Today was a lousy day of football for me. I was looking forward to the Redskins on Fox and Ravens on CBS. The matchups weren't really favorable, but I was hoping one of them would be able to pull off a win. Instead, both teams lost, and lost ugly.
The Redskins were expected to lose, but they let a winnable game get away from them. The mistakes started early and continued most of the game. Haynesworth jumping offsides on a 4th and 1, on a play in which the Falcons were obviously trying to draw Washington offsides was absolutely horrible. That was the first drive of the game, but already big Albert's second offsides call. It was also early in the game when Reed Doughty was WAY offsides on a punt return, which of course led to another Falcons first down.
Another issue with the defense that pissed me off was watching Laron Landry. He is a great athlete, but I hate how he plays the game. He is undisciplined and plays like he was never taught how to tackle. Sometimes this makes him look great. There was a 3rd and short play in which he made an amazing open field tackle to end a Falcons' drive. However, Landry was also highlighted during the broadcast for making mistakes on both of Michael Turner's touchdown runs. He took an awful angle on the first score, and then put his head down and dove at Turner's ankles during the rth quarter score that opened up the game for Atlanta. Oh yeah...there was also the stupid late hit he put on Matt Ryan which cost the Redskins 15 yards and appeared to fire up the Falcons.
Landry isn't the root of the defenses problems today, but his play was awful against Atlanta. One of the greatest traits of a safety is a guy who plays smart, and I just don't see that with Landry.
Offensively the Redskins looked about the same as they have all year. The offensive line was horrid in the first half, both run and pass blocking. Its bad when the broadcasters are openly feeling sorry for a player like they were for Campbell today. However, I was impressed with Campbell for staying tough and making some decent plays throughout the game. His final numbers weren't bad, and I'm sure his stats and the score would have looked a lot better for the Redskins if there weren't so many drops.
Another thing that we saw today is that Ladell Betts is currently a better running option than Clinton Portis. He looked a lot more explosive today than Portis has all season, and I just think that if given the same amount of touches that Betts would outperform Portis. If you take away Portis' 78 yard run this season, he is only averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry. Portis has been a great Redskin and he is a great personality. However, I think this year should be his last as a Redskin.
Things for the Redskins are looking awful. I want them to win every weekend, but I just don't see too many W's coming this year with that offensive line. The good news to take out of this is that the Redskins could be in a good spot to draft the best offensive tackle in the draft come April. Hopefully, whoever is calling the shots at Redskins Park at that time won't blow that decision.
As for the Ravens...Cincinnati is their kryptonite. They have seemed to play great against Baltimore ever since Carson Palmer arrived in Ohio. Cedric Benson has been a great addition for the Bengals, and he ran for over a hundred for the second time this year against Baltimore. That is unheard of for anybody who follows the Ravens. Having Haloti Ngata inactive certainly didn't help, but halfway through the 2009 season I think its time to admit that this isn't the same defense that Baltimore is used to. I don't know how much of it to blame on personnel and how much should be attributed to the departure of Rex Ryan. However, Baltimore's defense while still good, is no longer dominant.
Offensively the Ravens have looked great this season, but they came with nothing today. The Bengals pass rush was excellent, sacking Flacco four times and hitting him eight. They also seemed to make Flacco uncomfortable, which he doesn't act like often. He completed a decent amount of his passes, but not very many downfield. He also threw two interceptions, and basically had one of his worst professional games.
Ray Rice looked great as usual, but I think the offense was taken out of its comfort zone by getting down early. He only rushed twelve times throughout the game, but he had a decent average. He was the Ravens leading pass receiver, although much of that came on the meaningless final play of the game. Baltimore made too many mistakes and found themselves in bad situations all game. They didn't respond well, and they definitely deserved to lose this game. Baltimore is a lot better than 4-4, but losing both games against one of your division rivals certainly isn't helpful when looking towards the playoffs. The Ravens will have a lot better of a chance if they can sweep the Steelers, but Cincy is already looking like the team to beat in the AFC North.
Showing posts with label ravens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ravens. Show all posts
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, November 19, 2007
OT is a Debacle
I attended the Ravens-Browns game yesterday, which will become infamous for Phil Dawson's game-tieing field goal that landed in the endzone. A lot of people had already left the stadium after Matt Stover hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left. Those who were still there had already started filing out of the stadium before most realized that the game might not be over. It was obvious from where I was on the opposing 30 yard line and hundreds of feet up, that the ball landed in the endzone. However, I began to realize without the help of replay that the ball must have hit the support and not the horizontal goal post. Word came back as people waited in the aisles, that the FG was good and the game was going to OT. Most Baltimorons were incredulous at this point, but I wasn't upset. The kick was good and the refs got the call right in the end. It sucked...but Ravens fans would have wanted it that way if the situation was flipped.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ravens 22 - Rams 3
My dad is a Ravens season ticket holder, and I was able to meet up with him for my first Ravens game of the year yesterday. Its always great to see a win, but it would have been nice if the Rams showed up to play yesterday. After yesterday's game, it is obvious why they are at 0-6. Their offense is absolutely horrible. Obviously the Ravens are a tough defense to play against. However, Gus Frerotte's 5 interceptions were laughable. One was a dropped ball by a St. Louis receiver, but the others looked like he was just throwing things up in a crowd. Ol' Gus also suffered 4 sacks from the Ravens D. So this is a chicken or the egg scenario. Did the Ravens defense play that well, or were the Rams just that bad. Considering Frerotte threw 3 TDs and 3 INTs last week against the Cardinals, I would have to say a bit of both.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Long Time No Post
So I had a pretty good rate of posting I thought over the summer, but with my work kicking back in and other personal things going on...I haven't been able to put my thoughts out that often. So here I go with a little bit of rambling about whats been going on lately.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
NFL Kicks Off
So the Colts are already 1-0, but the season really kicks off this afternoon. The Redskins face the Dolphins which should result in a W for Washington. If Miami pulls something off with Trent Green, then I'll be worried for this upcoming season. I have Miami as one of the bottom feeders in the league this season. I have confidence that Jason Campbell will have a decent start. He looked pretty good in his limited work in pre-season, and I think Santana Moss was excellent. Hopefully Portis and Betts are ready to roll and will show us something with the running game as well.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
'Skins - Ravens Preseason
Well it looks like I took August off from blogging until now. A good amount of vacation can be credited for that. So I was excited to see last night's game between Maryland's 2 NFL teams. The lightning delay meant the O's and the football game were delayed, so my viewing started off with some NASCAR. When the game did finally come around, it was disappointing of course thast Jason Campbell wasn't playing. It would be nice to see him get some good reps since we still haven't seen much of him as a player. I'm not interested in Todd Collins or Mark Brunell in preseason. If the Redskins are forced to play either of them in the regular season, then I guess I'll have to come around. Washington also didn't have what will be their #1 O-line on the field. Chris Samuels is still taking the preseason off, and Pete Kendall didn't start. Clinton Portis is still enjoying his non-contact summer, so we really haven't seen the Redskins' top offense, and probably won't see it until Miami. Santana Moss did look great though on the first play of the game. I'm expecting a big year from him.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Baseball is On...Everything else is Off
At this time of year there really isn't much going on in sports in this area besides baseball. The biggest news recently in local football is that Clinton Portis thinks its acceptable to hold dog fights on private property...even if it is a felony. Clinton should have went with a "No Comment!" when asked about Mike Vick, and went on planning what he will do during his weekly news conferences this fall.
The Ravens are having a mostly quiet offseason...except for Steve McNair getting into a little trouble with his brother in law. Can't wait to see if Willis McGahee can really bring some explosion back to Baltimore's running game.
I watched the NBA Draft Lottery last night expecting to see the Wizards represented. With the way they finished their season, they felt like a lottery team. The Wizards greatly need an impact player, especially down low. Hopefully they can find that player outside the lottery, and don't keep drafting projects like Andray Blatche and the 2 Russian guys they selected and haven't even signed yet from 2006. The Zards are a playoff team, and need help now...not 5 years down the road. I'd much rather have a solid player who has proven himself in the NCAA than a guy who is playing in some obscure foreign league or not living up to his potential in college.
The Nats are proving to be irrelevant this year. Even with their winning ways of late, they are still 5.5 games behind the 4th place NL East Phillies. Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up lately, but nobody else on that team really interests me much.
The Orioles lost to the Jays again last night. O's are really bumming me out right now with how they are playing, because each loss seems to be by just 1 or 2 runs. They are capable of winning these games, but are really not coming through in tough spots. Particularly disappointing is Miguel Tejada. Not only is he not hitting homeruns(2), but he isn't hitting anything for power with just 6 doubles on the year. I love the high average, but he is supposed to be an RBI guy for this club. Not an average guy.
The Ravens are having a mostly quiet offseason...except for Steve McNair getting into a little trouble with his brother in law. Can't wait to see if Willis McGahee can really bring some explosion back to Baltimore's running game.
I watched the NBA Draft Lottery last night expecting to see the Wizards represented. With the way they finished their season, they felt like a lottery team. The Wizards greatly need an impact player, especially down low. Hopefully they can find that player outside the lottery, and don't keep drafting projects like Andray Blatche and the 2 Russian guys they selected and haven't even signed yet from 2006. The Zards are a playoff team, and need help now...not 5 years down the road. I'd much rather have a solid player who has proven himself in the NCAA than a guy who is playing in some obscure foreign league or not living up to his potential in college.
The Nats are proving to be irrelevant this year. Even with their winning ways of late, they are still 5.5 games behind the 4th place NL East Phillies. Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up lately, but nobody else on that team really interests me much.
The Orioles lost to the Jays again last night. O's are really bumming me out right now with how they are playing, because each loss seems to be by just 1 or 2 runs. They are capable of winning these games, but are really not coming through in tough spots. Particularly disappointing is Miguel Tejada. Not only is he not hitting homeruns(2), but he isn't hitting anything for power with just 6 doubles on the year. I love the high average, but he is supposed to be an RBI guy for this club. Not an average guy.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Draft Recap
The NFL Draft is over and of course there is much to be said about the whole damn thing. As expected of the 2 local teams, the Ravens look to have done alright while the Redskins look like they just don't get it.
Redskins - LaRon Landry looks to be a great player. He seems to have a great attitude to go along with his physical skills. His brother is also Dawan Landry from the Ravens, so he will have a good idea of what to expect coming into the League. But this pick really wasn't necessary at all. The Skins already have 5 safeties on the roster after trading Adam Archuletta. Do you really need to go 3 deep at each safety spot? And although Landry has better athleticism than Archuletta does, especially comparing their ages, he seems to be in the same mold of a player as Taylor and Archuletta. He is a headhunter. He loves to hit. We saw what happened last season when you play 2 safeties who love to get up and make plays but can't seem to get back into coverage adequately. Maybe Landry can cover deep and make plays near the line, but he will be forced to do that with the Redskins defense as it is right now.
The rest of the 'Skins picks were on the second day. Not much high impact probability, but a great chance to add depth to a team that desperately needs it. With their 4 picks the team took 2 LBs, a QB, and a TE. I understand taking 2 LBs. It is a position with starters filled in, but injuries happen and you need depth as well as special teamers on a roster. The TE and QB choice just don't fit what this team needs. Gibbs loves his TEs. He can't get enough of the friggin' H-Back type of guys on his team, and this seems like a pick made to appease the offense after giving Gregg Williams his choice to get Landry. The QB choice is the worst though. This team already has 3 QBs on the roster. Jordan Palmer might be a decent late round pick, but not for this team.
The Skins biggest problem on their roster was the D-line. The team only had 19 sacks in 16 games last year. That is atrocious. How do they justify drafting a 4th quarterback who won't see any game time even if he makes the team, while not trying to find somebody to help their D-line. Maybe the 'Skins made all the right moves, but I don't see it that way right now. I'm frustrated as a fan, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Ravens - Now on to the draft kings. The Ravens seem to always draft contributors to their team. While their 2007 draft looks boring without any big names besides Troy Smith, it looks like they did a solid job of filling needs on an already talented team.
Ben Grubbs was supposedly the best guard in the draft. Although the Ravens drafted 29th, they got maybe one of the best players in the draft, because OG is such an underappreciated position. With Edwin Mulitalo cut by the team this offseason, drafting an impact guard seems to be a smart move. They also added more depth to the O-line with their 3rd round choice of Marshall Yanda.
Yamon Figurs was their other 3rd round choice. While I know nothing about him, I heard he had the fastest time at the draft, so that isn't that bad.
The Ravens other choice were a FB(a position needing depth), 2 OLBs(good choices to help counter the loss of Adalius Thomas), and Troy Smith at QB(good pick for Ravens with only 2 QBs on roster last season).
So the Ravens addressed their needs. With a talented roster coming back, the depth at critical positions will be great for this team. Although there aren't any highlight reel players like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, or Todd Heap in this draft class, it looks like it can still be a great success.
Redskins - LaRon Landry looks to be a great player. He seems to have a great attitude to go along with his physical skills. His brother is also Dawan Landry from the Ravens, so he will have a good idea of what to expect coming into the League. But this pick really wasn't necessary at all. The Skins already have 5 safeties on the roster after trading Adam Archuletta. Do you really need to go 3 deep at each safety spot? And although Landry has better athleticism than Archuletta does, especially comparing their ages, he seems to be in the same mold of a player as Taylor and Archuletta. He is a headhunter. He loves to hit. We saw what happened last season when you play 2 safeties who love to get up and make plays but can't seem to get back into coverage adequately. Maybe Landry can cover deep and make plays near the line, but he will be forced to do that with the Redskins defense as it is right now.
The rest of the 'Skins picks were on the second day. Not much high impact probability, but a great chance to add depth to a team that desperately needs it. With their 4 picks the team took 2 LBs, a QB, and a TE. I understand taking 2 LBs. It is a position with starters filled in, but injuries happen and you need depth as well as special teamers on a roster. The TE and QB choice just don't fit what this team needs. Gibbs loves his TEs. He can't get enough of the friggin' H-Back type of guys on his team, and this seems like a pick made to appease the offense after giving Gregg Williams his choice to get Landry. The QB choice is the worst though. This team already has 3 QBs on the roster. Jordan Palmer might be a decent late round pick, but not for this team.
The Skins biggest problem on their roster was the D-line. The team only had 19 sacks in 16 games last year. That is atrocious. How do they justify drafting a 4th quarterback who won't see any game time even if he makes the team, while not trying to find somebody to help their D-line. Maybe the 'Skins made all the right moves, but I don't see it that way right now. I'm frustrated as a fan, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Ravens - Now on to the draft kings. The Ravens seem to always draft contributors to their team. While their 2007 draft looks boring without any big names besides Troy Smith, it looks like they did a solid job of filling needs on an already talented team.
Ben Grubbs was supposedly the best guard in the draft. Although the Ravens drafted 29th, they got maybe one of the best players in the draft, because OG is such an underappreciated position. With Edwin Mulitalo cut by the team this offseason, drafting an impact guard seems to be a smart move. They also added more depth to the O-line with their 3rd round choice of Marshall Yanda.
Yamon Figurs was their other 3rd round choice. While I know nothing about him, I heard he had the fastest time at the draft, so that isn't that bad.
The Ravens other choice were a FB(a position needing depth), 2 OLBs(good choices to help counter the loss of Adalius Thomas), and Troy Smith at QB(good pick for Ravens with only 2 QBs on roster last season).
So the Ravens addressed their needs. With a talented roster coming back, the depth at critical positions will be great for this team. Although there aren't any highlight reel players like Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, or Todd Heap in this draft class, it looks like it can still be a great success.
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