At the end of the first half, and into the third quarter, I was so disgusted by the play from the team, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be posting anything about this game for a few days. It wasn’t just the level of play, it was how they were playing.

For the first half of this game, the Ravens looked just weak. Instead of looking like the proud, fiery, intense team we’ve come to love, they looked like a shell of themselves. There seemed to be clear issues on the defense that no one wanted to address… players just left staring at each other.

And all the while we got it rubbed in our face as Brett Favre pushed up and down the field, jumping and smiling like a little kid who’d just picked up a football for the first time. That’s the way the Ravens used to play.

The second half – and the fourth quarter especially – changed that though. Offensively the team was outstanding, of course. But the excitement and intensity of the offense, the electricity of Ray Rice and the subtle confidence of Joe Flacco, seemed to become contagious. The defense found it.

The defense certainly didn’t play lights out and win the game for us, suddenly. They could have, but they didn’t. But they did at least play with a level of confidence that leads me to believe, or at least hope, that they can find some level of greatness again. The feeling was at least familiar.

And even with Steven Hauschka missing that kick, I have to think that the Ravens left the field knowing they didn’t deserve to win that game. They deserved to win the fourth quarter, but not the game. And so perhaps we’ll see that intensity from the very beginning in two weeks when we play Denver. If we do, if this team can play with the heart it was lacking all the while against Cincinnati and for most of the game in Minnesota, there is plenty to look forward to.

He’s not getting the most blame – and he doesn’t deserve the most blame – but someone has to say it. And I will if I have to…

Steven Hauschka: 30%

Like it or not… when you need a field goal to win, a very makeable field goal, in a dome, with no wind or other issues… it needs to be made. That’s the end of it. The end. There’s nothing more to say. Clutch or not. Last minute or not. Field goals matter at all times; this one happened to determine the outcome of the game. Haushcka has to make the kick. The end. Throw blame everywhere else for our position up to that point, but Hauschka  has to make the kick.

In the words of a friend, let’s call it “poetic justice.” The minute Stover is picked up elsewhere, the makeable kick is missed. In all honesty, I love Hauschka and all that he brings to the table… but I was probably giving him better odds than most when I was thinking “this is 50-50…”

Ravens Secondary: 60%

Domonique Foxworth, Fabian Washington, Dawan Landry, Chris Carr, Lardarius Webb, Frank Walker. Frank f’n Walker. We’re looking at you. For the fourth time in six games you all looked worse than bad. You were pathetic. I’m not holding back anymore. I don’t know if you’re just confused or if you simply don’t have the ability, but you are the reason this defense is crumbling. Even the 100-yard rushers connect back to you.

Seriously, Frank, what are you doing? Is it even possible for you to be on the field and NOT have a flag thrown at you. Or not have the QB single you out? And Dawan… on yet another big play you looked absolutely lost. In fact, on one of Favre’s late TDs you almost seemed to be telling Brett to throw it to the man you were simply refusing to cover. Get it together.

Coaching: 10%

The Ravens defensive woes are not solely the fault of the players or the greatness of the opposing offense. Greg Mattison needs to find a way to get this unit to work together. Maybe it’s about getting Samari Rolle on the field. Maybe it’s about getting Paul Kruger on the field. Maybe it’s about play-calling. Whatever it is, do it.

Mattison has been unable to adjust his schemes and his plays to the needs of his players and the strengths of his opponents. Apparently the Ravens are just too easy to read.

Even offensively, Cam Cameron took long enough to find his groove. Had the Ravens started showing life just one possession earlier, perhaps that last kick is less necessary. Nice recovery, though, of course.

So far the most popular answer I’ve heard is the Ravens “weak” secondary. Just about everyone is pointing to a secondary that has allowed big numbers to big names. From Foxworth’s lack of physicality to Carr’s stumbles to Walker’s penalties.

In reality, we should be placing blame on every single Ravens player and coach that took the field on Sunday. They all failed. They all had opportunities and they all missed them. What we saw yesterday was exactly the opposite of the sharp, smart and dangerous Ravens teams we have come to know and love.

Following a nasty loss in New England last week, everyone expected the Ravens to bounce back with a vengeance and obliterate the Bengals. Instead, we got a lackluster effort. We got a team that looked too comfortable for its own good and then uncomfortable when it mattered most.

For me, it all starts with coaching. As a team, the Ravens were not ready to play yesterday. Whether it was complacency or disinterest or lack of focus, the Ravens did not walk into M&T Bank Stadium like a team that was ready to win that game. And that falls on the shoulders of John Harbaugh and his staff. No matter how good the Ravens may have looked in week’s past, it is the staff’s job to make sure they are ready to go on gameday. They weren’t.

You could tell on the first few series – the Ravens simply didn’t have their heads in the game. They looked bored.

But aside from the team’s overall lack of intensity, each unit lacked focus and discipline individually.

Offensively, the entire group looked disjointed. I am still unsure of any of Cam Cameron’s game plans. While the Ravens have been impressive at times, they don’t have an offensive identity. After criticism last week for being too pass-happy, it seemed that Cameron came down too far. The Ravens offense was predictable.

The Bengals defense is far improved from years past, but they are not spectacular. The Ravens should have been able to exploit some weaknesses, but they didn’t. That falls on Cameron.

Defensively, everyone is happy to point fingers at the Ravens secondary. And yes, the group has been a weak point this season. Unfortunately, mid-season, there is not a lot to be done about personnel. We’re stuck with who we’ve got. What bothers me more than our personnel failure has been Greg Mattison’s inability to adjust his defensive schemes to help his personnel.

The Ravens shifted their secondary personnel over the last two seasons – away from physicality and towards speed. That’s okay, actually. But you can’t expect a speedy corner to play like a physical corner. Washington, Foxworth and Carr cannot just overpower good receivers, they have to outsmart them. All three corners (four including Frank Walker) have done a fine job running with their man most games – but they have failed at making plays. Foxworth tried his best on Sunday, mauling Chris Henry to draw a pass interference call, and Henry still made the catch and ran 50 yards.

It is up to Mattison and his staff to find a scheme that works for these defensive backs. That’s going to mean teaching them how to find and play the ball, not the man. The Ravens will lose 9 times out of 10 if their DBs try to play the man. And up front, Mattison needs to find a scheme or a personnel package that is able to pressure the quarterback and assist the secondary.

On all three levels of the coaching pyramid the Ravens looked outmatched. It’s not a nice feeling, nor one I want to get used to. The Ravens have the talent – on the field and on the sidelines – to win every game they play. Both sides need to work to make that real.

Stupid Penalties: 40%

Second straight week the Ravens can thank themselves and their absolute lack of discipline for their problems. The officials were not good, but that’s not an excuse. The Ravens apparently didn’t learn anything from last week’s game in New England. I’m still a bit baffled by Steve Tasker’s relentless defense of the officiating – the Frank Walker pass interference and Chad Ochocinco lack of interference calls were particularly questionable, and Tasker failed to even acknowledge the possibility. Meanwhile, the Ravens gave away first downs and yards, play after play. [Is defensive illegal formation even a penalty, by the way?]

Stupid Players: 30%

Missed tackles. Missed coverages. Leaving holes wide open. Dropping passes. There are no excuses for the Ravens pathetic play today. As much as players and fans may want to be upset at the officials,  the Ravens came to the game today with no emotion and no heart. Half the game, I wasn’t even sure the defense wanted to be there – the secondary was consistently out of position and failed to find the ball while the front seven struggled to find their zones.

Stupid Gameplan: 20%

Noticing a trend yet? This whole game was stupid by the Ravens. I’m not sure what Cam Cameron’s offensive game plan was today. It’s become more and more clear to me that the offense simply does not have a steady game plan. In early games we dismissed the funky offensive style as “taking advantage of weak opponents,” but in two straight losses to good teams, there has been no “settling” of the gameplan. There were stretches where the Ravens looked far too conservative. At other times the Ravens looked far too aggressive. At no point did the Ravens offense look like the force it had been for the season’s first four weeks.

(Stupid) Disappearing Players: 9%

Derrick Mason. Willis McGahee. Kelley Washington. Terrell Suggs. Kelly Gregg. Fabian Washington. Le’Ron McClain. Were any of these guys even on the field today? Did McGahee even get a touch? Did Mason? Washington and McClain each had a moment or two… but I don’t even remember seeing Washington on the field more than two or three times.

Stupid Steve Tasker: 1%

Okay, so maybe he had nothing to do with the Ravens losing, but he certainly had a lot to do with me not enjoying the game. Gus Johnson is bad. Steve Tasker is just dreadful. I’m not sure how, but he’s actually gotten worse since the Ravens earlier games. Do they even show up before Sunday?

Today as power rankings are released we’re already seeing the Ravens fall a bit, but not too far. ESPN has the Ravens 7th, right behind New England.

Run the Damn Ball, Cam. I’m still trying to decide whether the Ravens failure to run the ball was the result of in-game panic or just a bad game plan. My bet is a bit of both, with a pinch of “inability to adjust” as well. Cameron’s game plan was to pass frequently. As much as we may not like that in hindsight, it actually worked fairly well for most of the game. Minus a Joe Flacco miscommunication leading to an interception, the passing game looked alright.

But the pass-favored attack was made worse by an early deficit. Last year one of the Ravens’ greatest strengths was that they never panicked, even when down early. On Sunday, it seemed quite the opposite. Some early scoring by the Pats had the Ravens scattered.

Finally, even when the Ravens seemed to regain some control over the game in the second half, they failed to reset themselves and their gameplan. One big reason to run the ball is not just to balance the defense, but even a mediocre run nets yardage. 3rd and 7 looks so much friendlier than 3rd and 10.

The Refs. Still not a fan of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed mouthing off – even if I agree with the broader sentiment that quarterbacks are overprotected. And I’m not a fan of John Harbaugh getting in on the action, even in a more subdued, passive way than he did on the field.

It has been interesting, however, to see the national reaction to the Terrell Suggs personal foul in particular. No one seems to like it. In a Baltimore Sun article today the wording of the rule was emphasized – contact to the quarterback below the knee must be forcible to warrant a penalty. Suggs’ contact certainly wasn’t forcible.

I’ve heard it argued that had Brady not moved his leg, it would have been much worse. But last I checked, the NFL didn’t give penalties for almost pass interference and almost facemasks. It’s a fast game, what looks like it could be a penalty one instant can very clearly change.

Feelin’ Fine Ball: Ray Lewis. Because I’m feeling a fine coming his way for his post game remarks. I didn’t agree with every call on the field out there today, but the Ravens need to learn how to take their losses and the game’s circumstances and move on.

Lesson Learned Ball: Terrell Suggs. Asked post-game about his personal foul on Tom Brady, Suggs replied quietly, “it is what it is.” That shouldn’t be taken to mean Suggs liked the call, but he knows how to keep his pay check fat.

Buddy Buddy Ball: Tom Brady. Brady played a good game. But between his Manning-esque “flag wrist” asking for a personal foul and the closing shot of Brady walking off the field with the refs… I can’t help but think it. These refs know they have a job to protect the league’s stars.

Fired Up Ball: John Harbaugh. I’ve got mixed feelings on Harbaugh’s tantrum. I don’t think it cost the Ravens as much as some fans do, but there’s no way to tell. I do know that I want my coach to care enough that he’s ready to go. First time we’ve seen Harbaugh go off like that. Probably won’t see it again for a while.

Defensive Game Ball: Terrell Suggs & Dwan Edwards. Suggs sacked Brady, stripped the ball and Edwards found it in the endzone for the touchdown. That play changed the game and gave the Ravens hope.

Special Teams Game Ball: Sam Koch. Koch is arguably the league’s best punter right now. He has learned how to kick it far, but his penchant for putting it inside the 10 is what makes him truly great.

Special Teams Goat Ball: Chris Carr. Bad decision, bad execution. Carr was benched as return man, as he should have been. The question is whether he can reclaim his job. Fans don’t want to see him anymore.

Tough Team Ball: The Patriots D. They may not have been perfect, but the Patriots as a team and as a defense especially beat the Ravens at their own game most of the game. The Pats came up with big plays when they mattered and kept the pressure all game long. Credit deserved.

What a Catch! Ball: Derrick Mason. He went up, he took the hit, he came down hard and held on. Mason’s first quarter touchdown let the Patriots know that the Ravens were not too bothered by an early deficit.

Get Well Ball: Jared Gaither and Brendon Ayanbadejo. Gaither’s head/neck injury was the scariest moment of the season so far – he seemed to be lying on that field for an hour. The news is good so far for Gaither, though no word on when he might return to the field. Ayanbadejo, who last week won the league’s defensive player of the week award, isn’t so lucky. He’s done for the season, it appears.

Disappearing Act Ball: Le’Ron McClain. Not sure if McClain had injury problems or was just pulled in favor of the empty backfield, but he vanished in the second half. The Ravens could have used McClain on those short yardage situations, but McGahee got the call instead. Questionable.

Helluva Game Ball: Leigh Bodden and Brandon Merriweather. The Pats CB and S duo were all over the field. Bodden’s red zone interception of Joe Flacco was impressive and stole at least three points from the Ravens (imagine being down just three on that last drive!). Meanwhile Merriweather was in on almost every tackle it seemed, finishing with 9 total tackles and 2 passes defended.

Butter Ball: Mark Clayton. Hard to blame him for the touchdown drops – both would have been hard to catch. But easy to say ’shame on you’ for his 4th down drop to end the game. Sigh. We love ya, Mark.

Offensive Play Calling / Cam Cameron: 40%.

Dear Cam, take a look at the numbers. Your offense ran the ball just 17 times for more than 100 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per rush. Meanwhile, you threw the ball 47 times for 264 yards, averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. What does that mean? That our rushing game was actually far more effective than our passing game.

I don’t know that anyone thought the winning team in this game would come out with fewer than 25 rushing attempts… let alone fewer than 20. The Pats, despite managing only 85 yards, ran the ball 30 times. Where was Le’Ron McClain on 4th and short?

And please don’t give me that “game circumstances forced us into a different mode.” First, the lack of balance was apparent from the first moment of the game – the Ravens managed just 7 rushes in the first half. But additionally, the Ravens were never anywhere close to being out of this game. The rushing attack should have been featured more prominently. Period. It’s been said since our Week 1 victory against Kansas City.

Third Down Penalties: 25%.

I’m doing my best to not put blame on the refs. It truly wasn’t the refs fault (at least not most of the time). But despite being stout on defensive third downs throughout the game, the Ravens continued to give the Pats second chances. The second roughing call on Brady was extremely questionable. I heard it justified with a “if Brady doesn’t move his leg, he gets hit.” I didn’t know the NFL gave out penalties for almost roughing the quarterback.

Regardless of the calls, the Ravens need to be better about keeping their play in check. The defense looked confused and overmatched at various times and penalties are a symptom of that disorganization. Good teams don’t give second chances.

Meanwhile, a big kudos to John Harbaugh for letting the refs have it on some of the game’s more questionable calls.

Mark Clayton: 15%.

I’m trying to hold off on Clayton a bit here. If the Ravens perform better earlier in the game, if they play their game for three quarters, the team shouldn’t even be in that kind of position. But regardless, Clayton dropped the biggest pass of the game.  It was a great play call, a great route and a rocket pass to Clayton’s hands. Top receivers are paid to make those catches. We’re still waiting for you to prove yourself, Mark.

Chris Carr: 10%.

Carr has yet to be anything but a disappointment on special teams this season. We haven’t seen speed. We haven’t seen agility. We haven’t seen brilliant insight or smart moves. Until today, the most we had seen was the failure to make mistakes. Oops.

Carr’s fumble on the opening kick-off set up a long day for the Ravens. Instead of walking on the field, ready to establish the game’s tempo, Carr handed that opportunity to the Patriots. And it gave Belichick an early look at the Ravens D.

Dawan Landry: 10%.

Landry looked lost on the field for the second time this season. He was confused in Week 2 by the Chargers and looked similarly bothered by the Patriots schemes. He did a fine job in helping double Randy Moss and Wes Welker at various times throughout the game, but it didn’t make up for his mistakes.

Landry’s biggest mistakes cost the Ravens. Early in the game it was a pair of missed tackles on consecutive plays, leading to a Sammie Morris touchdown. The Ravens didn’t have any points to give away today.

There was never a moment, not even an instant, during that game where I thought this Ravens team would not complete the blowout. There wasn’t even a fleeting thought in the back of my head that it could even be a close game. It simply didn’t exist.

And looking back on the game, the Ravens seem to have been filled with the same emotion.

They were relaxed; they were just playing football. And playing it well.

It’s an indescribably weird feeling. There is supposed to be some kind of drama, some kind of suspense, in football. There are supposed to be big plays on both sides and “What if…” moments.  There’s supposed to be that any given Sunday, any given play mentality. But it simply didn’t exist.

Both on offense and on defense, the Ravens looked like a team in absolute control. Not necessarily in control of the Browns, but in control of what they were going to do. It wasn’t so much swagger, as we saw in 2000 under Billick. It was that subtle, simple, understated confidence in their ability – their ability to drive 90 yards on 16 plays or drive 70 yards on just three plays, their ability to make a stop on 4th and goal or their ability to make an interception at any moment.

But comfortable can be a bad thing sometimes. We’ve seen the Ravens get complacent before – we’ve seen them give up little plays expecting to make big plays. We’ve seen them settle for a run expecting the defense to pick up the slack.

Personally, I don’t see that with this Ravens team. I see their comfort as having a soothing effect, relieving the anxiety that “the only way to win is to be perfect.” In reality, there’s not a lot you can do about how the other team is going to perform – you can only impact how you are going to perform.

So what do you think? Are you seeing the same thing? Are you worried that this team might get too comfortable, too confident? Is it giving you hope or worry with a big game in New England on the docket?

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.

1. Coaching. This is not a lamentation for the days of old and the return of Rex Ryan. Ryan’s secondaries were rarely perfect and often flawed, especially against good receivers and quarterbacks. But Greg Mattison certainly has plenty to work on. Luckily, Mattison has a lot to work with, as well. Mattison and John Harbaugh both noted after the game that some of the Chargers biggest and most damaging plays were the result of missed coverages and defensive confusion. This was most notable on the Darren Sproles swing pass for an 80-yard touchdown; no one accounted for Sproles. No one.

The Ravens run complex schemes, but the first rule of any defense is know your man. Mattison needs to have his entire defense in the film room all week, playbooks open and pens out. Mattison has some work cut out for him, though. Remember, most of the Ravens corners right now are cast-offs from other teams. Foxworth and Washington were both underperforming high round picks that the Ravens targeted for their speed. They are supposed to be a work in progress. The entire Ravens defense has the talent to be very good, but only if they can execute their playbook.

2. Size. Fabian Washington, Domonique Foxworth, Chris Carr, Frank Walker. All fast, all around 5′11 and 175 (some would even argue with pads on). That’s not quite Chris McAlister and  Samari Rolle. The current Ravens corners aren’t especially small, but you won’t find anyone calling them big. These corners won’t have much success chucking receivers at the line or bumping them downfield, which leads to an entirely different style of play for this secondary than most Ravens fans are used to. In their defense, Washington and Foxworth did an impressive job of staying with their coverage throughout the game on Sunday, but they simply weren’t able to make the plays when the ball game.

Is it truly good coverage if you don’t make the play, though? The Ravens corners need to learn how to run with their man and play the ball. In the Chargers later series, we saw some of this happening. Kudos to you, Frank Walker. It needs to happen more. Speed can’t be taught, but finding the ball can be.

3. The Pass Rush. Another familiar complaint from the past few years. If you hit the quarterback, he can’t throw the ball. And if he can’t throw the ball, no one can catch it. And even if you can’t stop him from throwing, maybe you can stop him from throwing it well. The Ravens front-seven needs to do more to help their secondary be effective. The Ravens actually got pretty solid pressure on Rivers on Sunday, but only when bringing the house – and eventually even that stopped working. Without the blitz, the Ravens pass rush looked handicapped against the Chargers, who were missing three (three!) starters on the offensive line. Terrell Suggs was solid throughout most of the game, but always a half-step behind, and only got through on the blitz. We haven’t seen rookie motor Paul Kruger yet because the Ravens can’t find room for him, but it may be time for that to change.

The Ravens need to find ways to get pressure even when rushing three or four. It’s that simple. Haloti Ngata takes up two men all be his lonesome, that leaves 3 or 4 on the line (depending on the alignment) to handle three Ravens rushers. That match-up should favor the defense pretty consistently. Yes, I’m looking at you Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs. If the current rushers cannot get it done, let’s try something new. Kruger is known for his motor, which is precisely what the Ravens defensive line needs.

4. Philip Rivers. Yup, I’m going to just plain say it. Part of the Ravens struggle was simply Philip Rivers. Where was Ed Reed? Ed Reed was all over the field. But wherever Reed went, Rivers went the other way. Rivers held this game together for the Chargers. He spotted blitzes and rushes, helping his handicapped offensive line protect him. He got rid of the ball quickly and knew when the rush was coming. And he put the ball high and out of reach of the Ravens defenders time and time again. Rivers is one of the league’s best – perhaps only Manning and Brady are better right now (maybe not even Brady right now) – and he might have the most raw talent of any quarterback out there.

So, how do the Ravens fix this? Well, don’t play good quarterbacks. That won’t work. The Ravens get Big Ben twice, Palmer twice, Manning, Brady, Favre, Cutler once each… Let’s start by just avoiding Philip Rivers. Done. We won’t have to see him until at least week 18.

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.
For the entire game, the Ravens were on the ropes—and I mean that as literally as possible when talking football. Tennessee’s underneath passing game had the Ravens defense on the field for more than 10 minutes in the second quarter alone. Before his injury, Chris Johnson was cutting through the Ravens like Walter Payton through anybody.

And in terms of an offense for the Ravens, we can say simply, “what offense?” The Ravens running game was practically non-existent and the passing game was hardly better.

The Ravens were toast. They were out-planned, out-played, and out-manned. As much as I hate hearing it from the big media sources as a reason the Ravens are in trouble, this is certainly one game where the Ravens’ brutal 17-straight weeks of football was clearly slowing them down.

And yet, every time the Ravens looked like they were about to go down—every time it seemed like the brutal assault from the Titans was just too much to take—the Ravens would fire back. Perhaps only with a punch or two—a forced turnover or a solid punt return—but they would fire back.

Somehow in the end, the Ravens were able to stand up, put together a pair of scoring drives, and stop the Titans when it mattered most. And so the Ravens, battered and bruised, are left standing.

Beat up but not yet beat down.

In football terms, the Ravens were completely outplayed and outmatched. They were on the receiving end of a few friendly calls and a few magical plays. You won’t hear any argument about that. But that’s how football is sometimes.

The Ravens have been on the wrong side of this kind of game plenty of times in recent memory—twice this season, even. It is certainly not the kind of performance that should be flaunted.
Offensively and defensively, this team is far from perfect. We all know that. We can admit that. There is no shame in saying that. There is no shame in saying we slipped away with one. LenDale White may be right; the Titans may win that game nine times out of 10.

But if he wants to play a series, he can go play baseball.

Perfection is overrated. Just ask last year’s Patriots. Perfect all the way to the Super Bowl, only to lose in the biggest game of the year.

So much for 18-0.

Excuse the sappy romanticism and the Billick-ism, but football is as much about toughness and resiliency as it is about specific skills. And in those terms, in terms of intangibles, you will not find a team that can compete with the Ravens this season.

**Quick Bonus Thoughts**

Jim Leonhard: My postseason awards are waiting for the Ravens’ season to end. Jim Leonhard continues to make a strong argument that he deserves all of them—MVP, Unsung Hero, Best New Raven—his tackling is precise, he is always around the play, his blitzing is phenomenal, and his value as a returner is unmatched. And did anyone else pick up that bit from last week’s game?

Leonhard learned the Ravens’ entire defensive scheme in a week. One week. That’s seven days if you’re counting.

Running Game: Hard to be happy with the way it performed yesterday. Running up the gut on the Titans line clearly wasn’t working. Still not sure why the Ravens never tried to get outside with either Willis or Ray Rice, who was in on a few plays but never got a carry. I think it could have really helped the offense find its feet.

And for all that has been said (including by me), it sure is nice to have Willis McGahee on this team in a playoff run. His blocking could still use some work, though.

The Officials: With the exception of the delay-of-game call, there should be no complaining about the officials. They did a pretty solid job both ways. The Titans were called for some personal fouls, but the Ravens were called for their fair share of penalties to help the Titans.

Defensive holding may only be five yards, but it’s still a first down. The Ravens gave the Titans two on their first scoring drive.

And as for the delay of game? How ironic that just last week the same thing happened with the Dolphins and Phil Simms, in all his wisdom, was able to explain that when the clock hits zero, the ref has to see it, then see the ball unsnapped—so there’s always a second or two delay.

All I can say is “phew.”

The Gameplan: Weak. Defensively you could tell that even Ray did not like what the Ravens were calling in the first half. He was on the bench with Rex Ryan more than once shaking his head and clearly saying the plan wasn’t working.

By the second half, the defense had made some quality adjustments. Offensively, the gameplan was classic Cam Cameron in a big game—the same Cameron we’ve seen against every other good team this season. The Ravens almost had to overcome his game plan.

It’s not a matter of stretching the field and going deep. It’s a matter of opening the field up—find the 5, 10, or 15-yard passes, the outside runs.

Luckily, in a rematch with the Steelers or a game against a weaker San Diego unit, I think the Ravens will find their offensive footing.