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.

Offensive Game Ball: Derrick Mason. Actually, lots of good news to go around on offense. But for 800 career receptions and one of the most fun TD receptions in recent memory – it goes to the vet and the leader. Mason made some nice catches throughout the game, a few for first downs, a few classic outs. But his 72 yard reception, turning to the ball, shaking the defender and strutting into the endzone: priceless.

Yellow Game Ball: Mike Furrey, Browns. The Browns wide out actually had a decent game when all was said and done, totaling four catches for 40 yards. And a few of those catches stung the Ravens. What wasn’t so hot, though, was his reception on the Browns first play of the game. Furrey caught the ball crossing about five yards out and promptly planted his bum on the turf. Seeing Ray Lewis out of the corner of your eye, Mike? Take the hit. [Honorable Mention to Eric Mangini opting for the field goal with the score 27-0 in the fourth quarter.]

Don’t Blink Game Ball: Domonique Foxworth. Foxworth  helped get Brady Quinn benched with his first quarter pick. I’m not sure whether he was tipped off by coaches or just did his film study, but with Braylon Edwards running straight at him, trying to sell the fly route, Foxworth didn’t move. Seriously, he didn’t flinch a muscle. And when Edwards let up and turned for the hook, Foxworth coolly stepped in front and took the pick. He also did his best Ed Reed impersonation, perilously pitching the ball to Reed for a few extra yards on the return.

Double Trouble Game Ball: Willis McGahee. McGahee is seeing fewer touches this year, but he’s making more of them. Apparently McGahee’s motto these days is “Twice as Nice,” finding the endzone two times for the third straight game. Today’s touchdowns were both on the ground and both involved McGahee prancing across the goalline untouched.

Underrated Game Ball: Dwan Edwards. The back-up defensive lineman was all over the field today. He wasn’t always making the big hit or even making the final hit, but he was a big part of getting pressure on the Browns QBs and closing holes in the run. Edwards certainly isn’t one of the Ravens bigger names on defense, but he is the classic example of a selfless player who plays his role for the team’s benefit.

Dumba** Game Ball: Eric Mangini, Browns Coach. Eric, Eric, Eric. You just weren’t made for this NFL coaching thing. Maybe quarterback controversy just follows you around. Brady Quinn wasn’t particularly good in the first half against the Ravens, but he also didn’t have much time to prove himself. The choice to switch to Derek Anderson mid-game was shortsighted and will come back to bite you in the ass.

Bite Your Tongue Game Ball: Steve Tasker, Announcer. I was actually quite pleased with the announcers today, which is an oddity. There was no sugar-coating of how bad the Browns were, no “let’s be nice” for the sake of the league. But one moment had me, and everyone, laughing a bit. Just as the Browns took the field in the fourth quarter, following their first and only scoring drive of the day, Tasker decided to praise Derek Anderson for his ability to turn the Browns around. Mid-sentence, of course, Anderson threw his second interception of the day, to Dawan Landry. Tasker quickly corrected himself, with a chuckle.

Defensive Game Ball: Brendon Ayanbadejo.  The back-up linebacker has been seeing more time recently, rotating in with Tavares Gooden, Jameel McClain and Antwan Barnes. Today he showed why. Four tackles, a sack, a pass deflection and an interception. Ayanbadejo was so good that he caught his interception of Derek Anderson with his gut. Actually, he didn’t even seem to be trying for the interception, but the ball stuck and he took it.

Teammate Game Ball: Derek Anderson, Browns. No better way to show his Ravens pride than tossing three to his old teammates when they counted most.

First Down Machine Game Ball: Kelly Washington. I’ve given Washington some trouble in recent weeks, but only because I love him. Washington caught five passes this week (proving more valuable than just about all of this year’s drafted receivers), and several for ffirst downs. In fact, I can only remember a pair of Washington catches this season that did not result in first downs. The man comes up big when it counts. Thankfully, the dancing has subsided… finally.

Scary Good Game Ball: Joe Flacco and Cam Cameron. The pair certainly know how to run an offense. Flacco set another career high with 347 passing yards today. The team continued its offensive explosion with 34 points. My only complaint is that their pass-happy, score quick approach ruined my prediction of getting both McGahee and Ray Rice to 100 yards. Not often that a team passes the ball 37 times and runs it only 28 in this kind of rout.

Silent Game Ball: Josh Cribbs and Braylon Edwards, Browns. The Browns only true offensive weapons, and the only players that had most Ravens fans worried. And both failed to show up. Their disappearance was TO-esque.

First Timer Game Ball: Ray Rice. Special congratulations to Ray Rice who found the endzone for the first time in this NFL career. Hard to believe that it took 22 games (including the post-season last year). Rice’s 9-yard scamper seemed to excite everyone on the Ravens. The little man deserved it.

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. Apparently, if you ask Philip Rivers, Philip Rivers has never made a mistake in his life. In fact, every bad throw or incompletion in  his career is due to someone else’s pathetic play – his offensive line, the officials, good defense even! Rivers is in elite company on the field, both as a quarterback and a whiner. There were multiple throws where the only words out of anyone’s mouth could be “Wow.” But every pass that hit the ground had Rivers calling for flags, fouls and more. The Chargers young QB needs to learn that his game is good enough without being a jerk.

Still Lame Ball: Kelly Washington. Seriously, Kelly? The dancing this week was arguably worst than last week. Especially early in the game, when Lardarius Webb’s  amazing effort helped put a Sam Koch punt at Washington’s feet, and Washington, who did little more than pick the ball up, went into his full repertoire of nonsense. We also got to see Washington dance after a touchdown that nearly wasn’t and a first down that was far from special. It wasn’t until the second half we saw Washington act like a real football player – make a big catch, stare down the defense, and get to the sideline.

Offensive Game Ball: Willis McGahee. McGahee found the endzone twice early for the Ravens and averaged over 5 yards a carry. For most of the game, McGahee was getting 7-8 yards per touch, making defenders miss and running over those who made contact. McGahee is showing signs of the player everyone thought he could be coming out of Miami seven years ago, and the Ravens are thankful for it.

Homer Ball: Dan Fouts. Dear Dan, we know you played for the Chargers (and quite well) way back in the day. [Was Unitas in the league then?] But no need to make it so obvious in the booth. Apparently Fouts believes that Rivers has never made a mistake in his life either. And if there was a bigger critic of the officiating today than Rivers, it was Fouts, who stumbled, bumbled and mumbled his way to unreal descriptions of the action. CBS, keep Fouts out of San Diego.

Monsters Ball:  Jared Gaither and Michael Oher. Flacco took some heat late in the game, but the Ravens’ offensive line had the Chargers rush contained throughout most of the game. In fact, in the fourth quarter, Shawne Merriman was on the sideline with the Ravens in the red zone (still waiting for that explanation, but maybe it’s because he was a non-factor for all but one play?). Gaither and Oher had the corners locked down for Flacco to drop and pushed upfield like pro’s when the Ravens were rushing. The unit can handle the best of them.

Mighty Mini Ball: Darren Sproles. Sproles was a non-factor running the ball, but he was a monster everywhere else. He opened the day with an 81-yard reception for a touchdown and peppered in some nasty return yardage as well. The Ravens looked lost when Sproles was coming out of the backfield until Ray Lewis was put on the job. Fouts got it right one time: Sproles is a team unto himself.

Disappearing Act Ball: Ray Rice. This writer doesn’t enjoy looking like a fool. Perhaps it was just McGahee’s impressive performance that led the Ravens to keep Rice on the bench for much of the second half, but Rice was a non-factor for most of the game. He averaged more than 4 yards a carry, but only handled the ball eight times. Rice did catch five passes for more than 40 yards (doing his best Darren Sproles impersonation), but most of those yards came on two of those receptions.

Get Outta My Game Ball: The Zebras. They weren’t horrendous, but they weren’t close to good either. There were too many flags on too many questionable calls, and far too many inconsistencies among the crew. Let the players play, let the game happen. The league will be better for it. And don’t let Philip Rivers sell you anything.

Schemed-Out Ball: Greg Mattison. Maybe it was strategy. Maybe it was execution. Maybe it was just poor match-ups. But something wasn’t right about the Ravens pass protection throughout the game. Rivers is a one-of-a-kind quarterback with some big, powerful targets, but there is no excuse for allowing over 400 yards of passing offense. The Ravens secondary needs to be in the film room and in their playbooks all week long to fix what is certainly broken.

Hungry Ball: Terrell Suggs. Suggs came up big with 1.5 sacks and countless other pressures on Rivers. And at game’s end, Suggs was still dying to get one more solid lick in on the talkative quarterback.  It’s nice to see Suggs running his motor and clearly starving for the big hit and big play. Let’s just hope he’s never satisfied.

Other Notes… The Ravens are still impressive in the redzone, both offensively and defensively. The Chargers had to settle for field goals four times after having the ball deep in Ravens territory. Meanwhile, the Ravens settled for the field goal only once; they now have 7 touchdowns in 8 redzone opportunities.

Baltimore Ravens: W (1-0) against Chiefs (0-1). The Ravens aired it out and totaled more than 500 yards of total offense – good for best in the AFC and second best in the NFL. But we didn’t really learn too much about this Ravens team. Beating up on what may be the league’s worst team, and giving up some big plays at crucial times, doesn’t bode well. In short, the Ravens are still a mystery. Don’t bet on 500 yards against the Steelers. This Week: at San Diego (1-0).

Pittsburgh Steelers: W (1-0) against Titans (0-1). Classic Steelers football on Thursday. The defense took a few drives to find its feet, but shut the Titans down later in the game and never let things get out of hand. Big Ben and the offense took a few shots, but made the plays when they had to. Many fans had to be wondering why the Steelers were even in the game in the third quarter – but that’s how good football teams play. This week: at Chicago (0-1).

Cleveland Browns: L (0-1) against Vikings (1-0). The Browns introduced themselves as the division whipping boys this season with a blowout loss against Minnesota. The Vikings proved they are deserving of mentions as Super Bowl contenders, running and throwing all over the Browns. Brady Quinn and the offense showed some signs of life, but never made it count against a tough Vikings defense. This week: at Denver (1-0).

Cincinnati Bengals: L (0-1) against Broncos (1-0). The Bengals were 20 seconds away from one of the bigger upsets of the week against the Broncos. The Bengals defense was surprisingly stout against a decent Broncos offense, but they still managed to lose in ridiculous fashion – a great defensive deflection found its way into the hands of Brandon Stokley for a an 87 yard game-winner. This Week: at Green Bay (1-0).

Making Gains:

Joe Flacco, Ravens – First 300 yard game of his career, three touchdown passes. Take that “game manager” stereotype. We’ll see how long the passing-frenzy lasts, but for now, Flacco is showing he belongs atop the division with Big Ben and Pamer.

Josh Cribbs, Browns – Returned a punt for a TD against the Vikings for the only meaningful score by the Browns on Sunday. Cribbs is taking Devon Hester’s place as the best return man in the league, and he may be the only reason the Browns win a few games this season.

Troy Polamalu, Steelers – Injured and out for 3-6 weeks now. But his first quarter Thursday night was the the best 15 minutes of football you’ll ever see.

Todd Heap, Ravens – Re-established himself as one of the league’s best tight ends, catching five passes for over 70 yards and a touchdown. With Heap in gear, the Ravens offense can match up with anyone.

Slipping Away:

Carson Palmer, Bengals – Two interceptions against the Broncos, keeping the game close enough for the big play that changed it all. Palmer is going to have to work to regain his Pro Bowl form after his 2007 injury and missing most of 2008.

Willie Parker, Steelers – Fast Willie managed just 19 yards on 13 carries against the Titans. The Steelers inability to move the ball on the ground is a large part of why the Steelers were never able to separate and why Big Ben had to carry the team to another OT win.

Browns Defense – The Browns allowed Adrian Peterson to run all over them for a whopping 180 yards and 3 TDs. And despite getting 4 sacks on Brett Favre, they couldn’t control Favre or the Vikings receiving corps. Even against lesser runners, this defense is going to struggle and make for a looooong season in Cleveland.

What to Watch…

Road Tested: The entire division is on the road this week before beginning division play in Week 3. How will the Ravens and Steelers especially handle their first tests away from home? How much worse will the Browns and Bengals look without a friendly home crowd?

Offensive Resurgences: The Ravens face a much tougher defense this week in San Diego and the Steelers get another test in Chicago, how will both offenses handle the heavy pass rush?

Turnover Trouble: The entire division had issues with turnovers and big plays in Week 1. Can the Ravens and Steelers eliminate the mistakes or will they start to pay for them?

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.