SB Nation - Joe Flacco

The Eric DeCosta Scorecard

John Morgan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:32:25 -0000

Eric DeCosta's living resume, in repose.

(What follows is over seven pages and 2,500 words long. If you're interested in the gist of it, scroll down to the end.)

I did an overview on Eric DeCosta, but think I can do better and think you deserve better. Here's an attempt to hold DeCosta by the same standard I held Steve Keim. First I will look at his work as a Midwest scout for the Ravens from 1998-2002, and then his work as the director of college scouting from 2003-2009.

Baltimore did not draft a talent from the Midwest until 2001.

2001

3) 92 Casey Rabach C Wisconsin

4) 126 Edgerton Hartwell LB Western Illinois

7) 231 Dwayne Missouri DE Northwestern

Casey Rabach might remind some of Seattle's Chris Spencer situation. Rabach was drafted in the third round by the Ravens but struggled to break through early in his career. He then signed with the Redskins and became the most consistent player on their offensive line.

Hartwell was a pretty good value for the round he was taken in. He started his second season and from 2002-2004 before leaving in free agency. His approximate value in those seasons is 9, 8 and 9. Atlanta signed him to a six-year, $26.25 million contract before 2005, but injuries sapped his ability and he was cut in 2007.

Missouri is a seventh round pick that never broke through.

2002

2) 52 Anthony Weaver DE Notre Dame

4) 112 Dave Zastudil P Ohio U.

4) 123 Ron Johnson WR Minnesota

6) 206 Javin Hunter WR Notre Dame

6) 207 Chester Taylor RB Toledo

We see the rising influence of DeCosta in this draft, his last as a regional scout before being promoted. Weaver was a solid pick in the second. He was able to start his rookie season and started 16, 15 and 15 games before a host of injuries sidelined him in 2005. DeCosta scores twice on Weaver: For drafting him in the second and acquiring a Lawrence Jackson like end and for not re-signing him after injuries took their toll. Weaver looked like a stud back then, but fizzled away from Baltimore.

If you draft a punter in the fourth, he better stick and he better be great. Zastudil is not, by all accounts. His rookie season with Baltimore, the Ravens were below average punting the ball, and over his four season, he was twice below average and twice above average - almost in equal degrees. I am starting to think it is very hard to evaluate a punter from an outsider's perspective. I disagree with drafting a punter so early, but it seems Zastudil is, if nothing else, a competent punter that can be good.

Johnson never developed as a receiver or returner and was last a linebacker and receiver for the Cleveland Gladiators.

Hunter's career peak was a 63 yard kickoff return in 2002. He is not the same kind of flat bust as Johnson. Hunter started strong in the preseason and started three regular season games as a rookie. He ruptured his Achilles before the start of 2003 and was never the same player. Push.

Chester Taylor started his career as a third down back, but slowly worked himself into the running back rotation. Taylor was buried behind Jamal Lewis, but still produced, was signed by Minnesota in 2006, rushed for 1,200 yards, and was then buried behind Adrian Peterson. Taylor has been valuable throughout his career and is a huge win on DeCosta's resume.

Starting in 2003, we must assume DeCosta took a leadership position in the Ravens entire draft.

2003

1) 10 Terrell Suggs OLB Arizona State

1) 19 Kyle Boller QB California

3) 77 Musa Smith RB Georgia

4) 109 Jarret Johnson DE Alabama

4) 134 Ovie Mughelli FB Wake Forest

5) 146 Aubrayo Franklin DT Tennessee

5) 173 Tony Pashos T Illinois

6) 182 Gerome Sapp DB Notre Dame

7) 223 Trent Smith TE Oklahoma

7) 250 Mike Mabry C Central Florida

7) 258 Antwoine Sanders - Utah

Suggs has been a baller from snap one. He was a situational pass rusher as a rookie and recorded 12 sacks. He has 56.5 for his career, 5 interceptions, 32 passes defended and 18 forced fumbles. Suggs is an elite player, still only 27, and a young 27, and a grand slam pick for DeCosta.

Boller is everything I said about Suggs, applied to a quarterback, inverted and intensified. A complete bust that looked the part of a bust, my only tempering of this massive misstep by DeCosta is that Brian Billick pushed hard for Boller, and in those days, Billick was a respected coach, and a force slapdicks shouldn't defy.

Musa Smith looked like a talented back on his way up before Roy Williams effectively ended his career with a horse collar tackle. Smith suffered a compound fracture of his tibia. The play directly led to the banning of horse collar tackles, but the damage was done for Smith. He played sparingly the next two seasons and could never reestablish himself. Push.

Jarret Johnson took a slow path to success, but has been a regular starter in four of the last five seasons. A very good pick that is still paying dividends for the Ravens, notably, Johnson's AV in 2008 was 10, better than Bart Scott.

Mughelli didn't break through right away with the Ravens, but is now considered one of the best fullbacks in football. He was good in his final two seasons in Baltimore, but lured away when Atlanta offered him big bucks. A minor success for what they got.

The hits keep coming: Franklin was a valuable rotational player for Baltimore, even starting once, and is now a starter for San Francisco. Mike Nolan targeted Franklin, which says something about his perceived value, and though he never fully broke through with Baltimore, he was playing behind Kelly Gregg. Not a horn-blowing success, but very good value for the pick.

Pashos is what a right tackle should be: cheap and good enough. A good player for Baltimore and eventually Jacksonville, Pashos is a good run blocker that was a great value for the Ravens.

Gerome Sapp couldn't stick with the Ravens, signed with the Colts and then signed again with the Ravens. He played nickelback. Neither a bust nor hit, but a pick spent on a semi-talented player that just didn't fit on the roster.

Smith, Mabry and Sanders had no noteworthy NFL career.

2004

2) 51 Dwan Edwards DT Oregon State

3) 82 Devard Darling WR Washington State

5) 153 Roderick Green LB Central Missouri State

6) 187 Josh Harris QB Bowling Green State

6) 199 Clarence Moore WR Northern Arizona

7) 244 Derek Abney WR Kentucky

7) 246 Brian Rimpf T East Carolina

Edwards is still a sometimes starter, sometimes rotational end for the Ravens. He is neither a bust nor a hit, but a semi-valuable player acquired with a semi-valuable pick.

Darling never produced for Baltimore, and that's quite an achievement, because the 2004 Ravens leading receiver was Travis Taylor. Taylor had 421 yards receiving. Darling was last in Kansas City. His current whereabouts are unknown, but, presumably, not in Kansas anymore.

Green struggled to produce, was stabbed July 2006, subsequently released and is now out of the league.

The rest of the draft barely made an impact and all four are now out of the league. After ruling draft day, DeCosta's second draft produced no starters, and only one regular.

2005

1) 22 Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma

2) 53 Dan Cody LB Oklahoma

2) 64 Adam Terry T Syracuse

4) 124 Jason Brown C North Carolina

5) 158 Justin Green RB Montana

6) 213 Derek Anderson QB Oregon State

7) 234 Mike Smith LB Texas Tech

Clayton had a strong rookie season, an even better sophomore season and has since spun his wheels into the mud. The 22^nd overall pick, Clayton is not a prize, but surely a value, still young, and maybe has better seasons ahead of him.

Cody was a fine prospect whose career has been eaten by injuries. He started 42 games in college. Best to call this a push, as the injury seemed unpredictable and traumatic.

Terry was a second round selection that never fully broke out of spot starter duties. Terry has not played in 2009. This is another pick muddled by injuries and therefore hard to evaluate.

Jason Brown started his second season and is a highly regarded center. St. Louis threw smarts to the wind and signed him to googolplex dollars this past offseason, but, for three seasons, he was a cheap and very good center for Baltimore.

Justin Green was a special teams contributor.

Anderson was waived his first season and claimed by the Cleveland Browns. He then had one of the great fluke quarterback seasons of all time, before retreating into his well furnished mansion of suck.

Smith contributed briefly for the Ravens on special teams.

2006

1) 12 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon

2) 56 Chris Chester C Oklahoma

3) 87 David Pittman DB Northwestern State-Louisiana

4) 111 Demetrius Williams WR Oregon

4) 132 P.J. Daniels RB Georgia Tech

5) 146 Dawan Landry SS Georgia Tech

5) 166 Quinn Sypniewski TE Colorado

6) 203 Sam Koch P Nebraska

6) 208 Derrick Martin CB Wyoming

7) 219 Ryan LaCasse LB Syracuse

Ngata is considered one of the best 3-4 linemen in football. He has played end and tackle, is just entering his prime, and should the conditions be right, could be entering a lengthy run of Pro Bowl appearances.

Chester was recruited as a tight end, drafted as a center, converted to guard, converted again to tight end and then converted back to guard again. He has 32 starts in his NFL career, and if never a stand out on his own, has been a good part of some very good offensive lines.

Pittman had two interception in 2007 and a forced fumble. That about summarizes his NFL career. He now plays in the UFL.

Williams is a field stretcher that has never come into his own as an actual receiver. He is not a bad player, and is valuable for his draft position.

Daniels was put on injured reserve prior to his second season and never recovered.

Dawan Landry has started three of the last four seasons, and, apart from 2008, has been a very solid starter for Baltimore since his rookie season. He used to noogie LaRon Landry.

Sypniewski was primarily a blocking tight end, but received some in 2007 after Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox suffered injuries. He tore his ACL prior to this season.

Koch is the Ravens current punter. This season the team is slightly above average punting.

Martin is a talented young defensive back that was buried in Baltimore and now plays in Green Bay. Baltimore traded Martin for offensive tackle Tony Moll.

LaCasse never factored.

2007

1) 29 Ben Grubbs G Auburn

3) 74 Yamon Figurs WR Kansas State

3) 86 Marshal Yanda T Iowa

4) 134 Antwan Barnes LB Florida International

4) 137 Le'Ron McClain FB Alabama

5) 174 Troy Smith QB Ohio State

6) 207 Prescott Burgess LB Michigan

Supplemental

5) Jared Gaither T Maryland

Baltimore built their left side with this draft and in impressive fashion. Grubbs is a promising young starter and on the short list for best young offensive guards in football.

Yamon Figurs returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown in his first season, but could never stick as a receiver. Once the Ravens found a better return man, Figurs was cut, and is currently a free agent.

Yanda is a spot starter at guard and tackle that may have outright won the right guard position this season after starting the last four games and playing ably. I'm a big fan of Yanda.

Barnes is a rotational linebacker and special teams player for the Ravens.

McClain is a fullback better known for his rushing than blocking, but so what? He was astonishingly valuable in 2008 and the 11-5 Ravens leading rusher. This season he is buried behind Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. McClain's is a curious story to say the least. I am not sure he will ever repeat his 2008 performance, and certainly some of that performance must be credited the Ravens line, but for that year alone, we must credit DeCosta with another fullback find.

Smith was a member of the jobbers row of quarterbacks Seattle fattened against in 2007. He is now a Wildcat quarterback.

Burgess has split time between the Ravens and Patriots, and is, essentially, depth and a special teams player.

Gaither is the crown jewel of this class. DeCosta got Gaither for a fifth round pick in the supplemental draft, and now he is their starting left tackle, and franchise tackle of the future. Gaither isn't in the class of young Turk left tackles taking over the NFL, but he's close, a rare physical specimen (the tallest man in the NFL), a powerful drive blocker with developing pass pro skills. He was available in the supplemental draft because of bad grades, and available in the fifth round of the supplemental draft because a lot of other GMs didn't do their homework.

That leads us to the last draft we'll look at in detail.

1) 18 Joe Flacco QB Delaware

2) 55 Ray Rice RB Rutgers

3) 71 Tavares Gooden OLB Miami (Fla.)

3) 86 Tom Zbikowski FS Notre Dame

3) 99 Oniel Cousins T Texas-El Paso

4) 106 Marcus Smith WR New Mexico

4) 133 David Hale G Weber State

6) 206 Haruki Nakamura FS Cincinnati

7) 215 Justin Harper WR Virginia Tech

7) 240 Allen Patrick RB Oklahoma

Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback.

Ray Rice is one of the best young running backs in football.

Bart Scott's replacement doesn't fill a stat sheet, but Tavares Gooden is starting for a top ten defense in his second season. It's premature to pass judgment on T-Good.

Everyone's favorite boxing white safety is mostly a special teams force, but in three starts this season, he has two interceptions and four passes defended. I liked this pick when it was made, but it's, again, a little early to project his future value.

Cousins has started the last two games at right tackle, but through force of attrition rather than eminent skill. Nevertheless, one injury ravaged offensive line to another, Cousins seems more capable than some of Seattle's replacements.

The next three players are special teamers, and Allen Patrick was cut.

2004 was a hot mess, and, tellingly, occurred after DeCosta swept the 2003 draft. So, all GMs and potential GMs have their highs and lows, but DeCosta's highs certainly seem to outnumber and more than compensate for his lows. If we wanted to put a stamp on his career in Baltimore, I would stamp it a success, but let's attempt something a little more nuanced.

He seems to excel at drafting offensive line talent. He has never invested major resources into the offensive line but still acquired Rabach, Pashos, Terry, Brown, Chester, Sypnewski, Grubbs, Yanda, Gaither and Cousins. He also has had several successes drafting defensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, fullbacks and safeties. His run of backs is particularly impressive. He doesn't trend towards a specific region and seems to have no major leanings towards small schools or big schools. His success at drafting quarterbacks is mixed. Kyle Boller was an inexcusable failure, but Anderson and Smith were decent value for their pick position and Flacco is a young stud. Truthfully, I'm not wild about Flacco's profile, and though he's stepping into this own, the big bodied, big armed profile DeCosta seems to favor is notorious for producing busts.

What excites me most about DeCosta is not his drafting record, but the prolific picks he secures. Few teams enter draft day so consistently stocked with picks throughout the draft, and unlike other GMs that will burn those picks to move up and select their guy, DeCosta stands pat and picks many players. He has benefited immensely from trawling the draft and seeing what value shakes out.

His high profile and history of finding offensive line talent should make him a favorite for the Seattle position. I don't know that DeCosta is the "Z" we desire, but on second inspection, he is a young, well connected executive with a diverse portfolio of success.

Ravens Take Care of Business & Bears, 31-7

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:37:48 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

3 days ago: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco looks for a receiver during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Baltimore. Baltimore won 31-7. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Moving one step closer to the post season, the Baltimore Ravens defense pitched a shutout against the Chicago Bears' offense, winning 31-7 and now sit firmly in the driver's seat for the Wild Card with an 8-6 record. By virtue of the Ravens competition for the Wild Card all losing this weekend, this means Baltimore now sits in the 5th seed and actually leads the Wild Card race with the Denver Broncos falling at the last minute to the Oakland Raiders The Ravens own the tie-breaker with Denver due to their 30-7 victory over the Broncos earlier this season.

With QB Joe Flacco having one of, if not the best game of his career, the Ravens only mistake all day was letting the Bears return a punt from our end zone for a TD in the first half for their only score Flacco's stats included 21 of 29 for 234 yards and four TD passes, including two to rarely used Todd Heap His QB rating for the game was a robust 1356, easily the best of his career. Compare that with Cutler's 79 B rating with three picks and that alone sets the tone for what transpired on a frigid day after a blizzard paralyzed the city and forced the Bears to arrive in Baltimore only late last night

After the game was over, the Bears probably wished they had just remained in Chicago, as they now trudge home frustrated by not only this game, but their season as a whole On the other side of the stadium, the Ravens had a bunch of help today as their playoff competition, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars all lost this weekend. Only a last second TD pass by the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger today in their comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers prevented the Ravens from being the only team in serious playoff contention to win in week 15.

Next up for the Ravens are those same Steelers in Pittsburgh, still with playoff implications making that game a must win even more for the Steelers than for the Ravens. Baltimore can still actually make the post season if they win one of their two remaining games, either at Pittsburgh or at the Oakland Raiders If the Ravens were to do that, they would finish 9-7, and in most cases that would still get them in the playoffs, depending on what should happen with the rest of their competition However, the easiest way to ensure football in January would be to just sweep the final two games and get the #5 seed and a date with revenge on their minds at either the Cincinnati Bengals or New England Patriots. Of course there is still a chance fo rthe Ravfens to actually win the AFC North title if Cincinnati loses the rest of their games

For now, the Ravens can relish in their dominating victory over the Bears and then get right back to work gameplanning for the Pittsburgh Steelers This rivalry is one of the best in sports, as you can always bet on this being a streetfight no matter what the records are or what is on the line.

Game Recap: Ravens Whooped Us Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:21:26 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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So, a few quick numbers, and a link for your perusement.

Jay Cutler: 10/27, 94 yds, 0 TDs, 3 INTs, 7.9 Rating

Joe Flacco: 21/29, 234 yds, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 135.6 Rating

Lance Briggs: 13 tackles

Bears: 1 penalty/ 6 yds.

Jerry Angelo: No decision made yet on Lovie Smith's future.

Up next: Vikings

Your turn... sound off.

Ravens vs. Bears: Prediction & 'Open Thread'

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

10 days ago: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco throws a pass against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday Dec. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Keep it here all day long to post your thoughts and opinions as the Baltimore Ravens plow over the Chicago Bears in a delayed game at snowbound M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore Sunday afternoon. Use this space as an 'Open Thread' for this afternoon's game as well as any other games that we should be keeping our collective eyes on.

The Bears flew into Baltimore late Saturday night after getting delayed due to the Baltimore area getting close to two feet of snow during the day in the worst blizzard in December in the city's history Unfortunately for Chicago, their stay will be brief and painful, as the lack of sleep, poor weather and such a disappointing season will continue for at least one more week

The Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives while the Bears are fighting for jobs next season.

This is a huge advantage for Baltimore, not to mention our great home record in December plus the simple fact that the Ravens are just a better team this season. Baltimore needs to stick with the same game plan that they used last week in demolishing the Detroit Lions 48-3, when they rolled up over 300 yards on the ground alone. The weather will make this way of controlling the clock a huge advantage as the Bears are ranked in the bottom half of the league in defending the run. QB Joe Flacco will throw the ball when he needs to in order to keep the defense honest and move the ball down the field

The Ravens defense should be able to convince Jay Cutler to toss us a few balls that our guys can turn into great field position for our offense or perhaps even take one to the house along the way. Hopefully, we may even be able to put a little pass pressure on Cutler and get a few sacks as well The Bears are a team that is more interested in getting this frustrating season over with so they can start anew next year and try to fulfill the big expectations that they started 2009 with after acquiring what they thought was the missing link in what they needed to contend for another Super Bowl

However, today is not that time and the Bears stay in Baltimore will be short and less than memorable as the Ravens get a firmer hold on the Wild Card slot that they and their fans want so bad as a great Christmas present

Ravens 24-10

Week 15 Preview: Bears (5-8) @ Ravens (7-6)

SackMan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Hey, wait a second... that's the wrong Devin!

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Lovie Smith, Ron Turner and Co. escape from the Chicago microscope for one weekend and head to Baltimore. The Ravens are a team fighting for a wild card birth, but the only wild card on the Bears is: which player will throw the coaching staff under the bus next? 3:15pm CT on FOX.

Week 14 Recap

The Ravens played host to the Lions last week... who were more than gracious guests, as they brought plenty of party gifts for the holidays. Detroit hand wrapped a 48-3 victory for their hosts, allowing the Ravens to score 6 TDs... including a 59 yard TD run by Ray Rice, and a 62 yard TD reception by Derrick Mason. Nearly all of the damage was done on the ground, as Baltimore racked up an incredible 308 yards rushing (I loved every bit of it, as I had Ray Rice in my fantasy lineup... and McGahee on my bench).

The Bears put themselves in a position to play spoiler and beat Green Bay at home, but ultimately fell short in a 21-14 loss. The highlights of the day were 13 penalties, two timeouts wasted on one lost challenge, and a team leading 8 catches and 1 TD for Devin Aromashodu... who basically wasn't allowed onto the field all season prior to this game. The long list of penalties, repeated mis-communication issues, bizarre coaching decisions and poor clock management have become a staple of the Chicago Bears 2009 season.

Quick Numbers:

3: Consecutive seasons without a playoff birth for the Bears
10: Million dollars remaining on Lovie Smith's contract through 2011.
2: Active roster game days for the Bears top draft pick, DL Jarron Gilbert
0: Active roster game days for the Bears 2nd highest draft pick, WR Juaquin Iglesias

Key Injuries:

CHI HC Lovie Smith (bruised ego) P
CHI LT Orlando Pace (way too old) Q
CHI DE Gaines Adams (missing in action) P

BAL - Half the roster is listed as questionable, most noteworthy are

S Ed Reed (hip/foot)
WR Derrick Mason (finger)
LB Terrell Suggs (knee)

When the Ravens have the ball.
The Ravens are a little similar to the Bears, in that they've been looking for a QB for forever, and finally got one in Joe Flacco. They also don't have a WR who's really worth a crap on their entire roster. However, this team can run the ball with the best of them. The Ravens are averaging 4.6 ypc, and have 19 rushing TDs. In comparison, the Bears are averaging 3.4 and how a lowly 6 TDs on the ground. RB Ray Rice is the center piece of the whole offense... leading the team in both rushing and receptions (ala Matt Forte version 2008). And, Willis McGahee vultures many of Rice's TDs in the red zone. When Flacco's looking anywhere but Rice's direction, he finds trusty veteran WR Derrick Mason, who wasn't even going to play this season, save for a last minute decision to push off retirement.

The key match-up for the Ravens: RB Ray Rice vs MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer
Rice is the Ravens #1 receiving option, and Hunter will have to shadow him in pass coverage all day. Considering that Hunter couldn't keep up with TEs during his career on the strong side, this should be interesting to say the least. Maybe Hunter can slow him down with savvy investment talk.

The X factor on offense for the Ravens: WR Mark Clayton
No... this isn't Dan Marino's Mark Clayton, but considering Derrick Mason's age, that wouldn't be impossible. Clayton is the Ravens best deep threat, and with the Bears atrocious safety combo, deep route runners are always a problem.

When the Bears have the ball.
In between the finger pointing from the players to the coaching staff, the offense will actually be be asked to run some plays as well. Perhaps this is the week that Cutler says "F" it, and starts calling his own plays in the huddle. Anything would be an improvement at this point. Will Devin Aromoshodu see continued action, after his career game last week? Or will he return back to his seat on the bench? Will some more changes happen on the offensive line? Or will the coaching staff stick to the crappy status quo? Sadly, these are the things we have to look forward to on Sunday.

The key match-up for the Bears: LT Chris Williams vs DE Trevor Pryce and OLB Jarret Johnson
All eyes are on Chris Williams, as we watch to see if he's really our LT of the future. Pryce and Johnson each have 6 sacks on the year, and should provide a decent test for the young tackle.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: Contract Incentives
Who's got bonuses to make? Who's looking forward to testing the FA market? We'll see on Sunday.

Side notes from the NFC North:

The Bears season is lost, but the Vikings and Packers are fighting it out for the division crown, and both are likely to make the playoffs. That's sickening to me. I'll just leave it at there.

Week 15 NFL Capsule: Ravens vs. Bears

Bruce Raffel — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:09:32 -0000

From the NFL, here is all the info you need to know about this weekend's game of the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Chicago Bears. Info on the series and stats first and notes about the game after the 'Jump.'

By the way, while I'd love to see the Colts knock the Jaguars out of the Wild Card slot and end up facing the Saints in the Super Bowl with both teams being undefeated, I see the weather being a factor (rain expected) on how long the Indy starters play and Jacksonville ends up winning the game tonight. Hope I'm wrong!

CHICAGO BEARS (5-8) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-6)

SERIES

	BEARS	RAVENS
SERIES LEADER	2-1
STREAKS	Past 1
COACHES VS. OPP.	Smith: 1-0	Harbaugh: 0-0
LAST WEEK	L 21-14 vs. Packers	W 48-3 vs. Lions
LAST GAME	10/23/05: Ravens 6 at Bears 10. Chicago defense allows 199 total yards & registers 4 sacks. Bears QB Kyle Orton throws 9-yard TD pass to FB Marc Edwards for game’s lone TD.
LAST GAME AT SITE	9/9/01: Ravens 17, Bears 6. Defending Super Bowl XXXV-champion Ravens have strong defensive performance to start season, allowing just 2 FGs.
BROADCAST	FOX (1:00 PM ET): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Chris Myers (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 91 (Chi.), 152 (Bal.). XM: 108 (Bal.).

STATS

PASSING	Cutler: 284-457-3,023-19-22-75.2	Flacco: 270-426-3,111-15-11-86.3
RUSHING	Forté: 201-685-3.4-4	Rice: 194-1,041-5.4-7
RECEIVING	Hester: 54-682-12.6-3	Rice (RB): 68-652-9.6-1
OFFENSE	304.9	355.4
TAKE/GIVE	-4	+4
DEFENSE	329.7	305.9
SACKS	Ogunleye: 6	J. Johnson, Pryce: 6
INTs	Bowman: 4	Landry: 4
PUNTING	Maynard: 41.5	Koch: 44.8
KICKING	Gould: 79 (25/25 PAT; 18/21 FG)	Cundiff: 59 (14/14 PAT; 15/17 FG)

NOTES

BEARS: QB JAY CUTLER has 3,023 yards & is 5th Bears QB to reach 3,000-yard mark in season. When Cutler has 100+ rating, his teams are 13-0…RB MATT FORTÉ is only player in NFL with 1,900+ rush yards (1,923) & 900+ rec. yards (932) since 2008. Has 114 receptions since 2008, most by RB…WR-PR DEVIN HESTER has 20 TDs (8 rec., 7 PR, 5 KR), incl. playoffs. 4 of his 5 career TDs vs. AFC (incl. playoffs) have been 70+ yards. WR-KR JOHNNY KNOX had TD last week & ties for 2nd among rookies with 6 TDs (5 rec., 1 KR). GREG OLSEN ranks 5th among NFL TEs with 6 rec. TDs. WR DEVIN AROMASHODU had career-high 8 catches & 76 yards last week & scored 1st TD…DE ADEWALE OGUNLEYE has 5 sacks in 3 career meetings & aims for 4th in row vs. Bal. with 1+ sack. CB CHARLES TILLMAN has INT in 2 of past 3 vs. AFC, incl. INT-TD. Team is 16-5 (.762) when he has INT. DE ALEX BROWN has 3 sacks in past 3 vs. AFC. LB LANCE BRIGGS had sack last week…RAVENS: Aim for 7th consecutive win against NFC at home…Ravens are 3-1 at home in Dec. under head coach JOHN HARBAUGH…Bal. (319) is on pace (392) to surpass franchise scoring record (391 in ’03)…QB JOE FLACCO has 5-2 record at home in ’09 & has completed 152 of 224 (67.9 pct.) for 1,785 yards with 8 TDs vs. 4 INTs & 96.3 passer rating. Flacco’s 3,111 passing yards are 2nd-most in season in club history (VINNY TESTAVERDE, 4,177 in ’96)…Ravens had 5 rush TDs by 4 different players last week…RB RAY RICE leads NFL RBs in catches (68) & rec. yards (652) among RBs. Rice totaled 219 yards last week (156 rush, 53 rec.). Rice ranks 2nd in NFL w/1,693 scrimmage yards (1,041 rush, 652 rec.). RB WILLIS MC GAHEE has 4 rush TDs in past 3…DERRICK MASON (849) needs 1 reception to become 16th player in NFL history to reach 850 career…LB ANTWAN BARNES had 1st sack of season last week…S TOM ZBIKOWSKI aims for 3rd consecutive game w/INT.

Ravens Tame Lions, 48-3

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:27:56 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

10 days ago: Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) outruns Detroit Lions defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill and defensive end Cliff Avril as he heads down field for a second-quarter touchdown during the NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Not too sure what it is about the Baltimore Ravens and the NFC North, but the Ravens tied their biggest offensive output in their history which was against the Green Bay Packers in 2005, as they totally overwhelmed the Detroit Lions today in the rain and cold at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The final score was 48-3, but the game was pretty much over by halftime with the Ravens ahead 20-3.

With Ray Rice running all over the Lions and totaling over 200 yards of combined rushing and receiving yards, Baltimore racked up over 300 yards on the ground alone. Combined with a 13 for 20, 230 yard, one TD performance by QB Joe Flacco, the Ravens rolled over the Lions with over 500 yards of total offense.

Beating the Detroit Lions are one thing, and they might just do the same thing when the Chicago Bears come here, but can they consistently do this type of thing with the better teams, namely the Pittsburgh Steelers and then perhaps in the playoffs? The teams that were just ahead of the Ravens in the Wild Card race lost today, so the post season is absolutely still within reach with only three weeks left in the regular season.

Let's revel in today's complete victory and hope we come out of the game healthy and confident to do the same thing when the Bears come to town next Sunday afternoon.

Ravens vs. Lions: Prediction & 'Open Thread'

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:21:27 -0000

Keep it here on The Beatdown all day to post your comments and thoughts on this 'Open Thread,' as I will be trying to stay dry and warm at the stadium, rooting on the Baltimore Ravens to victory over the Detroit Lions.

The weather should be cold, wet and nasty today and hopefully, so will the Baltimore Ravens demeanor. Hopefully, that demeanor will take on that sense of urgency that seemed missing and was aptly noted by the guys in the booth on Monday Night Football in the team's loss at Green Bay last week. Perhaps this "back-against-the-wall" talk once again will spur the team onto bigger and better things starting with an impressive victory over the lowly Detroit Lions.

That really shouldn't be too difficult a task for Baltimore, but after seeing the Cleveland Browns totally dominate the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Steelers needed to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, we all know that anything can happen if you take the game too lightly.

The Ravens will need help if they plan to make the post season and that could happen in a variety of ways. In the playoff race, the teams that are either already ahead or tied with us all seem to have harder schedules than we do, so we should be able to get the help we need to contend. However, it should all come down to the Steeler game week 16 in Pittsburgh to decide whether or not the Ravens are most likely playoff bound.

But then again, it all won't matter at all if we don't take care of business along the way, starting today with the Lions and then next week at home for the final time in 2009 against the Chicago Bears, before going on the road for the final two games of the regular season at Pittsburgh before finishing up at the Oakland Raiders.. For now, the focus must absolutely be directly on the Lions and the threat that the Daunte Culpepper to Calvin Johnson combination poses.

The Ravens pass defense has been susceptible to the long play and if not, then the pass interference is as real a possibility as the completion, as the Ravens lead the league with 12 PI penalties, including four in Monday night's loss to the Packers. This needs to stop and the coverage needs to be directed to whatever side of the field "Megatron" is lined up on. That will more than likely leave the other DB's on single coverage and they will need to come up huge as well. Shutting down Detroit's run game shouldn't be a problem and Daunte Culpepper's biggest threat to the Ravens may be his large, hard-to-bring-down frame and legs more than his once strong arm. Accuracy is not his strong point and if he throws too often and tries to go into double coverage, we could have a field day with picks, and this should definitely help turn the tide against Detroit.

Offensively, I fully expect the Ravens to continue passing the ball, despite the fans' united call to get back to what gave this team its identity and past success by running the ball. While the Ravens should have a lot of success on the ground and Ray Rice will get his yardage, the Lions are one of the worst teams at defending the pass and Joe Flacco should plan on exploiting that to get his confidence back, as well as the fans. As long as he doesn't continually speed through his reads to dump it off to Ray Rice, regardless of the success, he should be able to chuck it downfield to a bunch of receivers, including the recently activated tall, fast, long ball threat with suspect hands, Justin Harper. I'd love to see Harper break out with a solid game to help his confidence and get more looks as the season progresses. His deep abilities could stretch the field for the other receivers, much less open bigger holes for the run game as the opposition can no longer stack the box every play and dare Flacco to beat them through the air.

Despite the soggy weather, the probabilities of defensive turnovers should give the Ravens multiple scoring chances and I am confident that we will continue to put more points on the board at home than on the road as the Ravens roll over the Lions in their easiest victory of the season, sending the fans home early in a game finally not decided in the last moments.

Ravens: 34-10

How To Beat The Detroit Lions

Bruce Raffel — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:05:29 -0000

After last night's great game, where the Cleveland Browns handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their fifth straight loss and effectively knocked them out of the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens need to understand that just showing up will not be enough to win. The Ravens need to play with that "sense of urgency" phrase that has been repeated over and over again lately. Over confidence is one attribute that this team has no business having, evidenced by losing six of their last nine games after starting off 3-0. At the same time, if they can continue to beat the teams that they are expected to, then they surprisingly still have a legitimate shot at the post season.

One thing about this game scares me more than any other, and I'm sure you've all thought about it as well.

The Detroit Lions will not be able to run the ball against us with any success Sunday. Their defense will not be able to shut down our offense. Our greatest obstacle, offensively, will continue to be ourselves, with drive stopping penalties derailing our momentum way too often. Otherwise, the Ravens will be able to put points on the board against one of the league's weakest defenses. While we need to get back to where our success came from last year, whether we run or pass the ball shouldn't matter and perhaps Joe Flacco can regain his confidence against the Lions by throwing the ball around to his receivers. Ray Rice should be able to pad his statistics with both running and receiving yards piling up in the process. It will be cold and a ball control offense producing long, time consuming scoring drives will be a fresh change of pace to prepare us for the Chicago Bears and then the final two road games of the season at Pittsburgh and the Oakland Raiders.

What scares me and most other Ravens fans is the Calvin Johnson factor. Johnson, a huge, fast receiver with great hands, is Detroit's only real threat, yet he continues to get targeted with success no matter what the defense seems to do to try to adjust their coverages. With the Ravens lack of pass pressure, Lions QB Daunte Culpepper should be able to have the time to set up and chuck the ball downfield in Johnson's direction. Combined with the poor coverage that the Ravens have shown, along with the current possibility that Ed Reed may not play again this weekend, there is every reason to be concerned.

Be it double coverage, over and under coverage, or just leaning the safety towards his side of the field, the Ravens need to limit the damage that Johnson can inflict on the team. If they can hold him from having a career game against this hurting pass defense, there is no reason that we shouldn't be able to put this game away early for a change of pace. If not, well we all saw what the Browns could do last night, when allowed to stay in the game.

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Bears

Brandon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

17 days ago: Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) makes a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

View full size photo »

Despite the Bears 5-7 record, it might be easy to overlook this game since they just ended a 4 game losing streak with a close win over the 1-11 Rams, and they haven't beaten a team with a winning record this season. They did beat the Steelers in week 2, but both the Steelers and Bears have fallen on recent hard times (Steelers have lost their last 5 games, and Bears have lost 4 of their last 5). Here's the Sports Network's Packers vs Bears preview.

Here are the official NFL rankings, based on yardage, from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	13	8	4	3
Bears	31	16	25	9

Taking a closer look, the official stats by yardage are making the Bears pass offense and pass defense look better than they really are. While the pass offense is moving the ball, QB Jay Cutler is also turning it over, and he has a league leading 20 INTs. Their pass defense has only given up 4 pass plays over 40 yards (tied for 6th best), but they've given up 21 TD passes (tied for 6th worst) and only grabbed 11 INTs. That doesn't make them bad, just average, and they're currently ranked No. 16 overall by Football Outsiders.

RB Ryan Grant vs. the Bears' run defense. His last two games have been forgettable, but that doesn't mean the Bears can stop him. In recent games, the Eagles RB LeSean McCoy had his best game as a pro (99 yards and 1 TD), and RB Steven Jackson ran for 112 yards despite QB Kyle Boller offering nothing to fear from the Rams passing game. They did hold RB Adrian Peterson to 85 yards (3.4 yards/carry) two weeks ago, but only because they put everything into stopping the running game, and the Vikings rolled for 378 yards and 3 TDs through the air. In the cold weather, the Bears might do what the Ravens did last Monday night: keep the safeties in tight and make QB Aaron Rodgers throw down the field, so I'm not expecting a huge game from Grant.

Rodgers vs. the Bears' pass defense. They shut down Boller last week at home, but that was just Kyle Boller. The last time they faced a good QB at home was three weeks ago, when QB Donovan McNabb went for 244 yards, 1 TD, and a QB rating of 101.6 against them. Rodgers just had 263 yards and 3 TDs against the better Ravens pass defense in the cold, so he should be productive again this week.

RB Matt Forte vs. the Packers' run defense. They were great against RB Ray Rice last week, so Forte isn't a bigger challenge. While Rice is ranked by Football Outsiders as one of the best RB this season, Forte is ranked as one of the worst. RB Kahlil Bell had 11 carries last week, but still over 60% of his career yardage has come from one 72 yard run he had against the Eagles. Forte has averaged only 3.4 yards/carry this season, and only had 1 game when he had over 10 carries and averaged over 4 yards/carry. He remains a greater threat as a receiver than as a runner. Despite the numerous injuries on the Packers' defensive line, they should have no trouble limiting the Bears' running attack.

QB Jay Cutler vs. the Packers' pass defense. Cutler had 4 INTs in their first meeting and he hasn't been much better since. LT Orlando Pace is not likely to play, but the 7 time Pro Bowl LT appears to be at the end of the road anyway. The Packers did a great job shutting down Ravens' QB Joe Flacco last week, and the Ravens' best passing play was to try and draw a flag on CB Tramon Williams. That could work again this week, but penalties alone aren't going to win it for the Bears.

Special teams and penalties. While the Packers have an advantage in nearly every other area, here's where the Bears can make it a close game. According to TeamRankings.com, the Bears are 5th worst with 54.3 penalty yards per game, but the Packers are in a league of their own (though the Ravens aren't far behind) with 75.4 penalty yards per game. The Packers special teams continue to be the worst in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders, while the Bears are one of the best. WR Devin Hester isn't the most dangerous punt returner this season, but rookie WR Johnny Knox might be the best kick returner.

If the Bears have a strong return game, and can force a couple turnovers, then this one could be close. But the Packers have taken good care of the ball this season, and should be able to win in Chicago for the first time since 2006. Packers 27, Bears 17.