February 10, 2010 by
Law Murray |
2009 review,
Asante Samuel,
Baltimore Ravens,
Indianapolis Colts,
New England Patriots,
New Orleans Saints,
New York Jets,
Pittsburgh Steelers,
power rankings,
Randy Moss,
Super Bowl 44,
Team of the Decade,
Vince Wilfork,
Y2K Decade
Hello, everyone. It's been awhile since I've gotten to say that, so I guess there are some good things about Snowpacalypse 2010! Now that the 2010 NFL season is officially over (now do you appreciate the Pro Bowl being over and done with before the big game?!), I'd like to reintroduce an article that I wrote a long time, way back in the last decade ("1999 A.D., New England Patriots B.B.", December 26, 2009):
With a week left in the Y2K decade, there have been many who wish to ponder which team should stand as the representative of the NFL team of the 2000s. I honestly don’t feel like writing that article right now, at least not until this season ends. What I will say now is that unless the [...]
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Today, there's some big news for the Baltimore Ravens. First off, the team hired former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees to replace Vic Fangio as linebackers coach. Fangio has been the man in charge of an elite linebacking core for two seasons, and reports say he is "no longer with the team." Pees seemed excited to now be a Raven. "It's a privilege and an honor to be a part of an organization like the Ravens," he said. "I'm very anxious and excited for the opportunity to work with Coach Harbaugh and also [defensive coordinator] Greg Mattison, with whom I have coached. I think this is a tremendous opportunity and something that my family and I are very excited about. I can't wait to get to work."
But that's not the only coaching change the Ravens are on the cusp [...]
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According to ESPN the Raiders were given permission to interview Baltimore Ravens quarterback coach Hue Jackson. He has been with the Ravens for two seasons and in those two seasons the Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco led the team to the playoffs in his first two seasons in the NFL.
Jackson has been in coaching for 23 years, but only 9 have been in the NFL. In 2007 he was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons during the meltdown season where Michael Vick was arrested and Bobby Petrino quit the team before the season ended. Will that give him some crisis experience to help him if he comes to Oakland? He was with the Bengals for several years before that and worked with WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (thank you spell check) as the pair of [...]
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January 12, 2010 by
Josh Dhani |
Baltimore Ravens,
Curtis Painter,
Indianapolis Colts,
Miami Dolphins,
New England Patriots,
New York Jets,
NFL,
NFL playoffs,
Peyton Manning,
San Diego Chargers,
Super Bowl
A lot of people have been saying a lot of crap about the Indianapolis Colts. They say the Colts are going to lose another playoff game just like every other time they are one-or-two-seeded team. Well, listen here: it’s not going to happen this time.
Yeah, the Baltimore Ravens shocked the New England Patriots, but I don’t see them beating a team like Indy.
Also, a lot of guys have been saying the Colts care about individual stats more than they want to go 19-0. Okay, seriously, who cares about going 19-0, okay? Really? Yeah, I was rooting for them to go for it, but it won’t matter really. So what if you go 16-0? What if you lose in the playoffs, huh? The Colts will then most likely have too much confidence and think every team is easy.
Just ask [...]
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And it begins: the 2009 NFL Playoffs are underway this weekend, and the 6th seeded Baltimore Ravens (9-7, 2nd in the AFC North) will go to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA to face the New England Patriots (10-6, 1st in the AFC East) Sunday at 1PM.
This game will be a rematch of the week 4 game in New England that the Patriots won 27-21. Though the Ravens have yet to beat the Patriots ever in five tries, the last two games (this season and in 2007) have come down to the final possession, and the already emotionally charged Ravens will be motivated by those close losses. If the Patriots win this game, they go to San Diego to face the Chargers, and if the Ravens win, they will go to Indianapolis to face the Colts.
RAVENS PASS OFFENSE vs. PATRIOTS PASS [...]
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January 5, 2010 by
Law Murray |
Arian Foster,
Baltimore Ravens,
BenJarvus Green-Ellis,
Bernard Pollard,
Brian Hoyer,
Fred Taylor,
Houston Texans,
Kris Brown,
Mario Williams,
New England Patriots,
Patriots defense,
Reliant Stadium,
Wes Welker,
Wild Card Weekend
The new decade has already not been kind to the New England Patriots.
On the Patriots' first drive of the game against the Houston Texans, WR Wes Welker made his 123rd catch of the season and ran for a first down (on third down, of course). As he saw Texans SS Bernard Pollard, he tried to juke hard to the left to elude him ... and in the process, he blew his left knee out. Just ugly. I mention Pollard because the irony of his presence is not lost on any Patriots fan; in the 2008 season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, QB Tom Brady ... you know what happened. For the record, I didn't think Pollard should have been blamed for Brady's injury (he was blocked into him), and Welker's injury was non-contact. Welker just took a really bad step on the grass field at Reliant [...]
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It has ben a long season for the Oakland Raiders. They have had their highs and lows but mostly lows. But this season is not over. The Raiders have a chance to finish 6-10 which would be their best record since the Super Bowl run. The Ravens are trying to climb to the top of the wild card in the AFC which is more confusing and sloppy than ever before. For the Ravens it is just win and they are in. But last year in week 17 the Raiders had nothing to play for and knocked the Bucs out of the playoffs. Will the Ravens have a similar fate?
Ray Rice vs. Raiders Defense: Ray Rice averages 130 total yards per game, #2 behind Chris Johnson in the NFL. The Raiders rank #27 against the run. This doesn't look good for the Raiders. The Raiders will need [...]
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Quarterback: D
Joe Flacco made some mistakes all night were huge, but just part of the problem. First of all, he was running for his life all night long. Second of all, the team almost had more yards in penalties than offense, so Joe was in no position to win. The bottom line is, Ravens fans need to stop whining.
Running Back: C
It tells you something about how bad the offensive line was when Ray Rice only gets 54 yards rushing on 14 carries. McGahee had one touchdown, but on one 1st-and-goal, he should've run forward, but didn't, lost three yards, and Joe threw a pick on the next play.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: D-
Awful night for the receivers. Even Rice dropped passes. Clayton was extremely nonexistent, Mason was [...]
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The Ravens, if you look on paper, aren't a weak team. They have an established quarterback, a playmaking running back, a great offensive line, and a notoriously good defense. However, and while I got sick of the pundits saying this, I will admit they need to get some receivers to aid the development of a young Joe Flacco. While I like Derrick Mason, he's 36. Mark Clayton can be very good, but he's incredibly inconsistent. You could call him a consistently inconsistent receiver. Kelley Washington is solid, but let's be honest, he's not a No. 1. Overall, I want a guy who can grow with the offense. A guy who can grow like Flacco and Ray Rice and Jared Gaither have. Here are some names the Ravens should consider:
Arrelious Benn, Illinois: In his first two years at [...]
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December 7, 2009 by
Isaac Barrow |
Baltimore Ravens,
Chris McAlister,
Dawan Landry,
Domonique Foxworth,
Ed Reed,
Fabian Washington,
Jr.,
Lardarius Webb,
Mel Kiper,
NFL,
Ray Lewis
Before the 2009 NFL draft, many NFL experts were predicting that the Baltimore Ravens would grab a receiver early, such as a Hakeem Nicks (UNC), Kenny Britt (Rutgers), Percy Harvin (Florida), or even a Darrius Heyward-Bey (Maryland). However, that didn't work out, but I know the Ravens aren't complaining. Oddly enough, almost every one of those receivers is playing well - except for Heyward-Bey - but the Ravens' first round pick, Mississippi offensive tackle/movie star Michael Oher, is having a tremendous year. According to Pro Football Focus.com, a website where a group of analysts study game-film to see who is really playing well, Oher is one of the best offensive tackles in the league.
He's started all 11 games, impressive for a rookie, and he has only had two in which he really [...]
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