Thursday is usually the day where we break down the big match-up or big story of the week. Usually. Honestly, there isn’t one story in the Ravens-Browns game coming up on Sunday worth an entire column. Not one. There’s just nothing too interesting in this match-up, nothing the Browns are about that is worth a few hundred words.

So instead, here are three half-hearted items that the Ravens need to think about heading into Sunday…

1.  Josh Cribbs. The Ravens kick and punt coverage improved in Week 2 against the dangerous Darren Sproles, thanks in large part to great kicks by both Steven Hauschka and Sam Koch. If there is one returner more dangerous than Sproles right now, it’s Cribbs. Sproles nearly broke a few big kick returns and his impact on field position hurt the Ravens defensive effort. The Ravens need to more than match their effort from last week to contain Cribbs.

2. Braylon Edwards. If you want to talk about big, fast receivers, you want to talk about Edwards. Personally, I’m still having nightmares about Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers, I can’t even handle thinking about Edwards. The only threat the Ravens need to consider when the Browns have the ball is Edwards. If Brady Quinn can put the ball in the air, Edwards has a good shot of bringing it down. Last week Edwards caught six passes for more than 90 yards in a loss.

3. The Big Play. Let’s do the math together. Cribbs plus Edwards equals a dangerous mix and a good possibility of some big plays. We saw in Week 1 how just a pair of big plays can make any game look close. One interception… one big pass… one kick/punt return… A mistake here, a mistake there; it all adds up. The Ravens biggest worry, and our biggest worry as fans, should be the possibility that our defense continues to let up the big play.

The Browns aren’t heavy on talent. They aren’t loaded with heart at the moment either. But it only takes one player and one play to change a game.  The Browns have more than a few individuals that can really make a difference even in the face of a floundering franchise.

But in the end… don’t bet against the Ravens.

In Week 1, when Brodie Croyle threw two touchdowns and manufactured back-to-back scoring drives in the air, most Ravens fans and players called it a fluke, a sign of the unit’s complacency. Now in Week 2, following Philip Rivers monster 440 yard game, some of that reassuring “it won’t happen again” mentality is fading – and many fans are wondering not if it will happen, but when it will start to affect the Ravens record.

The Ravens secondary play this season should be a big concern for the Ravens and their fans. With the exception of two interceptions against Rivers on Sunday, there has been little to get excited about. The unit has been bounced in every possible way – confused by play action, outrun on deep balls, and out of position on screens and crosses.

Here are four reasons the Ravens secondary has looked so bad – things we all should have seen coming – and how to fix it. Read the rest of this entry »

Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes. Pulled that one out. Nice game on both sides, scary on both sides, impressive on both sides. Ravens sneak by.

Defensive Game Ball: Ray Lewis.Gotta start where it ended. Not only did Lewis make the tackle that ended the game, beautifully reading the Chargers’ blocking scheme and meeting Darren Sproles 4 yards in the backfield, but he also controlled Sproles throughout the second half. After Sproles and the Chargers abused the Ravens defense on screens and swings, the Ravens assigned Lewis the task of hawking the speedy back. In the second half, Sproles’ big screens were far less damaging. Lewis had a forced fumble, an innumerable  number of tackles, and was one of the few highlights of an otherwise forgettable defensive performance.

Two-Face Ball: Dawan Landry. It was the tale of two halves for Landry. In the first half, he needed a GPS to find his way around the field. Landry lost Sproles on the Chargers 70+ yard screen to score in the first, and found himself out of position or turned around frequently. It’s hard to deny that my mind occasionally wandered to Jim Leonhard’s spirited campaign at safety last season. But in the second half, Landry found himself and turned his game around – intercepting Rivers once and almost doing it a second time later in the third.

Winner / Whiner Ball: Philip Rivers. Read the rest of this entry »

Three Questions:

1. Can the Ravens pass rush shake Philip Rivers? Rivers is used to getting hit – he’s hardly the least sacked quarterback in the league. But Rivers thrives despite his line’s deficiencies and is still one of the league’s most productive and dangerous quarterbacks. If the Ravens can’t rattle him, he’ll be in the game until the end. That’s you we’re looking at, Terrell Suggs and Trevor Pryce.

2. Can Joe Flacco eliminate the mistakes? Big mistakes are not Flacco’s big weakness. He makes small mistakes – overthrows and missed receivers – that have small consequences. But against a good team, small mistakes can turn into big mistakes. Flacco can’t be flinging the ball around recklessly on this defense.

3. Can Michael Oher and Jared Gaither handle Shawne Merriman? Merriman was a non-factor last week in Oakland for the Chargers, but it was his first full game back from last season’s injury. If the Ravens expect to be able to pass the ball, they’ll have to protect against Merriman’s attack – and the youngsters on the corner will have to do it.

Three Predictions:

1. Todd Heap will outshine Antonion Gates. It’s not just that Heap is back in rhythm, but Joe Flacco clearly knows how to use the big man. Heap will make an impact for the second straight week and confirm what many in the league have feared: he is still one of the league’s most impressive tight ends.

2. Darren Sproles will not top 50 yards on the ground. If Sproles is going to change this game, it’s going to be receiving out of the backfield and on special teams. While the “thunder and lightning” tandems have trouble the Ravens in past, the defense can handle just speed – which is all Sproles has going for him.

3.  Turnovers will rule. This game will be decided by mistakes – who makes more and when they make them. Neither the Ravens or Chargers have proved to be mistake-free yet (on offense or defense). But a big mistake or two will burn the losing team. Don’t think the Ravens can survive a blocked punt and 70-yard interception return this week.

Ravens Rush Attack vs. Chargers Rush Defense:

The Chargers defense is not quite the feared force it was growing into in 2006 and 2007. They are a decent at stopping the rush, but not superb, allowing just over 100 yards a game in 2008 and allowing well over 100 yards on the ground against the Raiders. The Chargers will struggle mightily with the Ravens multi-faceted rush attack, especially if the Ravens return to their run-oriented gameplan and control the clock. Even with limited touches, the Ravens showed they know how to use their running weapons, getting quality touches to Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and even Le’Ron McClain. We may not see any back top 100 yards on their own, but the Ravens expect to be pushing 200 yards as a team on a weekly basis. Edge: Ravens.

Ravens Pass Attack vs. Chargers Pass Defense: Read the rest of this entry »

There are only a handful of teams in the NFL who can create a little worry for the Ravens defense, and the San Diego Chargers should be one of them. Any other given week, the key to a Ravens victory will lie almost entirely on the offense, but not when an attack as balanced and dangerous as the Chargers presents itself.

The Chargers present one of the most well-rounded, versatile offensive attacks in the league; they have for the past few seasons. Start with one of the league’s most dangerous running backs, LaDainian Tomlinson, add in a speedy compliment, Darren Sproles, a rifle-armed quarterback, Philip Rivers, and the league’s best tight end, Antonio Gates; it all adds up to trouble.

In fact, the Chargers offense represents everything the Ravens want their offense to be. As Ravens fans have learned over the past 13 seasons, a one-dimensional attack is easy to handle. Even if your rushing game is outstanding, a team that can only run the ball faces serious limitations. But balance – the ability to run or throw with deadly execution on any play – presents a real problem for even the best defenses in the league.

It’s the ultimate catch-22, a paradox: if you blitz the pass, Darren Sproles will be in the secondary before you’re in the backfield; if you squeeze the run, Philip Rivers will pick you apart.

The Ravens defense is not out-matched, by any stretch of the imagination. We all know that the Ravens can handle just about anyone when they are on top of their game. But that’s the key, the Ravens will have to be far more perfect in San Diego than they were against the Chiefs. Missed assignments, missed tackles, lost footing – it will all spell disaster if it happens this Sunday because the Chargers won’t let an opponent get away with it.

On the ground, the Ravens biggest challenge will be containing the speedy Darren Sproles. LaDainian Tomlinson is recovering from a number of minor injuries, including a tweaked ankle, and will likely get limited touches on Sunday, if he plays at all. But Sproles is capable of handling the ground game all by his lonesome, even against a stout Ravens defense. If the Ravens overcommit, Sproles will burn them.

But here’s where the conundrum builds. While containing Sproles may require an element of patience, containing Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ pass attack is all about the blitz. If you saw any of the Raiders-Chargers game on Monday, you saw what Rivers can do with a little bit of time – even without a corps of big name receivers. To rattle Rivers, the Ravens have to hit him and hit him hard.

Luckily for the Ravens, their saving grace may come in the form of an injury report. The Chargers are banged-up, especially along the offensive line. At present, it is looking more and more likely that they will be without a pair of starters from Monday – when San Diego allowed three sacks. Add Tomlinson to the list of questionable starters, and things are looking up for the Ravens defense.

Regardless, the Ravens defense will have to be at its very best on Sunday to contain an explosive and balanced Chargers attack.

Oh, and a few signature turnovers wouldn’t hurt either…

It may not have been the prettiest win the Ravens have had – especially not as double digit favorites at home – but it was still a win and impressive in many ways. The 38-24 final in the Ravens win over the Chiefs doesn’t even sound like a score from the Ravens in recent years, but eager fans will take it.

Offensive Game Ball: Joe Flacco. To open his second season, Flacco set career highs in touchdowns, passing yards and passing attempts. He topped 300 yards for the first time in his career as well. Despite a few overthrown balls and a brutal interception that really had the Ravens spinning, Flacco managed the game well and showed that he is no Trent Dilfer. The Raven said they were going to test this offense’s limits, and they did it perfectly today. Flacco never looked overmatched and the offense fired on just about all cylinders.

Welcome-Back Ball: Todd Heap. Between injuries and blocking assignments in recent years, most Ravens fans had forgotten why Heap made it to a pair of Pro Bowls and was once considered among the league’s most dangerous tight ends. Today, they remembered what it’s like to see a tight end simply dominate a defense. Heap had five catches for more than 70 yards and a momentum-changing touchdown. Defenses beware: the Mormon is stormin’ again.

Read the rest of this entry »

Coming off a surprising and superb 2008 campaign, expectations for the Baltimore Ravens are high as the 2009 season approaches. But the offseason has not been kind to General Manager Ozzie Newsome and company, who have parted ways with a number of big names. Newsome did his best to fill the team’s biggest holes, but even wizards fall short sometimes.

The good news for Ravens fans is that the core of the team is still intact. For a group that found its way to the AFC Championship, that is not an insignificant statement. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed still lead a strong defensive unit and Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason anchor the offense—hardly a bad place to start on either front.

Unfortunately, the weaknesses threatening a repeat of last year’s playoff run will sound all too familiar. In training camp, the Ravens two weakest positions will line-up face-to-face on every down. Read the rest of this entry »

Waking up this morning, I still am not quite sure what I saw yesterday afternoon. Well, I know what I saw, but I still have not been able to fully comprehend it. I suppose all that matters is that the Ravens have at least one more game on their schedule for now.

In shuffling through the piles on on-line jargon about the Ravens-Titans game, however, one thing kept coming up. The repeated mentions of how these defensive battles are so much like boxing matches—how many times have you heard “knock-down, drag-out fight of a football game” in the last 24 hours?

So it got me thinking. If last night’s game were a boxing match, which would it be? The answer is all too obvious: Foreman and Ali’s classic “Rumble in the Jungle,” where Ali unveils his classic Rope-a-Dope scheme.

It doesn’t fit perfectly, I know, but it still fits. Read the rest of this entry »

Quarterback: B-

Joe Flacco had trouble finding open receivers and hitting targets against a zone defense, but he still kept his cool and controlled the game. He made only one major mistake, which certainly hurt, but otherwise he was fine. His completion percentage was down, but many of his incompletions were hitting receivers in the hands, so how much blame can we really assign?

Running backs: B Read the rest of this entry »