I'm concerned about Ray Rice.  He is frequently cited as the centerpiece of our offense, our most dynamic offensive weapon, and the defensive coordinator of the Steelers was quoted by the announcers tonight as saying something to the effect of Rice being the beginning and end of their defensive game planning.  He is obviously thought to be of central importance to our team, but he seems to be regressing this year.  In five of eight games, he's run for less than four yards per carry, including two games of less than 3ypc!  With running being such a large part of our offense, his performance to date just won't cut it.

He's been less explosive through gaps, hesitant with cutbacks, and he often looks like a deer in the headlights.  His size often makes him a liability in pass protection (Harrison literally ran over top of him Sunday night), and I'm just not convinced that he can be an every down back.  I've seen nothing to indicate anything other than marginal leadership from him, and I never see him studying with coaches on the sideline while the defense is on the field.  He's lost a boneheaded fumble in each of our playoff losses over the past two years; he just can't be relied upon in the biggest games.  When is he going to put the team on his back?

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Four games into his fourth season, Joe Flacco has completed less than 50% of his passes.  He runs hot and cold from week to week, showing no consistency.  He's been criticized for making boneheaded plays that hurt his team.  He doesn't raise his game to the level of stiff opposition.  He is no longer at a point where he can use youth as an excuse.   

Elite quarterbacks do better.  They can be trusted to throw accurate passes.  They maintain a steady level of play.  They don't give up the ball at inopportune times.  They step up their game against the toughest defenses.  By their fourth year, elite quarterbacks have shed their training wheels and can be counted on to carry their team.  And elite quarterbacks definitely do not look like deer in headlights.

At least, that's what I hear.

Some of our more vocal fellows have stars in their eyes when it comes to the great quarterbacks.  They think that Tom Brady wasn't born, but sprung full-formed from Bill Belichik's head, ready to throw touchdowns to Randy Moss.  Certain quarterbacks carry the status of elite, and those types of quarterbacks don't suffer from the same problems that the lowly Flacco has seen this year.

What I hope to show here is that these elite quarterbacks  -- in their respective fourth years -- each had down games.  In fact, they had some very down games; the type of games that would have some people around here calling for Tyrod Taylor's immediate succession.  I've selected four games from the fourth year of each of these quarterbacks that fit the bill.  Rather than looking at this as cherry picking, I see it as proof that even those that fly highest can still get caught in the mud.  In other words, a couple down games early in his career is no indication of Flacco's ceiling.  

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Chris Chester missed practice today with a skin infection.

Starting right guard Chris Chester was hospitalized with a "skin issue" last night, coach John Harbaugh said Friday.

...

"It's not serious but it was something that was causing a lot of pain," Harbaugh said of Chester. "They're going to work on the infection and make sure it's OK."

Tony Moll will get the nod if Chester can't suit up Sunday.

“This is the position I was acclimated to in my rookie year," said Moll, who was drafted by the Green Bay packers in the fifth round in 2006. "I played mostly at right guard throughout [my time in] Green Bay. It’s not really a big deal. I don’t feel any pressure or anything like that playing right guard. It’s just one of those things we do. That’s why every day at practice, you see people playing every position.”

http://twitter.com/RavensInsider/status/19913203843

Foxworth hurt his knee thursday if out for an extended period major blow to ravens defense

http://twitter.com/RavensInsider/status/19914225932

Foxworth will need surgery to repair the damage out for the season

Foxworth tore his ACL and is out for the season.  Queue the hysteria.

Washington is practicing now after passing his physical Thursday, but this -- combined with Reed and Webb -- is a major concern for our secondary.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/05/lardarius_webb_ahead_of_schedule.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sports_football_ravens+(Ravens+Insider)

Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb is "ahead of schedule significantly" in his rehab from a torn ACL, coach John Harbaugh said.

Webb tore the ligament in his knee on Dec. 20 against Chicago and was placed on injured reserve.

During Tuesday's practice, he was working off to the side, cutting and backpedaling to test the knee.

“Lardarius has been here every single day – holidays, weekends,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been really doing beyond what you would expect him to do. He’s doing really well.”

Harbaugh also noted that Fabian Washington (knee) is also ahead of schedule.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/05/jared_gaither_sidelined_with_bruised_foot.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sports_football_ravens+(Ravens+Insider)

Offensive tackle Jared Gaither has bruising on the bottom of his foot, an injury that coach John Harbaugh called "nothing major."

“He should be back here quickly,” Harbaugh said.

Gaither missed his fourth day of practice after being moved from left to right tackle earlier this month.

According to Harbaugh, Gaither saw Dr. Robert Anderson, a renowned orthopedist from Charlotte, N.C., last week and was recently testing out orthotic insoles.

“They worked on some orthotics [Monday], and he wasn’t comfortable with them,” Harbaugh said.

The Ravens moved Marshal Yanda from right guard to right tackle Tuesday and put Chris Chester at right guard. The team is also looking at Oniel Cousins at right tackle.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/05/troy_smith_had_tonsils_removed.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+sports_football_ravens+(Ravens+Insider)

Backup quarterback Troy Smith will be out for a couple of weeks after having his tonsils removed in Cleveland.

That left the Ravens with two quarterbacks, Joe Flacco and John Beck. There is a chance that the Ravens could add another arm to fill Smith's void.

I'd say this is pretty good news, for the most part.  Webb and Washington are both ahead of schedule, Gaither only has a bruised foot (check out the first reader comment in that article!), and Beck will see more action on the second team offense.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/11/02/kokinis.fired.ap/index.html

 

George Kokinis, the hand-picked GM of first-year coach Eric Mangini who was rarely seen or heard in Cleveland, left the team Monday under unexplained circumstances after less than one year on the job.

After reports surfaced that Kokinis was fired, the team issued an awkwardly worded statement saying Kokinis "is no longer actively involved with the organization." The Browns also denied reports that Kokinis was escorted from team headquarters.

 

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