The Ravens had some miscues on the first couple drives, but it didn’t take long for the onslaught to begin. It looked almost as if the Ravens were playing their practice squad instead of another professional football team. The Lions gave a concerted effort in the beginning, but they caught the Ravens at the wrong time as they were still rather furious about their performance in Green Bay last Monday night. Even with their win on Sunday, the Ravens are still on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs are concerned, but they did get some help last Sunday with the Jaguars and Broncos both losing. The five and six seeds are currently occupied by the Broncos (8-5) and the Jaguars (7-6) with the Ravens (7-6), Dolphins (7-6) and Jets (7-6) close behind. The good thing for the Ravens, though, is that if they end up with the same record as the Broncos they get in because they beat them head-to-head in Baltimore earlier this season. So if the Ravens can just win the games they SHOULD win in the last three games, they should earn the No. 6 seed at worst. But let’s get back to the beating that took place on Sunday afternoon.

The POG

Ray Rice made this decision pretty easy after his stellar performance on Sunday. The cold and rainy weather didn’t stop Rice from having the best statistical game of his career. He rushed for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries and racked up 53 receiving yards as well. Rice started out the game just as hot as he ended it, even though he didn’t play much of the second half because of the drubbing they were putting on the Lions. The only thing Rice did wrong was putting the ball on the ground in the red zone on the first drive, but he surely made up for it by gaining 219 total yards, only 10 yards less than the entire Lions offense. Rice also topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his young career and also added to his team-high 68 receptions. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, this guy is simply amazing. And if there is any team in the NFL that has a formula for stopping him, I’m sure there are coaches out there who would pay good money to find out what it is. I can honestly say that I can’t wait to turn on the television every Sunday, or Monday, and see what this guy will come up with next.

The “Oh, S***” Moment

This moment is for the Lions since the Ravens didn’t exactly have one to speak of. The first quarter wasn’t too bad for the Lions because the Ravens made a few mistakes and only lead 3-0. But when Derrick Mason bounced off two Lions defenders en route to a 62-yard touchdown catch and run, it was just a sign of what was to come for the lowly Lions. The Ravens then proceeded to put a hurting on the Lions’ defense as well as their offense. The Ravens’ defense played with an intensity that I haven’t seen in a while and the offense actually had some sort of rhythm. I understand it was against the Lions, but you have to gain some confidence from somewhere and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. This Sunday’s game against the Bears could present another one of those opportunities and the Ravens need to take full advantage of it.

This week’s awards were short and sweet, but there wasn’t much to say about this game except that the Ravens beat a team they should’ve beaten. The only thing that is scary about Sunday’s game against the Bears is that the Ravens could be looking ahead to the game in Pittsburgh, which is likely to have huge implications on the playoff scenario. If the Ravens are able to get after Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler and force him to make mistakes, which he is prone to do; they should win relatively easily. The Bears’ defense has some weak spots that the Ravens can take advantage of, and they should be hitting on all cylinders heading into the matchup against the Steelers in two weeks. This is what should happen. Now let’s see what actually does happen.

The POG

Ray and Ray, better known now as Double Trouble. These two guys have more in common than just sharing the same first name. Both Ray Lewis and Ray Rice play every down like it’s their last and they leave everything on the field. Rice isn’t as physically loud as Lewis, but his play on the field speaks volumes. He has to be one of the hardest players to tackle in the NFL. It’s not that he plows over people, but he always seems to wiggle his way past defenders doing anything it takes to get in the end zone. Rice is No. 10 in the league in rushing and his 582 receiving yards is almost double that of the next running back, Chris Johnson, who has 294. He is No. 2 in the league among running backs with 1,603 total yards from scrimmage, just 87 yards behind Johnson. Rice has a huge impact on every game he plays, and Sunday night was no different. When the Ravens needed a big play, Rice was their man. On fourth-and-four at their own 46, Rice split out wide and everyone watching knew exactly who Flacco was going to do. James Farrior had no chance trying to defend Rice, and 44 yards later the Ravens were in position to tie the game at 17. On the defensive side of the ball, Lewis’ presence alone was enough to earn him this award. He totaled nine tackles in the game and was a big part of making Dennis Dixon feel uncomfortable when he dropped back to pass. We all know Lewis is not the dominant physical force he used to be, but I don’t know if there is anyone else I would rather have out there in that type of game. He is so vital to the Ravens success and Sunday’s game was just another chapter in his book.

The “Man, That Was Close” Award

The last 25 seconds of regulation are to blame for my inability to sleep after the game. When Flacco was sacked, I thought it was going to overtime for sure. Then, all of a sudden the Ravens field goal unit scrambled onto the field and I thought maybe there’s a chance. The snap was good, the hold was good and the kick was on its way. It was straight enough and looked to have the distance, but it was just short. Just think of how crazy it would’ve been if he would’ve made that kick. It probably would’ve been one of the best finishes of the season considering the situation. Fortunately for the Ravens, it was the potential game-winner and not the game-tier. But anyway you look at it, the finish was surely one that got the blood flowing.

The “Unlikely Hero” Award

It wasn’t Ray Lewis, Ed Reed or Haloti Ngata who made the biggest play of the night. It was none other than rookie linebacker Paul “Freddy” Kruger (I just gave him the nickname Freddy for the fun of it). This was easily the biggest play of Kruger’s young career especially since it was only the third game this season in which he saw action. On the Steelers’ second overtime possession, Kruger dropped back into coverage and picked off Dixon’s that was pass intended for Santonio Holmes. The interception set the Ravens up with excellent field position and eventually resulted in Cundiff’s game-winning 29-yard field goal. Kruger has seen increased playing time since Suggs’ knee injury and has shown that he was worth the second-round pick the Ravens spent on him.

Next Monday night’s matchup in Green Bay will yet again be one with potential playoff implications. Both teams are vying for a position in the playoffs and neither can afford to lose many more games. The Packers have had trouble protecting Aaron Rodgers this season, which bodes well for the Ravens. If they can keep Rodgers in check and control the ground game, they should be in very good shape to come away with a victory. The Packers have a strong secondary, which will mean Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Co. need to work to get open because nothing is going to come easy in the passing game. This should be yet another great primetime game that is likely to go to the wire.

Submitted by Steve Giles

The POG

Brady Quinn. Yes, Quinn was the Ravens’ POG since nobody on the Ravens did enough to earn themselves the award. Quinn provided the Ravens with nine of their 17 points as a result of his inaccuracy. Initially, both passes looked like they should have been caught because they hit the receiver’s hands. But after looking at the replays, Quinn was a little off on both passes and his receiver’s couldn’t haul them in. Two of his first three passes of the second half were picked off and he finished the game 13-of-31 for only 99 yards. Quinn looked absolutely horrible especially toward the end of the game, which is where you would think he would be able to complete at least a couple downfield passes. At least he didn’t have to worry about throwing any more interceptions; he couldn’t even throw the ball inbounds. Quinn did do some damage, however, as the illegal block he put on Terrell Suggs knocked him out for 2-3 weeks and could prove to be very costly for the Ravens.

Let’s Work On That for Next Week

Pass protection. Flacco was only sacked three times but it seemed like he was under constant pressure. He didn’t look comfortable in the pocket, at least not as comfortable as he looked earlier this season. If the Ravens offensive line can’t protect Flacco from the Browns’ pass rush, then trying to stop Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis is going to be an uphill climb. These two guys already have 18 sacks between them in the first nine games and are always applying constant pressure on the opposing quarterback. Stopping them won’t be easy, but the Ravens must make that their No. 1 priority or Flacco may be on his back for most of the afternoon. Another thing the Ravens need to work on is throwing the ball downfield. Over the first few games of the season, Flacco was airing the ball out more than I’ve seen a Ravens quarterback do. Now, it seems like he’s always checking down to Rice on screen passes. I’m not sure if Flacco is hesitant to throw the ball downfield or if the receivers just aren’t getting open, but something has to change. The Colts have some injuries in their secondary so this would be the week the Ravens try to expose that weakness and throw the long ball more often.

The “Finally” Award

Hauschka…out. We all knew he was hanging by a thread anyway, but when he missed a no-pressure 36-yard field goal and had an extra point blocked it was almost a given that he wouldn’t last another week. You can’t say he didn’t have chances to redeem himself, either. The Ravens stuck with him as long as they could, but there’s just no room for him on a team that plays a lot of close games like the Ravens do. Now, the Ravens are in a must-win situation against an undefeated team and they don’t have a kicker. Obviously, they are going to sign one by this weekend, but you would like to have a guy you can rely on when the game is on the line. Unsigned free agent kickers Mike Nugent and Billy Cundiff tried out last week, but apparently neither one of them looked better than Hauschka. Let’s just hope that this Sunday’s game doesn’t come down to a game-winning field goal, on either end.

Surprisingly, the Ravens entered this week as a one-point favorite over the undefeated Colts. I’m not sure if the odds makers think that the Colts’ luck will finally run out, but they must know something that I don’t know. Unless the Ravens put pressure on Peyton Manning like they did on Kyle Orton a few weeks ago, they don’t have a chance. Manning and the Colts have had the Ravens’ number over the past few years and I don’t think this week will be any different. I know they had to pull off a miracle last week against the Patriots, but that may have given them some momentum coming into this game. Baltimore is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, so let’s hope that home-field advantage will be the difference and the Ravens can earn a much-needed victory against one of the league’s elite teams.

Submitted by Steve Giles

The “Bright Spot” Award

This one was a no-brainer. If the Ravens could take nothing else out of Sunday’s loss, it was that Lardarius Webb is an up-and-coming player that exemplifies everything the Ravens strive for their players to be. It is hard to ignore how much heart and intensity this guy plays with on every single down. He’s a pure football player and, unlike some at his position, he loves to tackle. When Fabian Washington went down with an injury in the second quarter, it looked as if that Ravens secondary was going to take yet another step back to an already vulnerable group. But, then Webb stepped in and it seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Carson Palmer took some shots at the rookie cornerback but couldn’t muster a completion of more than seven yards against him. Webb totaled six tackles on the day including an open field stop on running back Cedric Benson, one of the league’s top backs. Webb’s determination may have landed him a starting spot on one of the league’s top defenses. Maybe that pep talk Ray Lewis had with him a couple weeks ago really did help.

The “Oh, S***” Moment

There was no installment of this award last week, but I could’ve picked about 10 for this week. The Bengals’ opening drive was a bad sign of things to come, and the second drive wasn’t much more comforting. I can understand giving up some points to a balanced offense like the Bengals, but the way in which the points were given up was flat out frustrating. It seemed like whenever the Ravens put the Bengals in a third-and-long situation or got a stop on third-down, there was a penalty. It was the same on the offensive side of the ball as well. Dropped balls, holding penalties, sacks on short down-and-distances. Nothing went smoothly on either side of the ball and the only people to blame are the Ravens. It wasn’t the referee’s fault this week. Let’s hope it gets better before next week.

The “Come On, Man” Award

Come on, man. Hauschka, I tried to defend you a couple weeks ago and you totally let me down. You have, have, have to make that kick. That changed the entire complexion of the game because if you make that kick, you’re only down a touchdown with six minutes to go and all three timeouts. The momentum would’ve been shifted and I would almost be willing to bet that the Ravens would’ve had a chance to take the game into overtime. You can’t continue to miss routine field goals, especially from less than 40 yards. That will get you fired in a hurry. If the Ravens keep you around for the rest of the season, I’ll be very surprised. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I guess that’s what I get for being nice.

So, if the Ravens lose next Monday to the Browns it will be probably be a new all-time low for the franchise. And that’s not an overstatement. They need to get refocused, again, and take care of business in Cleveland. There is no more room for mental breakdowns if the Ravens want any shot at making the playoffs. This is the perfect time to make up some ground in the division since the Steelers and Bengals play each other this week. The mission for this Monday should be simple. First and foremost, beat the Browns. Second, get ready for the Colts because they’re sure going to be ready for the Ravens.

Submitted by Steve Giles

The POG

The entire team dominated every facet of the game from start to finish, so there’s no possible way I could just pick one player for this award. The offensive balance was remarkable and the defensive pressure was suffocating, but the stats tell the real story. The Ravens offense was an eye-popping 11-for-18 on third downs against the league’s top-ranked defense, and they didn’t turn the ball over despite the Broncos owning a plus-7 turnover differential. In their previous six games, the Broncos had outscored their opponents 76-10 in the second half. The Ravens changed that fortune rather quickly by taking the second half kickoff to the house and continued the 24-7 outscoring onslaught to end the game. The defense only allowed the Broncos to cross into their territory three times the entire game and they only stepped foot in the red zone once.

The “Oh, S***” Moment

To be continued next week…

The “Way to Step up, Young Man” Award

Lardarius Webb may have made one of the biggest plays of the season, but it wasn’t without a little motivation from a seasoned veteran. Ray Lewis pulled Webb aside in the locker room at halftime and told him that he was going to run back the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. It was an unlikely prediction at the time considering the Broncos had only given up 10 points in the second half all season. But Mr. Motivator did what he does best and Webb responded with a 95-yard run back, the first touchdown of his career. Not only did Webb’s touchdown put the Ravens up 13-0, but it ended the second half invincibility that the Broncos seemingly had up to that point. You picked a good time to step up, Mr. Webb.

The “Way to Bounce Back, Young Man” Award

When Steven Hauschka missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal against the Vikings two weeks ago, he was criticized dearly. Well, the bye week must have given him some renewed confidence as he hit all three of his field goal attempts against the Broncos on Sunday. Hauschka connected from 43 and 35 yards to give the Ravens a 6-0 lead at halftime, and he added a 31-yarder in the third quarter to extend the Ravens lead to 11. What’s even bigger than the field goals themselves is the confidence Hauschka gained heading into the second half of the season. The Ravens play a lot of close games, so having a good, confident field-goal kicker at their disposal could pay big dividends down the road.

The Ravens travel to Cincinnati this Sunday and the importance of this game cannot be stressed enough. With a win, the Ravens can even their record with that of the Bengals and keep pace with the Steelers as well. With a loss, they would drop to 1-2 in the division and fall further back in the race, potentially putting them in a hole they cannot get out of. This should be a good one, let’s just hope it doesn’t end like the last meeting.

Submitted by Steve Giles

The POG

It seems like whenever Ray Rice gets the ball, he runs for about 20 yards before someone can manage to tackle him. He slips through tacklers and wiggles his way down the field while using his signature move, the low-center-of-gravity-turf-push-off (that’s the best name I could think of). You would think that with him being as small as he is that defenders would be able to get him down with ease, but that’s not the case. He uses his low center of gravity to his advantage and when he gets close to the ground he simply springs himself back up by using the turf. It’s a great idea if you ask me! Anyway, Rice finished Sunday’s game with 10 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns and 10 catches for 117 yards. Can you say all-purpose back? This guy is amazing and Willis McGahee’s days as the starting running back may be numbered.

The “Oh, S***” Moment(s)

The Vikings’ first two offensive possessions, which consisted of consecutive scoring drives that only took 13 plays and six minutes and 56 seconds to complete. Talk about starting quick. Before the Ravens could get off the plane and put their pads on, it was 14-0. This was not the way they wanted to start the game, especially on the road against a 5-0 team that has Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and a stifling defense. But the Ravens’ defense responded nicely and they stole some points as well as some momentum just before halftime. And we all know what happened after that.

The “Give the Guy a Break” Award

I’m so tired of hearing how everyone wishes the Ravens would’ve kept Matt Stover. The Baltimore Sun had the nerve to highlight the fact that they bet the Ravens are kicking themselves for releasing Stover in the offseason. Did everyone forget that Stover missed eight of 21 attempts from 40-49 yards over the past two seasons? The Ravens didn’t just release him for any reason. He simply didn’t have enough leg to kick long field goals anymore and he could barely get the ball inside the 15 on kickoffs. So, everyone needs to stop living in the past and bashing Steven Hauschka for missing a 44-yard field goal. Granted, he is an NFL kicker, but he is young and hasn’t experienced these pressure-type situations yet. Now if he continues to miss kicks like that, then the Ravens have a decision to make. But stop wishing for Stover back because he wasn’t cutting it anymore. We’ll see how much the Colts like him when they need a 50-yarder to advance in the playoffs.

Now that I got my rant out of the way, I’ll look ahead to Week 8 when the undefeated Broncos come to town. I don’t know how the Broncos keep winning, but they do. Josh McDaniels has his team playing top-notch football right now and his players are completely buying into what he is preaching. Maybe it’s the rolled up hoodie sleeves with the long-sleeve undershirt. Whatever it is, the Broncos defense is playing lights out and Kyle Orton isnt making mistakes. Forcing Orton into making those mistakes will be crucial if the Ravens are going to win the game. Both teams will be coming off their bye week when they face each other, but both are on completely different ends of the spectrum. The Broncos are riding a six-game winning streak and the Ravens are on a three-game losing skid. This one ought to be fun.

The POG

Mr. Ball-hawk himself, Ed Reed. It just seems like he always knows exactly when and where the opposing quarterback is going to throw the ball, and he gets there just in the nick of time. I’ve never seen any defensive player have such a nose for the end zone like Reed does. It seems like whenever he picks a ball off he’s either running it in for a touchdown or at least pitching it back to one of his teammates so they can run it in. In Sunday’s game, he picked off Carson Palmer in the second quarter and took it to the house and he also punched the ball out of Ochocinco’s arm just before halftime to stop a promising Bengals drive. It’s too bad the Ravens couldn’t reward Reed’s effort with a win, but I’m sure they will have plenty of chances to redeem themselves as the season goes on.

The “Oh, S***” Moment

Just when you thought it couldn’t happen to the Ravens, it did. Another last second touchdown toss from Palmer silenced the roaring M&T Bank Stadium crowd and left them in a state of utter shock and disbelief. It was almost the exact same play the Bengals ran on the Steelers with they beat them with just seconds left a couple weeks ago. The ball was on a rope and just missed the outstretched hands of Ray Lewis and floated right into the arms of Andre Caldwell. The Ravens had more than enough chances to stop the Bengals on the last drive, but a couple of ill-advised penalties and a shifty Palmer prevented them from earning the win.

The Party Pooper

This award goes to a guy who crashed the Ravens 40-game, no 100-yard rusher party, Cedric Benson. Of all the great running backs the Ravens have faced over the last two-plus seasons, Benson didn’t seem like the probable candidate to break the streak. But to his credit, Benson has looked good since being signed by the Bengals and currently leads the league in rushing with 487 yards. Benson finished the game with 27 rushes for 120 yards including a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put him over the 100-yard mark and gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead. Last week is history, but the Ravens may have to wait until after their bye week to start another streak because they face the league’s second-leading rusher, Adrian Peterson, in Week 6. We wish you the best of luck, defense.

Speaking of next week, the Ravens will face another stiff defense in the Vikings and will most likely need to win this game either with their defense or through the air with Flacco. The Vikings run defense, much like the Ravens, is one of the best in the league especially with Pat and Kevin Williams plugging up the middle. So, it looks like the pressure will once again be on Flacco to withstand the Vikings defense and the hostile crowd and pull out a victory against an undefeated team with a Hall of Fame quarterback. Show us what you’re made of, Joe.

The POG

Ray Rice gets the nod this week after rushing for 103 yards on only 11 attempts and catching five passes for 49 yards. It seemed like whenever the Ravens needed a big play, Rice was the man they called on. He had a huge 50-yard run at the end of the third quarter that set up a touchdown pass to Willis McGahee and brought the Ravens within three points. Due to his effort, Rice saw much more time than McGahee this week, which is something I think Ravens fans have been waiting to see. From a durability standpoint, I think Rice is one of those guys who will be better as a secondary back than a feature back. Sure, he’s got the skills and the awareness to be an explosive runner, but let’s see how he does when he’s carrying the ball 20-25 times a game. He got the job done this week, though, and is very much deserving of this award.

The “We Could Actually Win This Game” Moment

When Terrell Suggs blew by Matt Light and whacked Brady’s arm causing a fumble that was recovered by Dwan Edwards in the end zone for a Ravens touchdown. At that point in the game, the Ravens were down 17-7 with just over six minutes to go in the third quarter and were badly in need of a big play and Suggs delivered. What was even bigger than the play itself was that it kept Brady from turning in one of his long, time-consuming drives that he is so famous for and keeping the Ravens offense off the field. Instead, the Ravens answered every Patriots score with one of their own and were in line to do so again at the end of regulation until…

The “There Just Went Our Chance to Win the Game” Moment

It was a perfect play call and a perfect pass, but unfortunately for the Ravens it had an imperfect result. The tight spiral released from Flacco’s hand was placed right where it was supposed to be, it just ended up where it wasn’t supposed to be, on the turf. The seemingly easy pitch and catch was anything but that and the ball bounced off Mark Clayton’s chest, ending any hopes of tying the game and heading into overtime. I think that more than anything else, it was just a mental mistake on Clayton’s part. He had three big catches on the final drive, but simply took his eyes off the ball on the last pass. There was plenty the Ravens could’ve done up to that point to win the game, but all anyone ever remembers is the last play.

The most frustrating thing about last Sunday’s game was that the Ravens seemed to do everything right, but couldn’t come away with the victory. Maybe it was the horrible officiating, maybe it was the inability to keep pressure off Flacco, maybe it was the mental mistakes at crucial junctures in the game, or maybe it was the fact that the Patriots are just that good. If nothing else, the Ravens should be happy with the fact that they took one of the best teams in the league down to the wire, a team they could very well see again in January.

Submitted by Steve Giles

The POG

Mr. Ray Lewis takes home the POG award this week. Coming into this season, there were people out there who said that Lewis isn’t the player he once was and that he has lost a step. Yes, he is getting older but his instincts have not waivered one bit. He stills knows where to be on every play and can sense when and where a play is going to develop and he reacts accordingly. In Sunday’s game, Lewis had 12 tackles, forced a fumble and caused Rivers to throw an interception at a key point in the game. But, as he has done so many times before, he saved his best for last. On 4th and game (yes, that’s supposed to say game), Lewis busted through the middle and pummeled Darren Sproles in the backfield to seal the victory. The best thing about this play, though, is how natural it looked. Lewis was born to do this and when it’s all said and done he’ll be one of the greatest middle linebackers ever, if not the greatest.

The “Oh, S***” Moment

If the Ravens had to worry about anything coming into this game it was trying to contain the speed of Sproles. Well, they didn’t get off to a very good start. Just over two minutes into to the game, Sproles took a screen pass from Rivers and scurried his way through a pack of Ravens defenders and into the end zone. At that point, I’m sure there were plenty of Raven’s fans out there scratching their heads and asking themselves, “How in the hell are we going to stop this guy?” The bad news was that they couldn’t find a way to stop him, as he finished with seven catches for 124 yards. The good news was that they didn’t have to stop him because both sides of the ball played well enough to escape with the victory and a 2-0 start.

The “Man, I’m Glad That Happened” Moment

Ray-Ray making the big stop to seal the deal. Enough said.

“Let’s Work on That For Next Week…”

The poor play of the secondary. I know the Chargers receivers were about two feet taller than the entire secondary, but it just seemed like they didn’t show up this week. The front seven bailed out the secondary out in the red zone, though, only allowing the Chargers to kick four short field goals while keeping constant pressure on Rivers. Luckily for the Ravens, the Chargers were without their red zone go-to-guy LaDainian Tomlinson, who was out with an ankle injury. The secondary may be able to rest a little easier next week with Cleveland’s porous offense coming into town, but they better fix their mistakes before they see Tom Brady and Peyton Manning later this season.

There was another tidbit of information I wanted to present but couldn’t figure out a clever enough award name for it, so I’ll just put it here in this paragraph. If there were any questions about Flacco suffering through a sophomore jinx, he has answered them with his play thus far this season. He has been as calm and collected in pressure situations as I’ve ever seen out of a Ravens quarterback. He doesn’t get nervous and he doesn’t make the crucial mistakes that most young quarterbacks in his position make. Get excited Ravens’ fans because this is the franchise quarterback you’ve been waiting a long time to see and he’s here to stay.

Week 1 Award Winners

The POG (aka the Player of the Game, for the acronymically challenged)

This award goes to none other than Joe “Cool” Flacco. Not only did Flacco go 26-for-43 for 307 yards and three touchdowns, but he also came up big when the game was on the line. He connected with Mark Clayton on a 31-yard strike to seal the deal and finally put the Chiefs were they should’ve been the whole game, on the wrong end of a Ravens beat down. It may seem strange that Flacco threw the ball 43 times considering the Ravens’ usual run-first philosophy, but it didn’t seem to bother him one bit. What it did do was prove to John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron that he doesn’t mind putting the team on his back and making the big plays when it matter most, which is a very good sign for Ravens fans. He did make one mistake on the interception by Derrick Johnson, but he bounced back nicely to get the Ravens off to a fast 1-0 start.

The “Oh, S***” Moment(s)

Yes, there are two and I’m sure we all know what they are. First up is the blocked punt that resulted in a Chiefs touchdown. This simply cannot happen, especially that deep in your own territory. The Ravens are usually solid when it comes to special teams and should be even better with Coach Harbaugh, who is supposed to be a guru when it comes to that part of the game. I know it’s just one play, but it gave life to a Chiefs team that was struggling to find any rhythm at all up to that point. The other moment that made us squirm in our seats was when Johnson turned a Flacco mistake into a 1st-and-goal from the 6-yard line, which ended with a Croyle to Bowe touchdown pass. Granted, it is the first game of the season and you expect teams to make some mistakes. The Ravens, however, made two costly mistakes that resulted in touchdowns and are lucky they were playing the Chiefs or else they would be 0-1 going into San Diego next week.

The “Man, I’m Glad That Happened” Moment

Flacco to Clayton, 31 yards, game over. Well, not quite but that score put the Ravens up 31-24 with just over two minutes to go, and we all know the defense would keep the Chiefs from inching any closer to a victory. A perfect throw from Flacco off his back foot made Raven’s fans rest a little easier after the Chiefs just wouldn’t seem to go away. Then Willis McGahee really sealed the deal with a 1-yard touchdown run with just 31 seconds to go after Jarret Johnson forced Croyle to fumble on the Chiefs’ last chance drive.

“Let’s Work on that for Next Week…”

Mental errors. If the Ravens keep the Chargers in the game with costly mistakes like they did with the Chiefs, the result may be a bit different than it was last week. The special teams unit needs to be more aware of rushers coming through on punts and the kickoff coverage needs to be almost perfect considering the Chargers have the small but speedy Darren Sproles to try and stop. He’s liable to break one for a touchdown at any moment, and I’m sure the Ravens are aware of that. Also, Flacco needs to be careful with the ball and not make ill-advised throws. The Chargers secondary was ranked almost last in the league in 2008 mostly because they had no pass rush. Well, Shawne Merriman is back and healthy so you better believe they will put Flacco under some pressure and force him to make quick decisions with the football.

I hope everyone liked this week’s winners. And for those of you who didn’t, you’ll just have to wait until next week to see if I do any better!

Submitted by Steve Giles