Gameday "Open Thread" & Comcast's NFL RedZone

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 7:00 AM EDT Comment 33 comments

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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)

0 recs | Comment 33 comments | Add comment | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

FOXWORTH INTERCEPTION!!!!!

Wait, what?

Limp and dangling.

by Joe Flaccid on Oct 25, 2009 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow, Steelers are blitzing linebackers?

and pressuring Favre and stopping the Vikes! How incredible. Watching this Mattison?

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 1:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow, the refs are trying sooo hard...

….to give the Steelers the win over the Vikings. Four penalties on one drive, including a bogus tripping call that the announcers thought was ridiculous, wiping out the lead changing TD. Steelers then caused a fumble and ran it all the way to the end zone for the TD and ten point lead. But then Harvin returned the next kickoff for a TD, with a ref getting run over and hurt on the play. I guess that’s what is called karma" for the refs.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Huge hold on that return. Apparently the Vikes have to do that to score.

And that trip, it’s called a leg whip. It’s illegal now.

Ref’s sucked, but the ref’s don’t run back turnovers for TD’s.

by Phantaskippy on Oct 25, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Never "whipped" the leg, though

But if Favre turned it over like he did today, to us last week, they’d be 0-2 the past two weeks and we’d be 4-2 on our Bye.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually looking at it later, I think it was a flat out bogus call. Well, sorry to tell you but the fix appears to be in, here comes the 7th Lombardi!

by Phantaskippy on Oct 27, 2009 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As much as I hate the Steelers

I jst can’t balme our losing or their winning on the refs. The better teams make their own luck and the pretenders can’t overcome their bad luck.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 27, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very well stated.

I’m probably going to quote you on that the next time my friends decide the ref’s are screwing the Steelers.

by Phantaskippy on Oct 27, 2009 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There were questionable calls against both teams.

We were due for some big defensive plays.

Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.
Napoleon Bonaparte

Stampede Blue's Resident Steelers Fan

In order to see the rest of my sig, press ALT and F4.

by LV Steelers Fan on Oct 25, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anybody who thinks the refs are paid off and the games are fixed should just stop watching the game altogether. Why waste time on the WWE?

by gcn on Oct 25, 2009 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dolphins taking it to

the Saints, who can’t hold onto the ball, Cincy destroying Chicago, and the Jets causing Oakland to bench JaMarcus Russell.

Love Comcast’s RedZone when our Ravens are on the Bye, as I can see every TD and follow every game w/o clicking channels all day.

At least Cleveland held true for GB.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 5:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Play like a Raven, right?

I love the fact that we talk so much smack on defense, then go out and let the Vikings take a wet dump on our chests. Then, the Steelers defense steps up when it is most needed and gets two scores and just eliminates the big plays for the Vikings.

We are a mediocre team at best right now, coming off a 3 game losing streak with no momentum. The Steelers just got their best player back from injury, manhandled a Vikings team that pooped on our defense, and showed they are the cream of the crop.

Ray, its just football right? 60 minutes right? Someone get hit in the mouth today right? Ray, you have been bitch slapped more times this season by the other team then in recent memory. Stop dancing and get your men in position.

Limp and dangling.

by Joe Flaccid on Oct 25, 2009 5:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed...

Seeing the Steelers beat the crud out of the Vikings is further proof just how down on the totem poll we really are…Cincy won big today too…

Let’s start regrouping for next year…maybe start with a big time wide receiver and revamp the defense…

Unless we go 8-2, we’re not going anywhere…sound pessimistic, maybe, but truthful, certainly…

by Ravenator on Oct 25, 2009 6:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

8-2 is possible, but

it all starts next Sunday as we have to beat the Broncos and then go game by game. If the Steeler game was in Minnesota, the Vikings probably would have won that. Winning at home is much easier than on the road and we would ave beaten the Vikes in Baltimore, IMO.

That said, we didn’t they did and both the Bengals and Steelers won today, and Cincy’s was very impressive. We can only blame ourselves and can control our own destiny.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 25, 2009 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Poor Vikes suffered a Raven curse. Big game and former Raven Chester Taylor volleyballs a pass to end it. You knew their had to be some lingering Raven stink in there somewhere.

I’d like to add that in their attempts to give the steelers the game the refs actually screwed the steelers out of a TD. on that rare and unseen defensive delay of game the slant pass to Ward would have led Ward to the house. the refs will probably have a meeting Monday on how they almost cost pitt the game and make sure to get all the calls corrected before B-more rolls in.

by raven on Oct 25, 2009 11:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Again, you ravens fans are funny. The refs are trying to give the title to Pittsburgh? The games are fixed? If this is really what you think, then quit being a fan of the game. Quit watching the NFL altogether. Why waste one more minute of your lives on something that’s kissing cousins with pro wrestling?

Unless, of course, you don’t really mean it and are just exhibiting some poor “sour grapes” sportsmanship.

by gcn on Oct 25, 2009 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

gcn-
you are the one who takes it too serious. now go tell your mom you want to see Where The Wild Things Are next Friday night.

by raven on Oct 26, 2009 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ask Bruce, I think he’ll tell you he actually means it.

by gcn on Oct 26, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What? I mean the refs tried to give the game to Pittsburgh?

While the refs seemed to favor the Steelers, I don’t think there is any conspiracy in the NFL involving the refs, Tom Brady, Pittsburgh, etc. However, I do think the refs have been particularly horrible this season and the game has passed them by.

So many things about the game have changed but the refs and the way they oversee the game has stayed the same and needs to be updated. The refs are old, fat and slow (other than Hochuli). Their whistles aren’t heard half the time and the penalties are so differently called depending on the crew.

Something needs to be changed to bring them up to speed with the game itself. That’s all I’m saying.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 26, 2009 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey what are you implying!?! I saw that movie on its opening weekend. It was good.

" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.

by Johnny_S on Oct 26, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i hope it was at least a little spookey and edgy because that’s how i remember that book.

by raven on Oct 26, 2009 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The book?

Was only 10 sentences! And you were scared?

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 27, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

man it was dark with monsters.. the movie should be more The Hills Have Eyes style.

by raven on Oct 27, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It had some really really weird parts

A bit spooky, but nothing that had me terrified or scared.

" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.

by Johnny_S on Oct 28, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A call that wasn’t made was of the Ngata-Brady variety. A Vikes D-linemen jumped at a throwing Ben and smacked him Ben in the head while being blocked. I guess Ben needs to wear his helmet loose like skinny Brady Catwalk and have it flop all over his face as he limp wristedly twists to the ground like a soccer forward.

by raven on Oct 25, 2009 11:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What about the hit to Favre's knees

that momentarily had him limping but no penalty was caused because, get this, he was pushed into the QB by the blocker! Wow, imagine that T-Sizzle!?

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 26, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

bottom line...

If the Ravens were any good, they wouldn’t have to worry about bad calls deciding the game. The team cannot put anyone good away…last year Pitt and Tenn came right down the field on the last possession and beat us…this year, so far, Cincy…let’s face it, the D is not what it was…not even close…

As it stands right now, no playoffs for us…Houston is a better team as well as a few other would-be wild card teams…

by Ravenator on Oct 26, 2009 9:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I will never blame the refs for a loss

The losses are on us, be it poor de3fense or dropped balls. You have to put enough distance between you and your opponent to prevent the refs from being in any position to make a call that keeps the game closer than it should be.

However, I’d like to think that we will rebound in a huge way with a win Sunday and then reel off a few in a row, including one of the two coming up between us and the Steelers and Colts in Baltimore.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 26, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

we have totally had more game changing horrendous calls against us than our opponents. not saying it’s on purpose but it happened.

i would like to see the penalty descrepancy for 3 teams:
Raiders, Ravens and Eagles.

All 3 of these teams have or had a bad ass D rep. I can almost gaurantee that all 3 of these teams have way more penalties than their opponents over the past 20 years. Just have a feeling that chest pounding defensive teams draw too much attention to their mean ways.

by raven on Oct 26, 2009 11:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The league needs to protect their bread winners

and with that as the law, then we need to play within them if we want to skip those yellow flags.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 27, 2009 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think they are wrong in protecting QB’s. i don’t think QB’s get hurt anymore than anyone else.

bread winners?
teams are affected more when:
Flacco goes out or Lewis goes out?
Brady goes out or Moss goes out?
Ben goes out or Troy or Ward go out?
Palmer goes out or Chad?

I agree it leans to the QB side a little but come on. Fans love the other guys just as much and will still come out in droves regardless of 1 injury. How many years did we sell out without a QB. Qb’s run 3 deep and they are all given special attention and training. They may not all be great but does it hurt anymore than being weak at DB. Flacco hasn’t overcome that part of our game.
It’s overkill protection. I seem to remember the same QB’s starting forever when I was a kid and they had 1/4 as many protection rules.

by raven on Oct 27, 2009 2:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs