The Baltimore Ravens went out on Sunday and showed the Denver Broncos that the 3-3 record they have compiled doesn't  show just how good they are.  The Ravens had lost 3 straight games to 3 good teams.  The Patriots and Vikings some may consider to be great teams.  They got a chance to prove their worth on Sunday against the undefeated Denver Broncos, and boy did they make good.

This is the Ravens team I expected to see game after game, week after week all season long and they certainly proved they are not down and out just yet.  Denver has been a big surprise in my eyes so far this year, but they have proved to be a tough opponent nonetheless, and the Baltimore Ravens dispatched them with relative ease today.

Although Denver held Joe Flacco and the Baltimore passing attack in check with only 167 yards the Ravens rushing attack was able to crush the Denver season average of  79 yards per game, and pickup 125 yard on the ground.  Baltimore special teams was the real back breaker today  with Ladarius Webb returning a kick for a 95 yard TD.

Beating the Denver Broncos today was nice step back after 3 straight losses, but there is a long way to go on the Ravens road to the playoffs.  The Ravens are going to need to pick up wins against Cinncinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh in the coming weeks with the games against the Colts and Steelers being critical to their chances of making the playoffs.

I am extremely excited that the Ravens were able to win so convincingly against the surprising Denver Broncos this Sunday, but their work has just begun.  There is a long road in front of them, and they are not going to be able to take any games off to climb back from 3-3.  Hopefully the beatdown in Denver will be just the beginning of the road to the playoffs.

A couple weeks ago I was telling people here in Minnesota not to get too excited about their Vikings.  The Vikings I said are never gonna get past the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl anyway.  Fast forward two weeks, and one missed field goal, and those same people are asking me if I want them to make me some room on the Vikings bandwagon.  That same Vikings bandwagon that couldn't help the Ravens out and beat the hated Steelers last weekend.  The Ravens are in a must win game this Sunday in Baltimore.  They are 3-3, and are even trailing the bi polar Cinncinnati Bengals by 2 games in the division.  A loss here and they may be left wondering what went wrong with a season that looked so promising.

What does Baltimore get to welcome them back from the Bye week?  The undefeated Denver Broncos.  If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that one team in this game would be undefeated and one team would be 3-3 I would have thought the 3-3 team to have been the Denver Broncos who had nothing go right in the offseason it seemed.  Drama after drama all summer long, but yet here they are on top of the AFC with wins against San Diego, New England, and Dallas in the last three weeks.  While the Ravens on the other hand have lost 3 straight heart breakers against Minnesota, Cinncinnati at home, and New England.  

The Vikings and Patriots weren't awful losses.  Both came in close, hard fought games on the road.  But losing to Cinncinnati at home, and allowing Cedric Benson to run at will, and Carson Palmer to drive down the field with only minutes left was very disheartening.

That all brings us to this coming Sunday.  Baltimore and Denver both having offenses that are putting up very balanced numbers on the ground and by air.  Baltimore with a slight edge in the passing and total yardage categories while Denver has done a little better on the ground.  The difference in this game will be the defenses I think.  The story here is the Denver Broncos.  They look like the Ravens of old.  Only allowing 79 yds per game on the ground, and 182 through the air.  Baltimore on the other hand has done pretty well against the run but has given up some big yardage through the air this year, and now gets to deal with the surprising Kyle Orton to Brandon Marshall combo all day long.

Kickoff is less than 24 hours away, and the Baltimore Ravens need a win at home to save the season.  A loss tomorrow could mean 3 games back in the division at the halfway point of the season.  That's a tough whole to dig out of.  I think with two weeks to prepare, and what I hope is a giant sense of urgency the Baltimore Ravens will come out and overwhelm the Broncos and keep themselves in the hunt for the AFC North.

Okay, so it's only one game.  So what if the New Jersey Nets aren't exactly the LA Lakers.  The Minnesota Timberwolves opened the season at home and won a game.  They won a game in which they trailed by 16 points with 7 minutes to play.  They won a game in which Al Jefferson only scored 9 points.  They played hard for 48 minutes and pulled out a victory.  Even if it took them every last possession to do so.

This is going to be a season where things like this need to be appreciated.  

The Wolves are not going to win very many games this season.  They definitely aren't going to win many putting up some of the numbers they did last night.  36% from the floor, 14% from behind the three point line, and their best player didn't break 10 points.

BUT they managed to grab 18 offensive rebounds, 15 steals, and they got to the foul line 35 times.  Their two rookie guards played very well in their NBA debuts.  Johnny Flynn had 18 points, 2 steals, and went 8-10 from the stripe, and showed people why he was picked just behind Ricky Rubio.  Wayne Ellington played 23 minutes, had 8 points and 6 rebounds on 4-8 shooting, and no turnovers. He also led the team with a plus/minus ratio of +13.  That right there gives me reason for optimism.  When is the last time a late pick for the Wolves came in and put up numbers like that?  Seriously, do you know?  Cause I'm not sure that it's ever happened.

This team is going to take a lot of lumps this season, and there will most certainly be some bad stretches, and some ugly games, but I think you will see a team that is going to be fun to watch, and fun to root for.  They are going to work hard, and play hard, and they may even surprise us a few times along the way.

I believe the dark days of Timberwolves basketball are behind us, and there is a lot to look forward to, but for today, let us celebrate the fact that we are undefeated.  Even if it's for only a day.