SB Nation - Terrell Suggs

Tuesday Notes: Kevin Smith to Have Surgey on Injured Knee

Sean Yuille — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:26:07 -0000

As mentioned in a FanShot, Kevin Smith is out for the season and will have surgery on his injured knee. Smith has "at least a knee ligament injury," but Jim Schwartz cautioned that multiple ligaments could be damaged. The thing is that we won't know for sure until Smith actually has the surgery and doctors can get a better look at it. It is very common for other ligaments to be damaged at the same time as the ACL, so there is definitely a chance that Smith could have injured his MCL or PCL as well. Let's hope it was only his ACL, but Schwartz certainly didn't sound too optimistic on Monday.
Louis Delmas left Sunday's game fairly early on after re-injuring his ankle. Schwartz didn't discuss just how severe the injury might be, but he didn't sound too concerned, either, saying that he was "encouraged by the tests that have come back." Let's hope the injury isn't anything big and he will be back against Arizona.
Longsnapper Don Muhlbach left Sunday's game after hurting his arm and also possibly sustaining a concussion. He actually was on a cart on the sideline, and Schwartz officially declared Muhlbach's status as "up in the air." Dominic Raiola did a decent job filling in for Muhlbach, though the snap on one field goal was a bit low. I don't know if the Lions will just have Raiola handle the longsnapping duties if Muhlbach can't play this week or if they will bring someone else in, but you would think with a week of practice Raiola could do a good enough job to take over for Muhlbach for another game.
Based on what Jim Schwartz said on Monday, I wouldn't expect to see Aaron Brown returning kicks anytime soon unless there is an injury to Derrick Williams.
Baltimore's Terrell Suggs insinuated that the Lions, specifically Terrelle Smith, went after his injured knee on Sunday.
An "uncut" video of Matthew Stafford mic'd up during the final moments of the Browns game has been posted on NFL.com.
Bill Ford Jr. is too busy with Ford to deal with the Lions now-a-days. Specifically, he said that he is "quite out of touch" with what's going on with the Lions.

Packers Outlast Ravens

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:18:13 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

10 days ago: Baltimore Ravens' Todd Heap can't hold onto a pass as he's hit by Green Bay Packers' Brandon Underwood during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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Trying to be nice about it with the title of this post, but "outlast" might not have been the most accurate word to describe the way the Baltimore Ravens lost 27-14 tonight. With almost as many penalty yards as offense, the Ravens were given a couple of gifts in the form of pass interference penalties in the end zone that gave them the ball at the one yard line. However, they still only managed one TD with that field position, thanks to the 4th Red Zone interception in a close game that the team could have won but lost. Once again, the Ravens fail to beat a playoff contender when the game was on the line. Not since the early part of the season have the Ravens even looked like a playoff team andtonight the Packers exposed their weaknesses time and time again.

With Packer QB Aaron Rodgers seeing poor coverage schemes and exploiting them, the Ravens lack of a pass rush came back to haunt them like everyone said it would. The game would be based on the Ravens ability to harass Rodgers and they could not get to him and he made them pay. There is a huge difference between these two teams and perhaps the only thing they do have in common is the embarrassing amount of penalties that had this game the second most combined penalty game in NFL history.

Perhaps it is time to stop with all the post season talk for the Ravens. They are now on the outside looking in, tied with enough teams to have to rely on others to help them get in. Even if they did, they'd most likely be one and done,as their offense is so vanilla and the defense has so many holes that not even Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs could have made the difference tonight.

No, once again, when they started so poorly and were shut out in the first half, they had a chance to come back from a 17 point deficit until Joe Flacco threw them out of the game with another poor Red Zone interception. His mistakes in this game, be it the decision to throw when he shouldn't have, or not throw when he should have, cost the team the chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Unfortunately, Flacco's poor decision-making mean that this team is exactly what their record states they are, and at 6-6, that is just an average team - at best.

More tomorrow.

Pre-Game Warm Up: Ravens at Packers

Brandon — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:13:05 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

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I'm at the Green Bay Packers game tonight, so I'll be freezing in the 20 degree weather along with the other 72,000 fans in attendance. Section 346 rules!!!

They finally placed LB Aaron Kampman on I.R, and signed practice squad rookie LB Cyril Obiozor. I'm not sure whether he'll be active, but I expect he'll be inactive and not included as part of the active 45.

There's not a more recent update about Ravens' S Ed Reed, but I expect he'll start. However, Ravens LB Terrell Suggs did not travel to Green Bay, and he obviously won't play.

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

Preview: Ravens at Green Bay Packers

Brandon — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:00:29 -0000

by Tony Dejak - AP

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This is going to be a good game. On paper, the Green Bay Packers seem to be the better team, but it's not a huge advantage. The Packers are favored by 3, but it's probably a pick if this were played on a neutral site. Every play is going to count, and any missed opportunity might be the reason someone loses.

The official team rankings (based on yardage) from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	11	6	4	6
Ravens	14	13	6	12

RB Ryan Grant vs. the Ravens run D. Opposing running backs are only averaging 3.5 yards/carry against the Ravens. While this makes it appear that the Ravens have the advantage, it's been hard to predict how Grant will play lately. The offensive line was great at opening running lanes against the 49ers excellent run defense, but they didn't help him much against the Lions when he only had 3.1 yards/carry. Also, the 49ers run a 3-4 defense, just as the Packers and Ravens do, so since the Packers see the 3-4 in practice, maybe that gives them some advantage against a 3-4 defense during a game.

QB Aaron Rodgers vs. the Ravens pass D. Based on the yardage rankings, this looks like a matchup that would favor Rodgers. But the Ravens have held opposing QBs to a rating of 79.0, with 12 TDs (12th fewest) and 12 INTs (7th most). Their pass defense is currently ranked No. 5 overall by Football Outsiders, which would be the best pass defense he's faced so far this season. Though they have lost both starting CB Fabian Washington (torn ACL) and star pass rusher LB Terrell Suggs (torn MCL) in recent weeks. Those injuries are similar to what the Packers have gone through, except LB Aaron Kampman is gone for the season and Suggs should return later this month. In their 2 games without Suggs, who has 3.5 of their 21 sacks on the season, the Ravens were without a sack against the Colts or Steelers, which should help the struggling o-line avoid any disaster. This is a tough matchup for Rodgers, but he's been good to outstanding in every game this season and I wouldn't bet against him.

RB Ray Rice vs. the Packers run D. The Ravens ran the ball a lot in 2008 (37 carries/game), but not nearly so much in 2009 (27.5 carries/game). But their yards/carry has actually gone up from 4.0 to 4.2, in large part to the outstanding season by Rice. I'll still pick the Packers great run defense to win this battle because they haven't struggled against an opponent since RB Cedric Benson's big game in week 2.

QB Joe Flacco vs. the Packers pass D. WR Derrick Mason and RB Ray Rice are having great seasons, and are the leaders in their passing game. Unfortunately they aren't getting much help from the rest of their receivers, though WR Mark Clayton had a great game against the Steelers last week. Football Outsiders has the Ravens pass offense ranked No. 12 overall, but the Packers pass D is ranked No. 3 by them. This looks like a matchup that would favor the Packers, but with two contrasting points. Flacco has a 90.2 QB rating with 13 TDs and 8 INTs, which is similar to QB Carson Palmer (86.7 rating, 15 TDs, 8 INTs) and he threw for 3 TDs against the Packers, in Lambeau, back in week 2. However, that was the first and only game started by SS Aaron Rouse, who was so bad he was released shortly after the game. If the forecast for snow holds up, that might throw all those stats out the window.

Special teams and penalties. Though Mike McCarthy won't admit the special teams have been a disaster in 2009, they've been a disaster. The Packers have been getting killed by hidden yards lost on sacks, special teams, and penalties all season. The sacks might not be a problem, as I noted above, the Ravens haven't had a sack in three weeks. The Ravens special teams have been generally good this season, and they recently signed K Billy Cundiff to have fix their only significant weakness: FG attempts. The Packers will lose at least some yards to the Ravens on special teams. Though the Packers have been awful with penalties this season (66.4 yards/game), the only team worse is the Ravens (66.6 yards/game). This has been an area that's killed the Packers this season, but the Ravens can only expect a slight bump from it.

If the snow turns this game into another HD Bowl (aka 2008 playoff win over the Seahawks) I've got no idea how it could turn out. Which ever team can control the line of scrimmage will win a snow game. Assuming there's no snow, this is still a game I expect the Packers to win. Packers 24, Ravens 17.

Winning, Regardless of How, Still Beats Losing

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:37:27 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

18 days ago: Baltimore Ravens' Billy Cundiff (7) is congratulated by snapper Matt Katula, left, and holder Sam Koch, right, after kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Baltimore. The Ravens won 20-17 in overtime. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Prior to last nights 20-17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens had lost five of their last seven games, some of them in classic 2009 Ravens' frustrating fashion. Therefore, winning a game, any game, much less one over their hated AFC North division rivals, feels pretty good by my standards.

Even without their top offensive and defensive players, Pittsburgh is still a tough team and played well enough to keep the game close and even had a chance to win it in the extra session. But the Ravens, faced with certain elimination from any real chance at playing in the post season, persevered and with a little help from a couple of rookies and a couple of second year players, pulled out the win off the foot of new kicker Billy Cundiff.

Rookie CB,Lardarius Webb, pressed into starting due to a season ending injury to Fabian Washington last week, almost ended the game with an interception but just couldn't hold onto what would have been a pick-six. Seldom used rookie LB Paul Kruger, who is also getting playing time due to Terrell Suggs' injury, made the totally unexpected interception in OT and ran the ball back deep into Steelers territory. From there, it was just a matter of seconde year QB Joe Flacco handing it to 2nd year RB, Ray Rice, to get the ball into better field position centered for the game winning Cundiff FG.

A lot of fans will say the team looked boring and flat and should have won this game going away. Remember, other than Troy Polamalu, this was the same Pittsburgh defense that shut down the Ravens three times last season and would know they needed to have a solid game to help their offensive issues. Third string QB Dennis Dixon had a great game up until that final interception, passing for one TD and running for another. Overall, the Steelers offense moved the ball pretty well, especially on the ground. One might have thought that the Ravens defense would do whatever it took to shut down the Pittsburgh running game and force Dixon to beat them through the air. However, that didn't happen as the Steelers ran for 153 yards, with 95 from Rashard Mendenhall.

Offensively, the Ravens might have looked boring and inefficient, but they still racked up decent yardage on the ground (132 yards), led by Rice's 88 yards and through the air on Flacco's 23 for 35 for 289 yards and the one TD pass to Derrick Mason(7 receptions for 62 yards). Wide receiver Mark Clayton had one of his best games of his career, catching seven passes for 129 yards, including a great catch off of a long bomb of 54 yards.

All in all, the win keeps us int he playoff hunt and looking at our competition for the post season, we now have the ability to control our own fate. Continuing the progress will require going up to Green Bay to face the Packers next Monday night in what will be the first night game in December in Green Bay history. Why is this? Because it's so damn cold there this time of year, so why do our Ravens get the honor of dealing with those elements? That should be a great game against a very good offense and a Packers team that has played pretty well the last few weeks and are chasing a post season berth themselves. More will follow on the Packers game but for now we can dissect and debate the Ravens win over the Steelers last night, a phrase we haven't uttered for well almost two years now.

Uninformed Recap: Ravens Beat Steelers in OT, 20-17

Brandon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0000

The Steelers at Ravens game was a twofer. Here's the boxscore. It had 2 of the Green Bay Packers' next 3 opponents.

In between their games against the Ravens and Steelers, the Packers play the Bears in Chicago. I watched a little of the Bears at Vikings game, but what I did see was ugly (for the Bears). Their defense has looked bad for weeks, and they couldn't do anything to stop the Vikings. 537 yards for the Vikings, and the Bears only had 169. In the 2nd quarter, despite their meager offensive performance, the Bears drove twice into Vikings territory, only to watch QB Jay Cutler throw back-to-back drive killing INTs. And why did they give up their (high) 2nd round pick in 2010 for DE Gaines Adams? He only has 3 tackles in 6 games.

As far as the Steelers at Ravens game goes, my recap is uninformed because I don't know a lot about either team. They both have great defenses, through week 11, according to Football Outsiders, the Steelers had the No. 3 defense and the Ravens' D was No. 4.

The Steelers were able to run straight up the middle, which was where RB Rashard Mendenhall, who had 24 carries for 95 yards (4.0 YPC), went every time he carried the ball. The Ravens D might have lost a step. Just as the Packers have lost Kampman and Harris, the Ravens have lost their top pass rusher, LB Terrell Suggs (torn MCL), and a starting cornerback, Fabian Washington (torn ACL). But the Steelers were forced to start 2nd year QB Dennis Dixon, his first career start, and he was just overmatched. On the Steelers final offensive play, Dixon misread a zone blitz and he threw an INT right at the Ravens' rookie defensive lineman. Overall, Dixon only completed 12 of 26 attempts for 145 yards, but you could tell at times during the game that the Steelers offensive coordinator had lost some faith in him.

The Ravens offense is built around getting the ball to WR Derrick Mason and RB Ray Rice. Though WR Mark Clayton had a big game, 7 catches for 129 yards, that was due in large part to the awful coverage by Steelers CB William Gay. Mason is still a good, Donald Driver type receiver. Rice is an explosive playmaker and he's maybe even more dangerous as a receiver. I don't see how any team can cover him with a linebacker. Despite generating 393 yards of offense, it was boom-or-bust. Most of that yardage came on their 3 scoring drives, while the rest of the time they struggled and were forced to punt 6 times. Their offense isn't any better than the Vikings or Cowboys.

And while the Packers are still No. 1 in most penalty yards allowed per game, the Ravens are a close 2nd. They had 9 penalties for 80 yards against the Steelers, including a killer special teams penalty that erased a huge punt return near the end of regulation. If that return hadn't been called back, the Ravens would likely have kicked a late game winning FG, instead of having to win in OT.

The Packers and Ravens are two comparable teams, and both teams need to keep winning to keep pace for a wild card spot.

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.

The Colts win, but are "outplayed" by the Ravens?

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:50:08 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

25 days ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning turns to hand off the ball as Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Kelly Gregg closes in during the fourth quarter of the Colts' 17-15 win of the Ravens in an NFL football game, Nov. 22, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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From Paul Kuharsky:

And so concludes a full month of less-than-stellar play from the Indianapolis Colts.

I think it’s a bad thing for the rest of the NFL that the Colts have managed a 4-0 record over those four weeks.

In many ways, they were outplayed Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Just like after narrow wins over San Francisco, Houston and New England, there are issues that will show up in meeting rooms back at team headquarters, but not in the standings.

I've stated again and again how much I love Paul Kuharsky, but these first few lines in his Rapid Recap are very puzzling. I don't care who you are. If someone were to look me in the face and tell me the 49ers, Texans, Patriots, and Ravens all "outplayed" or "dominated" the Colts, I will simply have to write them off as an idiot who has not taken the time to watch the games or know the team.

Even yesterday's game, the Colts generated more yards than the Ravens, scored TDs on their defense, prevented the Ravens offense from scoring any TDs, were better on third down, and made the critical plays at the end to win it.

Um, I'm sorry Paul, but in what ways were the Colts outplayed?

The Colts defense held a rushing attack that was one of the league's best to 3.2 yards a carry, no TDs, and dominated Baltimore's offensive line on a very critical goal line stance that was likely the difference in the game. In all seriousness, if you actually think the Colts were outplayed by the Ravens, but managed to "steal" a win, you really don't know what you are talking about.

The reason the Colts beat the Ravens is because the Colts have a better offense, defense, and special teams than the Ravens right now. Look at the game and tell me Indy's defense isn't better. I dare you. They are missing Terrell Suggs, I know. We're missing Bob Sanders and Kelvin Hayden. Sorry, but I don't want to hear anything about injuries. And don't give me the old "Indy mediocre defense beat a mediocre Baltimore offense." Baltimore has one of the best offenses in football, and they were held out of the endzone at home.Indy was "outplayed?" Please.

Breakdown the Colts with any of the teams they've beaten during this 5-0 November stretch, and the Colts are simply better.

I honestly have no idea what Paul is thinking with those comments. Love ya, man. But come on!

Ravens vs. Colts: Prediction and 'Open Thread'

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:22:53 -0000

While I won't be able to join you for the 'Open Thread' I still urge everyone to keep it here on The Beatdown all game long to post your comments and thoughts as we cheer the Baltimore Ravens on to the upset victory and shock the league as well as the Colts and knock them from the ranks of the unbeatens just as we did two weeks ago to the then-undefeated Denver Broncos.

I'll be screaming from the Club Level in section 206, so if you make it there, stop by to have a cold one on me. Otherwise, park yourselves in front of the TV and join this thread as you watch the game. If the Ravens had followed my lead and confirmed my predictions on the previous nine games, we'd be sitting with the Colts at 9-0, as I've picked them to win every game so far in 2009, but for whatever strange reasons, they've decided to make their own decisions and look where it's gotten them. Unfortunately for that, the Ravens are teetering on the playoff ledge at 5-4 and desperately need a win today and even more so next week when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday night on prime time.

However, the focus is without a doubt on stopping Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, while also trying to get off the schnide and score some early points for a change, which hasn't happened since the fourth game of the season. Falling behind the Colts plays right into their hands, as being forced to throw in order to play catch up instead of controlling the clock and keeping Manning off the field by running the ball down Indy's throat is a recipe for disaster.

At the same time, expecting to totally shutting down their high power, almost score-at-will offense is pretty much a fantasy, so the Ravens will not only need to win the time of possession battle but the offensive fireworks one as well. Mixing in the run and pass, throwing in a trick play or two to get some quick points, plus utilizing all the key personnel in the run and pass game by spreading the ball around to a bunch of guys is our best shot. Using Willis McGahee to spell Ray Rice, especially in the Red Zone, worked so well in the beginning of the season and should return today. Same thing goes for the passing attack, when Joe Flacco routinely hit six or seven receivers a game, making it difficult to just take Derrick Mason out of the game and expecting the air attack to flounder like it has lately. Get the tight end(s) in the game to open the middle of the field and exploit the loss of All Pro safety Bob Sanders.

In order to do that on the offensive side of the ball, we'll need to control the trenches and that all starts and ends with the Colts' defensive line bookends. Slowing down both Freeney and Mathis will be a major challenge for our tackles but it is a possibility with the right gameplan. The same thing goes for the defensive side of the ball and once again, the trench warfare battle should determine the game's outcome. If the loss of Terrell Suggs cannot be overcome by a decent game from the rookie, Paul Kruger, then I shudder to think of what Peyton Manning will do to our secondary. A solid pass rush with different schemes, looks, formations and of course, blitzes, will go a long way to helping our secondary stick with the great Colts' receivers and not need to follow them all over the field as Manning sits back there fro five or six seconds picking us apart.

So once again, but more importantly than ever, win the trenches, win the game. And vice versa. I'm predicting that the game is closer than most people expect, although I'm still a bit leery as to why the oddsmakers had the Ravens even open as a one point favorite, much less remain only a one point underdog. They're usually pretty good at their jobs so something appears to be up with what many are calling a "trap" game for bettors, although the line hasn't moved much so it appears that bettors seem to be staying away from this one, although the point total for the game (44) seems to be a decent wager.

While I'm obviously rooting for Baltimore to win, I'd much prefer to see us get blown out by Indy than to have Matt Stover kick the game winner for them as the clock expires. At the same time, I'd love to either see new Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff do the same to them, but even more would love to see Stover's 45 yard attempt to win it fall just short at the end of the game.

For the first time this season, I am not picking my Ravens to come out on the positive end of the score. However, they will make a game of it that should give us future confidence for the Steelers game next week, that is actually even more critical than today's.

Indy: 27-20