Baltimore Beatdown

Ravens/Colts Friday Injury Report

2009-11-20T21:57:50Z

Below is the final injury report and game status for both the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts for Sunday's key matchup. Looks like a long list of questionable players on both sides, but Indy's list is a lot longer than ours. Perhaps that's part of the reason that Indy is only a one point favorite over our Ravens, when it appears that the undefeated Colts should be at least a six or seven point road favorite based on this year's record, much less their recent success against us.

	A	B	C	D
1	INJURY REPORT - BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
2		SUNDAY, November 22, 2009
3
4
5
6
7	*WEDNESDAY*	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
8	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
9		RB Matt Lawrence (knee)	RB Matt Lawrence (knee)	RB Matt Lawrence (knee)
10			LB Terrell Suggs (knee)	LB Terrell Suggs (knee)
11
12	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DOUBTFUL*
13	C Matt Birk (neck)	TE Todd Heap (chest)	TE Todd Heap (chest)
14	TE Todd Heap (chest)	LB Terrell Suggs (knee)
15	RB Matt Lawrence (knee)
16	LB Terrell Suggs (knee)
17
18	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*QUESTIONABLE*
19	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	TE Todd Heap (chest)
20				DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)
21
22
23	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*PROBABLE*
24	QB Joe Flacco (knee)	C Matt Birk (neck)	C Matt Birk (neck)	C Matt Birk (neck)
25	LB Tavares Gooden (head)	QB Joe Flacco (knee)	QB Joe Flacco (knee)	QB Joe Flacco (knee)
26	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Tavares Gooden (head)	LB Tavares Gooden (head)	LB Tavares Gooden (head)
27		LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)
28
29
30
31
32
33
34	*WEDNESDAY*	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
35	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
36				OT Dan Fedrkeil (concussion)
37	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	DB Aaron Francisco (ankle)
38	WR Hank Baskett (illness)	DB Antoine Bethea (foot)	OT Dan Fedrkeil (concussion)	WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee)
39	DB Antoine Bethea (foot)	WR Austin Collie (not injury related)	DB Aaron Francisco (ankle)	DB Kelvin Hayden (knee)
40	OT Dan Fedrkeil (concussion)	OT Dan Fedrkeil (concussion)	WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee)	K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)
41	DT Eric Foster (back)	DT Eric Foster (back)	DB Kelvin Hayden (knee)
42	DB Aaron Francisco (ankle)	DB Aaron Francisco (ankle)	TE Gijon Robinson (concussion)	*DOUBTFUL*
43	DE Dwight Freeney (not injury related)	*DE Dwight Freeney (hip)*	QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder)
44	WR Pierre Garcon (ankle)	WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee)	T Tony Ugoh (NIR - rested)
45	WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee)	DB Kelvin Hayden (knee)	K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)	*QUESTIONABLE*
46	DB Kelvin Hayden (knee)	TE Gijon Robinson (concussion)		DB Antoine Bethea (foot)
47	TE Gijon Robinson (concussion)	QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder)		DT Eric Foster (back)
48	LS Justin Snow (elbow)	K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	DE Dwight Freeney (hip)
49	QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder)		DB Antoine Bethea (foot)	WR Pierre Garcon (ankle)
50	K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)			TE Gijon Robinson (concussion)
51			*FULL PARTICIPATION*	QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder)
52	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	WR Hank Baskett (illness)
53			WR Austin Collie (not injury related)
54	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	DT Eric Foster (back)	*PROBABLE*
55		WR Hank Baskett (illness)	DE Dwight Freeney (hip)	WR Hank Baskett (illness)
56		WR Pierre Garcon (ankle)	WR Pierre Garcon (ankle)	LS Justin Snow (elbow)
57		LS Justin Snow (elbow)	LS Justin Snow (elbow)
58	Limited Participation is less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions.
59	Full Participation is 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions.
60	Not Injury Related applies to situations in which a player is withheld from his normal repetitions for reasons other than injury.

'The Blind Side' Opens Today

2009-11-20T14:46:04Z

The Blind Side

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Long before he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, first round draft pick Michael Oher already had lived a well known life. Raised in the projects, Oher was shuffled around by his family with his brothers and sisters until he was enrolled in a school with a majority white racial population. The wife of a well known wealthy man, who just happened to be the voice of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and a huge University of Mississippi donor took interst in this big, poor black teenager and basically adopted him early on in his high school years.

The rest is pretty much history, as Oher was introduced to the game of football and become one of the most sought after college recruits in the nation, finally landing at his new family's alma mater, the University of Mississippi.

Once at Ole Miss, Oher caught the attention of the NFL scouts, who likened his style of play to not only Orlando Pace, but current Baltimore Ravens (at that time) great Jonathan Ogden. Oher became an All American left tackle and the Baltimore Ravens thought enough of the young man to trade up to grab him with the 23rd pick in the first round of this past April's NFL Draft.

Friday, November 20th is the nationwide opening of the movie on the book written by Michael Lewis (author of 'Moneyball'), after the World Premier was held last night in New York City, which Oher did not attend, partially due to his preparation for the team's upcoming key game against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts. "partially" was the word I used to describe his non-attendance, as when I was at the Ravens Training Camp this summer, I read the book from cover to cover in jut a couple of days, as I found it a fascinating story, regardless that Oher was a Raven. However, when I approached the team about interviewing Michael about the book, I was told that he was not a fan of the book and would not want to talk about it.

Apparently, Oher thinks that he is portrayed as a real dumb kid in the book and is embarrassed and humiliated to the extent that he is uncomfortable discussing it at length. I totally disagree with his self-assessment, as to me the story shows the world that here is a kid that was raised with nothing, materialistically or emotionally. Yet, he learned to open his mind and heart to what was offered to him in his new environment and was intelligent enough to pick up a game that requires a lot of knowledge and learning. While high school and that much more, college football has a lot of memorization of formations and plays, that is nothing compared to the big, thck playbook binder that he was given as a NFL rookie by the Ravens. To me, I saw a young man that should bge proud that he was smart enough to survive in the tough times, adapt to his new surrounding and then thrive when given the opportunity that few are fortunate enough to receive. Therefore, he should embrace the book and the movie and freely open up to all that as a role model for so many talented kids that right now are in the same predicament that he found himself only a few short years ago.

While I have not seen the movie yet, I plan to do so in the near future. Read the book and go to the movie as well. The story will give you insight into this young man's world and also make you understand why the Ravens traded up to grab the kid that had the internal makeup that Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome looks for when earning his reputation as a great judge of character when picking his players. You will also come out of the reading that it is obvious that the Ravens did not draft this guy to be a right tackle, as he has all the makings of a great left tackle for years to come, as we have seen a whiff of that in his stint at left tackle, filling in for the injured Jared Gaither earlier this season. More importantly, it will only make you that much prouder to have Michael Oher a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

How to Beat the Indianapolis Colts

2009-11-19T14:32:37Z

When the old Tonight Show featuring Johnny Carson was on, he had a skit with the Great Carnak the Magnificent. Carnak would read the answers (repeated by Ed McMahon) and then read the hilarious questions. So here we go with the related topic of above:

The answers are: kidnap him, put grease on his hands and tie his shoestrings together.

The question is: How do the Baltimore Ravens stop Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark?

Short of doing those dastardly deeds, there is not much else to do to expect to be the first team to knock off the Indianapolis Colts from the ranks of the two unbeaten teams in 2009. Of course, we could always go the "Brady Quinn" route, but that would not be the right way to win a game, although Quinn sure made it a bit more difficult by taking our our best pass rusher this past Monday night.

Usually I come up with a solid game plan for the team but if New England Patriots can't do it, then how can the Ravens expect to win? That's an easy one....I think. No, it is possible in the NFL as it is so hard to win all sixteen games although the Pats did prove it is indeed possible and with two teams still without a loss this season, it is definitely within reach.

The Ravens will try to do what they came so close to doing in 2007 when they came within a minute of upsetting the Patriots in Baltimore, only to fall in the game's final moments just like the Pats did at the Colts last Sunday night. Perhaps we will pull one of those efforts out of our helmets and actually play for all sixty minutes instead of just 59. However, we will have to get off to a better start than we have since we last played New England earlier this year, which was the last time the Ravens offense scored a touchdown in the first half. Yes, that's no typo, check it out yourself. As many points as this team has put up this season, an overwhelming majority was put up in the second half and especially the 4th quarter.

The answer to this game's success is pretty obvious, considering the desperate nature of where the Ravens sit along with the great success of our opponent. We know what Peyton Manning can do with the ball in his hands all game, much less the last couple of minutes. If this game is close down the stretch, it's probably as good as over and if it ends up with the Colts' Matt Stover putting the dagger in our hearts with a game winning field goal, then I'd prefer Manning to blow us out long before that.

However, if, and this is a huge "if," the Ravens can establish the run game and keep the Colts offense off the field for much of the game, winning the time of possession battle and consistently putting together long drives that culminate with touchdowns (not FG's), then perhaps, just perhaps...

Short of that, winning the turnover battle with a few tipped balls turned into interceptions and easy points, combined with a couple of fumble recoveries and great special teams' play, the Ravens chances to win this game are pretty slim despite them only being a one point underdog right now on most oddsmakers betting lines. Then again, who knows which Ravens team will show up Sunday?

PS- Panthers over the Dolphins tonight: There are two teams, one in each conference, both coming around after starting off the season looking horrible. The NFC team is Carolina and the AFC team are the Tennessee Titans, both of which no one is looking forward to playing them.

Ravens Roster Moves

2009-11-18T21:15:07Z

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

3 days ago: Baltimore Ravens safety Haruki Nakamura is taken off the field after suffering an injury on the opening kickoff of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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From Chad Steele, Director of Media Relations for the Baltimore Ravens, comes today's corresponding roster moves to make room for the new kicker and players added as a result of the loss of safety Haruki Nakamura for the season due to his broken ankle in this past Monday night's Cleveland Browns' game:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ravens Roster Moves

The Baltimore Ravens have placed the following player on Injured Reserve:

Haruki Nakamura (S, 5-10, 200, 2^nd-year, Cincinnati) – Ankle

Nakamura’s season ended with him ranking sixth on the team with seven tackles and a forced fumble on special teams. He also posted a solo stop from scrimmage.

Baltimore has also signed the following player:

Billy Cundiff (K, 6-1, 207, 5^th-year, Drake) – Cundiff’s bio is attached

The Ravens have also signed the following player to their active roster from their practice squad:

K.J. Gerard (S, 6-1, 192, Rookie, Northern Arizona) – Gerard’s bio is on page 237 of the Ravens’ 2009 media guide

Baltimore also signed the following player to their practice squad:

Marcus Paschal (DB, 6-0, 201, 2^nd-year, Iowa)

(NOTE: See newly signed placekicker Billy Cundiff's bio after the 'Jump.')

GAMES PLAYED/STARTED: (2002, 16/0); (2003, 15/0); (2004, 16/0); (2005, 6/0) (2006, 5/0); (2009,
5/0) Total 63/0
PLAYOFFS: (2003, 1/0); (2006, 2/0) Total 3/0
TRANSACTIONS: Billy Cundiff signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens on
11/18/09…Waived by the Browns on 11/3/09…Signed as an unrestricted free agent by Cleveland on
9/26/09...Waived by Detroit on 9/6/09…Signed by the Lions on 8/26/09…Waived by Kansas City
on 6/16/08…Signed by the Chiefs on 2/18/08…Waived by the Falcons on 9/2/07…Signed as an
unrestricted free agent by Atlanta on 5/4/07… Signed by New Orleans on 11/24/06…Waived by Green
Bay on 8/17/06…Signed by the Packers on 3/28/06… Waived by the Cowboys on 12/26/05…Signed
by Dallas on 11/19/05…Cut by the Cowboys on 8/24/05…Re-signed with the Cowboys on 2/27/03…
Originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on 4/29/02.
PRO: Strong-legged kicker who has played in 63 games, posting 302 career points in his 5-year
career…Cundiff has connected on 99% of his PATs (104 of 105) and 66 of his 89 FGAs, including
100% from under 30 yards or less…Posted a career-high 99 points with the Cowboys in 2003, as he
was 23-of-29 on FGAs and 30-of-31 on PATs…Has also seen action in 3 postseason games.
2009: (with Baltimore/Cleveland) Saw action in 5 games with the Browns, posting 22 points, going
6-of-6 on FGAs and 4-of-4 on PATs before being waived on 11/3…Converted both FGAs (24 and 18
yards) in Game 5 at Buf. (10/11)…His 18-yarder with 23 seconds to play lifted the Browns to the
6-3 victory...It marked the 4th 4th-quarter, game-winning FG of his career and his 1st since 11/12/03
when, as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, his 28-yarder with 1:11 remaining in regulation gave
Dallas a 23-21 victory against the Eagles…Converted both FGAs (26 and 31 yards), as well as both
PATs in Game 4 vs. Cin. (10/4)…Signed with Cleveland on 9/26.
2006: (with New Orleans) Saw action in 5 games for the Saints, kicking off 28 times, netting 3 TBs.
2005: (with Dallas) Saw action in 6 contests, connecting on 5 of 8 FGAs and 14 PATs for 29 points…
Also posted 1 TB on 26 KOs and added 1 punt for 35 yards with a TB…Was true on all 3 FGAs (39,
49 and 47 yards) and booted 4 PATs in game 12 at Sea. (12/6)…Connected on both FGAs, including
a career-long 56-yarder and posted a PAT in the 20-7 win in game 11 vs. Det. (11/20).
2004: (with Dallas) Saw action in all 16 games, converting 20 of 26 FGAs and all 31 PATs for 91
points…Also registered 1 punt for 34 yards, placing it inside the 20…Connected on all 3 FGAs (40,
24 and 45 yards) and his lone PAT in the season finale at NYG 1/2/05.
2003: (with Dallas) Appeared in 15 contests, connecting on 23 of 29 FGAs and 30 of 31 PATs for a
career-high 99 points…Also recorded a punt for 32 yards with a TB and converted his lone FGA (37
yards) in the postseason…Connected on all 4 FGAs (24, 42, 21 and 49) and his lone PAT in the 19-3
win in game 15 vs. NYG (12/21)…Tied an NFL record with a career-high 7 FGs (37, 49, 42, 21, 36,
52 and 25 yards) and nailed 2 PATs in the 35-32 win in game 2 vs. NYG (9/15).
2002: (with Dallas) Saw action in all 16 games, connecting on 12 of 19 FGAs and all 25 PATs for
61 points…Went 2-for-2 on FGAs, including a season-long 48 yarder, and booted a PAT in game 4
at STL (9/29)…Converted his 1st-career FGA (a 23-yard boot) as he went 1-of-2 (missed from 42
yards) and connected on his lone PAT in the season opener at Hou. (9/8)…Signed as a rookie free
agent on 4/29.
COLLEGE: A 4-year letterman at Drake University who converted 49 of 79 FGAs and 137 of 151 PATs
for 284 points during career…Set 15 schools records at Drake and 7 Pioneer Football League marks…
Held school records for points (284), FGM (49), FGAs (79) and PATs (137)…Connected on 8 FGs of
50-plus yards, 1 of which currently stands as the 4th-longest FG in NCAA Division I-AA history…
Was also a 3-year member of the Drake basketball team…Majored in history.
PERSONAL: Prepped at Harlan Community (Harlan, IA) HS…Was a 3-time All-State selection in
football…Earned his MBA from Arizona State and worked for a venture capitol firm prior to signing
with the Ravens…Married (Nicole)…Born William Ambrose Cundiff on March 30, 1980.
HT 6-1 WT 207
COLLEGE Drake
HIGH SCHOOL Harlan (IA)
BORN 3/30/80, Phoenix, AZ
JOINED RAVENS Free Agent, 2009
7 KBickerIL L• 5Yth NCFL USeasonNDIFF
7 billy cundiff
Year Team GP FG FGA Pct Lg Blk XP XPA Pct Blk Points
2002 Dallas 16 12 19 63.2 48 0 25 25 100.0 0 61
2003 Dallas 15 23 29 79.3 52 0 30 31 96.8 1 99
2004 Dallas 16 20 26 76.9 49 0 31 31 100.0 0 91
2005 Dallas 6 5 8 62.5 56 1 14 14 100.0 0 29
2006 New Orleans 5 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2007 DID NOT PLAY
2008 DID NOT PLAY
2009 Cleveland 5 6 6 100.0 31 0 4 4 100.0 0 22
NFL Totals 63 66 89 74.2 56 1 104 105 99.0 1 302
7 billy cundiff

Ravens Sign Kicker Billy Cundiff to Replace Hauschka

2009-11-18T16:51:15Z

Ravens Sign Kicker Billy Cundiff to Replace Hauschka

From www.BaltimoreRavens.com as of 10:57am

Ravens Game Release: Week 11

2009-11-18T14:42:06Z

Direct from the Baltimore Ravens PR Department, here is the 24 page weekly release with all the news, information, statistics and quotes about the upcoming game vs. the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium:

Below is a link to download the Ravens’ game release for their Week 11 contest vs. Indianapolis (Nov. 22):

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/~/media/F8472D6C2CDF4CA0924797B6C52555A5.ashx

The release contains the following information:

· Game Preview

· Quotes

· Team/Player Notes

· Ravens in Our Community

· How Ravens are Built

· Depth Chart

· Transactions

· Game-by-Game Starters

· Rosters

· Cumulative Statistics

Additionally, the 2009 Baltimore Ravens Media Guide can be downloaded at

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/News/Media_Guide.aspx.

Ravens Release Hauschka

2009-11-17T20:27:51Z

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

3 days ago: Baltimore Ravens kicker Steven Hauschka (6) watches as he misses a 36-yard field goal during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns during an NFL football game on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, in Cleveland. Holding for Baltimore is Sam Koch. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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According to the Baltimore Ravens, the team waived placekicker Steven Hauschka Tuesday afternoon. GM Ozzie Newsome said, "We will sign a new kicker by tomorrow's practice."

The Ravens have tried out both Mike Nugent and Billy Cundiff, but are said to like Nugent better, so I am expecting them to sign him by tomorrow. Good luck Steven and hopefully you'll have another chance in the NFL, but not with the Ravens.

NOTE: (Added at 7pm) Here's the entire Press Release from the Ravens PR Dept.:

The Ravens released kicker Steve Hauschka this afternoon, it was announced by general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome.

Here’s a statement from Newsome:

"We entered the season knowing that we would have to go through some growing pains with Steve. That happens with most new kickers in the NFL. But, for where we are as a team today, we need more consistent production from our kicker. Every one of our players has to step up to a Ravens’ level of play, and that was not happening for Steve right now.

"While we do believe Steve will kick successfully in the league eventually, we need better right now. The string of important games coming up that are likely to be close, tough battles and his lack of production are reasons we needed to make this move now. We will sign a new kicker by tomorrow’s practice."

Hauschka met today with Newsome, head coach John Harbaugh and assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg before leaving the team’s facility in Owings Mills.

Perhaps Ravens Played Flat Last Night For A Reason

2009-11-17T15:23:15Z

More photos » by Scott Heckel - AP

3 days ago: FIreworks shoot from top of Cleveland Browns Stadium prior to the NFL game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns Monday, November 16, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Ravens won 16-0. (AP Photo/The Repository, Scott Heckel)

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Everyone from the announcers to the media to the fans were ragging on our Ravens about the boring, unoriginal and "flat" play last night in their 16-0 shutout victory over the woeful Cleveland Browns. The offense could only muster a little under 300 yards of total offense that was giving up an average of over 400 yards per game. They joined the Browns in combining to have the only non-scoring first half in the 2009 NFL season thus far. The Ravens could only muster 9 points of scoring offense all game, and scored 13 of their 16 points in a 17 second span of the third quarter.

But as the title suggests, perhaps the Ravens played "flat" on purpose for a reason that borders on strategy with a side helping of over confidence?

Everyone knew the Ravens were clearly the better team going into the game and it wouldn't be surprising to know that the team was likely already looking ahead to their next two opponents, much less the remainder of the season. While the team knew it desperately needed a win to remain in the hunt for a post season berth, they probably figured that just short of showing up was going to be good enough to pull out a win, as ugly as it may look to the rest of the football world watching last night.

I'm sure the team knew what it had to do to win the game, and only opened the playbook far enough to get the job done. Without revealing anything in that binder of formations that the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers could practice to prevent, the Ravens just concentrated in bullying the Browns enough to score more points while playing solid defense. Hence the game totals in plays ran from scrimmage, 36 rushing versus only 19 passes. The 19 passing attempts include an ill-timed 3rd down trick play with Ray Rice trying to get the ball downfield to a wide open Todd Heap, underthrowing him for an incompletion. Why they even brought out that play, much less on a third and two where they could have probably just ran the ball for the first down with the game in hand at that point confounded me as well as the announcers.

So before you decide to go off on the team for its bland game plan, try to see that the coaching staff couldn't care less what everyone thinks about their strategy as long as it ends with a victory, which it did. They may be a lot smarter than they are given credit for, as they got the win without revealing anything unusual about the game plan that the Colts and Steelers can take away from the game. However, the defense did shut out an NFL team, which has only happened a handful of times this season and is still a sense of pride regardless of the team they beat. This defense needed this shutout and can use the solid play from many of the guys who have not gotten a lot of reps this year, such as Dwan Edwards, Lardarius Webb, Jameel McClain and even Paul Kruger. Both corners played well, especially Fabian Washington against the run. Terrell Suggs has every reason to be angry at Brady Quinn, who had no reason whatsoever to be blocking Suggs after throwing an interception, much less below the knees and his post game excuse was obviously lame. Losing Suggs for the next stretch of games will hurt this team, as well as the loss of safety Haruki Nakamura, who broke his right ankle on the opening kickoff and should miss the rest of the season. Get well props to both of them, along with Tavares Gooden who suffered another concussion and Todd Heap, who bruised his chest late in the game.

On the Browns side, here's hoping return man Josh Cribbs is okay after taking a hard shot on the game's final play, although Dwan Edwards hit was legal and besides, the play was a stupid one for a team trailing by 16 points.

Finally, we can't end this post without mentioning the pathetic job our placekicker has done all season. Sorry to call you out Steven Hauschka, but when you put on the team's colors, you are in the spotlight and are only as good as your kicks, which have been hooking left since the first game of the season. Missing those easy ones will keep the talk about letting Matt Stover go fresh on the tongues on your detractors. While I was in favor of replacing Stover, he was money inside the 40 but was shaky beyond that. You are missing wide left regardless of the distance and have pretty much proven that the pressure of kicking in the NFL is well beyond your capabilities. Now the team should be signing someone else as they have tried out other kickers but for some reason decideed to give you another chance, which you blew big time last night. While the readers of The Beatdown know whom I'd like to see here, at this point I'm sure everyone agrees that anyone other than you will be an upgrade, as there can't be a single person over at One Winning Drive that secretly or openly has any confidence when you trot onto the field.

Other than that, I'm not discouraged, I'm satisfied that we are where we needed to be before last night to set us up for the next two games which will absolutely define our season and with that, our post season.

Final Score: Ravens 16-0

2009-11-17T04:45:38Z

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

3 days ago: Cleveland Browns running back Chris Jennings (34) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in the third quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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While the Baltimore Ravens knew they were playing a pretty bad team, they didn't expect to get the battle they did for at least the scoreless first half, finally pulling away early in the 3rd quarter to pitch a shutout over the Cleveland Browns 16-0. The Ravens did nothing to make their fans think they can stick with the better teams in the league, much less the next two opponents at home, the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, it is still a win and in the NFL anything can happen and let's be glad we leave Cleveland with a win. The injury status' of both Terrell Suggs and Haruki Nakamura should be clearer tomorrow. For now, we know Nakamura broke his ankle on the opening kickoff and most likely is done for the season. Hopefully Suggs is fine after a cheap, low blow by Brady Quinn after he threw his second interception.

The Ravens should be looking to sign another placekicker after Steve Hauschka missed another easy one, regardless of the fact he did hit one later in the game.

Let's get ready for the Colts now.

Ravens @ Browns: 2nd Half Open Thread

2009-11-17T03:13:51Z

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

3 days ago: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) is sacked by Cleveland Browns linebacker David Bowens (96) during the first quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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Wow, this is getting scary, much less embarrassing. The Ravens are now part of the 2009 history, as along with the Browns, now have the only non-scoring first half of the 2009 season. Great, just great. In fact, I just looked at the team's stats and see that we have not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game since the New England Patriots game! That was week four when we had just finished off the Cleveland Browns to start the season 3-0 and looking like one of the top teams in the NFL. Since then, we have lost four of our last five games and the only first half TD we scored was on Ed Reed's interception return in the first of two losses to the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, nothing but offensive troubles.

Wow, what a difference a few weeks makes, as this is week 10 and the Ravens 9th game. The Ravens look tentative, slow and out of sync. They used all three of their timeouts early in the first quarter. Lucky we didn't have a need to challenge a play. The longer Cleveland sticks around and keeps the crowd in the game, the riskier this gets for the Ravens. Considering the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts played one of the best games I've ever seen last night on prime time TV, this one is one of the worst. Combine that with the fact the Colts come to Baltimore next week, this game is looking as ugly now as that one could be next week.

Let's see what happens in the final 30 minutes. Ouch.

Ravens @ Browns: Prediction & 'Open Thread'

2009-11-16T13:47:13Z

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

about 1 month ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn (10) looks up after being sacked in the first quarter of the NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Stick with Baltimore Beatdown all game long to post your thoughts and opinions as the Baltimore Ravens break their curse on Monday Night Football and finish off their sweep of the Cleveland Browns tonight. While the Ravens are 4-7 on MNF and have lost their last five in a row on that national stage, the Browns might be just what the doctor ordered to right the team's ship and get them back on track for the next few tough games starting next week when the undefeated Indianapolis Colts come to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

But for now, the Ravens need to prove to the pessimists and non-believers that this team can indeed contend for a post season berth and what's the best way than to continue to beat the teams that we are big favorites over? The losses the Ravens have suffered, and suffered seems to be a great word to describe those defeats, have been to teams that are all in first place in their respective divisions. The wins have been over teams that the Ravens were expected to beat and we need to continue that trend tonight over a very dangerous Cleveland team.

The Bronws may be one of the worst teams in the NFL, from the players on the field to the folks who run their Front Office. However, to me the Browns have absolutely nothing left to lose and therefore the wounded animal can be very dangerous when backed into a corner. They have zero pressure on them and can pull out every trick play from the playbook and throw it all at once at us in what is their Super Bowl. If Cleveland loses the rest of the games but wins tonight, they will cherish that victory and do whatever they can to rub it in our faces, especially on this website.

However, all the Ravens need to do is follow the lead of what the Cioncinnati Bengals did to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh yesterday, one of the hardest places to win in the NFL. The Bengals stayed in the lead all day and never let the Steelers get comfortable on offense, all the while continuing to pound the rock in the run game and making the sure throws to move the chains. They covered the Steelers wideouts like glue, allowing them to constantly blitz and put pressure on Big Ben. I am certainly on their bandwagon now, and you all should be as well, because the Steelers loss puts us in control of our own destiny. If the Ravens can beat Pittsburgh in two weeks, then we should be in position to take the lead in the Wild Card race for the stretch run of the season.

Baltimore needs to prevent the easy and especially early score by Cleveland, and at the same time, wear down the defense and desire of the Browns by going on long scoring drives that ram the ball down the throat of their interior. Follow the same game plan they used in their earlier 34-3 pounding, utilizing all their running backs and passing when they need to to control the game and the time clock. Get out of Cleveland healthy and with a resounding victory to begin to focus on ending another curse, this one of the Colts beating our butts every time we play them. But that is for next week, as we need to focus on taking care of business tonight on prime time TV.

Ravens: 27-10

Poll

What will be the outcome of tonight's MNF game between the Baltimore Ravens and Clevelnad Browns?

NFL Picks & Pans: Week 10

2009-11-15T12:00:25Z

After a very average week 9 in making predictions, especially on the Baltimore Ravens second loss to the Cincinnati Bengals this season, I'll try to get back on track today while the Ravens attempt to do the same on Monday Night Football when they visit the Cleveland Browns. I'll pick & pan that game Monday morning, but here is the rest of the slate for Sunday's games:

Steelers over Bengals: Consider me still a doubter, but as good as Cincinnati has looked this year, if they can beat the Steelers twice in the same season, they will jump to the top of most people's list as one of the best teams in the league. Until then, I'll take the Steelers in Pittsburgh over just about everybody.

Broncos over Redskins: As bad as Denver has looked in the past two losses, Washington is certainly not the same type of team that the Steelrs, much less the Ravens are.

Panthers over Falcons: My "Upset Special Pick of the Week" as I see Carolina's running attack and defense outscoring Atlanta's at home.

Dolphins over Buccaneers: In a Florida battle, Miami is the better team and Tampa should only hope to have two quick scores like they did last week to knock off the Packers.

Vikings over Lions: If you ask me, it's beginning to look a lot like last year for Detroit, and Minnesota is on its way to a post season appearance.

Jets over Jaguars: Jacksonville can't seem to get a pass rush and that will bode well for New York's rookie QB.

Saints over Rams: This one could be over by the end of the first quarter and St. Louis should end up being just another in the line of teams that have fallen to the undefeated New Orleans juggernaut.

Titans over Bills: Tennessee is beginning to look like a decent team under QB Vince Young and Buffalo is getting ready to implode with the simmering TO.

Raiders over Chiefs: Oakland can win a couple of games and Kansas City is one of the few teams they proved they can beat.

Cardinals over Seahawks: This is an important NFC West division game and Arizona seems to want it more than Seattle does and has more at stake riding on the game, namely another division title.

Cowboys over Packers: This should be a pretty decent shootout and the only thing that separates the two teams in my opinion is that Dallas can play defense while Green Bay doesn't seem to.

Chargers over Eagles: Philadelphia proved they have a hard time coming west and winning, as evidenced by their loss at Oakland, while San Diego won a great game at the Giants and just looks stronger.

Patriots over Colts (Sunday night): Earlier in the week, I was leaning the other way, but I think New England will take advantage of the injuries to Indianapolis' secondary and outscore the Colts in a great game that should either separate the Colts from the rest of the AFC or tighten up the pack of the better teams in the conference.

Last week: 7-6

Season record: 89-40

Ravens/Browns Injury Report

2009-11-14T15:36:31Z

Below is the recently updated Injury Report from the Ravens' PR Department for both the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in advance of their Monday Night Football contest. While the Ravens' Lardarius Webb was the only player on either team that did not participate in Saturday's practice, no one is currently listed as out for the game. More will be known as we get closer to game time.

	A	B	C	D
1	INJURY REPORT - BALTIMORE RAVENS at CLEVELAND BROWNS
2		MONDAY, November 16, 2009
3
4
5
6
7	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*SATURDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
8	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
9
10	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DOUBTFUL*
11	CB Chris Carr (illness)	CB Chris Carr (illness)	CB Lardarius Webb (illness)
12	LB Dannell Ellerbe (illness)	LB Dannell Ellerbe (illness)
13	LB Ray Lewis (foot)	LB Ray Lewis (foot)
14	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)
15	CB Fabian Washington (thigh)
16
17	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*QUESTIONABLE*
18	T Jared Gaither (neck)	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	RB Matt Lawrence (knee)	RB Matt Lawrence (knee)
19		CB Fabian Washington (thigh)	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)
20				CB Lardarius Webb (illness)
21
22	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*PROBABLE*
23	TE Todd Heap (ankle)	T Jared Gaither (neck)	CB Chris Carr (illness)	CB Chris Carr (illness)
24	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	TE Todd Heap (ankle)	LB Dannell Ellerbe (illness)	LB Dannell Ellerbe (illness)
25	S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	T Jared Gaither (neck)	T Jared Gaither (neck)
26	S Ed Reed (wrist)	S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	TE Todd Heap (ankle)	TE Todd Heap (ankle)
27	WR Kelley Washington (back)	S Ed Reed (wrist)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)
28		WR Kelley Washington (back)	LB Ray Lewis (foot)	LB Ray Lewis (foot)
29			S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	S Haruki Nakamura (chest)
30			S Ed Reed (wrist)	S Ed Reed (wrist)
31			CB Fabian Washington (thigh)	CB Fabian Washington (thigh)
32			WR Kelley Washington (back)	WR Kelley Washington (back)
33	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*SATURDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
34	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
35
36	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DOUBTFUL*
37	TE Steve Heiden (knee)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)
38	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)
39
40	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*QUESTIONABLE*
41	LB David Bowens (knee)	LB David Bowens (knee)	DL Kenyon Coleman (groin)	DL Kenyon Coleman (groin)
42	DL Kenyon Coleman (groin)	DL Kenyon Coleman (groin)	TE Michael Gaines (hamstring)	TE Michael Gaines (hamstring)
43	TE Michael Gaines (hamstring)	TE Michael Gaines (hamstring)	OL Rex Hadnot (knee)	OL Rex Hadnot (knee)
44	OL Rex Hadnot (knee)	OL Rex Hadnot (knee)	TE Steve Heiden (knee)	TE Steve Heiden (knee)
45	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	TE Steve Heiden (knee)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)
46	FB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)
47		FB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	FB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	FB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)
48		P Dave Zastudil (right knee)	P Dave Zastudil (right knee)	P Dave Zastudil (right knee)
49
50	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*PROBABLE*
51	DL Coye Francies (knee)	OL Hank Fraley (knee)	LB David Bowens (knee)	LB David Bowens (knee)
52	OL Alex Mack (wrist)	DL Coye Francies (knee)	OL Hank Fraley (knee)	OL Hank Fraley (knee)
53	TE Robert Royal (finger)	OL Alex Mack (wrist)	DL Coye Francies (knee)	DL Coye Francies (knee)
54	P Dave Zastudil (right knee)	TE Robert Royal (finger)	OL Alex Mack (wrist)	OL Alex Mack (wrist)
55	Limited Participation is less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions.		TE Robert Royal (finger)	TE Robert Royal (finger)
56	Full Participation is 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions.
57	Not Injury Related applies to situations in which a player is withheld from his normal repetitions for reasons other than injury.

How To Beat The Cleveland Browns

2009-11-13T14:24:22Z

All week long the television stations around Baltimore have shown interviews with players on the Baltimore Ravens, asking them how they are doing to what they need to do to prepare to beat the Cleveland Browns. To a man, the talk always seems to come around to the first few minutes. They all say we need to get off to a good start and not let the Browns get the easy early score that puts us in a hole.

The Ravens have made it a regular trend in giving up early scores through either turnovers or allowing the opposition to drive down the field for a long, time consuming drive that eats up clock, tires out our defense and forces us to change our gameplan even before the offense gets on the field. This has happened in the games against the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals, not coincidentally all losses. In each of those games, the early deficits that the Ravens got themselves into were the main reason they just could not overcome and ended up on the short end of the final score.

In order to win this game, which should be a heck of a lot different than the other aforementioned contests, the Ravens need to keep the Browns from getting the easy score early in the game. Even if the Ravens give up the early score, it shouldn't be tough to come back against what has been an awful Browns defense to go along with their abysmal offense. However, giving up the easy or non-traditional scores early in the game will only make the necessary effort on behalf of the Ravens just that much harder.

Look at what the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers did just last week at home to the Green Bay Packers. The Pack were the much better team, but a blocked punt for a touchdown and the same off of an interception return gave the Bucs 14 easy points. They were outclassed in every other aspect of the game but those two easy and early touchdowns were enough to propel Tampa to their first victory of the season.

Therefore, the Ravens need to shut down the return game like they did so well in the first meeting between these teams. There is no question that the Ravens are a much better team than the Browns, despite losing four of their past five games. Over the course of this season, as well as the latter part of the 2008 season, Baltimore is a perfect 8-0 in wins and even against the spread in games they were favored over losing teams. What that simply means is that the Ravens take care of business against the teams they are expected to beat. The problem we have seen this season is that we have a lot of trouble with the teams that are our equal or better.

Therefore, other than just showing up, if the Ravens play just an average game, that should be enough to come out of Cleveland with the team's first win on Monday Night Football in five straight games. However, something tells me it is just not going to be that easy, as the Browns have absolutely nothing to lose and should pull out all the stops, gimmicks and trick plays that they have in their playbook, for which the Ravens better be prepared to stop, as those, along with the Special Teams threat that Cleveland poses, are the "easy" scores I'm worried about. Other than that, jsut play offense and defense close to the old Ravens way, and Baltimore should be just fine.

Beware of the Browns

2009-11-12T12:00:10Z

While the Baltimore Ravens thoroughly demolished the Cleveland Browns 34-3 back in week three, this is not the same Ravens team that started the season off at 3-0 and was ranked #1 by ESPN in their weekly Power Rankings. Now having lost four of our past five games, which Ravens team shows up seems to be as much a mystery to the fans as it is to the players and coaches.

This game is in Cleveland and even more importantly, on Monday Night Football. The Ravens are 4-7 on MNF, 1-5 on the road in those games and have lost in their last five appearances on that prime time stage. For whatever reasons, we do not play well in front of a national television audience and while we are listed as much as an eleven point favorite over the struggling Browns, this could very well be a "trap" game for Baltimore.

The Browns are starting Brady Quinn at QB, who deserves a longer look than he's been given and is in a key position, contract and salary cap-wise in his tenure with the team. They need to determine which QB will be their future, if that QB is even on the team right now, by giving Quinn the rest of the season to show what he's got. Head Coach Eric Mangini is also on the hot seat, and could be gone at the end of the season, if not before, depending on the team's progress. That makes the Browns a very dangerous team, one with nothing left to lose. Like a wounded animal backed into a corner, they will do whatever they can to win this game and give the nation a positive showing from one of its worst, if not the worst team in the league.

This is the most important game of Cleveland's season. No matter what they've done so far, no matter what they do the rest of the season, if they can beat the Baltimore Ravens, the city with the former, hated owner that "stole" their team, then this is their "Super Bowl" for 2009. They will gloat over our team and fans, especially here on Baltimore Beatdown, and make our frustrating season even more miserable than it has been so far.

I don't know about you, but that premise scares me. The Ravens have not played anywhere near the expectations we had since we put such a beat down on the Browns earlier this season that we were all talking about the Super Bowl after week three! Since then, the losses and frustrations have piled up higher than the barnyard at Pimlico Racecourse. That will never happen, you say, despite our poor showing last week along with the other disappointments that have exposed some obvious shortcomings in key positions on the field. Well, this is the NFL and a lot of unexpected things have happened all season, starting with how in the world can the Ravens be sitting in third place in the AFC North with a 4-4 reccrd after eight games? How in the world can we expect to turn it around with games coming up with the Indianapolois Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and then once again on the road on Monday Night Football at the Green Bay Packers, where there has never been a night game in December in Packer history!?

Very simply, this team better not be looking ahead to the Colts. Focus on the task at hand and get well quick against a team that we should beat just as bad as we did the first time. Get that win out of the way and then prepare for the team that has always had their way with us and should come here undefeated for us to make a statement on, one way or the other. But for now, beware of the Browns.

Ravens Game Release: Week 10

2009-11-11T14:04:17Z

Thanks to the great PR Department of the Baltimore Ravens, here is their Weekly Release for this week's game on Monday Night Football. There are 27 pages of news, notes and stats, including one huge disappointing number, which is the five straight MNF games the Ravens have lost in a row. Time to change that number against the Cleveland Browns.

Below is a link to download the Ravens’ game release for their Week 10 contest at Cleveland (Nov. 16):

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/~/media/03C3DA91099D4479B1EAFD8E91F1212B.ashx

The release contains the following information:

· Game Preview

· Quotes

· Team/Player Notes

· Ravens in Our Community

· John Harbaugh’s Press Conference Transcript

· How Ravens are Built

· Depth Chart

· Transactions

· Game-by-Game Starters

· Rosters

· Cumulative Statistics

Additionally, the 2009 Baltimore Ravens Media Guide can be downloaded at

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/News/Media_Guide.aspx.

The Beatdown Knows The Problems

2009-11-10T14:53:13Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

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A lot of frustrated people have been expressing their opinions on the poor play of the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend in losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 17-7. Looking lackluster and bland, the offense seemed to be in slow motion and the defense sat back on their heels once again. After looking like the old Ravens the week before, we seemed to regress and let a team that we were pretty sure was a pretender prove that perhaps we are the ones who are pretending this season.

The quotes from the fans seem to say it all. Here are some great thoughts and samples from some of the stories or FanPosts over the past two days that the Ravens would be pretty smart to take into consideration when re-assessing their personnel and future plans:

Playoffs

Playoffs? Dont talk about playoffs, are you kidding me? Playoffs?…I'm just hoping we can win a game….Jim Mora summed it up people.

by ShaneOmacDaddy on Nov 10, 2009 3:00 AM EST

I feel like we just gave up yesterday when we just started throwing the screen to Rice each and every play. We basically just gave up at that point and did not even care to look at the WR. We just wanted to get the hell out of Cinci and take our loss. I do not agree with that at all and it was a disgrace of a showing by Cam and the Offense.

You have to hate losing more than you love winning.

by Mr MaLoR on Nov 9, 2009 7:34 PM EST

I like what you’ve been writing. My thoughts as well. If you can’t stand toe to toe you better get creative. We did neither against just "decent" teams. If we simply dinked and dunked we’d have a better shot than Cams random deep balls when Mason rarely gets separation on deep balls. What was he thinking. Wasted downs.

by raven on Nov 9, 2009 9:25 PM EST

As Don Meredith would say...

Turn out the lights the party’s over – they say that all good things must end. That’s a wrap for the season folks. Who do you like in the draft next spring?

by Rayfan1 on Nov 8, 2009 4:37 PM EST

Penalties

What is up with all the pass interference calls? We are leading the league in getting called for interference. It is really starting to get ridiculous and it is killing us. I don’t know about you but I am tired of seeing our cornerbacks grabbing jerseys and getting burned in the process.

Don't forget to check out my blog at http://baltimoreravenschat.blogspot.com

Best regards,

Chris

by RavensBlogger on Nov 8, 2009 8:45 PM ES

PENALTIES, NOT REFS!!

Listen I could care less about talking about the refs.

it’s not the refs! it’s the penalties!!

Where Have You Gone Johnny U?

by The Exiler on Nov 9, 2009 11:36 AM EST

I was not a Kyle Boller fan but it just goes to show you that with no blocking any QB can look like Kyle Boller. There was one point where the Bengals had 12 first downs and we had 14 total plays from scrimmage! No one came to play. Is Gano still available? This is not our season. We can still hope to break even but don’t expect any post season for these guys. And even though the refs were not to blame for the game – there is clear bias. That would mean to me that you try even harder to not make penalties because you know they are watching us closely.

by Rayfan1 on Nov 9, 2009 9:28 AM EST

BENGALS ATOP

the AFC North, and deservedly so. Being a frustrated Ravens fan right now, you guys are making a strong statement. Personally speaking, I believe you’re the Top team in the Division right now, and possibly the entire AFC. With the Ravens hoping for, at best, a wild card, I sure as hell hope the Bengals take it to the Steelers this coming Sunday – you have the better team, now show it!

by ravens347 on Nov 9, 2009 9:52 AM EST

Oh, did the Ravens lose?

I turned off the debacle toward the end of the second quarter, never looked back and moved on to more meaningful things in my life. I just couldn’t watch the game any further. What a horrific game. I can’t express my disappointment enough. The Ravens were supposed to be a playoff-caliber team. They are not. I predicted a 9-7 record and they WILL NOT finish better than that. What more can be said? They were flat-footed all game, beaten off the ball on both sides, lethargic, way too deliberate and just didn’t show any sense of urgency! Geez, am I pissed!

by Smiley4660 on Nov 9, 2009 10:52 AM EST

Time to pack it in

C’mon guys…its over…it wasnt meant to be, this isnt the team to take us to the Super Bowl or even the playoffs. We will finish 8-8 with losses to the Colts, twice to Steelers and Green Bay…possibly even Bears to put us at 7-9. Hauschka needs to be released this week to send a message to the fans. Ray Rice even said yesterday "we came out and played slow", thats so nice to hear from the team I love and cheer for every Sunday, that they come out and play like a bunch of slouches and don’t really care. I am so fed up with this team and their attitude, it isn’t fair to the fans that pay their hard earned money in this economy to buy their jerseys and tickets to watch them play. I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face by this team and they should be ashamed of themselves.

by ShaneOmacDaddy on Nov 9, 2009 4:27 PM EST

this has been one of the most frustrating seasons

all around from getting our hopes up after each win, to failing just short, to not playing to our potential. I don’t understand it.

by ryantz on Nov 9, 2009 12:10 PM EST

The season, as far as playoffs and Superbowls, is probably over. We’re a distant third in our own division, and there’s several competitive wildcard teams in other divisions.

We still have to face Indy, Pittsburgh twice, Chicago at home, and Green Bay on the road.

We’ll also face Detroit, Cleveland, and Oakland.

7-9 to 10-6 is probably our range of records, and 10-6 probably won’t get us into the playoffs, so it’s better to sit back, relax and enjoy what we can, and hope for some of the young players to develop so that we can have a stronger season next year.

by math_geek on Nov 9, 2009 3:04 PM EST

Pitt won like Pitt wins…They let you stick around keeping the game under control and then explode on your tendencies. Their games always go to the 4th quarter. They just deep down know that they are closers. They are the furthest thing from what we are.

by raven on Nov 10, 2009 12:38 AM EST

Ravens Fall Flat: Now What?

2009-11-09T14:03:14Z

by Ed Reinke - AP

12 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) heads upfield against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson (95) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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When the Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Denver Broncos last week, most people, including the oddsmakers, thought the Ravens' defense from last year had returned and that we would put a revenge beating on the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday after losing so embarassingly in the teams' first meeting, won by the Bengals 17-14 a month ago.

However, neither the Ravens, their fans or the oddsmakers realized that the Bengals weren't buying any of that, proving that their first victory was no fluke by doing almost the same thing in dominating the Ravens yesterday at home 17-7. While Cincinnati had to pull out the victory in the first game in the final seconds, this one was pretty much over in the first quarter, when the Bengals scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead that blossomed to 17-0 by halftime.

The Ravens scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter and even had a chance to cut the Bengals lead to one score late in the game, but placekicker Steven Hauschka missed another critical field goal attempt that now has his job in serious jeopardy. At the same time, there should now be a bunch of positions that players' jobs should be in jeopardy as well, as the Bengals once again beat the Ravens in just about every phase of the game, starting with the trenches on both sides of the ball.

On offense, Cincinnati pushed Baltimore's front wall three and four yards backwards on every rushing attempt. Fans can complain all they want that we missed the injured Haloti Ngata, but the exact same thing happened in the first game when Ngata was healthy. The Bengals offensive line protected QB Carson Palmer perfectly whether we blitzed or not. When we didn't blitz, he sat back and waited until one of his receivers got open and hit him in the numbers, including a couple of circus catches by the big mouthed 85 guy who certainly backed up his words. In the few times we did blitz, the Bengals picked it up enough and there was always a wide open receiver to bail Palmer out. How many times did you notice our cornerbacks falling and slipping while the receivers made cuts and caught the ball for key first downs on their first two TD drives?

Defensively, we couldn't open holes for RB Ray Rice nor protect Joe Flacco. When Cincinnati blitzed, the pocket collapsed and Flacco couldn't find the open receiver anyway, as the Bengals secondary blanketed our receivers all day. Both Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph played their best games of their seasons in our two meetings, effectively taking Derrick Mason out of the game and frustrating Flacco into throwing interceptions to take away any momentum that we might be on the verge of.

So now what? Looking at the remaining schedule and the way we've played with our backs against the wall, it appears two things are becoming clear. First of all, the Denver Broncos must have either played a terrible game in losing to us or they are merely pretenders and will get their clocks cleaned by a better Pittsburgh Steelers team tonight. Secondly, if we continue to lose the key games we need to win against the better teams in the league, we will finish no better than 8-8 this year. At this point, the games against Indianapolis, Pittsburgh (twice) and at Green Bay on MNF in the bitter cold all look like probable losses and if so, then the remaining games against Clevelnad, Chicago, Detroit and Oaklnad better be wins or a sub-.500 season is a very real possibility.

Time to see what is truly inside the Ravens hearts and heads and how, much less if, they can recover and salvage what is turning out to be such a disappointing season when there was so much promise.

Ravens Lose for 2nd time to the Bengals 7-17

2009-11-08T21:18:49Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

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Nothing clicked for us today. Flacco was rushed all day long and the line couldn't seem to stop a pass rush that was missing their best player.
Defense played well in the second half, but screwed up big time for us in the first half. The whole game plan was thrown out the window because of a 0-17 deficit at halftime.
Penalties killing us again. This time, it was not because of the refs but rather our selves. Leading the league in pass interference calls is a terrible stat to have associated with your team.
At least we got the Browns next week......

Ravens @ Bengals: 2nd Half 'Open Thread'

2009-11-08T19:40:54Z

After easily the worst half of the 2009 season, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves at the shortend of a 17-0 score. Nothing short of an amazing turnaround won't save this team from dropping the season series to Cincinnati, who is beginning to look to just be a better team than he Ravens.

Post your frustrations and thoughts here for the rest of the game.