing: money. And the Ravens can't provide it to guys like that.

Same thing with Boldin. He wants Larry Fitzgerald money. You can't ask the Ravens to sign two guys to lucrative extensions in consecutive years. They signed Terrell Suggs to a six-year, $63 million extension last offseason, and if the Ravens were to trade Boldin, the entire season would be an audition for a pay day for him.

So, I mean, really? You think the Ravens should pay a receiver when they've proven they can win with the guys they have? Why fix it if it's not broken?

And in the draft, the Ravens had a chance to take a guy like Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks in the first round, but they had an opportunity they couldn't pass up. They had a chance to take Michael Oher, an offensive tackle many were comparing to Orlando Pace. And it's pure luck, too. Just weeks after selecting him, Willie Anderson retired, and Adam Terry was on injured reserve, and that would leave the Ravens with no right tackle. Luckily, they selected Oher, and signed him to a rather cheap five-year, $13 million deal.

I think Ozzie Newsome put it best: "If we take care of Joe, Joe will take care of us." By that, he means that if the Ravens have a solid offensive line, the Ravens won't need a receiver of Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin's stature. The Ravens have a very dangerous duo of offensive tackles with Jared Gaither and Oher, who average 22.5 years of age, but that's not to say they aren't good.

Last year, Gaither did a very good job stepping in for that Jonathan Ogden guy, who had a decent 12-year career. The 22-year-old Gaither allowed three sacks in 15 starts, ranking sixth in the league, ahead of guys like Walter Jones, Matt Light, and Joe Thomas. And what can you say about Oher? He did a good job during the preseason, and I have great confidence in him.

The Ravens also have a good guard tandem. Ben Grubbs is a very underrated guy, as are most guards. Marshal Yanda has been good during his career with the Ravens. And then at center, the Ravens have some experience in Matt Birk, who signed a three-year, $12M free agent contract this offseason. With the Vikings, he made six Pro Bowls.

So, you don't need an amazing receiver. Would it be nice for Flacco to throw to Anquan Boldin or Brandon Marshall? Of course it would. It'd be a nice sight to see. But the offensive line will make Joe look better, who will make the receivers look better.

The Ravens are no stranger to proving doubters wrong. I see this as no exception.

Baltimore's Joe Flacco Should be Offended Folks Only Speak of Ravens' Defense

Isaac Barrow — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:22:37 -0400

Gotta love the media, eh?

Last year, the Ravens saw something they never knew existed: a quarterback.

From 2000 to 2007, the Ravens' quarterbacks combined for 24,815 yards, 138 touchdowns, 132 interceptions, and a 77.7 quarterback rating. Think it's time to grab a quarterback?

That's when the Ravens drafted unknown Delaware product Joe Flacco, who threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions as a senior. He was tabbed with the 18th overall pic, and signed a five-year, $30 million contract.

He struggled early, throwing one touchdown and seven interceptions in his first five games. But then, there was a spark.

Whatever it was, it worked. In those first five games, the Ravens went just 2-3, but in the next 11, Flacco threw for 2,127 yards, 13 TD, five INT, and the Ravens went 9-2. So what's not to like? A rookie quarterback who earned a reputation for his poise and toughness.

He led the Ravens to an 11-5 record, and an AFC Championship Game appearance. But of all the quarterbacks who went to the playoffs. He appears to get bashed the most. Some have the audacity to compare him to former Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer. Instead of relying on a fact-driven argument, the author here decided it would be best to make fun of his looks:

"Based on last years stats Flacco should be compared to the likes of Trent Dilfer, JaMarcus Russell, and Tyler Thigpen. And honestly the only thing Flacco has on any of the three aforementioned players is the gigantic disgusting unibrow."

And instead of having a poll relating to Joe Flacco, the player, the poll was "Is Joe Flacco the ugliest player in the NFL?".

Others are just plain jealous. It's odd a Browns fan would be so angry about the alleged "media crush" people have on Flacco. It's also odd the article was written shortly after Flacco threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns in a 37-27 win.

He also exhibited stellar spelling and grammar: "People rave about this large armed, quarterback like he's in the same category as Payton Manning." Well done sir, it's Peyton.

I read another article today that was much, much better than the previous two. It actually had facts, numbers, and it was spelled correctly. On top of that, it was by an author who had never written an article on B/R before.

He made a logical point: "What I'm saying is Flacco has done less with more." But I still disagree.

The same tired argument is thrown at Flacco. He's a game manager. The only reason the Ravens won last year is because of defense.

Did the Ravens win several games because of great players on the defensive side like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata? Absolutely. I'd be foolish to deny that. But, if you look at those games, Flacco still played well. People just discredit that because the defense also stepped it up.

Let's take a few examples. In a 41-13 win over the Texans, the defense played incredibly well. They picked off four passes, including two by Ray Lewis. So yes, the defense played great.

But in that game, Flacco was very impressive, going 15-of-23 with 185 yards and two touchdowns. But, because the Ravens picked off four passes, including one in the end zone, the defense gets the credit. And they should. But so should Flacco.

There are many other examples.

In a 27-13 win over Miami, he was 17-of-23 with 232 yards and a touchdown. In a 37-27 win over the Browns, he was great, with 248 yards and 2 TD, leading a comeback win.

Against Cincinnati, he threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns. Against Jacksonville, he was great, with 297 yards on just 23 attempts. And against Dallas, he had 150 yards and was 17-of-25 in a very hostile Texas Stadium environment. It was a gutty performance. But does he get credit? Nope.

Because the defense also played well in all of those games, the credit mostly goes to the folks on the Ravens defensive unit, and while they absolutely deserve it, so does Flacco.

In the article, Ryan Michael made a comment with some merit and brought up a very good point, asking if Flacco were a Raider, he wouldn't get so much credit. While it may be true, it's irrelevant. Football is a team game. Not a quarterback game. And besides, what quarterback would be good with the Raiders? Drew Brees, for example, threw for 5,069 yards last year for the Saints, but they went 8-8.

I've heard some ridiculous slights on Flacco over the past few months, but easily the most ridiculous was Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston claiming he saw some Kyle Boller in him. It's downright ridiculous. First of all, Preston is putting so much unnecessary stock into these passes. These throws weren't even preseason—they were in practice!

First of all, the two aren't comparable. Boller had terrible poise, decision making, and was horrible under duress. Flacco is the exact opposite.

He's shown an ability to stay in the pocket when getting pressure, and has improved his decision making. And three weeks later, he went 23-of-28 with 247 yards against Carolina. Good call, Mikey P.

My point is simple. Did the Ravens win for the most part based on their defense and run game? Absolutely. Is Flacco an elite quarterback? Absolutely not. He probably ranks at 18-20, tops, of quarterbacks in the NFL.

But people bash him for something he's not doing. People bash him because the Ravens defense is stellar. They discredit all that he did last year. During that 11-game stretch, the Ravens defense allowed a total of 154 points, just 14 per game. That's what people remember. Not that Flacco had more than 2,000 yards, and a 2.6:1 TD:INT ratio.

I don't have anything clever to add. But that will be all.

NFL: Ranking the Top 10 Organizations in the League

Isaac Barrow — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:44:48 -0400

10. Tennessee Titans: I don't think you can say enough about the job Jeff Fisher has done in his tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. He took over in 1995, and since then the team has gone 128-102. In my opinion, he is just a title away from greatness.

The Vince Young saga was an absolute disgrace, but you could tell part of the run the Titans made last year was Jeff Fisher coaching. In his years, the Titans have been in contention pretty consistently, and have won 10 games six times, which is remarkable considering this is indeed the NFL, where the word "consistency" loses its meaning.

That's why teams who you can bet contend every year like the Pats, Steelers, and Colts are so unique.

And you know they draft well. The Titans have pulled off some magical draft picks. Drafting Chris Johnson and Michael Griffin back to back was nothing short of miraculous. Johnson was fantastic as a rookie, and Griffin is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and was a ballhawk last year.

Pacman Jones and Vince Young were terrible picks, but the Titans also have picked Michael Roos, who is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, DT Albert Haynesworth (2002, first round), Keith Bulluck (2000, first round), Jevon Kearse (1999, first round), Samari Rolle (1998, second round), and even the late Steve McNair (1995, first round).

Let's not forget Derrick Mason, who was drafted by Tennessee in the fourth round in 1997 and is one of the most productive receivers in the game.

9. San Diego Chargers: People underrate the job the Chargers have done over the years, but they really shouldn't.

Yes, they did draft Ryan Leaf. But over the last 10 years, they have done a tremendous job and appear to have the AFC West locked up for many years to come.

In 2001, they laid the foundation, drafting both QB Drew Brees (Purdue) and RB LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) back to back. They continued to pull off good drafts and do to this day, selecting Quentin Jammer and Ben Leber early in 2002, Drayton Florence and Mike Scifres in 2003, and 2004 was a gem of a draft class.

They took Eli Manning, which translated to Rivers, and also took Igor Olshansky, who was a good DT until leaving last offseason.

They also got Nate Kaeding, Nick Hardwick, Shaun Phillips, and Ryan Bingham. I think it's one of the more underrated draft classes in the last decade. And who can forget the last four years, when they have gotten countless good football players, including Shawne Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Cromartie, Marcus McNeill, and even Eric Weddle?

Since 2004, the "Bolts" are 54-26, and while some of that can be attributed to the weak division they play in, a lot is also a credit to the class of that organization.

8. Dallas Cowboys: The five Super Bowls speak for themselves.

True, the Dallas Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since 1996, but that's not to say they aren't a great organization. In fact, during that period, they are 105-103, and in the last five years, are 46-34.

I don't see this drought lasting too much longer. They have the pieces in place. They have a quarterback, a dangerous run game, a scary offensive line, and a solid defense. They have what it takes. Jerry Jones is a fantastic owner, and not so much as a GM, but I like what I see in this Cowboys organization. People still heckle Jones as a GM for trading draft picks for Roy Williams, but they are still good drafters.

In the last few years, they have made some good decisions in the draft room. Felix Jones was great as a rookie until he was hurt, and Tashard Choice really came on as the year progressed.

The 2005 draft was underrated for the Boys. They took DeMarcus Ware first, who, in four years, has 53-1/2 sacks. Let's not forget Kevin Burnett, Marion Barber, Chris Canty, and Jay Ratliff. And in 2003, they took Jason Witten, Terrence Newman, and Bradie James. Say what you will about the Roy Williams trade and the $1.15 billion stadium. This team wins—and the right way, at that.

7. Green Bay Packers: The days of Brett Favre are long gone, and if I'm a Packers fan, I'm not too sad about it. They have a brilliant organization.

Since 2001, they are 75-53, and while that has a lot to do with Brett Favre's presence, they have the looks of a great team now. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, and proved that last year. Ted Thompson and the Packers definitely handled that situation perfectly, opting for the future in Rodgers.

It's very hard to evaluate drafts so prematurely, but it's pretty obvious the 2009 Packers draft class was a good one, as they got two solid prospects in the first round. Not only did they get that, they added to their defense—something they needed to do.

You can't question the drafting. James Jones, Aaron Rouse, and Mason Crosby figure to play prominent roles in the future and both Rouse and Crosby were starters last year. Throughout the last few years, they have been inconsistent. But you can't criticize what they get when they're on.

Since 2001, they've gotten some good players like Javon Walker, Najeh Davenport, Nick Barnett, Nick Collins, Brady Poppinga, A.J. Hawk, and even Jermichael Finley, who has truly emerged during the preseason. Let's not forget Greg Jennings, drafting Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the 2000 draft in the fifth round, and finding a diamond in the rough in 1999 when they picked Donald Driver in round seven.

6. Baltimore Ravens: Most great NFL players don't make great front office executives, but Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome is a rare exception.

For 13 years, he was a great tight end for the Cleveland Browns, catching 662 passes for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns. His average season consisted of 51 catches, 614 yards, and four touchdowns.

In 1999, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1996, when the Browns moved to Baltimore, he became the general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, and his first draft picks rate as one of the best draft classes in NFL history, as he took both Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in the first round.

In franchise history, the Ravens are 107-100-1, with one Super Bowl victory. Like every team, the Ravens are off from time to time, but always regroup with drafting. They have taken Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Terrell Suggs, Peter Boulware, Chris McAlister, Todd Heap, Haloti Ngata, Sam Koch, and of course, Ed Reed. Not a bad core of players in just 13 years of franchise existence.

The Ravens always draft well, and more recently, found their franchise quarterback when they selected Joe Flacco in 2008. This franchise has a bright future—and present.

5. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts changed the direction of the franchise in the 1998 draft. They had a choice to make. They could either take Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, who threw for 3,637 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as a senior at Washington State, or they could take Peyton Manning, who threw for 3,819 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions for the Tennessee Vols.

They decided to take Manning, who in 12 years with Indy, has 9 Pro Bowls, 3 MVPs, and one Super Bowl ring.

On the other hand, Leaf is considered the biggest bust in NFL history, as he threw 14 touchdowns and 35 interceptions and is currently in jail. Good decision, Indy.

But it's not just this. Over the last decade or so, the Colts have done a good job in pretty much every draft, as they have taken some very good players like Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Antoine Bethea, Kelvin Hayden, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Cato June, Dwight Freeney, Ryan Diem, and of course, Jeff Saturday.

Since 2000, when Peyton really got settled in, the Colts are ridiculously consistent, with a 101-43 record, good for an almost unbelievable .701 winning percentage. You have to respect the way the organization does things.

4. New York Giants: Another underrated organization. The Giants are excellent drafters, handle cap well, and are a very-well respected team throughout the NFL.

Of course, we all remember the Eli Manning-for-Philip Rivers swap during the 2004 draft, and it's debatable who got the edge there. Eli has won a ring, but individually, Rivers has clearly had the superior career. That 2007 magical run the Giants had was fun to watch.

They beat some teams many thought of as clearly superior, like the 18-0 Patriots, along with Brett Favre's Packers, who won 13 games that year. Eli grew up during the playoffs, making much smarter decisions.

The Giants definitely draft well. They go by the "best player available" philosophy, which most smart teams use. And since 2000, the results speak for themselves. In 2000, they added Cornelius Griffin and Dhani Jones, both guys who panned out, just not with New York.

In 2001, they added Jeremy Shockey, who was certainly a good tight end there from 2001 to 2007. They even got Osi Umenyiora, David Diehl, and William Joseph the next year, certainly an impressive draft. Others since 2002 include Chris Snee, Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs, Mathias Kiwanuka, Aaron Ross, Jay Alford, and Kevin Boss.

3. Philadelphia Eagles: The way Joe Banner, Jeffrey Lurie, and the Philadelphia Eagles handle cap astonishes me. They are able to sign big name guys every offseason like Jason Peters, Asante Samuel, and Stacey Andrews, but still have plenty of cap room to make sure their core of players stay happy.

And nobody can question the way they draft. For every bust like Jerome McDougle (1st round, 2003), there's a Donovan McNabb, Shawn Andrews, Mike Patterson, Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, Tra Thomas, Trent Cole, or a Stewart Bradley.

Every owner likes comfort. They like to have stability at both head coach and quarterback. They want to have guys they feel can produce year in and year out, but can also do it for a while. The Eagles have gotten that in Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.

Reid has been head coach for ten years and has a 97-62-1 record, and in my opinion, is just a Super Bowl victory away from Hall of Fame consideration. McNabb is also that. He's been an Eagle for 10 years, and the numbers speak for themselves: 29,320 passing yards, 194 touchdowns, 90 interceptions, 3,109 rushing yards and 26 rushing TDs, along with an 82-45-1 starter's record. Need I say more?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: It's easy to hate the Steelers. However, I can't do it.

They have the six Super Bowl rings, had a dynasty during the 1970's, and have two Super Bowls in the last five seasons. But they win the right way. They are a class organization. They draft brilliantly, chase guys who can play, but also have character, and have respectful players and coaches.

You can hate them, but you almost have to have respect for them. In the 1974 draft, they got John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, and Jack Lambert—four Hall of Famers in a single draft.

They haven't had a draft so impressive since, but they've still been solid. Since 1998, they've added guys like Hines Ward, Alan Faneca, DeShea Townsend, Joey Porter, Aaron Smith, Marvel Smith, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Kendal Simmons, Brett Keisel, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Santonio Holmes, Lawrence Timmons, and LaMarr Woodley.

And who can forget them picking up James Harrison on the waiver wire as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State and turning him into a 2008 NFL defensive player of the year?

1. New England Patriots: It's hard to put anyone above the Steelers, but if anyone is a better organization than them, it's Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots.

Like the Steelers, many people despise the Pats, but also like the Steelers, it's for no real good reason. They win too much. That about wraps up those fans' justifications.

The Patriots win, but not like the Yankees, they win the right way. They build from within. If you look around the Pats' depth chart, almost everyone is homegrown. Except Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Pats have a roster of players they drafted.

Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick. The whole offensive line is homegrown, and eight of the 11 defensive starters were drafted.

That's phenomenal. The Patriots have the wins for the right reason. They don't buy everybody much like the Washington Redskins do.

In fact, it's quite the opposite for the Pats. It seems they are firmly against using the free agent market to win games. It's understandable that people hate the Pats. They win too much.

But you have to respect how the organization works. They win the right way, and it shows it's not just because of Tom Brady, as after losing him in the first game last year, they still managed to go 11-5, with Matt Cassel—who hadn't started since high school. It was a credit to the coaching, especially Belichick, and the depth of the team. So they are my No. 1 organization.

Digesting The Baltimore Ravens' Final 53-Man Roster (Defense)

Isaac Barrow — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:19:34 -0400

Defensive line—Kelly Gregg (starter), Haloti Ngata (starter), Terrell Suggs (starter), Trevor Pryce (starter), Brandon McKinney, Justin Bannan, Dwan Edwards, Paul Kruger, Kelly Talavou.

No major surprise here. The only defensive lineman cut were both no-names, as the team let go of Will Johnson and Nader Abdallah, both undrafted free agent defensive tackles. Johnson was hurt and Abdallah never did much of anything during the preseason. Gregg and Ngata will line up as defensive tackles in a 4-3, with Suggs and Pryce on the ends. The Ravens will run a 4-3 for the most part this year, much like they did during the magical 2000 Super Bowl season, and I think it's a wise decision. It helps not only Suggs as a pass-rusher, but also, it keeps Ngata and Gregg at positions where they can be utilized correctly.

The Ravens have great defensive line depth. McKinney is a guy who can be a future nose tackle when Gregg or Pryce depart. Bannan played well down the stretch last year, finishing with 45 tackles and one sack, and has been surprisingly good the last two seasons. Edwards has been a disappointment. Drafted high a few years back, he's never quite come into his own. Both Kruger and Talavou emerged this preseason, and both have the chance to become starters in the near future.

Linebackers—Ray Lewis (starter), Tavares Gooden (starter), Jarret Johnson (starter), Jameel McClain, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Antwan Barnes, Dannell Ellerbe, Prescott Burgess.

No big surprises here. The only guy who was really thought of as a "bubble" was maybe Ellerbe or Burgess. Ellerbe, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Georgia, is an intriguing prospect. He was a good pass-rusher in college, and mainly because of his 6'1", 228 pound stature, he didn't get drafted, but the Ravens signed him to a free agent deal to add some linebacker depth. Lewis, Gooden, and Johnson will start, and there will be no worries about backups for Lewis and Johnson, who have missed a combined two games in the last two seasons.

The Ravens former inside linebacker, Bart Scott, signed a six-year, $48M deal with the Jets this offseason, and the battle was between Tavares Gooden, Jameel McClain, Prescott Burgess, Antwan Barnes, and Brendon Ayanbadejo, but Gooden was the clear leader going into the preseason, and he didn't hurt himself at all during the preseason, and he looked very good in each game, combining for 13 tackles, two sacks, and one pass deflection. He's definitely a breakout candidate. Barnes and Burgess are both guys who I don't like on the roster next year. I haven't seen improvement.

Cornerbacks—Domonique Foxworth (starter), Fabian Washington (starter), Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Frank Walker.

No surprises here. Except for Frank Walker. I don't think anyone expected him to make the roster. He's definitely the weak spot of the defense, but, much to the dismay of opposing quarterbacks, he's not a starter. In the preseason, he made Jake Delhomme and Kellen Clemens look a whole lot better than they actually were. Derrick Martin played well during the preseason, and head coach John Harbaugh spoke highly of him, but the team traded him to Green Bay in order to get a solid offensive lineman in Tony Moll, who adds some depth.

Carr and Foxworth were great signings. Carr didn't cost much (2 YR/$5M), and is very underrated. He's a nickelback, and last year for the 13-3 Tennessee Titans, was good in the role, posting 31 tackles and one interception. But that's not all that he brings. He's a fantastic return man. He finished 4th in the NFL in kick return average and eighth in the AFC in punt return average. The Ravens didn't want to lose Jim Leonhard, but they get his clone in Carr. Foxworth was worth the money. He'll be getting $28M over four years, and he looks well worth it. Webb, the Ravens third round pick, offers versatility as a corner, safety, kick returner, and punt returner. A younger version of Carr, if you will. It was a bit surprising that Evan Oglesby didn't make it, but they didn't really need him, either.

Safeties—Ed Reed (starter), Dawan Landry (starter), Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura.

I'm a bit surprised Ed Reed made the roster. What has he proven over the years? Kidding. No bubble guys here. Reed and Landry came into the season as starters, and both "Zibby" and Nakamura came into the season as backups, and that's what it looks like now. Reed had nine picks last year, and was certainly a candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was a ballhawk, as he has been his entire NFL career, scoring three more defensive touchdowns, including an 108-yard touchdown against the Eagles, a record he broke—one he set in 2004.

Landry has been surprisingly good during his career. As a rookie, he had 70 tackles, five interceptions, and one defensive touchdown for a 2006 Ravens team that had a defensive unit comparable to the 2000 team. In 2007, for a 5-11 team, he was a quiet producer, finishing with 82 tackles. And in 2008, he had 11 tackles in two games, but after suffering a concussion, he never returned. Haruki Nakamura and "Zibby" are good return men, and don't really have futures as starters, as both Reed and Landry have good days ahead.

Kicker/punter/long snapper—Steve Hauschka (starter), Sam Koch (starter), Matt Katula (starter).

Some speculated the Ravens would try to re-sign Matt Stover, who spent 13 great years with the franchise, but Hauschka certainly did what he had to do during the preseason, showing the Ravens can work in house to find their new kicker. Even last year, he made a 54-yard field goal. The Ravens have their future—and present—kicker in Hauschka. Coach Harbaugh never ruled out bringing Stover back, but he said today that Hauschka was the winner.

I don't feel bold in saying that Sam Koch is one of the best punters in the NFL. He averaged a whopping 45 yards per punt, and consistently pinned teams deep in their own territory. And in the preseason, he's looked no different, including kicks of 57, 52, and 50. Matt Katula has been the long snapper in Baltimore for four years, and because of the position he plays, no one notices.

Digesting the Baltimore Ravens' Final 53-Man Roster (Offense)

Isaac Barrow — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:40:20 -0400

When you ask head coaches what the hardest part of their job is, their answers will be similar: cutting somebody. It's something that has to be done, but you never like to see somebody who has worked so hard to reach the NFL, only to get canned and looking for a job.

Today, at 4 PM ET, all teams were required to have their final 53-man roster set. On every NFL team, there are guys who have a spot on the roster. On a team like the Ravens, one of those guys is quarterback Joe Flacco. But there are also bubble guys, and with 75 on the roster after the last preseason game, teams have little time to cut their roster down to 53.

Today, the Ravens cut their roster down to 53, parting ways with 22 players.

Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco (starter), Troy Smith, John Beck.

No surprises here. In my opinion, Beck deserves the backup job. Smith is an intriguing talent, as he has good escapability, but really, he hasn't led the team down the field during the preseason, and while you can use the argument that he was in with backups, John Beck was in with backups against the Atlanta Falcons starters, and went 16-of-28 with 232 yards and two touchdowns, leading Baltimore to a 20-3 win.

So that's a very silly justification. In the preseason, Beck went 22-for-38 with 340 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, while Troy was 25-of-49 with 341 yards, one touchdown, and two picks.

Running backs/fullbacks: Ray Rice (starter), Willis McGahee, Matt Lawrence, Jalen Parmele, Le'Ron McClain (starter).

It was a bit surprising to see both Cedric Peerman and Jason Cook get released. First things first, Rice, McGahee, and McClain were givens to make the roster. Rice has looked very good in the preseason, McGahee has looked much-improved off last season's disappointing effort, and McClain is an All-Pro.

Peerman didn't get many chances running the ball, but the Ravens liked his "team player" style, as he played well on Special Teams. Lawrence also played well, and it was a battle between him and Peerman, and I thought Peerman would get the job because of his Special Teams play.

I also thought the Ravens would keep Cook for blocking-back depth and to give McClain more carries.

Wide receivers: Mark Clayton (starter), Derrick Mason (starter), Kelley Washington, Demetrius Williams.

Pretty terrible depth here. Clayton is coming off an injury and didn't participate at all during the preseason, granted he did come back to practice recently. Mason is 36. Washington, while he's a name, hasn't done much in the NFL, and Williams is incredibly injury prone.

In 2006, he had a solid rookie year, catching 22 passes for 396 yards. He started 2007 well, but missed the final seven games due to an injury. And after playing the first seven games in 2008, he left with a season-ending injury.

In the preseason finale, a 20-3 win against Atlanta, he stepped up, catching four passes for 77 yards. But look for the Ravens to add an available WR. Names that the Ravens could discuss include Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree, or Ronald Curry.

The Ravens released Justin Harper, who was very inconsistent, along with Yamon Figurs and Jayson Foster. Harper wowed some in training camp, and even had a good game against the Redskins (4 rec., 77 yards, 1 TD), and even caught a 51-yard pass against the Jets, but for Harper, it's simple. For every catch he made, there was a drop. The Ravens simply couldn't have that.

Figurs is a liability as a WR, and at his primary position, kick returner, he was average, at best, and with Lardarius Webb and Chris Carr in town, there's no room. Foster was a camp body, and he could be a practice squad guy.

Tight ends: Todd Heap (starter), LJ Smith, Edgar Jones.

Since the Ravens traded Derrick Martin to the Green Bay Packers for offensive tackle Tony Moll, the had to clear room for him, and released fifth-round pick Davon Drew, who never did much of anything during the preseason or practice.

Quinn Sypniewski, a player the Ravens had high hopes for, is now on IR, a place that has become all-too-familiar for him. Heap and Smith were both givens to make the roster as the one-two punch at tight end, and Edgar Jones is a guy the Ravens like, and mainly because he has versatility. He's a good special teams guy, can play tight end, and even plays defense as an OLB/DE. The team also cut Isaac Smolko.

Offensive line: Jared Gaither (starter), Ben Grubbs (starter), Matt Birk (starter), Marshal Yanda (starter), Michael Oher (starter), Chris Chester, David Hale, Tony Moll, Oniel Cousins.

No surprises here. The Ravens have a very good offensive tackle duo with Gaither and Oher, and a good, young guard tandem with Grubbs and Yanda, and an accomplished veteran center with Birk.

The backups are also pretty serviceable. Chester is a guy who can play guard and center, and can learn from a vet like Birk, or even a young kid like Grubbs. Hale impressed many during camp, and is also a very versatile guy, as he can play pretty much any position on the line.

Moll was acquired in a trade that sent Derrick Martin to Green Bay. As Rotoworld put it: "Baltimore got the better end of this deal. Moll isn't a mauler, but has starting experience and can play four positions. He's the ideal swing-type reserve." Cousins won't see any time this year, as the Ravens have three guys in front of him.

Joe Flacco: Why We Won't See a Sophomore Slump

Isaac Barrow — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:13:35 -0400

Now that we've seen that Ravens QB Joe Flacco can play at the NFL level, it's only a matter of consistency. Ravens fans can only hope he doesn't go through an infamous "sophomore slump."

Last year, he started every regular season game, throwing for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The stats don't jump out at you, but they're impressive when you consider that he had one touchdown and seven interceptions in his first five contests, only to throw for 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions his next 11.

He became the first rookie to win two road playoff games, and even played in the AFC Championship Game against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

People didn't set standards high for him going into the year.

First of all, he was a rookie. Rookies—especially quarterbacks—often struggle. On top of that, he was an unknown. Nobody really knew who he was. He's a quarterback coming out of Delaware, so he wasn't exactly the most hyped.

Most set the bar low for him, even Ravens fans. But not Flacco.

"When you’re an NFL quarterback, you have standards that you want to live up to," Flacco said. "And you don’t lower them just because you’re a rookie. I had my standards set high (last season) and goals I wanted to hit. Just because some people might not have thought I was going to succeed doesn’t mean I thought that way."

And as expected, he did struggle early.

In his first preseason game, he was 0-for-3, fumbled once, was sacked twice, and almost threw an interception, had it not been dropped. He clearly improved over the next three weeks, but he wasn't where he needed to be.

Because Troy Smith was sick, Kyle Boller was out for the season, and Todd Bouman wasn't even close to being an NFL starter, the Ravens had no choice to throw Flacco into the fire.

He was even a pretty good game manager in the first two games, winning both starts. But after three consecutive losses, it became apparent the Ravens had a rookie on their hands, but not yet an NFL-ready quarterback.

The Ravens lost three heartbreaking games. They played a very good game against the Steelers, but lost in overtime, 23-20. The next week, they played another good team, but fell to the undefeated Tennessee Titans, 13-10. And in week six, they played another good team, but this time, the Ravens were crushed, 31-3.

Flacco threw three interceptions, and coach John Harbaugh didn't sound too optimistic after the game. "We got what we deserved," the first-year coach said. "That's what happens when we play the way we did."

But after that game, Flacco and the Ravens went on a tear.

The defense played well, but "Joe The Quarterback" did as well. The Ravens won nine of their final 11, and during the stretch, Flacco threw for 2,127 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

The rookie who was used as a "game manager" early was now being unleashed as a quarterback who could attack teams well. The Ravens were suddenly in the playoffs, but Flacco didn't want them to stop there. The Ravens throttled the Dolphins, 27-9, behind Ed Reed's normal two interception, one touchdown game, and beat the Titans in an intense, smashmouth affair, 13-10.

“We’ve been confident in ourselves all year,” the first-round draft pick from Delaware said. “It seems like we’ve been on the road for the longest time. It doesn’t matter to us. We’re going to go out there and battle the crowd, battle the other team, and give it our best.”

Last year, Flacco was too busy to be a rookie; he'd rather be the starting quarterback for the Ravens. He proved he can be a very good NFL quarterback. As previously stated, the only question now is: can he keep it up?

Yes, he can.

If Joe and the Ravens proved anything last year, it was that they can rebound from heartbreaking defeats. For example, after losing three in a row—two by a field goal, one by four touchdowns—the Ravens won four in a row.

Following a devastating 30-10 loss to the Giants, the Ravens rebounded by dominating the Eagles, 36-7, Bengals, 34-3, and Redskins, 24-10. Then, in a physical battle for the AFC North, the Ravens lost a depressing game to the Steelers, 13-9, but followed by winning two in a row to clinch the last AFC Wild Card spot.

That's one thing Ravens fans, including myself, loved—perseverance. They rebounded from tough losses when some teams would fold, and you hardly could blame them.

So I don't see any reason for Joe to dwell on the AFC Championship loss in which Flacco threw three interceptions and the Ravens lost, 23-14. In fact, the Ravens rebounded from far worse losses.

In Week 6, they lost to the Colts, 31-3, and proceeded to win four straight. In Week 11, they lost to the Giants, 30-10, and then outscored teams by a score of 94-20 the next three games.

And he's looked like his late-season self so far in the preseason. Yes, it's preseason. The records are irrelevant. But Joe was still going against starters.

He went against the Redskins starters, and on two drives, went 9-for-15 with 105 yards and led two scoring marches.

In a Monday Night game against the Jets, his accuracy was off, at least statistically, as he went 8-for-18, but he had 120 yards, and led the Ravens to a touchdown on a Statue of Liberty play. And in Week 3, he torched the Panthers' first team secondary, going 23-of-28 with 247 yards and a touchdown.

Combined on the preseason, Flacco is 40-of-61 with 472 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, boasting a 94.4 quarterback rating. And yes, it's preseason. I'm well aware. But also, remember: he was going against first team defenses.

All the Redskins starting defensive players played, including all four defensive backs in safeties LaRon Landry and Chris Horton, along with corners DeAngelo Hall and Fred Smoot.

It was the same deal against the Jets. While Darrelle Revis didn't play, Lito Sheppard—an All Pro in 2006—did, along with Dwight Lowery, who is due to break out this year. And in Flacco's dominant performance against Carolina, both starting corners (Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble) started.

It's pretty clear that hiring offensive coordinator Cam Cameron during the 2008 offseason was a smart move. While Flacco deserves a ton of credit, Cam has a history of developing sound quarterbacks, i.e. Philip Rivers, Drew Brees.

In 2006, Rivers' first year as a starter, he threw for nearly 3,400 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, leading San Diego to an NFL-best 14-2 record. And he hasn't looked back.

Brees is obviously an elite QB, with over 26,000 career yards and 168 touchdowns.

Will the same be done for Flacco? I doubt it. But a sophomore slump? Not likely.

Baltimore Orioles: Predicting the 2010 Starting Rotation and Lineup

Isaac Barrow — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:10:46 -0400

The Baltimore Orioles are a team exciting to watch now. They have a good mix of thrilling young talent and proven veterans.

Despite the team's struggles, any O's fan knows that GM Andy MacPhail is true to his word of rebuilding the organization, and so far, I don't see any reason to complain.

He has clearly said the team won't contend this year, so I don't think anyone can really criticize the job MacPhail has done.

In fact, I think there should be heaps of praise thrown at Andy. If you look at the talent this team has now and then at 2006, a year before MacPhail took over, there's no sane comparison.

Right now, the rotation is young—but talented. Veteran Jeremy Guthrie leads it, and he's followed by not one, not two, not three, but four rookies.

First, there's David Hernandez, followed by Jason Berken, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz. However, it's very unlikely the rotation will look the same next year.

The lineup, too, will most likely look different next year. Brian Roberts, Felix Pie, and Adam Jones round out the top three, followed by Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, Luke Scott, Matt Wieters, Melvin Mora, and Cesar Izturis.

Analyzing the Situation

Starting rotation: The impossible maze O's fans are trying to solve is what the rotation will look like in 2010.

Jeremy Guthrie has looked a lot better lately, combining for four runs on 16 hits in 20 innings his last three starts, winning two of his three decisions. However, at 30, his time is running out.

Guthrie is 9-13, has a 5.18 ERA, and has gotten worse in nearly every major category from last season. He has fewer wins, more losses, a higher ERA, a higher WHIP, higher OBA, far more HR's and earned runs.

In the off-season, he took a pay cut, signing a one-year, $650,000 contract, which was odd, considering how consistent he was in 2008, posting a 3.63 ERA.

The O's are in a tough situation with him. They can either offer him arbitration, holding onto him for the 2010 season, and hope he turns it around.

On the other hand, they can let him walk, chase another veteran starter, or use a rotation filled with second-year arms, and maybe another rookie in the mix. And there are plenty of veterans who the O's could pursue.

An Erik Bedard Baltimore reunion could be in the cards, as he enters free agency. Other notables include Livan Hernandez, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Brad Penny, Andy Pettitte, Jarrod Washburn, and Randy Wolf.

Right now, both Tillman and Matusz have jobs in the 2010 starting five locked up. Tillman has been solid of late. After two rough starts to begin his MLB career, as expected, he's turned it on lately.

In five starts since, he's allowed three or less runs each time, and his ERA stands at 4.24, certainly impressive for a 21-year-old just three years removed from being drafted by the Mariners.

Matusz is getting his feet wet, and hopefully, he took the training wheels off. In his last start, he looked great. Against the Indians, he pitched seven innings, allowed just four hits, one run, walked one, and struck out eight.

Hernandez and Berken are going to have to do two things to make the 2010 staff. They'll have to finish 2009 strong, and will also have to put forth noticeable Spring Training performances.

Hernandez has been a pleasant surprise. At 24, he's young enough to be considered a prospect, but didn't project in the O's future plans as more than a reliever, and I still think that's what his role will be eventually—maybe even in 2010. But that's not a knock on what he's done so far.

In 13 starts, he's 4-6, has a 4.24 ERA, and has been pretty consistent. The stats are mind boggling.

But what you have to keep in mind is that this kid is a rookie, but hasn't looked like one. In his starts against the Yankees and Red Sox, the powerhouses in the American League, he's combined for four earned runs in just over 17 innings.

Jason Berken has been a stop gap, nothing more. The only reason he's still in the rotation is because there's nobody else major league ready to replace him accordingly.

In 18 starts, he's 4-11, has a 6.33 ERA, 118 hits allowed in 91 innings, and has allowed 10 homers in his last ten outings.

To his credit, he's shown great mental toughness, as after taking tons of tough losses, he's gone out and competed every time, and has even won his last two starts.

However, he'll have to win every game the rest of the year to even stand a chance to make the starting five next year. I think he can be a bullpen guy next year, but I also think he was rushed, and might need some seasoning.

Lineup: The lineup's changes next year won't be as drastic, but I think there should be some switches. There won't be much change at the top.

It's an automatic that Brian Roberts will be the leadoff man next year, and he's done a fantastic job this year. In 129 games, he has 14 homers, 62 RBI, a .285 average, 27 steals, 48 doubles, 149 hits, and 94 runs.

He's tied for second in the American League in runs, behind Chone Figgins and tied with Derek Jeter. He leads in doubles, ahead of Adam Lind, teammate Nick Markakis, and Billy Butler. His 27 steals also rank sixth. Behind him, there's Felix Pie and Adam Jones.

The No. 2 hitter for next year is hard to project. But I think Pie would be a good fit. He's been great lately. It's hard to imagine the guy was hitting .157 in April.

Right now, he has a .272 average and seven homers. The 3-4 combo should be Jones-Markakis. I think the O's made a genius move trading Aubrey Huff.

Huff has struggled in Detroit (3-for-34, 1 RBI, .088 average in 11 games). But that's not it. It thrust Pie into play, and he's been great. It found a position for Luke Scott at first, and he's been good.

On top of that, it allowed Markakis to bat cleanup. While Nick isn't your typical cleanup hitter, he can be a guy who drives in 100 runs on average every season.

The bottom of the order is hard to project. The No. 5 should definitely be Nolan Reimold, who has earned the respect of fans, coaches, teammates, and opponents not only because of his play, but his ability to adjust to pitches, and how he's played through lingering back and leg injuries the last few weeks—and still performed at a high level.

I think he's the ideal No. 5. He has 25-30 home run power, and he has the plate discipline. In 92 games, he has 12 homers, 39 RBI, a .268 average, .361 OBP, and 43 walks.

That means that in an average 150-game season, he'd bomb 20 homers, drive in 64 runs, hit around .270, post a .361 OBP, and walk 70 times.

Keep in mind, the kid is a rookie, and those numbers will certainly get better—not that they're pedestrian, anyway.

The 6-7-8-9 is pretty simple. In the future, I think catcher Matt Wieters is the cleanup guy, but I think next year, he'd fit batting sixth every day. I think it's easy to say he's panned out. He's hitting .267, has five homers, 26 RBI, but has been even better defensively.

He's handled a pitching staff exclusively of rookies, and has been much better holding runners. After starting just 0-for-12, the rookie has clearly improved, throwing out 15 of 35 since, sporting an impressive 42.9 rate. It's not only the numbers. He's been making better throws, and looks more composed behind the plate.

I think he's the No. 6 next year, but wouldn't be surprised if he's higher.

The 7-8-9 won't be much different from this year, in my opinion. Luke Scott will be the No. 7, and likely play first base, unless the team opens the year with Brandon Snyder there.

Then, I think it'll be Ty Wigginton. Let's face it, Melvin Mora isn't sticking around. His form at the plate looks terrible.

The main reason he's losing all power is because his back foot keeps moving around, and even Little Leaguers know that when a batter does that, he loses power.

Then Cesar Izturis, who has turned out to be a solid free agent acquisition. He has done wonders for the O's defensively, as he is one of the most reliable shortstops with the glove in the game, and has even done a good job with the bat. He has a .260 average, 26 RBI, and four triples.

Making the Predictions

Starting Rotation: I think the O's will let go of Guthrie. He's considered an "ace" in Baltimore, being that he started Opening Day this year, but anywhere else, even for an even worse team, he's a No. 3...at best.

So I think the O's should let him go, and sign a veteran—not necessarily one who can come in and dominate—but one who can come in, teach the young kids the art of pitching in the majors, and even rack up some wins while he's doing that.

Preferably, John Lackey. He got his 100th career win in his last start, and it's not like adding a veteran means the O's have to bring a washed up guy into town.

Lackey is not even close to that. This year, he has a 9-7 record, 3.92 ERA, 114 strikeouts, and 40 walks.

I wouldn't even mind if the O's brought in a veteran of less quality, like Livan Hernandez. His 7-9 record a 5.26 ERA doesn't impress the naked eye, but he'd be a very good add.

When I watch Livan pitch, I wonder how he has 154 career victories and nearly 1,700 strikeouts. But it's quite simple. He works fast and changes speeds. His command is spotty.

In his career, he averages about three walks per nine innings. However, the numbers speak for themselves. He'd be a good guy to bring in. He does a great job of keeping hitters off balance, and typically stays ahead.

For example, in a start last night against San Diego, he allowed just three runs in eight innings, which should certainly be enough to get a win, but his Nationals only gave him one run. But what more could you ask out of a veteran starter?

But that's what I'd do. Clearly, Andy MacPhail knows what he's doing, so I'm sure he's thinking pretty hard about this as I am. I wouldn't want to stockpile the rotation through free agency.

After all, MacPhail himself lives by one motto: "You grow the arms, buy the bats." And the O's aren't in any position in which they indeed need to buy an overpriced arm.

They have all the young arms in Baltimore—or at least on their way—to compensate. Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz are both getting their feet wet at the major league level, and starting to get comfortable. There's no way the O's don't put those two in the rotation.

I think Matusz will open the season as the No. 2, followed by Tillman. I think this because Matusz tends to go deeper in games, which will bode well for his chances of being at the top of the rotation.

That's not even a knock on Tillman. I have to applaud how the 21-year-old has done in the majors so far, but I think Matusz projects above him talent-wise.

The bottom of the rotation is tough to predict, but I think it'll definitely be led by Brad Bergesen. You know it's a good thing when a guy like Bergy, who was so consistent until getting injured, is a No. 4. As a rookie, he's been very good, with a 7-5 record, 3.43 ERA, and just 32 walks in over 123 innings.

Backup catcher Chad Moeller provided a short, but sweet (and accurate) scouting report: "Fantastic tempo, no fear of the hitters, just wanting the ball, wanting to make something happen," Moeller said. "That showed quickly here."

Now, the No. 5. For any team, this is tough to predict, but especially for the O's. This spot could be filled by a number of guys. Who knows?

The O's could use the youngsters at the top, and round out the rotation with Livan Hernandez, or another veteran mainly used as a mentor to the sophomores.

It could be Bergesen. It could be Jake Arrieta. Maybe even Troy Patton, David Pauley, or Chris Waters. I think it'd be logical to have a competition between Arrieta and Patton. If that were to happen, the O's would have a staff of 1) Livan Hernandez/John Lackey, 2) Brian Matusz, 3) Chris Tillman, 4) Brad Bergesen, and 5) Jake Arrieta/Troy Patton.

It's obvious the O's are copying the Tampa Bay Rays blueprint, and the Rays of 2008 featured one proven vet (Scott Kazmir) and four young guys who had proven they could compete at the major league level, but not much more, as the other four were James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine, Matt Garza, and Edwin Jackson.

Combined, going into the 2008 season, that quartet had an 43-58 record.

So, the O's might do the same thing. Boast an offense with a mix of vets and youngsters, led by a saving grace offensively (Matt Wieters for Baltimore, Evan Longoria for Tampa), a mix of outfielders (Carl Crawford and BJ Upton for Tampa, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis for Baltimore), and use a rotation with a proven vet, maybe two, but hold out hope for your youngsters.

Lineup: Compared to the starting rotation, the O's starting lineup headed into 2009 won't be much different at all - but make no mistake, there will be adjustments made.

As previously stated, the top three won't change much. Brian Roberts batting leadoff is an automatic over the last few seasons, and I think even the top five of Roberts, Pie, Jones, Markakis, and Reimold won't change much.

However, I think there's a chance the O's will use Reimold in the two spot, followed by Jones, Markakis, Wieters, and then Scott, Pie, Wigginton, and lastly, Izturis. There aren't any notable power bats available, but the O's will likely go searching.

At first base, there's nothing attractive - or young. Adam LaRoche, 30, is the youngest guy available, and I doubt the O's would give him a look, as it would give the O's three first baseman, and it'd be near impossible to utilize Felix Pie, Luke Scott, Nolan Reimold, and also LaRoche. At third base, however, some names jump out.

Chone Figgins is one, but the O's shouldn't fool themselves. Andy MacPhail isn't the only GM who will be lining up for his services. Adrian Beltre would be a good move. He's a monster when healthy, and the only reason he wasn't a monster this year is..well, I'll let you fill in the blank there.

The O's don't have any other holes offensively. They have their present - and future - at catcher, and every outfield position. Shortstop and second base are both positions they won't have to worry about for a while. Brian Roberts is signed to a four-year, $40M extension, and Cesar Izturis will be in Baltimore next year, and if he does end up leaving, the O's have Robert Andino, Justin Turner, maybe even Blake Davis to fill the hole.

The O's have a pretty solid lineup if they do this. They have speed. Brian Roberts is one of the top basestealers in the majors (253 career SB in 318 attempts). Cesar Izturis is definitely an underrated guy. Of course we know about his glovework, but let's not forget, he had 24 steals in 2008, and has 11 this year, and that number is somewhat misleading, as he did miss a lot of time with an emergency apendectomy.

Adam Jones and Felix Pie are also developing. Jones stole 10 bases last year, and has 10 this year. He looks smarter on the bases. Felix Pie is a guy who the O's will let steal more next year. And just imagine if they added Figgins into the mix.

They also have power. Adam Jones is one homer away from 20. Nick Markakis has 15. Luke Scott has 20. Brian Roberts even has 14. Ty Wigginton hit 23 last year with Houston. Matt Wieters definitely has the power, but needs it to develop. Nolan Reimold has exhibited power as a rookie, with 12. So, a lineup of Roberts, Reimold, Jones, Markakis, Wieters, Scott, Pie, Wigginton, and Izturis. If they added Figgins, it'd get interesting. Wigginton would obviously be out, but where would Roberts be? I think it'd be smart to bat Roberts and Figgins back to back. But in what order?

Who knows.

Baltimore Orioles: August a Tough Pill to Swallow, But I Like What I See

Isaac Barrow — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:40:44 -0400

Let's not sugarcoat it. 2009 is over for the Baltimore Orioles. It's impossible for them to make the playoffs, as they are 54-77, 28-and-a-half games behind the Yankees with just 31 games remaining.

August is a month the team may want to forget. They are just 10-19 in it headed into their final game of the month tonight against the New York Yankees. The O's completed eight series, won just one of them, and split one with the Cleveland Indians. It was certainly a tough month to swallow.

But I like what I see.

First of all, the manner the O's are losing in isn't as gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, or devastating. They aren't losing blowouts. In fact, 10 of the 19 Orioles losses in August were by three runs or less.

More specifically, six of them were by a mere run. For example, over the weekend, the O's split a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians. Potentially, the O's could have won every game.

In the first game, the Indians won a ninth inning Andy Marte home run. The O's had a 4-3 lead through eight, and basically handed Cleveland the game late. The O's showed tremendous perseverance the next game, coming off a heartbreaking defeat to rout Fausto Carmona and the Tribe, 13-4.

They even had a lead the next night against Cleveland, 2-1, until there was a rain delay, and the O's went on to lose, 5-3.

They followed another bad loss to beat Cleveland the next day, 5-2, led by Brian Matusz' phenomenal start and Felix Pie's fourth-inning homer.

Despite the close losses, this team is very fun to watch. It's exciting seeing these young starters perform the way they have. The outfield trio could be the best in baseball, Cesar Izturis is a great defensive shortstop, Matt Wieters is a very exciting young player, and it's heartwarming to see how Felix Pie has taken advantage of an opportunity.

Really, when I analyze the August schedule, the O's have only played two or three really bad games. They pitched horribly in an 18-10 loss to Boston on the second, and played an all out bad game against Oakland on the 10th, losing, 9-1.

But other than that, they've played good, solid, competitive baseball. Their worst loss, one which came on the 16th to the Angels, is incredibly deceptive. Looking at a 17-8 score, you would think the bats came around, but the O's pitched terribly all day.

But that's not really true. Jeremy Guthrie had a bad start, allowing seven runs in under six innings, but the bullpen allowed just one run on three hits the next three innings.

Headed into the top of the 13th, it was an 8-8 ballgame that either team had the chance to win. But, Brian Bass was very bad, and Matt Albers was even worse, as they combined for three outs and nine runs in that inning. You know something's up when you lose by nine in an extra inning game.

Really, that was a good game all day long, but the O's just imploded late, and the score really is deceiving. So, the worst loss score-wise is one of the most exciting games the O'splayed that month. Go figure.

Individually, there's no one player I can single out as to why the O's struggled. The starting pitchers (Jeremy Guthrie, Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Jason Berken, David Hernandez) haven't been fantastic, but I can't really complain.

Guthrie has turned it on lately. After that bad start against Los Angeles, he's thrown two great games, allowing one run on six hits through seven innings in each.

Right now, his statistics aren't mind blowing. His 9-12 record, 5.26 ERA, and 29 home runs allowed don't exactly flatter the average fan, but nobody can complain with what he's done his last two times out.

Oddly, he leads the O's in wins, and we could see another 10-win season for Jeremy in place if he continues to pitch like he has the last two weeks.

Tillman has been very good since his promotion to the majors. After he struggled early (6.75 ERA first two starts), he's been very good. In fact, in his last five starts, he is 1-2, but has a very legitimate 3.34 ERA.

It may be wise to shut him down sometime soon. He pitched a lot of innings at Triple A Norfolk, and has gone deep in games in the majors, so shutting him down for the season soon may be a good thing to do, as much as O's fans want to see what the 21-year-old righty can do.

Matusz is a kid O's fans will have to be patient with. The fact of the matter is, the guy hasn't tossed an inning in Triple A ball yet. He's not going to come up and put up numbers like he did in Double A (11-2, 1.91 ERA, 121 K, 32 BB).

Even someone like myself, very high on Matusz, knows he will struggle early. And he did. His first start was good, as he allowed one run and struck out five in five innings, but he was terrible his next time out against Toronto, allowing five runs and not even getting out of the third.

We have seen steady improvement since, and that's all we can ask. But in his last start, O's fans saw why this kid is so hyped up. Against a Cleveland Indians lineup, all he needed to do was not give up anything huge, and that he did.

Over seven frames, he allowed just four hits, only one run, walked one batter, and struck out eight. The ironic thing is, the strikeout has translated to the majors. In 30-and-two-thirds innings, he's struck out 31 batters, as opposed to 11 walks.

Berken and Hernandez are both guys who don't really figure to play huge roles in the O's future, but it's nice to see Hernandez do well.

In 13 starts, he's 4-6, and has a 4.28 ERA. The home run ball (14 homers in 14 games) and command (43 K, 32 BB) could certainly improve, but he's been a pleasant surprise.

Berken has been a struggle. He's had 15 decisions and won just four of them, but I like the kid's toughness. He's lost some tough games, but every time he goes out there, he seems to be unfazed by all the negative attention surrounding him.

The results aren't there, but I have to admire how well he's handled himself.

The bullpen has been surprisingly good this month. Both Brian Bass and Matt Albers have struggled, but the latter isn't even on the active roster.

Danys Baez has a 2.92 ERA in the month. You can't say enough about the job Mark Hendrickson, Kam Mickolio, and Chris Ray have done recently. Since joining the pen, Hendrickson has a 3.26 ERA, and has been pretty consistent.

Mickolio has struggled a bit recently, but by struggling, I mean he's allowed two runs in his last four outings. On the year, the rookie has a 1.46 ERA and 13 strikeouts in as many innings.

Ray pitched badly on Saturday night, but nobody can complain with his improvement. In his last 16 games, he's allowed just four runs and 16 hits in 20 innings.

Both Jim Johnson and Cla Meredith have been effective. Johnson obviously lost the game on Thursday night, but has stepped up admirably since Sherrill's departure. He's 3-for-4 in save opportunities, and even made a point of getting the ball in the next possible situation following the heartbreaking ninth inning loss.

And just three days later, he retired the Indians in order, preserving a 5-2 win. Meredith has struggled a bit lately, but has been reliable all in all. In 55 innings, he's allowed just four homers and walked only 22.

Nobody can complain about the offense. Matt Wieters' development has been fun to watch. Every offensive category is getting better. He has a .271 average, five homers, 26 RBI. He had a career high four RBI on Saturday night, as he was key in the O's blowout victory.

You can see improvement in him every day, whether it be plate discipline, comfort, or defense. Defense is what I love about him. People seemed to be able to run on him early, but he's been lights out with runners stealing lately. He's even thrown out Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford.

The infield is questionable. With Aubrey Huff in Detroit, the O's needed a new first baseman. They decided to use Luke Scott there, and I like what I see. He's been good defensively, and his bat is coming around.

The double play duo of Brian Roberts and Cesar Izturis has been good all year long, and Roberts has been consistently good with a bat in his hands. The O's leadoff man has 48 doubles, 62 RBI, a .287 average, .351 OBP, and 149 hits.

Izturis is an exciting defensive player to watch, and scrappy offensively. Melvin Mora has been a huge disappointment. After driving in 104 runs and hitting .285 last year, O's fans could at least expect some production out of Melvin, but that they haven't gotten.

In fact, he has a .256 average and five homers, horrible numbers for a starting third baseman batting fifth.

The outfield, however, has been nothing short of spectacular. Nick Markakis, in my opinion, is the O's MVP. He's a Gold Glove outfielder, with 12 outfield assists, he has great plate discipline, hits for average (.305), and has nearly 90 RBI. It's a no-brainer to me.

But that's not a knock on Adam Jones, who has also been very good. He has All Star numbers (19 HR, 70 RBI, .283 AVG, .339 OBP, 130 hits, 10 steals), which is why he made the All Star Game.

Let's not forget Nolan Reimold, a power hitter certainly in the running for ROY. I have gained tremendous respect for him lately. He's played through nagging injuries, and played well. He has a .271 average, 12 homers, 39 RBI, .365 OBP, 43 walks in 91 games, and 30 extra base hits.

Let's not forget Felix Pie. Players could learn a lot from him. He struggled mightily early. He then got benched in favor of the rookie Reimold. Instead of pouting, demanding a trade, or to be released, he instead worked with hitting coach Terry Crowley every day, and the improvement that has been made is nothing short of miraculous.

Who would've guessed that Felix Pie, hitting .157 with an OBP just above .200 in April, would in September, A) Still be an Oriole, and B) Have a .272 average, 7 homers, a .335 OBP, and have one game in which he hit for the cycle?

So are the losses tough? They're more than that. They're heartbreaking. Devastating. But this is one exciting team to watch. They have a mix of vets who can play (Roberts, Izturis, Scott) and youngsters whose development is a joy to see (Markakis, Jones, Reimold, Pie, Matusz, Tillman, Hernandez, Mickolio, Wieters).

This team won't contend now. They may not even contend next year, or the year after. But it will happen eventually.

The Andy MacPhail Regime: Do the Baltimore GM's Trades Get a Passing Grade?

Isaac Barrow — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:12:46 -0400

It's a cold February 2008 afternoon in Baltimore, and O's fans are depressed. Why? The Orioles just finished 69-93, closing the books on their 10th consecutive losing season. On top of that, the O's traded their only established pitcher, Erik Bedard, to the Seattle Mariners, and all they had to show for it were a left handed specialist and four unproven prospects.

Bedard went 13-5 that year, and had a chance to win the Cy Young had he not gotten injured late in the year. His 221 strikeouts ranked third in the American League.

Orioles GM Andy MacPhail, who was hired just months prior, pulled the trigger on the deal that sent Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for left handed relief pitcher George Sherrill, and some of the top Mariners prospects, including Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, and Tony Butler. Jones ranked as the M's No. 1 prospect in 2007, and Tillman was third the following year.

"We traded one of the game's best young left-handed pitchers, but in exchange we think we improved the long-term outlook for the Baltimore Orioles. There aren't too many five-for-one trades anymore. We are delighted to have all five in the system," MacPhail said.

Two years after the fact, only the most delusional Mariners homer could say Seattle won the trade.

Jones, now an All Star center fielder, is one of the most talented players in baseball. He plays very well in the outfield, has a .283 average, 19 homers, 70 RBI, and 81 runs. While he's slipping recently, I wouldn't push the panic button. He's been fighting through the "dog days of August". Bottom line, Orioles fans can't ask for anything more out of Adam.

Tillman has been very good in his brief MLB tenure. After posting a 2.70 ERA at Triple A, he got called up, and has been impressive. He struggled in his first two starts, but has allowed three runs or less in his last four.

Mickolio has electric stuff. Orioles fans should thank Mariners Nation for him every day. He was iffy on Tuesday Night, allowing two hits and a run, but that was the first real sign of struggle from Kam all year. In 2008, after dominating Triple A, he was promoted to the majors, and his awkward delivery wasn't repeatable, so, as expected, he had some command issues.

In nine games, he had four walks, a 5.87 ERA, and 0-1 record. This year has been much different. In his first 11-1/3 innings, he's allowed just five hits, one run, had worked to an 0-1 record and 0.79 ERA.

Sherrill also panned out for the O's. As a closer, he made the All Star Game in 2008, and had an even better year in 2009, but in order to get a power bat, MacPhail traded him to the Dodgers for 3B Josh Bell and SP Steve Johnson. Tony Butler is the only piece of the trade who didn't pan out.

He has the talent, stuff, and intangibles, but can never stay healthy. But really, the O's made up for that when they used one of the pieces of the M's deal, Sherrill, to gain two legitimate prospects.

Bedard, on the other hand, has been a huge disappointment. Bedard, while he was performing, wasn't too welcome in Baltimore towards the end of his career. He didn't go deep in games, wasn't a good clubhouse character, and the local media couldn't stand him. In his first year with Seattle, making $7M, he won just six games, lost four, posted a 3.77 ERA, and after a July 4 start against Detroit, he was never to be found.

In 2009, he stayed healthy—for a while. He was 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA, numbers typical for Erik, but also typical for Erik, he got injured, going on the 60-Day DL with left shoulder inflammation. He's out for the year, and will be a free agent after the year. Will anyone pick him up?

I look at that trade as a 5-for-0. Bedard didn't pan out in Seattle, and won't be there after the year. The O's got an All Star center fielder, a potential future ace and a kid who was proven himself, and a reliever with electric stuff.

But by using one of Seattle's trade chips, they got a future 3B and a guy who can be a set up man in the future. Not bad, Mr. MacPhail.

But that's not the only action MacPhail has made during his Baltimore tenure. Just two months prior to making the Bedard trade, Andy made a trade that didn't anger Baltimore fans nearly as much, sending SS Miguel Tejada to the Astros. "Miggy" was a fan favorite in "Charm City" early in his career, driving in a whopping 150 runs in 2004.

But he continued to slip, dropping to 100 in 2005, 98 in 2006, and then just 81 in 2007. He also complained about the team he was on, and at one point demanded a trade.

He got his wish in December of 2007, and in return, the O's got SP Troy Patton, OF Luke Scott, RP Dennis Sarfate, RP Matt Albers, and 3B Mike Costanzo. MacPhail recognized that Tejada was solid in Baltimore, but the team needed to move on, and the offense didn't necessarily require Miguel to put up solid numbers.

"Miguel Tejada has been a Hall of Fame-caliber performer," MacPhail said. "It was a great signing with the Orioles. But with that said, the Orioles put on a good streak without him when he was injured. It's a team effort."

This trade didn't pan out to the extent of the Bedard deal, but it was certainly a win for MacPhail's Orioles. Patton has been injury prone. He had a spot on the active roster for the 2008 season before he tore his labrum, which required surgery, meaning he would miss the season.

The O's wanted to be cautious, and in 2009, sent him to Double A, where he dominated, going 6-2 with a 1.99 ERA. Triple A was a different story. In nine starts, he was 1-3, had a 6.45 ERA, and was eventually shut down.

Patton projects as a bullpen guy, but can just as easily be a back-of-the-rotation starter. Luke Scott, while he has been streaky, has been a good find for Baltimore.

In 2008, he hit a career high 23 homers, and is likely to break it this year, with 20. He looks bad at the plate when cold, but I don't think anyone can complain with 20 homers, 59 RBI, an improved K:BB ratio, a .351 OBP, and only three double plays.

Albers and Sarfate have played key roles during their tenures. Both were good out of the bullpen last year, but both haven't panned out this year. Albers stayed healthy, but struggled. Sarfate was beginning to turn it around—until he got hurt. Costanzo is a guy who is merely another corner infield prospect to throw into the mix.

Tejada, on the other hand, drove in just 65 runs last year, and while he's doing a lot better in 2009, it's instead the Astros who have had to deal with his steroid controversies, not the Orioles, which is really the gem of the trade. So the 2008 offseason is clearly a big win-win for the O's.

They gained some bullpen help, the power arm they needed, a fantastic outfielder, and a future closer. And they didn't give up anything. If anything, they gave up an injury-prone lefty and a declining shortstop.

But I also think people underrate the job Andy did in the 2009 offseason. He made three trades. First, to clear room for mega-prospect Matt Wieters, MacPhail traded Ramon Hernandez to the Cincinnati Reds. I don't think people realize what a job the O's did here. Here, they did four things.

They gave up a declining catcher, they cleared room for a future star, got a power bat in Brandon Waring who can play both corner-infield positions, and also got a potential future shortstop in Justin Turner. A lot of people liked this trade even before it went down, and it's exceeded my expectations. Hernandez has been bad in Cincy.

In 77 games, he hit just .249, with a meager five homers. Wieters found his way in the bigs in late May, and both Waring and Turner have been great.

Waring, a 23-year-old, showcased power in Single A last year for Cincinnati, but struck out way too much, whiffing 156 times in 119 games. That's improved drastically this year. In 124 games, he's hit 25 homers, driven in 88 runs, struck out 113 times, and posted a rather impressive .357 OBP. Get this.

He struck out less in more games, walked more, hit more homers, drove in more runs, gotten more hits and scored more runs, hit more doubles, and posted a higher OBP. Plain and simple, he got better. Turner has also been impressive. At 24, his time should be coming soon.

For Triple-A Norfolk, the scrappy infielder has a .310 average, 42 RBI, 114 hits in 103 games, .373 OBP, and just 33 strikeouts in 368 at bats. While the other piece received by the O's, Ryan Freel, didn't pan out, he wasn't exactly viewed as a big-time trade chip.

While it's great to see how Waring and Turner have done, MacPhail didn't deny this trade was all about the sacred Matt Wieters. "It had been our goal to make sure we could introduce Matt into the Major League scene somewhere over the course of the '09 season.

Not necessarily to start right away, but we thought he could handle it eventually after a little time in Triple-A possibly under his belt," said MacPhail. "We knew that would create a situation where we were going to have to split some playing time with him and Ramon, and we knew Ramon wouldn't be happy about that.

MacPhail also reverted back to his Chicago Cub roots, trading for OF Felix Pie, another disappointing Cub prospect. Pie, from 2004 to 2006, was considered one of the more elite prospects in baseball.

He had the tools. He had blazing speed, good defense, good contact and plate discipline. But his long swing didn't bode well in the majors, as he struggled in 2007 and 2008 for the Cubs. But with the O's, it's been different.

He started out slow, and while that didn't sit well with O's fans, it was a different case with Pie. He was working every single day with hitting coach Terry Crowley, so it was going to take time. And boy, has he come around.

Get this: in early May, he was hitting .158 with a .238 OBP and .226 slugging percentage. And he had just one homer and two RBI. He also looked lost in the outfield. But now, he's hitting .254 with four homers, 17 RBI, a .314 OBP, and has looked a lot better in the outfield.

It's possible he could still be the O's future left fielder, with Nolan Reimold at designated hitter, and a mixture of Brandon Waring, Brandon Snyder, and Josh Bell at the O's corner infield positions. If the O's decide to use one of those three at DH, which is likely, Pie will make a very good fourth outfielder. He hit .157 in April. Followed by .250 in May. Then .467 in June, .263 in July, and .292 in the dog days of August.

Oh by the way, he hit for the cycle on Aug. 14, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. But what's more encouraging is, he's consistent, something he wasn't early. For example, on April 13 against the Texas Rangers, he went 3-for-4, hit a homer, scored twice, and drove in one run. But he followed that performance by going 0 for his next 19.

But following the cycle game, he hasn't let up. In fact, in his seven starts after, he's reached base in five. And what did the Cubs get in return? Pretty much nothing. The Cubbies return price was Garrett Olson and Henry Williamson. Olson is now a Seattle Mariner, where he is 3-5 with a 5.88 ERA, and Williamson, a 2007 14th-round pick, has a shaky 4.72 ERA in two levels.

MacPhail seemed elated to have Pie, and while he loved what Felix brought to the table, he seemed even more interested in the outfield defense the O's would now have with Pie, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis.

"Outstanding speed, plus arm, plus defender, he's hit his entire minor league career and he's won at almost every place he's been," MacPhail told MASN. "I know the kid. He has great makeup, a great work ethic. He's devoted to becoming the best player he can be. And we'll give him every opportunity to see if he can hit in the majors, which we think he can.

"We said we were really going to emphasize defense, and it's hard to imagine a better defensive outfield in the game than Pie, Jones, and Markakis. It really gives us three center fielders."

The only trade that hasn't really panned out for the O's is the Rich Hill trade. But, it was low risk, low reward. I say that because the O's gave up nothing for him. In fact, they gave up one of their famous "PTBNL".

Hill even looked good early in his Oriole career. His first two starts were good, but consistency, command, and injuries did him in. Hill, now on the 15-day DL, finished the year with a 3-3 record, 7.80 ERA, 46 strikeouts, and 40 walks. He was terrible towards the end of his run, but the funny thing is, the O's won eight of his 14 starts. But it's not because Hill put them in a position to win.

Now on the DL, I doubt he ever sees a start with Baltimore again. Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, and sooner or later, Jake Arrieta, are making names for themselves.

Not to mention Brandon Erbe and whoever the O's draft in the upcoming years. While the O's didn't win that trade, they basically tied it, because the Cubs got nothing in return—literally.

The last trade on the MacPhail regime wasn't a blockbuster, but it was a good one. The O's recognized a lot could be received for closer George Sherrill, so they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor leaguers Josh Bell and Steve Johnson.

Personally, I think it's a win-win for both teams. Sherrill was a fan-favorite in Baltimore, so it was sad to see him go, but it had to happen eventually. And getting Bell and Johnson makes a good trade for the O's. Bell is immediately the O's future third baseman, and can be penciled in the middle of the lineup even next year. And at Double A Bowie, he's done quite well.

In 18 games, he has a .302 average, five homers, 13 RBI, and a .361 OBP. His stats for the year look very good. In 112 games, he has a .297 average, 16 homers, 65 RBI, 57 walks, and a .382 OBP.

What I like most is his plate discipline. Most switch-hitting power bats strike out—and a lot more than they walk. But not Bell. In 397 at bats, he's struck out just 84 times, and even walked 57 times. So I like that about him.

Johnson doesn't play into the O's future rotation plans, but a bullpen role would suit him. In the Dodgers system, he was 9-5 with a 3.61 ERA. He, too, has been solid. In four starts at Double A Bowie, he has a 3.10 ERA, and has been able to go deep in games his last two times out.

Since MacPhail has arrived, he's made six trades. In three of those, he blew the other team out, one was a good, not great one, another was a trade nobody won, and the last one was a win-win on both sides.

By my count, MacPhail is 4-0-1.

Baltimore Ravens: Should They Run a 3-4 or 4-3 Defense?

Isaac Barrow — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:16:56 -0400

The Baltimore Ravens have tradition of boasting a stingy defense. Since 2000, the Ravens have been, for the most part, the class of the NFL in defensive rankings.

Since the franchise's inception in 1996, the team has had three head coaches, a whopping 16 starting quarterbacks, 22 different players make the Pro Bowl (14 being defensive players), and has seen many defensive coordinator come and go. Among them have been Mike Nolan, Marvin Lewis, and more recently, Rex Ryan.

Taking over now is Greg Mattison, the Ravens 2008-09 linebackers coach. Mattison will be expected to keep the tradition of the elite defense going. When he was in Baltimore, Rex Ryan had complex blitz packages, giving offenses all sorts of different looks. Mattison didn't do that in his first game as DC, but in a win over the Redskins, he allowed 199 yards of total offense, and most importantly, no points. He was even given the game ball after the contest. Mattison has said he will run more of a base defense this year, which sat well with some fans, but not so with others.

Mattison said his reasoning was that it will take some pressure off of cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth, Fabian Washington, and Chris Carr. Also, the depth on the Ravens front seven is so good, the blitz packages don't have to be there.

The Ravens have three All Pro potential players in the front seven, with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis at linebacker, Haloti Ngata at defensive end, and Terrell Suggs as the pass-rushing linebacker. On top of that, the trio of Kelly Gregg, Trevor Pryce, and Jarret Johnson are more than competent. Bart Scott's replacement, Tavares Gooden, is an unproven, but over the years, there have been constant unknowns filled in spots in Baltimore, and in almost all cases, they have succeeded.

I agree with Mattison's decision wholeheartedly. The Ravens ran a base defense during 2000, when the team had the seventh best single season defense of all time, as ranked by NFL Network. And seven even seemed low. Running the base defense, they will oppose Rex Ryan's all out blitzing style used the last few years. However, don't get it twisted.

No blitzing doesn't mean this D won't dominate. Surprisingly enough, the sack leader of the Ravens 2000 unit, Rob Burnett, barely surpassed ten sacks. Really, the Ravens only had three all out pass rushers on that team, in Burnett, Michael McCrary, and Peter Boulware.

It was the duo of Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa at defensive tackle and the group of talented linebackers that made the defense so great. It didn't hurt that they had two good corners in Chris McAlister and Duane Starks, and a Hall of Famer in Rod Woodson at free safety. With the two defensive tackles, Burnett and McCrary at defensive end, and Jamie Sharper, Ray Lewis, and Boulware at linebacker, the team ran a 4-3 defensive scheme, using four defensive lineman and three linebackers in their front seven.

The question this year is, what scheme will Mattison run?

In 2006, under Ryan, the Ravens ran a 4-3, and the defense was actually comparable to the 2000 squad. The defensive tackles this time were Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata, both physical beasts of nature. On the edge, they used Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs as the defensive ends, and had Adalius Thomas, Ray Lewis, and Bart Scott play linebacker. Of that front seven, the Ravens return five players, as Scott (Jets) and Thomas (Patriots) signed free agent deals. Let's just imagine the scenarios.

4-3 scheme: If the Ravens were to run a 4-3, it's likely they'd use Suggs and Pryce at defensive end, with Ngata and Gregg at defensive tackle. So, the front four would be identical to the 2006 group.

Suggs would be able to go back to his sack-the-quarterback ways. In 2003, 2005, and 2006, Suggs starred as a defensive end, compiling 29.5 sacks, averaging nearly 10 a year, including 12 as a rookie in 2003. In 2004, 2007, and 2008, he was more of a pass rushing linebacker, and an elite one, but he can put up big sack numbers as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. With his payday out of the way, I think he could have a huge year in 2009, as an outside linebacker as well, but his sacks would rise in the 4-3.

Pryce came to Baltimore in 2006, signing a four-year free agent contract, and payed dividends immediately, compiling 13 sacks. It was an impressive number for the 31-year-old, tying a career high that he initially set in 1999, at the age of 24. That was in the 4-3. But in the 3-4 the Ravens ran in 2007 and 2008, he combined for 6.5 sacks, and even missed 11 games due to injuries. I'm not saying the 4-3 makes him great, but I think he's more effectively set up for success in that system.

Ngata is the ideal defensive lineman. He has size (6'4", 345), can move like a linebacker, and I can say with confidence he's the best defensive tackle in the AFC. Last year, Kelly Gregg missed the entire season, and being in a 3-4 scheme, Ngata made the transition to nose tackle and dominated. He demanded double teams, and he handled most of them. Heck, he even finished with two interceptions.

Quarterback Joe Flacco put it best: "He's 6'4", 345 and moves like he's 5'11", 200. He can do just about anything, and he's one of the strongest people I've ever met. I think he's the best defensive tackle in the league, and I don't feel like I'm going out on a limb saying that. He's unbelievable, to see the things he does."

But it's not just the players who see how great he is. SI's Ross Tucker went to Ravens camp and said Ngata can be the best DT not just in the AFC, but in the NFL.

It's big for the Ravens to have Kelly Gregg back. He was one of the more under-appreciated defensive players in the NFL when healthy, and I don't expect his injury to carry over to this season. He's a solid mentor for youngsters like Brandon McKinney and Lamar Divens, and from 2002 to 2007, the guy was solid, averaging 66 tackles and three sacks a year. In a 4-3, he can be very good, as he was in 2006. Having him back is one of the most underrated NFL story lines this year.

While the front four that would be used in a 4-3 this year is identical to that of 2006, the linebackers are a tad different. The Ravens, in 2006, used Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Adalius Thomas in the linebacking corps, but Thomas and Scott have left for the money. Thomas signed on with the New England Patriots during the 2007 offseason, agreeing to terms on a five-year, $35M contract. Scott, during the 2009 offseason, signed a six-year, $48M deal with the New York Jets. Both are linebackers the Ravens would love to take back, but they must move on.

Replacing them will be Jarret Johnson and Tavares Gooden.

Johnson reminds me a lot of Thomas. Both are "tweeners", guys who can play outside linebacker in a 3-4, or defensive end in a 4-3. Johnson, 28, is starting to come into his own, much like Thomas did in the middle of his Ravens career. I think Johnson can put up big sack numbers in the near future, much like Thomas did in 2006, compiling 11.

Gooden is in his first full NFL year. Drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft, he made five special teams tackles as a rookie before getting hurt. Since Scott left, he must step up. In the preseason opener, he was all over the field, totaling six tackles.

3-4 scheme: If the Ravens were to run a 3-4 scheme, the defense wouldn't look too different, and like they say, "if it's not broken, why fix it"? On the defensive line, they'd have Kelly Gregg at nose tackle, with Haloti Ngata and Trevor Pryce on the ends. There wouldn't be much of a difference between the 2008 defense and the 2009 squad if they used a 3-4, as Pryce and Ngata would stay on the line, but Justin Bannan would be replaced at DE by Ngata, who would be replaced by a 100 percent healthy Kelly Gregg.

I can not stress enough how important it is to have Gregg back. He's one of the more underrated defensive lineman in the NFL, and in a 3-4, he'd be utilized as a nose tackle. From 2002 to 2004, and 2007, he was used as a nose tackle in the 3-4 scheme and had good years. In 2005 and 2006, he was used in a 4-3 and was very good. So, I don't think schemes really affect Gregg.

Like Gregg, I don't think schemes affect Haloti Ngata, either. In 2006, he was a defensive tackle in a 4-3 and was fantastic as a rookie. The next year, he was a defensive end in a 4-3, compiling a career high in tackles (63) and sacks (3). And last year, he moved yet again, replacing Kelly Gregg as a nose tackle in the 3-4. He was, as always, masterful. I couldn't care less what role the Ravens use him in. Use him as a defensive end in a 4-3 or 3-4, or even as a tackle, and he'll be excellent. It's a given. But if they used him in a 3-4, he'd be a right defensive end.

Trevor Pryce was a left defensive end last year in the 3-4 scheme, but he seems to historically play better in the 4-3. In the last two years, he's struggled a bit with injuries, and after compiling 13 sacks in 2006, has combined for 6.5 since and missed 11 games. Last year, he stayed completely healthy, but wasn't the dominant force on the end. All you can do is hope that he turns it around this year, and it is his contract year, but the key number is 34. That's Trevor's age, and not many turn it around then.

The linebacking core wouldn't be much different. The team would bring back three of their four starters, in Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Jarret Johnson. The only difference would be Bart Scott. Lewis, Suggs, and Johnson are all very good players in a 3-4 as linebackers. In Suggs and Lewis' case, great. Johnson continues to develop, and you have to be pleased with the transition he's made from defensive tackle in college to linebacker. Replacing Scott will be Tavares Gooden, and in a 3-4 he can play inside linebacker, and all we can do is hold out hope on his progression.

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What I Think Should Happen: I think the Ravens, defensively, will be fine either way. But I think the smart thing to do would be to run a 4-3 defensive scheme. Mattison wants to run more of a base defense, like the team did in 2000 when they won the Super Bowl. The team also ran a 4-3 that year, with Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa at DT, and Michael McCrary and Rob Burnett at DE. That quartet reminds me of this group.

Adams and Siragusa, both very big guys, are similar to Ngata and Gregg, in both style of play and size. Pryce and Suggs are also similar to McCrary and Burnett. McCrary, who was 30 in 2000, resembles Pryce. A vet with some years left, but not much. Burnett isn't similar to Pryce, but the Ravens then outside linebacker Peter Boulware is. Both are tweeners who had fantastic careers. So that would just make sense.

What Will Happen: I think the Ravens will run the 4-3. With Ray Lewis losing over 15 pounds during the offseason, down from 250 pounds to 235, he can make the plays—even more so than last year. So, when you have two huge defensive tackles, and two good pass-rushing defensive ends, it plays well for the linebacking core.

In an interview three weeks ago, Ray sounded excited about the defensive rotation, and about the team as a whole:

"Anytime you have two deep D-lineman, I'm excited about that. We have a rotation that we once had, and when you have that type of rotation, it's good for your backers. It's good to see Kelly back. Ray Rice, to me, is one of the most exciting players to watch play football. Joe Flacco is growing up. You know, you get that first round tackle in the draft. That's where winning starts from. In the trenches, and we have that, and it's exciting."

Michael Oher: You Heard It Here First, NFL Fans...

Isaac Barrow — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:59:11 -0400

In the team’s preseason opener, the Baltimore Ravens dominated the Washington Redskins, 23-0. There were a lot of bright spots.

After struggling in minicamp, starting quarterback Joe Flacco was sharp, going 9-of-15 with 103 yards and leading the team to field goals on his two drives. Both Ray Rice and Willis McGahee were solid, and the biggest bright spot of all was the defense.

The Redskins mustered a mere 199 yards of defense, fumbled twice, and threw one interception. While it is an irrelevant preseason matchup, Ravens fans were eager to see their first round pick, offensive tackle Michael Oher.

When I watch the tape on Oher, I notice that he truly blocks until the whistle blows, he’s an intimidating presence on the line, his pass blocking technique is fantastic, and has good athleticism for his 6′5″, 309 pound stature.

Oher was very well known going into college. As a junior, he came out of nowhere to emerge as the top high school football prospect.

He is the subject of the Michael Lewis book “The Blind Side,” and is an inspiration to many. In his two-year high school career, he didn’t allow a sack, and was credited with 200 pancake blocks.

In college, he didn’t disappoint. As a freshman, he started at right guard, an unnatural position for him, but he was versatile enough to make first-team Freshman All America. As a sophomore and junior, he was very good, and even considered going pro after his junior campaign, but returned for a final encore at Mississippi.

As a left tackle, he dominated, making a name for himself as an elite prospect, but slipped all the way to Baltimore’s No. 23 selection, where the Ravens picked him.

Since veteran Willie Anderson retired, Oher was practically handed the right tackle job, but he would still have to earn it. On July 30, he signed a bargain of a contract, agreeing to terms on a five-year, $13M deal.

Oher was impressive during training camp, and would see his first action on Aug. 13, 2009, against the Washington Redskins. To put it simply, this kid is going to be a beast. You heard it here first.

On one of the first Ravens plays of the game, Joe Flacco threw a short pass to Ray Rice, who took it 34 yards inside the Skins 20-yard line. What you won’t hear about that play is how Michael Oher made it.

Lining up opposite 14-year veteran Philip Daniels, Oher would face his first real challenge. To say the least, he made it look easy. The vet came on a blitz, but Oher wasn’t having it.

The rookie shoved Daniels to the ground, so hard that the rookie’s helmet came off. While Daniels was down, the left tackle shoved him even more. Mean? Yes. Good? Yes.

Later in the drive, with the Ravens inside the Redskins 10-yard line, Oher this time lined up opposite another veteran, but Oher again made it look easy. Opposite 13-year veteran Renaldo Wynn, Oher made a fool of him.

The rookie drove him back a few yards, and then slammed him to the ground. Kaboom. Oher slammed him so hard, he had a gash of his blood on his forehead, and left the game.

But no worries. The 309-pound left tackle returned later in the game. After just two plays, Oher is a fan favorite in Baltimore.

I will admit, it’s just one preseason game. So it’s premature for me to say this kid will be a good one. However, I don’t see any reason why he can’t be.

He has a mean streak. He finishes plays. He has solid pass and run blocking technique. He’s a physical lineman, who showed that he is more of a mauler than a finesse blocker. Is there any reason this kid can’t be special?

But while Ravens fans can (and should) watch in awe of his talents, what he’s overcome as a person are much more admirable. Born May 28, 1986, in the projects of Memphis, Tenn., he had a terrible upbringing.

His mother was addicted to crack cocaine, and his dad, whom he never talked to, was murdered when Oher was a junior in high school.

Michael repeated both first and second grade, and attended a whopping 11 different schools his first nine years as a student. In addition to that, he was in-and-out of Foster homes, and until he was 16, he didn’t have a home. He was homeless.

He didn’t know his name, age, or how to read or write. At 16, a friend of his, Tony Henderson, recommended he apply for admission at local Briarchrest Christian School.

Oher, of course, had no foundation academically, so many doubted he’d be able to handle his schooling at BCS. It took the generosity, care, and help of a local Christian family, but he did.

Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy saw Oher walking with the same shorts at school...in the snow. They noticed he had nowhere to go, and took him in. He brought up his GPA, then 0.4, to 2.65.

In November, the movie “The Blind Side” will come out, with Sandra Bullock playing the role of Leigh Anne, and Quinton Aaron as Michael. He has certainly overcome a lot in life, and out of it, he has the right attitude.

After he was drafted by Baltimore on April 25, he seemed not only happy, but grateful and eager to prove the Ravens right.

“I’m in the NFL. That’s all I ever wanted to do. Now I got to stay in. I’m not going to let them down.”

Give him credit. In his 23 years, he’s overcome more than your average person has in their entire life. “He had a very hard, rough upbringing with no parental supervision. He had nothing,” said Leigh Anne Tuhoy’s daughter, Collins.

“He’s a diamond in the rough, if you would," says Briarchrest principal Steve Simpson. Yes, Steve, he is.