John Harbaugh 'We're looking at this game as make or break.'
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) October 28, 2013
Do or die. Now or never. Make or break.
That’s what Sunday is for the Ravens according to head coach John Harbaugh. And he may be right.
At 3-4, the defending Super Bowl champs find themselves two games back in the loss column to the Cincinnati Bengals and game ahead of the surprising Cleveland Browns. If the Ravens were to lose in Cleveland on Sunday, they would fall to third place with two division losses and three games remaining against their AFC North foes.
Sunday is about separating from Cleveland and starting to chip away at Cincinnati. Freaking Ohio, man.
The Bengals play in Miami on Thursday night and if watching those horrible NFL Network games has taught us anything it’s that upsets can most definitely in the middle of the week. Marvin Lewis‘ club still has games scheduled in Baltimore, San Diego and Pittsburgh and concludes their season at home against the Ravens.
Personally, week nine will show me if the Ravens will get anything from running back Ray Rice this season. I know that the Browns defense is improved this season (they’re allowing 103.6 rushing yards per game this season), but this is a team the Ravens have traditionally run all over. In ten career games against Cleveland, Rice has averaged 4.96 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns (more than against any other opponent).
Rice claims he’s healthy and the bye week should have only helped in his recovery from a hip injury. If we see more of the same from the Ravens $40 million man this week, I don’t see him ever turning things around this season.
$40 million for a back in his fifth season. SMH
This deal reeks of Steve Bisciotti being loyal to a good guy who he felt was owed something.
Ozzie knows the business of the NFL. Priest Holmes- Jemal Lewis, Jemal Lewis- Willis McGahee, Ozzie always knew when you had to have fresh legs, even though Holmes went on to have some great seasons when he left.
A smallish RB with many years, and more important, many salary cap hits, still left was not a shrewd football move, especially with so many high priced players already on the roster.