Baltimore Ravens need to prep for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns

The Baltimore Ravens’ bye week may be over, but Hurricane Sandy is doing her best to wreak havoc on their practice this week.

This morning they held meetings and indoor practice at the teams’ facility in Owings Mills, Maryland. The players were excused after lunch.

Head coach John Harbaugh said that all but three players made it to Monday’s practice; he did not say who was absent.  The missing players are expected to make it back by Wednesday.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs’ flight from Raleigh, North Carolina was cancelled and he drove back to Baltimore to make it to practice Monday morning.

Defensive end Arthur Jones tweeted that he got stuck in Dallas, Texas.

The Ravens will get Tuesday off from practice (their usual day off) and they hope the entire team will back for a full practice on Wednesday. The coaches plan to stay late Monday night to game-plan for Sunday.

The Ravens are coming off a bye week and they need to be fully prepared for an AFC North divisional match-up against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Also affected was the 13^th Annual Goodwill Gridiron Halloween Party that was scheduled for tonight. The party, hosted by tackle Michael Oher and tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, was cancelled.

Baltimore Ravens’ Quarterback Joe Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens bye week came at the perfect time. With a 5-2 record, they are almost half way through the season and need to prepare for the long road ahead.

After an ugly loss to the Houston Texans in week seven, the Ravens need to bounce back when they head to Cleveland to face the rival Browns next week.

Under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are undefeated after a bye week with a margin of victory of 18 points.

Even though they have a winning record, they have many issues to deal with including a banged up defense and a less than stellar offensive line.

The Ravens haven’t lost back-to-back games since 2009 thanks to quarterback Joe Flacco. Historically Flacco plays better after bye weeks.

BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink said that following a loss, Flacco has completed 278 of 434 passes (64.1 percent completion rate) for 3,508 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions with a quarterback rating of 102.2.

But this season the Ravens’ offense has been ineffective in putting many points on the board.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith spoke about the offense’s ability to turn things around:

“There are going to be ups and downs – and the downs are going to be some very, very low times – so you just have to be able to bounce back, and that’s how you become great.”

I hope that history repeats itself and that they can pull off a win in Cleveland next week. They desperately needed the break to recover and regroup, hopefully it pays off.

Baltimore Ravens lost to Houston Texans 43-13

The Baltimore Ravens got their clocks cleaned on Sunday when they played the Houston Texans on the road. The game started off on a sour note when quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked and the Texans scored a safety. This started the ugly chain of events that culminated in the 43-13 beat down of the Ravens.

Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh described the loss like this:

“Sometimes you get tossed out of the bar,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “I’m concerned about everything.”

At half-time the Texans were up 29-3; the hole got deeper and the Ravens had no way of getting out of it.

The offense couldn’t get it going. While their no-huddle works fine at home, it stinks on the road and the Ravens abandoned it during the game. The offense did not have more than 15 yards on any one play.

Flacco finished with his lowest quarterback rating since last season’s game against the New York Jets. Flacco was 21 for 43 for 147 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 45.4.

Running back Ray Rice was virtually non-existent; he had nine carries for 42 yards and no touchdowns.

Flacco had no explanation for what went wrong:

“I don’t really have an answer for you,” he said. “I think that’s just the way it worked out. These guys are a good team. We didn’t play up to the level that we expect to.” “They played well. We didn’t,” Flacco said. “They played fast and we just weren’t able to stand up to it today and give it a good fight.”

The offensive line did a poor job protecting Flacco; he took eight hits and was sacked four times.

Wide receiver Tandon Doss scored his first career touchdown; he was the only Raven to find the end zone on Sunday.

The defense had their own set of issues. It was the first game this season they played without middle linebacker Ray Lewis, out with a torn triceps muscle and cornerback Lardarius Webb, who is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

The Ravens’ defense had few big hits and no spark; the only good thing was the return of linebacker Terrell Suggs. Suggs had surgery for a torn Achilles tendon in May and was on the PUP list until last Wednesday when he was removed from the PUP and practiced for the first time.

Word quickly spread that he would likely play Sunday, but Suggs and coach Harbaugh would not confirm or deny if Suggs would suit up. Then to the amazement of everyone, he was on the field and back in action.

Suggs impressed with one sack and three tackles. He was the only bright spot on the defense; unfortunately one person cannot stop an entire team. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub went 23 for 37 for 256 yards. The Texans set a franchise record with 420 yards.

Ravens’ special teams played well and rookie kicker Justin Tucker hit his fourth 50+ yard field goal this season.

The Ravens are on a bye this week; it couldn’t have come at a better time. They need the time off to recover from their nagging injuries, reflect on what went wrong and find ways to repair the holes. They come back to another road game against division rival Cleveland Browns in Cleveland.

The game was painful to watch. While I assumed the Ravens would lose the game, I didn’t expect them to be beaten to a pulp. They need to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and figure out how to “Play like Ravens” again.

It was hard watching a team with so much potential play so poorly. I hope that was the worst I see from them this season. Not only do the players and coaches need the bye, but their fans do too. We need to regroup and prepare for Cleveland; in the meantime we’ll keep our fingers crossed…

Baltimore Ravens take on Houston Texans on 10/21/12

This week the Baltimore Ravens head to the Lone Star State to face the Houston Texans in a game touted as the “biggest of the season”. Both teams have 5-1 records and the outcome could potentially determine home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Last Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys left the Ravens defense without two of their star players.  Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis tore his triceps and had surgery this week. Lewis was added to the special injured reserve list and is eligible to return in six weeks, the exact date has yet to be determined.

Also injured in the game was cornerback Lardarius Webb who tore his ACL and also had surgery this week. Webb will miss the rest of the season.

Fortunately linebacker Terrell Suggs came off the PUP list; he returned to practice on Wednesday. Originally he was expected to return to the field in mid-to-late November, but now he is listed as a game time decision, though the chances are slim-to-none it will happen and no one is talking about it including head coach John Harbaugh:

“I don’t know,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said on Friday. “We will see.” “If I knew I wouldn’t tell you.”

The final decision will come Sunday morning.

It was reported that safety Ed Reed has a torn labrum in his shoulder; he is not listed on the injury report.  Coach Harbaugh said the injury is not a concern and that Reed should be suited up on Sunday.

Several players are listed as questionable for Sunday:

• Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s game. Injury is listed as “minor”.
• Cornerback Jimmy Smith also hurt Sunday. Smith would replace Webb, but if he can’t play then Corey Graham will start for him.
• Nose tackle Ma’ake Kemoeatu also hurt his knee last Sunday. Told reporters that he is “good to go”.
• Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie has a thigh injury and was limited at practice this week.

The Texans are favored to win the game; the cards seem to be stacked against the Ravens, but they aren’t going down without a fight.

With a banged up defense, the Ravens’ offense needs to step it up and score a lot of points. The defense needs to do their best to stop Texans’ running back Arian Foster.

I am hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst in this game. Worst case scenario is that the Ravens lose the game; a loss would give them a 5-2 record before their bye next week which wouldn’t be the end of the world.

I’m curious to see how the defense will look without Lewis AND Webb. I’m not sure if the Ravens will use the no-huddle offense, noise will definitely be a factor in this game and I want to see how quarterback Joe Flacco handles the pressure; he needs to take control of the game.

Baltimore Ravens’ Linebacker Terrell Suggs

The Baltimore Sun announced that Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Terrell Suggs will come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list this week. Suggs tore his Achilles tendon in April. He was added to the PUP list after having surgery to repair the tear.

The news was music to the organization’s ears after Sunday’s devastating season ending injuries to linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb.

The Sun reported that Suggs will practice on an “extremely limited basis”; he needs “to work through scar tissue, get accustomed to contact again and return to optimal game shape.”

Suggs is expected to return to the field in mid-to-late November, no exact date has been set for his return.

Once the Ravens remove Suggs from the PUP list, they have a three week window to decide if they want to place him on the active roster or on the injured reserve (IR). If Suggs is activated this week, they could make room for him after moving Lewis or Webb to the IR.

Suggs is the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year; he led the league with 14 tackles. He will improve the Ravens’ defense, currently ranked 26th in the League.

Baltimore Ravens beat New England Patriots on 9/23/12

There’s a first time for everything and on Sunday night in Baltimore, the Ravens beat the New England Patriots for the first time ever in the regular season.

The 31-30 win was redemption for the Ravens who lost to the Patriots in the  2011 AFC championship game;  the Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl. It felt great sending them home with a 1-2 start to the 2012 season.

The game didn’t start out so hot for the Ravens; they were down 13-0 in the first quarter. The offense had a rough time getting started, but eventually quarterback Joe Flacco found his groove and was 28 of 39 for 382 yards, one touchdown and one INT.

Comparatively, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady was 28 for 41 for 335 yards and one touchdown.

The Ravens overcame a nine point deficit by scoring touchdowns on three straight drives in the second and third quarters.

Running back Ray Rice had 20 carries for 101 yards and one touchdown, then another five catches for 49 yards.

Ravens’ wide receiver, Torrey Smith had the best game of his young career with six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Smith started off the day on a sad note after losing his brother in a motor cycle accident, but ended it on a high note by overcoming this tragedy and taking home the game ball.

Head coach John Harbaugh left the decision to play up to Smith who felt up to the challenge and overcame this tragedy by playing the game of his life.

The defense encountered some difficulty stopping Brady, but finally found ways to slow him down. The pass rush needs improvement as does the pass coverage. The Ravens are still feeling the pain of not having linebacker Terrell Suggs who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

So far they have faced three good quarterbacks; the defense is a work in progress and hopefully they will find their groove and step it up soon.

There were issues with the replacement referees who called a whopping 24 penalties during the game, 14 on the Ravens. As with other games in the NFL, some calls were suspect.

The game came down to one second when the Ravens were behind 30-28 and marched down the field to reach field goal range. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker came out to hit the 27-yard field goal to win the game.

Coach Harbaugh was proud of the way his Ravens fought back to beat the Patriots:

“Our team just fights, period,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “We just have a bunch of guys that will just not quit. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t. Tonight, we won. I couldn’t be more proud of a football team, and couldn’t love a bunch of guys any more than we do right now.”

It was the 12^th consecutive home game win for Flacco, putting the Ravens at the top of the AFC North.

Once again Flacco silenced his critics after a mediocre performance in week two’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared poised and confident and not only went head-to-head with Brady, he outplayed him.

It was the most exciting Ravens game I’ve ever been to and I will never forget it. There is nothing like silencing your critics and doubters and showing the nation your team can beat one of the best teams in the NFL.

The Ravens played with heavy hearts, but heavy hearts made them play that much harder. It’s a proud time in Ravens Nation, let’s hope the momentum continues when they face the Cleveland Browns Thursday night.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco shined in the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore. His lead an explosive offense to a 44-13 victory; he went 21 for 29 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, no interceptions with a 128.4 quarterback rating.

His was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Now the big question is whether or not he can keep it up the entire season. Last season he was plagued with inconsistency, he was hot and cold all season.

“Joe Flacco is going to be a great player,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “Joe Flacco is a great player. Joe Flacco has been a great player.”

Working with quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell is paying off as Flacco is leading team’s new no-huddle offense and spreading the love as he threw to seven targets on Monday night.

It is Flacco’s second time winning this award. He previously won it in 2008, his rookie season, the award came after a 248-yard game and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns.

He is in the final year of a five-year contact; he will receive $6.7 million this season. Flacco hoped to have a new contract before the start of the season and although talks did not happen, Flacco’s agent Joe Linta and the Ravens front office expressed the belief that a new deal will get done, the big question is when and for how much.

The longer it takes to get done, the more Flacco is likely to get.

“The only way you get categorized as an elite quarterback is by the money and the contract you’re offered,” Linta told CSNBaltimore. “For someone to say you’re great is one thing. To pay you like you’re great is another.

Coach Harbaugh wants Flacco’s new deal to come through, after Monday’s game he said “Pay the man.”

Flacco has led the team to the playoffs in each of the four seasons he’s played with the Ravens. I am hopeful  that a new deal will get done, though I don’t know when it will happen. Flacco is the best quarterback the Ravens have ever had and with an explosive start to the season he’s proven that we have yet to see his fullest potential.

Marshal Yanda

It’s game time again for the Baltimore Ravens as they prepare to take on the Jacksonville Jags in preseason game #3 at M&T Bank Stadium.

We can expect to see the starters on the field for most of the game; most are likely to play the first three quarters; it will give us a good idea of how the team will look during the regular season.

While head coach John Harbaugh would like to keep the starters in for most of the game, he will also play it by ear:

“We’ll just kind of work back from there with guys and as far as how many reps they get and see how it goes,” Harbaugh said. “I’d like to see them get a lot of good, extended work.”

Veteran players including linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed are likely to see less playing time.

Guard Marshal Yanda may sit out, but his status has yet to be determined. Monday he had a “collision” during practice and left early. Outside linebacker Chavis Williams hit tight end Billy Bajema who then fell into Yanda’s lower leg. Even though Yanda rested this week, the team may take the cautious approach and sit him.

Linebacker Sergio Kindle left Friday’s practice early with a sprained shoulder. He’s been at practice this week, but only active in individual work, no 11-on-11 drills.

Safety Sean Constantine got “dinged” in last Friday’s game against the Detroit Lions. While he claims he wasn’t hurt, doctors have a different opinion. His injury is unknown and he may sit out of Thursday’s game.

Offensive linesman Jah Reid re-aggravated a calf injury he originally suffered during mini-camp.  He is unlikely to play.

Reid is anxious to play, but he knows he needs to give his calf more time to heal:

“It’s disappointing to not be out there helping the team,” Reid told The Baltimore Sun. “It’s aggravated right now. We’re working on it. Hopefully, I can be back soon. It’s not as bad as the first two times I hurt it. It just takes time. I thought I was going to be able to play, but I need to make more progress.”

BaltimoreRavens.com reporter John Eisenberg answered questions about what we can expect to see during the game.

When asked about the pass rush, he said “Beat the man in front of you”; something that hasn’t been happening in the preseason games, the coaches would like to see it happen.

I am curious to see how the starters fare in this game, I expect to see more improvements, they’ve been taking baby steps in their preseason games and it is time to step it up.

Courtney Upshaw

Baltimore Ravens training camp officially ended today, just time in for the second preseason game on Friday at home against the Detroit Lions.

The starters are expected to see more playing time in this game; most may play the entire first half. Head coach John Harbaugh will determine playing time based on individual players and not based on groups on the depth chart.

“We will play it by ear right now,” Harbaugh said. “It could be as much as a half, it might not be. We’ll just play it by ear, see how it’s going, and see how many reps we get.”

While some players did not play in last week’s preseason game due to injury, others were injured during the game and their status for Friday’s game is questionable.

Rookie linebacker Courtney Upshaw missed the game due to a shoulder injury. He was back at practice this week and participated in 11-on-11 drills which is a good sign, but it is unclear if he will play Friday.

Top 2010 draft pick, cornerback Jimmie Smith, has battled a back injury, but also participated in 11-on-11 drills. He left Wednesday’s practice early for an undetermined reason, no word if he will play yet.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith tweaked his ankle in the game against Atlanta. He missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. No update on his status for Friday’s game.

Fellow wide receiver Tandon Doss suffered a hamstring injury, but was back in training camp this week and a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. He may see some playing time Friday night.

Finally, rookie running back Bernard Pierce practiced all week after a hamstring injury. He did not play in the Atlanta last week, but according to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, he may see the field Friday if he stays healthy:

“If he can stay healthy the rest of this week, maybe [he will] get some work on Friday night,” Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron said Tuesday. “We know he’s a talent. We know he can play. We know he’s tough. We like what we see, [we need to] just get him back in the groove and maybe get to look at him Friday night.”

Injuries suck, but they especially suck during the preseason when some players need the practice while others are competing for a roster spot. I am crossing my fingers that they heal quickly and are able to get some playing time.

I am especially anxious to see Uphsaw hit the field. As this year’s top draft pick and a chance to start due to Terrell Suggs’ injury, it would be nice to see him in action; I’m dying to see what he can do.

I still don’t care whether the Ravens win or lose to the Lions; I just want a good game with little to no injuries.

Justin Tucker

One of the biggest competitions in Baltimore Ravens training camp is the one for starting kicker. The competitors are very different, veteran kicker Billy Cundiff is 32 years old and an eight year veteran of the NFL. Opposite him is rookie kicker Justin Tucker, 22 years old, kicked for the Texas Longhorns in college.

Cundiff is best known for missing the potential game tying field goal in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots last season. While it was a painful way to end the season, he’s determined to get another start as the Ravens kicker.

Tucker is putting up a good fight and according to Ed Lee of the Baltimore Sun, he’s leading the race.

Tucker has outkicked Cundiff. Tucker is 82 of 97 while Cundiff is 74 of 89.

Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosbury has no doubt that a young Tucker can do the job:

“He’ll be in there this Friday night,” Rosburg said. “He’ll be right out there in front of everybody and kicking, and I don’t have any apprehension. The best player plays. That’s just the way it is. It’s that way at kicker, it’s that way at defensive line and at wide receiver. So, whoever is the best player, that’s the guy who’s going to play.”

Head coach John Harbaugh said it is a tight race and he’s not worried about who will come out ahead. He expects both kickers to play for the NFL this season, but did not indicate which one would start for the Ravens.

The final decision has yet to be determined, Friday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions will play a vital role in selecting the winner.

Rosburg said that Tucker has adapted quickly to the Raven techniques:

“I’m interested to see what happens this Friday,” Rosburg said. “It’ll be another good opportunity for them to show up, because we hope they have opportunities to kick field goals. That’s really what we want to see.”

Seeing Cundiff on the field would be a hard pill to swallow for most Ravens fans. It is hard to look at him without thinking of the missed field goal during the playoff game. He was a decent kicker all season, but missed when it mattered most.

I am excited about the possibility of having rookie kicker. I’ve been hearing good things about Tucker and he could potentially be a long-term solution to the team’s kicking needs.

It is a tough call though because experience is definitely an advantage when comes to knowing the best way to kick the ball in different situations and weather conditions. This might be something the team will bite the bullet on by giving a rookie the chance to learn by doing.

The answer will be known sooner rather than later. May the best man win.

What do you think? Who do you want to see kicking on starting day?