Baltimore Ravens: Path To the Playoffs

Festivus is at hand for the Baltimore Ravens.

With two weeks remaining in the season, the Ravens are this close to getting into the postseason party.

The path is tantalizingly simple: beat Pittsburgh and Oakland the next two Sundays and you’re in. If the Ravens accomplish that, they would not only make the playoffs, but would also have an outside chance at the AFC North crown with two losses by the Cincinnati Bengals. That’s clearly the best-case scenario, albeit a long-shot since the Bengals are facing lowly Kansas City this week.

Still, with a little help, the Ravens could even clinch a spot this weekend with a win over Pittsburgh and either:

• Losses by the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Jets
• A loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars and either the Jets or Broncos

The hardest part of all that is on the Ravens’ end. The Steelers managed to revive their own playoff hopes with a last-second win over the Green Bay Packers last week and will have Raven-killer Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, something they did not have when the Ravens beat their Steel City rivals in Baltimore.

The Ravens, who have struggled with pass defense most of the year, will be without the services of Lardarius Webb, who had emerged as the team’s top cornerback and kick returner. Corey Ivy was signed to help fill the void, but any Ravens fan familiar with Ivy’s work the last few seasons is biting their nails Roethlisberger doesn’t find him Sunday.

The good news is the Ravens are not facing your father’s Steelers D, a unit that has been gashed since it lost All-World safety Troy Polamalu. Ray Rice and Joe Flacco have revved things up in back-to-back routs over Detroit and Chicago and will look to continue the momentum offensively.

If the Ravens can take care of business against their bitter rivals, the other pieces could fall into place. Jacksonville must travel to New England, where the Patriots are unbeaten at home. Struggling Denver must visit the lions den of Philadelphia. Miami faces similarly desperate Houston, and the Jets face unbeaten Indianapolis.

Should the Ravens get into the playoffs, they will likely be the fifth or sixth seed and get a rematch with either Cincinnati or New England.

The Bengals, despite beating the Ravens twice this year, seem the more favorable match-up. While the Bengal defense remains tough, the offense has been less than impressive, and there’s no telling what effect the tragic death of receiver Chris Henry will have on the club.

The Ravens should have handed New England its first home less of the season. The Purple and Black were at the doorstep of a win in their Week 4 match-up until Mark Clayton’s Edward Scissorhands impression intervened. Despite New England looking ripe for the pickings, facing Brady and company in Foxborough in the postseason would be a tough order indeed.

All goes out the window if the Ravens fail to win against Pittsburgh Sunday. While the team would still have the inside track over the rest of the seven-loss teams, there is still the possibility they could miss the playoffs.

So in a nutshell, for the Ravens to have another crack at the Super Bowl and make the road to the playoffs as simple as possible, they should take a phrase out of Al Davis’ book: “Just Win Baby.”

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Passing Fancy: Baltimore Ravens Passing Game vs. Kansas City

Yes it’s only one game, against a team that went 2-14 last year, but were those really the Baltimore Ravens out there?

Contrary to everything the so-called experts say they are, as well as their own image as a run-first/defense-oriented team, the Ravens came out gunning it like the Air Coryell Chargers in their 38-24 Week One victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seven of the Ravens first eight plays were passes. Of the team’s 32—yes, 32—first downs, 20 came by way of the pass.

The training wheels were clearly off of second-year quarterback Joe Flacco, who put up 43 pass attempts—which was practically two games worth of attempts last season. Particularly in the first half, it seemed the Ravens were throwing on every snap.

The proof however, was in the pudding. Flacco, who did not have a 300-yard passing game all season last year, put up 307 yards through the air and three touchdown passes with one interception.

The much maligned receiving corps, called “bums” by ESPN’s Keyshawn Johnson, managed to hold off the talk radio blowhards screaming for a trade for Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin by at least one week. Mark Clayton led the way with five catches for 77 yards and the game-winning score.

Old reliable Derrick Mason chipped in with four catches for 47 yards, while newcomer Kelley Washington made three key catches to convert third downs into first.

The revelation however was the return of tight end Todd Heap. The former Pro Bowler was a force in the middle of the field, beating KC’s linebackers like a government mule all day. He finished with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Ultimately, Flacco spread the ball to seven different pass receivers, with all seven making at least two catches each.

So why the new passing fancy? Certainly the Chiefs defense, fifth-worst against the pass a year ago, had something to do with it. But at the same time, the Ravens hinted at it throughout the preseason, throwing on almost every down.

Flacco’s development also played a huge role. In his second year, “The Brow” is now a confident leader, belying his “Joe Cool” rep by pumping his fist and showing an emotional side, particularly after the 31-yard touchdown to Clayton that sealed the deal for the Ravens. He knows this is now HIS team. Flacco clearly loves the increased freedom offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is allowing him to throw the ball at will.

Lost in the shuffle of all the passing though is that in Week One, the Ravens did exactly what the said they would do all offseason, namely, have more balance on offense.

Although the 43 pass attempts got the attention, the Ravens also ran 42 times—near perfect offensive symmetry. Once the Ravens got the running game got cranked up, the Ravens looked like a team that could be very, very difficult to stop.

With Week One now behind them, the Ravens will face a sterner test out west in the person of the San Diego Chargers. What should we expect from the passing game this week? Probably more of the same against a Charger pass defense that was second worst in the league.

In addition, seeing the Bolts struggle to contain the Raiders running game Monday night probably has Cameron imagining a whole array of offensive possibilities.

Truth be told, the Ravens didn’t even break out any of the trick plays they showed last year. Very little of the unbalanced line and no “Suggs Package” to be found.

If you combine those to a potentially potent passing game and the three-headed rushing attack of Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le’Ron McClain, there could be something exciting brewing in Charm City.

Again, it is only one week, way too early to anoint them the second coming of the ’99 Rams, but the days of the Ravens being perceived as a dull, conservative and boring offensive team may just be coming to an end.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

A Baltimore Ravens Fan Remembers Steve McNair

It’s been almost a week and I still have trouble wrapping my brain around the news.

Steve McNair?

Murdered?

In the company of a woman who was not his wife?

Murdered by the woman who was not his wife?

Surely, you jest?

But it is an unfortunate fact.

I will not spend this space spouting the “warrior” rhetoric that has been hashed and rehashed by the mainstream media, nor do I intend to psychoanalyze McNair’s behavior. Clearly, the man had some demons, like 99.9 percent of the world’s population, and they ended up costing him his life.

No, what I intend to do here is share my personal memories of McNair.

When I first heard the news that McNair was dead, I’m pretty sure I had the same look on my face as I would get when I’d fail a test that I thought I’d aced. An expression that says, “Really?” 

Since McNair was a Raven for only two years, I didn’t have the same emotional attachment to him as the Tennessee Titans fans did. But he certainly gave Ravens fans his share of good and bad memories.

In fact, It’s safe to say that McNair was involved in three of the seven or eight most memorable games in Ravens history—the 2001 divisional playoff game and the 2006 season sweep of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his days with the Titans, McNair was one of the most terrifying opponents ever to suit up against the purple and black with his running and passing skills.

Although his battles against the Ravens were memorable, when the name McNair comes up, Ravens fans will automatically conjure up memories of the magical 2006 regular season.

Not much was expected of the Ravens that year, after finishing 6-10 the previous season. McNair was brought in to replace the erratic Kyle Boller and right from the season opener, a 27-0 shutout of Tampa Bay in the sweltering South Florida heat, it was apparent things would be very different with McNair under center.

From there, McNair worked magic:

•  Comeback wins over Cleveland and San Diego
•  Leading the Ravens to the first victory by a road team in December at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in a decade
•  The return to Tennessee where McNair led the Ravens to another comeback win  
•  The two most decisive victories ever by the Ravens against the Steelers, including a 31-7 pasting in Bill Cowher’s final game at Heinz Field.

For most of the 2006 season, I was living in Los Angeles and I used to tell anyone drunk or interested enough why McNair was the biggest reason for the Ravens success.

McNair, unlike Boller, was a guy his teammates would PLAY for, probably the most necessary thing a quarterback needs to succeed. Sure, Boller had the arm strength and all the other measurables. But when McNair was in the huddle, everything felt like it would be OK as long as Steve was in there.

After the second Steeler game though, McNair began to fall apart. He struggled in the regular season finale that year against Buffalo, then unraveled in the playoffs against Indianapolis. The confident leader of the regular season had quickly been replaced by an aging signal caller who couldn’t hold on to the ball.

In 2007 the Ravens entered the year with high expectations, returning 21 of 22 starters from a team that went 13-3 the year before.

But things were never right with McNair from the get-go, as he injured his groin on the second play of the season and his arm strength was virtually non-existent.

That year, I got to cover McNair and the Ravens as a member of the media, and while I never got to interact with him, two things about McNair stood out.

One, he was a lot bigger looking in person. I mean, he looked like a fullback. The other was that I once saw Steve McNair wear what might have been the ugliest suit in human history. I believe it was after a game against the St. Louis Rams, a game McNair had dressed for but sat out with injury.

He came back to his locker wearing a suit that I swear was the color puke green. I mean, this suit was the same color as the pea soup vomit in “The Exorcist.” Plus, he had matching lizard shoes. It was truly an outfit destined to make an impression on anyone who saw it.

I also vividly remember covering what turned out to be McNair’s last game in the NFL.

It was November 11, 2007. The Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals engaged in what might have been the worst football game ever played. The Ravens had six turnovers and all the Bengals scoring was on field goals in a 21-7 win.

McNair’s last play would, unfortunately, somewhat mirror the shabby and depressing end he would have in life.

McNair dropped back to pass. Finding no one open and with the Bengals rush bearing down on him, McNair took off running. For a brief moment he looked like the McNair of old, thundering down the field. But this time, a Bengals lineman caught him from behind, McNair fumbled—a common sight that season—and Cincinnati recovered.

I remember that part but I even more distinctly remember the aftermath of that play.

The fans at M&T Bank Stadium, obviously displeased with McNair’s poor play, booed him lustily. McNair slumped slowly off the field, hands in his muff, head squarely to the ground. It was the look of a man who at that moment, knew that he could no longer do what he’d done his whole life: play quarterback.

They could have held the retirement ceremony right then and there. I didn’t stick around for his postgame media session but reading the papers the next day, McNair sounded like a broken and defeated man. Who could blame him?

I thought back to that moment a lot when I heard the news of McNair’s death. Life isn’t fair a good portion of the time, and life certainly wasn’t fair when it came to the end of both Steve McNair’s football career and, now, his life.

Still, one of the benefits to being alive is the benefit of hindsight and although I will remember that ending, we Ravens fans and McNair will always have 2006. Thanks for the memories Steve and R.I.P.

Should the Baltimore Ravens Trade for Brandon Marshall?

It seems every time a diva wide receiver comes on the market, the Baltimore Ravens are somehow linked.

For examples, see:

2000 – Keyshawn Johnson

2004 – Terrell Owens

2005 – Randy Moss

2009 – Anquan Boldin and now Brandon Marshall

Other than Owens, whom the team traded for before Owens screwed them and maneuvered himself to Philadelphia, the team has explored but resisted the temptation to acquire those players.

Now that Marshall has apparently asked to be traded, the rumor mill has started to churn again, and according to the Baltimore Sun, the team is “doing its homework” on Marshall. The easy joke here would be to simply look at the police blotter, but that’s for another time.

To say that Marshall has baggage is like saying Michael Jackson—the singer not the ex-Ravens wide-out—isn’t like other guys.

Marshall’s ugly history of alleged domestic violence was exposed for the world on ESPN’s Outside the Lines. He’s been hauled in by the cops and before judges in three different states.

Allegedly, Marshall and his cousin were involved in the fight that escalated into the shooting death of teammate Darrent Williams. To paraphrase the late Eazy-E, Marshall’s identity by itself causes drama. And if that wasn’t enough, he also had hip surgery this offseason.

Still, Marshall would seem to be just what the Ravens need on the football field. A big, physical receiver with speed to burn, who’s only 25 years old. The team’s best wide-out, Derrick Mason, is a tough hombre and a solid citizen but is also 34 years old and strictly a possession guy at this stage of his career.

The Ravens finally got themselves a franchise-caliber quarterback in Joe Flacco, whose strength as a passer is the deep ball. With Marshall in purple and black, the Ravens might finally have the missing piece to leap over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.

Besides the obvious physical gifts, the Ravens have to be asking themselves if Marshall is a Randy Moss type that just needs a disciplined, winning atmosphere or if he’s simply a knucklehead like Owens or Chad Ochocinco.

All that said, the Ravens should—and probably will—steer clear of this one.

For one, the asking price is likely going to be too high, at least a first-round pick. Plus, Marshall is seeking $9 million a year and there’s no point in giving up a first-round pick for the guy if you can’t sign him long-term.

There’s no way General Manager Ozzie Newsome gives a head case like Marshall $9 mil before he gives that money to a good soldier like Terrell Suggs.

Then there is Marshall’s off-the-field issues. You don’t know if he’s going to be on the field or in a jail cell on Sunday, given his track record. Even if you don’t believe every word of Marshall’s ex-girlfriend from the Outside the Lines piece, Marshall clearly has a problem with violence against women.

Do you want to bring a guy like that on your team? Especially when the club has made an effort to attract more female fans through its Purple Club and Football 101 event.

Finally, there is this: the Baltimore Ravens as an organization have worked hard to overcome the perception, formed in the earlier part of this decade, that the team is full of thugs and miscreants. A stigma that came with Ray Lewis’ murder charges in 2000 and Jamal Lewis’ drug charges and subsequent stint in jail in 2004.

Since then, owner Steve Bisciotti and Newsome have done an outstanding job of remaking the team’s image by acquiring high character players and avoiding knuckleheads who can’t stay out of trouble. Marshall, while certainly the talented wide-out the club desperately needs, is not a poison pill the team needs to swallow now.

Why I Love The Baltimore Ravens: One Fan’s Manifesto

Asking me why I’m a Baltimore Ravens fan is about the same as asking why I’m breathing. Forces collided, nature took its course and here I am.

But why am I a Ravens fan you ask? Well, here’s my testimony.

First, there is the genetics. I was born in Westminster, Md., out in rural, or at least what was rural, Carroll County. Westminster is about 15 miles outside of Baltimore and my mother and her family grew up there. Even though I grew up on the Eastern Shore, a love of all things Baltimore is sort of in the DNA.

I’m a Ravens fan because, to me, being a Ravens fan is unique. This is not a team du jour, like our PA rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. D-list celebs do not jump on our bandwagon.

I’m a Ravens fan because being a Ravens fan is a commitment. After all, this is not exactly a club that moves the national Q rating. The Ravens started off as America’s Most Hated team because they were the Cleveland Browns. The face of our franchise, Ray Lewis, was once indicted for double murder.

The Ravens have never had a sexy offense, other than in 1996 when they had no defense. They play in Baltimore, a city which has become a national punching bag for its murder rate. You have to want to be a Ravens fan.

I’m a Ravens fan because the Ravens do not have gimmicks. There are no towels being waved here. No, we Ravens fans wear purple camouflage pants. Now that’s commitment.

I’m a Ravens fan because we are not presumptuous enough to use the word “nation” to describe us. Ravens fans are a cult, an Illuminati-like underground society that weeds out bandwagon-hoppers in a hurry. Ravens fans are not everywhere in America. And you know what, we like it that way. It makes being a Ravens fan a special experience.

I’m a Ravens fan because no matter what our rivals may say about us, they can never say that we’ve never won the Big One.

I’m a Ravens fan because they help me forget how bad the Orioles have been for the last decade-plus.

I’m a Ravens fan because of: Ray Lewis’s pregame dance, Michael McCrary’s motor, Terrell Suggs’s sack dances, Ed Reed’s big plays, Jonathan Ogden’s effortless playing style, Matt Stover pointing to the sky after every kick, Shannon Sharpe and Tony Siragusa’s trash talk, Sam Adams’s first step, Brian Billick’s arrogance, Joe Flacco’s arm, Bart Scott’s soul-crushing hit on Ben Roethlisberger in 2006 and Derrick Mason’s professionalism.

I’m a Ravens fan because they’re MY team.

2009 Baltimore Ravens Playbook: The Continued Remaking of a Franchise

It took only one game in 2008 to realize that new Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s playbook would not be the same as the “Two Yards and a Cloud of Jamal” offense run by former coach Brian Billick.

Against the Cincinnati Bengals in the home opener, Cameron unleashed a creative scheme, mixing unbalanced lines and trick plays with a power running game. Cameron’s first game featured more tricks than Billick and his offensive assistants had called in 10 years.

That creative playbook, combined with the strong passing arm and cool presence of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, helped the Ravens get within one win of the Super Bowl. The question now becomes, what do Cameron and Flacco do for an encore?

The biggest change to the playbook this year is quite simple: Flacco now has a year’s experience under his belt. The experience of starting the whole season last year, plus the extended playoff run, on the road no less, cannot be overstated.

The kid has now seen what the NFL’s best defensive coordinators will throw at him. Cameron can officially take the training wheels off and diversify this offense.

A year ago, the Ravens created most of their big plays off tricks. The team frequently ran from an unbalanced line with three tackles on one side and showed an almost limitless supply of gadgets: reverse passes, option plays, flea-flickers. The team even had its own version of the “wildcat” formation—the “Suggs package”—which featured two quarterbacks.

The goal in 2009 should be to create more big plays through conventional tactics and supplement that with the gimmickry.

Personnel-wise, the Ravens seem to be moving more in the direction of Cameron’s offenses in San Diego. With Le’Ron McClain moving back to fullback and Lorenzo Neal gone, expect to see less of the jumbo, Jerome Bettis-style running game and more of a LaDainian Tomlinson running/receiving combo.

That would seem to favor second-year man Ray Rice’s style, or even sixth-round pick Cedric Peerman, more than incumbent Willis McGahee, who’s a between-the-tackles slasher.

But since McGahee has a year left on a big contract, he’ll likely see most of the reps. Don’t be surprised to see Rice have a much bigger role though. He was very impressive last season before a late-season injury took him out of the lineup for four weeks.

The Ravens are hoping Flacco can improve his intermediate throws over the middle, something he struggled with at times last season.

If that happens, the Ravens can add another dimension to their attack thanks to two very good receiving tight ends: Todd Heap and L.J. Smith. Of course, getting Heap and Smith to stay on the field for 16 games is a whole other problem given their injury histories.

Heap is coming off a miserable season in 2008, one in which he was injured frequently and did not develop much chemistry with Flacco. In Heap’s defense, the Ravens had to keep him in to block an awful lot last season due to the need to max protect for Flacco. The team is hoping an improved offensive line can get Heap out into the pattern more.

Speaking of that offensive line, if it is as improved as the team thinks it is, it should help open up the playbook even more. Simply put, if Cameron does not have to max protect as much, the Ravens can send more receivers into the pattern, thereby opening up the passing game.

Cynics may have scratched their heads at General Manager Ozzie Newsome drafting Mississippi tackle Michael Oher over a wide receiver but practically, it was the smart play.

You can never have enough good linemen and in a division where you have to play James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley twice a year, you really can’t have enough good tackles. Oher also fits the bill of the quintessential Ravens prospect: a guy with a lot of talent motivated by falling in the draft.

With the additions of Oher, along with center Matt Birk and the return of guard Marshal Yanda, the Ravens line looks solid. The Ravens missed Yanda’s nastiness in the last two games against Pittsburgh. Just being able to keep Flacco vertical, he was sacked 32 times last year, will allow this offense to continue to improve.

Last season, the Ravens took the first step into remaking their image from “all defense/no offense” to a more balanced team. How Cameron and Flacco take the team to step two will be one of the main story lines for the club this year.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010