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Nick Faust B
Faust was the starter in name only as his production and minutes were similar to what he has done off the bench. He had some bright spots and I love his ability to grab a steal for the team (he finished with 3). Faust’s shooting has also improved over the last few games as well which is a good sign.

Terrell Stoglin B+
The Terps needed Stoglin’s 33 points but the stat line that stuck out was 6-20 which is what he shot from distance and he shot 3-6 from 2 point range. If Stoglin can find a way to blend his shooting and driving ability, he could become even more unstoppable. 20 threes is entirely too many for one person to shoot in a game. Even Ray Allen doesn’t jack em up that frequently in a game.

Sean Mosley B
Tonight was “good Sean.” He didn’t shoot well from the field (1-7) but he was 5-6 from the charity stripe. He also added 9 rebounds to pace the team. Despite fouling out, he made strong contributions to the team across the board.

Ashton Pankey C-
The best thing he had was 7 rebounds (4 offensive). However, he did have a crucial layup to cut the lead to 62-57. Pankey adds a toughness to the interior.

James Padgett C+
His footwork and post work are still good and he displayed it tonight. I wish the Terps would feed him more in the post as he seems capable to be a solid second scorer. He seems well on his way to join the long list of accomplished Terps big men: Bias, Joe Smith, Lonnie Baxter, Jordan Williams.

Bench B+
The bench had strong efforts from Pe’Shon and Len. Len in the interior providing 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It was the type of game a Terps fan can hopefully grow to consistently see from the freshman. Pe’Shon had 8 assists and seemed to make sure to get others involved. Between the two of the them, the Terps had some added punch for sure off the bench.
Sub of the Game: Alex Len

Mark Turgeon B
It’s been a tough year for Turgeon but he has done a solid job with the talent provided. Tonight, his team hung tough and came back although they could have packed it in late in the second half. It was a good sign to see.

A Peak at the Standings
The Terps still are winless on the road this year and face North Carolina on Saturday at Comcast. So here is a look at the ACC Standings following the games from last night.

North Carolina 6-1
Florida State 6-1
Duke 5-1
Virginia 5-2
NC State 5-3
Miami 4-3
Maryland 3-4
Clemson 3-4
Wake Forest 2-6
Boston College 2-6
Virginia Tech 1-5
Georgia Tech 1-7
The Terps are caught in the jumbled middle of the ACC with losses to the two teams ahead of them on the road (NC State and Miami). It will be interesting how the Terps finish up February.

Pe’Shon Howard B+
Howard had a very good all around game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was aggressive looking for his shot and also looking to find teammates for shots. It might have been his best game since coming back from the broken foot.

Terrell Stoglin B
Two things stand out from the game in regards to Stoglin. On the positive, he was very good passing the ball and finding teammates in the first half as the Terps attacked the basket. On the negative, he is a 78% free throw shooter and finished a Shaqesque 2 of 7 from the line.

Sean Mosley B-
Good Sean mostly showed up tonight and was definitely a strong contributor in the first half. He looked for his shot and helped lead Terps in strong start as a team. He finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 dimes, and a steal. It is a Good Sean kind of game with production throughout the stat line.

Ashton Pankey B-
Pankey finished with 8 and 8 and benefited from the passing into the interior the most from the penetrating guards. He showed himself well in replacing Alex Len in the starting lineup. He boarded well also. What he may lack in defense with the blocking, he makes up for in toughness and offensive ability.

James Padgett C-
Going against the Plumlee brothers is not an easy task this year and Padgett never seemed to find a rhythm or flow to his game. He finished with 6 points and 3 boards and seemed to disappear and not even be a part of the Terps offense for long stretches. Like Patrick, I too would like to see more of a role for Padgett in the offense.

Bench D
I had a hard time deciding who was the leading contributor from the bench. It was a lackluster performance from Weijs, Len, Parker, and Faust. Faust had a couple shots bounce the right way and Parker had a nice block but there wasn’t a lot to write home about here. It was just turrible.
Sub of the Game: Nick Faust (relunctantly)

Mark Turgeon C
It is always intimidating to replace a legend as Turgeon is doing with Gary Williams. When the legend is at the game with the court being dedicated to him, it adds to it. The change of Pankey for Len was a very good move in the starting lineup. However, he could not seem to find an answer in the post for the Plumlee brothers specifically Mason.

Maybe You Missed It
For the first 12 minutes of the game, the Terps had some great ball movement and were attacking the lane. When they did that, they had 4 made field goals and drew four fouls with three of those resulting in trips to the foul line. Stoglin as mentioned above really was passing very well and finding players in the post area for easy shots. Then, this offense just disappeared.

Gregg Cobert has been a Terps fan since the days of Keith Booth and grew to hate Duke especially at the apex in the early 00s when both were competing for national titles. Follow him on Twitter at @g_reggulator.

Pe’Shon Howard B
Mark Turgeon asked him to look for his offense more and today he found some. He finished with 15 points and was much more aggressive looking for his shot. It was good to see. However, it seems like it is a Catch 22. If he gets his offense, his assist numbers suffer and vice versa. I don’t know if a balance exists.

Terrell Stoglin B
Stoglin finished with 20 points again and added 2 assists and 3 rebounds. However, there were moments during the game as Temple built the lead that he didn’t touch the ball on offensive possessions. It’s great to see the Terps try and get others involved in the offense but as the team is struggling, you have to turn to the ACC’s leading scorer.

Sean Mosley C-
It felt like a roller coaster ride watching Mosley today. Lots of highs and lows. The highs: 10 rebounds to lead the team, 2 steals. The lows: 3 points, 4 fouls, 3 turnovers.

James Padgett B-
Padgett finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds but the Terps needed more from the interior. He only had one offensive rebound which is his game. However, his post moves were very good. His footwork may not be Dream-like but still very good.

Alex Len Incomplete
Len went out with a right ankle sprain in the first half with the game tied at 14 and he did not return. Hopefully, it is just the one game he misses because the Terps needed his interior presence and will definitely need it against the Blue Devils.

Bench D+
The Terps needed some help from the bench especially when Len went down but they really couldn’t help the team much. Weijs was mostly ineffective in his three minutes and Pankey only grabbed three rebounds. Nick Faust did have 5 points, 4 boards, and was the team leader for assists with 4.
Sub of the Game: Nick Faust

Mark Turgeon B-
Turgeon had a good game plan to work the inside with Len and Padgett. It was successful. However, when Len went out, the Terps had to change their game plan. There was a lot less ball movement and Stoglin was moving through screens like an obstacle course (not this obstacle course). Turgeon did a good job adapting game plan but the fire power of the Owls from downtown sent the team home with a loss.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps had 22 field goals and 16 turnovers. It is extremely difficult to win when you have a 1.36 FG/TO margin. The Terps held onto the ball much better in the second with only 6 turnovers, but when you don’t get a shot at the hoop and have an empty it is easy to see how Maryland lost. It doesn’t get much easier from here as they have Duke at home next. Game is at 9 on Wednesday night.

Pe’Shon Howard C
4 points, 4 assists. He floated through the game and never made a mark on the game. Pe’Shon is such a solid passer and the team runs so much smoother when he gets the ball to teammates in their spots.

Terrell Stoglin A
Stoglin was a beast again tonight scoring 27 points but he also contributed in other ways adding 4 assists and 3 boards. He came to play but could never get another running mate to go with him. As a player this year, his decision making and growth has been a pleasure to watch. If only the Terps could find a Scottie.

Sean Mosley C-
For as well as Sean Mosley played against Georgia Tech, he could not get anything going in Tallahassee. He also seemed to float during periods of the game as well.

James Padgett D
Unfortunately, Padgett could not channel Moses tonight and looked more like Kwame Brown. He had 8 points and 3 boards but he never could get going against the tall and imposing front line of the Seminoles.

Alex Len D-
Unfortunately, Len ran up against a tall and talented front line of Florida State. They negated his size and advantage he has most nights against other players and his production showed it as he tallied just three points, three rebounds, and a block. He may not be an offensive force but he needs to make his presence known on the defensive end.

Bench B+
The Terps bench really played well and helped the team. Both Nick Faust and Mychal Parker made strong contributions but in different ways. Faust scored 10 points and Parker had 6 points and 7 boards. The Terps also got good contributions from Ashton Pankey and Berend Weijs.
Sub of the game: Mychal Parker

Mark Turgeon C+
The key stretch of the game was at the 17:18 mark when the Terps took the lead and then proceeded to go down 61-45. Turgeon could not stop the momentum and by the time the Terps recovered, the damage was already done.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps have played a grand total of two road games and have lost both (NC State and FSU). The Terps need to get road wins to even sniff the NCAA tournament and their next chance is Saturday at 11 AM at the Palestra when they play Temple. Hopefully the whole team comes ready to play.

Pe’Shon Howard B-
Pe’Shon looked for his offense last night and was successful finding it. He was more aggressive taking shots and made a three point shot in the first half. Mark Turgeon was wanting Pe’Shon to average 10 points a game and be more aggressive looking for his offense. He did a very good job with that but now he just needs to convert a higher percentage and hold onto the ball as he had five turnovers and only 1 assist.

Terrell Stoglin A-
Stoglin was key in the early part of the second half getting the team points and he finished with 14 points. He may not have gotten to his average of 20 points, but he was crucial getting baskets when the team was struggling in the first half and starting the second half.

Sean Mosley A+
Mosley had two points in the first half. If the game ended there, it would have been a lackluster performance on the offensive end and only tell part of the story. Mosley finished with 18 points (including the last 7 for the Terps), 5 boards and a steal. He finished 10-10 from the line as well. Mosley played lockdown defense on Glen Rice Jr who finished with 6 points (his average in his 2 other ACC games was 25). He was literally white on Rice.

James Padgett B+
Padgett’s offensive rebounding prowess reminds me of a former NBA great, Moses Malone. Malone attacked the boards with reckless abandon especially on the offensive end. When I watch Padgett, I see some of the same things with his offensive board work. He finished the game with 9 rebounds (7 offensive) and 14 points. He has a nose to find the ball.

Alex Len B-
Len is still transitioning his game from international play to games played in the states. For example, on one play he offensive goaltended but in international play it would have been a legal play. However, his play on defense was much better. He had 3 blocks and countless alterations of others as he used his 7-1 frame well. He had 9 rebounds on the defensive end as well to work in conjunction with Padgett.

Bench C+
Nick Faust was extremely productive in his time on the court. He finished with 8 points and 3 steals. The 3 steals were each crucial. His first was at the end of the half and led to him getting a jam on the other end to close the half with Maryland up 24-19. His next theft occurred as Georgia Tech was making a run and he stepped into the lane and took it in for another dunk. His final steal occurred on a double team as he was able to reach and steal it from the taller Tech defender.
Sub of the game: Nick Faust

Mark Turgeon B+
He never seems to get too high or too low and keeps an even demeanor even as the team may struggle as did tonight shooting 34% from the field. He has passion for hoops but may not wear it on his sleeve like Gary Williams which is okay. During the game, his effects are subtle on the game like riding his hot hand in Sean Mosley and Nick Faust as Howard and Stoglin were on the bench to close the game.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps finished 19-23 from the charity stripe which translates to 83%, a season best for the team. The points from the foul line were crucial as the team struggled from the field shooting 33.9%.

Pe’Shon Howard: B
Although Howard is still getting his legs under him following the broken leg, he had a really good game directing the team and getting the team quality shots. In the first half on back to back possessions, he was able to set up both Nick Faust and Mychal Parker for threes. He significantly improves the team’s ball movement. However, there were a few opportunities where he drove the lane and had a quality shot and passed it up.

Terrell Stoglin: A-
Stoglin is the leading scorer in the ACC at 21.2 points and he didn’t disappoint with 25 points and 6 threes. His offense more times than not did not seem forced as I only counted 2 or 3 shots that were not within the flow of the offense. The key is for the team not to stand around if Stoglin is in an isolation set.

Sean Mosley: C+
Mosley had a typical Sean Mosley game with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. I say a typical game because it is never flashy but he makes smart basketball plays. His senior leadership was crucial late in the game with his decision making and shot selection.

James Padgett: B
Padgett’s offensive improvement from last year is the thing most notable to me this year. The growth of his moves in the paint and patience while on the block are amazing. He finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds. He is a quality complement to Alex Len and they will be good together as they get more court time together. With Len on the court, Padgett can move to his natural position of power forward.

Alex Len: B-
Len had an A effort in the 1st half but a D effort in the 2nd half. In the first half, he was active on the boards and knocked down shots from inside as well as outside. He was also able to block 2 shots and affect many more shots. However, in the second half, he seemed to get tired. On back to back possessions, his man beat him down the court and was able to get uncontested dunks because he was late getting back. He did finish with 12 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks and gives the Terps a quality inside presence.

Bench: C-
The Terps finished with 13 points from the bench as Faust and Parker were the only two players to score from the bench. Parker’s energy was awesome and he was rewarded with crunch time minutes. As for Faust, he is only a freshman and he will continue to grow. On one pass, he lobbed it back to Stoglin and it was intercepted and he didn’t hustle back to contest for the layup on the other end.
Sub of the game: Mychal Parker

Mark Turgeon: B-
This was Turgeon’s opening game in the ACC and he showed himself well. The one concern was that he could not seem to find an answer for CJ Leslie and he crushed the Terps for it. Turgeon is still trying to figure out the best lineup for the Terps as this was just their fourth game (since December 28) that he has had his whole team at his disposal, but I have faith in his abilities to put the best rotation forth.

Maybe You Didn’t Notice:
Terrell Stoglin is a shot taker and a shot maker. Not a big surprise there. He doesn’t need much space to make a shot. His improvement from the 3 point line has been great as he went 6-12 in the game. However, one of his best attributes is his ability to drive to the paint. In the game, he did not seem to take the ball to the rack as regularly as last year. With his ability to drive to the lane, he can open other players up as defenders collapse to him.

But it was never to be.

The Ravens went to their strength, running the football effectively and the defense made stops when called upon, leading to a 24-16 victory at Paul Brown Stadium in front of 63,439 fans. The game felt like a playoff game and the Ravens treated it as such, clinching their third AFC North title in team history. The Ravens secured the much-needed first-round bye and a home playoff game - a first in the John Harbaugh era - something that both he and Ravens players stated before the season was important to them.

Grading the Ravens 24-16 victory over the Bengals

Quarterback: B

Joe Flacco was efficient in the game, completing 15 of 19 passes for 130 yards and a TD. He made safe throws and didn’t turn the ball over. He looked in sync with his receivers for the most part, especially to the TE’s Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. He looked for both throughout the game and they came through for Flacco. Pitta was the recipient of Flacco’s lone touchdown - his 10th of the season in the red zone - a superb throw in the corner of the end zone that Pitta was able to get both feet inbounds for.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, playoff time, and the Ravens should look to this game to see Joe doesn’t need to throw 30-35 passes for him to be effective on most days.

Running Backs: A+

Ray Rice capped off a great regular season, rushing for 191 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He showed great burst through the hole on his career-long, 70-yard TD run on the first possession of the game. He has fresh looking legs for it now being the month of January, a testament to the Ravens game plan of using backup RB Ricky Williams to spell Rice on occasion.

Williams, meanwhile, ran for 28 yards on six carries and they’ll rely on him even more so now that the cold-weather is here to stay. Ricky went over the 10,000 yard mark for his career in the game, the 26th player in NFL history to do so.

There’s not much else that hasn’t already been said about FB Vonta Leach. He continues to maul defenders with straight-on blocking, his solid block on Bengals safety Chris Crocker helped to initially open the running lane for Rice to run through on his first TD.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C+

Without WR Anquan Boldin, the Ravens continue to search for production to replace him. Torrey Smith played well, catching five passes for 33 yards. Smith helped out in run blocking as well as catching passes. Fellow WR Lee Evans was again a non-factor for the Ravens, dropping a beautiful pass from Flacco that went off his finger tips in the 2nd quarter. It’s been a season to forget for Evans, who came into the game only catching four passes.

Flacco’s safety blankets stepped up in Week 17. Dennis Pitta did it all in this game, lining up at wide receiver, in the slot, staying into block. He even caught the longest pass of his career, a 39-yard gain where he carried three Bengals defenders on his back before being tackled. It kind of looked like this classic clip (:50 seconds in).

Ed Dickson had one catch for 20 yards, nearly being decapitated by safety Reggie Nelson in the process. He’s done a better job of holding onto the football. The Ravens surely will get Boldin back for the playoffs, but Pitta and Dickson are going to be counted on to be contributors going forward.

Offensive Line: B

Having right guard Marshal Yanda back in the lineup helped the Ravens immediately on the opening drive when he threw a block on Bengals linebacker Ray Maualuga to spring Ray Rice on the first touchdown. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team, having an injury like that would shut most guys down, but not Yanda who is old-school. When the Ravens ran some stretch plays, tackles Michael Oher and Bryant McKinnie blocked well to help Ray Rice get to the outside.

The pass blocking was exceptional against a Bengals front seven that is pretty damn athletic, only allowing one sack on the day. The line gave Flacco the proper time to make some good throws.

Defensive Line: B

Defensive tackles Brandon McKinney, Terrence Cody and Pro Bowler, Haloti Ngata clogged up the middle and looked ferocious in run support. Cory Redding registered four total tackles and didn’t look affected by his sore ankle. Pernell McPhee didn’t have any tackles, but provided much needed pressure up the middle for the Ravens. The defensive line got a little more push up front in this game than in previous weeks.

Linebackers: B-

Ray Lewis recorded seven tackles in total and seems to be working himself back into form after the turf toe injury. If there’s one thing about Ray, its that you can never count him out. I said last week he may need to be off the field now on passing situations, but he looked quicker and tackled well on those plays in this game.

OLB Terrell Suggs had a strong game, his forced fumble late in the 4th quarter on Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham led to Ray Rice’s 2nd touchdown of the game, sealing it for the Ravens. Suggs also recorded the only sack of the game for the Ravens as they finally got some pressure on a QB for a change.

Secondary: B

Cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams tackled well and didn’t allow big plays to the Bengals big two WR’s Jerome Simpson and A.J. Green. Safety Bernard Pollard nearly had an interception, recorded five tackles and recovered the fumble caused by Terrell Suggs. For the third game in a row, safety Ed Reed has played poorly and missed a couple tackles. You have to wonder if injuries are beginning to hinder him.

Special Teams: D-

Kicker Billy Cundiff was healthy enough to kick this week for the Ravens, making his one field goal attempt of 42 yards, in addition to three extra points. The Ravens have to get better on covering kickoffs and punts and protecting punter Sam Koch who nearly had three punts blocked. This has been an all-season long issue for the Ravens, and a real concern for a team with the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs. This group needs to step it up to have success come playoff time.

Coaching: B

John Harbaugh got his men ready for this game, in what felt very much like a playoff game. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron balanced the offensive side of the ball well, knowing that in order for the Ravens to win, the running game needs to be effective. The defense did a terrific job of limiting both Jerome Simpson and A.J. Green who caught a combined seven passes for just 80 yards. That was the key to this game and coordinator Chuck Pagano had a scheme that worked well.

Final Take

The Ravens stuck to their guns, and ran the ball effectively against the Cincinnati Bengals, rushing for 221 total yards on the day. It was needed with the wind whipping around the stadium, gusting to nearly 40 mph at times. In the first half, the Ravens allowed just three-1st half points, and surrendered just one touchdown for the day, compared to the three they gave up to the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium back on November 20th.

This is exactly the type of game-plan the Ravens will need to execute effectively to have a strong run to the Super Bowl this season. It’s simple, let Ray Rice and the offensive line run you to death and have Joe Flacco be the game manager with a strong arm to supplement it.

The Ravens will be home, where they’ve wanted to be all along. Now they’ll get that crucial bye week and await the results of what happens during Wild-Card Weekend, whether it will be the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers or the Denver Broncos coming to town. The bye week allows some of the injured Ravens players some extra time to heal.

On a cold day in Cincinnati, the Ravens had their eye on the prize and this time didn’t let it slip out of sight.

Follow me on Twitter: MattCLund

Want to comment or have questions about the Ravens? E-mail us at podcast@baltimoresportsreport.com or call the phone line: 443-379-4BSR (4277).

The Ravens breezed through the first half leading 17-0 as the Cleveland Browns showcased some of the worst coaching and mis-managing of the game clock in NFL history. The Ravens were aided by the Browns having exactly zero timeouts when they received the ball back for the final time of the 1st half. Driving the distance of the field, Browns RB Peyton Hillis was stopped for no gain at the 3-yard line and without a timeout, the Browns and their head coach Pat Shurmur could only watch in disbelief as time expired in the half.

With the way the Browns had played in the 1st half, one would think the airplane taking the team back to Cleveland would be fired up and on stand-by at BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport, but they actually made a game out of it and the Ravens at times, seemed to almost want the Browns to get back into the game.

Very questionable play-calling and lack of execution by the Ravens in the 2nd half and a couple of long drives by Cleveland brought the Browns to within six points after TE Evan Moore caught a six-yard TD from QB Seneca Wallace to cut the Ravens lead to 20-14. The Ravens bent all game, but didn’t break as they looked at a 4th and 2 at the Cleveland 37-yard line. True to form, the Browns promptly shot themselves in the foot that held open the door of opportunity in this game.

After Joe Flacco barked out a few hard counts, somehow he lured Browns’ defensive tackle Phil Taylor off-sides on a play the Ravens were never actually going to get off. The penalty gave the Ravens a first down and after running out the clock on the next three plays, gave them a 20-14 victory, their eighth straight win against Cleveland in front of 71,083 fans at M&T Bank Stadium.

Grading the Ravens 20-14 victory over Cleveland

Quarterback: C-

Joe Flacco wasn’t expected to carry the offense against the Browns, considering the success the running game had in the team’s last meeting with Cleveland. His performance was more of a mixed-bag if anything and more of the same things we see from Flacco.

He showed great touch on one of his best throws of the season, connecting with RB Ray Rice on a 42-yard touchdown that Flacco dropped perfectly into his hands to give the Ravens a 17-0 lead. He also showed some good patience in the pocket at times, side-stepping the rush and finding either Rice or other receivers along the progressions.

But there’s also the “Bad Joe” side that in the 2nd half had timing issues and looked completely out of rhythm with his receivers. He under threw WR Lee Evans on a ball in the end zone that was picked off and still has trouble every once in a while on intermediate throws from about 15 yards out, like the throw to WR Torrey Smith late in the 2nd half that was too high for him.

Outside of the 42-yard TD to Rice and TE Ed Dickson’s five-yard TD in the 1st quarter, Flacco threw for only 85 yards the rest of the game. That simply won’t get it done come playoff time. Flacco seems to be regressing again at the wrong time for the Ravens.

Running Backs: B+

Ray Rice ran well, adding to his impressive yardage numbers from the line of scrimmage for the season, gaining 87 on the ground and another 48 through the air. Ricky Williams added 45 yards rushing, giving the Ravens some production as the change-of-pace back. Williams also caught two passes, one being a big 3rd down conversion late in the 3rd quarter.

FB Vonta Leach might be the best free-agent addition in the AFC this season, blowing up the edges for Rice to run through. He made a day out of pancaking Browns LB’s Kaluka Maiava and Chris Gocong, delivering some crushing hits to that group.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C-

This group should send Anquan Boldin a ‘Get Well Soon’ card because they certainly missed his presence in this game. Lee Evans was a non-factor replacing Boldin in the lineup, he didn’t look very crisp in his route running either. Torrey Smith caught two passes for 38 yards, and looked fast running crossing routes over the middle. TE Ed Dickson caught his 5th TD of the season, but had three drops which is rare and not a good thing for a team that needs Dickson and Dennis Pitta to step up while Boldin is out.

Offensive Line: C+

The line held up well in pass blocking only allowing one sack, even after guard Marshal Yanda left the game with an injury which head coach John Harbaugh described as a “rib contusion of some kind.” The run blocking was solid, as tackles Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher sealed the edges on runs by Ray Rice.

Defensive Line: C+

Terrence Cody and Haloti Ngata closed down the middle as usual for the Ravens. When the Browns ran the ball outside though, the defensive line had trouble getting off their blocks. Browns RB Peyton Hillis rushed for 112 yards and nearly five yards per carry, but the D-line limited the big run threat from Hillis.

Linebackers: D+

Ray Lewis led the Ravens with ten total tackles on the day, but as crazy as it sounds, it may be time for him to be off the field for passing situations on 3rd down. LB Terrell Suggs had four total tackles, but was a non-factor in the pass rush as he went up against Browns tackle Joe Thomas. There was really no pass rush generated again in this game, and the two sacks by the Ravens came from backups LB Paul Kruger and Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Secondary: C+

The corner backs took their beating to heart after last Sunday night’s game and played well against the Browns receivers. CB Lardarius Webb showed no effects from his toe injury, picking off QB Seneca Wallace in the 1st quarter and defending three passes. CB Jimmy Smith played strong, recording seven tackles as he replaced fellow CB Cary Williams who left the game with an apparent concussion.

Safety Bernard Pollard was solid in pass coverage, recording eight total tackles. He just loves to hit and tackle, something the Ravens need. The same could not be said about free safety Ed Reed who missed quite a few tackles and overall played poorly.

Special Teams: D+

Kicker Shayne Graham booted two field goals, filling in nicely for Billy Cundiff. The Achilles’ heel of this team all season has been coverage on kickoffs and punt returns and they allowed another return touchdown by the ever dangerous return-man, Josh Cribbs. Something needs to be done to get this group on track. Special teamers, Kris Wilson and Emanuel Cook each had two tackles.

Coaching: C-

There’s a certain lack of killer instinct with this squad this season that troubles me. If this team aspires to be Super Bowl champs, it needs to start stepping on the throats of inferior squads. This time of the year, teams with 11 wins need to be peaking in all areas, the Ravens are not doing that. Cam Cameron’s offensive game plan went conservative in the 2nd half and gave the Browns a chance they shouldn’t have had to begin with. Chuck Pagano’s defense fell asleep at the wheel in the 2nd half, but got it together at the end of the game to get the job done.

Final Take

This is a win that leaves a little bit of a bad taste in your mouth, but the fact of the matter is the Ravens got the job done when they needed to. What’s important is that the Ravens still hold the #2 seed in the AFC and right now that 1st-round bye would come in handy with players being injured left and right. Four players went down with injuries, both Dannell Ellerbe and Cary Williams left with concussions, right guard Marshal Yanda left with a chest injury and kick returner David Reed is feared to be lost for the season with a knee injury.

First thing’s first, they must beat the Cincinnati Bengals on New Years Day to win the AFC North crown and clinch at least the #2 seed. And that won’t be a cakewalk, the Bengals are streaking, having won their last two in a row to get back into Wildcard consideration.

If not, the Ravens will be right back to where they were after the loss to San Diego last Sunday night.

Follow me on Twitter: MattCLund

Want to comment or have questions about the Ravens? E-mail us at podcast@baltimoresportsreport.com or call the phone line: 443-379-4BSR (4277).