11.19.13
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Ravens at Bears reaction

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The Ravens were finally able to move the ball on the ground, but struggled mightily in the passing game. With the running game success  one would have thought Flacco would have been calm and collected in the pocket, but it was the complete opposite. He missed WRs, threw a pair of INTs(led to 3 points), was sacked 3 times, and looked uncomfortable all game. The Ravens OLine probably had their best game of the year(not saying much), and it looks like the addition of Eugene Monroe may end up being a good move. They are starting to play as a unit. Ray Rice looks like he found that burst he has been missing all season. Could be good moving forward.

The defense was strong all game. Forte is a tough player to stop, and he was able to move the chains all game with his 125 yards of total offense. The secondary kept Brandon Marshall in check, but did allow Jeffery 80+ yards. It really is pick your poison with those two. Overall, the secondary played well. The front 7 gave up 100, but seemed to play stronger as the game progressed. The defense played well with all the talents on the Bears offense. This game came down to terrible play from Flacco.

Torrey Smith posted weak yardage again with 32 yards on 5 catches(8 targets). He did score a big TD to take the lead in the second quarter. He needs more touches, and should be in double digit targets with the amount of passing the Ravens usually do. Jacoby Jones continues to be a no factor. The TEs have not been playing well and need to step up as 3rd down targets to move the chains. The offense needs to find some sort of rhythm(and need to improve their 1-5 road record). 

Next week is a huge game at M&T Bank vs the Jets. This is a must win, especially with the Bengals playing the Chargers after their week 12 bye week. 

11.16.13
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Ravens at Bears Preview

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Is this the week the Ravens are finally able establish some sort of run game? The Bears are allowing over 129.4 rush yards per game, which is 31st in the league. The Ravens need to run the ball on early downs and use play action to stretch the field. Bernard Pierce needs to see more carries. Not knocking Ray Rice, but Pierce has been more effective. The Bears defense is banged up, playing without Peanut Tillman, Jay Ratliff, and Lance Briggs. Flacco and company should be able to move the chains all game(SHOULD).

The Bears offense will be a tough matchup for the improved Raven’s defense. They are 8th in passing yards (261.7) and 16th (111) in rushing. Playmakers Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and TE Martellus Bennett will be a handful for the secondary and linebackers. Luckily, Jay Cutler is not playing, although Josh McCown has been decent in his reserve duties. Limiting Forte will be huge. They will go to him early and often. Shutting down Forte will allow the Ravens to keep the safeties back in passing situations, which will be help the corners with the 6’4 Marshall and 6’3 Jeffery. The pass rush should pressure McCown all game. Dumervile and Suggs should have no problem against  the Bears offensive tackles. The secondary, especially the corners, will need to play like they did last week. 

Prediction: 27-20 Ravens. Rice and Pierce combine for 120 and 1 TD. Dumervile and Suggs each get at least 1 sack. Secondary holds McCown to under 250. Forte held under 100.

11.13.13
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Orioles Intrigued by Hudson? Sure! Why not?

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(MLB Trade Rumors) “The Orioles are intrigued by free agent starter Tim Hudson and have discussed him internally, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The 38-year-old righty fits the Orioles’ profile, and the O’s have Braves connections in recent hires Dave Wallace and Dom Chiti.”

This.. this is what dreams are made of. I would love to know what “the Orioles’ profile” is. I love this time of year– football season, NCAA Basketball has begun, and the MLB Hot Stove is just warming up.

Bottom line, our pitching stunk more than the poop plant in Essex last year. I love this team, but tough decisions must be made in order for us to move forward with the strong foundations we have in place in Davis, Machado, Bundy, Schoop, etc. Will a 38-year old Hudson, recovering from a severe ankle injury, be the missing piece to the puzzle? No. Probably not. But it’s a veteran presence in the clubhouse with enough dominant pitching experience to go around. I don’t just like it, I love it. Bring Huddy to Baltimore.

11.12.13
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Ravens vs Bengals reaction

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189 total yards of offense and the Ravens somehow beat the 6-3 Cincinnati Bengals 20-17. This game was painful to watch from an offensive standpoint. Neither team could get it going. Defensively, this was an impressive showing from both teams. 533 total yards of offensive, 6 turnovers, and 10 sacks combined. Other than a few miscues, the Ravens defense was dominant.

The Ravens offense is in serious trouble. The running game is pathetic and Joe Flacco continues to struggle. With the O-line in shambles, the Ravens need a new strategy. They need to  go with the Running Back who is more successful. Bernard Pierce was churning out 3-4 yard gains on his 8 carries, yet in the 4th quarter, Ray Rice(18 car, 30 yards) was getting a majority of the snaps. If Ray Rice isn’t getting 3-4 yards a pop, they need to sub Pierce in. If Pierce cools down, they need to go back to Rice. Every game it seems like one of the backs can barely get across the line of scrimmage while the other averages 3 to 4 yards a pop. Jim Caldwell needs to use more of a 1A 1B back system instead of Rice being the clear starter.

Defensively, the front 7 pressured Dalton all game. This led to 3 costly interception. James Ihedigbo capitalized off 2 pressured throws that he returned for 46 yards. The secondary played very well. Ladarius Webb, who had been picked on the previous few games, played the best game of his Ravens career. His interception was a great jump on a curl route by Marvin Jones. He was playing at 100% speed for the first time all season. Other than the Hail Mary, Webb really kept AJ Green in check. Elam and Ihedigbo finally played a full 4 quarters. The Bengals were able to move the ball on the ground, but the Linebackers and D-line were able to maintain with a 17 point lead. Terrelle Suggs and Elvis Dumervile were absolute beasts all game.

The hail mary play could have ruined the Ravens season. Ihedigbo was too tight on the pile and that quick deflection really took an unlucky hop off his hand. His reaction was what any safety would have done, so pointing a finger at Ihedigbo is wrong.

In overtime, Marvin Lewis should have never allowed the Bengals to go for it on 4th down. A punt there could have easily pined the Ravens inside the 10 yard line. The Ravens offense had been terrible all night, and after a 3 and out, the Bengals could have moved the sticks 2 or 3 times and kicked a field goal to win the game. Terrible coaching by the Bengals.

Bad news of the game: Haloti Ngata sprained his knee. This could be a huge loss in the run game. Hopefully he is good to go next week vs Matt Forte and the Bears offense.

11.12.13
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Report: Ed Reed to be Released by the Texans. Come on home!

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(ESPN) The Houston Texans are releasing safety Ed Reed on Tuesday, a source confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Here’s the thing, I love Ed Reed. He was a stalwart of the Baltimore defense that straight intimidated offenses for years. Coaches had to gameplan around him because he’s such a ballhawk. Top 5 Safeties, all time…

But he’s 35. He’s taken and delivered so many hits on the field, his joints are held together by dental floss. The right thing to do, Ed.. is to come home. We’ll take you with open arms. Let’s give you the Marino Rivera treatment. XRays and MRI’s from every team as mementos. It’s the honorable thing to do.  I also don’t think he ever truly wanted to leave Baltimore. He gets to the Texans, Schaub is donezo. Foster is gone. Kubiak stroked out of pure disgust. Come on, Ed. We REEEEEED you.

PS: No doubt in my mind Ed becomes a secondary coach/ defensive consultant with the Ravens <2 years. Book it.

11.11.13
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Justin Tucker hits game winning FG in OT; celebrates with cousin Terio ‘ohh kill um’ dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaSBztkY-DQ

Justin Tucker hits a game winning field goal in overtime and his first thought is to do the Cousin Terio- Ohh Kill Um dance? I love Cousin Terio and everything he’s about, but as a NFL Kicker, I think a simple jump and fist pump would have been sufficient.

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Cousin Terio’s body defies physics.

11.11.13
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Ray Lewis and Urlacher in the New Xbox One Spot

Via YouTube Xbox One: Retirement Home

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Ray Lewis is a savage. Plain and simple. The man could still go out there and destroy opposing offenses and stuff the run. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually did this.. he’s one of the most intense people on this side of the earth.

PS: Do you think Urlacher likes being relegated to second fiddle here? Has to hate it, right?

11.08.13
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Ravens vs. Bengals Preview

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It may be a little too early to say this, but this game could be a must win for the Ravens. The Birds are back at M&T Bank, where they have been pretty good this year. The only problem is that the Bengals are in town. The Bengals are the favorite to win this(for obvious reason), but I expect this to be a tough battle between AFC North foes.

You can read my reaction to last weeks loss for the state of the Ravens. They need to play better in the secondary and the offensive line needs to start blocking. The front 7 have been playing well all year. The offensive skilled positions have not had holes or time to get open because of the lack of blocking. Joe Flacco needs to emerge as a leader and win this team some games, even with the struggling secondary.

The Bengals enter Sunday’s game 6-3, and fresh off an overtime loss to Miami last Thursday. They have had plenty of time to recover and prepare for this weeks game. They boast 7th best passing attack and 19th rushing. Two words: A.J Green. I would suspect the Ravens to double him and/or shadow him with a safety over top. Good luck to the Raven’s corner who gets that duty. The Bengals O-line has been pretty good this year in their pass and run blocking. Andy Dalton has been improving all year and has time and weapons. They feature a 2 back system with BenJarvis Green-Ellis and rookie playmaker Giovanni Bernard who has also been getting better week by week. Marvin Williams had a 4 TD game two weeks ago and Sanu is decent, but AJ Green is their only solid WR. TEs Gresham and rookie Tyler Eifert can stretch the field and block. They cause mismatches with LBs and Safeties. This is very good and balanced offense. The Ravens D needs to rely on pass rush, shutting down the run, and limiting big plays. The Bengals will pass for 300 yards, but AJ Green and Sanu need to be kept under check. They need to give up the underneath routes and play a bend but not break style defense. Let the D-Line pressure Dalton into a mistake or 2 that could change the game.

Defensively, the Bengals are one of the best in the league, 11th in passing and 10th in rushing. The loss of Geno Atkins is huge, but they have pretty good replacements for him. The Ravens will be unable to run against the front 7. Burfict, Maualuga, and James Harrison are all run stoppers at Linebacker. The D-Line includes run stopper Domata Peko, and edger rushers Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson. This is a scary front 7(without Atkins). Corners Adam Jones, Terence Newman, and nickel Dre Kirkpatrick are decent but nothing too special. Safeties Reggie Nelson and George Iloka have been very consistant this year. The Ravens need to isolate Torrey Smith on one of these corners. Throw him slants, curls, crossing routes, and screen early. Get the ball in his hands. After repeated short attempts, get him on a double move with max protection. Utilizing Smith will be essential for a win. Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce, and TEs Dickson and Clarke should be used in the passing game as well. Burfict is the only one who can cover, so getting Rice on Maualuga or Harrison should be easy checks for Flacco. Dickson and Clarke should be able to find holes in the middle of the field.  Flacco needs to make calls and audibles at the line depending on what the Bengals line up in.

Prediction: The Bengals are too good of a team to lose this game. 27-17 Bengals. Only way Ravens win is if their RBs go for 100 and 1+TD and Torrey Smith hits 100 and 1TD(must keep AJ Green under this as well).

11.08.13
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3 Orioles win Silver Slugger award

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(saw this picture plenty of times this year)

The Orioles continue to win headlines(and not games) in the post season with a few silver slugger awards. The Orioles had the most players from one team this year; Adam Jones(OF), JJ Hardy(SS), and Chris Davis(1B). Hardy(.263 25 HR 76 RBI) and Davis(.286 53 HR 138 RBI) were well deserving of this award. I know Joneys led all AL outfielders with 108 RBI, but I thought there would be someone more deserving. After further looking into it, Trout and Tori Hunter were the only 2 that should have won anything. Adam Jones is a great hitter, but his .318 OBP is pathetic. Jacoby Ellsbury is a great player, but I don’t think he deserved a silve slugger. Same with Alex Rios, he put up great stats, but was on a shitty team. He probably would have posted 100 RBIs on a real team. Hardy’s only competition was Jed Lawrie who had a higher batting average and same the amount of RBIs, but only 15 HR.

The only other teams with multiple players to win silver sluggers were  Detroit, Pittsburg, and St. Louis, all playoff teams. This is a clear evidence that the Os need to improve their pitching staff. They had the best hitter in the AL at 3/9 of their positions and were unable to reach the playoffs. None of the Os pitchers will even come close to an award. I still laugh at the fact that Chris Tillman was an All-Star. An average ERA and high wins thanks to the Os offense got him there.

Os need to keep the bats around and bring in some pitching. Need to challenge the Yanks, Rays, and Sox batters this year.

11.07.13
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Chris Davis amongst finalest for AL MVP

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Davis, Miggy, and Trout are up this AL MVP this year. I think it comes down to Miggy and Davis. Trout did post extremely impressive numbers with .323, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 33 SB, 109 R, 110 BB, and a .432 OBP. He’s also a great fielder, but his team was pathetic this year. As much as I would love to see Davis walk away with the MVP, Cabrera was easily the best player in baseball this year to me. His .348, 44 HR, 137 RBI, 103 R, .442 OBP, .636 SLG are pretty tough to beat. Davis Posted .286 53 HR, 138 RBI, 103 R, and .634 SLG. He led the league in HRs and RBIs but also struck out 199 times, 105 more times than Miggy. 

Baseball analysts have been placing a huge emphasis on WAR recently, and according to the scoring system, the top 5 are Trout(9.2), Josh Donaldson(8.0), Robby Cano(7.6), Miggy(7.2), and Machado/Pedrioa(6.5). Davis is getting shafted here because the AL 1st basemen are amazing, and also because he pretty much played first base every game this year. Kind of shocked by Donaldson, even though he was very good this year. I guess 3rd base was down this year. 

My guess would be 1.) Miggy, 2.) Davis 3.) Trout. I think Miggy is the definite 1 here with Trout and Davis being seperated by a few points for 2 and 3.

I would probably chose Trout to build my team around, mostly because he is a young and tough 5 tool playerplayer, but if I was to build my team around a player for one season, gotta go with Miggy. Hopefully I am wrong and Davis wins this. Would be a nice boost going into next season.