Week 1 @ Denver Broncos

[codizzle]

Sage Steele is hot.

Just sayin' ...

Liked her more as a local

[5aiah]

All of your "bests" are just your opinion. Others could just as easily spout off similar "bests" in the AFC. That proves nothing. And the best team, on paper, rarely wins the SB. When was the last time that the team with the best seasonal stats actually won the SB?

I will agree that the NFC has several more better than average teams, though. On paper.

Eh not just on paper. The NFC just has the better teams divisions, and more parity. 3 of our divisions are pretty much already locked down and those teams aren't even good enough to say they have it like that. The same teams make the playoffs in the AFC, not in the NFC though. They have the craziest divisions and are hard to predict who will come out NFC champs. Lets not even get into this bro, because its clear to anyone who follows the entire league that you can name more true NFC contenders for the crown then you can AFC. I love AFC North football but cmon...........

[gabefergy]

Should be a good game. Denver without Miller is a different team, but that offense can put up points. Flacco will need to have a big game to go along with a strong defensive effort. I definitely think we can win, but it won't be a cakewalk.

[JEEPercreepermd]

Just Bronco fans being Bronco fans. They are just as arrogant as the Pats fans and 49ers wagon jumpers. Hell, wasn't it like 2 years ago that there were a few of them on here who were ready to call Kyle Orton and Moreno hall of famers?
If you take away their 14 pts on st, they would have scored 21 pts. We wouldnt have had to throw that hail mairy or make a fg in overtime, so we would have won still 28-21. They dont stop complaining about the Jones td...but two KR's for a TD in a game against our ST is an even bigger fluke

[funky141]

You lost me when you compared Manning to Boller!

Lets be real here and I'll say it will be a close game because, well yes both teams are very good.

Both teams do have issues (injuries, suspension, etc, etc) they must overcome, so to say one side is better is hogwash.

[Ragin'Raven]

Never underestimate a team that has a Manning as QB (although I think Eli is actually better than Peyton). I think it'll be a great game. Both teams have advantages over the other. I think the Ravens will win, but I don't think it will be a runaway by any means. I'm just happy the game will officially count, and football season will finally be back! :)

[Spartan]

Superluous to state, every fan base has their black sheep; from my experience, some in the Ravens' camp carry an 'us against thr rest of the league' mentality, which I'm sure isn't fully pulled out of the air. The Broncos defeated the Ravens pretty handily not long before that wild playoff game in Baltimore, and the playoff game saw both sides score 'unconventional TDs'. It was a close game that went into double OT, but - and I'm sorry - when you're up 35-28 with 00:44 left on the clock, and your opponent is at their own 30 yd line with 3rd and 3 (I don't recal how many TO the Ravens had, which would be instrumental), and if that opponent scores a TD to tie the game, it is hardly a sweeping attitude to hold that it just should not have happened. IMHO, it was not a hail mary, but a rainbow 70 yd TD under those conditions cannot be attributed to the Ravens unquestionably being the better team, let alone it was 'destiny'.

 

Indeed, the Ravens have regressed - on paper - since the SB, and the Broncos are no less better (on paper), albeit no Von Miller is a big plus fro raven's' hopes in the opening game. Manning is a seasoned great one, and it is unlikely he'll throw ints across the middle of the field again. I remember the game ay a point in the beginning, and it looked like a 14-0 Bronco lead was very likely. Stuff happens. Sorry, I just feel the OP is a little wishful and subjective (this is a Ravens board, so making a charge of bias is ludicrously unfair!). I don't dismiss the logic of the OP, but using stats to state Flacco being better than Manning - while talking about ST TDs the Broncos did not deserve - is superficial: Flacco had 331 yds and Manning 290; take away the last 70 yd rainbow, well... Was Jacoby Jones' TD to open the 2nd half of the SB (even without the super obvious double-hold committed by two Ravens on the 49er defender the officials missed right in Jones' path up the middle) not similar to the Denver ST TDs from two weeks prior, in the sense of being a low percentage TD?   

 

Vegas bookies will always be chastised when they're wrong (which is often), but they do study and implement the practice of statistical odds, and the Broncos are co-favored this year to be tops in the entire league; there are 12 teams forecasted to be better than the Ravens this year. While I agree that should hardly be taken as 'holy writ', but to dismiss the Vegas odds - which will vary as the season progresses - as being delusional is just as naive. It's good to be confident and hopeful, and it would be no shock if the Ravens win on September 5th, but just be ready for some gloating against you guys if they get hammered. C'mom, just because you could care less about Broncos' fans feelings and sour grapes does not whatsoever mitigate that they are mad and out for revenge. Haven't you ever felt that way strongly under these circumstances. The game is in Denver, a marquee opening night, the Broncos are favored by 8 or 9 points. It doesn't look good.

 

Just saying. It's an exciting opening game for the season. If the Ravens get stomped, it still doesn't fully exorcise the demons for Denver from that playoff loss. Good luck!

 

James :)    

[berad]

The novellas have begun...

[PolishRifle]

Eh not just on paper. The NFC just has the better teams divisions, and more parity. 3 of our divisions are pretty much already locked down and those teams aren't even good enough to say they have it like that. The same teams make the playoffs in the AFC, not in the NFC though. They have the craziest divisions and are hard to predict who will come out NFC champs. Lets not even get into this bro, because its clear to anyone who follows the entire league that you can name more true NFC contenders for the crown then you can AFC. I love AFC North football but cmon...........

Depending on how fast our new team "comes together" as a team, which will need it's time, because of the big changes we went through, the AFCN is pretty open, imho. Not because our teams are so great, but because the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals have great individual talent, but have issues to overcome as teams over the course of the season.
The Bengals hope they fixed their offense through the draft (again that game against the Texans was horrid), the Steelers hope they fixed the Oline and their D can escape father time AND Big Ben can stay healthy (good luck will aaaall that), the Ravens might actually have the most overall talent thanks to our great FO, but it is talent that plays together for the first time (I have faith in Harbs though).

Meanwhile in the NFC WEST, you have the 49ers, Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals (who might be the most improved team in the NFL, imho) fighting to win their conference (easily the best conference in the NFL). Who wins? Who knows?

The Broncos on the other hand might win their conference almost by default.

[izvoodoo]

Superluous to state, every fan base has their black sheep; from my experience, some in the Ravens' camp carry an 'us against thr rest of the league' mentality, which I'm sure isn't fully pulled out of the air. The Broncos defeated the Ravens pretty handily not long before that wild playoff game in Baltimore, and the playoff game saw both sides score 'unconventional TDs'. It was a close game that went into double OT, but - and I'm sorry - when you're up 35-28 with 00:44 left on the clock, and your opponent is at their own 30 yd line with 3rd and 3 (I don't recal how many TO the Ravens had, which would be instrumental), and if that opponent scores a TD to tie the game, it is hardly a sweeping attitude to hold that it just should not have happened. IMHO, it was not a hail mary, but a rainbow 70 yd TD under those conditions cannot be attributed to the Ravens unquestionably being the better team, let alone it was 'destiny'.

 

Indeed, the Ravens have regressed - on paper - since the SB, and the Broncos are no less better (on paper), albeit no Von Miller is a big plus fro raven's' hopes in the opening game. Manning is a seasoned great one, and it is unlikely he'll throw ints across the middle of the field again. I remember the game ay a point in the beginning, and it looked like a 14-0 Bronco lead was very likely. Stuff happens. Sorry, I just feel the OP is a little wishful and subjective (this is a Ravens board, so making a charge of bias is ludicrously unfair!). I don't dismiss the logic of the OP, but using stats to state Flacco being better than Manning - while talking about ST TDs the Broncos did not deserve - is superficial: Flacco had 331 yds and Manning 290; take away the last 70 yd rainbow, well... Was Jacoby Jones' TD to open the 2nd half of the SB (even without the super obvious double-hold committed by two Ravens on the 49er defender the officials missed right in Jones' path up the middle) not similar to the Denver ST TDs from two weeks prior, in the sense of being a low percentage TD?   

 

Vegas bookies will always be chastised when they're wrong (which is often), but they do study and implement the practice of statistical odds, and the Broncos are co-favored this year to be tops in the entire league; there are 12 teams forecasted to be better than the Ravens this year. While I agree that should hardly be taken as 'holy writ', but to dismiss the Vegas odds - which will vary as the season progresses - as being delusional is just as naive. It's good to be confident and hopeful, and it would be no shock if the Ravens win on September 5th, but just be ready for some gloating against you guys if they get hammered. C'mom, just because you could care less about Broncos' fans feelings and sour grapes does not whatsoever mitigate that they are mad and out for revenge. Haven't you ever felt that way strongly under these circumstances. The game is in Denver, a marquee opening night, the Broncos are favored by 8 or 9 points. It doesn't look good.

 

Just saying. It's an exciting opening game for the season. If the Ravens get stomped, it still doesn't fully exorcise the demons for Denver from that playoff loss. Good luck!

 

James :)    

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SALTY!


Nah I'm expecting a tough game.

[PolishRifle]

The Broncos defeated the Ravens pretty handily not long before that wild playoff game in Baltimore, and the playoff game saw both sides score 'unconventional TDs'.

The Broncos scored unconventional TDs. How many times do two kicks get returned for TDs in the SAME GAME? Without those, the game wouldn't have been even close. Just stop with the "we should have won it"-mentality. The Broncos shouldn't have been in the game in the first place.

The first game in Baltimore, was the first time Flacco played with his new OC, Jim Caldwell, who called offensive plays on the NFL level for the first time in his carreer. The Broncos played well, but a change in the coaching staff just prior to the game was a huge advantage for Denver. Which does explain how the Broncos won "handily".

 

It will be a hard-fought game, but the excuses, that I hear from the Broncos fanbase, are just annoying.

[Spartan]

I haven't scrutinized a team report on Denver, and an under appreciated aspect is invariably "you're only as good as your weakest link"; regarding the Broncos OL, I know Beadles (G) is a pro-bowler; then there's Koppen (a terrific C) and Vasquez (the injury situation concerning Kuper is better than last year, but it looks like he's out for now). I remeber they shifted 9 guys last year in rotation. But they did so and were the AFC top seed. It would be interesting to assess if they are at a disadvantage against Suggs & Co. 

[Purple Nurple]

Thhhheeeeyyyyyyyrrreeee heeeerrrrreeee.......

[shiri2]

Broncos are delusional if they think they will run through the AFC this year. They may be one of the top teams in a VERY week AFC this year, but I don't see them getting out of baltimore with anything but a 0-1 to start the season. 

 

They have too many injures, their best player (Similar to combo of Webb/Suggs being injured) is supended for 6 games, and You know they are going to get banged up durring this game. Manning without a O line is going to look like Kyle Boller.  He is a pure pocket QB, and the one thing he has had over the years, is a stellar OL. Same with Brady. Take away their best in league lines over their careers, and they are average to above average QB's.

 

I will make this bold prediction. Peyton will get knocked out/injured vs the ravens. Doom and Suggs are going to have him on the ground all day. They have NO blocking RB, their TE's can't block, and their Line is worse than the steelers.

 

So i was checking out the Denver boards, trying to get some insight on their talent, and ran across this little gem. I could not stop laughing, had to share:

 

http://forums.denverbroncos.com/showthread.php?224326-The-Rematch!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QcY0KlelJ0

..we on the same page, bro!  I went to their site to see what smack they was talking and stumbled onto that video too, and was about to upload it to our site so our Raven Nation can see those dudes over there are all hyped up!  A bunch of hatas.

 

yeah, they think they gonna roll over top of us, man!  NOT!

[cushrinada1986]

I cant wait until this guy releases his next video, you know, the one talking about how they lost the season opener and it was just a fluke and they will get revenge in the playoffs, lol

[ellicottraven]

For all the effort this guy put into this song, I hate to see how crestfallen and dejected this man will be on the 6th!

Very talented guy, and will have another cut for us blaming someone other than Rahim Moore for the next loss! Very interesting but I feel for this guy... very passionate fan that will go into the deep entrails of depression come Friday the 6th!

[codizzle]

Thhhheeeeyyyyyyyrrreeee heeeerrrrreeee.......

How many times can we say kiss the ring?

[Purple Nurple]

How many times can we say kiss the ring?

Hahaha. Joe. Is that a Cuban or Jamaican cigar?!?

[descent into the maelstrom]

They also have John "I am not going to let Peyton Manning try to lead the team to a last minute playoff victory" Fox as the head coach and we have John "no other head coach ever led his team to playoff victories in his first 3 years - and that was accomplished a few years ago" Harbaugh.

 

I also think our revamped D-line will be a nightmare for them.

[MrPlankton]

Oh boy, it's that 40 Whiners fan again...

[poescrows]

Denver will have ZERO pass rush for this game..............and Bmore will have one of the NFLs best tandum pass rushes on the field! Manning throws 2 ints, IMO.

[ravens88]

With all the defensive pieces  we have changed this offseason i would be lying if i didnt say i was a little concerned about Peyton Manning the mental aspect vs our 1st game together defense. We have 2 more weeks but still thats alot to ask to be all on the same page defensively even if we are physicaly a better defense this year just my 2 cents.

[terpmaniac]

The game is in Denver, a marquee opening night, the Broncos are favored by 8 or 9 points. It doesn't look good.

 

Now where have I heard that before? Funny with what happened last year (and adding in the changes this year)you would think that Bronco's fans would be a little bit nervous about playing us on September 5th. Just a little bit. Go ahead. Underestimate the Ravens again. Not predicting a Ravens win(its Peyton after all)but we sure as hell are not gonna give you the game and the Ravens will come to play baby!

[hawkprey]

Even if the Broncos "should've" won the divisional game, by that logic, they are still likely to lose even if they're technically the better team. So I won't take any argument that says the Broncos will win because they're better. Not until Broncos fans admit their team was inferior.

[poescrows]

With all the defensive pieces  we have changed this offseason i would be lying if i didnt say i was a little concerned about Peyton Manning the mental aspect vs our 1st game together defense. We have 2 more weeks but still thats alot to ask to be all on the same page defensively even if we are physicaly a better defense this year just my 2 cents.

I agree with what you're saying. I am expecting to see Manning under way more pressure than Flacco. If that turns out to not be the case, then IMO, we won't win the game.

[MTRavensFan]

I haven't scrutinized a team report on Denver, and an under appreciated aspect is invariably "you're only as good as your weakest link"; regarding the Broncos OL, I know Beadles (G) is a pro-bowler; then there's Koppen (a terrific C) and Vasquez (the injury situation concerning Kuper is better than last year, but it looks like he's out for now). I remeber they shifted 9 guys last year in rotation. But they did so and were the AFC top seed. It would be interesting to assess if they are at a disadvantage against Suggs & Co. 

 

Koppen's out for the year with an ACL. They've had 2nd string guard Manny Ramirez playing center, and are not happy with him. They talked Ryan Lilja out of retirement, but he's lost a ton of weight and is woefully out of shape. Now they're considering Kuper as center - if and when he comes back.

 

So, they have no center. Kuper's still out, and their other Pro-Bowler LT Ryan Clady just returned to practice last week and is rusty. Assess away.

[SecretAgentMan]

The novellas have begun...

Which means more masterdebates for me to participate in?

[redravenfan]

Here we go again,,,,

[callahan09]

I don't know about that. The NFC was more dominant in the last 5 years or so. 4 out of the last 6 SBs were won by the NFC. The period of AFC dominance was really between 98 and 07.

 

Who is the best QB in the NFL? Aaron Rodgers (NFC)

Who is the best RB in the NFL? Adrian Peterson (NFC)

Who is the best WR in the NFL? Calvin Johnson (NFC)

Who has the best Oline? 49ers (NFC)

Who has the best D? Seahawks (NFC)

 

I think, there are more teams in the NFC, who could make it to and through the playoffs, while the AFC largely comes down to the Ravens, Pats (and I think they are VERY beatable), Broncos (IF the can overcome their bad luck) and Texans (but they have Schaub, yikes!). Indy is one or two seasons away from being actually competetive, the Bengals still need to get over their playoff struggles (that game against the Texans was UGLY) and every QB, even one as mobile as Big Ben, needs atleast a decent Oline to compete.

Why is everybody so down on Schaub?

 

Did you know only 3 quarterbacks in the NFL have had a better than average interception rate each of the past 5 seasons (over 100 Interception % Index)?

 

They are: Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, and Matt Schaub.

 

In each of the past 3 seasons, Schaub has had a 110+ in that same category, with the only other players who can say that being Tom Brady and Joe Flacco.

 

Also over the past 5 seasons, Schaub has a 112 Passer Rating Index, 8th best out of 32 QBs with at least 1000 attempts in that span (higher than Roethlisberger, Ryan, Eli Manning, and Joe Flacco as an example).

 

He has over 100 in all major indexes related to the Passer Rating score, as well (Completion%, Y/A, TD%, and INT%).  Out of 68 quarterbacks who qualified in at least 1 season (224 passes), the other players to join Schaub with that distinction are:

 

Aaron Rodgers

RGIII

Tom Brady

Drew Brees

Russel Wilson

Peyton Manning

Philip Rivers

Kurt Warner

Tony Romo

Ben Roethlisberger

and Matt Ryan

 

So any way you slice it, really, Matt Schaub's name is right up there statistically with all the other QBs people like to tout as the great ones.

 

So I really don't understand the disrespect he gets.  I respect him greatly, personally.  He led that Texans team to some 8-8 seasons while they had among the worst defenses of all time.

[Ravenseconbeast]

smh @ this thread.

Classy way to start the season