After a week following a thrilling win over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, there was a lot of talk that revolved around the last time Baltimore was in the drivers seat. Unsurprisingly, it seemed as if the loss to Tennessee in the beginning of the year, and then to Jacksonville just two weeks ago, had sunk in. There was to be no hangover this time around; The Ravens had to win in order to prove wrong those who were second guessing their inconsistency. The fans knew it. The players acknowledged that they were of aware it. The coaches claimed they understood as well.

And then came game time.

For the third time this season, the Ravens squandered an opportunity to build on the momentum of a big win against a successful team. They lost yet another chance to prove to the football community that they are the team to beat in the AFC. They missed out on gaining a serious lead in a division that is as unforgiving as any across the NFL. After all of the warnings from the fans and the media, after the Ravens were given the benefit of the doubt from all the analysts, from the bar chatter and from Las Vegas, and after all the assurance we were given back from the players and coaches, Baltimore fell behind early, made careless mistakes and threw away a very winnable game.

The game plan didn’t make sense from the beginning. Ray Rice had four touches in the first half as Baltimore abandoned the run game earlier than necessary, eliminating arguably the best running back in the game before he even got started. And it isn’t like they fell into an unrecoverable hole early; The game was never out of reach, as they proved when Baltimore had a chance to earn a win, even with less than 4 minutes left in the game. But, as if the Jacksonville game began to replay itself, Baltimore lost sight of the game plan, forgot about the balance that a running game brings to an offense and elected to do their worst impression of a Bill Belichick-run team.

Special teams mistakes shone brighter than the hordes of penalties committed by Seattle, penalties that would cause most teams to lose a game by a considerable margin. Turnovers and a lack of adaptation to the Seahawk 4-3 defense, an Achilles heel for the Ravens all season,  was the final nail in the coffin.  It became obvious from the beginning of the second half that Baltimore wasn’t going to be able to recover from this deficit like they had done in previous weeks.

So who does the shovel of the game go to? Whose shoulders does the weight of another letdown fall on? I said I wouldn’t name names but screw it. Cam Cameron is the main man to blame. They always say, the performance on the field is the responsibility of the coaching staff; In this case, the problems lie mainly under the command of Cameron. His play calling has been questionable at best, his game plans have been horrendous, and he isn’t winning over many fans by his lack of ability to adapt throughout the game or put more faith in his “franchise” quarterback.

Maybe it’s stubbornness, an ego problem that is the roadblock keeping the Ravens’ offense from becoming consistent. Maybe Cam Cameron can’t let go of the playbook because he wants to save face; His safety net is his ability to bury his face in the pages when things turn sour. When Flacco does get the opportunity to make the play calling, it is usually because the Ravens have already fallen behind and it has to be done. Is hard-headedness the cause of the Ravens’ failures?

But, in fairness, to blame the coaching staff means that John Harbaugh has to be held to some sort of accountability as well. Harbaugh was quoted after the game as saying, “We’re not licking our wounds. We’re not licking our wounds. We’re moving on. We are going to correct our mistakes…”.

After the week two loss to Tennessee, those types of comments were acceptable. They were believable. Under Harbaugh’s regime, the Ravens had never been a team to consistently lose to teams that are worse than they are. After the game against Jacksonville, those comments lost a lot of their muster. All of a sudden, Baltimore seemed to have a weakness. But we decided to keep the faith and were rewarded with a comeback victory against Arizona and a second win against the Steelers.

Nobody expected the Ravens to underestimate a team again. Everybody involved said the right things. They had confidence. They had swagger. And then we discovered they had no game plan.

The players can be blamed as much as you want to lay on them. You can say that Flacco made mistakes. The defense gave up the big drive at the end of the game after having Seattle backed up on their 1 yard line and a 1st and 20. David Reed single-handedly (get it? because he didn’t hold the ball with two hands) lost the entire game. But the fact is, the glaring coaching issues seemed to be the most obvious; Cam Cameron has become consistent in a way that he should not be proud of.

The front office should take a long, hard look at the offensive coordinator duties at the end of this season. With the potential that this offense has, as we have seen displayed in games this season, there is no reason why it should not be a week-in and week-out thing. Forget worrying about hurt feelings or having to teach Flacco all over again; This team is a group of hard-nosed football players that go out of their way to prove their toughness. It’s about time the fans got to see that displayed every time they go out on the field.

The Ravens have had their fair share of disappointment at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers; The playoff performances have been devastating, and the regular season games have all come down to the nail-biting wire. Pittsburgh has always seemed to hold the upper hand, however small, in what has grown into the NFL’s biggest and meanest rivalries. So when victory presents itself, when there is a small door that opens to bathe and gloat in a fashion that only Baltimore fans understand because of their undying hatred for the Steelers and their unending urge to see the field wiped with their faces, don’t think for a second that Ravens fans are going to take full advantage.

There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is really what football, and all of professional and college sports is all about; without heated rivalries and unbroken, faithful team commitment, the product you would receive would be rather boring. What is better than to see a team and its fanbase fired up and roaring to go? And to be a fan that can say that you are a part of it each and every week just makes it that much more an occasion that we didn’t lose the NFL to a lockout.

There were whiners and excuses after the Ravens and Steelers game on September 11th. There were opinions from players and coaches, some of them discrediting the honesty and integrity of their opponent. There were also cold, hard facts that supported the real reasons things had happened they way they did. There were distractions, there was media coverage, there were questions over the personality of each team. Some questioned whether Pittsburgh was really that good. And some asked if the Ravens win was a fluke.

Football will be football. Everybody whines. Everybody cries. Just as everybody cheers, screams, and loves with an amount of energy and emotion that is untouchable to very little else, as his or her football team finds itself the driver of the steamroller or the object in its path. In week one of the 2011-12 NFL season, the Ravens had the Steelers number. If you didn’t catch the play-by-play, the final score, or the post game coverage, you probably caught the players comments, the excuses, the bragging, and everything else that makes being a football fan so great.

The tables turned in week two for Baltimore. They underestimated a Tennessee offensive line that made itself known to Baltimore and the rest of the NFL; they are here to play, like it or not, and they aren’t messing around. Baltimore took a punch to the mouth, just as Pittsburgh took it the week before. Neither team came to play in their respective losses, which is one of the most frustrating parts of being a diehard fan. Let-downs, the trap game, and upsets are all part of the game that we know and love. We might as well get used to it.

Leadership is what drives a team to learn from its mistakes. Lockerroom presence, team leaders, the voices of the voiceless, they are the ones that take a squad and help them back to their feet. We saw it in Seattle in week two when Pittsburgh took out their frustration and anger against the Seahawks, and we saw it in week one when the Ravens refused to forget their recent misgivings against the Steelers in the playoffs. But isn’t that what makes teams great? Isn’t that what drives teams to be as good as they can become, leaving it all on the field, going home with nothing left in the tank? Isn’t that what makes fans love to watch this game week in and week out?

That’s the beautiful part about the Ravens and Steelers rivalry. Maybe it isn’t something that everybody sees or understands. Or maybe it’s something that people voluntarily choose to overlook. We’ve all seen it, whether it is friends of ours or some of the players that are involved first hand; The underlying reasons for why these teams hate each other is a concept that seems to be the complete, polar opposite; respect. You better believe most of those players respect the ones on the other side of the ball. Don’t doubt for a second that Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh understand it. And, for the most part, the fans of each franchise get it as well.

Rivalries are created based on an always growing, mutual respect for one another. They are what makes the NFL as great of a professional league as any other in the world. Blowouts, let downs, nail biters, they are all part of the game. Players know it, coaches know it, fans know it. If there is anything that can be taken from the first two weeks of the season for Baltimore- without reading anything into wins and losses and the who, what, when, where, why- it is that we are in for another fun and exciting year of football.

Financially, Baltimore needs to make the moves. They are only $5 million under the new 2011 salary cap which leaves little room for the team to pursue an impact defensive player. The rest of the teams around the league will certainly follow suit, trimming the fat from the rosters as quickly as possible due to the time constraints caused by the approaching season. With the Ravens, it may not even be the last of the bombshells; Any cap room is a positive thing since the new CBA rules are more than likely going to create a free agent feeding frenzy.

However, the facts don’t ease the pain. Todd Heap has spent the last 10 seasons in Baltimore and has grown into a fan favorite. The chorus of “Heeeeeap” that can be heard throughout the stadium whenever he touches the ball will be one of the greatest aspects that Ravens’ fans may not hear again. His work ethic and hard nosed attitude is a hard attribute to find a replacement for, and whoever steps up as the new starting tight end will have big shoes to fill.

Derrick Mason will also be a tough loss. After all of his work for the team as player representative, his role in running team workouts during the lockout, and his charity work with local organizations, his release is a tough pill to swallow. Some people think that a deal can be worked out that will allow him to come back for less money. However, the real question is whether there will be a spot for him this year. Baltimore seems pretty confident in a young group of wide receivers, including Torrey Smith and Justin Harper.

The scenery is changing, and with the small window of time for teams to make changes, fans will get to experience all the joy and heartbreak of the off-season squished into just a few weeks. Thanks to the lockout, the carousel of moves will spin much faster than we’re used to. Hopefully for Baltimore, the changes can bring results on the field- it’s the only way the people off of it will forgive and forget.

“The numbers that they have offered can be extrapolated from the numbers printed in Forbes magazine. It’s nothing substantial. The idea that they can ask for a billion dollars from us without giving us the opportunity to really crawl through their numbers is somewhat disrespectful.”

Ok, so, first things first. It’s not exactly a billion dollars. The number being argued over is $700 million. Regardless, according to Foxworth and Ravens.com, the owners aren’t offering up any significant financial numbers to support their claim that they deserve $700 million more a year off the top of the revenue pool. The NFL says that the requested extra money is to cover an increase in operating costs of an NFL franchise.

Foxworth takes issue with the fact that the NFL won’t show the players’ union how that money will be used, and why it is necessary at all. He says that there has been no breakdown of the financial situation shown by the owners, and on that basis alone, he doesn’t believe the players’ union should give up such a large sum of money.

Is Foxworth correct in his assumption that the NFL should have to put forth their financial records in order to prove that they need the money? Maybe. Its easy to see how it would make the players’ union sleep easier at night, knowing that the $700 million they agreed to give up gets used to benefit the business that has made them who they are. But it is really a reasonable request to ask for the detailed breakdown of the operating costs of an NFL team, just to fill a personal entitlement to more money on a paycheck?

While it’s a common request from unions in other industries to have proof of financial documents breaking down spending, profit, revenues and debts, it does come across as nitpicking, from an average fan standpoint. Obviously, we don’t know exactly what is going on behind closed doors, and this could be one of the biggest points being made. The fact that Foxworth came out publicly with his displeasure over the owners’ lack of cooperation to fulfill the union’s request gives us an idea as to where the players stand. He sees it as a make or break situation. But, for those who want to see professional football next year, it’s hard not to step back and ask, “How does this really make a difference in the long run?”

One could safely assume that the costs of operations for an NFL team have steadily risen. For one, you have to account for the standard rise in the cost of living and operations with anything. The price of gas, milk, maintenance, taxes, etc. has, and always will be rising. The NFL is not immune to such things. Also, the overall maintenance and upkeep of these modern stadiums is another reason for a rise in cost. Bigger, more capable staffs, luxuries for both fans and players, safety precautions and travel arrangements all should be taken into account as well. I’m no expert because I’ve never been in the position to run a football team, but it seems to me that the costs of such an operation would rise over time because that’s how most things work.

On the other hand, Foxworth may have a point. Along the same lines, players also have a cost of living that they have to deal with. We’ve all heard the stories about retired players having minimal support from the NFL in regards to lifelong injuries brought about by the heavy hitting business that made them. They have families to support, bills to pay, and a lifetime to concern themselves with. The retirement age for the NFL and professional sports in general is a lot earlier than most other occupations, and so precautions have to be made. Players have to ask themselves, have I put myself in a position, financially, to support my family for the rest of my life?

But is all of that really worth the risk of a lockout and the loss of a season’s worth of revenue? Maybe, but maybe not, depending on how you look at it.

The NFL will make an average of $6 billion dollars in total revenue next year. That is, if they play. From an outside perspective, the risk of losing that money due to a disagreement over $700 million may seem plausible. In a totally non-script breakdown, avoiding all the intricate details to save time (individual player salaries, bonuses, contract terms, etc.), the league breaks down in black and white something like this.

There are 1,696 players in the NFL (53 players + 5 per practice squad multiplied by 32 teams). Divided evenly, that $700 million that the players’ union needs comes out to about $413,000 dollars per player per year. That’s a lot of money per player, and, if put to the right use, could provide for a family and any lingering injuries one may suffer from a long career in the NFL. When a ceiling is taken into account, portioning that money to the players based on tenure (among other variables), with more going to the veterans that will more likely suffer from injuries far past their retirement, then it seems as if Foxworth’s heart is in the right place. He’s looking out for his fellow players and their families’ futures.

As a fan, however, we’ve all seen the horror stories. Players claim bankruptcy because they can’t handle the huge amounts of money that is thrown at them after they leave college. They spend carelessly, buying ridiculous, sometimes unnecessary things, building up debt. Jamarcus Russell is the latest in a long line of examples as he faces foreclosure on his mansion. Rumor has it that Tiki Barber is attempting a comeback because he is short on money. While an extra $413,000 would be wonderful for the players that are capable of playing it smart with their financial situations, it’s always the horror stories that leave the impression on those watching from the outside. For the players, a different, more responsible and caring approach may offer them better luck in their struggle with the NFL. They could suggest that a portion of the extra money goes toward the NFL Player Care Foundation, the organization that provides benefits to players who suffer from the affects of hard hits. With such a recent backlash from retired players claiming that they receive little to nothing in benefits, even a small portion of the $700 million would go a long way. It would give the owners’ hard ground to stand on while they leverage for money that will, for all intensive purposes, line their pockets with more money

However, the numbers are just as staggering from the other side. Broken down again ($700 million divided among 32 teams), each owner would be receiving almost $22 million per season toward operating costs. This is where the problem lies with Foxworth. He believes the owners should have to show the players’ union exactly how an average of $22 million per year (again, black and white, not taking into account the difference between low income and high income teams i.e. Colts vs. Redskins) is necessary in the scheme of operating an NFL franchise. It’s hard to argue with him. Sure, seeing the details of how the owners are spending the money on operational costs would be nice, especially as a players’ union who feel they deserve more money. Even as a fan who is interested, most of us would be interested to see how the operation is undertaken. But it’s not essential if the future of the 2011 NFL season is on the line.

It’s easy to see where both sides are coming from. The players deserve more money, as long as it goes toward long term goals and benefits that will really help them out in the future. With stories of failure and poor financial balancing, however, the players’ union has a secondary enemy against its push to prove they deserve the extra money more than the owners. Either way, in the long term, a loss of $6 billion dollars doesn’t seem to be worth it. While looking out for themselves, maybe the players’ union should try to understand that sometimes an employee has to do what is best for his company. One step back can sometimes mean two steps forward. The debate over whose pocket the money goes in shouldn’t be a make or break deal when it comes to the fate of a new collective bargaining agreement, especially when you go public with your displeasure. That is like complaining to a starving family about how you have a stomach ache from eating too much. Letting this issue destroy the chances of an upcoming NFL season only makes losers out of those who are providing you with the money you’re arguing over in the first place- TV deals, advertising, and, most importantly, the fans.

On Thursday, Foxworth compared the owners’ reluctance to provide financial numbers to buying a car only after seeing it through the showroom windows. He wants to be able to kick the tires, check out the features and take it for a test drive. While that’s nice to want to do, it’s not like the NFL has never seen this situation before. Instead of worrying about what the interior of the car looks like, maybe the players’ union should consider themselves lucky to be in a position to afford the vehicle at all.

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I, for one, cannot wait to watch Keanu Reeves air it out next season. His flowing hair and angelic ability to dance around a jail cell only add to the excitement. This is going to be the best season in quite a long time.

There are several problems with the players’ union and team owners inability to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. That’s pretty obvious though. I mean, who really wants to spend next year actually watching the World Series while the weight of anguish rests on our minds as we remember the fun memories football has brought us all. It’s like losing a family pet. A giant, rich, heavily padded family pet.

With the pending lockout come even more questions. The biggest one as of right now for the Baltimore Ravens is what exactly to do with Willis McGahee. Let’s delve, shall we?

In order for the Ravens to keep Willis, he will have to take a pay cut. There is no way around that. When he was traded to Baltimore before the ’07-’08 season, he was a top tier running back in the NFL. The Ravens acquired him to turn their running game into a real force to be reckoned with. However, since those days, a little guy we all know as Ray Rice has stolen the spotlight and pushed McGahee into a backup role. Poor Willis.

So the time has come to pay the piper. The University of Miami star is owed $6 million this year. He also has options for the next two years that increase up to $7.2 mil. That’s a lot of bones! Needless to say, this hit doesn’t sit very well with Ravens’ brass. Rightfully so, they can’t bring themselves to invest that sort of money into a player who only saw 100 carries last year. If I had $6 million dollars, I can think of a ton of things I’d rather spend it on. Like a horse. Or a really big birthday cake.

But as a backup, McGahee feels as if he still has it to be a starter for an NFL team. With the power of positive thinking, he knows that there is a team out there whose backfield is so bad *cough* Arizona, Seattle, Washington *cough* that he could make an honest living pounding out yardage. And really, I can’t blame him for his ‘half glass full’ mentality. He’s a powerful back, and his bulk and agility should be very intriguing to several teams. And because of this, the Ravens will have to face competition for his services. I’ll save you from the five syllable economic terms that I use on a daily basis in normal conversations with all my Wall Street friends (mainly Michael Douglas) and just say that his price will be more than the Ravens will want to pay for a backup. Because of this, McGahee will hop onto his horse and ride off into the sunset.

At first, I was hopeful. I can easily say that I was among a good majority of fans who were crossing their fingers, wishing that Willis will find his undying love for the city of Baltimore and the team he plays for, demand a pay cut for the good of the team, and move on with his NFL career. In a perfect world, McGahee would do what he does, not just for the passion of the game, but for the love of the team he plays for and the players and coaches that surround him and see him still as an intricate part of the game plan.

But, like with most situations in professional sports, McGahee’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus made it apparent that Willis would be looking for a trade or his release. Just yesterday, the bad news found its way out of the bag, and Baltimore will be back to looking for a capable, veteran running back to provide backup to Ray Rice.

None of it came unexpected. But that’s not to say that the disappointment is any less. McGahee is still a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. He’s bulky and powerful, and has learned to become a solid option in goal line situations as well as on 3rd downs. For the Ravens, that is bad news. What once was a good player they were relying on will now become a threat that they will no longer have.

The question still remains- will the Ravens be able to trade McGahee to somebody, or will they get next to nothing in return for granting him his release? Recent history has to side with the hope that GM Ozzie Newsome will be able to find somebody willing to give up a late round draft pick or two in exchange for McGahee’s services. We all know what Baltimore is capable of at the draft, and the more draft picks the better. However, if no team is willing to work something out (a true possibility considering the NFL knows that McGahee will be released if he is not traded), Ravens’ fans will have to watch as the return on their once featured running back is next to nothing.

If McGahee walks, what players will the Ravens take a look at? Will they attempt to draft a solid backup with one of their later round draft picks? Will they test the free agent market for a veteran RB who can fill the void? With the CBA deadline looming, no question can be answered without some sort of ambiguity. There are too many “whats” and “ifs” still lingering because of the biggest question of them all. Will there be a season in 2011? One thing is for sure- Willis McGahee is hoping there will be because he believes he still has a lot to prove.

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Um… I think I just had a heart attack. Seriously, thank you to the Baltimore Ravens, the world’s most agonizing football team, health insurance is now a top priority for me. Yes, the win was comforting, and I understand the ramifications that it brings (the Ravens remain just a game behind the Steelers for the division lead, although, who am I really kidding? The battle for the AFC North is all but over). The Texans have been all but eliminated from post season contention, leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars, a former division rival, with a riveting role in the AFC playoff picture. Jacksonville, the team that, for years, provided havoc among Ravens’ defenders with their immaculate passing game and their intimidating finesse. The Jaguars, who, for all intensive purposes, should have become the Baltimore “Somethings”, but because of a discrepancy among NFL front office egos, got located in a town where football was downgraded for the likes of Pat Boone, Limp Bizkit headman Fred Durst (may his career rest in peace), and historical locations in movies such as The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking and Why Do Fools Fall In Love? (a valid question; Why do they?).

But I digress.

This is not to poke fun at Jacksonville, no matter how easy it may be. From what I hear, it is a great place to go. Just don’t go to a football game. Zing!

Regardless, the facts are facts. You want a reality check? Take a look at the AFC playoff picture. Despite the garbage that I playfully throw at Jacksonville (please, Fred Durst, don’t hunt me down and rap to me), there is one shining flaw that sticks out like Cliff Lee in an Orioles’ uniform. The Jags are seeded higher than the Ravens.

Don’t believe me? Check the standings for yourself (thanks, Yahoo! Sports. At least I can always rely on you to get the standings correct).

Do you really want to talk about pathetic? First of all, please don’t take that question literally, because I’m your guy if you want to have a full fledged conversation about it. Secondly, considering the first half of the season that Baltimore had, with wins over the likes of the Jets and the Steelers, as well as “should have been” wins against New England and Atlanta (“Should Have Been” is defined as a game during which the Ravens had the lead at some point in the 4^th quarter but lost it due to unknown reasons *cough*Cam Cameron*cough*), going into week thirteen, it’s hard to fathom the fact that the Ravens won’t have a home playoff game this post season. Despite having a better record than Jacksonville and Kansas City, Baltimore will head off somewhere crappy and be expected to win a game in order to advance to play somebody worthwhile.

For my sake, please find some wood and start knocking on it.

Ok, let’s do the bright side first.

The Baltimore Ravens, for all intensive purposes, will be a playoff team. I think I’m in accordance with the majority when I say that, other than the game against New Orleans next week, the rest of the season is a lock. Cincinnati has not had the swagger that they carried last year. Ocho, I’m looking at you, buddy. And Cleveland… what can be said about you? Respect circles among you like the birds circled around Mohamed Massaquoi’s head after he got leveled by James Harrison (tool). An upcoming team like the Browns, who, for some reason, won’t start the future QB of the franchise (Colt McCoy), are always dangerous.

However, if the Ravens don’t beat Cleveland, and by “don’t beat” Cleveland I really mean “don’t stop Peyton Hillis”, then it will be a sad, sad day in Annapolis, close to Baltimore but better because we are the capital of the state, Maryland. Cars may be overturned, radio stations may be set on fire, and I may lose a Ravens’ jersey, not because of the high crime rate in Baltimore, but because I may actually set it on fire and roast marshmellows over top the shooting flames.

And with that, I can easily say that the bright side doesn’t shine too far; It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that divisional games aren’t the easiest to rely on. It doesn’t matter what teams are playing; When it comes down to AFC North battles, it’s life in the trenches. So, by “bright side”, I really mean a somewhat dim aura with a glimmer of hope, like gold glittering in the mud from far away, or L’il Wayne’s teeth during a rainstorm. That glimmer is the preparation of the Ravens’ team as they realize that this is the point of no return. No matter how frustrating this team can be, they have always won games that they are supposed to win. And for that, the fans need to be thankful (it’s the holidays so be thankful damn it!).

This is the part that’s going to suck.

The Baltimore Ravens were exposed on Monday Night football. We all saw it. Raise your hands (touchdown signal style) if you noticed. Now, with your hands still raised, go to the comment box below and write how much you hate me.

You’re too kind.

Cam Cameron has gotten into this habit of settling. Like the pioneers, he finds a comfortable situation and doesn’t want to move. It’s a lot like a dog taking a dump; The idea never changes and habits form. But, just as the neighbor’s lawn is not a good place for your pooch to drop a deuce, the NFL is not a great place for an offense to decide that they don’t need to push anymore.

The Ravens are blessed with arguably the best receiving corp in the league. Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh (I can honestly say, for the first time, I did NOT have to look up the spelling before typing his name), and Derrick Mason give enough fire power to strike total fear in opposing defenses. Donte Stallworth is one of the fastest players in the league. Todd Heap, when healthy, is a sure thing when the ball is thrown within three feet of his hands. Ray Rice is one of the best backfield receiving threats in the league (hence why he was the 3^rd overall draft pick in my fantasy league this season).

So I have to pose the question. Are there people out there that don’t agree? And more importantly, is Cam Cameron one of them?

I feel like I repeat myself blog after blog about how good this offense could be. Honestly, the record keeps scratching, and it’s bad for business. Cameron’s faults overpower anything else that this team does.

Point number one. Twenty-one points is an outstanding output for a first half. If you take that, and add the second half opening kick return for a touchdown by David Reed (which makes twenty-eight (28) for all of you mathematicians out there), and Baltimore is made to look like an offensive juggernaut.

But why stop?

I’m sorry, but this is not the NCAA. This is not college. We are not back in 2006 with USC up against some scrawny school like Frostburg State University (yes, cheesy shout-out to my Division III school… go Bobcats!), where running up a score is looked down upon as the greatest sin against mankind. This is the NFL. This is a league of overpaid professionals led by overpaid coaching staffs who are overpaid by overpaid owners. There is no shame. There is no embarrassment. There are only wins and losses.

Watch the film. Go to NFL Network and watch the replay. I’ll be damned if Cam Cameron does not shut down his offense after the Reed kick return touchdown. I can see it now, the closed caption of his brain, floating across my TV screen. “We have the lead. Joe Flacco is too tender, like a delicious steak. We can’t let them hurt him. Dump passes when it should be a run and runs when it should be play action. That sounds about right.”

Dear Cam, let Flacco take a chance. Let him throw down field. The team is up by twenty-one points! Why not call the play action and let him take the opportunity for Stallworth for the endzone? Please? If not for anything else, you won’t cause thousands of fans to want to drink heavily and hope to pass out before the game ends all because the highlights are a lot less stressful than the stress that the live action causes.

Everybody saw the dropped pass by Mason in the very beginning of the game. The pass that, if had been caught, would have been a huge play to open up the game. So Cam? Why not go back to that play again? It obviously worked- Mason was wide open with defenders eating dust. A case of butterfingers (not the candy. I would never cast that delicious treat in a negative light… they are too good!) was the sole reason why the play wasn’t executed. But I have to wonder why those same tasty butterfingers were also the reason why the offense never tried the call again.

Point number two. The Ravens’ defense got tired, no doubt about it. Anybody that was watching the game heard Jon Gruden and his little friends talking about how exhausted Jarrett Johnson and Terrell Suggs looked. And, to be honest, they were all correct. If you want a dead giveaway to how pooped your team’s defense is, there is no better clue than a three man rush on every play. Yeah, whine about how it was a prevent defense, how it’s been a Ravens’ staple for years, blah blah blah (trust me, I heard it all and I’m very, very bitter about it). Want to know something? If they could have avoided the prevent, they would have. Exhaustion is a horrible thing; It makes you do things that you wouldn’t believeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…

Sorry, I fell asleep.

Let’s beat a dead horse, shall we? Ok! Want to know why the defense was tired? Want to know why the stellar defensive prowess of the Baltimore Ravens disappeared at the end of the game? Want to know why Ray Lewis and all of his buddies seemed winded between every play?

Cam Cameron.

What? Cam Cameron? He’s the offensive coordinator, you ask. How did he have anything to do with the defense? Well, for starters, he’s an idiot. He has no idea of balance. For a guy that has been a head coach, you’d think that he would realize one thing- the time that an offense doesn’t spend on the field, the defense does. It’s like 2+2 (again with the mathematics… just consider this a refreshment course).

Hey Cam? Why don’t you try keeping your offense on the field for more than three plays at a time? The Ravens couldn’t buy an offensive drive if they were Bill Gates in an Apple store. When it comes down to technicalities, there is one rhyme my mother taught me as she sung me to sleep as a child.

When the offense stalls, the defense will fall.

When the offense always loses the ball, the defense starts to crawl.

Like babies, the defense crawls, because they are tired and don’t stand tall.

Because not everybody is like Shaq, and sometimes the defense and the offense just want the game to end so they can go to the mall.

And shop for fashions.

With the offense spending so little time on the field, the defense was more than likely to get tired. Can you blame them? If there is one thing the Ravens’ D knows how to do, it is to play their hearts out. With a twenty-one point lead, exertion of all of their energy is not to be blamed, but to be praised. They didn’t know that the Texans would get back into it. They didn’t know Cam Cameron would sit on the lead as if he was enjoying his day off reading the newspaper on the porcelain. All they knew was that Houston was doing nothing to help their own cause; Dropped passes, misreads on Andre Johnson’s routes, and terrible penalties were leading to a quick defeat. And so it goes. You may say they were tired. I say that they were warriors.

A test will come next week when Drew Brees brings his high powered offense to Baltimore. The Ravens, who have only suffered one defeat at home this year, will look to redeem themselves against the defending champions. Home is where the heart is, or so it has seemed for the most part for Baltimore this year. They have not lost a game to a non-division opponent on home turf this season. Will Brees change their luck? Let’s hope not.

Man, it’s been a while! The last time I wrote, people were still excited about the Ravens’ offense and what they could bring to the table. Now? Not so much. The biggest question is why. What is causing this projected fire powering football war vessel to short circuit and deservedly take the blame for some of the woes this season.

Don’t get me wrong, the Baltimore Ravens are still a good team. In fact, I would go as far as to say that they are the best team in the AFC North. There are reasons beyond control that could have contributed to last week’s deflation against Pittsburgh. With that being said, there are reasons that are well within control that led to the demise of the Ravens’ lead. We all know that- we sat through the game, heads in our hands, some of us probably crying (manly crying, of course), some others probably yelling and throwing things at the TV. What it all comes down to is a combination of things that were the culprit.

But this isn’t about just Sunday night’s loss. While that was a tough pill to swallow- John Harbaugh said in his press conference that it was the hardest loss he has faced as the Ravens’ head coach- on paper it doesn’t mean any more or any less than the loss to the Bengals during week two. Sometimes this rivalry can get so intense that it is difficult to remember that when the pride and the trash talk is put aside, they are still one of many teams played each year.

With that being said, the Steelers game did feature some of the problems that have been troubling Baltimore all season long. For starters, the offense looked stagnant again. Cam Cameron has developed this habit of obtaining a lead and sitting on it. For a man that has been around the league long enough, you would think that he should understand that no lead, no matter how large, is safe. Vanilla play calling in the NFL will come back to haunt you. Baltimore has seen that happen four times this year- they have lost leads to Cincinnati, New England, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. Is that not enough evidence for Cameron to wake him up?

With so much of the blame being dealt out to Cameron, some of it does have to fall on the shoulders of the players. Flacco has been a quarterback in the NFL for almost three years. He’s his share of bumps in the road but, for the most part, he has been a successful offensive leader. He has gotten the Ravens into the playoffs in his first two seasons and barring any major collapse, he will take them to the post season this year as well.

But what about the other stuff? What about winning the big games? What about fixing the mistakes that he seems to make every week? I know I’m not the only one that is concerned with his habit of throwing high to receivers, forcing them to jump and extend for the ball, leaving them exposed for bone crushing hits by the defense. A lot can be said for his accuracy in general- while it was a tougher pass than it looked initially, what about his 4^th and 2 pass attempt to tight end Ed Dickson at the end of the game against Pittsburgh on Sunday?

Flacco also has had a problem reading the defense. Throughout the game on Sunday, not once did he call an audible to pick up a blitz. While it didn’t bite him in the rear for most of the game, it did when everything was on the line and fuzzball Polamalu got through without being touched, forced the fumble, and started the downward spiral for the Ravens. Being able to read defenses is a huge deal in the NFL. It is what separates the great quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady from the rest. With some work, one would hope that Flacco could learn how to do this.

This week, Cam Cameron said that the main focus of practice will be on getting the run game moving again. With that, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Ray Rice’s presence in the offensive scheme is the biggest factor when getting the passing game to work. If Baltimore can force opposing defenses to stack the box, it will work wonders for the likes of Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, Donte Stallworth and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

So what happens next? The Ravens fly to Houston to play the Texans on Monday Night Football. The schedule gods are working for Baltimore it seems- Houston is having issues of its own. The Texans have one of the worst pass defenses in the league. The Ravens should have a golden opportunity to get their offense back on track. So let’s cross our fingers and hope that everything goes well!

The week before this matchup, a lot of people were talking about how it was the best pass defense against the best pass offense. People were whispering secret things in each others’ ears and rumors were swirling. Obviously, there was a lot going on about this game. Kyle Orton has surprised everybody with his outpouring of offensive production, and leads all quarterbacks in passing yards. His main target? Forget Brandon Marshall, who moved to Miami during the offseason. Instead, it’s a little guy named Brandon Lloyd, former 49er, Redskin and Bear (all teams whom, at the moment, would give their left…arm… for a quality WR) that has been putting defenses to shame. So when Week Five rolled around and Denver came a-knockin’ on Baltimore’s door, it wasn’t too far fetched to feel as if the Ravens may have a challenge cut out for them.

#1. Welcome back, running game.

Ray Rice had a season high game with his 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He looked like the Ray Rice of old, cutting sharply to avoid defenders and find holes. Fantasy football owners, be awakened, because it seems as if Rice has returned to his 2009 form. While the excuses are neither here nor there, the Ravens have had a stretch of tough opponents throughout the season, whether it was the Jets, Bengals or Steelers. The Ravens haven’t quite shaken the reputation as a running team despite the contributions from Anquan Boldin so far this season. Teams are still going to stack the box a little as they are on the lookout for little number twenty-seven to slip through the creases. But, with the continued push of the passing game, the play action and the running game should see more success as the season continues. Perhaps Denver was the first of many victims this season to realize that this Baltimore offense is one of the most well rounded in the NFL.

Speaking of the running game, Willis McGahee looked pretty good, too. Another thing with the running game is the wear and tear it takes on an opposing defense. We saw it last year, mainly in the Oakland Raiders game; The Ravens sent the running cavalry at full force throughout the game and eventually tired out the Oakland defense. Without taking anything away from McGahee, his touchdown run in the third quarter when he put that torrential stiff-arm on Hiram Eugene was due partially to the fact that Baltimore ripped apart the Raiders D with their relentless running attack. Speaking of that stiff arm, just for fun, check out the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#2. Dear Defense, We Love You. Love, Fans.

Year in and year out the Ravens defense seems to find ways to put it together and lay down the law. For the past few years, pre-season analysis and trash talk from fans of opposing teams (STEELERS) have claimed that the Baltimore defense is too old and too slow. There has been no upgrading, according to them. So, now that 2010 has been provided as another year of Ravens’ defensive dominance, I can only say one thing to those naysayers- congrats on being wrong again.

Not only has the Ravens defense been outstanding, despite their lack of pass rush, but the pieces that were thought to be weak going into the season have actually been superb. Without sounding like a jackass (although this will most definitely make me sound like a jackass), I can’t help but basking the in the fact that I was one of few, Ravens’ fans included, that said that the secondary would hold its own.

Fabian Washington has been one of the most shutdown CB’s in the league so far. Just last week, he knocked down four passes from Orton in the first half. Other than the two fluke touchdown passes to Brandon Lloyd at the end of each half, the Broncos, who happen to be the number one passing team in the NFL, had no answer to Baltimore’s secondary. With coverage like a blanket, the secondary can only get stronger with the return of Ed Reed during Week Seven. But, like I said, I have every right to say “I told you so”.

#3. For once, the penalties are going the other way.

Last season, I would assume most fans can’t seem to forget the ghastly amount of penalties called against Baltimore for ridiculous reasons. Those memories were re-opened during the Week Two game against Cincinnati when Terrell Suggs was called for a Tom Brady-esque ‘Roughing The Passer’ penalty. However, it seems as if the tide has turned thus far. Baltimore is the leading team in the NFL to have penalties called against their opponents. While there has to be a team that leads this category, fans can breathe a sigh of relief over the fact that the Ravens don’t seem to be the main focus. The yellow flags have stayed pocketed letting the players play and the coaches coach.

Maybe it’s the discipline, maybe it’s not. Either way, Baltimore has found a good string of luck through the first five weeks of the 210 NFL season, avoiding costly penalties that have seemed to work their way back into the outcome of the games last year. Whether or not that trend will continue remains to be seen; Ravens’ fans won’t put their guard down, that’s for sure, but I’d be lying if I said that it’s been nice to not have to worry so much.

Baltimore will be on the road again next week in a rematch of their first round playoff game. The New England Patriots will play host and we will all get to witness the first Patriots game without Randy Moss since the 2006-07 season. Will the shutdown corners of the Ravens have their work cut out for them? As an avid Ravens’ supporter, I can only hope that the loss of Moss will make Tom Brady’s squad that much weaker. Time will tell.

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To put it simply, the Ravens did what they needed to do. Against a Browns team that everybody knew was not as good, the Ravens held strong to the very end and put up a solid win. Once again, as the trend has seemed to be during John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach in Baltimore, the Ravens won a game that they were expected to win.

While that may not seem like a huge feat, fans of the Ravens don’t have to look too far to appreciate what an expected win means to a team. Just west, the Redskins struggled mightily against the St. Louis Rams, just a week removed from putting up an outstanding performance against the Titans. The Maryland Terrapins seem to find ways to screw up “in the bag” wins as well when it comes to football and basketball. With all the reality checks lurking in the corners, Harbaugh has his team trained to do one thing better than anybody else- win the games you have to win and give yourselves a shot. Those wins are the most important because they keep you in the running.

1. Joe Flacco turned his shiz around.

Flacco looked like a completely different animal on the field against the Browns then he did last week against Cincy. Yes, you can say what you want about how the Browns defense is nothing compared to the Bengals, who have been surprisingly dominant so far this season. However, an NFL football team is still just that in the long run, and Flacco’s poise was not phased as the game progressed. He was able to find open receivers (mainly Anquan Boldin who had the game of his career), he got rid of the ball, but most importantly, he threw the ball with confidence.

So Tyson, what do you mean “with confidence”? Funny you ask, because I was about to explain myself.

Flacco was consistently late when trying to get the ball to an open receiver in week two against the Bengals. Several times, based solely on the replays shown during the live broadcast of the game, it was obvious that he was hesitant to trust his receivers by throwing the ball to the spot they were headed as opposed to the spot they currently occupied. When a QB begins to get in that habit, it’s almost impossible to hit an open target considering how small a window of opportunity is in the NFL. But last week was a different story. Flacco gunned that ball in where it needed to go with perfect timing, and gave his wide receivers a chance to get their hands on it and make a play. A perfect example was the third touchdown pass to Boldin; With a lofty, but accurate and well timed pass, Joe Cool thread the needle and made the Browns secondary look silly.

2. Ray Rice was back on track… until his severe knee contusion.

I hate the word “contusion”. It’s stupid and misleading. Ray Rice has a heavy set bruise on his knee, and that is the bottom line because Stone Cold said so. However, despite the use of confusing words by injury reports, the fact of the matter is that Rice may not play this week. The Ravens have been giving McGahee more reps in practice while Rice has been watching from the sideline. Unfortunately for Baltimore, it seems as if just as when little Ray was getting things back on track from a year ago, he’s going to have to watch the first game against Pittsburgh as a spectator.

But, enough with the negativity! Rice put up great numbers against Cleveland, replenishing our morale when it comes to having faith in the running game. During the first two weeks, Baltimore was matched smartly against the run, and teams were figuring out not only how to make Flacco feel uncomfortable in the pocket, but also challenging the running game that the Ravens took so much pride in last season. Against the Browns, Baltimore was able to exploit their defense for yardage and confidence.

3. Anquan Boldin. What can I say?

Here are some mind boggling numbers. Eight passes caught for 142 yards and three touchdowns. You want to talk about a number one receiver? I’m pretty sure that Flacco found his answer against Cleveland last week. While Joe looked so much more poised under center (after turning the ball over six times in the first two weeks, he avoided anything of the sort this time), he was helped out by Boldin, the most solid, well rounded receiver in the game. Think of Anquan as a tank- he will move up the field, nothing in his way bothering him, and will haul in the pass without a hitch. He’s fast, he can gain yards after the catch, and he is big, giving him a legit chance to outperform opposing CBs.

Baltimore has one of the best wide receiving corps in the league. With Boldin at the helm, Mason on the opposite side, and Heap lined up at Tight End, Flacco has the weapons he needs to carry this offense into the playoffs. With complete respect to the rest of the offense, however, the success will come down to Boldin’s output. Displaying what he did against Cleveland on Sunday is only a taste of what there is to come.

Next week will arguably be the biggest test of the Ravens’ season. They will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the division rival and hated enemy Steelers. Already the lines have been drawn, and Baltimore will have their work cut out for them. It will be the third road game of the season for the Ravens, and while Pittsburgh is starting 4th stringer Charlie Batch, the Steelers defense has not been known to let much go so far. It should be a grudge match to the end, and I for one cannot wait.

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I could have gotten so much more done yesterday if I had known that the Ravens were going to look so horrible in their game against the Bengals. For one, I could have gotten a ton of laundry done. I have mountains building in my closet, waiting for me with open, short sleeved arms. I could have saved money, too. Because of the agonizing performance that the offense showed, I continued to drink my sorrows away, and now I have to restock on booze and beer for next week. I’m surprised I’m not bald from wanting to pull my hair out of my head everytime the Ravens looked more like they belong on NBC’s Tiny Football League halftime special on Sunday nights (On a side note, somebody needs to tell Bill Dwyer that he has a long way to go before he can remotely be compared to Kenny Mayne and all of his infinite entertaining wisdom).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Speaking of entertaining things to watch, there is next to nothing that would make me want to watch the replay of the Ravens-Bengals game on NFL Network, and I dread having to flip through that channel since there is a slight possibility that the programmers might get sick pleasure from watching two teams implode on each other. The entire game was like watching two drunk college kids duke it out, except the lack of coordination and overall ability to comprehend anything just left them stumbling around like idiots. Eventually, somebody has to be declared the winner, and in this case, the Ravens were the kid sitting face down in a pool of his own blood and vomit (nice mental image, huh?). It was a hard game to watch, and I’m glad I had sixty delicious buffalo wings to take my mind off of the disappointment. There is absolutely nothing disappointing about sixty buffalo wings.

1. Joe Flacco looked wacko.

Maybe he hasn’t been sleeping very well. Or maybe he’s been lifting weights so much that he doesn’t know his own strength. Whatever the excuse, Flacco’s accuracy makes Plaxico Burress look like a sure shot. I can’t tell you how many times he missed his receiver by several feet, leaving many (mainly me and my only two friends) wondering what the problem is. Maybe he should go back to the trap shooting range.

Click here to view the embedded video.

His accuracy wasn’t the only concerning thing, however. Flacco’s presence in the pocket seemed to be a bit… off. He was uncomfortable, and resembled himself three years ago when he first took over as QB for Baltimore. He wasn’t focused, and didn’t observe the field like a quarterback should do. In fact, for most of the passing plays called, Flacco never took his eyes off of one receiver when dropping back; Despite having open men on several occasions, his inability to see the whole field hurt him.

Trying to figure out what or who is to blame this early in the season is like trying to put together a puzzle with only half the pieces. Of course, you can speculate that there are a few reasons why Flacco has not looked good up to this point. Whether it is the revamped offense, nerves, or *cough* Jim Zorn *cough* is left to be seen. However, after a while, the first two excuses become less and less reasonable. Just ask Dan Snyder.

2. B.S. calls vs. Flacco’s four picks.

This will always be an argument when the referees make mistakes that put the outcome of the game in jeopardy. We’ve seen it way too many times in the past. Anybody remember the “Tuck Rule” incident in the 2001 divisional playoff game between New England and Oakland? Or how about the “Music City Miracle”, when the Titans may have made a forward pass on a kick return, but nothing was called? Or even more recently, the Calvin Johnson non-catch in the end zone in Week One?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The point is, teams can control their own destiny by playing a disciplined, well rounded game. History has shown that fewer mistakes lead to better opportunity for wins. Because of that, Joe Flacco’s four interceptions against Cincy on Sunday will be an easy way to blame the Ravens for losing a game that was within reach.

However, The fact is that the interceptions were called correctly- Flacco made the mistakes, but the Ravens did the work they needed to do to not let the picks come back to haunt them. As for the blown calls, there is no excuse. When it comes to the players on the field, the game is played 100% by everybody (except Albert Haynesworth). To have two mistakes made by the officials is unacceptable. In any professional game on which so much rides, not just wins and losses, but the pride of an entire city, the only barriers a team should have to overcome in order to get the victory are their opponent and their own mistakes. Unfortunately, all too often, it doesn’t happen that way.

Here is Ray Lewis’ take on the calls.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Just like every game, something positive can be taken away from the loss to the Bengals. For one, it was a beautiful day for football. The end.

The Ravens’ didn’t allow themselves to get trapped by too many dumb penalties. In fact, they only had five called against them all game. On top of that, two of those five penalties were wishy-washy. Ray Lewis’ “trip” of Carson Palmer, as well as Terrell Suggs’ inability to stop mid-air to avoid tackling a QB who had not yet thrown the ball were the only penalties of value. If there is something that this team is better at than they were last year, it is keeping the little yellow flags in the pockets of the refs. As an over-reactive fan, not having to worry about having a good drive called back or a defensive stop becoming nothing more than a blown play has led to less stress in my life. No longer are the people on the floor below me pounding on their ceiling with broomsticks, yelling at me to shut up before they kick me out and make me find my own place to live.

Along with the lack of penalties came a better game by Ray Rice. While the Bengals’ defense doesn’t boast the same reputation as the Jets’ D does, the achievements of Rice allowed everybody to sigh a bit of a relief. Finally, he seemed to be back in old form, producing fantasy points all over the place. Honestly though, I don’t think he was fooling many people with his lack of yardage last Monday night. Of all the aspects of the offense that there is to worry about, from Flacco to the health of the offensive line to the butterfingers of T.J. Houshmazilly (championship!), Ray Rice gives us that reason to believe that things will be just fine. The season is two weeks old- we’ve hardly pulled out of the station on the journey to the playoffs.

The Ravens have their first home game of the season next week against Cleveland. While the Browns have seemed to improve since last year, don’t expect the game to be too close. It’s hard to see the Ravens going into that game with any other mindset then a “Let’s beat the living doo doo out of these guys”. And as a less-stressed fan who still has a place to live, I can make that prediction with confidence.

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