Ravens Game Release: Week 6 at Vikings

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 14, 2009 9:40 AM EDT Comment 16 comments

Click on the link below to see all the information you could possibly need about this Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens at the Minnesota Vikings. Direct from the Ravens' great PR Department, this is chock full of 25 pages of information that should satisfy even the most rabid Ravens fans here on The Beatdown.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/~/media/5ECBE0F7284D42AEB7363C8330D13A22.ashx

The Weekly Release includes:

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.

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The backtracking continues….I think the Ravens will win Sunday. After watching NFL replay and cooling down I realize that we are a hand’s length away from being undefeated. We can’t have any more bad luck can we? Whether it be calls or non-calls or bad breaks on 3rd and longs we can’t shake gorilla on our backs. If they can stay positive and continue to play agressive and together they’ll be ready for the playoffs. I’m not so sure Mason was healthy on Sunday and may have been used more as a gimmick. Anyway, we’re solid to the core and should start getting some breaks.

by raven on Oct 14, 2009 5:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i agree that we can win

but please just stop blaming losses on “bad luck” and “bad calls.” we’ve probably won as many games as we’ve lost on bad calls and luck. That’s how the cookie crumbles.

"I know where you're at, man. You had it all, and now it's gone. It's torn a hole in your soul bigger than my Escalade. So you turned to the drugs, the alcohol. Pornography, free-basing with OJ, human trafficking, dog fights slash orgies... darkness."
-- Craig Robinson as Reg Mackworthy in Season 1, Episode 5 of Eastbound & Down

by jackmca on Oct 15, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like the attitude!

I also agree. Do you think anyone is saying that Steelers at 3 – 2 are out of it? OK… Before I say anything I want you to know, I think the Vikings are a good team.

BUT… I think we have given them too much credit. Yes, they are 5 and 0 and we are not. And yes, every win in the NFL is big. But look at who they have beat so far.

Browns(1-4)… 34 to 20.
Lions (1-4)… 27 to 13.
San Fran (3-2). 27 to 24. 49ers had them beat.
Packers (2-2) 30 to 24. Good win. Favre played well.
Rams (0-5) 38 to 10.

Wins are wins but I just feel that we are the best team that they will have played so far and we are hungry for a win. Thoughts? I just feel we have a good chance to win this game.

by lespaul83 on Oct 14, 2009 6:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Goo dteams find a way to win

Just win, baby. The Bengals have done it as well. We can’t find THAT way to win the close ones. Yet.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 14, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Vikes

I would agree they are overrated considering they have not played anyone great thus far. I also think none of the other “top tier” teams have played anyone very good as of yet either. And with the 49ers, we solidly outplayed them on the lines and in terms of consistently moving the ball, but we have difficulty covering the TE, our safeties seem to be easily distracted.

It is very difficult to get a read on how good the defense is, they give up tons of yards, but have great other stats (red zone D, turnovers, 3rd down D, etc.) so maybe we will learn more about them this week. I would also venture that the Vikings are very much “stacked” on the defensive side of the ball, with a few very good draft classes at linebacker and some FA pickups on the D-Line. The secondary is streaky outside of Antione Winfield, who tackles everyone he hits.

Offense is very balanced and has not had any trouble scoring thus far. Although AP’s lack of big games is a head-scratcher. Most people will tell you that he is facing 8 man fronts and the yards will come, but I would say that he has ALWAYS faced 8 man fronts and still delivered. I feel like he is making some bad decisions as far as cut back timing and defensive reads. The wide receivers are still little known, but they are very solid. Berrian has break away speed, and was burning Al Harris in the slot-and yes even when Al was playing bump and run (that should tell you something)-and overall has been very good on slant routes. Sidney Rice is ALOT like Larry Fitz in AZ, he has great size and an almost unmatched catching radius (this is where the Fitz comparison comes from). Harvin is always ready to bust a big play, this kid is explosive, came with sticky hands, and breaks tackles like a TE which was unexpected given his 5-11, 180 lb frame.

Special Teams are no longer a joke for us, with previously mentioned draft classes doing a great job with some new schemes.

I was expecting our defense to be the story of the season, but our offense has really blossomed under #4.

I will be at the game, thinking it should be a good one. Go Vikings!

by IAVikesFan on Oct 14, 2009 10:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You may not have faced great teams so far

but you have won your games and won big in games you were favored and so, what more can you do than what good teams should? I just don’t buy the “they haven’t faced anyone good so far” stuff.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 15, 2009 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i hear that

the vikes are obviously really good. I think the Ravens can also be really good if they can snap out of this tailspin. That will be much easier to do if we go into the bye week at 4-2, but even at 3-3 It’s not impossible. That’s the advantage of an early bye week— you can right the course and still finish with 10 wins or better. (obviously, 10 wins may not suffice in the AFC, but it’s not a season to give up on is the point.)

by jackmca on Oct 15, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

great game to be at. i just hope we aren’t self pitying sunday. we need to come out strong and start a new season. we have the talent but we are JUST painfully missing. nice write up. thanks.

by raven on Oct 14, 2009 11:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Time to play up

to the level of competition.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 15, 2009 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

funny thing is

i feel like we’re more confident playing as the underdog. That’s kindof why the ravens always make me nervous when we’re favored. Think of all the big games we were favored to win, we lost a huge number of them. I’m not just talking about recent years, I’m talking about all time. Even in our run to the superbowl, we weren’t favored in any game except the superbowl itself, and even then I think the vast majority of the bets went to NYG because they had beaten a seemingly invincible Vikings team and had something like +2 1/2 points on the bet.

On the other hand, in games that everyone expects us to lose, we often outperform expectations.

Anyway, I’m just speculating here. But I do think we’re a good team and I think we have a chance sunday. But we NEED to finally establish a consistent pass rush, and we NEED to balance the attack on offense in order to protect Flacco from the wild mullet-man.

by jackmca on Oct 15, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Harvin might be a receiver we can cover somewhat. We can stick with the smaller fast guys for the most part. Our problem is getting our hands on the ball without interference. Bigger receivers cause us some problems.

by raven on Oct 14, 2009 11:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Like to see Harvin leveled

but only AFTER he touches the ball, not before!

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 15, 2009 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

"We're only going to score 17 points?!" - Tom Brady

by iLL on Oct 15, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OZZIE IF U LOOKING

PLEASE, RIGHT NOW IS A BETTER TIME THAN ANY TO MAKE A BLOCKBUSTER TRADE FOR A GUY LIKE CROMARTIE FROM THE CHARGERS OR A GOOD WIDE RECIEVER LIKE DEWAYNE BOWE. THE RAVENS ARE DEFINITELY ONE PLAYER AWAY IN OF THOSE POSITIONS. DONT BE AFRAID OF SPARING HIGH DRAFT PICKS. I KNOW U HAVE BEEN DOING AN AWESOME JOB FOR MANY YEARS BUT WE NEED TO MAKE A MOVE NOW.

by Raven_all_day on Oct 15, 2009 2:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs