Joe Flacco still fumbles too much and needs better pocket awareness but he is improving, not regressing. Those who don’t agree, just don’t like the guy. Ray Rice needs the ball or else Cam Cameron will need a new job and the defense, even without the great Ray Lewis, has been solid.

So while it’s premature to think Superbowl, its not too early to consider hosting a home playoff game. Let’s face it: the Ravens are a different, and BETTER team at home. Playing at M&T Bank Stadium in January is critical. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure that out.

After their big win on Sunday, they are back in the driver’s seat, for now. This season has had its ups and downs with interesting storylines and plenty of surprises. Most of all, it’s been entertaining to say the least. Here’s to more in January!!

I have been very fortunate to work for, and with some great folks in the business and look forward to the next chapter. In the meantime, I continue to conduct Webcasts at Baltimoresun.com on their sports page, host a Sunday morning football show on 1300am, fill in on the radio, and have an exciting television show in full development.

I have been a frequent visitor at Ravens camp and while I think this is a playoff team, their offense with it’s additions and subtractions has yet to demonstrate it can play — and beat the upper echelon teams in the NFL. I don’t know if it’s Cam Cameron, Joe Flacco or a lack of chemistry with his wide receivers, but it needs to be addressed if they want to “get to Indianapolis” as they keep saying. Listen, the defense will be solid again, but will their teammates back them up with enough points? Some things never change.

And that brings me to the perennial last place Orioles, who are headed for a “hard to achieve” 100 losses in 2011 (only 2nd time in team history). Talk about complete disasters? And we all thought it couldn’t get any worse than last year with Dave Trembley presiding. Well it has — from the comedy of Mark Reynolds and Felix Pie errors, to the atrocious base running (no matter who is out there), to a lackluster offense (except Adam Jones, who is the only guy seemingly playing hard and tweeting too much), to the incredible rash of injuries. It appears there is no way team president Andy Macphail returns. Why should he? His moves have not improved the club and he appears worn down. In addition, I’m still not sure Buck Sholwalter is the answer either.

See, except for me not being on the air daily, not much has dramatically changed on the local sports scene, unfortunately on all accounts. However, the Ravens still give us hope… at least until January.

You can surely make the argument it’s been that way for a while but with Buck Showalter at the helm, wasn’t that supposed to change? Where is the so called “turnaround”?  That talk has gone silent as the Orioles approach their 14th consecutive losing season (and if the Pirates finally crack .500 this year, and it appears they will have a shot, the O’s will have the longest skid under .500 in the Big Leagues).

From the horrid defense, to incomprehensible base running, to the starters failing to go at least five, to coaches who can’t get the job done, it’s fast becoming another lost baseball season with so few positives to build on. And seeing ‘Baltimore’ on their uniforms only makes it hurt that much more.

The problems sit all over the locker room. Just off the top of my head I would venture to say: Mark Reynolds is too inconsistent, Brian Matusz still hasn’t found himself, Felix Pie is a liability, Brian Roberts is a huge question mark, and Vladimir Guerrero and Derek Lee appear past their prime.

While Buck also deserves blame, it’s equally fair to criticize team president Andy MacPhail who has put this team together and found himself with an inept club at the big league level and a mostly empty cabinet at the minor league level.

We can only ask if we will ever see meaningful baseball in August? Much less September?

There have been positive signs with this year’s ball club. The emergence of Matt Wieters and Adam Jones, the early promise of Zach Britton, and the pleasantly surprising season from J.J. Hardy are exciting.

However, the disappointments once again out weigh the good.  Injuries to Brain Matusz and Brian Roberts, the lack of power from Nick Markakis, starters throwing way too many pitches, poor defense (see Mark Reynolds), and slow starts by free agents Derek Lee and Vladimir Guererro have stunted the team’s growth.

Optimists love to point out that the Orioles are on a better pace than last yr. Of course they are! They should be better, after a 2-16 start, three managers and a last place finish, anything is an improvement.

Nonetheless, the lack of fundamentals, defense and hitting with runners in scoring position still adds up to another last place formula – the same place they finished a year ago. Those that predicted winning season were delusional.  This team won 66 games a year ago, anything in the 80′s would be a monumental jump. Expect some long, hard and hopefully educational days ahead.

The nucleus is being set. This season should be utilized for one thing: experimentation. A lot of big questions remain. Can Roberts ever be effective again? Will Matusz live up to his potential? Is Mark Reynolds the answer at third base? Which young hurlers belong in the rotation? Will Andy MacPhail return next season? We should have a better understanding in the 2nd half – which is what that period of time should be all about.

Wieters has nailed 17 of 39 potential base stealers in addition to making a few game-changing plays at the plate that have saved the butts of the bullpen on more than one occasion. Only Adam Jones has had that type of impact, although I feel that Wieters has been more consistent.

Wieters, who inexplicably was deemed a “failure” by one baseball publication before he even began his third full season, is already living up to the hype. He has faced extreme attention even prior to the day he drew about 40,000 to Camden Yards in his MLB debut.

His offense continues to evolve. He is going to hit in the .270 to .285 range, and hopefully hit 20 home runs and drive in close to 100. He has been above average in the clutch. He had stated in spring training that he put a lot of emphasis on his offense and thus far it has paid off.

The one problem Wieters could face potentially down the line is a situation equivalent to what Minnesota’s Joe Mauer is enduing with his “leg problems.” Wieters has a similar physique to Mauer, tall and lanky. They don’t make them like Pudge Rodriguez anymore, so a new position might be necessary. That is a conversation for another day, but not one to be ignored as manager Buck Showalter (a former catcher himself) gives him the proper rest.

Suffice to say Wieters is not ready for Cooperstown. That said, his rapid development should be acknowledged for a kid who was selected in the first round and number five overall. Especially at a time when his defense is opening more eyes than his bat

Turgeon brings impressive credentials to a predominant basketball university, posting a 97-40 record in four seasons in Texas. The stakes will be raised in College Park, where the ACC is king, and hoops “rules the roost.”  This is not the flashy name Terps fans – or I may have clamored for, but lets give him a chance.

The 46 year old Turgeon replaces longtime Terp coach Gary Williams, who announced his retirement after 22 seasons at Maryland. And he will be asked to do plenty. Like recruit the local stars, beat Duke and North Carolina, go to the NCAA tournament and graduate players. All right away.  Oh, and fill some seats (see win games).

A daunting task to say the least, for a guy who was clearly NOT Maryland’s first or even 2nd or 3rd choice initially. It’s certainly not Sean Miller or Jamie Dixon – or even Mike Brey. Only time will tell if this is the right decision for a program that clearly needs a lift, and new voice.

And they have found one in the Orioles pitching staff – Andy MacPhail’s mantra of “Grow the arms and buy the bats” has been applied and it looks – at least on paper – to be a winner.

I was 100% against the promotion of Zach Britton (as I wrote in my last blog) -and remain that way. Yet this spring, and his first performance of 2011, proves that he can be a solid addition (it’s just the loss of service time in the future that worries me). That said, there is no arguing with the results and now that Brain Matusz is on the DL for a while, Jeremy Guthrie is sick and Justin Duchscherer out for who knows how long, it is time to see what the kids can do.

Chris Tillman and Jake Arietta showed they belonged – and are improved. Brad Bergesen is still a question mark to me, but he should provide us with an answer fairly soon.

Listen, it’s STILL VERY early. Depth is not this team’s strong point and I still feel adamantly that this will be rebuilding year. It would be wise for the Orioles to keep developing their core of young guys – and boy does Nick Markakis look terrific early?  Still, there is one eye on the long term, when the Orioles will be ready to hopefully take the next step.

The 23-year-old Britton is a stud. He is also young, and presumably will be costly one day.

Which is all the more reason the Orioles should keep him in the minors — and not just for the money. What is the rush? Britton will not be a “difference maker” this season. The Orioles chances of contending are minuscule, so there is no urgency.

I would let Britton “refine” his skills and wait until at least April 20th, as if the Orioles let Britton begin the year on the major league roster and he remained on it for all of 2011, he will earn one full year of service time. If he continues to pitch in the majors after that, he would not be eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season.

The simple, economical and sensical move is to keep Britton down for a while – certainly not until April 21st — or even far later, he would then not be credited with a full year of time, meaning he won’t be eligible for free agency until after 2017.

That is one reason, the other would be to waste his service during the course of a year in which the Orioles will again struggle to reach 500 – much less compete in the AL east. Why let him absorb that sort of atmosphere? It serves no purpose. Wait till the time is right, no rush (see Ben McDonald). Don’t do it to sell tickets (see Matt Wieters), do it for the right reason, because he is ready to help the Birds, and the franchise is ready for him to take them to a higher level.