I waited a week and a half before writing this just so it doesn’t appear I just have sour grapes over the Ravens loss in New England but certain aspects of officiating in the NFL have bothered me for a long time.

Whether we like them or not the rules protecting the quarterbacks are here to stay. My problems are not so much with the rules, but the application of the rules. It seems to me that penalties for roughing the passer are far more likely to be called if there is a marquee quarterback. Do you really think the Suggs roughing the passer call against Brady would have been called against Matthew Stafford? I bet the ref would have ignored Stafford if he turned and made the flag throwing gesture that Brady made. If the rules are going to be in the books, they should be applied equally for all quarterbacks, not just the star quarterbacks. The star players are already better than most other players; they don’t need special rules making them even better.

The same goes for pass interference rules. It seems to me that a great receiver gets the benefit of pass interference calls far more than an average one. That’s not fair, if a player is interfered with, there should be a call no matter the contract or stats of the players involved.

Even worse, how often is Todd Heap interfered with and the announcers often justify it by saying that they don’t normally call that on passes to a tight end. Oh, so because of his position the rules in the book don’t apply. Yeah, that makes sense.

There are probably other rules that are applied unevenly as well. All I ask is that the rules are applied equally no matter the players involved. I think that would help the game a considerable degree.

After that maybe the refs can focus on spotting a ball correctly on a play that ended right in front of them. Baby steps.

This entry was written by ExtremeRavens member Spen.

Whooooooooops. Ok, so first things first… It’s a football, not a mini-helmet! Our mistake. The mini-helmet is signed by Kyle Boller, which we assume is slightly less valuable to current Ravens fans. Maybe we’ll just toss it…

So once again, here are the details. The commenter to submit the 500th comment to this blog will win this Todd Heap signed football (purchased through NFL Auctions, so you know it’s legit). Spam and fluff comments will be deleted and not counted. It’s that simple. You post comment 500, you win the football.

Additionally, the winner of the football will have the chance to be entered in another contest later in the season!

We’re still not even at 100 comments, but that can change quickly with a few clicks/comments per post. We’re expecting this football will be given away before season’s end – if not before the end of October. So get posting!

We want to know what you’re thinking!

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.

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.

So who stays and who goes in the days before (and after) draft day?

The Ravens have a number of players up for free agency (a solid mix of restricted and unrestricted contracts, at that). Most notable among the names you’ll find unsigned and unrestricted are DE/LB Terrell Suggs and back-up RB Musa Smith. In addition, WR Devard Darling, KR BJ Sams and back-up DB Gerome Sapp are also unrestricted in the coming off-season.

Expect the Ravens to make a solid play for Suggs, who is a key piece of the team’s defensive unit. Outside of Suggs, though, the rest may be out of their purple. Some fresh faces on both sides of the ball might be just what new coach John Harbaugh is looking for, but then again, a core of trusted and respected second-stringers shouldn’t be underestimated.

In addition, if the Ravens even want to have a shot at addressing their weaknesses through the draft and outside free agents, there are going to have to be some major cap casualties. Heavy contracts from Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, Samari Rolle, Mike Flynn and Todd Heap will all need to be dealt with. (I mention only these names at first because I think it’s fair to say that cutting/trading other heavy contracts belonging to Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, etc, will not even be considered an option). Heap might be the biggest surprise to some fans, but his recent injury-plagued years have to have some in front office wondering how long the team can hold onto to a hobbled, if dangerous, tight end.

And, of course, the biggest – literally, the biggest – question still unanswered is veteran OL Jon Ogden and his retirement. If JO decides to call it quits, the cap picture for the Ravens will shift dramatically. But if he decides to stay in uniform for one more season, these money issues will become very real very quickly. From a talent standpoint, with a young core of linemen, Ogden’s experience and leadership could be invaluable.

So what do we want to see happen? Is Ogden’s play worth his price at this point, or would we rather watch him bow out and give the team some more option? Which UFA’s do we want back the most? And which heavy contracts need to be cut to make room for fresh meat?