Baltimore Ravens Blogs

I guess the Ravens used up all their karma. After everything went Baltimore's way last week against New England, they fell completely flat in Indianapolis Saturday night, missing every opportunity imaginable. Against a lesser foe, they could have mounted a comeback. Against Peyton Manning and the Colts, they had no chance.

Continue reading "Manning's Colts prove too much for ..."

In case you haven't heard, we're knee-deep in the NFL playoffs. Today kicks-off the best weekend of football all year. Eight teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt, with the top seeds in each conference joining in on the action. Let's not waste any time, here's the Opening Drive for Divisional Saturday in the NFL!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Divisional Saturday"

The loss was the equivalent of a mugging. The Patriots didn’t see it coming, and before they knew it, New England was on the ground, wondering what happened.

 

There’s no sugar-coating this. They got whipped. Baltimore came out with a fury and the Pats had no answer for the rapid flurry of haymakers.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Wild Card"

Well that happened. 

From the very first play from scrimmage, it was obvious: These aren't your dad's Patriots. (If you dad was a Pats fan two years ago.) Ray Rice took the opening hand-off 83 yards to the endzone to put the Ravens up 7-0 en route to embarrassing Bill Belichick's Patriots 33-14.

Continue reading "WTF of Wild-Card Weekend: Ravens ..."

 

After the Cowboys and the Jets dominated their opponents to move onto the divisional round, we've got some great action on tap today with a physical match-up in New England and a (hopefully) high-flying contest in the Arizona desert. Here's the Opening Drive of Wild-Card Sunday!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Wild-Card Sunday"

Don’t buy it when the Baltimore Ravens say they put the week 4 loss behind them. LB Ray Lewis avoided talking about it by saying it was in the past, but it’s on his mind.

 

Baltimore hasn’t forgotten the game that got away. DL Haloti Ngata has a picture of his contact with QB Tom Brady’s helmet. LB Terrell Suggs will have the time of his personal foul written on the tape on his wrist. WR Mark Clayton spent extra time catching passes so he won’t drop another fourth down pass.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Wild Card"

The linebackers have a big challenge on their hands. Baltimore’s offensive line is big and physical with a run first mentality. The ground game, led by RBs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee, averaged 137.5 yards per game at a 4.7 yards per gain clip.

Continue reading "Line of Defense"

With WR Wes Welker expected to be out for the playoffs, all the attention went to his replacement known as “Mini Wes” to some (I prefer Fat Welker), Julian Edelman.

 

Sunday Edelman had a Welker-like day as he caught 10 passes for 103 yards, including a 25-yard catch and run that would make Wes proud of Edelman.

Continue reading "Welker Remix"

It’s the kind of injury that believers in playing it safe use as an example. WR Wes Welker injured his knee when he planted his left foot to change direction, but the knee gave away. People believe he tore his ACL and MCL, ending Welker’s season just before the playoffs.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 17"

Though it means nothing, I am required by football law to point out I was 7-0 in my Opening Drive predictions for week 17. Woot. Multiple teams lost because they did not keep their starters in while one NFC East leader got railed on. Now, onto the last week of the regular season with this edition of the Final Drive! 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 17"

Happy New Year everyone! The NFC is all about seeding this Sunday, with all of the players at the table. In the AFC, the two wildcard spots will be hotly contested with the Ravens and Jets owning the inside track. Let's not waste time, here's the Opening Drive of week 17 in the NFL! *sniffle* It goes by so fast!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 17"

Holy idiotic decision Jim Caldwell! This week in the Final Drive features a barrel-full of storylines. The playoff contestants in the NFC were locked in while the AFC remains a dog-fight for the final two playoff spots. Let's wrap up week 16!

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 16"

In 2005, the Patriots “lost” the season finale to the Miami Dolphins. Because of that “loss,” the Pats hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card game instead of facing Pittsburgh.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 16"

By the end of the first quarter Bears QB Jay Cutler had already tossed two interceptions. The Baltimore Ravens had already exchanged those gifts for fourteen points. After six total turnovers and nary an offensive score to be found, the lesson was obvious. I already knew my Bears sucked. Now I know they suck, have given up on their coach and may not win another game this season.

Continue reading "What I learned from the Bears' 31-7 ..."

After much delay and a postponed game time thanks to an intense eastern snowstorm, the Chicago Bears finally landed in Baltimore last night. Now they have to deal with the snow AND the frothing Ravens, who are still fighting for their post-season lives. While a winnable affair, today's contest with the aggressive birds will surely leave the Bears battered and bruised. 

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Chicago Bears ..."

After three quarters of a boring contest, we finally got some action late in Thursday's Miami v. Carolina game. To anyone who had Ricky Williams on their fantasy team, good job. Now, we look to the weekend in the week 11 edition of the Oepning Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 11"

The last two undefeated teams carried on their winning ways, the last winless team won, the Giants gave one away by kicking a field goal and the Broncos could not hang with the Super Bowl Champs. Let’s wrap up week nine with the Final Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 9"

 

A slew of division match-ups are highlighted in this week’s NFL schedule. First place is up for grabs in the NFC East and one team hopes to avoid falling further behind the Colts in the AFC South. What games should you be watching? Find out in the Opening Drive of week nine!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 9"

Pro Bowl balloting is open to the public. Choose wisely.

 

This year New England fans will have a tough time rationalizing Patriot players worthy of being selected. The offense’s big three of QB Tom Brady and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker will get their share of votes. Beyond them…good luck.

Continue reading "Pro Bowl Ben?"

Alright, Tom Brady. The grace period is over. Now it’s time to be yourself again. That means the accurate surgeon capable of lighting up the scoreboard with few errors should finally be back. You’ve had enough time to work out the kinks. No more excuses.

Continue reading "The Real Tom Brady"

The Titans and Rams each found their first wins, another team fell from the undefeated ranks and both New York squads lost key division games. By the way, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are pretty good. *cough*Favre won*cough* Let’s wrap the week eight in the NFL with the Final Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 8"

Hopefully RB Laurence Maroney doesn’t think he’s off the hook after rushing for 123 yards (7.7 average) and a score. If anything, the expectations have gone up. It’s nice to see you blow up in one game as the undisputed primary ball carrier. But can you do this week after week after week?

Continue reading "Staying On the Run"

Still love me some NFL. Josh McDaniels kicked Bill Belichick’s Patriots right out of Denver while Matt Ryan picked apart a supposedly stout San Francisco defense. Oh, and Peyton Manning is still awesome. I wrap up week five in the NFL in the Final Drive! 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 5"

 

With some downright horrendous match-ups this weekend, this edition of the Opening Drive is shorter than usual. Just writing about Cleveland versus Buffalo would put me to sleep. Let’s get things going with the most anticipated games of week four! 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 5"

I’ve been high on safety Brandon Merriweather since his second-year breakout season. He finished 2008 second on the team in tackles, led the team in interceptions with four, and forced two fumbles. What really stood out was the significance of the turnovers, as twice they were the difference in wins.

Continue reading "Killer B's"

After the last few years I’m beginning to wonder how many times I’ve thought to myself, “The Cowboys should have won that game.”  So many big games come to mind:

 

Continue reading "History Repeating: The Lost Inches"

Someone finally looked like a rookie quarterback; things are going south in Tennessee, and some guy named Brett Favre made headlines. I wrap up week four in the NFL with the Final Drive! 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 4"

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, for nbenching WR Joey Galloway. While we may not know what Sam Aiken and Julian Edelman will contribute week to week, I’d take my chances with them over the 15-year veteran until Galloway learns the offense, if he ever does.

Continue reading "Pick Six"

Maybe the week two Jets game was like a flash forward of this game against Baltimore.

 

Obviously the Ravens’ defense will play much like Gang Green’s crew that kept the Patriots offense out of the endzone. Baltimore will rely on many of the principles taught by Cocky Green Giant, with a few twists naturally.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 4"

The New York Jets and their Head Coach Rex Ryan defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-17 Sunday in a rain-soaked contest at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

 

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (17-30, 171 yards) became the first rookie signal-caller in NFL history to lead his team to a 3-0 start.

Continue reading "Rex Ryan is Already The Best Coach in the NFL"

(I've also posted this on my blog at FanNation.com).

It's been an interesting NFL Sunday thus far, so I had the urge to get my two cents in on the day's events. First thing that comes to my mind, it's going right into this post...

Continue reading "NFL Week 3: Notes and Commentary"

The Patriots offense was virtually shut down by the New York Jets. QB Tom Brady was unable to get the offense into the endzone and was constantly rushed by a relentless New York blitz. It got people saying the Jets had the blueprint for beating the Patriots and with the rest of the league as witnesses, every opponent will follow suit.

Continue reading "The Blueprint"

Good morning fantasy friends!

Today is Saturday September 26, 2009 so you have a little more than 24 hours to get your fantasy act together or you may end up with that crucial week 3 L.  

Continue reading "Welcome to Fantasy Land!"

Well, I have neglected this blog all year, but I had some free time today, so I figured I'd add a new post.  The first two weeks of the NFL season have been pretty good, with the stupid Hail Mary from the Broncos to win week 1 (gosh I hate watching the highlights of that play) to the great game between Dallas and the NYG last week in the Texas palace.  But the thing that has me the most excited is the Bengals' defense.  They played hard all preseason, did really well agaianst Denver, minus that stupid Hail Mary, and recorded 6 sacks on Aaron Rodgers last week.  This defense finished 15th last year and I feel they are well on their way to being a top 10 unit.  With Odom healthy, it's easy to see why Cincy shelled out so much money for him last offseason.  He has 7 sacks on the season (which leads the NFL) and works really well on third downs with Geathers on one end, Michael Johnson on the other, and Odom inside.  This combo causes a lot of problems for the offenses and I feel that it will again this week against Pittsburgh.

Continue reading "Steelers are going down this Sunday"

The New York Jets Are Immediate Championship Contenders

The New York Jets bruised and bullied the New England Patriots to earn a 16-9 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands to maintain their standing atop of the AFC East.

Continue reading "The New York Jets Are Immediate Championship ..."

The New York Jets Are Immediate Championship Contenders

The New York Jets bruised and bullied the New England Patriots to earn a 16-9 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands to maintain their standing atop of the AFC East.

Continue reading ""

Great, another University of Michigan linebacker we will eventually put on IR.

 

OK, OK, that’s uncalled for and it’s unfair. I’m jaded by Shawn Crable because I had high hopes for him, but he never made the field in 2008 and will miss all of ’09 as well. Maybe it’s because his legs are too skinny to endure the stress from pro football.

Continue reading "Another Burgess"

The New York Jets bruised and bullied the New England Patriots to earn a 16-9 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands to maintain their standing atop of the AFC East.

The Jets (2-0), who have not surrendered a defensive touchdown to date, are slated to host the Tennessee Titans (0-2) Sunday afternoon.

Continue reading "The New York Jets Are Immediate Championship ..."

Week two had its fair share of upsets and surprises. (Not the least of which were my Bears!) Let’s take a look at the week that was in my Week 2 edition of the Final Drive!

(2-0) Atlanta Falcons       28

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

Hello, and welcome to week one of the NFL season.

 

No, I haven’t been in a cave for the week. But like the Patriots, I’m forgetting about the season opener.

 

Was the home team that bad? No, not really. There were a couple of highlights (QB Tom Brady and the secondary), but everywhere else there was plenty of room for improvement: inability to gain first downs on short yardage runs, dropped passes, lack of a pass rush, etc.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 2"

 

With 16 games in the regular season, losing your first two isn’t a cause for panic, but it is a cause for concern. In the Week 2 edition of the Opening Drive, here are some teams who need to avoid an 0-2 start.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 2"

Now that the preseason is over, let the countdown to the real games begin.

The Dallas Cowboys open their 2009 NFL season on the road Sunday, 12 noon, in Tampa, Florida.
The Cowboys’ organization improved the team’s chances of finishing the season stronger by the decisions they made during the off season.

Continue reading "Dallas Cowboys "Reel" 09 Season Begins Sunday"

For the past couple days, that's a question that baseball fans have been asking throughout the country. And what's the answer? Is there an answer? Is it OK for a baseball team to premeditate a celebration as over-the-top as Milwaukee's earlier this week?

Continue reading "Was Prince Fielder's Celebration OK?"

We'll get back to horse racing soon. This is a lull in the season. Now, even the horse players are focused on the NFL. Who will be better? Who will be worse.

 In this analysis, I simply take what the teams had, what they lost and gained, and weigh all the potentials. For example, 3 first and second round draft pick linebackers in their third year would translate into at least 2 successes.

Continue reading "NFL Forecast"

OK, now I’m sold.

 

Since the end of the regular season I’ve been waiting for the Patriots to get a rush linebacker I could believe in. Whether it was a rookie day one draft pick, a free agent, or by trade, I wanted someone that could get to the quarterback better than Mike Vrabel did in 2008. His trade to Kansas City made the need urgent.

Continue reading "A Burgess Believer"

                  I know, I'm crazy right? Well that's what the question mark is for. Could Big Ben be the Greatest Steeler of All Time at the age of 27? I'm just puttin it out there for us to think about. If not Ben, then who? Bradshaw, Bettis, Ward, Swann, Lambert, Harris, LLoyld, Woodson. Come on, who else? BIG BEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Continue reading "Ben Roethlisburger, The Greatest ..."

                  The 09' season is close. What do you think the Steelers will do with the schedule they have? Last season we had the hardest schedule in the league, went 12-4 and won the Bowl. This seasons' schedule is a little weaker. Let's go over the game's and make a good prediction ha guys.

Continue reading "Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 schedule, my predictions!"

The Baltimore Sun beat me to the punch on this topic, listing the Ravens top 5 options not currently on the roster for replacing the seemingly retired Mason:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-sp.mason15jul15,0,430

Continue reading "Replacing Derrick Mason: The Ravens ..."

So Derrick Mason may or may not be retiring. All right, let's suppose he does --- where does that leave the Ravens' passing game?

The first thing to ask is how good it was expected to be even WITH a healthy Mason catching passes in 2009. And I don't imagine too many fans were so drunk on the purple Kool-Aid as to expect our passing attack to have finished in the top half of the league. We're bringing back pretty much the same cast from last year, when we ranked 28th in the league with a mere 175.5 yards/game. Even accounting for the continued development of Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and that young offensive line, that's a heckuva lot of ground to make up. Unless Demetrius Williams finally becomes the vertical threat this offense hasn't had in over a decade, you're not going to shoot up that many spots riding an aging possession receiver, I don't care how good he is.

Continue reading "Breaking Down the Ravens' Receivers"

I will follow up this brief post with a more extensive analysis of the Ravens current (and potential) receiving situation in the wake of Derrick Mason's bombshell announcement yesterday that he is retiring.  But first, a few quick points:

Continue reading "Derrick Mason Retires"

Is Tim Wakefield Destined For Cooperstown?

Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was selected last week as an AL All-Star for the first time in his improbable 18-year career and the knuckleballer will participate in Major League Baseball’s

Continue reading "Is Tim Wakefield Destined For Cooperstown? ..."

Former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Steve McNair was shot and killed Saturday night in his downtown Nashville condominium.

Nashville authorities have indicated that McNair, 36, may have been slain by his 20-year-old mistress, Sahel Kazemi, in a murder-suicide.

Continue reading "Steve McNair Was Not The Man We Thougt He Was"

Todd Haley has chance this year to prove to everybody he can be a head coach in the NFL.  However the chance he took is on a team that went 2-14 last season and couldn't ever seem to find rythem offensively.  I've got to give them man credit.  He's got a lot courage and confidence in himself to take the reigns over for a team that most coaches shyed away from leading last year.  Haley was in the spotlight last year around the time that him and wide reciever had gotten into on the sideline.  Haley seemed to handle the matter with good authority and that is exactly what we need in the Chiefs organization.

Continue reading "Todd Haley has his plate full. Luckily ..."

During the 2008-2009 season, an encouraging pattern appeared.  The Steelers would start the game well, at some point fall behind, and in the 4th quarter, Big Ben would engineer a game winning drive.  This phenomena reared its head during the regular season, but in the biggest game of the year, Super Bowl XLIII.  Why is the leader of such a sub par offense (22nd in the league during the regular season) the engineer of so many come from behind wins? When examined, two major reasons can be found.

Continue reading "Why Ben Roethlisberger Will be the ..."

WILL COACH HARBAUGH  LET UP OFF PLAYERS NECKS THIS SEASON,OR WILL HE CONTINUE TO BE THE FRANK KUSH OF THE NEW ERA. THE PLAYERS ON THIS TEAM ARE ALL VERY TALENTED AND WITH OUT A DOUBT A FEW OF THE

Continue reading "BALTIMORE RAVENS"

So, ten weeks and nine games into the season, what is it fair to say we have? One probable loss (at New England), four TCOB games (i.e., no excuse for losing, not if you want to be Super Bowl champion: home against KC, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Denver), and an equivalent number of toss-ups (at Cincinnati and Cleveland ... mostly because they're division games, at Minnesota, at San Diego). Leaving us with an intriguing stretch run that features two games against the Super Bowl champions, one game against Peyton Manning and his flying circus, and one game against a team that could very well be looking for its first victory since December 2007.

Continue reading "Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part II"

I haven't blogged since the Super Bowl, and I probably won't blog again for a while (at least not until the draft), but the 2009 schedule was just released, and it's worth taking a quick look at the way the upcoming season breaks down for the hometown team. One thing you can count on, there are games that look easy right now that will look a lot tougher when they get here, and there are games that look tough now that will end up looking much easier. The most one can do, therefore, is to say: IF LAST SEASON'S RESULTS CARRY OVER INTO NEXT SEASON ... which of course they never do.

Continue reading "Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part I"

Well, the first wave of free agency has passed, and the Browns didn't jump in. It appears to me that the Browns don't have a lot of room under the cap to sign high-priced free agents.

Leaving: Kellen Winslow, Joe Jurevicius, Jason Wright, Audra Davis. Is Braylon Edwards next? Next year is a contract year, and it appears that Braylon doesn't want to sign with the Browns again. So, why keep him around when we could get something for him this year? I know...we don't have a lot of quality WRs on the roster. But, if we rely on Braylon's potential, we might as well trade him for draft picks. And if I remember correctly, Braylon couldn't even catch a cold last season. Is Donte Stallworth leaving? After his accident, no one knows his future. Lastly, many experts believe that one of the QBs will be traded. Well, stay tuned.

Continue reading "Cleveland Browns: Molding a New Team"

OK. So I lied. In last week’s musings I apologized for a sudden lack of blogs due to an increased workload at my paid writing job and I was back, better than ever and writing incessantly. If you haven’t noticed, and I’d be disappointed if you didn’t, another seven days has gone by without a new posting. Well, now, I truly have returned. You have my word. Following this edition of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings, make sure you tune in later in the week for a blog about the impending superstardom of the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo, a look at the post Seattle Mariner careers of Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez (at the suggestion of my buddy Taco) and whatever else my twisted sports mind can conjure. As always, thank you for your support.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume V"

In anticipation of Super Bowl XLIII between the favored Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4) and the upstart Arizona Cardinals (12-7) this Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, I ranked the best NFL championship games I have seen over the past 20 years.

Continue reading "Ranking the Greatest Super Bowls ..."

Derrick Mason: I don't know how much more I can say about Derrick Mason (other than that I'd name my first-born for him). He was Joe Flacco's primary option and security blanket from the start; indeed, until Mark Clayton and Todd Heap began to show up down the stretch, he was for all practical purposes Flacco's only option. Yet somehow he kept getting open, though every defense we faced doubtlessly game-planned specifically for him. And it wasn't just the dink-and-dunk kind of "open," the kind that came to define Brian Billick's plodding offense and resulted in Mason's catching a career-high 103 balls in 2007 for a career-low 10.6 yard average. He got open short, he got open long, and he got open every which way between, with a full three-quarters of his catches producing first downs---the best ratio in his career as a starter.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens 2008 Player Grades: ..."

Willis McGahee: McGahee never got on track in 2008. He skipped the OTAs to work out on his own in Miami, then showed up at training camp unprepared for his new coach's up-tempo, physical two-a-days. Assorted injuries led him to miss the entire preseason, and when he dressed for but didn't play in the season opener, the conventional wisdom was that the coaches were sending him a message, namely that if he wanted to play for the Ravens he'd better get on board with the new regime. He recovered from his injuries enough to rush for 100+ yards in two midseason games against the Dolphins and the Texans, though by then it was clear the team preferred rotating him from game to game with fellow backs Le'Ron McClain and Ray Rice. Nagging injuries and declining productivity seemed to rob him of much of confidence during the second half of the season, as the cry to bench him for good (and then cut him in the offseason) grew louder on the local airwaves. For all that, he played a crucial role in the epic late-season win against Dallas, and in the AFC Championship loss to the Steelers, he was the best offensive player wearing purple.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens 2008 Player Grades: Running Backs"

After some tremendous post-season play, the Super Bowl is set. In this edition of the Final Drive, I look back at Sunday’s Conference Championship games.

Arizona Cardinals 32, Philadelphia Eagles 25

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Conference ..."

The first of what I intend to be a running series of "grades" for each player, position by position, on this year's team. I'll give my thoughts on how they performed in 2008 and where I see them fitting into the plans for 2009. And I'll begin at QB.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens 2008 Player Grades: Quarterbacks"

I've posted lists of this length and magnitude elsewhere in the past. Before I get to the rankings, I like to explain my general rationale and some of the specifics of the decision-making process. Here are some essential rules, so you can better understand my thinking:

Continue reading "The NFL's Top 100 Players"

At the beginning of the year, I said that there were five areas in which the team needed to improve if we were to rate Year 1 of the John Harbaugh era a success. Obviously, you don't go from 5-11 to the AFC Championship game without improvements across the board. But looking back, I still say it's those five areas that were key --- or at the very least, they are the keys to building on this year's success, rather than sliding back yet again to mediocrity. These 5 areas are, in no particular order:

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers ..."

The stage was officially set after Sunday's two Conference games for the 43rd Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers both jumped over their last hurdles to go to the big dance. But don't ask either coach if they'll be satisfied with just making it. They want to win it! I'll bring you a in-depth 7 part preview of the big game as I'll give my prediction on the game on the 7th and final post. So let's get to it! This is the 'intro' post to the 7 part series.

Continue reading "Setting the Stage: Arizona Cardinals"

Rex Ryan will be officially introduced as the next Jets coach at a press conference Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. The Jets sent out the following remarks by the involved parties:

Continue reading "Rex Mania"

Even before he's introduced as the next New York Jets head coach and begins to assemble his staff, Rex Ryan has an influential assistant.

"We talk football all the time," Ryan's famous father, Buddy Ryan, said Monday.

Continue reading "About time Rex Ryan got a chance..."

So this is how it ends. My own view seems to be shared by the majority in Ravensland: This was an amazing season, one nobody saw coming, and a loss in the AFC Championship game, while disappointing, represents---to echo Coach Harbaugh---a beginning rather than an end. For really, that's the key---that next season, and the season after, and many seasons to come, finds us right back in the playoffs. Because once you're inside, it's anyone's guess who survives the free-for-all and winds up in the Super Bowl. So much of what makes football these days simultaneously fascinating and maddening is the continual rising and falling of contenders. The Ravens have been no exception---in the playoffs one year, out the next ... it's a perpetual seesaw for all but those few teams that can rightly count themselves among the league's elite, with the Patriots and Colts at the top, and the Eagles, Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks forming a slightly lesser tier.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers ..."

The drafting of Vernon Gholston didn't seem like the right move to a lot of NFL analysts but fans saw it as the Jets finally adding a speedy pass rusher. I mean hey he was the only guy who seemed to k

Continue reading "Can Rex Ryan save Vernon Gholston?"

So after watching the Steelers/ Ravens game, I have noticed one thing about Pittsburgh... they are a dirty team.  Ryan Clark hit Willis McGahee helmet-to-helmet in the closing minutes of the Fourth Quarter to force a fumble, which was recovered by the Steelers.  Unfortunately for the NFL and for fans of the game, the referees did not call the hit illegal.  A very similar hit was called illegal (and a fine was given) earlier this season on Anquan Boldin, which knocked him out for several games.  These hits are very dangerous and can cause paralysis.  The league needs to be more uniform in the hits they call.  There are less calls made against offensive players making helmet to helmet blocks (see video of Hines Ward breaking Keith Rivers' jaw in a game against Cincinnati).  Also less frequent are helmet-to-helmet hits on running backs from defenders.  It's like the league feels that defensive players deserve to get hit this way, and since running backs are naturally taking the most hits, they deserve it in a way.  Receivers and quarterbacks are too fragile to allow these hits to be put on them, so the league fines players for hits on these guys.  Come on!  The reason some are called illegal is "to prevent injury".  All of these hits, regardless of position, can injure the guy.  (Did you see McGahee carted off the field on a stretcher, or Keith Rivers get his jaw broken?)  Bottom line, both of these hits referenced were by Pittsburgh Steelers players, and neither were fined or even called as penalties.  I feel like the NFL gives Pittsburgh a free pass because they have a reputation as a physical, hard-hitting football team.  The league needs to get their act together and fix this very baised system. 

Continue reading "Steelers' cheap shots"

The NFL's final four are set. We're left with a two, a four, and two sixes. The four is actually more surprising than the sixes. I would guess that very few people had the Arizona Cardinals hosting the NFC Championship. I certainly didn't and I even managed to go four-of-five in my picks last week (five-of-six if you count Utah over Florida, which I'll give myself the benefit of a doubt since the BCS leaves us with nothing but doubt). The Cards got over the hump by winning on the other side of the Mississippi River. Sure, Jake Delhomme was awful, setting all kinds of records for turnovers (6) and interceptions (5), but the Cardinals fell behind 7-0 quickly and responded just as quickly. They could have gotten down on themselves while trailing on the road, but they fought back and blew out the Panthers instead. Hell, they even had a running game for the first time in weeks. That likely won't be the case against the Eagles, but they may not need it as they look to have Anquan Boldin back. When Kurt Warner is right, he's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. With Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, they have two of the biggest deep threats in the league, so they have a chance against any defense, even one as good as the Eagles have been lately.

Continue reading "Conference Title Games"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Conference Championships"

Continue reading "Two game pick'em"

• Well here we are again ! One game away from the main event. If you would have asked me around mid-season  for my Conference Championship finalists , I would have never anticipated these match-ups. With the exception of Pittsburgh , who I actually did have as one of the AFC´s contenders , Arizona ,Baltimoreand Philadelphia's were´nt even on my radar. Low and behold here they are , one game away from a trip to sunny Tampa. But as improbable as this semi-final sounds , we still must give credit where credit is due. Arizona is probably the most suspect of the three . A 9-7 division winner ,playing in a division that is suspect in itself  and, who only by virtue of winning that weak NFC west , got them into the post season . Lets face it , if they were in any other division , a 9-7 record even doesn´t get them in the playoffs. Be that as it may , they beat an up an coming Falcons team at home in the first round of the playoffs. With Warner hooking up with Fitzgerald and Boldin on touchdowns of 42 and 71 yrds. respectfully. And the defense surprising the Falcons by holding star runningback Michael Turner to just 60 yrds. rushing while intercepting Matt Ryan twice and sacking him in the endzone for a safety. Next up was the second seed CarolinaPanthers in the Divisionals. Going on that dreaded east-coast trip again where they have performed poorly during the season. They manhandled the Panthers on both sides of the ball whipping them 33-13. They held DeAngelo Williams , a 1500 yrd. rusher , to just 63 yrds. rushing while intercepting Jake Delhomme five times and forced a fumble. Arizona´s offense is known for putting up big numbers but now their defense is starting to show that they are also a big part of their success. Pretty impressive for sure , but I am still not sold on them being a championship caliber team. Baltimore squeaked into the playoffs after beating up on Jacksonville, and Miami winning against the Jets knocking the the Patriots out despite their win against the Bills. Baltimore´s relentless defense forced five turnovers on their way to smothering division winner Miami in the first round of the playoffs. In the divisional playoffs Tennessee dented Baltimore´s armor to the tune of 391 yards , but turned the ball over on three occasions inside their 20 , which ultimately cost them the ball game losing 13-10. It´s not by coincidence that the Ravens lead the NFL in take-a-ways with 34. Offensively , Baltimoreis riding on the cannon arm of rookie QB Joe Flacco along a solid running game with LeRon McLain , 902 rushing yards and 10 TD´s , and veteran Willis McGahee , 671 rushing yards and 7 TD´s, sharing the ground attack duties. Flacco makes good decisions with the ball  to go along with his accurate powerful right arm. But Baltimore can be vulnerable at times as proven by the Titans 391yards or the Giants 207 yards rushing their 30-10 thumping of the Ravens. And , don´t forget ,Willie Parker is healthy again and had 791 rushing yards and 5 TD´s despite missing five games with injuries. The Philadelphia Eagles are the New YorkGiants of ´07 . Just as the giants had their woes last season , the Eagles have had their share as well. Starting with the halftime benching of QB Donavan McNabb by Andy Reid , citing the seven turnovers in seven quarters being the reason for the benching. Followed by a week of Reid not saying who would start the next game against Arizona, furthering the despair between Reid and the squad. Then the Cardinals flew into town and McNabb , who got the nod , had a superb game throwing for 260 yards and four TD´s . That was the start of winning the their last four out of five regular season games. Their thrashing of their division rival Cowboys 44-6 in the last game of the season propelled them to the post season knocking out the `Boys playoff hopes. McNabb had another good day throwing for two scores and running for another. They carried over their momentum , just as the ´07 Giants had done , to the post season winning big on the road against Minnesota and then following that up with a huge victory over the # 1 seed and defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants . Does the word “Deja-Vous “ ring a bell ? A solid offence with versatile back Brian Westbrook  who , without a doubt , will force Arizonato keep 22 eyes on him all game long. A rejuvenated McNabb who is still dangerous and foxy and who is now beaming with confidence. And  capable receivers with the ever so dangerous DeSean Jackson leading the way. Along with Jim Johnsons´stout defence , Philly could be very dangerous indeed. Pittsburgh knows whats expected of them and I have no doubt that their no#1 ranked defence knows just how to respond. A healthy Willie Parker is back to take the pressure off of Big Ben and add some power to the ground game . Veteran Hines Ward is another seasoned player who knows how to raise his game this time of year. But again, the big part of this team´s success is their defence. Ranked # 1 over all ( #2 vs. run  - #1 vs. pass ) , 2ndin sacks with 51 , and fewest points allowed , 223 , they are an overwhelming force. Flying around the ball putting the big hits on opponents and simply demoralizing offences is their game plan week in – week out .Aaron Smith , James Farrior , James Harrison , and Troy Polamalu to name a few are a total wrecking crew waiting to pummel offences to the ground. And they will definitely be out in force come Sunday. Enough said ´bout those guys !! That being said : . Eagles 29 – Cardinals 24Eagles defence rattles Warner , Boldin not healthy. . Steelers 16 – Ravens 13The first two meetings were close and low scoring , expect more of same. Final thought : As a head coach of a German – American football team over in Germany , I live for stats. I love them to death. But they all go out the window come this time of year. One given: The team that turns the ball over more and has six or more penalties , loses the game 91% of the time!! ENJOY THE GAMES FOLKS !!!!

Continue reading "NFL Championship Match-Ups : "Unlikely ..."

For personal reasons, I really want to pick the Cardinals and Ravens to win this weekend.

 

I have many friends who are Ravens fans including my younger brother who was a member of the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band (and he may be a part of them again in the near future.)  He was, even if it was somewhat obliquely, a “Raven.”   He and I spend just about every Raven’s game texting back and forth.  He’s too young to really remember the Raven’s success of the early 2000’s.  He had just turned 9 when the Raven’s won the Super Bowl and all he really remembers about it is me (a lifelong Giants fan) fuming for most of the game and storming out when it was over.  So for his sake, I like to see the Ravens win.

Continue reading "Heads or Hearts on Championship Weekend"

For the second straight week, all of the NFL’s contests are rematches. Who are the ad wizards that are responsible for this? I smell a fix! (I kid, I kid.) After my two favorite football weekends of the year, this Sunday is without question the best singular day of action. I’ve got you covered with all the details in the penultimate edition of the Opening Drive.

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Continue reading "The Birds and the "D's""

I think when your sub-sub-sub concious is trying to tell you something, you should really heed to that advice. Last week I talked about long layoffs, and low and behold three of the home teams were upset. Is that going to happen regularly? I hope not, because all the money that was won from the first round of the playoffs would continiously get blown on the second round games. Before I get down into the games this up coming weekend, I want to try to break down the four games that were played. So, with random stories about my past put aside for now, let's get into it.

Continue reading "NFC/AFC Championship game picks"

Pittsburgh's Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is reportedly in the process of legally changing his name to Luke Steelerstahl for the Pittsburgh Steelers AFC Championship game Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens.

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By halftime of Saturday's Ravens-Titans game, the sense of Deja Vu was too strong to ignore. Was it 2009 or 2001?  Either way, the result was the same: a divisional round upset of a 13-3 Titans squad that completely dominated us on paper yet couldn't translate its offensive output into points. On Saturday, Tennessee passed for over 100 more yards, ran for over 60 more yards, racked up twice as many 1st downs, held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes ... and lost by 3 points. And that's not even the crazy game: In 2001, Tennessee held nearly identical advantages in passing and rushing yards, gained nearly four times as many 1st downs, held the ball for over 20 more minutes ... and lost by 14 points.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Tennessee Titans ..."

This year’s NFL action hasn’t failed to deliver intriguing storylines, and the Divisional round continued that trend. This round’s upsets have produced a fresh and exciting conference championship Sunday. Let’s find out how we got here with a look at last weekend’s action in the Final Drive.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Divisional Round"

Shouldn't a football team have an indtimidating name?? Just to feel tough? Oilers, what do oilers do? Saints, maybe teams should be scared to go up against God and his friends.

Cardinals, Ravens, Eagles, Seahawks, Falcons? Why birds??? If you're going to go animallike, how about elephants?? Sharks?? Wouldn't want to cross them. Then we have Packers, ??? what???Are they packing something up there? boxes or guns? Dolphins, gotta say they are like the sweetest fish in the sea. Where is the scare factor there? Bucs and Colts, aren't they the little versions of big? 49'ners? Don't get that at all. Chiefs and Patriots well, at least we can respect them. 

Continue reading "Are these names intimidating? Eagles, ..."

 

The crystal ball had a dreadful performance this past week, posting a woeful 1-3 record.  This is playoff time, so that is totally unacceptable!  The crystal ball started off 1-0, but then dropped its last three for the weekend!  Anyway, that puts the crystal ball at 3-5 for the post-season, and 36-31-1 overall.  That’s five games over .500 (.537 to be exact).  Hopefully the crystal ball will perform better this coming week, as the pressure mounts in the Championship games!  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.

Continue reading "Divisional Round Review"

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels turned down opportunities after last season, but he knew teams would keep knocking on his door. He was waiting for the right opening, and the chance to be the Denver Broncos' head coach might be exactly what he wants.

Continue reading "McDaniels Leaves the Nest"

Many of my closest friends refer to me by the nickname, "Fro." When we're sitting around watching a game or chit-chatting about nothing (kinda like "Seinfeld") they like to slip "Fro" into everything.

Continue reading "A comfortable "Fro"diction: the Steelers ..."

Continue reading "NFC Championship Game"

Continue reading "AFC Championship Sunday Jan 18th"

Continue reading "The Steelers used the Bye to get better"

In what can only be described as ingenious regular-season scheduling on the NFL’s part, each of this weekend’s divisional contests are rematches from the regular season. That fact only serves to heighten the drama as we head into what is, in my opinion, the best weekend in all of football. After Wild Card Weekend gets rid of some of the riff-raff or gives surprise teams a chance to continue their run at the Super Bowl, the Divisional round ups the ante by adding the cream of the crop back into the mix after their bye weeks. This weekend’s slate of action looks to be an excellent one. I get you ready right here, right now. 

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Divisional Round"

 

• Drew Brees won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.  I can’t argue with that pick.  Anytime you come within a deep out route of Dan Marino’s single season passing record, you can be the Offensive POY.

Continue reading "Quick Hits and Playoff Week 2 Picks"

  

           Each week I will answer questions submitted by my loyal readers.  I personally read every single email I receive.  I will pick out the best five or so to use for the weekly post, as I won’t be able to answer all of them.  I will also answer one or two questions on my daily posts as well.  Now it’s time to open the mail!

Continue reading "Reality Mail Bag - 01/08/09"

Well, I'm finally back at it. I was going at a pretty good clip before the holidays but had something come up everytime I've tried to write since. I hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for an even better year in sports. Which brings us to the first championship of the year.  In many mines, Utah won it a couple of days ago when they rolled right over the Crimson Tide. There was a team in that game that appeared like it didn't belong, but it certainly wasn't the Utes.

Continue reading "NFL Divisional playoffs and the BCS Title"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

Continue reading "Picks for the NFL weekend"

Although "my" Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs last weekend, the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs for both leagues offers a host of great matchups, Vikings or no Vikings...

Continue reading "Quick Picks For The NFL Divisional Playoffs"

When I heard that LB Jerod Mayo received 49 of 50 votes for Defensive Player of the Year, I asked two questions: 1. Who got the one vote, then later, 2. Who the hell voted for Keith Rivers?

I won't argue Rivers won't be a good player down the road. In limited playing time, he had 37 tackles with an interception. But to compare a player that only played seven games versus someone who started 16 is illogical. Even if Rivers' number were projected to 16 games he's far behind Mayo's production. Sorry Rivers that you got your jaw broke by Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward, but that's football.

Continue reading "Stray Votes"

 

The crystal ball had a mediocre performance this past week, going a mere 2-2.  This is playoff time, so that is unacceptable!  The crystal ball took its lumps on the Colts game, but it’s okay with it since Norv’s our buddy!  Anyway, that puts the crystal ball at 2-2 for the post-season, and 35-28-1 overall.  That’s seven games over .500 (.555 to be exact).  Hopefully the crystal ball will perform better this coming week, as the pressure mounts in post-season play!  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.

Continue reading "Wildcard Weekend Review"

It is weekends like the one we just had that make me glad I don’t make actual predictions in my blog. I would have been at best two for four, and maybe even one for four if I had gone with the Dolphins as a sentimental favorite. Showcasing its parity, each day of the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend followed different themes. On Saturday, the home teams pulled out the close victories, while on Sunday the road teams won in a more lop-sided manner. Let’s take a look at the weekend that was in this Wild Card edition of the Final Drive. 

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Wild Card Weekend"