Dorota

Looks bad, but if Ravens can figure things out, there's still a way out of this mess. I just hope what Steve Smith does on the field is infectious. But Kraft talking about karma... that just makes me mad. I wish that football karma smites him like a ton of bricks. Seriously, is he saying Ravens starting badly is karma for telling on his team that they're cheating? Unreal!

Bengals might not be a must-win mathematically, but on a psychology level, they are. If Ravens lose three consecutive regular season games after they have lost three pre-season games, it doesn't bode well to how this sort of thing messes with players' psyche. I never lose faith, I know Ravens can fight for it, but it really is a must win.

Ifs and almosts don't count. What's more, it's painful and useless to dwell on them. I appreciate pointing out the finer points of the game, maybe something to look out for in the future, but the ifs and almosts don't help. Moving on. Bengals next! As long as the almosts turn into successes, we'll be fine.

One of the important qualities in a football player is to be able to forget the last play, last quarter, last game... If you messed up, don't dwell, there's the next snap ahead. Nothing but that one play. Don't think too far ahead... If you're in defense, you still want the mentality of not only 4-and-out, but that it's your ball! You want it. Go get it. Catch an interception. Force a fumble. Recover the ball. And on offense, remember who you are! You are Ravens. It doesn't matter that you're offense, you want to punish. Is there no gap? Whatever, just bruise the D and ram the player ahead... like what Crockett Gilmore showed with his TD, taking himself, the ball and whole of Raiders defense hanging off him into the end zone.

It must really stink to be a Raiders fan. I haven't seen anyone, anywhere say, "The Raiders played well. They have a good team this year. Congratulations." Instead, it's all, "The Ravens are falling apart. No way the Ravens should have lost. What's wrong with the Ravens?" So I'm saying it: Oakland--you played a good game on Sunday. Congrats.

It does suck to be a Raiders fan, no one takes them very seriously, although, no one can accuse them of being bandwaggoners However (and I did say so), Raiders played to earn the win. Derek Carr was on fire, he releases the ball real quick, adding to why he wasn't sacked and he has a pair of solid receivers that were clutch. Despite the fact that Ravens expected them to play without their starting safeties, it was rather difficult to connect with our receivers, because Raiders had good coverage. I don't think Ravens are falling apart. There were aspects of the game that were positive for us. Raiders simply outplayed us. They have drafted well the last two years and whoever's in charge has been making a change to the better.

I see no reason why we shouldn't beat Cinci. And Pittsburgh. Let's go Ravens!

Wait, what? A DB disagrees with a holding call? That's big news! No self-respecting, responsible DB would ever disagree with a holding call. I'm really glad they wrote an article describing Will Hill's completely unique attitude towards his holding penalty. Here's an idea, how about we write an article describing the gameplan that will help us NOT give up 350 yards and 3 TDs to a marginal QB...

What use would a gameplan be if it was published even before the game? That would completely defy the purpose of making a gameplan in the first place.

The players we have are not ready to step in for Suggs, none of them are a 3 down force like he is right now, so IMO no brainer he is on this team next year, unless we are going through a rebuilding process, which we don't do....JMO....Upshaw obviously can play the run, but he isn't going to come close to replacing Sugg's pass rushing ability, and teams aren't going to double team him, they are now going to focus on only having to worry about Doom....as of now....

There'll be Babin. If he can keep up to his pass-rushing reputation, then they'll have to account for him too and it will free up the other pass rusher. So either him or Doom will be getting through. No one to replace Suggs in how versatile and play-smart he is, but Babin is help.

Oh and don't go all tragic on Sizzle. He never said he wanted to leave, in fact we know he wants to retire a Raven. All he is saying is that he is determined to play, no matter what and that he isn't retiring just yet. As long as Ravens want him, he'll be here. After all, he restructured his contract, taking less money, only to help Ravens set a winning roster. Who does that? Only people loyal to a team.

I don't know what team Cincinnati played a week ago, I didn't see the highlights, but the reason that we didn't get any sacks on Carr wasn't necessarily a major defense issue as much as the guy gets rid of the ball faster than most QBs. His line held solid and the catches by Cooper and Crabtree especially were clutch. Honestly, Ravens lost last night to a team that played solid, not to a loser team like everyone expected.

I wouldn't be so doom and gloom about things anyway. We acquired Babin, who didn't dress up last night, but will be there for pass rush for other games. I really liked what I saw from Lardarius Webb, those tackles looked like they hurt! And his locker room reaction to media shows he's got the fight in him. Towards the end of the game, in the final seconds, I missed a former WR - Jacoby Jones for a miracle return and then Perriman to be able to get separation for the Hail Mary that ultimately didn't work. Offense needs to step up some, but there were positive things to look at. Like the yardage on Steve Smith Sr and Aiken's ability to redeem himself after the fumble with some clutch catches, and Crockett Gilmore, who I had on the trading block start of yesterday and deleted the request before even the second touchdown, because what he did there was impressive.

Oh, and one more thing. Ravens are perfectly able to lose to a team with a losing record and the next week beat out a Super Bowl contender, so as long as they keep their heads up, I wouldn't be too worried. Win all of the home games, win some away games and we have a good chance.

In those last couple of seconds, there were two receivers I really missed. One we have on the roster and one we no longer do. First was Jacoby Jones, the miracle return man. Second was Breshad Perriman, because that's where ultimate speed was needed. Tough loss, though, must say, Raiders earned it. They played really well. On a positive note, I really liked Webb's tackling. He gave me a scare going off for a check after one of them, but boy, did he look scary with the tackles I remember! I'm off to bed upset by a second consecutive loss, but also optimistic that we can win. We didn't look stunning, but we didn't look bad at all.

That can only happen if the O-line start clicking and playing like we expect them to play. If they don't give Flacco enough time to make proper throws - and the WR's to get down deep - it doesn't really matter who the safeties are...

I agree with you. Two things - 1. I hope our OL will hold better against Oakland. Sorry, dunno how their front seven is. 2. I know Crockett Gilmore can catch, but so can Maxx Williams and one thing Crockett is consistently better at is blocking. Look at him, he's a monster. There are plays where a TE and a FB can help the line hold. Our guards, KO and Yanda are solid so all we need is help on the outside. Why not let Crockett and Juice help get the job done and let the receivers + Maxx and Boyle go catch?

Both of Oakland's starting safeties are out, so if we don't start throwing deep and exploiting that, shame on us. Doesn't matter there is no Breshad Perriman, the rest we have ain't crippled, they can get deep. Marlon Brown is not only big, he's also an athlete. I saw the dude jump and to get that high I'd have to walk up two flights of stairs. He doesn't need as much separation as a lesser WR would. Also, he fights for the ball and is subject to SSS mentoring. Give the guy the opportunity and I think we can get were we need to be.

The issue seems to be that most of us are so ties to the glory days of our defense that we are constantly trying to hold on to any reminisce of it. We look at "next man up" like someone is going to step in long enough until our old veterans return. In reality, we have a whole new group of talent who's going to create their own identity, which may look NOTHING like our early 2000's defense. It used to be a new guy here and there, but for the first time in a while, the majority of our defense is young and talented. Just wait until they find their identity...no one is going to move the ball on them...just like we like it in Baltimore.

It's natural to cling onto what you know and love and that's what plenty people are doing with the iconic Ravens defense. It's sentimental, it's a heartbreak, it's a change coming faster than people can handle and Sizzle came as a shock.

However, Ozzie builds through the draft. He made sure that the guys to take up the work are already there. We aren't yet as familiar with the faces and the stories that go behind them, the guys don't have a history of victories, because they haven't been here long enough to build it, but if anything, this year will be movie material How a group of young guys came together to bring back the glory days I trust in our new cornerstones. C. J. Mosley, Brandon Williams, Jimmy Smith... we still look good.

It's good to have an insurance blanket like this. I think though, that Upshaw will step up bigtime.

Keep Crockett on the O-line to help block along with Juice in the back field if need be and send Maxx out there to get catches he got open a few times Sunday. The Ravens are going to have to force these young guys to grow up. Upshaw will replace Suggs and will impress everyone and then get too good for our check book next season. There is a reason Upshaw was calling the plays in the super bowl and not Lewis. Leader in the making that is just overshadowed by two pro bowl outside linebackers.

I agree with you on both instances. Not every down of course, but if our tackles cannot protect Flacco, additional blocks from Gilmore and Juice will be appreciated. Maxx Williams is athletic enough to be a playmaker. It might just take him a little longer to become an all-around TE with the necessary blocking included.

And Upshaw - you're on point on that one. Except, I think, if he proves to become significant not only as an every-down player, but also as a defensive leader in the locker room, Wizard of Oz might make the budget work. We have to chose who we keep because of the salary cap, Upshaw just needs to prove his a primary need and that he can take up Suggs' role when Sizzle retires, which unfortunately might not be too long.

No disrespect to a Baltimore great, but Ray Lewis was a superb player, great locker room leader and is fantastic in creating the emotional hype a team needs to gel together and perform, but though his speeches create emotion, they sometimes don't come together perfectly from a verbal and logical perspective so please forgive me if I don't take him too seriously about Ravens being eclipsed by another AFC team. Football is not a one man sport. One man can make a team, but one man can't break a team!

The one positive thing is, that management will have time to evaluate whether Upshaw is a player that we need to keep or whether to get started early on the OLB scouting. That's better than if Upshaw becomes too expensive, but we don't know how important he is to us, or on the other hand, if we invest in him, only to find out that he cannot take up Suggs position on the same level.

I'm an Upshaw fan so I think we'll be fine. Maybe the sack numbers won't stack up exactly as last year, but the ones he has will count. If someone can put a hit on Roeslithberger the way he did last year (although it turned out to be a penalty and doesn't count) you don't need as many to make a QB cringe. His stats nevertheless will go up. McClellan and Za'Darius Smith both are solid. Plus, it's a chance for Upshaw to make a case for himself why he should get a payday HERE. No one but Za'Darius is a rookie, so they won't have to be learning the ropes anew and Upshaw is a smart player. He knows what he's doing.

Unfortunately, I cannot talk about the game due to internet connectivity issues yesterday. Let's talk about the emotional aspect and the bright side to look forward to. I wouldn't hang my head up about an emotional leader. Undoubtedly, Suggs has a gift when it comes to inspiring a team and raising the stakes. It is a huge loss that he will not be on the field again this year. However, just because you can't imagine someone replacing him, it doesn't mean he isn't there yet. You cannot have two cockerels in one pen, therefore, one man (Sizzle) stepped up and the others let him take the stage and joined the ride he directed. Now we will get to know someone else we have on the roster much better. I have absolutely no doubt, that there are men who can take up this role, step up big-time and hand out man-feels in doses that inspire. It could be Buck (Daryl Smith) or it could be one of the DBs like Kendrick Lewis or it could be the quietest man on the defense roster. Now, I know we have hurdles to overcome, but it'll get done.

I feel for Sizzle, injuries a pain. We'll get to see what an end of an era looks sooner than we wanted to, though I think he'll make a come back. If not this season, then next. However, everybody was complaining about Ravens being ranked so high, going on about how Ravens work best as an underdog. If that's it, then we are in a prime position now. No deep WRs, no Ngata, no Sizzle, a lot of questions. If it's true that Ravens best thrive in adversity, well then the fertilizer is in, earth is watered, seed is planted, time to grow! We have a bunch of young guys, who now have opportunity to capitalize on.

To be honest, in Czech Republic, it pays off for me better to go watch the game in Hooters or someplace like that, including the meal and drinks for almost every game, rather than an NFL game pass. That's for the early game at 1pm your time. Or crashing with someone who has a NFL game pass.

Can you guys just quit about the wasted #1 pick just yet, please! Perriman hasn't played yet, there is nothing to indicate he'll miss a large chunk of the season and getting injured once hasn't made anyone a failure yet. If he gets on the field and is useless, then you can start with doom and gloom, but we haven't played a game yet this season, so just quit it!

Not a good way for Pats to start the year if they want to leave behind cheating controversies. But I guess they don't care what people think. If they can get away with it, it works. Team with integrity over Patriots any day. Seriously, they make me so sick I'd almost cheer for Steelers.

To be honest, I'm a little apprehensive of Sunday's game too, but then there is no one better than Ravens to surprise everybody. All the analysts rooting against Bmore make me suddenly feel more optimistic

I'd love to have Timmy Jernigan on the field Sunday, but if he's not 100% he shouldn't dress-up. Better miss him for a game or two than for the rest of the season. He's someone we're relying on this year to step up and he will be important to us.

Well, depth wins championships - but the pre-season seemed to indicate that we don't have a deep threat depth behind Perriman. Marlon's catch was really a thing of beauty - but it was against backups, and one catch all pre-season... We either don't have a legit backup for Perriman's eep threat abilities, or we did a tremendous job concealing it

I'll hope for "It was stealth all the way!"