SB Nation - Haloti Ngata

Packers-Ravens Retroactive Live-Blog

Mitchell_M — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:13:49 -0000

It's been two months since I've really been active on the site. For some of you, that is a terrible tragedy. For many, many more, it is a source of endless joy. But today I decided to cater to the minority and make my presence known by throwing a mini-fiesta with my DVR, a bowl of Reese's Puffs, and a strong pot of coffee.

Before we get going with the retroactive live-blog, let me just share some of the knowledge I've gained over the course of working for 80 out of a possible 168 hours in a week:

There are few things more traumatic than the transition from college-life to real-life. I imagine it's somewhat like being born, except you're slightly more conscious and slightly less sticky.

Unlike most co-eds, I worked my way through and avoided drinking my way out of school, but nothing can truly prepare you for the real world. There's chores? You have to do them, otherwise you're living in filth. There's bills? You have to pay them, otherwise a large Italian gentleman will break your ribs. There's family gatherings you'd rather not attend? You have to go to them, because you don't have the homework excuse anymore.

Real life blows, I'm going to grad school.
Trying to keep in shape? Don't work overnights. You will have no energy whatsoever during the daytime hours. I play basketball to keep myself in shape and satisfy my over-competitiveness, and I love it. But I haven't played in two months, and I've gotten noticably soft. Amazing, considering I've lost weight.
Dry spells. Guys, when women say that they're too tired, it's generally a toss-up between them actually being tired and not wanting to deal with you. When a guy says it? Definitely tired.
Caffeine has an odd effect after consuming too much for it. The most noticeable symptom is when you're lying down after finally getting home and you get the ringing in the ears. It keeps me up for at least half an hour, and my mom (who worked 3rd shift for over a decade) says it doesn't go away. Awesome.
Watching sports is a major hassle. Not only do I miss the majority of my Sunday NFL-watching, but working nights has ruined any chance I have of watching any NBA games during the week. DVR has been my best friend, but it somehow isn't enough.

On to the live-blog! I DVR'd this last night and watched it immediately as I got home. I did not check the score at any time on Monday night, and I have no knowledge whatsoever of the outcome. Enjoy!

Pre-game observations:

I forgot how cool of an environment Lambeau is on national TV at night. Other cities have their stadiums surrounded by other big buildings with big, bright lights, but Lambeau sort of stands alone in the still-tiny Green Bay. It's kind of cool, even though it's quaint.
Another thing I forgot? Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski are still in the MNF booth. Let's put it this way: it took roughly two minutes for Gruden to make the first (of what I predict will be many) "Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood" jokes. Ugh.
Ed Reed is announced as inactive for the game. Good timing to get the Ravens without their ball-hawk extraordinaire, not to mention good time by ESPN's cameras, who immediately cut to Reed spitting an enormous loogie. Between that and the beard, he looks like a homeless guy (who makes roughly 100,000x my salary).
Ray Lewis may have lost a step or four, but he's still quite the motivational speaker. It's like if Lil' Jon was coherent and dread-less.
The Nike Kobe and LeBron puppets are back. Frowny-face.
And here comes the Ray Rice love. Am I pleasantly surprised by my alma mater's best football product? Yes. Am I ecstatic to have drafted him (against my then-better judgement) in the ninth round of my keeper league? Yes and yes.

Alright, enough of that. Let's play some ball, gentlemen.

First Quarter!

15:00 - Green Bay receives, and Jordy Nelson avoids both tacklers and fumble-itis all the way to the 43-yard line. Decent start.

14:34 - A play-action draw pass? Sounds terrible, but it gained 7.

13:59 - So that's why we still have Brandon Jackson. Excellent scramble by Rodgers to find Jackson in the flat for the first down.

12:44 - Ravens call a timeout (symptom of missing Ed Reed #1), and the next thing we see is Jimmy Football. If someone were to kick him in the groin, I would not object. Extra points for wearing a Billy Mays mask and demanding royalties from Budweiser.

12:32 - ESPN shows a graphic illustrating Aaron Rodgers' awesomeness on 3rd down, and he promptly finds James Jones for a first down. Outstanding blitz pickup by both Chad Clifton (the blocker) and Scott Wells (the center).

11:22 - Korey Hall and Josh Sitton pancake Ray Lewis, opening a hole for Grant to gain a first down. In other news, Did you know that Ryan Grant is 8th in the league in rushing yards? When did that happen?

10:08 - ESPN continues the Rodgers love-fest by displaying his red-zone stats. Apparently, he has 30 TDs and 0 INTs over the past two seasons when inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Yikes.

9:17 - Mark Tauscher comes up with a tipped pass and gets tackled for a loss. I'd criticize his decision to catch it versus batting it down, but whenever linemen get the ball, they seem so damn happy. I can't ruin it for him.

8:41 - Mason Crosby nearly shanks a 28-yarder. The Green Bay offense stalls in the red zone again, settling for the "easy" 3. Sadly, neither are surprises this season.

8:30 - Le'Ron McClain's smile is hilarious. Mark Clayton looks like 50 Cent. I can't wait to see the offensive linemen.

8:30 - And for good reason. Not only is Marshal Yanda's name funny, but he looks like an uncomfortable 7th grader who hasn't gotten used to his new body yet.

7:40 - Good containment on Ray Rice in the flat, but not good enough. First down, Baltimore.

7:01 - Flacco tightropes for a just-barely first down after being flushed out of the pocket. He may have looked like an idiot doing it, but it was probably better than getting pasted by Cullen Jenkins. I'll make fun of him either way.

5:05 - Bad decision by Nick Collins to go for the pick instead of batting down the ball. Another first down for Baltimore.

4:18 - Well, a fumble recovery certainly absolves Collins of any wrongdoing on the previous play. Clay Matthews is closing in on the "if a huge defensive play happens he must've had something to do with it" status currently held by Charles Woodson.

4:08 - Ryan Grant tries to return the favor, but his right knee looked like it could be down. Maybe. Possibly. Could go either way. This time, it goes the Packers' way.

3:48 - A great play by Dominique Foxworth that was (un)fortunately flagged as interference. The replay shows a grab or two, but probably

3:39 - No matter, Rodgers throws it directly to Tom ~~I-can't-spell-his-last-name-unless-I-check-the-recap-which-will-ruin-the-ending~~ Zbikowski.

2:06 - Now that's how you commit pass interference! Thanks ~~Atari Bigby~~ Tramon Williams! /facepalm

1:52 - Nick Collins makes everyone forget about Williams' transgression by picking off an ill-advised flea-flicker pass into quadruple coverage. Yeah, Flacco shouldn't have done that.

0:00 - An underwhelming first quarter filled with above-average defense and one boneheaded interception for both sides. 3-0, Green Bay.

Second Quarter!

14:52 - B.J. Raji sheds a block and drops Ray Rice for a big loss. Lucky he didn't get called for face masking, but a good play nonetheless.

14:12 - Derrick Mason just barely misses a catchable ball to force 4th down. I thought veteran receivers were supposed to make that play? I guess having Donald Driver on your team gives you a skewed expectation for aging wideouts.

13:14 - Great adjustment by James Jones to come back and grab the ball for a first down. He's definitely taken control of the 3rd WR spot on this team lately.

11:59 - By my count, that's three catches in this game that Jennings should have had but failed to come up with. This troubles me.

11:55 - Punting inside the 50-yard line? Greg Easterbrook would be appalled, then proceed to write a 10,000 word article about it. Shoot, if I included random interstellar factoids, referred to certain teams by ridiculous self-coined nicknames, and added superfluous cheerleader facts that allowed me to post their photos, I'd be Greg Easterbrook.

11:13 - Trey Wingo informs us that Jimmy Clausen will be entering the 2010 NFL Draft. Brady Quinn advises him to stay in school.

11:06 - Charles Woodson gets busted for mauling Derrick Mason. The groping wasn't necessary, Chuck.

11:01 - Clay Matthews asserts himself all over Joe Flacco. Jared Gaither doesn't know what just happened.

10:21 - Offsides on Clay Matthews? Jared Gaither claims to know what happened on the previous play.

9:48 - I know Jordy Nelson was dynamite at Kansas State, but I haven't seen enough promise out of him to merit keeping him on punt returns. Then again, it's more important to keep Woodson and Williams fresh, and Will Blackmon made his yearly trip to I.R. early this season.

8:30 - Haloti Ngata owns Daryn Colledge to drop Ryan Grant at the line. I wonder how long until Colledge loses his spot?

7:51 - It's plays like this that got Frank Walker traded. Thanks for the yardage!

7:42 - Ahman Green exhibits remarkable blitz pickup to spring Jermichael Finley on a big gain. Mike Tirico noted this, and Gruden promptly refers to him as Brandon Jackson (twice!) before correcting himself.

5:08 - Jermichael Finley makes another big play, thanks to another great third down throw from Rodgers. First and goal, Packers.

4:35 - I'm no psychic, but as soon as I saw Finley split out wide, I saw the quick fade coming. Fantastic throw, outstanding catch, b-e-a-utiful play. 10-0, Packers.

4:35 - I just remembered my fantasy football situation. Going into this week, three teams in my division were 7-5, with me among them. I play one of them this week and the other next week, and the other already has his victory wrapped up. I'm up 130-24 in a game I need to win to move into a tie for first place and help secure a playoff spot next week (the final week of the season). My opponent has Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, and the Packers defense playing. I have Ray Rice. Man, am I glad that his other players (Adrian Peterson, Reggie Wayne, Ricky Williams) all laid eggs.

2:00 - The two-minute warning comes up, and Mike Tirico just got done "highlighting" the Packers' 38-28 loss to Tampa Bay. In the team meeting the described, he said that the offensive line stood up and said something to the effect of "hey, you have to help us out too". I hope I misheard him.

1:50 - Rodgers gets the first on a sneak, and a fight nearly breaks out because Brandon Jackson is protecting Rodgers from what he thought was a late hit. Whether he was right or wrong, it is nice to see that kind of fight in your team.

1:24 - Donald Driver goes flying, earning Baltimore its 11th pass interference penalty on the year, leading the league.

1:18 - Green Bay ruins the momentum by giving up their first sack of the game. /facepalm

1:09 - And Rodgers gets it right back with a 20-yard scramble right up the middle. I take back my /facepalm.

0:38 - Rodgers delivers a Jon-Gruden-Quarterback-Fraternity-Approved LASER to Greg Jennings' back shoulder. Nice, except for Gruden's rambling.

0:32 - Rodgers connects with Donald Driver for a score, punctuated by two acrobatic leaps by Driver (one into the end zone, one into the stands). The Packer fan in me is ecstatic: the fantasy football owner is frantic.

0:00 - A solid defensive stand by Green Bay keeps the shutout alive. 17-0 Green Bay, at the half.

Halftime observations:

None. I have to be at work again in 8 hours (as of 1 PM), and I haven't slept yet. But the score doesn't lie. This game is totally worth staying up for.

Third Quarter!

14:07 - I don't know how they practiced for the past week and a half, but Green Bay is absolutely starving Ray Rice. He's trying his damndest, but he can't make anything happen. Why'd I start him against the #1 defense again?

12:31 - Brad Jones notches a sack from the strong side. Rookie 7th round pick? No matter. Boring name? Who cares? Buried on the depth chart? Not for long, I hope.

12:05 - Ryan Grant doesn't gain a ton of yards on this play, but it looks as if he's churning his legs and fighting for extra yardage more than I'm used to seeing from him. Did anyone else notice this?

9:57 - Rodgers gets time in the pocket, makes even more time, dances around, and finally gets sacked. Somehow, the play is negated by an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty. It seems like one of those games for Green Bay tonight.

9:30 - Then Scott Wells gets called for holding. Yep, it's definitely one of those games for Green Bay tonight, even if the score doesn't reflect it.

9:04 - Wow, I'm going to stop complaining about stupid penalties. I almost feel bad for Ravens fans. P.I. number twelve on the year for Baltimore.

8:27 - Jermichael Finley re-injures his knee. Not at all happy to see that.

8:23 - Nice connection to Driver that results in a fumble that quite possibly could be ruled an incompletion, if it was reviewed. Blah, a 17-0 lead in the third quarter shouldn't be this frustrating.

8:01 - Jon Gruden: "Somebody has to rescue the Ravens' offense right now." Yeah, that's Ray Rice's job, and he didn't come in today.

7:50 - As if on cue, Ray Rice rips off a big run. Jon Gruden gets to feel smart, and I lose a little bit of my soul.

6:07 - Jon Gruden praises Charles Woodson's ball-raking ability. The adolescent-me giggles uncontrollably.

5:18 - "Nobody strips a ball like Charles Woodson!" Adolescent-me is now crying with laughter.

5:13 - Todd Heap drops a sure-fire 1st and goal, then Tramon Williams forces Mark Clayton to drop one in the end zone with a slightly-more sneaky arm bar. Illegal? Yes. Effective? Absolutely, that's why it's illegal.

3:35 - I don't know what the refs were talking about before this drive, but they are letting the defense play. You don't see many drives last this long against a defense that's getting away with everything.

3:28 - A free play and a Kelley Washington touchdown deflates the stadium. The play gets challenged, but I'm skeptical.

3:28 - Modern Warfare 2 commercial, set to Eminem's "Til I Collapse". Best 30 seconds of non-football I've seen today. Get that game, if you can handle it.

3:28 - Turns out that I was right; the score stands. Green Bay is out of challenges for the game, unless of course they used the item cheat and got one for free. 17-7, Packers.

3:22 - Evan Dietrich-Smith comes up with the kickoff. My immediate thought: "This cannot end well." Of course he fumbled, but Green Bay was lucky enough to regain possession.

3:14 - Jared Johnson gets an interception off of Driver's shin. I'm not liking this third quarter. Too much bad mojo.

3:07 - More bad mojo with Tramon Williams' P.I. in the end zone. Actually, this one is relatively tame compared to other plays the refs have allowed tonight (today?).

2:58 - Willis McGahee pushes his fantasy-irrelevant self in from the 1. Makes my Ray Rice decision feel even better. 17-14, Packers. /double facepalm

2:43 - Jennings manages a nice gain on a 3rd and 10 slant. I was just about to start considering wondering whether or not Green Bay was possibly maybe starting to lose it.

1:52- Ray Lewis nearly decapitates Greg Jennings, and the flag takes forever to come in. But it does, which is all that matters.

0:42 - A Mark Tauscher hold takes Green Bay out of the red zone the same way they got in: on the yellow cloth road.

0:00 - I knew this game seemed too sloppy to be a blowout. 17-14, Packers, but our guys are in scoring position.

Fourth Quarter!

14:50 - Mason Crosby shanks a field goal, leaving the drive with nothing to show for it. Same score, same story. I sure hope the defense can regain its first-half composure.

13:53 - Flacco unleashes the dragon deep, Derrick Mason gets past Charles Woodson and makes the catch over him, but somehow got called for offensive pass interference. At this point, I don't know which team is trying to give the other team more breaks, honestly. And an unsportsmanlike penalty on Mason is tacked on at the end of it. A huge gain turns into a huge loss in a heartbeat. 3rd and 32 (!).

13:05 - So of course Baltimore decides to run the ball and Ray Rice nearly fumbles. Green Bay gets the ball back with decent field position.

12:30 - And here comes the replay of the Mason interference/unsportsmanlike penalties. There was definitely a hook-and-push around Woodson's waist, and Mason follows up that number with a plea for leniency to the referee. Pretty standard, right? Nah, just kidding, he pretty much shouted in the ref's face, "What the f--- was that, man?" Yeah, that's a flaggin'.

10:31 - Jermichael Finley gets another touchdown after a couple of nice short passes to get within 20 yards. Aaron Rodgers' red-zone stats improve, Jermichael gets the "Mr. Monday Night" nickname, my fantasy team starts to quiver in terror, and the score jumps to 24-14, Packers.

10:21 - Ah, Green Bay special teams, you never cease to disgust me. A massive kick return puts the Ravens deep into Green Bay territory. Then again, how hard is it to juke out Mason Crosby? The goalposts do it to him on a weekly basis.

9:46 - Tramon Williams earns yet another pass interference flag in the end zone. I thought there was a cap to how many times a player could get flagged for the same thing over and over?

/conveniently forgetting the Ahmad Carroll era

9:30 - How? How? How does a cornerback make that play? Tell me how Charles Woodson just stopped McGahee when he had a massive opening to go through? Between that and flustering the Ravens to the point of calling a timeout, I'm pretty sure Charles Woodson should gain an edge for the DPOY award after tonight.

8:47 - Joe Flacco rolls nearly 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage, avoids a sack, and tosses it nicely into Tramon Williams hands. Mike Tirico exclaimed "That is terrible!" as the ball was still in the air! I cannot believe Flacco made that throw. Downright Bad Favre-esque. Kudos to Williams for not retreating into the fetal position after all the penalties tonight.

8:38 - Still trying to figure out the last three plays of that Baltimore drive. Tackle for loss, timeout, interception, all from within the 5-yard line. When's the last time Green Bay came up with that kind of stop?

7:12 - Baltimore's defense forces a 3-and-out as the King of Third Down and James Jones miscommunicate on a fly-stop route.

6:48 - Yeah, Joe Flacco's having a bad day. This time he throws it right into the hands of A.J. Hawk, who was quietly having another solid game (which is EXACTLY WHY WE DRAFTED HIM! FOR QUIET, SOLID GAMES!) before this play. Back-to-back interceptions for the Unibrow, and I'm almost sad to see it. Remember, my fantasy team is up 130-24, but I'm playing Rodgers, Finley, and the Packer defense while starting Ray Rice. The offense I can deal with, but this stifling defense is killing me!

6:00 - Ahman Green smashes his way to gain a short first down, and the running out of the clock commences. How much time can they milk from the clock?

2:56 - Turns out they can burn a whole lot of time. Interesting graphic on Green Bay receivers, going from Sharpe to Brooks to Freeman to Driver to Jennings.

2:15 - "Hey Coach Gruden, I found a pair of your old practice shorts." If there's a better setup for a pasty white guy wearing green-and-gold short-shorts in below-freezing weather, I've never seen it.

1:56 - Crosby avoids the shank-osaurus and makes it 27-14, Packers. Solid lead.

1:52 - Gruden brings up the possibility of a Vikings-Packers rematch in the playoffs. I say, don't get ahead of yourself, but the prospect of facing what might be a slowly-fading Favre, a possibly nicked-up Peterson, and a banged-up defense in Minnesota isn't nearly as terrifying as it seems.

0:29 - Fittingly, Clay Matthews chases Flacco down for his second sack of the day. Ted Thompson deserves all the slack in the world for having the stones to trade up for this guy. He could draft Jimmy Clausen next season and I'd still like him.

0:00 - The sack is the last play of the game, and the Packers earn the win, 27-14.

Post-game thoughts:

Not many, again due to my exhaustion. But I will say this: the offense played relatively well, Aaron Rodgers carried the team with his passing. The defense was stifling for much of the game, and Charles Woodson should be the front-runner for DPOY, and even in the conversation for defensive-players-who-deserve-the-MVP-but-won't-get-it-because-they're-not-a-quarterback-or-running-back (if he wasn't already). The playcalling was really well thought out on both sides of the ball, and the execution of many of the plays was awfully impressive.

But two things stand out as glaring negatives. First was the penalties. So many penalties. If Baltimore didn't flag it up more than we did, it would stand out more. Tramon Williams has a lot of talent, but he cannot ~~get caught using~~ use that armbar anymore. It simply costs too much yardage. And Chad Clifton needs to get his business together, because he's smarter than he's playing.

The second thing was the final score. 27-14 seems like a solid win, but with all of the opportunities that the Ravens gave up, it should have been a much wider margin. Playoff teams win games like this soundly, which the Packers did. They should, they're a playoff team. But championship teams beat their opponent senseless when they come up with as many takeaways as they did (4).

All that said, this is Green Bay's fourth straight win after falling to 4-4. You can't ask for a better setup for the final quarter of the season.

And my fantasy team? They hung on for a 137-80 victory, largely because I had actually started Rashard Mendenhall instead of Ray Rice. See what working third shift does to you?

Saturday Injury Report: Ravens at Packers

Brandon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:03:13 -0000

The Green Bay Packers have 11 players on the injury report including a few starters. It's even worse for the Ravens: several starters are among the 15 players listed.

The report includes CB Charles Woodson, QB Aaron Rodgers, and RB Ryan Grant, but all three players fully participated in practice on Saturday and should start on Monday. The most important player listed this week is LT Chad Clifton, who was limited in Saturday's practice, though Mike McCarthy said he did some team reps. I expect Clifton will play, but if he can't then his backup, OL T.J. Lang, is unlikely to play due to a concussion suffered in practice on Thursday. If neither Clifton or Lang were available, I thought LG Daryn Colledge would slide over to tackle, but McCarthy would rather leave Colledge at LG and start either OL Allen Barbre or OL Breno Giacomini at LT. The idea of Barbre at LT, after his disastrous stint at RT, is scary. LB Aaron Kampman is still listed, but there is no chance he'll play after tearing his ACL against the 49ers. LB Jeremy Thompson won't play after he spent Friday night in the hospital due to a neck injury suffered in practice on Friday, but McCarthy expects he'll be fine.

The Ravens have listed four key defensive players: S Ed Reed, LB Terrell Suggs, LB Ray Lewis, and DT Haloti Ngata. Reed wasn't able to practice until Saturday, but he expects to play. Suggs was expected to miss a month, but he said there is a chance he can play on Monday. Lewis might be slowed by his foot injury, but I haven't read anything to suggest he'll miss the Packer game. Ngata will play, but ankle injuries and defensive lineman are bad combinations, so he won't be 100%. The only other players who could miss the game are former practice squad S K.J. Gerard, and former Titans' practice squad player CB Cary Williams. TE L.J. Smith will miss the game too, but I think the Ravens can find a way to replace the 2 catches he's recorded so far this season.

The complete injury list is after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Saturday Participation	Saturday Status
Allen Barbre	T/G	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Probable
Ryan Grant	RB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Ahman Green	RB	Groin	Full Participation	Probable
Aaron Kampman	LB	Knee	Out	Out
John Kuhn	FB	Hand	Full Participation	Probable
T.J. Lang	G/T	Concussion	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Aaron Rodgers	QB	Ribs	Full Participation	Probable
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Neck	Out	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Saturday Participation	Saturday Status
Matt Birk	C	Ankle & Elbow	Full Participation	Probable
Prescott Burgess	LB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Joe Flacco	QB	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Jared Gaither	T	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
K.J. Gerard	S	Shoulder	Limited Particpation	Questionable
Jarret Johnson	LB	Not Inj. Related	Full Participation	Probable
Ray Lewis	LB	Quadricep	Full Participation	Probable
Le'Ron McClain	RB	Not Inj. Related	Full Participation	Probable
Haloti Ngata	DT	Knee	Limited Particpation	Probable
Ed Reed	S	Back	Limited Particpation	Questionable
L.J. Smith	TE	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Terrell Suggs	LB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Kelley Washington	WR	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Cary Williams	CB	Knee	Limited Particpation	Questionable
Demetrius Williams	WR	Knee	Full Participation	Probable

Pregame Zone Blitz: Steelers at Ravens

ncoolong — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:15:56 -0000

After a disastrous loss to the lowly Chiefs, and Cincinnati's equally disastrous loss to the even lowlier Raiders, the Steelers find themselves in a knock-down, drag-out fight for the AFC North title and a Wild Card spot at the same time.

PZB promises not to mention the phrase "let-down game" again.

The phrases "The Hated Ravens" and "Rivalry Week" will be used liberally, though.

It's so much fun to hate the Ravens, but frankly, there's so much to these games - hence the reason one of the two of them is always on Primetime. There's the fact that last year's AFC Championship game was the most physical in the history of the event. There's the excitement of knowing from the start of the playoffs it was going to be those two teams fighting - literally - for a Super Bowl bid. There was The Bounty, Sweed's smack on Corey Ivy (wait, he's a Steeler now...more on him in a bit), Clark vs. Magahee...and that was all one game.

Now, PZB is still recovering from the stomach punch he took when the Ravens traded up to select Hardcover Boy Michael Oher in last year's draft. I don't think I can even watch the movie, but The Blind Side is probably the most enjoyable book I've ever read. And he's a Raven...damn that hurts.

Anyway...so much to this game. Gotta love The Hated Ravens and Rivalry Week.

Here's what our opponents are saying.

Opponent Web Sites/Forums

Bruce with Baltimore Beatdown sums up the Ravens position against their arch-rivals quite nicely.

Let's remember, this is the best rivalry in the NFL.

The Baltimore Sun (best local team coverage of any paper anywhere) gets the Ravens' reactions to the classic "We'll start our own towel tradition!" bit.

Steelers receivers let out a sigh of disappointment when they find out Ravens CB Fabian Washington was placed on the IR.

Jason Whitlock calls out the Ravens coaching staff in his 10 NFL Truths column (No. 7).

Last Game

SteelerWife texted me during the fourth quarter, saying we had to leave right after it was over because she just threw up in the bathroom. We were with SteelerBro and future Mrs. SteelerBro, so not admitting to her ailment was paramount.

While I wasn't physically sick, that overwhelming feeling of hopelessness was setting in. The Steelers just weren't able to put the plucky Chiefs away. From the minute Pittsburgh's special teams allowed yet another touchdown - and we got the treat of seeing yet another return man run away from a hard-charging Stefan Logan from the end zone cam - the game didn't feel right. Up until the point SteelerWife summarized the game with a few violent heaves in the bathroom of McGovern's, I felt mentally sick.

We normally turn to our quarterback in those situations. He was completing passes, but there was a fumble after a completion by Mike Wallace, there was a ball that went straight through Heath Miller's hands, there was a bad throw in the end zone that was picked off and returned nearly all the way.

Then there was a defense that clearly wasn't on the same page when Chris Chambers waltzed like an elderly man in a ballroom dancing class 60 yards down the field to set up one of the stupidest losses in team history. We were leaving the bar barely before the kick was made.

SteelerWife got sick again on the way home. She got over it. I'm not sure if the Steelers will.

Opponent Spotlight: QB Joe Flacco

Flacco's numbers in his first three games against the Steelers made him look more like JaMarcus Russell.

Granted, if you take out the three games against the Steelers, Flacco looked like a star on the rise.

So far in 2009, he's struggled a little bit more, but his overall scope of work is pretty solid. Eight interceptions are too many for any passer, and it goes a little bit into why Baltimore is 5-5. He hasn't been particularly consistent, either. His last four games, his completion percentage has gone from 80 (win) to 56 (loss) to 72 (win) to 65 (loss).

He's had Player of the Week performances (at Minnesota in Week 6, 385 yards, two touchdowns) and Russell-ian depths (at Cincinnati in Week 9, 18-for-32, 0 TDs, 2 INTs).

Baltimore's defense has been banged up for a good portion of the season. NT Haloti Ngata and DE Terrell Suggs have both missed time this year, and CB Fabian Washington was just placed on the IR. The Ravens have relied on their second year passer to carry much of the burden this year, which is a shift from standard for the defense-laden Ravens. While Flacco has received a boost from All-Purpose Machine Ray Rice (1,248 yards rushing and receiving, seven total TDs), Pittsburgh is going to have harass Flacco much like last year to nullify their own injury disadvantages.

Steelers Spotlight: QB Ben Roethlisberger

(UPDATE: Maybe none of this matters, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer is reporting Roethlisberger will not play Sunday night.)

PZB doesn't catch knees to the head very often. What happened to Roethlisberger in Week 11 looked extraordinarily uncomfortable, but Charlie Batch's Lamar Latrell impression on an out-pattern, followed by his subsequent wrist surgery, makes Roethlisberger's injury look mild by comparison.

At least, that's the impression the team gave off this week. Batch's wrist injury moved Roethlisberger's concussion from "normal" to "mild," and all signs point to Roethlisberger playing Sunday.

That's the case in most people's minds, but Jason La Canfora of NFL.com suggests Ben may bench himself. Seems like a ridiculous notion, but it's worthy of mention, because if Ben doesn't play, the Steelers go into enemy territory with Dennis "Double-D" Dixon under center.

Even funnier, if Roethlisberger doesn't play, former mild Saturday hero Tyler Palko will back Double-D up.

Stranger yet, the chairs of the NFL's concussion committee resigned this week. Is there a connection here?

The last time Roethlisberger played the week following sustaining what was believed to be a concussion was in 2006 at Oakland. The Raiders managed all of 98 yards of offense, but returned two Roethlisberger interceptions for touchdowns. One of those came in the end zone, when CB Chris Carr took it back 100 yards for the decisive score in an improbable 20-13 win.

Should we expect Roethlisberger to perform similarly Sunday? It's a matter of at least some conjecture, but he's played some of the best football of his career against Baltimore. He's also played some of his worst. What we can definitely count on is a lack of rushing game. While it's likely Roethlisberger will be under center, and while it's not the same Ravens team it was a year ago, neither team traditionally runs well against each other, and the key is typically one defense's ability to put the passer on the ground.

Steelers NEW Spotlight: QB Dennis Dixon

Operating under the assumption that Roethlisberger will not play, let's take a look at Dixon, and what we know about the man.

He decided he'd be a better quarterback than a baseball player. So he's got that going for him.

His 3-yard completion to Hines Ward (his 800th career reception) in mop-up time in Week 17 last season makes him one of the few 100 percent completion passers in NFL history. Also a nice honor to have.

What's going to be critical for Dixon, however, is the element of surprise. Teams always have to be wary of the player of which they have no actual game film. Dixon hasn't played against any NFL starting talent (just the preseason taxi squads and the Browns), but those teams haven't seen him either.

The Steelers had the advantage of disguise as well. They could have had Ben running around a bit all week just to put out the idea he's going to play, but behind closed doors, preparing Dixon to start.

Plus, film study, practice reps, preparation...that's one thing. Getting one of the best athletes in the game out on the field with nothing personally to lose (no one expects him to win this game) can be an advantage - even playing on the road.

How quiet do crowds get on the road when Ben scrambles for 17 yards on 3^rd-and-9? How tired do defenses get when he avoids a tackle, buys some time and flicks the ball off to a running back for a 12-yard gain? These all seem to be right in the wheelhouse of a third-string quarterback with all-world athletic ability.

I See You

"Corey's presence here has nothing to do with insight, and more to do with his ability to make plays in the special teams game."

-Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

I see you, Corey Ivy. That's difficult to say, I'm not gonna lie to you. I've seen you with the Ravens several times over the years. I even saw you with the Browns. You're not someone I've seen positively yet in your career.

I see you now, though, because you've got a chance to get back in the game. There's a few coverage units that need desperate help. We allow kick return touchdowns like we're confused as to whether we're supposed to tackle or block. Our Nickel defense hasn't been great, either.

We need your help, Corey. I know, I Saw Donovan Woods last week, and he didn't exactly come through. But you're going to be the man this week. I'm going to tell you why, too. You didn't hate the Steelers after Limas Sweed laid you out in the AFC Championship game. You hated all the Ravens fans who cast you out. You hated upper management when they brought in Fabian Washington to essentially replace you. You just have to love the Steelers now. They're giving you a chance to go out and exact some level of revenge. I'm looking forward to the roar from Steeler Nation when you make a few special teams tackles, and you grab your place on this roster.

I hope you See it too, Corey. Really, I do. But we gotta watch your lowest low moment again. Sorry.

Key Stats

33 of Ravens QB Joe Flacco's last 53 passes have gone to Derrick Mason or Ray Rice.
Baltimore's offense has failed to score a touchdown in the first half of its last six games.
Rice is second among NFL running backs with 124.8 yards per game from scrimmage.
The 2009 Steelers defense is allowing 11 less rushing yards per game (69.2) than the 2008 Steelers (80.2).

Quick Hitters

I understand the sin of schadenfreude, but frankly, if anyone deserved the misery of dropping seven of his last eight, it's former Ravens coordinator now Jets head coach Rex Ryan. It's nothing against his players or Jets fans, it's the fact he had one full year of experience under a humble coach, John Harbaugh, and three games against another successful and humble head coach, Mike Tomlin, on which to build a career. Instead, Ryan acts like a complete pompous ass, getting in verbal back-and-forths with players on other teams. He calls out the Patriots before their Week 2 game, celebrates as if he won the Super Bowl when he defeating their arch-rivals, then complained after the Pats put a whipping on his team in the re-match. I have a world of respect for Harbaugh and what the Ravens have been able to accomplish. I'm glad to see, records aside, Ryan is no longer a part of this rivalry, but I sure wish the Jets were in the AFC North. I'd love to see Tomlin's reaction to anything that bloated jackhole would have to say.

Week Eleven Preview: Colts at Ravens

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:22 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and supposed John Unitas clone Peyton Manning (18) uses the Vulcan head touch to sap the knowledge from Senior Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore's brain. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

(Warning: This Colts v. Ravens preview is sans Mayflower trucks because, quite honestly, we've been there and done that. Most rational, civilized, well-adjusted people are over it already. Those that aren't need a life).

We made a big brew-ha-ha earlier this year about Baltimore native Barry Levinson's well produced but painfully flawed ESPN documentary titled ~~The Band That Wouldn't Let It Go~~ The Band That Wouldn't Die. The doc's story centered on the old Baltimore Colts marching band and their efforts to keep the spirit of football alive in the city of Baltimore after the Colts left town in favor of Indianapolis in March of 1984. ESPN probably should have waited until this week to air the doc, as it would have likely stirred up the fanbases in both Baltimore and Indy just in time for the now-seemingly annual Colts v. Ravens showdown.

Since 2004, the Colts have played the Ravens at least once a year. With this Sunday's game, the Colts will have played in Baltimore four times while the Ravens have traveled to Indy twice. In all the previous contests, the Colts have flat out owned the Ravens. Whether under the night lights of primetime TV, or in the pressure-packed moments of the playoffs, the Colts have consistently put their foot on the throats of the Ravens and strangled the life out of them each and every time.

Yet, despite the seemingly annual match-up, there does not seem to be any sort of animosity or hatred between the two teams. The reason for this: Peyton Manning. Baltimore fans and players seem to respect Peyton Manning more than any other QB in the league. I've heard more than a few fans from the "City of Firsts" say that Peyton Manning is as close to a clone of Johnny Unitas as they've ever seen. He even walks like unitas did, they say. There is also mutual respect from Colts players towards greats like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh (brother of former-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a longtime fan favorite).

With this year's match-up, the rivalry now has the added dimension of a potent Ravens offense, led by a very impressive QB named Joe Flacco, and a Colts defense that, right now, is playing better football than the Ravens defense has this season.

John Unitas; quite simply, THE man

Image: pictopia.com

First and foremost, I'm a huge Joe Flacco fan. He's a better QB than Matt Ryan, absolutely no question about it. While Ryan is a cool customer who shows an impressive knowledge of the game of football, there is nothing Ryan does better than Flacco. In fact, from what I have seen, Flacco has a better arm and has been able to do more with less than Ryan has.

The Ravens offense is one of the best in football, averaging roughly 25 points per game behind a passing attack from Flacco that has generated 12 TDs and only 7 INTs. The Ravens also boast an impressive ground game behind (arguably) the most under-rated RB in all of football: Ray Rice. Baltimore's rushing attack averages 4.3 yards a carry and has scored 12 TDs. Just like when the Colts had to travel to Tennessee earlier this season and shut down all-world runner Chris Johnson, stopping Rice and the Ravens ground game will be top priority for the Colts defense.

Raymond Berry, one of my favorite players of all time

Image: www.profootballhof.com

What has been odd of late has been the play of Baltimore's defense. Though they are only surrendering 17 ppg (ranked 5th in the league), there have been some games this season where the Ravens D has fallen way short of the high expectations we fans set for them. They lost three in a row in October, allowing teams like the Patriots and Vikings to score seemingly at will on them. They righted their ship by defeating the then-undefeated Broncos, but have been a bit erratic ever since. The recent loss of Terrell Suggs will hurt their D, and while they certainly miss the play of departed linebacker Bart Scott (who signed with the Jets this past off-season) you absolutely cannot discount a defense with Lewsi, Reed, and all-galaxy defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who is the cousin of Colts rookie Fili Moala.

Keys to the game:

Stop the run. In the Ravens two loses to their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore's running game was limited. While Flacco is certainly capable of flinging the football around with the best of them, if you take away the running game and force him to throw more than he is comfortable, the results are often turnovers.
Robert Mathis v. Michael Oher. Oher's story is certainly worthy of a movie, but even if he did not come from abject poverty, Oher's story as an impressive rookie is very much worthy of respect on its own. Still, with Dwight Freeney likely to get loads of attention, Mathis must beat Oher and pressure Flacco. Mathis' play Sunday night was a big difference, flustering Tom Brady and hurrying his throws. Mathis must have a similar impact against Flacco.
The Patriots focused their defense on Dallas Clark, and the Ravens might do the same. Ed Reed might glue himself to Clark in an attempt to take away Peyton's ace. The Colts must counter this by either moving Clark around (playing him outside, in the slot, or as an H-Back), dictating to the Ravens how they should cover him. Clark is currently third in the league in catches with 64 and 5th in the league in yards. Clark's a tight end, folks. I don't know if I've ever seen a tight end have these kinds of numbers.
Ray Lewis is a student of the game, and he is correct in his praise of the Colts running game. Indy has made it a point to stick with the run, especially in the fourth quarter. The results speak for themselves. For three straight games, the Colts have used good, smart, hard running to close out games in the fourth. With rookie Donald Brown back from his shoulder injury and Chad Simpson flexing his muscles a bit as a running back (36 yards on 4 carries last week), Joseph Addai might finally get some help carrying the load for this team. Also, the decision to start Kyle DeVan at right guard over Mike Pollak has made a difference. Running plays to the right are no longer the lost cause they were earlier in the year.

Gino Marchetti (89) was Dwight Freeney long before Dwight Freeney was Dwight Freeney

Image: assets.espn.go.com

Sunday's game will also feature the return of Ravens legend Matt Stover, who spent 13 seasons in Baltimore as their kicker. The Ravens let him go this past off-season, and it was a decision they now openly regret. Stover has been damn impressive filling in for an injured Adam Viantieri. Meanwhile, the Ravens cut the kicker they replaced Stover with, and are now handing the kicking job to journeyman Billy Cundiff.

After a whale of a comeback against the Patriots last week, traveling to Baltimore will prove another tough physical and mental hurdle for the Colts to overcome. They've done this kind of thing before this season, winning a thriller against the Dolphins and then going on the road to face the Cardinals, who they spanked in their house. This will be Indy's first road game in nearly a month. You could really say this is Indy's first road game in almost six weeks. Their last "road" game was at St. Louis against the Rams, where it seemed there were more Colts fans in the stands than rams fans. Indy's last true "road game" was Week Five at Nashville against the then 0-5 Titans.

This road test will likely prove a strong one for the Colts as the Ravens are a very good football team. For more insight into the game, please visit Baltimore Beatdown, SB Nation's outstanding Ravens blog.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Roger Goodell Establishes What the Fine Will Be If Dan Snyder Does Not Fire Vinny Cerrato

Sugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:45:10 -0000

In case you missed it, the Tennessee Titans owner was filmed giving Buffalo Bills fans the ol' bird from his perch on Sunday. If you aren't a Bills player, fan or employee--or Roger Goodell--you probably laughed your ass off. Goodell dropped a $250,000 fine on Bud Adams today...which leads me to my headline...because if Snyder does not fire Cerrato, he will be essentially flipping the entire Redskins fanbase the middle finger, and should be fined at least the same $250,000 amount.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

It's Dallas Week, so this week, instead of covering the league, I got 10 great memories of involving the hated Cowgirls. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it any particular order. Feel free to add to this collection in the comments section below.

1) Darryl Grant's catch of a Dexter Manley tipped ball and subsequent touchdown in the NFC Championship game in 1982. It is one of my earliest memories of watching the Redskins period. I was barely 5 years old. The win over the despicable Cowgirls put us in the Super Bowl and the television images of RFK rocking are burned into my brain. Box score here.

2) Lavar Arrington tracking down Troy Aikman and sending him to the broadcasting booth. I admit this is kind of a macabre memory to love, but this one is great for multiple reasons. First, after so many Sundays of getting burned by Aikman over the years, it was satisfying (and fitting) that it be the Redskins that ended his career. Guys like him would and could play forever but they usually get knocked out of the league. Troy made the right decision to retire and as it turns out, he is one hell of a television broadcaster. He is generally fair and even-handed when he calls Redskins games, though since he is on the "A" team for Fox, we have rarely gotten him over the years.

3) Darrell Green's last game as a Redskin. The miserable Cowgirls were in complete disarray that week. Dave Campo's job was in question and the players on his sideline had completely phoned it in. We probably had no business beating that team but they were so obviously out of sorts it was hardly a contest. Both teams finished with losing records that year, but the going away present everyone wanted to give Darrell was a home victory over the pitiful Cowgirls. Box score here.

4) Brunell to Moss twice in the 4th quarter on Monday Night Football. I sat in stunned silence as the seconds ticked away in a loss that most likely was going to cost us the season. I was at a bar in Bethesda and as some of my buddies were ready to roll, I told them I kind of had to watch the end of this one. I had to witness the final whistle on my hopes for the season. The first touchdown to Moss was fun, but that feeling in my stomach that it was too little, too late was impossible to ignore. Then...no way...a seconddeep ball to Moss? With the lead in hand now, I was left to ponder the sick joke being played on us all that night: we come all the way back in the last minute only to lose to a field goal at the last second. The ensuing defensive stop was awesome, and everyone went crazy. Every car on the street was honking and every passerby was high-fiving. Box score here.

5) I would like to take this moment to remember a few moments from the pathetic Cowgirls' history that did not involve the Skins. Both were playoff games, and both put BIG smiles on my face. The first was back in 1998, in a playoff game against the Cardinals. Jake "The Snake" Plummer led the Cards to a huge win over Dallas. I might be mistaken, but it could have been their first playoff victory. Have the Cowgirls won a playoff game since then? Maybe they have, but I am not so sure. The second moment was more recent. When the Cowgirls had the game in hand against the Seahawks in the 2006-2007 playoffs, Romo was set to hold for a game-winning field goal. The rest is not only history, it created a whole new vocabulary. In prison, they now say, "Don't 'Romo' the soap!" I tell my two year old not to "Romo" his bottle. Cell phone users hate it when their calls are "Romo'ed".

6) The blocked field goal/Sean Taylor return a few years ago. It was a pretty classic slugfest but with the score tied 19-19, we found ourselves on defense with the low-life Cowgirls driving to put it away on the leg of Mike Vanderjagt. I remember it all too well...Jason Witten absolutely abusing Adam Archuleta for a huge gainer to set up the last-second kick. Once again, I found myself sitting in my seat awaiting the inevitable. I did not have the best angle to see the block, and once that ball was loose, it was tough to tell who had the ball. But then there was #21, making his way for the game-winner. Everyone was going nuts...but even within the moment, I knew it was overtime, since the clock was ticking down to zero during the play. Sean Taylor's head-whip was visible from my seat. It was an obvious call. When the referee announced we were going to have one more play from the end of the penalty, it was as if he actually announced, "Everyone is going to get laid." Nick Novak...47 yards...ball game. Box score here.

7) Darrell Green chasing down Tony Dorsett on Monday Night Football. This one I did not see live. I have seen it a million times though and it always makes me gawk. Forget the game itself...in one moment, one of the greatest running backs in the league was shown to be very mortal, and an unknown, undersized cornerback put himself on the map forever.

8) Jason Buck pushing the center into Troy Aikman, forcing the fumble and the ensuing Emmitt Smith gaffe that led to the Danny Copeland touchdown. I believe it was the season opener, on Monday Night Football with Mark Rypien under center for the Skins. I was a hot pretzel vendor at RFKstadium in high school and I had a knack for making sure I was selling pretzels in a section with the best view of the action on the field. On this play, I was actually behind the end zone that the Cowgirls were playing out of, and I saw the whole thing unfold. Jason Buck lined up over the Dallas center and on the snap, he bullrushed the dude right into Troy Aikman who never had a chance. Emmitt Smith made a huge bonehead error by not covering the ball (did he try and throw it or just muff it?) and we recovered for the touchdown. Only thing is, the refs never saw any of it. Danny Copeland, who had recovered the ball for the touchdown, had run almost to midfield celebrating. The refs were still looking in the pile of linemen for the ball. Everyone was yelling and pointing at Copeland, who then ran back and showed the refs the ball. I remember thinking, "Are they just going to take his word in this?" We beat the sad-sack Cowgirls handily, but that was pretty much the end of the "good old days" era. I think that was Richie Petitbon's debut? Box score here.

9) Cooley's 3 TD performance in 2005 to propel us to the playoffs. Mark Brunell threw four total touchdown passes in a game where we absolutely dominated the detestable Cowgirls. It was one of the best games I have ever been to at FedEx. Drew Bledsoe threw three interceptions and Clinton Portis ran for 112 yards to go along with the studly performance from Cooley. Box score here.

10) I'll make this one last since I know that the wretched Cowgirls were barely trying, but in November of 2007, we grabbed the final NFC playoff spot by holding Marion Barber to -1 rushing yards and the entire team to only 1 yard rushing. They actually brought Tony Romo back out for a series in the second half but quickly removed him to prevent a certain injury. Our defense was incredibly nasty that day. Box score here.

On these, I certainly stand to be corrected on any facts I may have misstated. I am very aware of some of the older games played between the two teams that featured such greats as Ken Houston, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor...I am hopeful that those of you out there who saw these games firsthand will share your memories.

Give Me The Numbers, STAT!

PSSOM Notes...Well last week I pulled for Jim Zorn to be given another year and we had quite the lengthy discussion about it. Nothing quite as controversial about this week's edition I'm afraid. It seems though that some of my article titles are not getting through to folks. Seriously, the fact that even one person "corrected" the Animal House reference yesterday is embarrassing. Last week, one poor soul didn't get the Def Leppard reference in the title of this weekly piece (this marks the 14th edition of the PSSOM series.) We need to do better. Finally, we have to stay positive after the big win and prior to the showdown in Dallas, but we can't just forget altogether the joke of a front office we have. If we reserve all commentary on that subject for losing weeks we not only come off as whiners, we become no better than mindless kittens, distracted by the ball of yarn that is each win. I'll keep it simple and I'll keep the message on point. The following list represents a possible example of a good front office--do your own compare and contrast with Vinny Cerrato's reign of terror:

Notable First Round Draft Picks

1996 - T Jonathan Ogden
LB Ray Lewis
1997 - LB Peter Boulware
1999 - CB Chris McAllister
2000 - RB Jamal Lewis
2001 - TE Todd Heap
2002 - S Ed Reed
2003 - LB Terrell Suggs
QB Kyle Boller
2005 - WR Mark Clayton
2006 - DT Haloti Ngata
2007 - G Ben Grubbs
2008 - QB Joe Flacco
2009 - T Michael Oher

By the way, I counted and these men have combined for 39 Pro Bowls. That does not include any from Haloti Ngata, who will get his fair share I am sure. I don't particularly care for the Ravens, but Ozzie Newsome is simply a class act. Every pick may not be a Hall of Famer, but only one of these guys didn't pan out (Boller). You want to hear the worst part? They have a stated rule that every year they draft at least one offensive lineman. Now, I don't know how that has worked out each year, but holy crap is that a refreshing philosophy.

Image via www.shwiggie.com

Ravens Fall Flat: Now What?

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:03:14 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) heads upfield against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson (95) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

View full size photo »

When the Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Denver Broncos last week, most people, including the oddsmakers, thought the Ravens' defense from last year had returned and that we would put a revenge beating on the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday after losing so embarassingly in the teams' first meeting, won by the Bengals 17-14 a month ago.

However, neither the Ravens, their fans or the oddsmakers realized that the Bengals weren't buying any of that, proving that their first victory was no fluke by doing almost the same thing in dominating the Ravens yesterday at home 17-7. While Cincinnati had to pull out the victory in the first game in the final seconds, this one was pretty much over in the first quarter, when the Bengals scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead that blossomed to 17-0 by halftime.

The Ravens scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter and even had a chance to cut the Bengals lead to one score late in the game, but placekicker Steven Hauschka missed another critical field goal attempt that now has his job in serious jeopardy. At the same time, there should now be a bunch of positions that players' jobs should be in jeopardy as well, as the Bengals once again beat the Ravens in just about every phase of the game, starting with the trenches on both sides of the ball.

On offense, Cincinnati pushed Baltimore's front wall three and four yards backwards on every rushing attempt. Fans can complain all they want that we missed the injured Haloti Ngata, but the exact same thing happened in the first game when Ngata was healthy. The Bengals offensive line protected QB Carson Palmer perfectly whether we blitzed or not. When we didn't blitz, he sat back and waited until one of his receivers got open and hit him in the numbers, including a couple of circus catches by the big mouthed 85 guy who certainly backed up his words. In the few times we did blitz, the Bengals picked it up enough and there was always a wide open receiver to bail Palmer out. How many times did you notice our cornerbacks falling and slipping while the receivers made cuts and caught the ball for key first downs on their first two TD drives?

Defensively, we couldn't open holes for RB Ray Rice nor protect Joe Flacco. When Cincinnati blitzed, the pocket collapsed and Flacco couldn't find the open receiver anyway, as the Bengals secondary blanketed our receivers all day. Both Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph played their best games of their seasons in our two meetings, effectively taking Derrick Mason out of the game and frustrating Flacco into throwing interceptions to take away any momentum that we might be on the verge of.

So now what? Looking at the remaining schedule and the way we've played with our backs against the wall, it appears two things are becoming clear. First of all, the Denver Broncos must have either played a terrible game in losing to us or they are merely pretenders and will get their clocks cleaned by a better Pittsburgh Steelers team tonight. Secondly, if we continue to lose the key games we need to win against the better teams in the league, we will finish no better than 8-8 this year. At this point, the games against Indianapolis, Pittsburgh (twice) and at Green Bay on MNF in the bitter cold all look like probable losses and if so, then the remaining games against Clevelnad, Chicago, Detroit and Oaklnad better be wins or a sub-.500 season is a very real possibility.

Time to see what is truly inside the Ravens hearts and heads and how, much less if, they can recover and salvage what is turning out to be such a disappointing season when there was so much promise.

Ravens Friday Injury Report & Game Status

Bruce Raffel — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:23:41 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk sits on the bench with a cut on the nose during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass). NOTE: Birk is NOT on the Ravens Injury Report.

Browse more photos »

The Baltimore Ravens released their final injury report after Friday's practice, which includes the players' game status for Sunday. Good to see that there are no Ravens listed a s"out" although Haloti Ngata still did not participate today, which makes his status very uncertain for Sunday.

Long snapper Matt Katula practiced today, which was also good news. I was a little surprised to see the long snapper listed as injured for an elbow problem. Ironically, I was reading my October issue of Playboy Magazine and specifically the article called "Bad to the Bone," about the Oakland Raiders of the '70's, considered the meanest, dirtiest, cheatingest team ever to win the Super Bowl. In the article, Raiders long time center, Jim Otto talked about his injuries and also doubled as the team's long snapper.

(See more about the Oakland Raiders' Jim Otto's comments after the 'Jump')

Otto said in the article:

"I did every snap for 308 games in a row. Long snaps, too. I practiced those till I could get the ball to the holder in seven tenths of a second, spinning just right so when he caught it the sweet side of the ball - the side away from the laces - was facing the kicker. I made every snap for 15 years. I played with broken fingers, ribs, a broken jaw, kicked-in teeth and pneumonia, and I broke my nose more than 20 times. I've had more than 50 surgeries, 12 knee replacements, two artificial shoulders. I broke my back twice and then, in 2007, had my right leg amputated. But I understood the risks when I played. It was worth it."

Guess Matt Katula's injury no longer sounds so bad. Toughen up, Katula!

Ravens' Thursday Injury Report

Bruce Raffel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:54:34 -0000

Once again, there are no players listed on the Baltimore Ravens Injury Report as "out" after today's practice. However, long snapper Matt Katula (elbow) and DT Haloti Ngata (ankle) still are on the "Did Not Participate" list, which is not good. You almost never hear about the long snapper unless it is not good. It is also my recollection that our backup long snapper is none other than,....wait.....Willis McGahee! Is that silence and staring you are doing right now? That is not a typo, as McGahee was taking reps at the long snapper position in Training Camp and might indeed be Katula's backup. Time to cross your fingers, right? Ngata's ankle is not looking good but we are still pretty deep at defensive tackle but then again, how do you replace one of the two or three best DT's in the game so easily?

The following players were limited in participation Thursday: Todd Heap (ankle), LeRon McClain (shoulder), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Tom Zbikowski (illness). On yesterday's Injury report but practicing today were Prescott Burgess (illness), Jarret Johnson (shoulder) and Frank Walker (illness).

Practice Report: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

Kirkendall — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:52:16 -0000

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Jeremi Johnson (knee)	LP	LP
S Tom Nelson (shoulder)	LP	LP
S Roy Williams (forearm)	LP	LP
RB Bernard Scott (knee)	FP	FP
T Andre Smith (foot)	FP	FP

RAVENS	WED	THUR	FRI
LB Prescott Burgess (illness)	DNP	FP
LS Matt Katula (elbow)	DNP	DNP
S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	DNP	LP
DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	DNP	DNP
CB Frank Walker (illness)	DNP	FP
S Tom Zbikowski (illness)	DNP	LP
TE Todd Heap (ankle)	LP	LP
RB Le'Ron McClain (shoulder)	LP	LP
LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)	FP	FP

Wednesday Injury Report

Bruce Raffel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:58:20 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens released their Injury Report for Wednesday. While there is no one listed as "out" for the game, the list of "Did Not Participate" is unusually long for the team, but should be pared down as the week progresses. So far the following players did not participate in Wednesday's practice:

Prescott Burgess (illness), Matt Katula (elbow), Haruki Nakamura (chest), Haloti Ngata (ankle), Frank Walker (illness), Tom Zbikowski (illness).

Todd Heap (ankle) and LeRon McClain (shoulder) were listed as "Limited Participation." Stay tuned for daily updates and changes as they occur when I receive the reports for Thursday, Friday and Final Game Status direct from the team.