Ravens Offensive Report Card

by DT711 on Sep 7, 2008 5:49 PM EDT

Quarterback – Joe Flacco showed the poise of a veteran in his first pro contest. He played a nearly flawless game, and the score would have represented this, if not for multiple drops and fumbles by the skill players. Cam Cameron deserves praise for his play calling, as he put the rookie Flacco in a great position to succeed throughout the entire game. He showed some exciting mobility for a player his size on his 38 yard TD run, and you have to love having a 6’6" QB out there. Granted, it was the Cincinnati D but you couldn’t have asked for more given the situation.
Grade – A-

Running Back – Willis McGahee was a game time decision and did not suit up. Ray Rice is a tough runner and picked up multiple first downs throughout the game. His drop of a potential touchdown, and his fumble when the Ravens were threatening in Bengal’s territory that was returned for a TD, are cause for concern, but overall he had a solid debut. The real star in the back field were the full backs. Lorenzo Neal punished the Bengal’s defenders, and LeRon McClain was a force with the rock. He had 86 yards on 19 carries and dominated the forth quarter with his power running style. With the return of Willis McGahee, the running game has the potential to be dominant this year.
Grade – B+

Receivers – Mark Clayton had an electrifying 41 Yard TD scamper for the Ravens first score, and showed flashes of the player we envisioned after his breakout sophmore season. Derrick Mason remains a very solid possession option, and the backs caught the ball well out of the back field. Todd Heap’s play was a major cause for concern. He had an awful fumble, and dropped an easy TD. He was shaken up when he took a hard hit late in the game, but Heap should be healthy enough to play next week. This group has potential but needs to help out their rookie Quarterback.
Grade – C+

Offensive Line: This group looked great in their first game together at their respective positions. The line gave the running backs a consistent push, and they opened up nice holes all game. They handled their most important task flawlessly, which was protecting their rookie quarterback, as Flacco barely was touched all game. Jared Gaither flashed massive potential with his seemingly effortless domination of the Bengal’s pass rush. If the lines keeps up this level of play, the Ravens could surprise a lot of people.
Grade – A

The opinions posted here are those of the administrator of this blog and his loyal readers. They are in no way official comments from the team, and should not be misconstued as such, even though he thinks he could do just as well or even a better job!

Tweet Comment 8 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Nice Work

I agree with all your statements and personally I am excited too see what Cam has planned for Flacco vs Houston and of course if Willie returns too our backfield soon because with him we add a dynamic runner who’s style can be complemented nicely by Rice and MClain along with Neal leading the way. The questions are how well will our recievers adjust too Flacco, and how much time will he need too become an accurate passer and sustain longer drives with his arm? The upside is we had 21 too their 8 first downs which shows the offense is being managed well for Flacco. Something he can definitely began too build from.

by purpleonblack86 on Sep 8, 2008 1:51 AM EDT reply actions

Great day all around

Houston’s defense will be a lot tougher, especially with Super Mario Williams. The Texans will be having their home opener and it will be a tough one for the Ravens. However, after yesterday all I say is “bring it!”

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 8, 2008 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

Did you see the way the steelers ran aganist houston. They couldnt stop willie parker for nothing. If pitt. can run like that, y cant we? Are running game is just as well if not better. Our o-line looked great and will be better with willie anderson. Willis should be coming back next week and he will add more talent to a great running game already. We will pound the rock on this huston team and use paly action all day.

FEAR THE NEVERMORE DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Benji5203 on Sep 8, 2008 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

It's still tough...

…to win on the road in the NFL. We have been horrible as visitors, always seeming to find a way to lose when we have a chance to win. Houston’s defense will be a lot better at home, as they are just not as bad as they were in Pittsburgh. Expect a much tougher game that will go a long way to seeing how much progress Flacco makes each week. If we can get by Houston then we come back to Baltimore in week 3 against the hated Browns, who very well could be 0-2 at that point. Beat them and we go to Pittsburgh for a week 4 Monday Night Football matchup and you can pretty much remember that embarassment last year. Revenge on national TV would be SWEET!

Rexx

by Rexx on Sep 8, 2008 6:04 PM EDT reply actions

great evaluation!!!

i dont think he flacco deserves an “A”, but for a rookie he does deserve an a, he played well, and he has to develop more, We have to see more deep passes, we need a deep threat. The offence looked great, but the passes were a little familiar. But all around good game, and i hope we build on this.

by RAVEN'SD#1 on Sep 8, 2008 7:11 PM EDT reply actions

Your Probaly Right

But I graded on a curve considering the Ravens history with QB’s and that it was his pro debut

by DT711 on Sep 9, 2008 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

I concur

Flacco did ok for a rookie, showed promise, didn’t screw the pooch, no more. But the big news—for the short run, anyway—is the o-line and the running game. You have to figure that as long as Joe airs it enough to keep the LBs honest, then a backfield with Willis has got to be even better than a backfield without him, and they sure looked good against the Tiggers. It sure is nice to have a few weapons back there, eh?

BTW, I’m still hoping Heap’s W1 performance was a fluke, because the wideouts still don’t inspire much confidence in me.

by fishoutawata on Sep 9, 2008 3:31 PM EDT reply actions

Good day

Nice job. It felt like we at least touched on all cylinders and there was a buzz in the crowd with regards to the play calling. Cam actually watched the game and made adjustments without calling a time out everytime we moved forward 10 feet like Billick. Cam didn’t bury his head in the playbook either. Amazing what happens when you take in the game and stop forcing your plan on it. One negative on a good day. Rex Ryan still has a tendancy to go to dime or prevent ending halves or games. Never never never works. We dominate and then let the Bengals zip down the field for 3. When you stop attacking, any NFL QB will pick you apart. Advantage receivers. Norv Turner did that all the time in Washington and totally demoralized the franchise with last minute loses. He hasn’t changed if you noticed the Panther game. His Chargers stood flat footed as Delhome fired his game winning pass after driving down the field in a just few minutes against the dime. Drives me nuts, especially against a passer like Palmer. We did the same thing against Brady last year. There wasn’t a Raven within 15 yards when he took multiple shots at our end zone. The Patriot receivers just ran back and forth until they were open. We stood there with our best basketball defensive poses. This will haunt us.

by raven on Sep 10, 2008 12:28 AM EDT reply actions