Author Archives: maddog3

10.17.13
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With playmaking WRs on the trading block, should the Ravens make a move?

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Josh Gordon and Hakeem Nicks are both apparently being shopped. I would assume it would take at least a 2nd rounder to get Gordon, and possibly a 1st rounder for Nicks, who is  on his contract year. Is now the time for the Ravens to pull the trigger and make the biggest in season move this year in the NFL?

After the Browns shipped Trent Richardson to the Colts for a 1st rounder, he has yet to produce a quality week. Is is to late for the addition of Gordon or Nicks to make an impact for the Ravens? I think if a deal is not in place by the end of this week then it would be too late. Week 8 is next week, and assuming the player were to come in and learn the playbook and work with Flacco for 2 weeks, they would be ready for week 9. It’s now or never for the Ravens.

The ideal situation for Ravens fans would be to add Josh Gordon for a 2nd rounder to start opposite Torrey Smith. Smith provides the 1 on 1 deep threat that can go up and get the ball while Torrey Smith is the speedster who can run across the middle and pick up yards after the catch, but is also a vertical threat in the slot. I can picture the Ravens running an I formation with Gordon at X and Smith in the slot to one side with Dickson at TE and Rice and Leach in the backfield. With 2 dynamic WRs, opposing defenses will need to keep a safety or 2 back to prevent the long ball. Why do you think teams like Green Bay and Indianpolis are able to rack up rushing yards? Not because of superoir running game but because of the defenses they see. With the struggling o-line, having one more defender out of the box could really help the Ravens improve the run game.

I don’t think Nicks is a move they will make. He will be looking for Mike Wallace(5 Yr. 60 Mil) numbers, which the Ravens cannot afford. Josh Gordon on the other hand makes a little over 1 million a year and is locked in until 2016. The issue with Gordon is his previous off field issues, which may be risky to give up such a high pick on a trade that could not pan out.

While I would like to see Gordon in Ravens black and purple on Sundays, all the pieces don’t seem to be coming together to make this deal happen. NFL teams are made in the preseason, not with mid season deals that tend to throw off team chemistry.

10.15.13
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Cal Ripken Jr. next manager for Nationals?

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/

If the Washington Nationals, or any other major league franchise, are interested in having Cal Ripken Jr. as their manager, the impetus is going to have to come from the team, the former Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer indicated over the weekend.

“I’m not lobbying for any managing job,” Ripken said, in an interview that left unanswered the question of whether he wants to manage in 2014, or is merely intrigued by the possibility.

Cal Ripken Jr. is thinking of coming back to the bigs as a manager? I understand this, but with the Nationals? Cal Ripken was and still is the face of the Orioles. I understand Buck will most likely stick around for at least a few more years, but pairing Ripken and Machado would sell standing room tickets on a daily basis and make the atmosphere at Camden Yards electric(in regular season baseball terms).

With Davey Johnson retiring, the Nationals should have their pick of a new manager as they likely will be the most talented team hunting for a coach this off season. Ripken has a gig with TBS and is probably pulling in some solid cash so I hope he sits on that for a few years. If things go sour with Buck, Ripken would be the perfect replacement to take the O’s to the Series. “Iron Man” needs to realize that if does take the manager job with the Nationals, most O’s fans would see this as straight disrespect. Cal Ripken is everything Baltimore. Coaching for a team under 40 miles away or anyone in the AL East would be a dagger to O’s fans.

From the sound of his statements in the article, it sounds like he isn’t ready to make a decision anytime soon. I think O’s fans can take a deep breath. Cal knows deep down that Baltimore has been, and will be the place for him, and when the time is ready, he will be there take over and lead the O’s to promised land.

Editors Note: If you think Cal isn’t salivating waiting to take this job for the Nationals you are absolutely out of your mind. This is the guy who beat up Kevin Costner during a mysterious ‘power outage’ at Camden Yards during the streak. Pride central.  – Sack

10.13.13
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Ravens vs. Packers Reaction

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Defense was worked up and down the field all game. 140 Rush yards 315 Passing yards. Luckily the Packers had trouble finding the end zone, or this would have been a blow out. 2-14 on third down and 22 carries for 47 yards is embarrassing. These are not the worst things that happened somehow. Flacco getting sacked and fumbling from the Raven’s 34 yard line with 10 seconds left in the half that led to 3 points moments after a missed Green Bay FG was terrible.

Other than on 3rd down, Flacco looked impressive, throwing for 342, 2 TD, and 0 INT. He completed passes of 63, 59, 41, and 31, which is a good sign that the Ravens will be able to stretch the field this season.

Not controlling the line of scrimage really hurt the Ravens in this game, and have all year.  Next week should be a hard hitting AFC North showdown at Pittsburgh.

Hey, at least the division is still wide open, though. Unfortunately the Steelers have momentum after their  (FIRST) win this week, but that’s OK. Time to drop the hammer.

10.12.13
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NFL Picks + Locks

Gamble1

Cincinnati(-6) at Buffalo – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Buffalo, Running game and defense keep them in the game

Detroit(-2.5) at Cleveland – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Detroit, Weeden is bothered all day by Lion’s front 4

Oakland at Kansas City(-9) – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Kansas City, Raiders O shutdown. Jamaal Charles runs wild.

Carolina at Minnesota(-2) – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00

Pick: Vikings, in the wake of tragedy, AP and the Vikes win this for his son.

Pittsburgh(0) at NY Jets(0) – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Jets, always take the home team on no spread. Gino does enough to win.

Philadelphia(-2.5) at Tampa Bay – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Eagles, Tampa Bay offense is too pathetic. Nick Foles gets the job done

Green Bay(-2.5) at Baltimore – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: Packers, see previous blog. Rodgers airs it out.

St. Louis at Houston(-8) – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Pick: St. Louis, Houston wins this but Rams stick around and cover.

Jacksonville at Denver(-26) – Sun, Oct 13, 4:05 PM

Pick: Denver, Jacksonville is already preparing for the 2014 Draft.

Tennessee at Seattle(-13) – Sun, Oct 13, 4:05 PM

Pick: Seattle, I don’t like this spread at all. With no TEN running game, Seattle should cover.

New Orleans at New England(-1.5) – Sun, Oct 13, 4:25 PM

Pick: New Orleans, Another game I would stay away from, Breese to Graham/Sproles has been unstoppable.

Arizona at San Francisco(-10.5) – Sun, Oct 13, 4:25 PM

Pick: Arizona, San Fran has been exposed on O and D, even if Willis is back. 

Washington at Dallas(-5) – Sun, Oct 13, 8:30 PM

Pick: Dallas, Romo is on.

Indianapolis at San Diego(-1.5) – Mon, Oct 14, 8:30 PM

Pick: Indianapolis, Luck keeps his hot streak up on Monday Night.

Locks:

Washington at Dallas(-5) – Sun, Oct 13, 8:30 PM

Oakland at Kansas City(-9) – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

Philadelphia(-2.5) at Tampa Bay – Sun, Oct 13, 1:00 PM

10.12.13
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Ravens vs. Packers Preview

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No Clay Matthews. Packer’s defense has been weak against the pass. Is this Joe Flacco’s coming out party? Possibly. While the Packer’s have struggled against the pass, they have the 5th best rushing defense allowing only 86 yards per game. They have also played running teams San Fran and Washington, which is not a good sign for the Ravens. The key to a Ravens win will be  them establishing the run game and allowing Flacco to throw comportable intermediate passes while moving the chains and keeping Rodgers off the field.

Offensively, the Ravens need to use the absence of Clay Matthews to their advantage. Instead of chipping and doubling him, they can now focus on blocking the front 3, especially BJ Raji on passing and run plays. No Clay Matthews will force Raji and AJ Hawk to cover more ground and be much stricter on their generally looser play. The Offensive line needs to put together a good game and block the 3-4 with more confidence knowing they won’t have Matthews playing the cut back and causing havoc on runs to his side. If they can establish the run, expect the intermediate routes to open as the 4 linebackers will have to cheat towards the line of scrimmage. This could mean a big day for Ed Dickson/Dallas Clark across the middle at tight end or slot receivers Brandon Stokley/Marlon Brown. The check down to Ray Rice/Pierce will likely be monitored closely.  The Packers secondary has been challenged only by AJ Green this year, who they frequently doubled up on. Mega Tron sat out last week in their Win vs Detriot, and now is time for Torrey Smith to prove he is an elite WR. The Packer’s secondary is very good, especially corners Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, but I see them playing a lot of man to man on the outsides, which should allow Torrey Smith and his speed to get open on underneath and crossing routes. The play action should get him a few looks down the field as well.

Defensively, the front 5 will need to put pressure on Rodgers. The secondary has been improving every week, but after Peyton Manning in week 1, they have seen Weeden, Schaub, Manuel, and Tannehill, no one even close to being a top 10 QB. Even with a banged up offensive line, Rodgers will produce because of the talent on the outside.  Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, and Jermichael Finley are all capable of spreading the field and racking up yards after the catch. They have also been able to rush the ball, 141 yards per game which ranks them 5th. They enter week 6 having the 4th best passing and 5th best rushing offenses in the league. With most defenses playing 7 in the box against the Packers 3WR 1 TE look, running backs James Starks, Eddy Lacy, and Jonathan Franklin have all put together solid rushing games. Starks is out, so the bruiser Eddy Lacy will see most of the snaps. The front 7 should be able to hold the run off, but I see the Ravens playing more of a 4-3 or 4-2 defense for most the game to help with the pass. The linebackers will have a hard time keeping up the the Green Bay receivers, so there will be a lot of pressure on nickel and dime corners Jimmy Smith and Chykie Brown. The safeties will need to be on top of their game, and I suspect Rodgers already has picked targets to go after. My guess is the Strong Safties Matt Ihedigbo and rookie Matt Elam.  Also the slot corners will have to deal with Randall Cobb running through the middle of the field. This is not a favorable matchup for the Ravens here.

Being at home is a huge advantage for the Ravens and the crowd noise should help slow down Rodgers and the crew. Defense is the key, and pressure from Suggs and Dumervile should make this a game. Flacco needs to put together a solid mix of run and intermediate passes to move the chains and keep Rodgers off the field.

I see this being a close one 27- 23 Packers in a nail bitter after Flacco can’t complete a 4th down pass in GB territory.

10.09.13
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Orioles Season Review

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85-77,  4th in AL East, 6.5 off Wildcard

46-35 Home, 39-42 Away

The Orioles put together the perfect example of a “rollercoaster season” this year. After a decent first half, the Orioles became a very inconsistent team, having no balance with their offense and pitching. The early hot bats cooled off towards the end of the season and the poor pitching all season finally cost the team to miss out on the play offs following a tight AL East race.

You can look at stats all you want, but Chris Davis (286. 53HR 138RBI) was the only player to consistently play both offense and defense all year. Adam Jones(.285, 33HR 108RBI),  Manny Machado(.283, 51 2B, 71 RBI), and J.J Hardy (.263, 25 HR 76 RBI) were All-Stars after strong starts to the season, but did not play as well in the second half. Jones and Wieters were notorious all year for late RBIs and HRs with the team down 5+ runs. Machado hit a very cold streak in November and September both offensively and defensively that cost the team. Hardy was never in full rhythm with the offense and seemed a little uncomfortable batting late in the lineup. Corner outfielders Nick Markakis and Nate McLouth were also very inconsistent at the plate, especially late in season.

The biggest issues with the Orioles were their lack of a power hitting DH and inconsistency at second base. The Orioles production from the DH spot was one of the leagues worst. Using a combination of Nolan Reimold, Danny Valencia, Steve Pearce, and Brian Roberts was a disaster for the O’s. After struggling all season,  Michael Morse was brought in from Seattle, clearly something Buck Showalter did not agree with, and got not production out of him.

After Brian Roberts went down with an injury, the Oriole’s used a platoon of Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla. This was a major downgrade from a healthy Roberts, and left the 9 hole one of the weakest in the AL. I do like Flaherty as a back up utility player, as he did show some promise and a little power towards the end of the year, but he needs more time to develop into an everyday starter.

The pitching staff struggled all year and was easily the main reason the O’s missed out on the playoffs.  Starters Chris Tillman (16-7 3.71 ERA), Miguel Gonzalez (11-8 3.78 ERA), Wei-Yin Chen (7-7 4.07 ERA), Scott Feldman (5-6 4.27 ERA), Bud Norris (4-3 4.80 ERA), Jason Hamel (7-8 4.97 ERA) the 8 other pitchers(“Sweaty” Freddy Garcia) to start for the O’s did not have their best stuff this year. While Hamel won 16 games, it is evident that he was not a true #1 pitcher, and that there is no Ace for the Orioles. Adding Feldmen and Norris were good moves that did not pan out. The Orioles need to go shopping in the off-season for a #1 to solidify this staff. There were obvious locker room issues with players like Francisco Rodriguez, Jair Jurrjens, Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop, Luiz Ayala, ect. that also held back the O’s.

The bullpen, which looked strong to start the season faced problems following Jim Johnson’s melt down. Tommy Hunter and Darren O’Day pitched decent but there was always a sense of worry whenever a new reliever was brought on. K-Rod and T.J McFarland struggled at the end of the season. Brian Matusz and Troy Patton never looked comfortable on the mound despite being matchup pitchers. On a positive note, the pen finished in the middle of the MLB in terms of stats and in my opinion, can only get better after giving Tommy Hunter, Matusz, and O’Day more experience.

Looking at next season, the Orioles need to make some Free Agent additions. Jason Hamel and Scott Feldman are free agents and I suspect they will land else where. Brian Roberts Michael Morse, and Nate McLouth are free agents  I also expect to not sign in Baltimore. The Orioles will need 2B, LF,  DH and SP. Possible SP additions: Matt Garza, AJ Burnett, Josh Johnson, Tim Linceum, Ubaldo Jimiez, Ricky Nolasco, Bartolo Colon, Bronson Arroyo, Ervin Santana, Dan Haren. The question is are the Oriole’s willing to pay 10 Mil for a pitcher? I would hope so, and looking at this list, Ervin Santana could be a perfect fit for the O’s, despite loosing a draft pick.  If the Orioles are looking to make a splash, why not 2 and bring in Nolasco or Garza? At second base, Omar Infante is the #1 guy, but may cost too much. Kelly Johnson,  Juan Uribe, Michael Young, Skip Schumaker, and a few others could be options. I just don’t see Brian Roberts returning. OF/DH will be interesting. Will the Oriole’s spend? Players like Todd Helton, Paul Konerko, Kevin Youkillis, Eric Hinske, Lyle Overbay and James Loney will be available for DH. All have proven power.  Carlos Beltran and Marlon Byrd will be a free agent for both spots but will likely cost too much. Rajai Davis could be a good replacement for McLouth, while players like Corey Hart and Tony Gwynn Jr. could be had for a lesser price than Beltran.

Going forward, I see the Orioles rotation looking something like this : Hammel, Gonzalez, Chen, Norris, and Gausman after the Orioles fail to sign a top SP. I like the young Orioles pitchers in Gausman, Bundy, and Britton, but having Gausman start out in the minors would be the best for the rotation. The lineup will change, with the addition of  LF, 2B, and DH. My guess would be Rajai Davis/LF will lead off, with Markakis, Machado, Davis, Jones, Hardy, DH, Wieters, 2B. the DH will likely be a righty as Buck loves setting his line up L/R/L/R. The bullpen will likely add 1 or 2 guys for depth but not much should change.

If the Orioles want to spend this year, they can add 1 or 2(more likely 1) quality pitchers for 10 Mil a piece, Omar Infante, Rajai Davis, and their choice of a righty DH. While this most likely will not happen, this team could be very dangerous. Regardless of the free agent additions, there are enough pieces on offense to make the Orioles a contender again. A healthy Chen and Gonzalez should produce better from last year, and Tilman should have confidence after a 16 Win season. Machado will be healthy and hopefully back in his top form.

While the AL East will be just as tough next season as it was this season, I see the Orioles playing as a contender for the wild card in September next season. With a strong FA class for their needs, the Orioles could piece themselves together an October baseball team.