SBNation.com User Blog: Glenn Hughes

Ravens & 49ers - They Are Who We Thought They Were!

Glenn Hughes — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:31:39 -0000

After a day of family, friends and a great dinner, dessert was served and it was a slice of delicious offense and a big scoop of great defense. This game lived up to all the hype and then some. Rather you want to call it East vs West, Brother vs Brother, or even HarBowl, it will be remembered as a battle between two good defenses and a very well managed offense. In my opinion, what you witnessed was the blueprint of what a good game looks like. The best part was the fans were rewarded with a great holiday reward. Around Baltimore, everyone was talking about the game and the dinner was secondary. No matter who you were cheering for, you had to walk away thinking just how good the game was.

Jim Harbaugh came to town with his 49ers, with a swagger and a defined plan of attack. He came here knowing his team hadn't faced anything like the Ravens this season but he was up to the task. John Harbaugh knows his brother well, and knew that he would come here well prepared so he had to be one step better. John also knew that he has what every coach could only dream of having and that was an excellent defense. John knew if Joe Flacco and the offense was on its game then he could walk away with a win. With their Mom and Dad in town, every sports reporting agency, and all eyes of the world on this game the pressure was on. This game has been hyped up since the schedules were released and as each game went by, the more we heard about this battle between brothers. So each brother knew the pressure was on, and they both had to be at the top of their game. AND THEY WERE!

Both teams defense showed up to prove just how good they are. Both teams proved that rushing the ball would be at a minimum. Ray Rice and Frank Gore had a hard time running the ball so you knew that it would be up to the Quarterbacks to step up and win this game. Joe Flacco and Alex Smith at times both had challenges with throwing the ball. What I loved was the fact that the Ravens defense did what I wanted to see and thats pressure Alex Smith. They sacked him nine times tying a team record. He felt the pressure and really was limited in what he could do. I will eat a little bit of my words and say while I'm still not on the Alex Smith fan club, I will admit that he is not a Kyle Boller prototype, he is a step above that. While Alex Smith had his troubles, Joe Flacco had his as well but what I saw in Joe was a well managed win. Most importantly, Joe Flacco protected the ball and made good decisions when he had to pass. Although he did not throw for alot of yards, what he did was make quality throws to keep the offense moving down the field. I sat there watching the game and felt like a proud Dad watching his son play.

You have to love the defensive play from both teams. The 49ers defense is a beast and I see why they are ranked so high in the NFL. They refused to allow Ray Rice to run with any level of success. The 59 yards that Rice got on the ground was minimal but he got what he could to keep third downs manageable. The Ravens defense was without our emotional leader on the field but his presence was felt on the sidelines. Ray Lewis sat out of his second consecutive game due to a toe injury but the defense once again stepped up. The Ravens held the 49ers to a total of 170 yards. You could tell by watching the game that Alex Smith was not comfortable at all. Frank Gore was held to a total of 39 rushing yards and just was not able to have much success. The Ravens defense had their best game this season and this performance comes in second to their performance week one against the Steelers.

With the win the Ravens move on to a record of 8-3 and continue to make this run with destiny. As this week brings to a close of an emotional week for the Harbaugh family, there's no time to rest for either team. I must say though that I love the fact that there was never a moment of real sibling rivalry but just mutual love and respect for each other and the game. Any drama you think you may have seen was just theatrical promotion for this game. I dedicate this to Jack and Jackie Harbaugh on celebrating their 50th Anniversary today. Thank you for Harbaugh family for the memorable Thanksgiving Night. Go Ravens!!!

Poll

What was your favorite part about the Ravens-49ers game?

Joe Flacco managing the game.

7 votes

The dominating Ravens Defense

61 votes

The 49ers Defense

6 votes

John outcoaching his brother Jack

3 votes

Alex Smith being sacked 9 times

29 votes

106 votes | Poll has closed

Ravens Game Summary - Remember This Is Our Time

Glenn Hughes — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:09:48 -0000

The Bengals & The AFC North

I can see that the AFC North will be the most feared division in the league. Let's face it, what we saw yesterday was a sign of how good the Bengals are becoming, how good they will be, and just how good our game must be when we face them. Andy Dalton (The Young Gun) has the goods and will be a force to deal with as time goes on. Marvin Lewis and that organization are doing everything possible to make them not just contenders but the best around. The Steelers will always be deadly in the way they play anybody. And realistically, you can't Cleveland out of the equation. They are building something special there too. Don't just look at their wins and losses but look at where they rank statistically. They are not to be overlooked at all. But this just proves how happy it makes me that the Ravens are finally putting it all together as a total package. We must and will continue to grow in every aspect of the game.

Joe Flacco & Torrey Smith

I said it once and I will say it over and over again. Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback and will continue to impress as he continues to fine tune his game. Flacco threw 2 TD's for 270 yds with a 105.5 QB rating. Torry Smith is something special and the deep threat we have needed for so long. Torrey Smith had 8 catches for 165 yards & 1 TD. Let's face it, every game has not been a work of art for them. There has been dropped passes, overthrown balls and missed opportunities. But when they are good... they are just that damn good! Look at them like you would look at anybody just starting out a new relationship. They are getting to know all about each other, all the things they need to know to make it work. As time goes on, it's growing into something beautiful. Every team was put on notice of the possibilities of what these two could do in the St. Louis game. Then the world knew when he caught that pass to win the game in Pittsburgh. I love what I'm seeing and just think, it's only gonna get better.

Marshall Yanda & Ben Grubbs

I am sooooo happy to see Ben Grubbs back. The offensive line missed him and no one more than Joe Flacco missed him more. You instantly saw the difference when he came back and I hope he is back for the rest of this run. Since coming back Joe has had more time to throw and everyone is not getting to him every time he drops back. Marshall Yanda is a BEAST! I mean that in every way that's good and with all the respect. Everybody has their favorite on the O-line but Yanda is mine. Did you really watch him work yesterday? First of all, you're not gonna just push him around (physically you can't) and when you watch him play, you know exactly why we had to re-sign him long term. Yanda and Grubbs are starting to finally get the accolades they deserve.

The "D"

My main concerns about the defense was them not applying enough pressure to quarterbacks these past couple of games. But even without Ray Lewis in yesterday's game they were still scary. Ed Reed is still Ed Reed, he had a INT and was all over the field yesterday. Andy Dalton said prior to the game about keeping his eye on Ed Reed but clearly he blinked. Jimmy Smith had his 1st interception yesterday but that was short lived when he lost the ball that was luckily recovered by us. Smith I'm sure has heard the speech about protecting the ball. Jimmy Smith was burned a couple of times on some plays but he's still learning. Webb, Pollard, & Ayanbadejo looked pretty good yesterday. I just hope we can stay healthy as the season goes on. Guaranteed to give Alex Smith trouble on Thanksgiving Night.

Matt Stover

Mr. Reliable, Ol' Faithful, Mr. Dependable, whatever you want to call him, Matt Stover was inducted into the Ravens Ring Of Honor during halftime yesterday. During his speech he said, "When you see my name, please see yours." He is truly a class act. He retired in 2009 after playing 297 games and scoring over 2000 points in his career. He has played on three teams in his professional career. He has played for Cleveland, Baltimore, & Indianapolis. Three cities that will forever be linked together in NFL history. It's almost as if it was written in the stars. Matt, you are missed and I tip my hat to you and say Thank you!

Final Thought

Looking at the total picture the Ravens are in a good place but we can not afford to lose any more games. Right now we are looking over our shoulder and see the Steelers, Texans, Patriots, and Bengals. We have to be mindful that with every game that's played the dynamics could change and right now we control our own destiny. We want home field advantage and that means working hard to ensure it happens. I am reminded of the "Any Given Sunday" rule and that means every team, every game is a threat. Ravens fans we can do it. We are climbing the ladder and with each victory brings us closer to the top which is the Super Bowl. I will leave you with the words of Vince Lombardi. "We will be relentless in our pursuit for perfection. We won't ever be perfect - but in the process we will achieve greatness."

The Bengals & The AFC North

Joe Flacco & Torrey Smith

Marshall Yanda & Ben Grubbs

The "D"

Matt Stover

Final Thought

Ravens to Steelers & Texans: "Pull Over... We'll Drive!"

Glenn Hughes — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:18:29 -0000

First of all, Congratulations to the Ravens (7-3) on a hard fought victory beating the Bengals (6-4) in front of the home crowd. The Steelers (7-3) and the Texans (7-3) have bye weeks so since we beat them both and in 1st place means we're back behind the wheel of the car. You know it may not have been pretty, but a win is a win, and now we will welcome the 49ers to town on Thanksgiving night. So now I just want to reflect on a few things before we move forward.

Balanced Offense:

I know we want to have balance between the run & pass especially after last weeks lost but we have to remember our opponent will know that too. So instead of being so obvious to that fact and start the game off with three consecutive run plays, why not throw the ball first? The Bengals was ready for Ray Rice so it wasn’t a surprise to them what we were doing that's why we went 3 and out. I think we could have a froze them for a quick seven if we had a play action or a trick play ready. Most importantly, we have to keep in mind to go with whats working in the game, off balanced, or not, it is what it is. The object of the game is to win, and if that means Joe Flacco may not throw as much or Rice may not run as much so be it!

Quarterback Pressure:

Why are we not pressuring these QB’s when we know they are going to throw? The past couple of games we have not given them enough pressure (like we usually do) & they are completing a lot of passes. It’s like at times we are playing too conservative on defense. These quarterbacks (rookies or not) need to feel the pressure and put on their backs. We need to return to that formula very quickly because it's successful.

Balanced Offense:

Quarterback Pressure:

Now I have to acknowledge the possible future tag-team combo in Joe Flacco & Torrey Smith. With Flacco’s arm and Torrey’s speed this could be a deadly combo to deal with. Just looking at the offense as a whole, Is it just me or should other teams be concerned? We have two veteran receivers in Anquan Boldin & Evans. (Boldin is one of the toughest S.O.B ‘s playing the game) Yes, we do have two rookie tight ends but look at them. Ed Dickson & Dennis Pitta are playing better than the league expected. Ray Rice is an all purpose back and proves it every week. Joe Flacco (The Iceman) is good and the best we've had at the position in franchise history. (the stats & records prove it) The league needs to prepare for a post season that we will set on fire because the puzzle is almost complete.

The defense is still doing their thing as well. Now while I don’t believe they are as good as the defense we had when we won the Super Bowl, (who does?) they can hang and will to the very end of the game. Ray Lewis didn’t play in our win over the Bengals but his presence was felt and known. It was kind of funny watching him on the sidelines because you could see he was itching to come in and play. The defense can still cause havoc better then majority of the teams with Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Jarret Johnson, Ed Reed, and Bernard Pollard. I don’t see any teams lining up eager to play against them and if they say they are..THEY'RE LYING!!! What I love most about our defense is the direction by Chuck Pagano. In meetings and interviews, he comes off more like a player than a coach, I think he is better to lead this defense than Greg Mattison was. So any team that want some, can feel free to always come and get some, but be ready for what you get!

Next up is the 49ers, and we have a few things out the gate working in our favor. They are traveling from West to East to play this game. They also played later then us on Sunday. Finally, they are coming into a house that will not be pretty for them to play in. I have to say, Alex Smith needs to come in and show me something because I’m sorry I just don’t believe in this second coming crap. All of a sudden he’s gone from being Kyle Boller to Peyton Manning? I think not! I want to see him put on the Alex Smith Show in Baltimore against us. Now while I’m not sold on Alex Smith, Frank Gore on the other hand could be scary. I believe it will be tricky, but we will somehow slow his game up. No doubt it will be a good game, and I’m eager to watch it. For Thanksgiving this year, I just want the turkey served up on the platter that day to be Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers!

Go Ravens!!!

Poll

Which matchup are you most eager to see Thanksgiving Night?

Frank Gore vs The Defense

49 votes

Alex Smith vs Terrell Suggs

40 votes

Joe Flacco & Torry Smith vs The 49ers D

137 votes

The Ray Rice Show

35 votes

Ted Ginn Jr. vs Billy Cundiff & The Special Teams

3 votes

264 votes | Poll has closed

Purple Friday: The Real Ravens Nation Stand Up!

Glenn Hughes — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:40:30 -0000

So its Friday. Purple Friday to be exact and after a week of dealing with the lost to the Seahawks, you are finally ready to put that purple gear and support our beloved Ravens. NOT SO FAST!!! Some of you who proclaim to be fans have done nothing but talk bad about the team since Sunday. Flacco this, Ray Rice that, & a whole bunch of woulda, coulda, shouldas, that amount to about nothing at this point because we are still the team to beat! My problem is the ones that are nothing more than fairweather fans. The ones that are fans after a win but was never one when they lose. Here's what I say: Either you're with us or against us but be true to whatever you are. No time for fakes or phonies!

I love the Ravens and I am a diehard fan, I couldn't stop being a fan if I tried. I have been bleeding black and purple since 1996. I can still remember this city hoping for then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to give Baltimore the ball back! (Remember that campaign) I remember sitting and hoping that Baltimore would be awarded an expansion team. (never happened of course) I remember sitting and hoping that the rumor was true that Al Davis was considering moving the Raiders to Baltimore. (yes I would have taken the Raiders) But as luck would have it or I think it was destiny that Art Modell had a deal in place to bring his team to Baltimore. Finally, the dream was realized and since that day I have been the biggest Ravens fan with undying love and support.

Now, I'm in no way saying that you can't be a fan and not be critical of the team or players when we lose. (Titans, Jaguars, & Seahawks. I'm just saying) I'm also not saying you can't be vocal about the team or the organization when you think they are making mistakes. That is your right to do so, but don't sit around and bad mouth the team when really under the cover of darkness you are really wearing black & yellow. Ok, maybe that's a little bit extreme but you know what I'm saying and you know you are! Be true to your team no matter what, in good times and especially the bad times.

Now after the lost to Seattle Sunday, we need to get into combat mode. So let me set the tone for you. Close your eyes and think about Ray Lewis (the greatest of all time) giving his pre-game talk to the team with all the intensity. You then see Ed Reed studying the quarterback, Terrell Suggs with that cocky look on his face, Ray Rice down on one knee watching the field, & the Iceman Joe Flacco going through the motions preparing for the game. (follow me so far?) You feel the vibe from the crowd, Poe getting the excitement of the crowd up even more, and then you hear the announcement that the team is about to hit the field. It's game time and people we do what we came to do and that's be the best team in the NFL. We have a date with destiny for February 5, 2012 in Indianapolis. So Bengals get ready because with or without Ray Lewis playing Sunday... we will bring it! Go Ravens!!!

Poll

Do you think The Ravens will reclaim first place in the division this Sunday?

Yes!

22 votes

No!

12 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed