Thanksgiving didn't feature much in the way of exciting NFL football. The Redskins-Giants game was one of the most painful displays of professional football in the last several decades, the Cowboys scored only a single touchdown for the 3rd straight week without Ezekiel Elliott, and the Vikings tightened their stranglehold on the NFC North with their win in Detroit. These games might appear to have nothing to do with the Ravens, but there are at least a couple of points that may prove pertinent to the Ravens' upcoming schedule.
The Detroit Lions will play the Ravens in Week 13, and if Thanksgiving's first game was any indication, that won't be an easy task. It certainly seemed at times as though the Vikings dominated the Lions on Thursday, but Detroit finished only one touchdown behind. One shouldn't glean too much from a divisional game considering they're often competitive despite a disparity in the overall strength of the teams playing, but the Lions are no sort of pushovers. Not only will the Lions be coming off of nearly a week and a half of rest, but they also boast a 4-1 road record on the season, and the Ravens haven't been invincible at home in years.
Beating the Lions could very well be a tough task, but it also might not be necessary considering the rest of the Ravens remaining schedule. It will likely take only 9 wins to clinch a wildcard spot, and the other teams within striking distance have much tougher upcoming opponents. One team thought to be totally out of the running for a playoff spot is the Chargers. Philip Rivers and company lost 6 of their first 9 games, but they have now won 5 of their last 7 to improve to 5-6 on the season. What has been even more impressive is just how explosive the Chargers offense has been for the past two weeks. They scored a whopping 54 points against the Bills, and then Rivers threw for well over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving night.
The Chargers now find themselves one game back from a wilting but division-leading Chiefs team that appeared to be the most dominant force in the AFC through the first 6 weeks of the season. The Chiefs have lost 4 of their last 5 games, and the Chargers could easily overtake them as division leader in the AFC West as every team left on their schedule is quite beatable. If that happens, it's quite possible that the Ravens could find themselves faced with a road trip to California in the first round of the playoffs. This all only goes to show that one shouldn't get too high or low about a team's early struggles in an NFL season. The regular season is 4 months long and injuries and adjustments to opponents' schemes can change the landscape of competition profoundly over only a handful of weeks.
The Ravens, unlike the Chargers, don't have a great opportunity to overtake their most hated rivals, the Steelers, for the lead in their division, but, like the Chargers, they're starting to heat up at the right time. Suggs and company have pitched two shutouts in their last 3 games, and they have the highest margin of victory of any team in the NFL as they've outscored opponents 137-27 in their five wins. The Ravens have struggled against many of the better teams in the league, but they've shown unquestionably that they can dominate mediocre and bad teams. That's quite convenient as the Texans happen to be a bad team since the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson's knee.
Just how bad ARE the Texans? Well they lost 4 of their last 6 games, but their only win over the last month came against a Cardinals team that has essentially lost all hope without Carson Palmer. The Texans also lost the most dominant defensive player in the league when J.J. Watt went down with a season ending injury. The Texans will be without two starting offensive linemen on Monday night, and wide receiver Will Fuller has been ruled out as well. DeAndre Hopskins is the only true offensive weapon the Texans have left, and he has even been dealing with a foot injury of his own though he is expected to play on Monday night.
There was a bit of a scare earlier this week that the Ravens would be missing two of their own starting offensive linemen with Ronnie Stanley still in concussion protocol and Austin Howard held out of practice with a reported knee injury. Both men, however, returned to practice by Friday on a full participant level, and that's relieving considering the fact that a ferocious pass rusher will soon take the field with his sights on Joe Flacco.
Jadeveon Clowney is the only remaining pass rusher left this season of the Watt-Mercilus-Clowney trio. He, nevertheless, has found a way to generate a consistent pass rush and be disruptive to opposing offenses by himself. With 8 sacks on the year, Clowney has more than any Ravens pass rusher as Terrell Suggs leads Baltimore with 7.5. Teams have trouble keying in on the young, dynamic playmaker because the Texans line him up all over the defensive front seven. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Texans have Clowney pick on the Ravens' comparatively weak guards considering the strength and track record of the Baltimore tackles and center this season. Clowney is not, however, the best pass rusher the Ravens have faced this season, and his location simply needs to be identified prior to the snap so he can be properly accounted for and double-teamed.
Another Texans player that will likely require a double team all night is DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins is easily one of the top 3 receivers in the league this season, and despite not having a legitimate starting quarterback to deliver him the ball, he has still managed to amass 879 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. Hopkins' production hasn't waned since Deshaun Watson went down for the season, but that might change profoundly this week as the Texans #2 receiver and best deep threat with 19.2 yards per catch, Will Fuller, will not play. Fuller caught 7 touchdown passes in 2017 which is 30% of the Texans' total 23 receiving touchdowns. The speedy Notre Dame product ran a 4.32 official NFL combine 40 yard dash in 2016, and his absence will allow the Ravens to zero in on Hopkins all game.
There are two things the Texans have done unquestionably well this season: running the football and stopping the run. Houston ranks 6th in the league in rushing yards per game, and rank 7th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. That doesn't mean that it's impossible to run the football on them, and it certainly doesn't mean that their running game can't be stopped, but I don't expect a monstrous day on the ground for Alex Collins and company. The Texans will likely put forth the bulk of their defensive efforts to stacking the box and stopping the Ravens rushing attack. This, they likely hope, will force Flacco to throw the football in a year where he has struggled mightily to do so. The issue with that strategy is that the Texans rank 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed, and they rank dead last in passing touchdowns allowed. If there was ever a day where Ravens wide receivers, tight ends, and pass-catching running backs would feast on an opposing pass defense, it would be Monday night.
The Ravens offense may still struggle early to find a rhythm and pull away from the Texans until the second half, but I fully expect the Ravens defense to hold the Texans nearly scoreless, if not entirely scoreless. With a full staff, this Texans team is dangerous, but this roster is a shell of its former self with over half of its top playmakers on injured reserve. If Baltimore can't put this wounded animal down in primetime on Monday night, they're going to struggle hard the following week against a much better Detroit Lions squad. Let's just consider this week to be phase one of Operation Beat-the-Teams-They're-Supposed-to-Beat. Ok, let's take a look at this week's picks!
WEEK 12 NFL PICKS
BUCCANEERS AT FALCONS- The Buccanners' road record has been an absolutely abysmal 1-4 this season, and the Falcons are heating up at the right time winning 3 of their last 4 games including a major upset of the Seahawks in Seattle last week. This is a divisional game, however, so it will be closer than many expect. FALCONS 31-28
BROWNS AT BENGALS- The Bengals will keep fairly dim playoff hopes alive with a win over the winless Browns this week. BENGALS 24-14
TITANS AT COLTS- The Colts have still fought hard despite being basically eliminated from playoff contention for quite some time. The Titans handled the Colts 36-22 in Nashville, and I expect a similar performance this week as Marcus Mariota isn't hobbled the way he was the first time these two teams faced one another. TITANS 33-17
BILLS AT CHIEFS- This is an interesting matchup because it features two teams that looked dominant earlier this season, but have fallen off as of late and desperately need a win. The Chiefs have lost 4 of their last 5 games, and the Bills have lost their last 3 straight. Tyrod Taylor will start, but he will be without the recently acquired target Kelvin Benjamin. The Bills defense has been so insanely poor as of late that I have to give the edge to the Chiefs at home. The Bills defense has, in fact, allowed an average of 45 points per game over the last 3 weeks. CHIEFS 34-23
DOLPHINS AT PATRIOTS- It was only a matter of time before Brandin Cooks became familiarize with the Patriots offensive system and began to flourish. He has more than made up for Julian Edelman's absence with 786 receiving yards thus far this season. The Dolphins have sadly lost their last 4 games, and with two upcoming games against the Patriots their playoff chances are slim to none. The question going forward will be whether they draft a QB or stick with a recovered Tannehill for the foreseeable future. PATRIOTS 38-20
PANTHERS AT JETS- The Jets have lost 4 of their last 5 games and the Panthers are 7-3. The Panthers have lost a letdown game or two this season, but it's difficult to imagine them dropping one to this team. PANTHERS 24-17
BEARS AT EAGLES- The Eagles are the most complete team in the NFL. EAGLES 35-21
SEAHAWKS AT 49ERS- These teams are usually competitive when playing one another, but it's difficult to believe the 49ers will be able to contain Russell Wilson. SEAHAWKS 28-24
BRONCOS AT RAIDERS- This is a matchup of two of the best teams from the previous couple of seasons...and they both now suck. The edge has to go to the Raiders who have at least won 2 of their last 4 games. RAIDERS 30-23
SAINTS AT RAMS- This is easily the best, most intriguing matchup of the week. Both the Rams and Saints have been strong for months now. The Rams' only losses have come against the Seahawks when the Seahawk's defense still had its biggest pieces and then last week against a defensively ferocious Vikings. The Saints haven't been pitted against an elite defense in quite some time, and the Rams rank 7th in points allowed this season. Considering how close the Redskins came last week to beating the Saints in New Orleans, I have to believe the Rams will be strong enough to knock them off in Los Angeles on Sunday. RAMS 31-28
JAGUARS AT CARDINALS- Jalen Ramsey WILL be playing, and the Cardinals will be losing. JAGUARS 37-13
PACKERS AT STEELERS- This is the weakest Packers team I've ever known. The Steelers defense is top 3 in the league and will easily stifle this decapitated group from Green Bay. STEELERS 42-10
TEXANS AT RAVENS- The Texans are down to essentially one offensive weapon, and they're about to go against the second rated secondary in the league. The Ravens shouldn't allow Tom Savage to breathe, and they'll likely pick him off as he tries to force the ball to DeAndre Hopkins in double and triple coverage. The Texans will do whatever they can to stop the Ravens rushing attack, and that means we'll see what Joe Flacco can do. I have a feeling Danny Woodhead will catch at least 5-6 passes and allow Joe to get rid of the ball quick enough to neutralize pressure. If the Ravens offense can't open up through the air against this team, they're going to have a hard time against any playoff team they might face assuming they make it that far. RAVENS 24-3
IT'S BLACKOUT TIME AT THE BANK ON MONDAY NIGHT! TIME FOR THE RAVENS DEFENSE TO FEAST! I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Thursday, November 23, 2017
THANKSGIVING NFL PREDICTIONS
There is only one quality football team playing in today's games if we're going by regular season record. The Vikings have endured a string of injuries and somehow managed to emerge battle-tested with an 8-2 record and currently enjoying a 6 game winning streak. All of the other teams have had enough ups and downs to make their respective fan bases fairly doubtful about the prospects of a serious playoff run. Despite that fact, there is still enough football left for a number of these teams to make a run at a wildcard spot, and every game is, thus, absolutely relevant today. With that, let's get into today's predictions!
VIKINGS AT LIONS- These are easily the best two teams playing today, and they happen to be divisional rivals. The Lions did have a three game losing streak that ended a month ago, but they're currently on a 3 game winning streak with their most recent win over another division rival in the Chicago Bears. The Lions already beat the Vikings earlier this season, but they did so as the Lions were right in the thick of a rash of injuries. It's difficult to imagine this game will be any sort of blowout, but the way the Vikings have played as of late, it's difficult to imagine the Lions repeating their performance from earlier this season. The Lions' most recent wins have come against some softball teams such as the currently crippled packers and the perpetually inept Browns. The Vikings, on the other hand, just crushed the Rams... VIKINGS 31-17
CHARGERS AT COWBOYS- The Cowboys have scored a total of 14 points in their last two games. It turns out Ezekiel Elliot's availability is the difference between soundly beating the Chiefs and getting crushed by the Eagles and Falcons. The Chargers haven't won all that many games, but they're rounding into decent form, and Philip Rivers has some nice weapons at his disposal. Let's also not forget that the Chargers put up 54 points on the Bills last week...54. CHARGERS 28-21
GIANTS AT REDSKINS- The Giants are a 2-win team. Kudos to them for beating the Chiefs in a defensive battle, but they're still a worse team than the Redskins. I'm still at a loss as to how the Skins lost to the Saints last week when they had a 15 point lead with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but they're not going up against the Saints this week. This is a time for Washington to take its frustrations out on a Giants team whose number they typically have anyway. REDSKINS 24-14
As for our beloved Ravens, Monday presents a nice opportunity to both beat up on a backup quarterback and possibly record yet another shutout to gain defensive momentum heading into more competitive games against the Lions and eventually the Steelers. Nine games will likely clinch a playoff berth, so the Ravens simply need to beat the teams they're SUPPOSED to beat remaining on the schedule to get to nine. That means the Ravens need to beat the Texans, Colts, Browns, and Bengals. If, however, Baltimore finds a way to beat either the Lions or Steelers and have clinched a wildcard berth going into the final week of the regular season, it would behoove them to sit their starters against the Bengals the way they did last time they won a Super Bowl. This is truly getting interesting!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
AND AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
VIKINGS AT LIONS- These are easily the best two teams playing today, and they happen to be divisional rivals. The Lions did have a three game losing streak that ended a month ago, but they're currently on a 3 game winning streak with their most recent win over another division rival in the Chicago Bears. The Lions already beat the Vikings earlier this season, but they did so as the Lions were right in the thick of a rash of injuries. It's difficult to imagine this game will be any sort of blowout, but the way the Vikings have played as of late, it's difficult to imagine the Lions repeating their performance from earlier this season. The Lions' most recent wins have come against some softball teams such as the currently crippled packers and the perpetually inept Browns. The Vikings, on the other hand, just crushed the Rams... VIKINGS 31-17
CHARGERS AT COWBOYS- The Cowboys have scored a total of 14 points in their last two games. It turns out Ezekiel Elliot's availability is the difference between soundly beating the Chiefs and getting crushed by the Eagles and Falcons. The Chargers haven't won all that many games, but they're rounding into decent form, and Philip Rivers has some nice weapons at his disposal. Let's also not forget that the Chargers put up 54 points on the Bills last week...54. CHARGERS 28-21
GIANTS AT REDSKINS- The Giants are a 2-win team. Kudos to them for beating the Chiefs in a defensive battle, but they're still a worse team than the Redskins. I'm still at a loss as to how the Skins lost to the Saints last week when they had a 15 point lead with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but they're not going up against the Saints this week. This is a time for Washington to take its frustrations out on a Giants team whose number they typically have anyway. REDSKINS 24-14
As for our beloved Ravens, Monday presents a nice opportunity to both beat up on a backup quarterback and possibly record yet another shutout to gain defensive momentum heading into more competitive games against the Lions and eventually the Steelers. Nine games will likely clinch a playoff berth, so the Ravens simply need to beat the teams they're SUPPOSED to beat remaining on the schedule to get to nine. That means the Ravens need to beat the Texans, Colts, Browns, and Bengals. If, however, Baltimore finds a way to beat either the Lions or Steelers and have clinched a wildcard berth going into the final week of the regular season, it would behoove them to sit their starters against the Bengals the way they did last time they won a Super Bowl. This is truly getting interesting!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
AND AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
Sunday, November 19, 2017
WEEK 11 NFL PREDICTIONS
The Green Bay Packers, despite their win over the Chicago Bears last weekend, are horribly short-staffed going into their home game against the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron Rodgers' absence alone totally changes the identity and power of the team, and it certainly doesn't help that the Pack will be missing starting offensive linemen and both of their top running backs as well. The Ravens are coming off of a much needed bye week and are reportedly healthier than they've been collectively all season--healthier, that is, except one of their most critical offensive pieces.
The Ravens went through a 4 game losing streak during the 2016 season that directly corresponded with the timing of Ronnie Stanley's foot injury. The elite left tackle has performed at a Pro Bowl level this season, and it's difficult to assume his absence won't have just as profound an impact this season, if not more. Stanley exited the Ravens-Titans game late in the 4th quarter with what turned out to be a concussion. Despite his presence at practice all week, the former 6th overall pick will almost certainly not play in Green Bay on Sunday as his status was listed as doubtful. That reportedly will mean the Ravens will slide James Hurst to left tackle and plug in a backup at left guard. Many of you might remember James Hurst from such magical moments as getting bull-rushed into Joe Flacco's knee causing a season-ending ACL tear. I understand that Hurst has bulked up and improved overall this season, but it's difficult to imagine he'll replace a top 5 left tackle in the league on short notice.
If the Ravens are to win on the road this week, they're going to have to utilize their weapons properly for the first time this season. That means connecting with Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace on intermediate and deep routes, feeding Alex Collins the football 17-20 times, involving Nick Boyle and Ben Watson in the passing attack, and unleashing Danny Woodhead as a pass-catching back/slot receiver. Woodhead, if he can stay healthy, might just be the key to the Ravens' offensive woes. He gets open fast, catches nearly everything thrown his way, and makes defenders miss for fantastic yards after the catch. Woodhead's ability to get open almost immediately will help Flacco to get the ball out of his hands quickly and mitigate potential damage caused by Ronnie Stanley's absence.
Green Bay's defense isn't exactly daunting with a 22nd ranking in average yards allowed per game. The Ravens, by contrast, boast the NFL's 5 ranked defense, and they've put up some absolutely suffocating performances this season. It's tough to imagine that a rested Ravens defense wouldn't absolutely feast on a backup quarterback who won't enjoy the company of either of his top two running backs or his starting left tackle, but the defense can only do so much. In games where the offense can't sustain and finish drives, the Ravens defense finds itself on the field for far too much time, and ultimately opposing teams find ways to put up enough points to edge Baltimore. The Bears and Titans, for example, beat the Ravens because Baltimore simply couldn't make anything happen offensively in the first half of either game.
Poor competition from most of the rest of the AFC has meant that the Ravens are only one spot out of the second wildcard slot despite having an unimpressive 4-5 record. The sad thing is that the Ravens could easily be 6-3 right now if they had simply kicked one more field goal in their games against the Bears and Titans, but they can't rewrite the past. Instead, this team can show that it's good enough to make second half adjustments and perform every week the way it did against the Bengals, Browns, Raiders, and Dolphins. Fortunately for the Ravens, they're not nearly the only team suffering from catastrophic losses this season. The Colts, Texans, and Packers have all lost their dynamic starting quarterbacks to season-ending injuries, and all three teams have done quite a bit of losing for weeks. Baltimore is also staring down games against such non-competitive teams as the Browns and Bengals. The Lions and Steelers present far greater challenges for Joe and the boys, but it may not be necessary to beat either team to secure a wildcard playoff berth. I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility for the Ravens to beat the Lions in Baltimore since dome teams often struggle in cold outdoor environments such as Baltimore in December, but they simply must take care of business against the comparatively weak remaining teams to reach 9 wins and a likely playoff spot.
You might be asking why it is that only 9 games could very well land the Ravens a place in the post-season. Both the Titans and Jaguars have 6 wins already. Jacksonville is 6-3, and Tennessee is 6-4. Both teams own head to head wins against the Ravens, and both teams have favorable enough remaining schedules to easily win 9-10 games. The Jaguars have games remaining against such weak opponents as the Browns, Colts, 49ers, Cardinals, and Texans. The thing is that the Jaguars would only need 9 wins to beat out the Ravens for a wildcard spot because they own a head-to-head victory from Week 3. The Titans also own a tie-breaker over the Ravens with a head-to-head victory, and they, like the Jaguars, have remaining games against the Colts, Texans, Cardinals, and 49ers. I would estimate that the odds are incredibly high that both 6-win teams will earn a playoff spot, but the question is which will win the AFC South division and which will likely be relegated to the 5th playoff spot. Either way the Ravens will likely be vying for the 6th and final playoff spot, and the team challenging them for it is the Buffalo Bills...who just benched their starting quarterback for a backup.
Tyrod Taylor hasn't looked particularly impressive as of late as the Bills have lost their last two games by rather embarrassing margins to the Jets and Saints. To make matters worse, Taylor has been benched in favor of his backup. The Bills obviously hope that switching to a different passer will spark some offense for the first time in weeks, but a large part of Buffalo's ability to move the ball is due to Tyrod Taylor's mobility and ability to run and extend plays. The Chargers aren't likely going to the playoffs, but they have some impressive pass rushers such as Joey Bosa, and it's always difficult to go all the way across the country--especially when this with their backup quarterback's limited level of experience. It doesn't get a whole lot easier for the Bills as they then travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs. The Bills then have two games remaining against the Patriots and two more games against their divisional rival Dolphins. The Bills do have one game remaining against an opponent whose starting quarterback will not be back this season, but beyond that, it's difficult to see them winning more than 2 of their remaining games. Let's assume that the Chargers and Chiefs beat Buffalo, and then the Patriots sweep them while the Dolphins split with them. Hell, even if the Bills sweep the Dolphins and beat up on the Colts, they'll only finish the season with 8 wins. If the Bills continue to stick with a backup quarterback, I believe they'll finish with only 7 wins.
There actually is a significant chance that, because the of the low level of competition in the AFC for the wildcard spot, an 8-8 team might just make it in. Let's hope the Ravens cover their bases with 9+ total wins, but anyway they can get into the playoffs is just fine with me. Now there's just the matter of beating the teams they should beat; that's often easier said than done in the NFL.
WEEK 11 PICKS
LIONS AT BEARS- It's difficult to know which Bears team will show up on Sunday, but the Lions have done quite well on the road with a 3-1 record in games outside of Detroit. The Bears are 3-6 will a few surprise wins, but they're also only 2-3 at home. LIONS 24-20
JAGUARS AT BROWNS- Guess who's probably in line for a first overall piiiiiiick. That's right, the worst team in the history of time! JAGUARS 34-13
BUCCANEERS AT DOLPHINS- The Dolphins should be able to manage a win over the Bucs with Jameis Winston sitting out because of a shoulder injury. Certainly doesn't help that Rey Maualuga was just cut because of a misdemeanor assault charge a few days ago, but Miami should be able to win this. DOLPHINS 21-17
RAMS AT VIKINGS- This is the best matchup of the week with two 7-2 teams. The Rams are on a 4 game winning streak, and they've won 6 of their last 7. The Vikings have won 6 of THEIR last 7 games despite the loss of their talented young RB, Dalvin Cook, earlier this season. The Rams are 4-0 on the road, and the Vikings are 4-1 at home. This is such a close matchup that the Vikings are only favored by 1.5 points. It's difficult, however, for me to see the Vikings, who will be without a starting defensive end and safety, stopping a rather ferocious Rams offense that has averaged 32.85 points per game over the last 7 contests and even managed to score 27 against the vaunted Jaguars D. The Rams are the healthier, more complete team going into this. RAMS 30-24
REDSKINS AT SAINTS- The Saints might actually be the most dangerous team in the league. They haven't lost a game since Week 2. Good luck, Redskins. SAINTS 38-21
CHIEFS AT GIANTS- The Chiefs are good at football...the Giants? Not so much. CHIEFS 28-14
CARDINALS AT TEXANS- The Cardinals will be starting Blaine Gabbert at QB today. It'll be nice for the Texans to get a rare win without Deshaun Watson. TEXANS 27-23
BILLS AT CHARGERS- The Chargers are a decent team that has been the victim of one of the toughest schedules in the NFL up to this point. The Bills will be starting a backup QB after a cross country flight. CHARGERS 31-17
BENGALS AT BRONCOS- Too many people thought of the Bengals as being incredibly talented going into the last two seasons just because their minds immediately think of A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. What made the Bengals so talented several years ago was the combination of Green, Eifert, Sanu, and Marvin Jones. Green by himself simply isn't enough to take over a game. If the Bengals lose this game today, their chance at a playoff berth is nearly zero. They would be wise to pack it in and play for a top 5 draft pick. The Bengals have won only a single game on the road this season despite hanging tough against some decent opponents. The Broncos have done just as poorly, but they'll have homefield advantage today. The Broncos have lost 5 straight games, but they're 3-2 at home and the Bengals are, as mentioned earlier, 1-4 on the road. BRONCOS 24-21
PATRIOTS AT RAIDERS- The Raiders don't have nearly enough in the way of defense to stop Tom Brady...who happens to be the league's leader in passing yards right now. PATRIOTS 34-21
EAGLES AT COWBOYS- The Eagles appear to be the best, most complete team in the league. The Cowboys won't have Ezekiel Elliot for the next 6 games. EAGLES 33-23
FALCONS AT SEAHAWKS- The Falcons haven't been great this season, but they've won 2 of their last 3 games and will be playing a Seahawks secondary without most of its Legion of Boom. Russell Wilson, however, is having a career year from an offensive standpoint. One might say that the Seahawks won't have the defense to stop the Falcons, but I don't believe the Falcons have the defense to stop the Seahawks. SEAHAWKS 28-21
RAVENS AT PACKERS- The prospect of playing in Green Bay in mid November without Ronnie Stanley scares the bejesus out of me, but the Packers are simply too offensively banged up to challenge this Ravens secondary. The fact that the Packers won't have much to use in the running game will mean that Baltimore will be able to pin their ears back and get after a fairly talented, but inexperienced rookie quarterback. The Ravens haven't won many games, but when they've beaten teams this year, they've absolutely destroyed them. RAVENS 31-13
IF THE RAVENS ARE GOING TO MAKE A RUN AT THE PLAYOFFS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A WEAK SECOND HALF SCHEDULE AND BEAT THE WOUNDED TEAMS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BEAT. IF THEY CAN'T DO THAT TODAY, THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY ELIMINATED FROM CONTENTION, BUT THERE WILL BE LITTLE REASON TO BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN MUCH GOING FORWARD. THIS IS NEARLY AS HEALTHY AND RESTED AS THEY'VE BEEN, AND THEY'RE FACING ARGUABLY THE MOST BROKEN TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
The Ravens went through a 4 game losing streak during the 2016 season that directly corresponded with the timing of Ronnie Stanley's foot injury. The elite left tackle has performed at a Pro Bowl level this season, and it's difficult to assume his absence won't have just as profound an impact this season, if not more. Stanley exited the Ravens-Titans game late in the 4th quarter with what turned out to be a concussion. Despite his presence at practice all week, the former 6th overall pick will almost certainly not play in Green Bay on Sunday as his status was listed as doubtful. That reportedly will mean the Ravens will slide James Hurst to left tackle and plug in a backup at left guard. Many of you might remember James Hurst from such magical moments as getting bull-rushed into Joe Flacco's knee causing a season-ending ACL tear. I understand that Hurst has bulked up and improved overall this season, but it's difficult to imagine he'll replace a top 5 left tackle in the league on short notice.
If the Ravens are to win on the road this week, they're going to have to utilize their weapons properly for the first time this season. That means connecting with Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace on intermediate and deep routes, feeding Alex Collins the football 17-20 times, involving Nick Boyle and Ben Watson in the passing attack, and unleashing Danny Woodhead as a pass-catching back/slot receiver. Woodhead, if he can stay healthy, might just be the key to the Ravens' offensive woes. He gets open fast, catches nearly everything thrown his way, and makes defenders miss for fantastic yards after the catch. Woodhead's ability to get open almost immediately will help Flacco to get the ball out of his hands quickly and mitigate potential damage caused by Ronnie Stanley's absence.
Green Bay's defense isn't exactly daunting with a 22nd ranking in average yards allowed per game. The Ravens, by contrast, boast the NFL's 5 ranked defense, and they've put up some absolutely suffocating performances this season. It's tough to imagine that a rested Ravens defense wouldn't absolutely feast on a backup quarterback who won't enjoy the company of either of his top two running backs or his starting left tackle, but the defense can only do so much. In games where the offense can't sustain and finish drives, the Ravens defense finds itself on the field for far too much time, and ultimately opposing teams find ways to put up enough points to edge Baltimore. The Bears and Titans, for example, beat the Ravens because Baltimore simply couldn't make anything happen offensively in the first half of either game.
Poor competition from most of the rest of the AFC has meant that the Ravens are only one spot out of the second wildcard slot despite having an unimpressive 4-5 record. The sad thing is that the Ravens could easily be 6-3 right now if they had simply kicked one more field goal in their games against the Bears and Titans, but they can't rewrite the past. Instead, this team can show that it's good enough to make second half adjustments and perform every week the way it did against the Bengals, Browns, Raiders, and Dolphins. Fortunately for the Ravens, they're not nearly the only team suffering from catastrophic losses this season. The Colts, Texans, and Packers have all lost their dynamic starting quarterbacks to season-ending injuries, and all three teams have done quite a bit of losing for weeks. Baltimore is also staring down games against such non-competitive teams as the Browns and Bengals. The Lions and Steelers present far greater challenges for Joe and the boys, but it may not be necessary to beat either team to secure a wildcard playoff berth. I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility for the Ravens to beat the Lions in Baltimore since dome teams often struggle in cold outdoor environments such as Baltimore in December, but they simply must take care of business against the comparatively weak remaining teams to reach 9 wins and a likely playoff spot.
You might be asking why it is that only 9 games could very well land the Ravens a place in the post-season. Both the Titans and Jaguars have 6 wins already. Jacksonville is 6-3, and Tennessee is 6-4. Both teams own head to head wins against the Ravens, and both teams have favorable enough remaining schedules to easily win 9-10 games. The Jaguars have games remaining against such weak opponents as the Browns, Colts, 49ers, Cardinals, and Texans. The thing is that the Jaguars would only need 9 wins to beat out the Ravens for a wildcard spot because they own a head-to-head victory from Week 3. The Titans also own a tie-breaker over the Ravens with a head-to-head victory, and they, like the Jaguars, have remaining games against the Colts, Texans, Cardinals, and 49ers. I would estimate that the odds are incredibly high that both 6-win teams will earn a playoff spot, but the question is which will win the AFC South division and which will likely be relegated to the 5th playoff spot. Either way the Ravens will likely be vying for the 6th and final playoff spot, and the team challenging them for it is the Buffalo Bills...who just benched their starting quarterback for a backup.
Tyrod Taylor hasn't looked particularly impressive as of late as the Bills have lost their last two games by rather embarrassing margins to the Jets and Saints. To make matters worse, Taylor has been benched in favor of his backup. The Bills obviously hope that switching to a different passer will spark some offense for the first time in weeks, but a large part of Buffalo's ability to move the ball is due to Tyrod Taylor's mobility and ability to run and extend plays. The Chargers aren't likely going to the playoffs, but they have some impressive pass rushers such as Joey Bosa, and it's always difficult to go all the way across the country--especially when this with their backup quarterback's limited level of experience. It doesn't get a whole lot easier for the Bills as they then travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs. The Bills then have two games remaining against the Patriots and two more games against their divisional rival Dolphins. The Bills do have one game remaining against an opponent whose starting quarterback will not be back this season, but beyond that, it's difficult to see them winning more than 2 of their remaining games. Let's assume that the Chargers and Chiefs beat Buffalo, and then the Patriots sweep them while the Dolphins split with them. Hell, even if the Bills sweep the Dolphins and beat up on the Colts, they'll only finish the season with 8 wins. If the Bills continue to stick with a backup quarterback, I believe they'll finish with only 7 wins.
There actually is a significant chance that, because the of the low level of competition in the AFC for the wildcard spot, an 8-8 team might just make it in. Let's hope the Ravens cover their bases with 9+ total wins, but anyway they can get into the playoffs is just fine with me. Now there's just the matter of beating the teams they should beat; that's often easier said than done in the NFL.
WEEK 11 PICKS
LIONS AT BEARS- It's difficult to know which Bears team will show up on Sunday, but the Lions have done quite well on the road with a 3-1 record in games outside of Detroit. The Bears are 3-6 will a few surprise wins, but they're also only 2-3 at home. LIONS 24-20
JAGUARS AT BROWNS- Guess who's probably in line for a first overall piiiiiiick. That's right, the worst team in the history of time! JAGUARS 34-13
BUCCANEERS AT DOLPHINS- The Dolphins should be able to manage a win over the Bucs with Jameis Winston sitting out because of a shoulder injury. Certainly doesn't help that Rey Maualuga was just cut because of a misdemeanor assault charge a few days ago, but Miami should be able to win this. DOLPHINS 21-17
RAMS AT VIKINGS- This is the best matchup of the week with two 7-2 teams. The Rams are on a 4 game winning streak, and they've won 6 of their last 7. The Vikings have won 6 of THEIR last 7 games despite the loss of their talented young RB, Dalvin Cook, earlier this season. The Rams are 4-0 on the road, and the Vikings are 4-1 at home. This is such a close matchup that the Vikings are only favored by 1.5 points. It's difficult, however, for me to see the Vikings, who will be without a starting defensive end and safety, stopping a rather ferocious Rams offense that has averaged 32.85 points per game over the last 7 contests and even managed to score 27 against the vaunted Jaguars D. The Rams are the healthier, more complete team going into this. RAMS 30-24
REDSKINS AT SAINTS- The Saints might actually be the most dangerous team in the league. They haven't lost a game since Week 2. Good luck, Redskins. SAINTS 38-21
CHIEFS AT GIANTS- The Chiefs are good at football...the Giants? Not so much. CHIEFS 28-14
CARDINALS AT TEXANS- The Cardinals will be starting Blaine Gabbert at QB today. It'll be nice for the Texans to get a rare win without Deshaun Watson. TEXANS 27-23
BILLS AT CHARGERS- The Chargers are a decent team that has been the victim of one of the toughest schedules in the NFL up to this point. The Bills will be starting a backup QB after a cross country flight. CHARGERS 31-17
BENGALS AT BRONCOS- Too many people thought of the Bengals as being incredibly talented going into the last two seasons just because their minds immediately think of A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. What made the Bengals so talented several years ago was the combination of Green, Eifert, Sanu, and Marvin Jones. Green by himself simply isn't enough to take over a game. If the Bengals lose this game today, their chance at a playoff berth is nearly zero. They would be wise to pack it in and play for a top 5 draft pick. The Bengals have won only a single game on the road this season despite hanging tough against some decent opponents. The Broncos have done just as poorly, but they'll have homefield advantage today. The Broncos have lost 5 straight games, but they're 3-2 at home and the Bengals are, as mentioned earlier, 1-4 on the road. BRONCOS 24-21
PATRIOTS AT RAIDERS- The Raiders don't have nearly enough in the way of defense to stop Tom Brady...who happens to be the league's leader in passing yards right now. PATRIOTS 34-21
EAGLES AT COWBOYS- The Eagles appear to be the best, most complete team in the league. The Cowboys won't have Ezekiel Elliot for the next 6 games. EAGLES 33-23
FALCONS AT SEAHAWKS- The Falcons haven't been great this season, but they've won 2 of their last 3 games and will be playing a Seahawks secondary without most of its Legion of Boom. Russell Wilson, however, is having a career year from an offensive standpoint. One might say that the Seahawks won't have the defense to stop the Falcons, but I don't believe the Falcons have the defense to stop the Seahawks. SEAHAWKS 28-21
RAVENS AT PACKERS- The prospect of playing in Green Bay in mid November without Ronnie Stanley scares the bejesus out of me, but the Packers are simply too offensively banged up to challenge this Ravens secondary. The fact that the Packers won't have much to use in the running game will mean that Baltimore will be able to pin their ears back and get after a fairly talented, but inexperienced rookie quarterback. The Ravens haven't won many games, but when they've beaten teams this year, they've absolutely destroyed them. RAVENS 31-13
IF THE RAVENS ARE GOING TO MAKE A RUN AT THE PLAYOFFS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A WEAK SECOND HALF SCHEDULE AND BEAT THE WOUNDED TEAMS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BEAT. IF THEY CAN'T DO THAT TODAY, THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY ELIMINATED FROM CONTENTION, BUT THERE WILL BE LITTLE REASON TO BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN MUCH GOING FORWARD. THIS IS NEARLY AS HEALTHY AND RESTED AS THEY'VE BEEN, AND THEY'RE FACING ARGUABLY THE MOST BROKEN TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
Sunday, November 12, 2017
RAVENS BYE WEEK BREAKDOWN
The formula for success in the NFL is markedly different than many may perceive. Because of the rather restrictive salary cap there are essentially two ways to win a Super Bowl. The first way is to be the Patriots. Sure, the Patriots went through a 10 year Super Bowl drought, but they've won 5 Lombardi trophies in a decade and a half. The Steelers amassed 5 Super Bowl wins in 31 years, and the Dallas Cowboys won 5 over the course of a 24 year period. Only the 49ers have won 5 titles in less time, and they won most of those in an era where it was possible to keep the core of a team together for longer periods of time because free agency only took effect in the NFL a year before the 49ers won their last Super Bowl. For all teams NOT named the Patriots, a different formula for winning the Super Bowl has taken form over the past decade.
You've undoubtedly heard that the NFL is a "pass driven league" over the course of the last decade. Defensive rules have been altered with the aim of protecting "defenseless receivers", which has, thus, given pass-catchers a greater chance of securing the football. Old passing statistics from even Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks have become pedestrian in comparison to the numbers generated by many of the league's present day gunslingers. It is for this reason that teams decided that a "franchise quarterback" was essential to hoisting a trophy at the end of the season. There's no question that the league's top quarterbacks tend to win a lot of games, but many of the league's top statistical quarterbacks have only won a single title at most. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have, for example, put up absolutely spectacular passing statistics, but neither has managed to get back to the big game since the end of the last decade and the beginning of this one, respectively. What do both of these men have in common other than being unquestionably elite? They both signed massive contracts in the years following their Super Bowl wins.
Since securing respective league-leading contracts, Brees and Rodgers have each found themselves leading incomplete teams. Both the Saints and Packers have fallen off sharply from a defensive standpoint since their respective Super Bowl victories, and gaudy passing numbers alone tend not to carry a team to consistent post-season victories. A high level of passing yards can, in fact, be an indication that a team is playing from behind in games on a frequent basis. Last season, for example, Joe Flacco threw for a career high 4300+ passing yards, and the Ravens failed to make the playoffs. Joe Flacco's most successful seasons featured passing yard totals below 4000--they also featured Joe Flacco with a manageable salary cap number.
Joe Flacco was, at one point, an integral cog in a fairly efficient post-season machine. He lacked the elite field general ability to run his own offense with fire and intensity seen in such legends of the last 20 years as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but he possessed an incredibly strong arm and an elite level of emotional unflappability at critical times and in harsh environments. While Flacco was on his rookie contract, fans got comfortable with the idea that, while he wouldn't always play perfectly in the regular season, and while there were certain teams against which he routinely struggled, Joe Cool would rise to the occasion and never exit a post-season without at least one win. That success came to a crescendo as he proudly hoisted a Lombardi over his head and chuckled at all the doubters who said he'd never ascend to that point. Then he got paid. Joe Flacco didn't just get paid, he got the biggest contract in NFL history up to that point. It seemed to make sense at the time. Flacco had, after all, won Super Bowl MVP and made himself the winningest road quarterback in NFL history. He deserved a long term deal, but not nearly as much money as he received.
The concept that the market determines the next big contract is an unfortunate inevitability in a league that restricts so heavily the piece of the overall NFL cash pie that each team can pay its players. Paying Flacco 120 million dollars, for example, pushed the Ravens into a mindset where they felt the need to jettison players such as Boldin who deserved every penny of the salary he earned in his final season as a Raven. It quickly became clear following the post-Super Bowl departure of Reed, Boldin, and Pollard that the Ravens incorrectly assessed what it takes Joe Flacco to be successful. Joe requires a strong supporting cast of characters to be successful, and he needs an offensive system that both fits his strengths and features a strong rushing attack to help take pressure off of him. The Ravens have most certainly NOT provided Flacco with a consistent offensive coordinator or system, and they haven't had a truly elite complimentary offensive weapon on the roster since Ray Rice.
The Ravens have managed to give big contracts to such important players as Brandon Williams, Marshal Yanda, and Jimmy Smith in recently years, but because of the combination of those contracts and the league-leading cap number of Flacco, Baltimore has been forced to settle for signing bargain offensive free agent weapons. They look for formerly elite receivers north of 30 years old and running backs cut from other teams such as Justin Forsett and Alex Collins. Long gone are the days where the Ravens would pick a running back in the first or second round such as Jamal Lewis or Ray Rice. That isn't to say the Ravens haven't picked extremely well in the first round of the last two drafts with Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey, but you don't see any Ravens jerseys selling out of the stores right now.
If you haven't already sensed an overall theme, I'll make it abundantly clear: if your team isn't the Patriots, the best way to get to the Super Bowl is with a young talented quarterback still on his rookie contract. Russell Wilson went to two Super Bowls in recent years because he's talented, but also because he had not yet received a massive deal. Since receiving that deal, his team isn't nearly the same force it was only a few years ago. The same goes, of course, for Joe Flacco. Hell, some teams skipped over that point entirely because the supporting cast for their currently overpaid quarterback was never where it needed to be while he was still on his rookie deal. Both Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck have, through their massive contracts, crippled their teams' ability to improve to a level necessary to achieve serious post-season success. That doesn't mean a team can't pay its franchise quarterback, but it does mean that teams must give a true evaluation of what exactly their quarterback is worth and not simply bend to the will of a market that dictates that essentially every next big quarterback contract will be the biggest in history. After all, the Ravens took a lanky rookie to the AFC championship in 2008 because the rest of their team was absolutely loaded with talent.
Baltimore is stuck with Joe Flacco contractually at least through next season. I don't believe they should stick with Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator unless he's able to architect some incredible second half offensive turn-around. I do, however, believe they're one offensive coordinator and one or two offensive weapons away from being an extremely good team. Getting Marshal Yanda and Alex Lewis back next year will immediately turn the offensive line into an elite unit considering that their tackles and center are currently performing at high levels. They'll have Jeremy Maclin as a quality veteran receiver, and the defense is saturated with playmakers and will only get better as young pass rushers such as Tyus Bowser develop into dominant players. Getting Tavon Young back will help turn the Ravens secondary into what I believe will be the unquestioned best unit in the league next season, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the younger players rally around Terrell Suggs in what I believe will be the very last year of his brilliant career.
As for the rest of the 2017 season, I'll be curious to see just what kind of adjustments the Ravens can make coming out of the bye week. The long anticipated return of Danny Woodhead should make things interesting considering how impressive he looked in the brief glimpse fans were given on the first drive of the season. The comparative weakness of the remaining schedule along with major injuries to quarterbacks and key players on remaining opponents means the Ravens have a legitimate shot to win nearly every game that lies before them. Will they do so? It would appear the answer is no, but no one is doing well enough in the AFC that a post-season berth is totally out of reach for Baltimore at this point. The Steelers are 6-2, but as we speak they are losing to the lowly Colts with injuries piling up to such key players as Joe Haden and Vance McDonald. The Patriots are 6-2, but they've escaped a good number of games by the skin of their teeth. Realistically, as poorly as the Ravens have done, they're still only two wins behind the best teams in the conference.
I am encouraged by the rise of Alex Collins as a premier starting running back with excellent lateral movement, great burst, and the ability to break off long runs. If the Ravens are able to put together string of wins after the bye week, he'll likely be a big reason why. He's the type of running back who would have an incredible year in Gary Kubiak's offense. As far as I know, Kubiak still hasn't signed a contract with another team, so let's hope that Steve Bisciotti has established some kind of dialogue with him. The Ravens had the greatest offensive production in team history under Gary, and it would be silly not to make a serious push to bring him back for next season.
Instead of throwing things at the T.V. out of frustration if the Ravens can't make it back to the playoffs, let's just accept that this season's injuries have made a rough start nearly inevitable, and keep our expectations tempered going forward. The answer to fixing this team isn't to fire the entire coaching staff and the general manager, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes within the next season or two if things aren't corrected. Let's just try to enjoy the remainder of the NFL season and be pleasantly surprised if the birds of Baltimore surprise us by turning the season around. For now, just kick back, relax, and enjoy watching the rest of the teams destroying one another.
NOW AND FOREVER
GO RAVENS!!!
You've undoubtedly heard that the NFL is a "pass driven league" over the course of the last decade. Defensive rules have been altered with the aim of protecting "defenseless receivers", which has, thus, given pass-catchers a greater chance of securing the football. Old passing statistics from even Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks have become pedestrian in comparison to the numbers generated by many of the league's present day gunslingers. It is for this reason that teams decided that a "franchise quarterback" was essential to hoisting a trophy at the end of the season. There's no question that the league's top quarterbacks tend to win a lot of games, but many of the league's top statistical quarterbacks have only won a single title at most. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers have, for example, put up absolutely spectacular passing statistics, but neither has managed to get back to the big game since the end of the last decade and the beginning of this one, respectively. What do both of these men have in common other than being unquestionably elite? They both signed massive contracts in the years following their Super Bowl wins.
Since securing respective league-leading contracts, Brees and Rodgers have each found themselves leading incomplete teams. Both the Saints and Packers have fallen off sharply from a defensive standpoint since their respective Super Bowl victories, and gaudy passing numbers alone tend not to carry a team to consistent post-season victories. A high level of passing yards can, in fact, be an indication that a team is playing from behind in games on a frequent basis. Last season, for example, Joe Flacco threw for a career high 4300+ passing yards, and the Ravens failed to make the playoffs. Joe Flacco's most successful seasons featured passing yard totals below 4000--they also featured Joe Flacco with a manageable salary cap number.
Joe Flacco was, at one point, an integral cog in a fairly efficient post-season machine. He lacked the elite field general ability to run his own offense with fire and intensity seen in such legends of the last 20 years as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but he possessed an incredibly strong arm and an elite level of emotional unflappability at critical times and in harsh environments. While Flacco was on his rookie contract, fans got comfortable with the idea that, while he wouldn't always play perfectly in the regular season, and while there were certain teams against which he routinely struggled, Joe Cool would rise to the occasion and never exit a post-season without at least one win. That success came to a crescendo as he proudly hoisted a Lombardi over his head and chuckled at all the doubters who said he'd never ascend to that point. Then he got paid. Joe Flacco didn't just get paid, he got the biggest contract in NFL history up to that point. It seemed to make sense at the time. Flacco had, after all, won Super Bowl MVP and made himself the winningest road quarterback in NFL history. He deserved a long term deal, but not nearly as much money as he received.
The concept that the market determines the next big contract is an unfortunate inevitability in a league that restricts so heavily the piece of the overall NFL cash pie that each team can pay its players. Paying Flacco 120 million dollars, for example, pushed the Ravens into a mindset where they felt the need to jettison players such as Boldin who deserved every penny of the salary he earned in his final season as a Raven. It quickly became clear following the post-Super Bowl departure of Reed, Boldin, and Pollard that the Ravens incorrectly assessed what it takes Joe Flacco to be successful. Joe requires a strong supporting cast of characters to be successful, and he needs an offensive system that both fits his strengths and features a strong rushing attack to help take pressure off of him. The Ravens have most certainly NOT provided Flacco with a consistent offensive coordinator or system, and they haven't had a truly elite complimentary offensive weapon on the roster since Ray Rice.
The Ravens have managed to give big contracts to such important players as Brandon Williams, Marshal Yanda, and Jimmy Smith in recently years, but because of the combination of those contracts and the league-leading cap number of Flacco, Baltimore has been forced to settle for signing bargain offensive free agent weapons. They look for formerly elite receivers north of 30 years old and running backs cut from other teams such as Justin Forsett and Alex Collins. Long gone are the days where the Ravens would pick a running back in the first or second round such as Jamal Lewis or Ray Rice. That isn't to say the Ravens haven't picked extremely well in the first round of the last two drafts with Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey, but you don't see any Ravens jerseys selling out of the stores right now.
If you haven't already sensed an overall theme, I'll make it abundantly clear: if your team isn't the Patriots, the best way to get to the Super Bowl is with a young talented quarterback still on his rookie contract. Russell Wilson went to two Super Bowls in recent years because he's talented, but also because he had not yet received a massive deal. Since receiving that deal, his team isn't nearly the same force it was only a few years ago. The same goes, of course, for Joe Flacco. Hell, some teams skipped over that point entirely because the supporting cast for their currently overpaid quarterback was never where it needed to be while he was still on his rookie deal. Both Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck have, through their massive contracts, crippled their teams' ability to improve to a level necessary to achieve serious post-season success. That doesn't mean a team can't pay its franchise quarterback, but it does mean that teams must give a true evaluation of what exactly their quarterback is worth and not simply bend to the will of a market that dictates that essentially every next big quarterback contract will be the biggest in history. After all, the Ravens took a lanky rookie to the AFC championship in 2008 because the rest of their team was absolutely loaded with talent.
Baltimore is stuck with Joe Flacco contractually at least through next season. I don't believe they should stick with Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator unless he's able to architect some incredible second half offensive turn-around. I do, however, believe they're one offensive coordinator and one or two offensive weapons away from being an extremely good team. Getting Marshal Yanda and Alex Lewis back next year will immediately turn the offensive line into an elite unit considering that their tackles and center are currently performing at high levels. They'll have Jeremy Maclin as a quality veteran receiver, and the defense is saturated with playmakers and will only get better as young pass rushers such as Tyus Bowser develop into dominant players. Getting Tavon Young back will help turn the Ravens secondary into what I believe will be the unquestioned best unit in the league next season, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the younger players rally around Terrell Suggs in what I believe will be the very last year of his brilliant career.
As for the rest of the 2017 season, I'll be curious to see just what kind of adjustments the Ravens can make coming out of the bye week. The long anticipated return of Danny Woodhead should make things interesting considering how impressive he looked in the brief glimpse fans were given on the first drive of the season. The comparative weakness of the remaining schedule along with major injuries to quarterbacks and key players on remaining opponents means the Ravens have a legitimate shot to win nearly every game that lies before them. Will they do so? It would appear the answer is no, but no one is doing well enough in the AFC that a post-season berth is totally out of reach for Baltimore at this point. The Steelers are 6-2, but as we speak they are losing to the lowly Colts with injuries piling up to such key players as Joe Haden and Vance McDonald. The Patriots are 6-2, but they've escaped a good number of games by the skin of their teeth. Realistically, as poorly as the Ravens have done, they're still only two wins behind the best teams in the conference.
I am encouraged by the rise of Alex Collins as a premier starting running back with excellent lateral movement, great burst, and the ability to break off long runs. If the Ravens are able to put together string of wins after the bye week, he'll likely be a big reason why. He's the type of running back who would have an incredible year in Gary Kubiak's offense. As far as I know, Kubiak still hasn't signed a contract with another team, so let's hope that Steve Bisciotti has established some kind of dialogue with him. The Ravens had the greatest offensive production in team history under Gary, and it would be silly not to make a serious push to bring him back for next season.
Instead of throwing things at the T.V. out of frustration if the Ravens can't make it back to the playoffs, let's just accept that this season's injuries have made a rough start nearly inevitable, and keep our expectations tempered going forward. The answer to fixing this team isn't to fire the entire coaching staff and the general manager, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes within the next season or two if things aren't corrected. Let's just try to enjoy the remainder of the NFL season and be pleasantly surprised if the birds of Baltimore surprise us by turning the season around. For now, just kick back, relax, and enjoy watching the rest of the teams destroying one another.
NOW AND FOREVER
GO RAVENS!!!
Sunday, November 5, 2017
WEEK 9 NFL PREDICTIONS AND RAVENS MIDSEASON ANALYSIS
A 4-4 record wouldn't ordinarily give fans much confidence in their favorite team's odds of making the playoffs. A perplexing blowout loss to the Jaguars and an emotionally draining home loss to the Bears left many Ravens fans feeling as though the season was lost before it was even half way over. Many proclaimed Harbaugh and his staff to be the main reasons for Baltimore's struggles, and there is likely at least some truth to that theory. Available player personnel, however, has been a far greater factor on a week to week basis, and one has but to compare the injury reports from wins and losses to see just how profoundly missing starters impacted the outcomes.
The Ravens began the regular season on quite a tear with two impressive wins in which the Ravens demonstrated dominance in the running game and defense. The preseason saw injuries to impact starters such as Kenneth Dixon, Tavon Young, Crocket Gillmore, and most notably Joe Flacco. Sadly, the injury bug crept into the regular season almost immediately as Danny Woodhead injured his hamstring near the end of the first offensive drive of the season--a drive in which he was the most critical offensive weapon. During that single drive, though, Ravens fans and coaches alike got a glimpse of how easily the Ravens were able to methodically move the down the field with Woodhead lined up in the slot and as a running back catching passes out of the backfield. One has to wonder how many more drives the Ravens would have been able to complete with a healthy Woodhead over the course of this season. Well fans in Baltimore won't have to wait much longer to find out as Woodhead is on pace to return in just over two weeks against the Packers and following the bye week.
Arguably the greatest personnel losses of the season were not of skills positions. Starting left guard, Alex Lewis, was lost during the off-season and potential future Hall-of-Famer starting right guard, Marshal Yanda, went on injured reserve after the second game. Luckily for the Ravens, they had an improved James Hurst to plug in at left guard, but Yanda left a far greater void on the right side. Baltimore gave time to journeyman Tony Bergstrom, but the coaches were apparently not impressed as he was benched and then cut. Matt Skura then stepped in and gave shaky performances against the Jaguars and Steelers, but began to improve before becoming injured. British-born draft pick, Jermaine Eluemunor, stepped in for Skura and struggled--oh boy did he struggle. It wasn't until Skura returned from injury that the Ravens solidified the right side with a ferociously dominant win over the Dolphins just over a week ago, but one has to assume the Ravens offense would not have looked so incredibly hapless in losses if either Lewis or Yanda had stayed healthy...but that's football.
I expected SOMETHING to be done for the right guard position before the trade deadline last week, but a lack of salary cap space prevented the Ravens from acquiring the likes of the Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown who was ultimately traded to the Seahawks instead. Brown could have been plugged in at right guard to form a monstrous duo on the right side along with giant starting right tackle Austin Howard. The Ravens are, thus, stuck with Matt Skura until next season. That may not, however, be reason for panic as Skura appears to have improved with experience after being thrown into the fire this season.
The rest of the Ravens offensive line has actually been a bright spot as of late. Ronnie Stanley should go to his first Pro Bowl based on the way he's playing, and Austin Howard is not far behind as both a ranked in the top 5 at their respective positions. Ryan Jensen has been a truly pleasant surprise with his solidification as the presumptive center of the future for Baltimore. Jensen won the respect and admiration of fans (including this writer) with his Yanda-esque ferocity and explosive instinct to protect and stand up for his teammates when opponents take cheap shots. This is the type of guy the Ravens pine after, and he's only going to continue to improve with increased experience as a starter. Because of some excellent run-blocking, the Ravens rising star running back, Alex Collins, has produced a level and frequency of explosive plays not seen in a Ravens uniform since Ray Rice in his prime. Collins ranks 9th in the NFL in rushing yards despite no single game with 20+ carries, and the Ravens rank 7th in the league in rushing yards per game. Suffice it to say that Baltimore has fixed it's ground attack.
Fixing rushing production was a priority in the off-season, and the Raven have accomplished exactly that without investing a high draft pick on a big name running back. They also did so without their break-out 4th round pick from last season, Kenneth Dixon. The passing attack, however, has suffered to a bizarre degree. Joe Flacco is on pace for a career low in passing yards, and the Ravens starting receivers' production has been next to non-existent. Mike Wallace is coming off of a 1000+ yard season, and Jeremy Maclin had 1,318 receiving yards in 2014 and 1,088 receiving yards in 2015 before missing time because of an injury last season. Wallace is currently on pace for roughly 500 yards on the season, and Maclin is on pace for just over 400 yards. The emphasis on the running game as well as a desire to protect Joe Flacco following his summer back injury could be largely to blame for a lack of production with the wide receivers, but something still seems off considering Flacco threw for a career high of 4300+ passing yards last season.
Breshad Perriman may be the biggest mystery of all. He was heralded coming out of the off-season as the potential true #1 receiver with his blazing speed and size. To say the former first round pick has taken a step back would be the understatement of the year. Breshad Perriman has 4 catches and 26 receiving yards on the season--you read that correctly. Lest we forget, Perriman actually made some absolutely spectacular plays last season, and there was no reason to believe he WOULDN'T break out in 2017. Perriman made some absolutely brilliant contested jump ball catches. Take a look at his highlights from last season if you don't believe me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmSCFkEWZhk
Some may assume this means that Perriman is a bust for a first round pick, and statistically there's little room to deny that, but when one takes into account the puzzlingly low production from the two other explosive proven receivers on the team, #11's near absence isn't quite as mysterious. There IS one rather intriguing possibility for the receivers in the second half of the season. It's impossible that literally all three of these speedy receivers become bad at football simultaneously. If the offensive coaching staff can make some tweaks over the bye week and the second half of the season, it's entirely possible that we could see an upswing in production from the fastest trio of starting Ravens receivers in team history, and the success of the rushing attack could help tremendously to open things up for them.
The Ravens may have to lean on their receivers a bit more today as the Titans boast the league's 9th ranked run defense going into today's game, while their pass defense ranks a far more modest 15th. The Dolphins had a top 10 ranked run defense too and the Ravens had great success on the ground against them, but the Dolphins' offensive struggles allowed the Ravens more opportunities for offensive drives. The Titans haven't been electric as of late with only a narrow overtime win over the lowly, winless Browns, but they're healthier and more well-rested coming off of a bye week. Marcus Mariota and first round pick receiver Corey Davis are the biggest beneficiaries of their week off as Davis will see his first meaningful time on the field in months, and Mariota will likely be more mobile after missing time with a knee injury. The Ravens will have to contain him and force turnovers if they hope to come away with a pivotal road win.
If the Ravens can beat the Titans, they enter the bye week 5-4 with reinforcements on the way. In addition to Danny Woodhead, Baltimore will see the return of starting nickel corner, Maurice Canady. Canady had an eye-popping training camp with 3 impressive picks before going down with an injury. His presence could help the Ravens vaunted secondary to ascend to an even higher level as Lardarius Webb has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks in coverage at numerous critical moments this season. Webb is still useful as a backup safety and as a blitzer coming off the edge, but Canady represents an upgrade in youthful athleticism and coverage ability at this point. Nickel is the had been the only weak point in Baltimore's secondary, and it's safe to say we'll see an uptick in the pass rush when opposing quarterbacks struggle to find open receivers quickly.
The arrow is pointing up for this Ravens team, and they're only two wins behind the best record in the AFC. Parity in the conference and all over the league has meant few teams have looked consistently and truly dominant. A wildcard berth is reasonably in the Ravens sights as they stare down a less challenging second-half schedule than the first half that contained 6 of the league's top defenses. Wins over the Colts, Browns, Texans, Bengals, and hopefully the Packers will get Baltimore to 9 victories which may be enough to secure a post-season spot. A showdown in Pittsburgh with a strong Steelers team could be tough, but nothing the Ravens haven't been able to do before. Don't lose faith, Ravens fans, things are just getting heated up!
WEEK 9 NFL PICKS
BUCCANEERS AT SAINTS- The Saints are on a friggin tear. Difficult to imagine they'll lose at home to a 2-win Tampa Bay team that's 0-3 on the road this season. SAINTS 27-17
RAMS AT GIANTS- The Rams are decent and the Giants are incredibly bad. This pick requires next to no brain power. RAMS 28-14
BRONCOS AT EAGLES- The Eagles have further bolstered their roster with Jay Ajayi. As if they needed the help right now. Meanwhile the Broncos are starting Brock Osweiler who doesn't offer any major upgrade over Trevor Siemian. EAGLES 31-10
FALCONS AT PANTHERS- I can't imagine why the Panthers would want to trade Kelvin Benjamin away, but I still like them at home over Falcons team struggling to keep its head above water. PANTHERS 24-21
BENGALS AT JAGUARS- The Jaguars offense could have real trouble moving the ball without Leonard Fournette today. This could very easily, however, be one of those days where the Jags' defense gets 5 picks and humiliates the opposing QB. The weird thing is that the Jags have literally lost every other game they've played...and they won last week. This will be the day Jacksonville gets its first consecutive win of the season. JAGUARS 30-21
COLTS AT TEXANS- Both of these teams' seasons are presumably finished without their respective starting quarterbacks. The Texans still have more weapons and defensive clout, however, than the Colts, and in shutting down Andrew Luck for the season, the Colts appear to in a race to the bottom with the Browns to get the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. TEXANS 21-17
CARDINALS AT 49ERS- Cardinals are another team that, like the Jaguars, has alternated between brilliance and utter incompetence. Coming off of a bye week, however, I'm confident they'll find a way to edge a 49ers team that ranks near the bottom of the league in...everything. CARDINALS 27-23
REDSKINS AT SEAHAWKS- The Seahawks seem to always begin their season poorly, but as usual, they've rounded into playoff-caliber form by midseason once more. The Redskins are 3-4 on the season and 1-2 on the road. There's very little chance they go into Seattle and pull off and upset over a team that hasn't lost in over a month. SEAHAWKS 35-24
CHIEFS AT COWBOYS- The Chiefs are 3-1 on the road this season, and they face a formidable test this week against a Cowboys offense that still has the use of Ezekiel Elliot. The Chiefs are a more complete team, however, and it's tough to imagine they'll struggle to move the football on this Cowboys defense. This will be a good one though. CHIEFS 31-28
RAIDERS AT DOLPHINS- It's difficult to know what the Dolphins offense will look like without its biggest weapon now that Jay Ajayi is an Eagle. I might have predicted a Dolphins win here before he was traded away, but now I simply don't know how they plan to move the football. RAIIDERS 20-14
LIONS AT PACKERS- The Lions have dropped their last 3 games to decent teams, but they're still a more complete team than the Packers without Aaron Rodgers. Divisional familiarity will keep this one close. LIONS 23-17
RAVENS AT TITANS- The Titans are favored in this game, but they did little to inspire confidence with their overtime 12-9 win over the Browns in their last game. Marcus Mariota should be well rested, but so are the Ravens. The Ravens secondary matches up very well against the Titans receiving corps, and I can't see the Titans bottling up Alex Collins. RAVENS 24-16
THIS IS IT, RAVENS FANS. THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON IS HERE. THE WEATHER IS GETTING COLDER AND THERE'S NO TEAM THAT HEATS UP WHEN IT'S COLD OUT QUITE LIKE THE BALTIMORE RAVENS!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
The Ravens began the regular season on quite a tear with two impressive wins in which the Ravens demonstrated dominance in the running game and defense. The preseason saw injuries to impact starters such as Kenneth Dixon, Tavon Young, Crocket Gillmore, and most notably Joe Flacco. Sadly, the injury bug crept into the regular season almost immediately as Danny Woodhead injured his hamstring near the end of the first offensive drive of the season--a drive in which he was the most critical offensive weapon. During that single drive, though, Ravens fans and coaches alike got a glimpse of how easily the Ravens were able to methodically move the down the field with Woodhead lined up in the slot and as a running back catching passes out of the backfield. One has to wonder how many more drives the Ravens would have been able to complete with a healthy Woodhead over the course of this season. Well fans in Baltimore won't have to wait much longer to find out as Woodhead is on pace to return in just over two weeks against the Packers and following the bye week.
Arguably the greatest personnel losses of the season were not of skills positions. Starting left guard, Alex Lewis, was lost during the off-season and potential future Hall-of-Famer starting right guard, Marshal Yanda, went on injured reserve after the second game. Luckily for the Ravens, they had an improved James Hurst to plug in at left guard, but Yanda left a far greater void on the right side. Baltimore gave time to journeyman Tony Bergstrom, but the coaches were apparently not impressed as he was benched and then cut. Matt Skura then stepped in and gave shaky performances against the Jaguars and Steelers, but began to improve before becoming injured. British-born draft pick, Jermaine Eluemunor, stepped in for Skura and struggled--oh boy did he struggle. It wasn't until Skura returned from injury that the Ravens solidified the right side with a ferociously dominant win over the Dolphins just over a week ago, but one has to assume the Ravens offense would not have looked so incredibly hapless in losses if either Lewis or Yanda had stayed healthy...but that's football.
I expected SOMETHING to be done for the right guard position before the trade deadline last week, but a lack of salary cap space prevented the Ravens from acquiring the likes of the Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown who was ultimately traded to the Seahawks instead. Brown could have been plugged in at right guard to form a monstrous duo on the right side along with giant starting right tackle Austin Howard. The Ravens are, thus, stuck with Matt Skura until next season. That may not, however, be reason for panic as Skura appears to have improved with experience after being thrown into the fire this season.
The rest of the Ravens offensive line has actually been a bright spot as of late. Ronnie Stanley should go to his first Pro Bowl based on the way he's playing, and Austin Howard is not far behind as both a ranked in the top 5 at their respective positions. Ryan Jensen has been a truly pleasant surprise with his solidification as the presumptive center of the future for Baltimore. Jensen won the respect and admiration of fans (including this writer) with his Yanda-esque ferocity and explosive instinct to protect and stand up for his teammates when opponents take cheap shots. This is the type of guy the Ravens pine after, and he's only going to continue to improve with increased experience as a starter. Because of some excellent run-blocking, the Ravens rising star running back, Alex Collins, has produced a level and frequency of explosive plays not seen in a Ravens uniform since Ray Rice in his prime. Collins ranks 9th in the NFL in rushing yards despite no single game with 20+ carries, and the Ravens rank 7th in the league in rushing yards per game. Suffice it to say that Baltimore has fixed it's ground attack.
Fixing rushing production was a priority in the off-season, and the Raven have accomplished exactly that without investing a high draft pick on a big name running back. They also did so without their break-out 4th round pick from last season, Kenneth Dixon. The passing attack, however, has suffered to a bizarre degree. Joe Flacco is on pace for a career low in passing yards, and the Ravens starting receivers' production has been next to non-existent. Mike Wallace is coming off of a 1000+ yard season, and Jeremy Maclin had 1,318 receiving yards in 2014 and 1,088 receiving yards in 2015 before missing time because of an injury last season. Wallace is currently on pace for roughly 500 yards on the season, and Maclin is on pace for just over 400 yards. The emphasis on the running game as well as a desire to protect Joe Flacco following his summer back injury could be largely to blame for a lack of production with the wide receivers, but something still seems off considering Flacco threw for a career high of 4300+ passing yards last season.
Breshad Perriman may be the biggest mystery of all. He was heralded coming out of the off-season as the potential true #1 receiver with his blazing speed and size. To say the former first round pick has taken a step back would be the understatement of the year. Breshad Perriman has 4 catches and 26 receiving yards on the season--you read that correctly. Lest we forget, Perriman actually made some absolutely spectacular plays last season, and there was no reason to believe he WOULDN'T break out in 2017. Perriman made some absolutely brilliant contested jump ball catches. Take a look at his highlights from last season if you don't believe me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmSCFkEWZhk
Some may assume this means that Perriman is a bust for a first round pick, and statistically there's little room to deny that, but when one takes into account the puzzlingly low production from the two other explosive proven receivers on the team, #11's near absence isn't quite as mysterious. There IS one rather intriguing possibility for the receivers in the second half of the season. It's impossible that literally all three of these speedy receivers become bad at football simultaneously. If the offensive coaching staff can make some tweaks over the bye week and the second half of the season, it's entirely possible that we could see an upswing in production from the fastest trio of starting Ravens receivers in team history, and the success of the rushing attack could help tremendously to open things up for them.
The Ravens may have to lean on their receivers a bit more today as the Titans boast the league's 9th ranked run defense going into today's game, while their pass defense ranks a far more modest 15th. The Dolphins had a top 10 ranked run defense too and the Ravens had great success on the ground against them, but the Dolphins' offensive struggles allowed the Ravens more opportunities for offensive drives. The Titans haven't been electric as of late with only a narrow overtime win over the lowly, winless Browns, but they're healthier and more well-rested coming off of a bye week. Marcus Mariota and first round pick receiver Corey Davis are the biggest beneficiaries of their week off as Davis will see his first meaningful time on the field in months, and Mariota will likely be more mobile after missing time with a knee injury. The Ravens will have to contain him and force turnovers if they hope to come away with a pivotal road win.
If the Ravens can beat the Titans, they enter the bye week 5-4 with reinforcements on the way. In addition to Danny Woodhead, Baltimore will see the return of starting nickel corner, Maurice Canady. Canady had an eye-popping training camp with 3 impressive picks before going down with an injury. His presence could help the Ravens vaunted secondary to ascend to an even higher level as Lardarius Webb has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks in coverage at numerous critical moments this season. Webb is still useful as a backup safety and as a blitzer coming off the edge, but Canady represents an upgrade in youthful athleticism and coverage ability at this point. Nickel is the had been the only weak point in Baltimore's secondary, and it's safe to say we'll see an uptick in the pass rush when opposing quarterbacks struggle to find open receivers quickly.
The arrow is pointing up for this Ravens team, and they're only two wins behind the best record in the AFC. Parity in the conference and all over the league has meant few teams have looked consistently and truly dominant. A wildcard berth is reasonably in the Ravens sights as they stare down a less challenging second-half schedule than the first half that contained 6 of the league's top defenses. Wins over the Colts, Browns, Texans, Bengals, and hopefully the Packers will get Baltimore to 9 victories which may be enough to secure a post-season spot. A showdown in Pittsburgh with a strong Steelers team could be tough, but nothing the Ravens haven't been able to do before. Don't lose faith, Ravens fans, things are just getting heated up!
WEEK 9 NFL PICKS
BUCCANEERS AT SAINTS- The Saints are on a friggin tear. Difficult to imagine they'll lose at home to a 2-win Tampa Bay team that's 0-3 on the road this season. SAINTS 27-17
RAMS AT GIANTS- The Rams are decent and the Giants are incredibly bad. This pick requires next to no brain power. RAMS 28-14
BRONCOS AT EAGLES- The Eagles have further bolstered their roster with Jay Ajayi. As if they needed the help right now. Meanwhile the Broncos are starting Brock Osweiler who doesn't offer any major upgrade over Trevor Siemian. EAGLES 31-10
FALCONS AT PANTHERS- I can't imagine why the Panthers would want to trade Kelvin Benjamin away, but I still like them at home over Falcons team struggling to keep its head above water. PANTHERS 24-21
BENGALS AT JAGUARS- The Jaguars offense could have real trouble moving the ball without Leonard Fournette today. This could very easily, however, be one of those days where the Jags' defense gets 5 picks and humiliates the opposing QB. The weird thing is that the Jags have literally lost every other game they've played...and they won last week. This will be the day Jacksonville gets its first consecutive win of the season. JAGUARS 30-21
COLTS AT TEXANS- Both of these teams' seasons are presumably finished without their respective starting quarterbacks. The Texans still have more weapons and defensive clout, however, than the Colts, and in shutting down Andrew Luck for the season, the Colts appear to in a race to the bottom with the Browns to get the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. TEXANS 21-17
CARDINALS AT 49ERS- Cardinals are another team that, like the Jaguars, has alternated between brilliance and utter incompetence. Coming off of a bye week, however, I'm confident they'll find a way to edge a 49ers team that ranks near the bottom of the league in...everything. CARDINALS 27-23
REDSKINS AT SEAHAWKS- The Seahawks seem to always begin their season poorly, but as usual, they've rounded into playoff-caliber form by midseason once more. The Redskins are 3-4 on the season and 1-2 on the road. There's very little chance they go into Seattle and pull off and upset over a team that hasn't lost in over a month. SEAHAWKS 35-24
CHIEFS AT COWBOYS- The Chiefs are 3-1 on the road this season, and they face a formidable test this week against a Cowboys offense that still has the use of Ezekiel Elliot. The Chiefs are a more complete team, however, and it's tough to imagine they'll struggle to move the football on this Cowboys defense. This will be a good one though. CHIEFS 31-28
RAIDERS AT DOLPHINS- It's difficult to know what the Dolphins offense will look like without its biggest weapon now that Jay Ajayi is an Eagle. I might have predicted a Dolphins win here before he was traded away, but now I simply don't know how they plan to move the football. RAIIDERS 20-14
LIONS AT PACKERS- The Lions have dropped their last 3 games to decent teams, but they're still a more complete team than the Packers without Aaron Rodgers. Divisional familiarity will keep this one close. LIONS 23-17
RAVENS AT TITANS- The Titans are favored in this game, but they did little to inspire confidence with their overtime 12-9 win over the Browns in their last game. Marcus Mariota should be well rested, but so are the Ravens. The Ravens secondary matches up very well against the Titans receiving corps, and I can't see the Titans bottling up Alex Collins. RAVENS 24-16
THIS IS IT, RAVENS FANS. THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON IS HERE. THE WEATHER IS GETTING COLDER AND THERE'S NO TEAM THAT HEATS UP WHEN IT'S COLD OUT QUITE LIKE THE BALTIMORE RAVENS!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
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