Ravens Win 31-26: Ray Lewis is a Beast!
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 7:39 PM EDT
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PrintThe Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis read the play and broke into the San Diego Chargers' backfield and stoned Darren Sproles for a loss on fourth down, giving the Ravens a hard fought 31-26 victory in San Diego. The stats might not look good for our defense but Chargers QB Phil Rivers was throwing the ball up for grabs and his huge wideouts continually outmuscled our smaller DB's all game long.
However, it was all for nothing as we still leave with the wina dncombined with the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Chiucago Bears, we now sit alone atop the AFC North standings, although after only two games of the season.
Post your thoughts and comments on this tough win beloiw!
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Jay Cutler?
I’m surprised
Ray Rice is so agile. He's a whole new breed for agile you need a new word to describe his agility... UBER-AGILITY!
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Sep 20, 2009 7:40 PM EDT reply actions
Appreciate that defensive effort from Lewis… thanks for the loss put on the Chargers = ) I caught a little here and there of your game, still have a scary D, Gratz on the win. (Bronco fan)
I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok.
Shaquille O'Neal
ditto from a colts fan
Watching Lewis fly through untouched and level Sproules was sweet. Hanging the lose on the chargers was a high point of the afternoon.
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing...
WAT WERE TH"E"Y THINKING?
Ray Ray is the man! I can’t believe that last play call. You have fourth and goal against the BEST rushing defense of this DECADE. Sure, let’s run the ball and see what happens…Norv Turner is terrible. NEVER bet against Ray Lewis. He’s lost a step…he’s too slow, he’s not as strong a he used to be…
Scorboard Biatches!
They say the empty can rattles the most...
Exactly!
Why would they ever risk that on 4th down!? Wanna run on 3rd down, fine, but 4th? I’m wondering what the Chargers fans are saying about THAT call on their site!?
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
couple of things...
it was fourth and 2, but the game was on the line, so whatever… Second, they were moving the ball through the air at will on us…. 20 to 20. So in that situation it was sort of a pick your poison thing. I guess the best call would probably have been a screen pass to Sproles. That was working all day against us. It certainly would have gotten the necessary two yards. In the end a win is a win. It was ugly, but it was a win. Now we’re going to have to sure up that D a little more when we get to a talented/uninjured team. The most telling thing about this “season” so far (and the thing I’m excited for)—- 69 points this season, 59 of them ALL offense. This isn’t your Billicks Ravens.
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
Who want's to help me rub it in on the steelers open thread?
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
im there
"We don’t have any rearview mirrors in our car,"- John Harbaugh
by purpleonblack86 on Sep 20, 2009 7:54 PM EDT reply actions
Don't get yourself banned!
At least not until we beat them too!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
W is good, but...
This was a seriously hobbled Bolts team. Put LT in the mix and you have a different outcome. That Rivers was able to throw pretty much at will does not portend well, because pressure up front is not making up for a deficient backfield against a good QB, even one with a hobbled OL. Still, the D did come through big time in the red zone—over and over. I think Rivers understood that his chances of getting into the end zone were better from 30 out than from 15.
At this point Sprols is a better running back then LT. Having LT would not have helped that much. Williams in the middle of their line would have made running much harder. Either way good win guys.
by archon095 on Sep 20, 2009 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sproles is the better open field back
But in other situations, I’d still rather have LT there. Their running game didn’t come to squat. I’ll grant you the Williams point, though.
by fishoutawata on Sep 20, 2009 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Which means
that our game plan would been entirely different [w/o Williams], and we could have had much greater success/failure with a different approach. If they didn’t appreciate Ed Reed’s presence, it may have been a blowout.
by Ravens Boner on Sep 20, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
RAY LEWIS HAS LOST A STEP!
SUCK MY ****!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHO IS IN FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Love your contributions
MaLoR and missed you on the Open Thread.
Now go bother the Browns’ fans and get them riled up for our game next week here!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Na
This guy Baltimo is on the Steelers blog saying how our blog is “Trash” because myself and a few others go to out opponents blogs to talk a little smack. So I will leave the Browns alone. They have enough to worry about being in last place and all.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Yea, sorry couldn't make it.
Watched it at a friends place. Don’t have HD at mine, but he does.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
I can’t tell toy how good it feels to be on the winning side of a “the refs cost us this game rant” Go to boltsfromtheblue.com to see what I mean.
As for the DPI… I was at a sports bar, so I couldn’t really tell, but It seems like if the DB gets inbetween the receiver and the ball, he generally doesn’t get called.
Yeah, well, how about the Merriman offsides
that wasn’t called and led to the Cason pick?
by fishoutawata on Sep 20, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I agree… and the roughing the passer on Trevor Pryce at the end of the first half was absolutely ridiculous. There was absolutely zero space between Pryce hitting him and Rivers throwing the ball.
I definitely am not making an argument that the refs screwed the Chargers in this game, there were several bad calls that benefited both sides. It certainly wasn’t the best referee performance ever.
But the Ravens have been screwed enough times by the refs that I’m hardly going to heavily complain. It’s just nice to win a close one.
And I was complaining about the refs screwing us
and now we have to listen to the Chargers fans do that!? Puh-lease!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude check out the battle going on, on the steeler's open thread....
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
by Zachary Beard on Sep 20, 2009 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
What?
Uhh….the refs interfering with the snap count, causing Oher to jump, the late hit on Flacco, or the uncalled offensive pass interference in the endzone…plenty of ref BS that went SD’s way…
D
Are we going to get a cornerback that can actually cover?? I’m a little disturbed that the coaches don’t see a problem with 5’10 Foxworth trying to cover 6’5 Vincent Jackson.
There are no big corners
I’d say that our guys are average. It doesn’t make sense bringing in taller guys over more talented cover corners like Foxworth. Also, we have the fastest corners in the league. Did you see Foxworth last week, and, for the most part, this week? I’m happy to have him around.
by Ravens Boner on Sep 20, 2009 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles, Antonio Gates plus solid friends turns out to be way… way too much for our Ravens secondary.
I want bigger corners though.
At least not too many teams
have those guys on their team in size all across the board. We should be fine from here on out other than a game here or there. Besides, it all goes away due to a win.
I’ll gladly give up 300 yards in the air for a “W” any day!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
OH... and everybody...
wasn’t that an awesome play by Baltimore Beatdown’s favorite corner to save the touchdown at the end of the game. Turns out Frank Walker is capable of deflecting a pass.
"Practice good habits, Frank"
-Derrick Mason in Training Camp
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 20, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
Lawrence gets the “Walker” play of the game…Frank did good..
yeah, that play by Matt Lawrence was absolutely ridiculous.
Especially for a player that could be cut at any moment.
I was going to interview him,
but perhaps I’ll wait a bit now.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Yea Yea
I told you all Frank Walker would play an important role on this team, and got shit from most. How you like him now?
Preseason is preseason, this is where it counts and he delivered.
…………………
Sorry, had to get that out of my system…
High five!
Yes sir! I was happy to see Frank Walker in the game. I thought that he was a better match-up against the bigger receivers. I was very happy to see him step up and silence his critics. I have also been a supporter of his… it felt good.
It also feels good to see McGahee stepping up and silencing his critics. I really went out on a limb this off-season supporting him. I’m really happy to see him performing well… that’s four touchdowns in two games, people!
Me and you BalHawk
Stood by the man, and thankfully, he made us look good. Now if he can just do it for another four months…
I suppose we should wait a few more games before high-fiving.
I couldn’t agree more. One blocked pass doesn’t vindicate Frank Walker. Managing to do his job one time doesn’t mean that he will “play an important role on this team,” either.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
Only thing is that even though he defended that pass, he did not defend it THAT well. The WR had the ball in his hands and Frank got a pretty good knock on it. I would think the WR would catch that same ball 7 or 8 times out of 10 on Frank, especially if it was a teams number 1 or 2 WR.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
It didn’t look like he got a good knock on it to me. It seemed like he barely tapped it just right, and the receiver couldn’t recover. I’d like to see it again, but there aren’t a lot of die-hard Frank Walker fans out there posting his highlights to Youtube.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
It was a very good play
And being the first corner off the bench when a starter goes out is an important role. If he did not make that play, Ray never has a chance to tackle Sproles and we most likely lose the game.
With the Ravens clinging to a five-point lead in the final two minutes and San Diego on their 23-yard line, quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 6-foot-2 Legedu Naanee at the goal line. Naanee had the ball in his hands for a moment, but only a moment. Walker, from behind, knocked the ball out of Naanee’s grasp when a catch would have given the Chargers the lead.
“That was a great play,” Harbaugh said during his Monday news conference. “He went up and got that ball out of the catch pocket about as well as you can do it. That was a huge play for us.”
Hate all you want but dude made a good play. We did go a little overboard but give the man credit, where its do. I’ll put more stock in his regular season play last year and this year, then him getting burnt in preseason games, where most fans seemed to turn on Walker every year.
Malor
I’m puzzled that you were a Walker backer until one day like a month ago when you did a total 180 and started hating. I have no problem with either viewpoint, but I think we are do an explanation of why one preseason game made such an impact on you, when he was playing in a position and scheme that you admitted were not his normal role. I can dig up some sweet quotes from you defending Walker, and ripping him the next day if you need a refresher… Please explain.
It was pretty obvious to me
he started drinking the good beer… sixer of Stella, I think…
You did
You and Malor had Willis’ back. I never questioned his talent, just his attitude and work ethic. It looks like John Harbaugh has finally reached Willis, and the results have been awesome.
If he keeps running this way, I would not be surprised for him to get more carries then Rice, here on out. Rice is deadly on screens, but Willis is the more well rounded back at this point, as he has the size to bruise up the middle, and the quicks to get to the outside edge. He has good hands as well.
Great to see both of them stepping up. Speaks volumes about the job Coach Harbaugh and his staff is doing.
I may have to renig my pre-season, pro bowl prediction for McGahee, though. I’m definitely guilty of over-looking Ray Rice. If it weren’t for his contributions, which are incredible, and talent, I would stand by the prediction for McGahee’s pro-bowl appearance.
Unfortunately for McGahee’s pro-bowl chances but fortunately for the team, the Ravens have two bonafide number-one running backs. I’m not upset at this… I’m ecstatic! Who gives a rip about pro-bowls? I’m thinking Super Bowl!
The combination is deadly
and wears out defenses like crazy. Combining those two with a 260 back who will run through the defense after Rice tires them out and Willis makes them slip off him as we get 4-5 yards per clip. Ouch, that must hurt!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
He stepped it up when we needed it.
But was only thrown to 1 time. I would say that if that ball were thrown 25 times, the WR would still catch it 20 times. We could really use Samari. And how come Lardarius does not get any time? I think Chris Carr is a terrible CB after seeing some of his tackle attempts yesterday. He needs to get his s*** together as a DB and returner.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Way to go Ravens!
Im sorry I couldnt hang with you guys during the game, and man oh’ man was it good! My voice is gone, my hands sting and Im on top of the world. Boo-freaking-hoo we gave up so much yardage…we won! And we got Cleveland at home next week!
How bout’ them Ravens!
Scott Hines
Secondary needs work, big time.
Putting Reed in man coverage is not the way he plays. He is not a man coverage guy what so ever, he needs to be playing zone at all times.
I think we let SD having 2 starting O-Lineman get to our heads and sent 6,7,8 guys at Rivers a little too much. This forced Reed to stick a WR and let the huuuuuuge WR for the Chargers go to town in one-on-one’s on our CB’s who are 5’10".
Take the win, need to work on discipline and getting a little more physical in the secondary. Rivers definitely should not have had 430 yards passing with that pressure we had.
I’ll take the win though. Lets go on home to B-More for some Brownies.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Reed can play Man coverage… and whatever the Ravens did with Gates it wasn’t terrible given the type of player he is.
We needed some way to support our corners though. Foxworth was simply overwhelmed out there.
So was Fabian
He had many balls thrown his way where his back was turned to the WR.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
fair enough
Unfortunately, we can’t assign a safety to every freaking player.
And give some credit to Rivers… his passes were beautfiul for most of the game.
Yeah, but
still was concerned wondering where Ed was on all those deep balls? And Dawan Landry has prvoed he is a great run stopper but coverage skills are not his game.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions
As a member of the Steeler Nation, I know i’m swimming in DANGEROUS waters over here but I want to congratulate y’all on beating the Chargers. The B-More Boys took care of business and we didn’t. But i’m looking forward to our clash on November 27th. Should be a slobberkoncker like always…..
How’s this for a house divided…. My girlfriend is from B-More and a BIG TIME Ravens fan and of course, I’m originally from Pittsburgh, LOL! BUT we live in Seattle and present quite the united front when the Seahawk fans talk smack about either team…..
Looking forward to some spirited conversation which you guys…..
Who ride? WE RIDE!
Funny story.........
Check out your open thread, the one with over 600 comments, look near the bottom…..
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
by Zachary Beard on Sep 20, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions
No NFC West team has a right to bash any team from the AFC North.
I’d defend the Freaking Bengals against them
Yea man
Seahawks are not great. Terrible running backs and a very overrated QB. I think the 49ers and Cardinals are better then Seattle.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
No Matt Hasselbeck is hurt - AGAIN!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh man.
You probably got some intense “cold stares” after those 3 matchups we had last season, lol. That would be rough.
Scott Hines
Actually....
The 3 matchups and the SB win are what brought us back together. She contacted me after the Super Bowl to congratulate us but she never called “The Steelers”, she always referred to us (and still does) as “your f%&king Steelers”…. If you can hear the constant jawing between us, you would think it was Ray Lewis and Joey Porter going back and forth…. Luckily, I have house bragging rights… for now….
Who ride? WE RIDE!
Ha.
Ive found that female Steeler fans are always easier to deal with. SO Im assuming the same works for you, in the opposite way.
Scott Hines
You cvould really piss her off
by saying you were thinking about “Big” Ben when you were….
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks stopping by.
Still early in the season and there are mannnnny more games to go. But we will bathe in the feeling of first place at least for this week. We have a very tough schedule ahead of us, including the Patriots @NE in 2 weeks.
This is a hostile group, but we enjoy good football talk. Your profile picture SUCKS by the way!
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Are we allowed to cuss on this Blog?
If not PLEASE don’t look at our last open thread.
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
by Zachary Beard on Sep 20, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
OH SNAP!
It didn’t dawn on me about my profile pic until I looked at it, LOL!
I hope you guys beat the unholy hell out of the Patriots, just like I rooted for y’all to beat down the Cowboys last year. You guys are our rival and we have our hatred but we also have that respect factor because we know what we’re bringing to the table… smashmouth, slobberknocker, hard-nosed football. The two baddest defenses in the land and gritty QBs going at it and seeing who folds their tent first… It’s those stinking glamour teams like the Pats and Cowboys that I absolutely loathe….
Who ride? WE RIDE!
Horrible photo
just painful to look at.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Undefeated teams who made it to the playoffs last year
Baltimore
Indy
NYGiants (for now, as I speak… Dallas is about to take a two score lead)
Atlanta
Minnesota (who got to play against the Browns and the Lions)
So much for that
At least I started Eli in my fantasy league!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
How about Kelly Washington as the leading WR boys?!?!?
Love the dance. Here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbzHdqUUFU&mode=related&search=
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Hauschka was big time for us today as well.
Man needs to get alot of credit for that kick at the end. That was the difference between us winning and losing. Good for him.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Gotta admit though
you were holding your breath on that one. And if he missed it, would they consdier bringing back my boy, Graham Gano? Doubtful.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Red Zone Play Awesome, Miss Rex Ryan
Ravens are awesome on O and D in the red zone for two games now. We can both run and pass it into the end zone. Heap is a TD monster.
D was doing better when they blitzed up the center and the replacement center versus blitzing the side and getting picked up the whole second half. I feel like Rex was better at figuring out were to blitz your five guys to confuse the offense. Watching the Jets game today was like watching Ravens games last year. That could be a tough playoff game against them.
Still, the D did force two interceptions. If they can stay a top five defense and the O stays at this level you are going to go far.
At least they were 0-fer
in the Red Zone. Everything was on big plays but our defense came through when they needed to in order to get us the big “W”
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Thoughts on the game:
The good…
The red zone defense looks nearly invincible. I was much more comfortable with the Chargers inside the Raven’s 20 than outside. Ultimately, this is what I believe won the game for the Ravens. They had five absolutely crucial stops inside the 20. The last stop ultimately won the game for us. The Chargers were 0-5 in red zone efficiency. WELL DONE.
The run defense also looks incredible. The best example of our run defense was actually the last play when Ray stopped Sproles behind the line. Their line was banged up, and the Ravens dominated the line of scrimmage like we thought they would. They only allowed 53 rushing yards.
The running game looks amazing. Just as I predicted this off-season, McGahee was running hard and had two touchdowns. Rice and McClain were also moving the chains. These three guys are all amazing, and will carry us far. Furthermore, our offensive line was incredibly dominate when run blocking. The Chargers were banged up, but it was still an amazing performance. The Ravens rushed for two touchdowns and 130 yards (4.1 per carry).
The offensive line may be the greatest strength of the Raven’s offense. I know that I’ve already mentioned the offensive line’s run blocking, but they deserve to be mentioned for pass blocking too. The Chargers were blitzing like crazy, and they could not get to Flacco. Flacco had plenty of time to throw and was rarely pressured. Our receivers may not be the best in the league, but the line is giving them plenty of time to get open. The offensive line only allowed one sack all game.
The bad…
Really… The only bad aspect of the Raven’s game was the pass defense. It was more than bad. It was down-right ugly. The Ravens dominated every aspect of the game except the pass defense category, and it was bad enough to nearly lose the game. Rivers had a career game. The Ravens defensive backs looked down right bad at times. They were beaten on the timing patterns, the deep routes and the jump balls.
The Chargers passed at will but could not seem to convert any pass under 20 yards. They were throwing the ball deep at will, but when they were forced to throw on a short field, they consistently stalled. Again, that is what ultimately won the game for the Ravens. Between the 20’s, the Chargers were flying up and down the field, but inside the red zone, the Ravens owned them. Ultimately, Rivers threw for 436 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
All in all…
It was a good showing by the Ravens against an elite, playoff-caliber team. I wouldn’t start panicking about the pass defense yet. Several big plays that the secondary gave up were due to bad play calls and confusion (Ayanbadejo had to cover Jackson on the touchdown reception). Lets face it… Mattison is still learning. He needs to get a handle on the coverages. Luckily, Chuck Pagano, the secondary coach, is working closely with Mattison. I believe that they will get it together. Obviously, our corners will always struggle with big receivers, but our defense shouldn’t be having many games like this. They will learn from this game.
by BAL_Hawk on Sep 20, 2009 10:34 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice, BAL_Hawk
We will get our stuff together on defense. Ray will NOT allow for that type of performance again. Also, if we can get Samari back in 4 weeks or so, that will help. I was a little disappointed at time of where Reed was on the field during plays. He did not seem to be his own self today.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Ray can’t make our Corners cover. Remember 2007?
We’re going to have to figure something out with them… but there’s time… This game seems awfully familiar to another week 2 game the Ravens played
Jesus Christ!
Jimmy Smith stat line for that game : 15 receptions for 291 yards and 3 TD’s. Has anyone come close to that? Chris McAlister always said that Jimmy Smith was the hardest WR he ever had to cover.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Is this the same one that got arrested for drug use?
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
by Zachary Beard on Sep 21, 2009 6:54 AM EDT up reply actions
The O Line
Just as a final comment, I think our O-Line is one of the best in the NFL right now.
Oh puh-lease!
Steelers o-line not in the top five or even ten. At least us, Giants, Cowboys, Saints, Colts, Titans,…want me to keep going,…are better.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ll take it as the highest form of compliment to Pittsburgh that you guys did not immediately realize I wasn’t serious.
When you're the Super Bowl Champs
you can pretty much say what you want….for awhile, though.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I was joking.
I know you guys line is horrible, but until it starts giving away games, which it has yet to do, theres no reason to panic. Not to say that some improvement wouldnt be appreciated. I was surprised that your line played a pretty solid game and special teams ended up being the killer. Similar to that game we played against the Chiefs.
Scott Hines
Yea I'll second that.
Pitts line being the best, that is. Yay Steelers! Way to get that L.
Scott Hines
pitsburgh!!!!!
There o line is horrid.. And wow are they in for a rude awakening this year. I can’t wait for it and for all my trashy steeler fan employees cry themselves to sleep for a week. Big gay bens time is over…..r
by lastcallbmore on Sep 21, 2009 3:05 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Check out flacco's TD stats already!
http://www.nfl.com/players/profile?id=00-0026158
He already has 5 touchdowns! about half of how many he had last year, And it is only week 2!
My final season TD prediction; 28-32.
If alcohol didn't exist the Irish would conquer the world.
LEWIS
mi boys (RAVENS) went to work on them CHARGERS
I cannot fathom
what Norv was thinking…If you look at that last play, it had no chance. A field goal would have made as much sense as trying to run it up the middle. Seriously, what the hell was he smoking? Chargers better watch out….they can only lose 7 more times and still hope to win the division….
"The ball always seems to find Ed Reed...The man is a menace
"
by UMBC Oriole fan on Sep 21, 2009 9:10 AM EDT reply actions
+1
Has proved over and over that he is a lot like Cam Cameron, Mike Nolan, Marvin Lewis and soon to be Rex Ryan. They are all good coordinators but not good coaches.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Im not really sure why
But I have no love for Rex Ryan anymore. All I can think of is how we lost all the big games because of his mastermind schemes. And all Im seeing is his turkee neck all over TV acting like an idiot, Rex Ryan’s D would have lost that game yesterday with time expiring, its just what we did. I think the announcers are playing a role in it too, because they basically make it out that the Jets are the )new) Ravens, like Rex Ryan just walked in, brought 3 guys we didnt really care to lose and now theyre the toughest guys in all of the land. And is it just me, or is Rex really trying to turn the NE v NY rivalry into a Ravens v Steelers type of thing, keep trying! ANd stop jocking Baltimore!
Scott Hines
Can't wait until someone flattens Sanchez
and confuses him like you know we could. Rex is a big talker and he knows he’s darn lucky the Jets don’t play our defense this year. Being in the AFC East is a dream compared to the AFC North, even with the Bengals (much better) and Cleveland (still bad) in our division.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Good game
It was a closer game than I thought it would be, and the Chargers played the way I hoped they would (not even bothering to run the ball). Our offensive strategy kept your defensive line in check, and a little bit of pressure mixed with good play from our secondary kept Flacco from lighting us up.
This game was won on the legs of Willis McGahee. I didn’t even know he was still getting carries. He had speed, strength, vision and blockers yesterday and the Chargers could not stop him. If they could’ve done that or scored in the red zone, we would’ve won. But the Ravens red zone D was superb and their running game was incredibly consistent.
As for that last Chargers play, which I can see is getting some heat……I think it was a good call. The Chargers had success throwing all over the field except the red zone. The announcers had just finished showing the Ravens having 8 guys in coverage. They shouldn’t have been looking for the run and they shouldn’t have had anybody close enough to the line to stop the run. Then Ray Lewis showed the Chargers why he’s a future HOFer and every bit the player Junior Seau was. His great read, reaction and hit does not make it a horrible call by Norv. Considering how awful the passing offense had been in the red zone up to that point, I don’t think there’s any worse chance of the Bolts picking up that first on the ground than through the air. Also, the Sproles draw play after a bunch of Rivers passing plays is what caught the Raiders by surprise for the winning TD last week. It’s a good call, it just didn’t work.
"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock
by John Gennaro on Sep 21, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Thanks John, but no offense
Seau is nowhere in the same class as Ray. Seau was a great LB in his time, but one of the best or even top five? I realize where he sits from a SD perspective, but overall, looking at Singletary, Butkus, Taylor, Lambert, Nitschke and Lewis,…sorry, no comparison.
hat surprised me on those last two plays is that they should have tried a fade route to either Floyd or Jackson or Gates and perhaps a run, but not on 4th down. Let the guys who got you there decide the game, and Sproles running the ball was not part of that. At least throw him a swing pass or on 4th down you DEFINITELY have to throw it into the EZ.
Thanks for stopping by, as you guys have a great site and knowledgeable fans, which we will be taking a break from seeing both next week vs. Cleveland.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
You're right
Junior Seau, 12 time Pro Bowler, isn’t even in the same league as Ray Lewis. I have better things to do than educate Ravens fans down, but here’s a quick statistical comparison:
Seau’s first 13 seasons (200 games): 1288 tackles, 11 FF, 16 FR, 15 INT, 47 sacks
Ray’s first 13 seasons (179 games): 1259 tackles, 12 FF, 15 FR, 28 INT, 33.5 sacks
Okay, so Seau is more durable and was sent on the blitz more often (more sacks) whereas Ray is less durable and plays more coverage (more picks). Chose whichever is your favorite (personally, I like the picks), but to say that “Seau is nowhere in the same class as Ray” is just ignorant.
"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock
by John Gennaro on Sep 21, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Ray Lewis demands greatness.
And he single-handedly organized one of the greatest defenses of all time. That same defense that won the SB back in 2000, his stats dont even tell half the stroy. Look at the guys he made all pros by simply playing next to him, look at them all without him.
Scott Hines
I forgot
that Ray Lewis is a one-man team.
Pro Bowlers playing with Ray Lewis:
P Boulware
R Woodson
M McCrary
A Thomas
E Reed
C McAlister
T Suggs
B Scott
You’re so right. Those guys all suck and were such flops after they left Ray Lewis.
Ray Lewis is great. I will admit that. So was Junior Seau. Ray Lewis and Junior Seau are equally great, or at least close to it. Ray did not build the SB team, Ozzie did. Ray is not the second coming of Jesus Christ, he’s just hyped up.
"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock
by John Gennaro on Sep 21, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Talk about being sour.
Ray Lewis > Junior Seau
but on a lighter note, I think I speak for us all when I say you’ve been a good guy to chat with John. And we will help you guys out as we expect you guys to beat the Troy-less Steelers with ease.
Scott Hines
by shines on Sep 21, 2009 12:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Thank you. You guys have been great.
For the record, I was never arguing that Ray Lewis isn’t better than Junior Seau. He is. Seau took a lot of risks that killed the secondary that don’t show up on his stat sheet, especially during his last couple of seasons in San Diego (when the team was awful and he was trying to win by himself). I just want Ravens fans to know that Ray is, in fact, in the same class as Junior Seau. Considering he’s a 12 time Pro Bowler and a future HOFer himself, that was meant to be a compliment.
"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock
by John Gennaro on Sep 21, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Understandable.
Were not used to an opposing team coming in here and complimenting Ray. As you can tell. This actually might be a first. Thanks.
Scott Hines
by shines on Sep 21, 2009 1:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Like MJ
Ray-ray elevated the play of those around him like no other. Jamie Sharper, A. Thomas plus others (Bart Scott will be the next added to the list) who left the Ravens, and went on to do very little. Except for Woodson, who is all-galaxy, all of those guys had there best years when they played with Ray.
While Junior’s stats are comparable to Ray’s, and Junior certainly had leadership qualities, I am not sure he elevated the play of those around him like Ray does. I agree with Bruce, Junior is probably a HoF’er, but probably not in the top five of all time, which is where Ray will end up.
Junior Seau is no where close to what Ray Lewis was/is in this league.
Seau was very, very serviceable and is one of the most reliable LBs in the last 15 years or so, but Ray Lewis is the best MLB to come into this league since Singletary. No one strikes fear in the opponent like Ray and no one leads their team to victories like Ray.
But good game, you guys are one hell of a team and with all your starters back in a few weeks except for Jamal Williams, you will be as tough to beat as anybody in this league.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Last Run Not Bad
1) Sproles destroyed the ravens all day long. Usually it wasn’t on handoffs, but he still destroyed us.
2) They only needed two yards.
Its not the chargers fault Ray Lewis is the best ever.
"...usually it wasn't on handoffs?"
Uhhh,…never was it on handoffs! On 4th down with he game on the line? Want it to be one of those calls when you make it everyone calls Norv and offensive genius? Sorry, either a fade route or a pass INTO the end zone. Let Rivers do what got him there. That is why Norv is known as…well a great o-coordinator – period!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Ray is awsome!!!
All of the players were terrific! I must say when Ray tackled or should I say smashed sproles, my husband jumped up out of his recliner. We have already been talking about Flacco being the next Johnny U. I look forwared to seeing more beatdowns from the Ravens.
I LOVE THE RAVENS!!!!!!!!
Thanks and welcome
to The Beatdown. Keep it here and look around and leave your comments!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Sep 21, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Still Charged up about Ray's play
Was trying to remember the last time I’d seen anything like it. Then I remembered – Ray looked like Bobby Boucher from The Water Boy. Well the play looked like it anyway, Ray’s a little bigger than Bobby.
I swear it looked like a cartoon or a movie – it was so unreal. Everybody looked like they were in slow motion as 52 was flying up the middle. Then it looked like was he took Sproles back 10 yards with the hit. What a beautiful and amazing play. Looked so great it looked fake!
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