Start Strong, Fade Late

[Ravnet]

Another win for the Ravens at home and they improve to 2-1 but a major issue that our team has to adress is the fact that we really have had second half woes. Against the Bengals we weren't very good at all in the first half either but in both games between the Cardinals and Jets we've scored twenty points in the first half, yet the game has still gone down to the wire. The only positive thing that we can draw from this is that the team can only get better in the 2nd half as they get back into the groove of the wear and tear style NFL and McNair gets healthier as he is very clutch.

Otherwise defense looked good, just got caught off guard by a new QB that they probably didn't watch tape for. McGahee looking great as is the offensive line. McNair was pretty solid but he really has to protect the football, another 3 near fumbles this game. Special Teams is really saving our a** though, Stover makes yet another game winning field goal and Yamon returns yet another punt return for a TD. Solid Win.

Go Ravens!

[ragnorok99]

Stover for President.

[Slick]

our line looked pretty great, besides that one unblocked sack on Boller. im disappointed with our pass rush though, and I think Rolle's absence was really being felt in the secondary today, especially late in the game. Warner proved to be an unexpected twist and our secondary let Boldin walk all over them by not wrapping up. McNair looked very good, as well as the recievers; every wideout made key catches and oh boy do we love Todd Heap!!! That man got us the win tonight. Boller helped but Heap held on. I worry what might've happened had this game gone into overtime. Fitzgerald was contained for the most part, but Boldin was making our so called big-hitters look weak. He bounced right off of them! This is the third game in a row where the secondary has had trouble tackling, mainly because of their style of going for big hits, throwing their bodies into it and not wrapping up. I sure hope the coaches see it and work to fix it because the Cards had a whole lotta yards after the catch, and its unacceptable from the "number 1 defense." At least the Foot is still true, thank you Stover

all in all, it was a good showcase of two teams' strengths and weaknesses, and a good measure of how much heart our guys have to pull through with the win.

[ragnorok99]

Antwan Barnes looked pretty good-no sacks but he had a few hurries. Can't say I didn't notice the abscence of Pryce though.

[baltimoreravens00]

wowww. INTENSE game. i was completely disgusted at the end. i mean we were doing so well and then we almost lost it! i know i cant blame it all on boller, but i really do think that he's not ready for such a big responsibility. he cant handle himself under pressure. i mean face it, he could barely get us down the field for a 47-yd field goal. if we were 2 more yards away, we could have been in OT.

Mcnair i thought had an outstanding game! great poise in the pocket.

as for the D, they did well in the first 3 quarters, but 17 points in the 4th quarter?! what happened?!?!? this always happens. we're up by a ton, and then the other team just comes back and almost wins. and for some reason our D can always hold them enough so we can pull out the win.

to sum it all up, THE BALTIMORE RAVENS ARE 2-1 BABYYYYY!

[MagicianCamille]

i know i cant blame it all on boller,

You can't blame ANY of it on Boller. Warner was just torching our defense. Boller actually played pretty well once again, and got our team in position for the game winning field goal.

[baltimoreravens00]

i agree. Boller did play well and warner deffinently hurt us in the 4th (which shouldnt have happened) but i just think that the way he couldnt produce (was it one or two?) first downs with 11 minutes left with them only trailing by 10 really bugs me. and i was really upset the McNair got taken out (and i understand why) because he was doing so well compared the the opener and i was just disappointed. thats all.

[Guest ravensteve9]

What the heck? This is scary. 2nd week in a row. We were lucky. I was thinking if we went to OT and Warner stayed in we would lose. Thanks Stover(again). Props to Boller and Ivy. Ivy was all over the field today making plays. BB needs to get our Ravens on track and stop throwing away good leads. 2-1 is still better than 1-2. Next stop Cleveland.

[Raven07]

a win is a Win, you cannot deny that plain and simple fact, yes it did come down to the wire But honestly what game and what team in the NFL isnt in a game every week where it comes down to the wire lol.....an Example? Indy vs. Houston, Indy won only by 6 points...SIX! thats a heck of alot better than those total blowouts Manning is used to dishing out, Houston was obviously doing some things right in order to hold Manning to only a win by 6 points...Another Example? Green bay beating San Dieago.....who would of thought that would happen, honestly and after that game, LT was at a loss for words, he was utterly disgusted at the way he played, and the fact that he has yet to break the 100 yard mark for the season going into week number 4

[Slick]

The Ravens sure missed Samari Rolle this week.

Ivy played well, but Boldin had him beat a lot.

[ragnorok99]

Missed Pryce too, didn't seem like there was a lot of pressure coming from the side he usually lines up on.

[tweety]

I wasn't able to see the game this week but I would have to blame the game on the defense. 13 points use to always be enough to win the game. Cincy getting 27 points, Jets getting 13, and Cardnals getting 23. When you saw the ball in the air it was a potential INT and each run was for no gain (only one big run though). We need to improve that pass D.

Ed reed, Samari Rolle, Dawan Landry, and C Mac (sounds like a good secondary, doesn't look like it). We'll see next week.

[Slick]

I wasn't able to see the game this week but I would have to blame the game on the defense. 13 points use to always be enough to win the game. Cincy getting 27 points, Jets getting 13, and Cardnals getting 23. When you saw the ball in the air it was a potential INT and each run was for no gain (only one big run though). We need to improve that pass D.

Ed reed, Samari Rolle, Dawan Landry, and C Mac (sounds like a good secondary, doesn't look like it). We'll see next week.

how many times do I have to repeat myself, Samari was out, making it a WHOLE lot harder for the secondary to do a decent job. Ivy filled in and made plays when it mattered against a upward-bound cardinals team. The defense was the weakest aspect of our team in the game but that doesn't mean that they're to blame for the close game. We weren't prepared for Warner to step in and tear down the field like that. We responded by getting our bearings and taking the ball away from them to keep the momentum in our favor by stopping them with 2 minutes left on the clock with the confidence in Boller to finish the job, which he did.

I say there is no fault for the close game it was: it was merely a well-earned win by a Ravens team plagued by injuries and supported by a heroic cast of backups

[tweety]

Samari was out

Hopefully Rolle will completely recover from whatever was going on. Only thing more challenging to recover from than a phyiscally obstacle is an emotional one.

I support you Rolle

[Mista T]

Ivy played well, but Boldin had him beat a lot.

Ivy was one of the major reasons we blew a 17 point lead. Give him credit for the sack & strip, but all day he was getting burned by the big Cards WRs. He is just too small.

[Raven07]

agreed, hey Watch the post-game interview with Derrick Mason......" man listen...a win is a Win,we got up early and let them come back, throwing all those punches, but eventually, hery got tired and we hit them with one big Punch, and that was it.....am i concerned? NO! games are not easy in this league"

Mason took the words right out of my mouth...very well said

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/multimedia/...ediacenter.aspx

[Slick]

Ivy was one of the major reasons we blew a 17 point lead. Give him credit for the sack & strip, but all day he was getting burned by the big Cards WRs. He is just too small.

that's what I was aiming for with my comment. By "well" I didnt mean "good" I meant that when we absolutely NEEDED a play from him he came through, including a sack, a strip fumble, and a CRUCIAL defensed pass on Arizona's final drive that forced them to kick a field goal to tie the game up rather than put us down by 4. If he didn't get his arm in there, Fitzgerald would've caught the ball on the 23 yard line. So that in itself, despite getting burned by Boldin most of the game, deserves a "Well Played, Corey Ivy! At least we didn't lose because Rolle was out!"

[itlstl7]

In regards to our 2nd half performances this year, Is anyone else fed up with our conservative offense?? I understand in the past we havent had much success on offense and we have tried to run out the clock and maintain a lead along with keeping our D somewhat rested but it's driving me crazy! I thought the play calling in the first half of this game was pretty good. We looked like a completely different offense then in like the past couple years...and most importantly it worked!!! then 2nd half comes and we slow down... 4th quarter and our offense is useless... typical run up the middle and obvious short passes that get us nothing... I dont think we attempted a pass over 20 yards but maybe once in the 3 games so far (could be wrong)... i know we dont have much of a deep ball threat but c'mon how predictable and boring can we be... throw Figurs out there and launch it... we had Boller in and we all know about his arm strength... I would love to see Billick have that killer edge and just run up the score on a team instead of just manage and be so conservative

[Jesse Conroy]

We are normally a second half team. I dont know what our Defense is doing.

[rockonravens]

We are normally a second half team. I dont know what our Defense is doing.

We just better get it worked out before this next game in Clevland.

Also for the pats, colts and chargers!!

[Mista T]

We just better get it worked out before this next game in Clevland.

What's worrisome is that the defensive collapses may be attributable to something that cannot be corrected: old age.

[Jesse Conroy]

The old timers don't have the stamina that they use to.

[JonM229]

I don't think it has as much to do with age. I do think a big reason is that we're not getting QB pressure nearly as much now that Trevor Pryce is out. If we can get more pressure on the QBs, then our aging secondary won't be as worn out after eating their early bird specials between the 3rd and 4th quarters.

[Raven07]

Looks like the Browns may possibly be without one of their TOP players in Kellen Winslow come sunday, as he missed yet another practice due to the partially dis-located left shoulder....hmmm should help us out a little more if he doesnt play, and even if he does play i would expect the browns to "take it easy" with him, as to not to injure the Shoulder even worse off than it already is

Read about it here

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

[Raven07]

on another note.... here's a look at this week's Week 4 PlayBook against the Browns...

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d802c32d6

[JonM229]

I've been reading up on Winslow's statuts as well. It seems to be getting worse every day. So much for being a soldier.

[Raven07]

i always Love to Look ahead at our upcoming opponents to see what we're up against, you know...Going to their Team Wesite, watching player and coach interview's and what not, i guess it kinda gives me a sense of what they will be trying to do against us and what their Game plan will be...anyone else do this as well? or am i the only one lol

[JonM229]

I've been doing this for several years now. It all started when we went on our Super Bowl run and I would read the opposing team's website and local newpapers to hear them crying. Then I thought it would be a good idea to check out their pregame material as well. Reading those always makes me think of the futility of trying to come up with a game plan against the Ravens.

[Raven07]

oh and i also like to watch our Next opponents we're going to be facing play, to see what they do and what not, along with my other stuff