BY DENNIS KOULATSOS on • ( 0 )
Would I have loved it if we beat Denver on opening night? Of course I would! But we went up against a team that was highly motivated to beat us, and in front of their home crowd. That – along with our roster makeover – was a big reason as to why the Ravens were almost 9 point underdogs.
I know that there were some low points, some negatives that we all saw. But there were some positives as well, things that I am sure that the team can and will build on. I was also glad that we gave them a pretty good battle for a half. Any time Peyton Manning is under center, the potential for a blowout is there right away. Of course the momentum changed when the Welker drop wasn’t caught by the officials nor the Ravens’ coaching staff. But hey, such is life!
First I’ll look at what I didn’t like. Michael Huff stood out to me. I didn’t like his arm tackling or his coverage skills. I realize it’s going to take some time for the back end to come together, to communicate well, but the basics are the basics. I was screaming for Matt Elam to get off of the bench and in to the game, and I was very glad to see him in there. He is a thumper, and he did mix it up. I would also bring up Omar Brown. He’s got a nose for the ball, and he is always in the mix. Jimmy Smith had flashes, but I really didn’t like the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that he drew. It cost his team 15 yards of field position that they didn’t have to give. Gino Gradkowski had some nice blocks at the second level, but it seemed that he struggled with pass protection. No team can afford to allow pressure straight up the middle.
Josh Bynes looked slow in coverage. I would give Arthur Brown a shot right away. He’s got tremendous speed, and can cover tight ends as well as backs out of the backfield. As for the offense, I don’t know about Stokley and Clark. I don’t know if we’ll see any more from them than what we did Thursday night. Their best days are behind them. Ed Dickson is another story. I don’t know where to begin with him. I am going to nickname him “Catch 22″, because I believe if Flacco threw 100 balls his way, he would only catch 22 of them. Maybe.
Jacoby was looking pretty good before he got hurt. Marlon Brown looks like he belongs. He is tall, rangy, and willing. Glad he made the team and glad he was in there to catch his first NFL touchdown! I’d probably also bring up Mellette and put him in there. Go with the young guys, I say!
I know that I wasn’t the only nervous Baltimorean when I saw Webby and Pierce back there on the punt and kickoff return special teams! This is where we could have used (ahem) Bobby Rainey. I understand why he got cut, but I still don’t like it, and we sure as heck could have used him on special teams Thursday night. I was really glad that kickoffs sailed over Pierce’s head, and I held my breath when Webby returned one. We don’t need him popping his ACL again while returning a punt! I was really glad he used the fair catch signal for all of the others.
The fact that Artur Jones and Brandon Williams were out also hurt, but they’ll be back soon. We have Cleveland coming in on September 15, and just like everybody else, I am expecting a victory. I think we have the best 12th man (and woman) in the NFL. Crowd noise does make a difference in a football game. In fact, I think that one of the toughest – if not the toughetst – tasks in sports, is to win on the road in the NFL. Suggs and Dumervil showed flashes of brilliance, and I think they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium.
I think Cleveland is going to give us a battle. I do not think it’s going to be easy, but I do believe that the Ravens will prevail. This is a young team. This is a very young team. It will take some time for it to jell, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. I believe that it’s going to take around 12 football games for the defense to really come together, to really communicate. This is a team that is going to get better as the season goes along, and that’s good news. We’ve seen what happens when a team starts too fast, too strong (see Houston last year). It is clear that coach Harbaugh is not going to have to face that challenge.
I will be delighted if we are 4-4 at the halfway point. The team will be in position to go on a run, and make the playoffs. And as we’ve seen the last 3 years, once you get in the playoffs – anything can happen! In fact, the last 3 SuperBowl winners have been wildcard teams. Going backwards it’s been us, the Giants, and the Packers.
So…..fasten your seatbelts, keep the faith, don’t get too down, don’t get too analytical, and look forward to THE NEXT GAME!!!
freddy from boca
when you lose 12 starters, plus pitta because of injury no intelligent fan should expect the ravens to dominate teams. it will take several games for the new players to adjust with the returning players and develop some chemistry. just based on the first game and nothing more both the offensive and defensive lines played poorly. torrey smith showed, based on the first game, he’s not a number one receiver. he couldn’t get an inch away from the defender until the game was out of reach. jacoby jones played well and is injury is a big blow to the team. the special teams need work. the tight ends played like they were tight. the last 2 td drives for the ravens meant very little. you can throw all the stats of those drives out the window. denver had the game locke up. you’ll hear some say smith had 5 catches for 100 yds. those numbers are pretty much like a guy playing the 4th quarter of a basketball game and getting 12 points and 7 rebounds and the final score is 135-95. it’s garbage time and the stats don’t mean much. the ravens never quit and that’s the bset thing you can take out of the first game. it’s just a loss. it showed the many flaws the team needs to improve upon. with so many personnel changes it’s going to be a week by week progression to build this team up. it’s hard for most teams to repeat after winning the super bowl. many do’t make it back to the playoffs the following year. las vegas had the ravens win total at 8.5. you hope they do better but vegas is pretty sharp. if you look at the schedule and are realistic 8-9 wins is where they will probably be. miami, 2 cleveland games, buffalo, the jets and lions you would think they would win. can they split with cinc and pitts? that would be 8 wins. then you have the pats, g.b., houston and minny. at this point and yes it’s early and in 6 weeks things could like dramatically different, it looks like a 9-7, 10-6 year. can 10-6 get you in the playoffs?
· 11/12/2019
Dennis
Freddy, you make good points. I think the toughest thing in sports, is to win an NFL football game on the road. Just consider how hard it is for a visiting team to win at M&T Bank Stadium, where I believe the Ravens have the NFL’s third best home record for the last 10 years. The 12th man (and woman) truly make a difference, as crowd noise does factor in to the outcome.
Like you, I saw that Vegas had us winning 8.5 games this year, and I recall they had Pittsburgh winning 9. Parity arrived a long time ago under Pete Rozelle’s tenure, and it is really thriving today, more than ever!
We’ve seen the last 3 years that if you can get in to – back in to even – the playoffs, you have a shot. It used to be that the 2 teams with the home field advantage throughout the playoffs had a big edge, but that is no longer the case.
The front office and coaching do make a big difference in today’s game. That is where I think that the Ravens excel, year in and year out. Ozzie Newsome is the best at what he does, and John Harbaugh continues to grow into a top notch NFL head coach. I think Harbaugh’s ability to get his teams to overachieve is overlooked. Watching him over the last 5 seasons, I’ve seen him get the best out of his players.
That is why I think that the Ravens will fight, scratch and claw their way into playoff contention. I think 10-6 definitely gets you into the playoffs, and in our division, maybe even 9-7 wins it. It’s a 3 horse race between us, the Steelers and the Bengals.
I am certain that we will see a better team on September 15, and I can’t wait! I would most definitely characterize it as a must win game for the Ravens. It is rare that a team starts 0-2 and makes the playoffs. I will be surprised if we don’t see this proud franchise fight back, and put away the Browns. I’m basing my hopes on the first half performance against the Broncos, where the defense looked better than it did one year ago today. I expect us to run the ball against the Browns, and go after their undersized defensive ends. We know that Paul Kruger cannot set this edge, and Barkevious Mingo is also undersized.
I know the home crowd’s intensity will be at a fever pitch come kickoff time, as we get after them Browns!!!
· 11/12/2019