Pats Still Undefeated

Health concerns kept me from attending the Ravens-Pats game from monday night. I was happy to watch it on TV though and know my father was freezing his ass off the whole night long. Going into that game I had visions of just a few thousand fans holding on until the last whistle after the majority of Baltimorons skipped out after a blowout. However, the Ravens made it one of the more entertaining games this season, and the Baltimore fans seemed to be out in full force.

The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.

The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.

Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.

I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.

My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.

Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.

Training Camp Begins

Well the training camps have started, and football will only pick up steam from here. The Ravens and Redskins have both had mostly quiet offseasons, which I take as being a good thing.
The Ravens have made the switch from Jamal Lewis to Willis McGahee. While it is sad to see Jamal go, his best years are likely over. McGahee should be in his prime, and ready to show it now that he is out of the hell known as Buffalo. I am excited to see what McGahee does this season. I think the offense will do well with McNair in his second year, and with Clayton and Demetrius Williams having improved. One of the big questions is how much Jon Ogden has left in the tank. I think this will be his last year, so the Ravens need to get as much out of him while they can.

Defensively the Ravens lost Adalius Thomas, which is a huge blow. However, the Ravens have always been good at replacing defensive starters. They should still be very strong on D, and a top 10 defense seems likely. Like Ogden, Ray Lewis is winding down. However, his energy is great for this team, and I see him leading them to the playoffs again in 2007.

More surpisingly than the Ravens having a quiet offseason was the Redskins having one. Isn't it this time of year that Sean Taylor should be running over somebody in his car or drinking himself into an embarassing stupor? Not this time around! And much hasn't even been said about him having issues with the coaching staff. Thats a great sign.

The 'Skins also didn't have any stupid Archuleta-like signings this offseason. London Fletcher was brought in, and he is a great pro who should help the defense mentally as well as on the field. They made reasonable picks in the draft, and didn't kill themselves with any stupid trades. Is TJ Duckett available again? Of course I would have liked to have seen them address the D-line more, but can the production along the line truly get any worse than last year?

Offensively, 2007 will be an interesting year for the Skins. Under Al Saunders' offense for a second year, I expect to see a lot of growth. Jason Campell now has some experience as well, so I expect a lot out of him as well. Its great to have Portis and Betts back, and hopefully their health isn't an issue this year. I definitely expect the Redskins to improve this season. With a first year coach in Dallas, a Tiki-less Giants team, and a moody Donovan McNabb leading the Eagles, the Redskins should have a good chance to work their way towards a playoff spot this season.