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?

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.

Ravens Rush Attack vs. Browns Rush Defense

The Browns rush defense could be one of the worst in league history, even relative to other Browns defenses in recent memory. And as bad as they have been, the Texans are actually still worse at the moment, statistically. Regardless, the Browns have allowed more than 400 yards rushing in just two games. And the Ravens? Well, they only bring the league’s fourth best rush attack to the game. While no individual Raven is going to have Adrian Peterson-type numbers at the end of the day (180 yards and 3 TDs), you can bet that the Ravens are going to get as much as they can on the ground. Any of the Ravens three runners (Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain) could handle this defense alone. And with the help of the Ravens offensive line, which has been downright dominant on the ground this season, you can expect to see defenders blown off the ball play after play. Edge: Ravens

Ravens Pass Attack vs. Browns Pass Defense:

Compared their rush defense, the Browns pass defense is a super-star unit. At present, the Browns pass defense is seventh in the league, allowing just over 170 yards passing per game. But the Browns apparent success in stopping the pass is a bit of a magic act. The Browns have four sacks in two games and no interceptions. They are not getting pressure, nor are they finding the ball. In reality, it’s not that the Browns are able to stop the pass, but more that opponents find it easier (and safer) to keep the ball on the ground. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco and the Ravens pass attack continues to grow. Flacco’s numbers in San Diego were not outstanding, but he did find the endzone twice and converted a number of important third downs. The receivers are finding their niches in the unit. And the offensive line has done a brilliant job of keeping Flacco safe. Edge: Ravens

Browns Rush Attack vs. Ravens Rush Defense

The Browns 2009 version of Jamal Lewis is not the Jamal Lewis that Ravens fans remember grinding out 2000 yards in 2003 and driving an offense for six seasons. Lewis has continued to have leg injuries since arriving in Cleveland and this year is no different; he did not practice on Thursday and may not play on Sunday. But even with Lewis, the Browns rush attack is less than explosive. Lewis has less than 100 yards in his two games this season and is not even averaging four yards per carry. As a team, the Browns have managed just 41 carries in two games and 143 yards on those attempts. The Browns will be bringing that attack, without Lewis, against the Ravens and the league’s best rush defense. You can’t run through them (think about that, running through Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata), and you can’t run around them. And, actually, come to think of it, you may not even be able to run to them. (Click Here) Sorry, couldn’t resist. Edge: Ravens

Browns Pass Attack vs. Ravens Pass Defense

If there’s one spot where the Browns might be able to make some ground against the Ravens, it’s in the air. The Ravens pass defense has been severely suspect in its first two games. Not only did the Ravens allow Philip Rivers to pass for over 400 yards last week, but in Week 1 they allowed the Chiefs and Brodie Croyle to move downfield easily on several occasions. The Ravens corners are small and are still not totally familiar with the team’s system. Add to that a limited pass rush and it’s a formula for big passing days. The question is whether the Browns can capitalize on the Ravens weakness. Brady Quinn can certainly throw the ball, but he’s yet to prove it in the NFL. And receiver Braylon Edwards will give the Ravens trouble downfield – he’s the kind of height/speed combo that caused so many problems in San Diego. But the question is whether the two can connect. Last week they managed to combine for more than 90 yards. If that’s the only damage Quinn can do, the Ravens should be ok. Edge: Even

Special Teams

The Ravens special teams made solid progress last week in San Diego. Steven Hauschka’s kick offs and place kicking both looked solid. Sam Koch had one of the best games of his career. And the Ravens return game began to show signs of life. But the Ravens did struggle to contain Chargers return man Darren Sproles. In Cleveland, the Ravens will have to face the only return man better than Sproles – Josh Cribbs. They’ll also face one of the few kickers more accurate than legend Matt Stover, veteran Phil Dawson. And their own former punter, Dave Zastudil. The Browns special teams could cause problems for the Ravens, but not enough to change the game. Edge: Browns

Intangibles

The Ravens are among the league’s best at home. The Ravens defense is eager to prove that they remember how to defend the pass and make the big play. The whole unit is energized by the finish to last week’s game and the boost in national media coverage this week. The Browns are quickly establishing themselves as the league’s worst team. Eric Mangini is continuing to fight reports that his team despises him.  It all points one way. Edge: Ravens

Prediction

No chance, not close, don’t even hesitate. Actually, my only hesitation is that I hate feeling this confident. But there’s simply no doubt. The Ravens are going to run away with this one. The only questions… Will Harbaugh pull his starters early if things get out of hand? (If he does, will it matter? Troy Smith could handle this defense). Will the Ravens defense score and find its big play ability? Will the Ravens put up more yards on the ground or in the air? Ravens 34, Browns 9

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:

The Chargers pass defense suffered last year after the loss of star linebacker (and former Maryland star) Shawne Merriman. Without Merriman for 15 games last season, the Chargers pass defense fell to 31st in the league in yards allowed and amassed only 28 sacks. But in 2007, with Merriman, the pass defense was in the league’s top half, and the Chargers were a top five team in pressuring the quarterback. Merriman appears healthy, but it’s unclear if he’s truly back on top of his game. The Ravens pass attack showed tremendous improvement in week one, but the Chiefs are about as bad as defenses come. The Ravens will have to work much harder this week to protect QB Joe Flacco, and Flacco himself will have to work harder to execute on his passes. The Chargers have 45 interceptions over the last two seasons, best in the NFL. Edge: Even.

Chargers Rush Attack vs. Ravens Rush Defense:

There aren’t many defenses that can even hold a candle to the Ravens when it comes to stopping the rush. But a tandem of good backs can change everything. Last year, it was the Giants’ with Brandon Jacobs and Danny Ware, and in the playoffs, the Titans with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. The Chargers offer up LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. A fast-and-faster version of the infamous thunder-and-lightning attack. Luckily for the Ravens, Tomlinson is hampered by an ankle injury that may keep him out of the game entirely. But Sproles proved last season that he is more than capable of handling the Chargers rush attack solo. It’s a new season, though, and Sproles will have to prove himself all over again – he rushed for just 23 yards against the Raiders. Edge: Ravens.

Chargers Pass Attack vs. Ravens Pass Defense:

The Ravens pass defense has been the unit’s true struggle for several seasons. Even with Pro Bowler and superstar Ed Reed picking off passes at his leisure, the Ravens secondary and pass rush have failed to make their mark when the game’s been on the line. A handful of speedy new corners is supposed to help, but even against the Chiefs last week, the team allowed some bigger plays than they would have liked. The Ravens pass rush still hasn’t developed as fully as fans would like either, often leaving too much time for good quarterbacks to find open receivers. And the Chargers Philip Rivers is certainly one of the better quarterbacks the Ravens will face this year. If the Ravens give him too much time, he will find an open man. And Rivers will be helped by one of the league’s biggest and most physical receiving corps, led by freak of nature tight end Antonio Gates. Once again, the good news is falling to the Ravens, though, as the Chargers will likely be without two starters on the offensive line. Edge: Even.

Special Teams:

Nate Kaeding is one of the league’s best kickers and can boot the ball as far as anyone. Darren Sproles is one of the league’s most dangerous return men. Mike Scifres regularly punts the ball over 60 yards – sometimes even 70. Meet the Chargers special teams. The Ravens? Well, there’s second year kicker Steven Hauschka, who is still earning his coach’s trust. Return man Chris Carr, who had some good times in Tennessee, but hasn’t yet in Baltimore. And the star of the group, Sam Koch, who may be the league’s most underrated punter. Edge: Chargers

Miscellaneous:

The Chargers are at home, where they’ve lost just 5 games since Rivers took over at QB. Joe Flacco, though, loved the road last season, throwing 10 touchdowns and earning a QB rating over 90. The Chargers are also notoriously slow starters, especially in their last two seasons led by Norv Turner. And as previously mentioned, the Chargers are in a bit more injury trouble than the Ravens. But homefield is homefield, and flying east-to-west has never been the Ravens strong suit. Edge: Chargers

Prediction:

It likely won’t be pretty, but as the Ravens move back to running ball more, they’ll be able to control the clock. Flacco and the passing game will still play an important role, especially in keeping the Chargers off balance. The Chargers will likely have their drives and score some points, but in classic Ravens style, they’ll bend but never break. The key will be turnovers, and a late turnover will likely decide a very close game.  Ravens 27, Chargers 23.

One game in and the debate is already raging. The Ravens won their first fight of the new season, amassed more than 500 yards of total offense, and exploded with four second half touchdowns. And yet a debate rages on.

Did the Ravens throw too much against the Chiefs?

The answer is probably yes. But the question is stupid.

Critics of the suddenly pass-happy Cam Cameron and Joe Flacco are pointing to the fact that after an especially pass heavy first half (25 passing plays to 14 running plays), the Ravens were still deadlocked with the Chiefs at 10-7. And that amid a pass-happy 3rd quarter, the Ravens trailed for the only time in the game following a Joe Flacco interception.

But following a 38 point showing and 14 point victory – if only a victory in the final moments – asking too many questions can be a bad thing.

The Ravens intentionally shifted to the pass on Sunday. And they will intentionally shift back to a more run-oriented attack in future weeks. We call these changes “game-planning.”

The Chiefs boasted one of the league’s worst pass defenses last year, including the worst pass rush in NFL history (10 sacks in 16 games). Attacking that weakness was a good move on the part of Cameron and John Harbaugh,  even if it came with some mixed results.

First and foremost, it helped to set up the crucial running success the Ravens had later in the game. It will probably help the Ravens run game for the rest of the season. No future opponent can look at the performances by Joe Flacco, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason or the offensive line and not take that into consideration when planning for the Ravens arrival. Putting the ball downfield forces a defense to account for that possibility – especially if you’re able to complete three of those attempts for over 20 yards. If anyone thinks the Ravens early passing did not have anything to do with their success on the ground late, they are simply wrong.

Also important, however, is giving Joe Flacco room to stretch. The second year is notoriously known as the Sophomore Slump for a reason. Usually, good rookies are asked to do more – or try on their own -  and the results can be catastrophic. Flacco will certainly be asked to do more this season for the Ravens, and at various levels. But allowing Flacco to show off his gun-slinging ability against the Chiefs was a good move. It not only builds confidence in the quarterback and offense, but it allowed Flacco to find his own limits in a safer environment.

This Sunday against the Chargers, you can certainly expect to see an offensive game plan more reminiscent of years past. The Ravens have not forgotten how to run the ball. Not even close. They elected to show off their passing ability against an inferior opponent, and it worked. Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain will get plenty of work.  But Joe Flacco and the receivers will have their chances as well.

And that change can only be for the better.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

“Always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine, next day is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?”

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.

Lame Ball: Kelly Washington. The Ravens most recent addition to the receiving corps made three catches for 43 yards and helped Heap, Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton all do their jobs better. But the first down dances were too much, too soon. Washington embodied this team’s smug attitude after his first catch, which is part of why the Ravens wound up fighting through the fourth quarter for this win.

Ugly Ball: Special Teams. Kick-off coverage was the unit’s only saving grace. Sam Koch had a punt blocked in the Ravens endzone for a touchdown. Steven Hauschka missed a field goal and his other kicking attempts were far from pretty. And returner Chris Carr simply was not a factor. All three (Koch, Hauschka and Carr) can and should do much better. The Ravens didn’t work hard to develop their offense to see the special teams slip away.

Defensive Game Ball: Kelly Gregg. After a season on the sidelines, Gregg made his presence known. His six tackles tied for the team lead and the Chiefs struggled to contain him. Even when he didn’t make the play, Gregg was always a part of keeping the pressure on Brody Croyle and company. You can be sure Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis are happy to have Gregg back.

Hide Your Hankies Ball: John Harbaugh. With no disrespect to Coach Harbaugh, who has had a brilliant short career with the Ravens so far: someone else on this team needs to be in charge of instant replay challenges. Maybe he’s getting bad advice from the booth, maybe he just trusts his eyes (Dave Trembley?), but Harbaugh has yet to master the art of the red flag.

Prove Me Wrong Ball: Willis McGahee. It’s doubtful he reads this blog, but no one has been harder on McGahee during his tenure with the Ravens than me. McGahee has taken his bump to back-up with an impressive show of his character. He looked in shape physically and mentally, and his impact on the victory cannot be overstated. Not only did McGahee run effectively (after getting in rhythm), but he caught a few balls and blocked well. The Ravens first touchdown came on play in which McGahee made his cut block, found his feet, and still had managed to get open and find the endzone. Bravo.

Understated Ball: Offensive Line. The Chiefs may not have the league’s best defense or its best pass rush, but a solid effort should not be overlooked. The Ravens offensive line man-handled the Chiefs all game, giving the Ravens back plenty of holes and Flacco hours to pass (as Ian Eagle said at one point, “Flacco could balance his checkbook back there.”) More impressive, perhaps, was that the line never let up mid-play. Flacco eluded tacklers in the backfield when he had to, but not without help from his lineman, who were happy to turn back and take another shot at the defense.

Full Time Ball: Ray Rice. Taking over the starting duties for the Ravens at tailback this season, most critics have predicted that Rice has the skills to be successful, but lacks the endurance to be a full-time back. Rice proved this afternoon that, with the help of McGahee and Le’Ron McClain, he’s more than capable. He also proved that he doesn’t need 25 carries a game to make an impact – 19 carries for 108 is perfectly fine.

Pay Attention Ball: Rich Gannon. Gannon is generally one of CBS’ better color commentators, but something was off today. Perhaps it was his pairing with Ian Eagle, who seems to do the play-by-play for every Ravens game, or maybe he just needs some more time. Gannon was flat out wrong in some of his commentary (Chiefs fumble at the goal line, fumble by Croyle at game’s end), but also seemed out of touch with the pace of the game.