Baltimore Beatdown

Ravens Friday Injury Report & Game Status

2009-11-07T01:23:41Z

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk sits on the bench with a cut on the nose during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass). NOTE: Birk is NOT on the Ravens Injury Report.

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The Baltimore Ravens released their final injury report after Friday's practice, which includes the players' game status for Sunday. Good to see that there are no Ravens listed a s"out" although Haloti Ngata still did not participate today, which makes his status very uncertain for Sunday.

Long snapper Matt Katula practiced today, which was also good news. I was a little surprised to see the long snapper listed as injured for an elbow problem. Ironically, I was reading my October issue of Playboy Magazine and specifically the article called "Bad to the Bone," about the Oakland Raiders of the '70's, considered the meanest, dirtiest, cheatingest team ever to win the Super Bowl. In the article, Raiders long time center, Jim Otto talked about his injuries and also doubled as the team's long snapper.

(See more about the Oakland Raiders' Jim Otto's comments after the 'Jump')

Otto said in the article:

"I did every snap for 308 games in a row. Long snaps, too. I practiced those till I could get the ball to the holder in seven tenths of a second, spinning just right so when he caught it the sweet side of the ball - the side away from the laces - was facing the kicker. I made every snap for 15 years. I played with broken fingers, ribs, a broken jaw, kicked-in teeth and pneumonia, and I broke my nose more than 20 times. I've had more than 50 surgeries, 12 knee replacements, two artificial shoulders. I broke my back twice and then, in 2007, had my right leg amputated. But I understood the risks when I played. It was worth it."

Guess Matt Katula's injury no longer sounds so bad. Toughen up, Katula!

Ravens Game Release: Week 9

2009-11-06T13:42:15Z

Direct from the Baltimore Ravens' PR Department, who is constantly communicating with media along with the NFL, here is the Weekly Release of information, stats and quotes for their upcoming game this Sunday at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Below is a link to download the Ravens’ game release for their Week 9 contest at Cincinnati (Nov. 8):

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/~/media/4BD889D62E714947B1089BD34995E486.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.

Ravens' Thursday Injury Report

2009-11-06T00:54:34Z

Once again, there are no players listed on the Baltimore Ravens Injury Report as "out" after today's practice. However, long snapper Matt Katula (elbow) and DT Haloti Ngata (ankle) still are on the "Did Not Participate" list, which is not good. You almost never hear about the long snapper unless it is not good. It is also my recollection that our backup long snapper is none other than,....wait.....Willis McGahee! Is that silence and staring you are doing right now? That is not a typo, as McGahee was taking reps at the long snapper position in Training Camp and might indeed be Katula's backup. Time to cross your fingers, right? Ngata's ankle is not looking good but we are still pretty deep at defensive tackle but then again, how do you replace one of the two or three best DT's in the game so easily?

The following players were limited in participation Thursday: Todd Heap (ankle), LeRon McClain (shoulder), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Tom Zbikowski (illness). On yesterday's Injury report but practicing today were Prescott Burgess (illness), Jarret Johnson (shoulder) and Frank Walker (illness).

How To Beat The Cincinnati Bengals This Time

2009-11-05T14:20:39Z

Perhaps rather than wasting my time as well as yours, I should just copy the same story I posted in week five when we played each other in Baltimore. In that post I said:

Do what do the Ravens need to do on both sides of the ball to win this battle for first place of the division? Not much, just "play like a Raven" pretty much sums it up. Let the offense continue to move the ball, but put a little more emphasis on the run game than they did in New England, where they showed they could gobble up huge chunks of yardage at will. Throw the ball to keep the defense off of the line and when they creep up to put eight in the box, the air it out to make them pay.

Defensivlely, keep the Bengals out of the end zone. Bend but don't break between the 20's and force Cincy to kick field goals when they get into scoring position. Shut down the run game as usual and put lots of pressure on Carson Palmer, both with four rushers as well through a mix of stunts and blitzes. Don't give Palmer time to set up with deep drops and make our DB's look any worse than they've been already. Allow Ed Reed to provide help and start his run of picks that he did late in 2008. No long plays on offense for Cincinnati, much less Special Teams.

That pretty much still holds true for this game as well. I had mentioned in the October 9th post that this is not the old "Bungles" team that we saw last year and not only was I right up until that point, it's proven true since then as well.

In the first meeting between those teams, the Ravens did not listen to what I said they needed to do. They did not slow down Cedric Benson, they did not put pressure on Carson Palmer and their offense floundered and it certainly didn't help to throw a costly Red Zone interception on the Ravens first offensive possession.

However, if Baltimore follows the same game plan that led them to a dominating victory last week over the previously undefeated Denver Broncos, then there's no reason we can't do the same thing this week in Cincinnati. Remember the Ravens played horribly and the Bengals played great and we still could have and should have won that game up until the final seconds. If the Ravens can just play only a little bit better than they did in Baltimore, the revenge will be sweet and the result will tighten the race to the top of the AFC North.

Wednesday Injury Report

2009-11-05T00:58:20Z

The Baltimore Ravens released their Injury Report for Wednesday. While there is no one listed as "out" for the game, the list of "Did Not Participate" is unusually long for the team, but should be pared down as the week progresses. So far the following players did not participate in Wednesday's practice:

Prescott Burgess (illness), Matt Katula (elbow), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Haloti Ngata (ankle), Frank Walker (illness), Tom Zbikowski (illness).

Todd Heap (ankle) and LeRon McClain (shoulder) were listed as "Limited Participation." Stay tuned for daily updates and changes as they occur when I receive the reports for Thursday, Friday and Final Game Status direct from the team.

Jarret Johnson Nominated For ESPN's Player of the Week

2009-11-04T14:10:49Z

Click here to vote for the Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson, who was nominated for ESPN's Football Today Head & Shoulders Player of the Week. Obviously, the award is sponsored by a shampoo company, so it is certainly not the NFL Player of the Week Award. However, it is nice to see Johnson get some notice outside of Baltimore, as he is one of the hardest hitters on the team and now leads the Ravens in sacks with five.

Congrats to Jarret and keep up the blitzing pass rush!

Which Ravens' Team Shows Up in Cincinnati on Sunday?

2009-11-03T14:35:00Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

5 days ago: Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, top, leaps into the end zone for a touchdown as Denver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) tries to hang on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. The Ravens won 30-7. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Will it be the monochromatic one that played boring and uninspired football for 59 minutes and then wilts with their back against the wall and lets the Bengals roll down the field in the last seconds, helping them along the way with a couple of key penalties in easily their worst showing of the year? Or will it be the one that we saw this past Sunday that totally dominated the Denver Broncos on both sides of the ball in every matchup in the trenches, backfield and secondary as well as special teams?

(More on "Which Ravens' Team Shows Up..." after the 'Jump')

The Ravens could only muster 14 points versus the Bengals in Baltimore while they have scored over 30 points a game in five of the seven games this season. Remember the poorly thrown Red Zone interception that Joe Flacco threw on the first offensive series of that game? Points there could have easily made the difference in the outcome but were left on the field. Zero pass rush resulted in letting Bengals QB Carson Palmer just sit back and go through his reads, finally finding his #3 option for the game winner with seconds left.

If the Ravens can put anywhere near the pressure on Palmer that they did this past weekend on Denver's Kyle Orton, it should make a huge difference. While usually not a big part of the pass rush, the extent of DT Haloti Ngata's ankle sprain is worrisome to the team and fans. However, the results from the Bye week and Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison's blitzing game plan certainly contributed to the win in a big way and we should all expect that to be the formula for future success.

But which team comes out of the tunnel in Cincinnati this coming Sunday? While we know which team the Ravens fans are rooting for, we also know which team the Bengals are rooting for and they are definitely not the same. The so-called "experts" seem to feel that it will be the more recent one, as they have surprisingly installed Baltimore as a three-point favorite on the road. I guess we'll all see, eh? Your comments?

Ravens' Win Follows Last Year's Gameplan

2009-11-02T14:51:12Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

5 days ago: Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, left, lies on the field after being sacked in the fourth quarter by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris Carr (partially obscured) and defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, top, during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. Baltimore won the game 30-7. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Watching the Baltimore Ravens complete domination of the Denver Broncos in yesterday's 30-7 victory had the team looking just like the one that went 8-2 in their last ten games to make the AFC Championship Game than the one that had blown the previous three by a total of 11 points.

Everything that most fans have complained about here on The Beatdown, on the airwaves and across the internet, seemed to disappear on a day that started off rainy and ugly but finished bright and beautiful. Whatever happened during their Bye week must have sunk in because the guys who showed up certainly improved in so many areas that were blatantly obvious issues prior to the game.

(Click on the 'Jump' to read more on "Ravens' Win Follows Last Year's Gameplan")

Going into the Bye week and up until gametime, the fear that most fans had was that we were not able to put pressure on the passer and even Kyle Orton would be able to pick us apart and use the huge Brandon Marshall to embarrass our secondary. After allowing two straight 100+ yard rushers, our defense faced the brunt of the fan's criticism and combined with he lack of the pass rush, needed to come up with the big plays to change those jeers into cheers.

Well, they all responded in a huge way. Denver's Kyle Orton was only 23-37 for 152 yards and while he did not throw an interception, he didn't complete a pass over 23 yards for a QB rating of 71. Speaking of Brandon Marshall embarrassing our DB's? Marshall had only four catches for 24 meaningless yards, including a long of nine measly yards. His best play was the ridiculous long pass interference penalty called on the Ravens after the referee right at the play called it incomplete only have another ref from the complete other side of the field run over and throw the yellow flag. Two more penalties kept the drive alive as the Broncos scored their only points of the day. Take away that pass interference penalty and the penalty at the other end of the field after we had a first and goal negated by a sissy personal foul call on Michael Oher that took away a possible TD for a FG and the score could have been as bad as 34-0.

The Ravens defense held the Broncos to 200 yards of total offense and totally shut down the Broncos running game, limiting them to 66 yards, holding starter Knowshon Moreno to just 39. The pass rush may have only had two sacks for the day, but seemed to have constant pressure on Orton all day. LB Jarret Johnson got it started on the Broncos first possession by rushing in untouched off the edge and slamming Orton to the turf a la Bart Scott's hit on Ben Roethlisberger three years ago. Amazing how much better the DB's looked with a decent pass rush, eh? Remember how many times I kept writing that for the past month or so? The Ravens pass rushers were in Orton's face all game and that showed by the hurries that caused incompletions and totally domination in the trenches against what was considered one of the top offensive lines in the entire league.

Offensively, the Ravens weren't rolling all over the Broncos top rated defense, but we were efficient and effective. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron stuck to his game plan and kept pounding the ball into the Broncos athletic yet undersized defensive front seven, finally breaking through as the game progressed. Denver's vaunted pass rush did little to faze Joe Flacco and their top pass rusher, Elvis Dumervil was held sack-less.

Speaking of efficiency, I heard that Flacco complete his final 14 passes in a row to finish 20-25 for 175 yards, the one beautiful 20 yard TD pass to Derrick Mason and a stellar QB rating of 109.2. WR Kelley Washington made the most of his four receptions, each resulting in a key first down. Denver's Champ Bailey pretty much shut down Derrick Mason for most of the game, necessitating key plays from Washington and a couple of acrobatic ones by Mark Clayton to pick up the slack.

Lardarius Webb proved why he continues to deserve to get the ball in his hands on kickoffs and may be closer to doing the same on punt returns as well. Camera shots of Head Coach John Harbaugh on the sidelines imploring the fans to get out of their seats and cheer on the defense got huge reactions throughout the stadium as it was as loud as it have ever been, proving why this stadium is among the toughest places to come to for visiting teams.

Make no bones about it, the Denver Broncos are a good team and for real. You know all Ravens fans will be rooting for them as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers next week in the Mile High city on Monday Night Football. However, the Ravens proved they were a much better team than their 3-3 record indicated and yesterday were a much better team than the Denver Broncos. The Ravens have scored over 30 points in five of the seven games in 2009 and if their defense continues to play at the level they did yesterday, which was a lot like last year's one, this team could very well reel off a string of victories to get us firmly back in the hunt for the AFC North lead, starting next week with a revenge game at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ravens Dominate Broncos 30-7

2009-11-01T21:29:19Z

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

5 days ago: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, left, carries the ball for a touchdown as Denver Broncos safety David Bruton pursues during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Post your game thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens convincing 30-7 win over the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. It's about time this team played up to expectations and totally shut down the Broncos offense and proved their defense might have been good in the first six games, but was very pedestrian today, with the Ravens scoring 24 points in the second half, starting with Lardarius Webb's return for a touchdown off the second half opening kickoff.

More to follow shortly.

Ravens v. Broncos: Prediction & 'Open Thread'

2009-11-01T14:07:46Z

Stay with Baltimore Beatdown all day and post your comments and thoughts as you watch us shock the world and certainly the Rocky Mountain area and yank the Denver Broncos from the ranks of the NFL unbeatens! I'll join in the aftermath of the carnage when I return home from the game, where I'll be drinking Dom Perignon and eating baked brie off of silver platters served by french maids with long black gloves and high boots in the Club Level. It's the Ravens' annual Halloween game and the cheerleaders will be dresses in all sorts of provocative outfits to bother and distract me. However, they won't be able to distract the Ravens from returning to their early season form as the Bye week that both teams enjoyed last week ends up helping the home team more than the visiting one.

(See more on "Ravens v. Broncos: Prediction & Open Thread" after the 'Jump')

If the Denver Broncos can fly 2500 miles and beat an angry, tough, hard hitting Baltimore team in their own stadium in front of 70,000 screaming fans who are just as angry and frustrated by the results of the last three games, well, then I'm right on their bandwagon with them. Until then, I see the Ravens offense putting points on the stingiest team in the NFL, even in the second half, when the Broncos have shut down everyone up until now. I also see the defense getting back on track, with enough pressure to harass and fluster Kyle Orton into throwing more than just a useless last second Hail Mary interception. For the first time in three games, the Ravens run defense returns to its past of keeping the opposition's rusher under 100 yards and forces the opposition to throw much more and sooner than they want, leading to the game changing plays that we know this defense is all about.

Joe Flacco continues to show why he is the best young QB in the game today, as he withstands the pressure and his offensive line gives him the time to find his open receivers. I expect Todd Heap, Mark Clayton and Kelley Washington to make big contributions and even won't be surprised to see a significant appearance from seldom seen Demetrius Williams and perhaps even L.J. Smith. Derrick Mason will be blanketed by Denver's Champ Bailey, which should have Flacco looking elsewhere for the big plays on offense. Speaking of big plays, right now there is no one in the league putting together a better all around season than Baltimore's Ray Rice. Whether it be running the ball or catching it out of the backfield, expect him to get the touches necessary that he's sure to make at least, if not a handful of big plays that turn the tide of the game in Baltimore's favor and keeps it there for all sixty minutes. Between Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain, the running attack will wear down the Broncos athletic, but small defensive front seven and take its toll as the latter stages of the game roll around. This time, the last couple of minutes won't be needed to either pull one out for either team as the Ravens finally prove that they could have came into this game at 6-0 just like the Broncos. The differences are that we are 3-3 and pretty damn angry about it and the Broncos and their fans will see what this team is made of as Denver falls for the first time all season.

Ravens 27-16

NFL Picks & Pans: Week 8

2009-10-31T14:41:01Z

While I'll pick & pan the Ravens/Broncos tilt in tomorrow morning's post, here are my picks for the rest of the league as the teams play their first games in the most important month of the season, which should separate the pretenders from the contenders.

Packers over Vikings: One of the best games of the weekend as Brett Favre's return to Green Bay makes the fans happy and Brett sad. I like the Pack's passing attack and the emotion of the home field advantage over the old guy.

Giants over Eagles: I couldn't decide whom to go with until I started typing. I have both QB's on my fantasy team and still don't know which way to go. Both teams have disappointed recently but the me the Giants have the better defense and got crushed slightly less than Philly did to New Orleans, so I'll go with them (and probably Eli).

More "NFL Picks & Pans: Week 8" after the 'Jump')

Cowboys over Seahawks: Dallas has way too much firepower for injury-riddled Seattle, with Tony Romo now having a new favorite target in WR Miles Austin, who I pimped that the Ravens should have gone after in the off season.

Jets over Dolphins: Sort of a revenge game, after Miami upset New York earlier this season. Which Mark Sanchez shows up today, the interception throwing one or the confident hotdog gobbler?

Colts over 49ers: San Francisco has dropped back to earth after a good start but might have settled on who's throwing to Michael Crabtree. At the same time, Peyton Manning throws to everyone whenever he wants to.

Bears over Browns: Chicago is mad and angry after Cleveland's Ohio neighbor embarrassed them and will take out a old fashioned butt whooping on them.

Lions over Rams: Wow, talk about the bottom of the barrel. Even Comcast's NFL RedZone might skip over this one!

Texans over Bills: Houston seems to have found their gear and while Buffalo won last week, now they're playing a team that can truly throw the ball.

Titans over Jaguars: This is not a sign of support for VY, as I would have picked Tennessee to win even with KC at QB. However, it's time for a change fir theTitans, as well as a win, and Jacksonville just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. My 'Upset Special Pick of the Week!'

Chargers over Raiders: The rematch will be a mismatch.

Cardinals over Panthers: Arizona looked pretty good in New York last weekend and if Carolina can't beat the Bills at home, they how can they fly 3,000 miles to win on the road. Time for a QB change?

Saints over Falcons (Monday night): No Sunday night football this weekend, due to the World Series. However, New Orleans should provide enough offense for both nights as they shine on national TV while Atlanta does their part to try to keep up in the NFC South race, but just can't match firepower with Drew Brees and company. Watch Brees charge up the team pregame in a way that is only matched by our own Ray Lewis!

Last week: 9-4

Season record: 74-29

Ravens/Broncos: Friday Injury Report & Game Status

2009-10-30T20:21:58Z

From what I see below, we won't know if Baltimore Ravens left tackle Jared Gaither will play in Sunday's game until just before game time. I guess that Head Coach John Harbaugh is getting a little "Belichick" in him, refusing to disclose Gaither's status until absolutely necessary. So while Gaither remains questionable for the game, no one else on either the Ravens nor Broncos are in that class. Expect the guys listed below as "probable" to be playing without a doubt, although they are officially "probably" playing at this time.

	A	B	C	D
1	INJURY REPORT - BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. DENVER BRONCOS
2		SUNDAY, November 1, 2009
3
4
5
6
7	*WEDNESDAY*	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
8	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
9
10
11
12	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DOUBTFUL*
13	LB Tavaras Gooden (head)	T Jared Gaither (neck)
14	S Ed Reed (illness)
15
16
17
18	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*QUESTIONABLE*
19		LB Tavaras Gooden (head)	T Jared Gaither (neck)	T Jared Gaither (neck)
20
21
22
23	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*PROBABLE*
24	QB Joe Flacco (ankle)	QB Joe Flacco (ankle)	QB Joe Flacco (ankle)	QB Joe Flacco (ankle)
25	T Jared Gaither (neck)	K Steve Hauscka (right ankle)	LB Tavaras Gooden (head)	LB Tavaras Gooden (head)
26	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	K Steve Hauscka (right ankle)	K Steve Hauscka (right ankle)
27	WR David Tyree (hamstring)	S Ed Reed (illness)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)
28		WR David Tyree (hamstring)	S Ed Reed (illness)	S Ed Reed (illness)
29			WR David Tyree (hamstring)	WR David Tyree (hamstring)
30
31
32
33	*WEDNESDAY*	*THURSDAY*	*FRIDAY*	*GAME STATUS*
34	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*	*OUT*
35
36
37
38	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DID NOT PARTICIPATE*	*DOUBTFUL*
39	DL Ronald Fields (hamstring)
40
41
42	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*LIMITED PARTICIPATION*	*QUESTIONABLE*
43	S Brian Dawkins (hamstring)	S Brian Dawkins (hamstring)
44		DL Ronald Fields (hamstring)
45
46
47
48
49
50	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*FULL PARTICIPATION*	*PROBABLE*
51	ILB/FB Spencer Larsen (shoulder)	ILB/FB Spencer Larsen (shoulder)	S Brian Dawkins (hamstring)	S Brian Dawkins (hamstring)
52			DL Ronald Fields (hamstring)	DL Ronald Fields (hamstring)
53			ILB/FB Spencer Larsen (shoulder)	ILB/FB Spencer Larsen (shoulder)
54
55	Limited Participation is less than 100 percent of a player’s normal repetitions.
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.

Ravens & Air Tran Unveil "Ravens 1"

2009-10-30T14:04:38Z

View full size photo »

The Baltimore Ravens and Air Tran Airways recently unveiled the new plane that will be ferrying te team to its away games from now on. 'Ravens 1' which is painted in the team's colors, made its debut this past Tuesday at BWI Airport.

For more info and photos of the plane, click here to see the story from BaltimoreRavens.com by Mike Duffy.

How to Beat the Denver Broncos

2009-10-29T14:56:27Z

View full size photo »

That's a tough one. One might think that a 3-3 team is just going to beat a 6-0 team and that the Denver Broncos will walk, run and throw all over the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. However, while the records are vastly different, these are two pretty good teams and the Ravens are definitely no walk-over.

People look at the Broncos top rated defense in just about every category, although before the season those same people would have expected those gaudy stats to be associated with the Ravens defense, not the Broncos. But just like the turnaround that teams have enjoyed this season, the games can do the same thing.

(More on "How to Beat the Denver Broncos" after the 'Jump')

Sixty minutes may seem like a long time, but a lot can happen in just a couple of plays, much less an entire game. Change a few plays in each game that both teams have played so far and we could just as easily be looking at the 6-0 Baltimore Ravens hosting the 3-3 Denver Broncos. However, we're not and while some may look at it as the Broncos have been good enough to win those close games while the Ravens have not, I'll take the thought that the Ravens are a lot better team than their 3-3 record indicates.

So then how does this .500 team, with the trend of blowing winnable games in the final moments overcome this issue against a team that probably won't be doing Baltimore any favors that say, a Cleveland team, might hand us? That's the easy part, just play sixty full minutes of football for a change of pace. Don't let the game come down to the final moments and have to put the pressure to win the game on the defense, much less the offense either. Return to what made this team a Championship Game team last season and that is by running the ball and by playing stout defense. Shutting down the Broncos running game is not out of the question, despite the run defense issues the team has had the past two weeks. Being able to move the ball on the ground against one of the NFL's best defense is also a possibility for the Ravens if they stubbornly stick to utilizing their dangerous trio of backs to wear down Denver's smaller but athletic front seven as the game goes on.

While many talk about the Ravens poor pass defense, the team had the entire Bye week to address that obvious issue and while we should expect Denver to try to exploit it, they won't try to win the game through the air, as that is just not what got them this far in the first place. Remember the Ravens really didn't amp up their defense and safety Ed Reed didn't unleash his great 2008 season until week nine of last year, so there's no reason we can't overcome this problem starting a week earlier in the eighth week in 2009. Tied into the defense's improvement would be taking a lead and stopping the Broncos' run game, forcing Kyle Orton to go to the air earlier and more often than their gameplan would prefer. Covering Brandon Marshall with extra help and not letting their TE get loose across the middle will be the best way to contain the big plays.

Offensively, the Ravens will need the big play and have been able to get them with surprisingly regularity this season. Doing it against the stingy Broncos defense is a tougher task but we still should be able to move the ball. Scoring against the Denver defense has proven tough, especially in the second half, which will determine the victor in this game. Coming out the gate to start the second half needs to be critical and not waiting until the fourth quarter when we enter the desperation mode is not the way to win.

Speaking of big plays, Sunday would be a great time to see the explosiveness of kick returner Lardarius Webb break out with a long one or even take it all the way to the house. At the same time, the Broncos' Eddie Royal did that twice in one game last time they played, so limiting his effectiveness is as big a key as our returns.

Finally, while our placekicking game is behind the eight ball right now, this would be a perfect chance for Steven Hauschka to quiet the naysayers by hitting all his attempts to either keep us in the game or even win it to erase the memories and the ghosts that are still haunting him.

All together, this is a very winnable game Sunday, but it will take the Ravens playing their best for sixty full minutes, while hoping the Broncos give us a couple of gifts along the way. If that does happen and it is definitely a possibility, the Ravens can begin the same turnaround of the season that they did last year on their way to the AFC Championship Game.

Ravens' Game Release: Week 8

2009-10-28T13:32:54Z

The Baltimore Ravens have sent me the Weekly Release for the game Sunday at home versus the Denver Broncos. This Release, which is 26 pages long (not a typo!), contains just about everything you need to know about both the Ravens and their upcoming opponent. News, notes and numbers for every stat-hungry fan to pore over between now and game time. Some great and encouraging stats that, for example, show our defense is tougher in the Red Zone than Denver's and our offense is scoring at a much higher pace as well.

Below is a link to download the Ravens’ game release for their Week 8 contest vs. Denver (Nov. 1):

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/~/media/F08AA700719E4BB196E81DDCC2D5E9DA.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.

Book Report: Peter King's 'Monday Morning Quarterback'

2009-10-27T13:26:18Z

Baltimore Beatdown was lucky and honored enough to get an advance copy of 'Monday Morning Quarterback: A Fully Caffeinated Guide to Everything You Wanted to Know About the NFL' by Peter King.

Sports Illustrated's award-winning writer updates his 20 most memorable columns including conversations with Brett Favre and Peyton Manning along with reflections on his trip to Afghanistan, odes to his "coffeeness" and the debut of his Top 100 Players of All-Time.

After reading the book during the Baltimore Ravens Bye week, I can tell you that any football fan, regardless of their allegiance to any team, will love just sitting and reading this book. It's such an easy read, as if King were just sitting in front of you telling his stories and experiences from his many years inside the NFL.

(More on "Book Review: Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback" after the 'Jump')

A little more about Peter King from the good people at SI Books, who sent me this advance copy, that became available to the public on October 13, 2009:

Peter King, the 2009 Dick McCann Memorial Award winner - bestowed annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for long and distinguished reporting on professional football - has captured the respect and love of readers by delivering hard-hitting wit, wisdom and insight for more than 20 years at Sports Illustrated. Widely regarded as the top football journalist in the country, King's Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB) is one of the most read web columns in sports.

Now back to the review: King uses little icons in the borders of the pages that correspond to specific things he's referring to. For instance, there is an icon that is called "Factoids That May Only Interest Me" about such things as family news about his two daughters and another called "Airports" with notes about the little things he's noticed about airports from all the traveling he's done. His "Ten Things" Lists include what he'd change as Commisioner of Pro Football, Top Coaching Hires, Best Draft Picks, Hall of Fame Snubs, Sports Illustrated Covers, Cliches I Hate, NFL's Best/Worst, and Top 100 Players of Today and All Time. The last two are my favorites and some of the names will certainly stir debate in you as it did in me. In the Top 100 Players of All Time, our own Johnny Unitas was only number eleven and the next Baltimore player was.....Gino Marchetti (#21)!? Interestingly, the Ravens' Ray Lewis came in at #29 of All Time. Both Unitas and Lewis were noteworthy enough to warrent sidebar columns as why they were included at their specific slots. Equally surprising is that while Ray was #29 of all time, he was not even on the list of King's Top 100 Players of Today, although the Ravens were represented with Ed Reed at #11, Terrell Suggs #18 and Haloti Ngata #26 (Ngata had a sidebar column with King stating that "if I had any guts, Haloti Ngata would be in the top 15.").

You really should stop by you local bookstore and pick up a copy of "Monday Morning Quarterback," and either sit down and read it cover-to-cover, or put it next to the "throne" and read a chapter or two at every "sitting." You'll love the stories, opinions and experiences this great writer has accumulated over his illustrious career and his unprecedented access behind the scenes to understand the inner goings-on's of the NFL. Enjoy it!

Ravens Get Back To Work

2009-10-26T13:05:33Z

With their first "real" Bye week in two seasons now over, the Baltimore Ravens trudge back to work like everyone else this Monday morning, in an attempt to stop the free fall that has resulted in three last minute losses in a row. Remember last season they were preparing to play the Houston Texans in week two but the game was canceled due to Hurricane Ike and that became their Bye week, although there was no true break for the players and team.

Head Coach John Harbaugh had the team practice last week on Tuesday and Wednesday before giving the players off until this morning. A four day break from the frustration of the past three weeks should have given this team the time to get away, refresh themselves and figure out how to end this slide that has them sitting at 3-3 and in third place in the AFC North.

(Continue reading " Ravens Get Back to Work" after the 'Jump')

The Ravens have a tough task ahead of them and I'm not just talking about facing the undefeated Denver Broncos next Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore. In addition to that critical game, the Ravens are looking up at both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, who both lead the division with identical 5-2 records, although the Bengals are actually on top due to their 23-20 victory over the Steelers earlier this season. Both teams won in impressive fashion yesterday, the Steelers holding off the Minnesota Vikings with big defensive plays and the Bengals destroying the Chicago Bears behind a career day from RB Cedric Benson against his former teammates.

After the Broncos come to town, the Ravens go to both Cincinnati and Cleveland before coming home to host Pittsburgh in a prime time nationally televised game. This four game stretch will show both the fans and the team whether or not this team is poised for a run at the division title and a berth in the post season. After such a impressive start to the season that at one point had the Ravens at the top of ESPN's Power Rankings, the team is now wondering what happened to the defense that was rated #2 in the NFL last year but has slipped far down the pack in 2009. At the same time, the offense is one of the NFL's top ranked ones and can put points on the board on any team, but it has seemed that we will have to outscore the opponents because the defense has not been able to shut down the opposing QB's when the game is on the line.

Has the team made whatever adjustments that the players will execute during this next stretch of games that should determine once and for all in 2009 if we are contenders or pretenders? We can talk all we want to here on The Beatdown, but it all will be decided this coming Sunday when the 6-0 Denver Broncos go on the road to face what might be their toughest test of their season as well. Get back to work, boys and like they say in the country, "git 'er done!"

Gameday "Open Thread" & Comcast's NFL RedZone

2009-10-25T11:00:15Z

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Despite the fact that our Baltimore Ravens are on their Bye Week and gearing up, especially on defense, to stop the undefeated Denver Broncos next week at M&T Bank Stadium, 13 other games are on tack for the weekend with a couple of key contests for Ravens fans to keep their collective eyes on. The Steelers host the Vikings and the Bengals host the Bears in key games that will affect the AFC North standings. No one cares that the Browns will also host the Packers, but I'd like to see how Green Bay fares in advance of our MNF game up there in December.

So post your comments here on the "Open Thread" on the games of the day, while keeping it on Comcast's NFL RedZone to see all the live action as RedZone switches between games to catch every touchdown as it happens. It's the best way to watch the league, especially if you play fantasy football, and see all the points scored in the 1pm and 4pm games. Without a Ravens game to worry about, just click on Comcast's NFL RedZone and leave it there all day long!

GO VIKINGS!!! (and Bears!)

(This post partially sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone)

NFL Picks & Pans: Week 7

2009-10-24T13:06:43Z

While our Baltimore Ravens are in the middle of their Bye Week, and hopefully will return to the form needed to knock the Denver Broncos from the ranks of the unbeatens when they return next week, there are 13 other games being played this weekend, including one in London, England. So for those who like to see how we do it here in the US of A, check out my picks & pans on all the games below.

Patriots over Buccaneers (London): Funny that the New England "Patriots" are the team to represent the USA in England, get it? No matter where they play this game, New England will rock Tampa Bay back to the "Free World."

Steelers over Vikings: While I'd love to see Minnesota take care of Pittsburgh like they did to my Ravens, going into Heinz Field and winning is just not anywhere near as easy as it is at the Metrodome and something tells me that Adrian Peterson doesn't break 100 yards while Brett Favre will get beaten up and get to know Mr. Troy Polamalu.

(More "NFL Picks & Pans" after the 'Jump')

Colts over Rams: Indy continues to stay undefeated while St. Louis is trying to decide which QB they want in next year's draft.

Chiefs over Chargers: Kansas City gets the win at home after coming close recently and the Chargers slip further behind in the AFC West in one of my two 'Upset Special Picks of the Week.'

Packers over Browns: I actually thought about picking Cleveland to upset Green Bay, as the Pack has been disappointing, but if they can shit out the Lions then how can I go with the Browns to actually win?

Texans over 49ers: That crashing sound you heard was San Francisco coming back to earth after a great start, but now it looks like everyone's cinderella team is beginning to click in Houston.

Panthers over Bills: Wow, TO has become irrelevant on the field but the explosion is probably brewing off of it in Buffalo, while Carolina still has one of the best runners in the league to win this at home.

Raiders over Jets: My second of two "Upset Special Picks of the Week" as Oakland has upset New York a couple of times in the Black Hole and if they can shut down Donovan McNabb, imagine what they might do to the rookie?

Cowboys over Falcons: Can you imagine what Jerry Jones will do if Dallas loses another one at home, and although I think they can score against Atlanta, I'd love to see Jones' red face up in his private suite!

Saints over Dolphins: Even Miami's Wildcat will not be enough to outscore New Orleans, as Drew Brees has so many weapons to choose from.

Bengals over Bears: I wanted to go with Chicago, but they just have not impressed me lately and although I still think Cincinnati is not a contender, they should be able to run over 'da Bears at home and win.

Giants over Cardinals (Sunday night): Could be a high scoring game and I'm picking New York and no, it's just not because I have Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs on my fantasy team! I also think that they can score more on Arizona;'s defense than Kurt Warner and company can do on the Giants' defense.

Eagles over Redskins (Monday night): Philadelphia has got to be angry after getting embarrassed by Oakland last week and Donovan McNabb usually bounces back big after a loss. At the same time, is Washington the most sorry team on and off the field in the NFL and now the rest of the nation gets to see why on prime time TV.

Last week: 8-6

Season record: 65-25

It's just my opinion, but...

2009-10-23T14:11:06Z

...I still think the Ravens 3-3 record is an aberration and they will rebound in a big way, starting next week.

...I thought the Broncos were for real a couple of weeks ago, when I picked them to beat the Cowboys and Patriots in Denver.

...if they can do that on the road, then I'll be fully on their bandwagon.

...the Ravens defensive backs will suddenly get a lot better once we figure how to make the opposing QB's throw in less then seven seconds for a change.

...didn't Ed Reed look this bad last season before tearing up the league from week nine on?

...weren't the Ravens not only 3-3 at this point last year but actually 2-3 after their first five games?

...how many of us were screaming to change QB's from the rookie to Troy Smith?

(More "It's just my opinion, but..." after the 'Jump')

It's just my opinion, but...

...I still don't see the Bengals contending in the AFC North, although a win over the Bears this week will help.

...I think the Vikings are headed into a trap going into Pittsburgh Sunday, but will still root for Minnesota.

...Cleveland is a much better team with Derek Anderson than Brady Quinn, although I'd still give Quinn the rest of the season to prove it wrong.

...Indy once again looks to be the class of the AFC, which is usually is for at least the first nine weeks every year.

...I'd also be REAL pissed if I saw my head coach put on a Steelers' jersey and say he "wanted to know how it feels to be a winner!"

...if the Super Bowl was played right now, the Colts-Saints would be a great display of fireworks, eh?

...something tells me the Broncos and Vikings fans think this would be a better game, but not me.

...while the team needs the Bye week, it's still a "void" for me and probably for most football fans.

...this is the only weekend in season that I take my wife away.

...I will still find a way to watch TV come Sunday afternoon.

...Comcast's NFL RedZone will be on all day so I can see live action of every TD scored in Hi-Def!

...I plan to use my Sprint Palm Pre to catch NFL Mobile Live when not near a TV so I can keep up with all the news on my favorite teams and players, especially for fantasy stats.

...you can respond whatever you want, but these are MY opinions!