Bleacher Report - Baltimore Ravens

Sun's 'Top Ten Football Players in Baltimore History'

Jarrett Carter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:18:29 -0500

The Sun has put together a list of the top ten football players in Baltimore history . And aside from the glaring omission of Matt Stover, I have no problem with it.

What do you think?

1. John Unitas : The greatest quarterback to play the game. Father of the two-minute drill led the Colts to two NFL championships and defeated the New York Giants in 1958 for the title in what has been dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

2. Ray Lewis : The master of mayhem for 14 years in the middle of the Ravens’ defense. A tackling machine in his prime, with the ability to change games by himself. Revered around the league and willing mentor to all who seek his advice.

3. Gino Marchetti : Captain of the two-time world champions, he was one of the most feared pass rushers in NFL history. Lightning quick, No. 89 was named the best defensive end of the NFL’s first half-century.

4. Lenny Moore : Had unparalleled success as both flanker and running back, making All-NFL at both positions. “Spats” scored a touchdown in 18 straight games, an NFL record that stood for 40 years.

5. Raymond Berry : Unitas’ favorite target, he set an NFL record for career receptions. One of football’s all-time clutch receivers, he ran perfect routes and caught 12 passes in the 1958 title game.

6. Jim Parker : His crushing blocks launched Moore’s runs and saved Unitas’ skin. He made All-Pro eight straight times—four at guard and four at tackle—and started 139 consecutive games.

6. (tie) Jonathan Ogden : First draft pick of the Ravens’ era, cornerstone of the offensive line as an 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle. Among the greatest players of all time at his position.

8. John Mackey : An explosive receiver who could turn a short look-in pass into an 80-yard touchdown, he revolutionized the role of the lumbering tight end. His biggest catch was in the 1971 Super Bowl, a 75-yard TD in a 16-7 victory over Dallas.

9. Ed Reed : An improvisational wizard in the secondary with an uncanny ability to decipher plays at the snap based on his film study. The Ravens’ all-time interception leader, the gifted safety has scored touchdowns off interceptions, punt returns, blocked punts and fumble returns.

10. Art Donovan : Anchored the Colts’ storied defensive line of the 1950s for nine years. “On trap plays he has no equal,” coach Weeb Ewbank said of No. 70, the first Baltimore player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Colts , Baltimore Ravens , Baltimore Sun

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Free NFL Picks: Week 11

Will Holt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:55:14 -0500

The boys in Vegas set traps all over the place last week and it makes me nervous looking at the current slate of games.

Normally scared money is dead money.

This is not going to unfold as a normal situation. Once I am done with this opening segment, I will feel confident and I will produce winners.

First I need to remind myself that the books are not trying to get 50 percent of the money on each side of every game. It doesn't work like that and it never will. There are plenty of games every week when 70 to 80 percent of the money hits a team. If that happens, the books need to be on the right side once and they will clean house.

Vegas cleaned house all right.

On two games alone Vegas had enough money to put up another casino.

The two games were: Green Bay vs. Dallas and Jacksonville vs. New York Jets.

Both favorites received 70 percent of the money and they went up in flames as they lost outright. That means a pretty penny was lost by the public on the money line as well.

This serves notice to fade the public and back the bookie.

Looking back on last week, the points helped the underdog only three times (New England, Miami, and St. Louis).

That is remarkable.

Basically you had to two options last week: Lay the points with the favorite or play the money line with the dogs.

An impressive six underdogs won the games outright.

Last week I had two winners (Kansas City and Washington), both were dogs and they won straight up.

Out of the four losers (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh), two lost the game as favorites.

My record dropped to 30-28 and I am going to go back to basics.

I need to do what I did at the beginning of the season: Read the lines, evaluate a team's emotional state and fade the public.

Calculate those three variables correctly and you will have plenty of winners.

Here we go kids:

Baltimore (+1) vs. Indianapolis

This is the perfect spot to fade the public and to evaluate a team's mental state.

Everyone is going to jump all over the Colts and pad the wallets of their local bookie. That should be enough of a reason for me.

Did you see how excited the Colts were to win last week? They acted like it was the Super Bowl. The Colts will be drained and will come out flat. I guarantee it. You can’t let yourself get that emotionally high and not expect a letdown.

And I guess people want to forget about the beat down the Colts were taking before the miracles of all miracles happened.

Imagine if the hooded boy decided to punt on fourth down and the Pats won. If that happens the Colts are an underdog in this game.

I will take the generosity here as the book is setting a line based on public perception.

Baltimore 30 - Indianapolis 26

Miami (+3) @ Carolina

The Panthers are hot right now and the public is all over them.

Take a closer look at the Panthers and you will realize this is the kind of game that sets up perfectly for Miami.

The Dolphins want to control the run game on both sides of the ball and they do it pretty well.

Carolina needs their run game to help out Jake Delhomme and that will not happen on Thursday night.

Miami will use its strong defensive front to limit the Panthers run game and force Delhomme into making poor decisions.

Meanwhile I expect Miami to run all over the Panthers defense which has given up over 150 yards of rushing in four games this season.

Plus I love the fact that Carolina is coming off a huge divisional game and now must play on a short week. That would be the emotional aspect of the game.

I know Miami was pushed to the brink against Tampa Bay, but that game was not as physical as the battle that Carolina was involved in with Atlanta. Carolina is going to look sluggish to start this game.

Miami 26 - Carolina 20

Cleveland (+3.5) @ Detroit

The Lions were three-point favorites against the winless St. Louis Rams and they lost.

Now they are laying three and a hook to a team in complete disarray.

The public is all over the Lions too.

I'll stick to my guns and fade the public once again.

And this may be the one game that is ideal for Brady Quinn. He gets to play indoors against a terrible defense as opposed to playing under the bright lights of Monday Night Football in front of fans that hate you.

I also think people don't give the Browns defense enough respect.

Cleveland 20 - Detroit 17

St. Louis (+9) vs. Arizona

This is the perfect game where the book knows something we don't and they are going to exploit the average Joe big time.

This line makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Arizona is undefeated on the road and has wins by the following margins: 24, 24, seven, and 20. I can assure you all of those teams were worse than the St. Louis Rams.

So why in the name of gambling are the Cardinals not laying double digits here?

The public wants to hammer away at the Cardinals and I will once again jump the other way.

Arizona 27 - St. Louis 20

Tampa Bay (+11) vs. New Orleans

The Saints look like the worst 9-0 team ever assembled.

New Orleans can thank the schedule maker for their fraudulent start.

A shot to prove their worth is right around the corner as New England comes into town next week and will play in one of the biggest regular season games ever played in the Superdome.

Everyone is looking forward to it including the players themselves.

Meanwhile Tampa Bay has their biggest game of the season this week when the Saints come into town.

The perfect storm: A team looking ahead while another team is playing its Super Bowl.

Whenever you take a team lightly in the NFL you get burned.

And oh yeah, the public loves the ‘Aints here too.

New Orleans 26 - Tampa Bay 20

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Ravens Waive Steve Hauschka

Jarrett Carter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:48:26 -0500

Let Steve Hauschka land on his feet somewhere else will a fresh start and the rattle fully out of his spirit . The Ravens are chasing the playoffs and genuinely have no room or time to coddle a position that, historically, has been paramount to the team’s success.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about Matt Stover? From the Ravens story:

This all takes place just days before longtime Ravens kicker Matt Stover’s return to Baltimore since joining the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 14 because Adan Vinatieri went down with of a knee injury.

After spending 19 years with the franchise, dating back to its days in Cleveland, Stover made no secret that he wanted to continue his career in Baltimore when his contract ran out after a 2008 campaign that saw him convert 27 of 33 field goals during the regular season and all four of his playoff attempts.

But in an attempt to save a roster spot that Hauschka occupied last year as a kickoff specialist, Stover was not brought in and an offseason battle between Hauschka and undrafted free agent Graham Gano ensued.

Meanwhile, Stover, 41, is currently 6-of-6 for Indianapolis with a long of 40 yards.

Nice one, Duffy. Tell the truth and shame the devil; even on the team’s website.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens , Matt Stover , Steve Hauschka

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Notes from Ravens-Browns Bodybag Game

Jarrett Carter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0500

Who would’ve thought a subpar performance against the league’s worst franchise would’ve turned into an injury report nightmare for the Ravens. From Aaron Wilson and the National Football Post :

- (Terrell) Suggs was wearing a full leg brace and had an electronic stem device attached to his leg. He’s scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam today. *Note: Suggs’ injury was sustained after Browns quarterback Brady Quinn dove at the linebacker’s knees on a block.

- Ravens reserve safety and special-teams contributor Haruki Nakamura gruesomely broke his right ankle during the opening kickoff.

Because of the nature and timing of the injury, it’s expected that Nakamura is out for the remainder of the season and will likely require surgery to repair the damage.

- Ravens inside linebacker Tavares Gooden suffered another concussion and didn’t play for the majority of the second half.

- Tight end Todd Heap left the game with a chest injury after taking a shot in the side late in the game, and is expected to undergo a test today.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Browns , Haruki Nakamura , Tavares Gooden , Terrell Suggs , Todd Heap

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Ravens-Browns: Fault the Ravens for Winning By Default

Jarrett Carter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:56:04 -0500

A win is a win and with significant ground to make up in the AFC North, the Ravens will take last night’s 16-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

But what we once called lapses on offense are now full-blown trends, and we now know that unless dramatic changes occur, the Super Bowl team we once knew just two months is likely 9-7 and home for the football postseason holiday.

0-0 at the half against the worst team in football? This wasn’t just playing down to the competition, this was playing below the Ravens' own standards of game planning and execution. The Ravens' one offensive touchdown came on a play where the inept Browns ran with just 10 defenders at the snap. Yes; they’re truly bad enough to miss substitutions, and we’re truly bad enough to need that kind of help.

Ray Rice and Joe Flacco are about the only bright spots you can find offensively, but their shine is so often blotted out by by fast rushing defenders on the interior. Yes, the offensive line is green but it doesn’t have to mean that Flacco and Rice’s jerseys have to match their hue of inexperience after being plowed into the turf.

Were it not for their athleticism and ability to respectively locate blockers and receivers on broken plays, 16-0 in favor of the Ravens could have easily been a 3-0 overtime win for the Browns.

Defensively, the takeaways and pressure on Brady Quinn and the Browns was nothing to marvel at. On most possessions, the quarterbacks and receiver weren’t even on the same page about routes. And even when they were, they just weren’t talented enough to make things happen.

Special teams? No reason to elaborate on an obvious deficiency. Steve Hauschka is the Kyle Boller of place kicking . His nervousness has already cost a couple of games, and there’s no reason for the Ravens to play it close in the second half of the season to see if he’ll right himself.

The Ravens won, but no intelligent football fan would classify this as anything other than a default victory for a team in confusion in all three aspects of the game.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Browns , Joe Flacco , Ray Rice

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Baltimore Soils Cleveland in Shutout

Fred Richani — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:40:44 -0500

Baltimore 16

Cleveland 0

8:30 PM ET

Nov. 16, 2009

Cleveland Browns Stadium,

Cleveland, OH

Both teams were scoreless at halftime, but that didn't stop the Baltimore Ravens from soiling the Cleveland Browns' chances of upsetting their AFC North rival.

Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn was "straight trash homey," with only 13 completions to 31 attempts, a meager 99 passing yards, and two costly picks, including one that was ran in for a touchdown. QB Rating for the night: 23.5.

Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco didn't have to do much, but got the job done, going 13/18 for 155 yards with a 98.1 QB rating.

The Ravens also outperformed Cleveland on the ground—134 rushing yards and a touchdown via Le'Ron McClain, Ray Rice, and Willis McGahee, compared to the Browns' 86 from Josh Cribbs, Chris Jennings, and Jamal Lewis.

This was an emotional game for the soon-to-be retired Lewis, who ran for only 36 yards against his old team. This lose definitely won't help those emotions.

If anything, playing for the Browns probably makes him want to retire tomorrow. Sorry, Cleveland, but you know it's true.

The final score: 16-0. Baltimore is now back on the winning track at 5-4 and set to take on the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (9-0) this Sunday. The Colts barely got past New England Sunday night. Perhaps, Baltimore will have better luck. Remember, the Ravens need this game way more than Indy does.

As for the Browns, well....they're 1-8 and face the Detroit Lions, a team with the same record. Unlike the Browns, Detroit actually has a dominant wide receiver in the name of Calvin Johnson.

This will either be a great offensive day for Detroit or a close game that may be one of the worst contests in NFL history.

Take your pick because I won't be watching.

Quick Hits:

Ray Lewis on Brady Quinn's questionable chop-block on Terrell Suggs, who injured his knee because of it : "Heck yeah, it was a cheap shot. When you're running down and you're looking at the quarterback going at somebody's knees who doesn't even have the ball. I want to see if he gets the same fine I got or even higher. Now this man is out four or five weeks because of some baloney like that."

Injury: Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs was carried from the field on a stretcher at the end of the game, as a result of a nasty hit. No word on his condition, although Eric Mangini states he was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. I smell fine....make that FINES.

Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a columnist for The Sports Courier , 411Mania.com , and everythingyntk.com . Richani founded The Sports Courier in 2009. His work has been featured on CBS Sportsline , Pro Wrestling Torch , GOOGLE News , and USAToday.com .

He has also interviewed Platinum-selling bands Blue October and OneRepublic. Richani currently resides in Freehold, N.J., just an hour from New York City and Philadelphia.

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Too Legit To Quit: Baltimore Ravens Midseason Report

Tyler Springs — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:12:47 -0500

For lack of better phrasing, this is awkward.

Clearly, the Ravens were not expected to be sitting in third place in the AFC North at 4-4 heading into Week nine. The offense has been unexpectedly good; the defense, unexpectedly bad.

At times it seems that fate has conspired against John Harbaugh's team: Mark Clayton's hands were just a little slippery in New England, Steve Hauschka got a bit nervous in Minnesota, and the officials may have been overzealous with their flags in the first Bengals game, although that wasn't necessarily the determining factor in the outcome of the game.

There have been moments where second-year players Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have looked spectacular, and others where they have disappeared or been flat out bad. These are uncharted waters for a team that is used to relying on its defense to preserve games.

The offense is ranked in the top ten in the NFL in points per game and yards per game, but the normally top five defense has been less than impenetrable, falling all the way down to 19th in pass defense and 13th in average yards allowed.

Still, as much as Baltimoreans everywhere wanted to shoot their television sets during last Sunday's game in Cincinnati, there is reason to believe that things can turn around. I was a skeptic like many others. But having tried to analyze what happened to a supposedly good team in the last few games, I've found evidence that, although improvement is needed, this team can still make the playoffs. Save that cyanide for at least two more weeks—there's football yet to be played. I'll start with an issue that may be the most obvious, but still needs to be analyzed.

Staying Grounded

In every win so far, the Ravens have compiled more than 100 yards rushing and held their opponents under that mark. The only instance in which those statistics did not lead to a win was the Week four matchup against the Patriots, and it's not a reach to say that the Ravens could have (and probably should have) won that game.

Whatever happens in the upcoming weeks, it is absolutely imperative that the Ravens get the ball to each of their three running backs, even if that means only handing off to McGahee and McClain a handful of times. Ray Rice has been the workhorse of the three, but it's important that he stays fresh so he can still be effective later in the season. Rice has carried more than 15 times only twice this season, in wins against Kansas City and Denver. However, be careful not to misconstrue this as him being the focus of the offense correlating to Baltimore wins, as the Ravens are only 2-3 when he gets 20 touches or more.

Balance is important, and it's Cam Cameron's job to find and maintain that equilibrium in sharing carries and mixing runs with passes—but running comes first. In the last few weeks, it's been difficult for Cameron to maintain the pounding ground attack that Baltimore thrives on because the Ravens have fallen behind early and have been forced to pass in order to get back in the game.

In every loss, quarterback Joe Flacco has attempted more than 30 passes. In the brilliant season he had last year, Flacco averaged just over 26 attempts per game, and although he has played well for a second-year player, he's still young and given enough chances, he will make mistakes. As dumb as it may sound, Cameron has to control Flacco's opportunities...rein him in, so to speak. Those extra opportunities are the ones that get him in trouble—he's not yet good enough to carry the team by himself, and if he tries to force things and hope for the best (a la Brett Favre, on occasion), he will get in trouble.

I know that stats should not define an offensive gameplan, and I'm not qualified enough to assess Cam Cameron's tendencies as an offensive coordinator, but when it's not clear whether he should call a run or a pass (e.g. 2nd-and-5, or something to that effect), it's not a bad idea to keep the ball on the ground. It's safer, and it seems to be more effective. Of the remaining teams on the Ravens' schedule, only two have run defenses ranked higher than 15th: Pittsburgh (1st) and Green Bay (4th). Those games will be difficult, but previous contests against the Vikings and Bengals have shown that Baltimore can at least be competitive against highly ranked run defenses.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have to take care of business against opposing running backs. They sorely missed the presence of hole-clogger Haloti Ngata, who did not play in last week's loss to Cincinnati because of an ankle injury. Consequently, the Bengals rolled up more than 140 yards on the ground en route to a win. Ngata's mammoth size (6'4", 345 lbs) allows the Ravens to play with only three down linemen, which creates more blitz opportunities for the linebackers. Without the big fella, Baltimore tends to use a four-man front, which has not been as effective in controlling the line of scrimmage.

Ngata is questionable for tonight's game against the Browns, but regardless of whether or not he plays, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison must find a way to keep Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis contained. Regardless of what happens against Cleveland, Ngata's playing time needs to be monitored, and if necessary, limited in the coming weeks in order to minimize the risk of exacerbating his injury. It may be risky for the Ravens to keep Ngata on the sidelines on third and short situations, but unless the play occurs at a crucial momentum turning point during the game, it's better to hold him back.

I'm not an expert on the Ravens' defensive scheme, but in a situation where Ngata is not on the field, it would seem logical for Mattison to use five or six players to control the line, depending on the situation. The Packers are the only team left on the Ravens' calendar who are ranked in the top half of the NFL in rushing, which bodes well for the defense. They have a bigger (although related) problem to worry about.

Pressuring the Quarterback

The injury to Ngata and the lack of youth on the defensive line has prevented the Ravens from getting much pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season. The defense has just 17 sacks so far, which is half the number accumulated to date by the league-leading Vikings. In each of their wins, the Ravens have sacked the opposing quarterback at least twice, but that won't necessarily be enough to keep them in future games. In games against teams who pass at least 30 times per game, the Ravens are 1-1 (lost to the Vikings, beat the Chargers), and four of their remaining opponents rank among the top twelve in the NFL in passing offense (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, and Indianapolis).

Whatever it takes to rattle the opposing passer, the Ravens have got to find a way to do it. Clearly, the secondary is not as capable as those of years past, but playing more inept defenders in coverage is not going to help the situation. This is where the D-line becomes vital to the survival of the team. If they can't rush the opposing quarterback's decision-making process, the Ravens secondary will look worse than a tomato going through a Cuisinart.

Again, I can't say I have a bottomless knowledge of the intricacies of the Ravens defense, but given the personnel on the depth chart, it appears that the speedier linebackers and defensive backs would be the likely blitzers while the older D-line would serve to clog up the trenches. The stats support this idea to an extent (Jarret Johnson and Terrell Suggs are among the top three sack leaders on the team), but Chris Carr is the only defensive back who has registered a sack this season.

Tonight's game against the Browns would be an ideal situation in which Mattison could test out a few blitzes that utilize the secondary, since Cleveland's offense is very weak (next to last in the NFL). Dawan Landry has been a ghost this season, so why not use him and Carr to try and make an impact in some way other than defending the pass?

Second Half Prospective

I've covered the two points that I think are most important. Ravens fans are buzzing right now about Steve Hauschka's lack of execution, but I'm honestly not worried about him.

Harbaugh's a special teams coach, and he had faith enough in Hauschka to release the Ravens' all-time scoring leader before this season began. The field goal against the Bengals was not as game-changing as people are making it out to be, and I think most of them will admit that.

The kicking will come around, and a game against the Browns should give Hauschka a good chance to get some confidence back with a few simple extra points. Assuming he recovers from his recent woes, the plan for the rest of the season is plain, although not simple. The Ravens need to go at least 6-2 in the second half, and that means running the table on non-conference opponents. Basically, Baltimore needs to steal a win from Indianapolis or win one of their two meetings against Pittsburgh, neither of which will be easy. But the Ravens got themselves into this mess, and it's time for them to mop it up, starting with Cleveland tonight.

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Michael Oher Cares Little For Your Oscar Buzz

Jarrett Carter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:50:02 -0500

While most people will come to know Michael Oher in the coming weeks as the guy whose life is portrayed in the new movie The Blind Side , most Baltimore football enthusiasts would rather know him as the reincarnation of Jonathan Ogden as a Hall of Fame offensive lineman.

And Oher seems to be thinking along the same lines .

“I am not curious. I am not in a hurry to see it,” said the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Oher, who was selected by the Ravens with the 23rd overall pick in April’s draft. “But I will watch it eventually.”

Seems to me that a movie like this places more pressure on Oher than any blocking scheme, or harrowing match-up with speedy defensive end could ever provide. The movie sets up that Oher, with the help of a kind family, made himself to be more than he ever could have imagined as a football player.

Unfortunately, these characteristics don’t prevent turf toe, chop blocks, or poor coaching; all of the things that can derail a career and limit the impact of Oher’s media blitz. It’s one thing to watch a movie and cheer for the underdog. It’s another when that underdog grows up with expectations of anchoring an offensive line for the next 10-12 years, and leading a team to Super Bowls.

Most pro athletes already live with the burden of minimal privacy and heightened responsibilities off the field and court. Oher, as an offensive lineman, has stepped out of the anonymity of the position and into a limelight that gives him significant personal appeal off the field, and even more expectations on it—even as a rookie.

He’s going to have bad games, he’s going to get frustrated with the media, and he’s going to negotiate with other teams when his current contract is up. Those things won’t make him a bad guy, but with his life being paralleled by a fictionalized account of his real-life story, you just hope that people don’t take away the wrong impression of a gentle giant just looking for a break.

Because he earned his break. And if he makes a few on his own within his own terms, don’t be shocked if it doesn’t go down with a huge smile on his face with Sandra Bullock in the background instructing him on who his family is.

Good thing Michael Oher doesn’t care what happens with this movie; Heaven knows a lot of movie watchers this weekend will leave the theaters all-too-ready to care. Hopefully, not too much.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens , Michael Oher , The Blind Side.

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