B-More Opinionated!

The Ravens’ dominant win over Atlanta was probably Lamar Jackson’s most difficult game as a pro. The defense carried the team to the win and because of that, people will claim that there’s a quarterback controversy in Baltimore, or maybe even that Joe Flacco should be the starter without a second thought. But, as much as us Ravens fans love to quarrel about the QB position, there isn’t a controversy in Charm City – and that’s not because Flacco should be under center. No, Lamar Jackson gives this team the best chance to win, not only in Kansas City but for the rest of the season and in the postseason.

I mentioned this in my piece a few weeks ago, but something I find so very impressive about the Jackson-led offense is the lack of negative plays. Of course, you might point to the Falcons’ fumble recovery and score as a negative play (and it was very negative), but I’m more specifically talking about mundane plays in which the offense loses yards. I mean, how many times have the running backs – or Jackson – been stopped for negative yardage? I don’t have the number on hand, but I’m sure I could count it on one. Even as Jackson works his way into the NFL, missed throws and all, he keeps the unit moving forward, a huge factor in winning football games.

A similar realization I had this week was the lack of three-and-outs that the Ravens have had with Lamar Jackson quarterbacking. With Flacco at the helm, every other drive seemed to stall after a run, incompletion and check-down, but with Jackson, it’s almost a guarantee that some combination of Gus Edwards, Ty Montgomery, or the QB himself will pick up 10 yards in a given drive. If the Ravens are going to score, this is where it all starts – stringing drives together.

And, as the offense continues to move the chains, the most important advantage that Lamar Jackson brings to the Ravens unfolds: an unbelievable time of possession number. Last week, Matt Ryan and the Falcons were on the field for two minutes in the third quarter and five minutes in the entire second half! I mean, if you were wondering where this lockdown defense came from, that’s where!

Our defense is old, slow, and – despite their dominance in the Falcons’ Nest – not the best in the league, so the best way to make them look good is to keep them off the field. Simply put, Lamar Jackson does that and Joe Flacco does not.

Looking at the rest of the Ravens schedule, what do the opponents look like? A lot of offense, very little defense. This is certainly the case with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at least. For Baltimore to pull off an upset at Arrowhead, keeping Patrick Mahomes off the field will be imperative. Of course, Jackson will have to put up points and he can’t miss throws like the one he did to John Brown for a would-be touchdown, but if we’re being honest, neither quarterback was going to score 40. The best chance the Ravens have is to manage the clock and try to keep the Chiefs to somewhere around 28 points (what for them would be a dreadful performance). That way, if Baltimore can crack the 30 mark, they give themselves a legitimate shot.

You might be thinking that I sound overly optimistic considering the Ravens’ upcoming opponent. You’d be right. For some odd reason, I think our birds have a better chance at this win than many might believe. It won’t be easy, but because I love Lamar Jackson so gosh darn much, I’m going to have to give him the W. I think he puts together his first turnover-free game, throwing for 200+ yards and running for another 100, while the Gus Bus explodes for a 40-yard tudder and the defense extends its streak of turning a turnover into a score. Get excited!

Final Score: Ravens, 37 – Chiefs, 31

With just five games left in the regular season, the time is now for the Baltimore Ravens to make their playoff push. Sitting at 6-5 and holding the final wild card spot, the Ravens control their own destiny. Most believe that a 9-7 final record will be enough to punch their ticket, but if the team can squeeze out four wins out of the next five games, they would likely be a lock. However, the team must continue to take things one game at a time, which leaves our focus on the Atlanta Falcons.

At the beginning of the year, this game looked like one of the toughest on the schedule. Going to Atlanta is never an easy task, but the Falcons have a very talented roster on paper. As the season has unfolded, though, the Falcons have faltered and look like a lost team under head coach Dan Quinn. They are 4-7 in a difficult NFC, and numerous defensive stars have suffered season-ending injuries.

Given the injuries, the Falcons represent an opportunity for Lamar Jackson to continue to grow as an NFL quarterback. In his first two starts, there have certainly been ups and downs, but in the most important metric – wins – Jackson is perfect. With him under center, the Ravens control the tempo of the game and are able to run the ball superbly well; this will be the key in Atlanta.

Though the Falcons have one of the worst NFL defenses, their offense still has plenty of firepower, highlighted by Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Tevin Coleman and, of course, Matt Ryan. The biggest thing standing in the way of a Ravens win is this unit, and the defense (which, I’m sorry, is nowhere near the best in the NFL) will struggle to contain them. Therefore, to hold the Falcons to a reasonably low scoring total, Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards and the tight ends will have to be working well in order to keep Ryan and his boys off the field.

Another potential advantage the Ravens have that could fly under the radar is that the SEC Championship game will be taking place in the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Saturday. This will be a huge deal to many Falcons fans, and we might find that they choose to attend that game over the one played by the dirty birds. If that’s the case, look for a lighter home-field advantage on Sunday.

In the end, this game is just as critical for Baltimore to win as the ones against Kansas City or the Chargers will be, if not more. I think the Ravens will come out hungry, remain energized, and win a surprisingly slow contest.

Final Score: Ravens 30 – Falcons 24

I don’t care what anybody else says, Lamar Jackson’s first career start was glorious. There were mistakes, of course, but how can you react too negatively to them when we knew they would happen? What’s far more important than the 24 carries and the poor interception was the fact that he led this team to a win against a team that they had immense troubles with for Joe Flacco’s entire career.

For as long as I can remember, the Bengals have been the Ravens’ bugaboo. That is until Lamar Jackson walked into M&T Bank Stadium last Sunday. Not only did Jackson win his first ever start, but he was also unquestionably the driving force for the win and brought a fresh, exciting dynamic to the team, which clearly got behind him.
Jackson broke the Ravens rushing yards record by a quarterback, which we all knew he would eventually own, incredibly easily. What’s more, Gus Edwards and the running game thrived with Jackson at the helm, just as coach Harbaugh claimed would happen.

What I find even more exciting, however, is that Jackson didn’t look half-bad throwing the ball, either. Sure, he made a throw that was clearly a poor decision and resulted in an interception, but looking at the play again, you can see what Jackson saw on the play and we can chalk up the result to his education that the NFL game-speed is much faster than it was at Louisville. Plus, other than his INT, Jackson made a number of impressive throws, including a few third-down conversions to Willie Snead and Mark Andrews that I don’t think Flacco would have made.

Jackson’s ability to make something out of nothing and extend plays is something that Flacco can’t do. Where Flacco would find Buck Allen for a dump-off five-yard gain, Jackson made time for himself and found John Brown for a 20-plus-yard play to put the Ravens in field goal range just before the half.

So now, as Lamar Jackson is 1-0 and the Ravens are the 6th-seed in the playoff hunt, where does Harbaugh go? Jackson will almost certainly start on Sunday against the Raiders, but under the assumption that he wins again (27-13 final, in my mind), do the Ravens ride his legs into Atlanta or turn to the veteran Joe Flacco?

As I believe I’ve expressed before, I think the Ravens should roll with Lamar. Jackson is the future of this franchise, whether fans want to admit that or not, and after seeing how bright that future could be the team must stick with him and help him along.

Yes, the Ravens want to make the playoffs, but to me, the argument that Flacco gives them their best shot at that goal is somewhat questionable. With Jackson under center, his team had a spark I haven’t seen in it since 2014. If the squad is reenergized with Jackson at the helm and the coaches put Flacco back in, that could prove demoralizing. And, given Jackson’s ability to explode on the scene, I actually trust him to pull an upset over Kansas City or Los Angeles way more than I do Flacco. Actually, I’m going to say it. If the Ravens start Joe Flacco after Oakland, they will miss the playoffs. If they stick with Lamar Jackson and take advantage of his spark, they will.

I’m super excited for the new Ravens quarterback, so let’s make sure he doesn’t run the ball over 15 times a game, sit back and enjoy the show!

The first thing to address in part two of the BYE week blog is the Orioles’ apparent hiring of Mike Elias as the person to make baseball decisions. A former member of two World Series-winning front offices, including the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2017 Houston Astros, Elias – in my opinion – is a tremendous get by the Angelos brothers. With experience in both analytics and scouting, Elias has the mind to oversee each aspect of the Orioles rebuild, especially in facets that the team has failed to find success in for the past two decades.

As many seem to believe, it appears that Sig Mejdal will join Elias in Baltimore, providing another strong mind to the front office staff. This is an equally important hire, as Mejdal will likely head an analytics department that the Orioles basically didn’t even have before his arrival. That signals a step in the right direction, as well as a commitment to the plan outlined by former GM Dan Duquette after the trade deadline.

Like many others, I was extremely excited about the way the O’s were taking on this rebuild – until they lost out on the three Cuban super-kids in October. I honestly believed that they were a toxic organization unable to rebuild, like the MLB version of the Cleveland Browns. But, bringing Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal bring two minds to the warehouse that I think are perfect for the spot. In my opinion, if they can’t straighten this thing out in the next 5 years, nobody can.

Of course, it’s going to be a work in progress, evident in the fact that I’m giving them the next 5 years to work things out. The Orioles have just two potential stars – D.L. Hall and Yusniel Diaz – and even they are arguably just guys. While the trade deadline deals certainly added much-needed depth to the minor league system, there is a ton of work to be done before fans can get excited about the future. The first piece of that puzzle is the O’s draft selections this year. If their first overall pick, presumably Bobby Witt Jr., is a home run, the rebuild will be kicked off in a big way. Additionally, the O’s should have multiple top picks over the next three years or so, giving them a surplus of top-notch prospects to turn this thing around. The beginning of this offseason has certainly been a roller coaster ride, but things seem to be swinging back in the right direction for our birds.

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As for the Ravens, they are about to play in the biggest regular season game in John Harbaugh’s tenure. The team is 4-5 and barely holding onto a hope for the postseason; A win would put them right in the thick of contention, while a loss would effectively eliminate them.

What makes this week especially interesting, however, is the situation at the quarterback position. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, Harbaugh expressed interest in playing Lamar Jackson more frequently and for longer while he waited for his “eventual” start. Since that news came out, Joe Flacco has been dealing with a hip injury that might just open the door for Jackson to make his first career start. What a day it would be if that happened! Now, there’s still a decent chance that Flacco will play, and it seems the Ravens are relishing an uncertainty that forces the Bengals to prepare for two very different quarterbacks, but a Lamar Jackson start would be the most exciting thing for Baltimore football all year.

Personally, I think Lamar Jackson is going to start. In my past two or three blogs, I noted my inclination that something was about to change in Baltimore, whether that was along the coaching staff, at the quarterback position, or both. Flacco’s injury seems like a terrific opportunity for the Ravens to see what they have in Lamar, especially given the fact that it’s off a BYE week. To me, starting Jackson makes perfect sense.

The question I think would be very interesting to ask, however, is what happens if Jackson leads the Ravens to a win? The team would be at 5-5, very much in the race for the second wild card, and fresh off a big victory against a divisional opponent that brings the two teams level. In that situation, things would start to be looking up, but that might lead the coaching staff to question whether or not entrusting Jackson with the starting role is the right decision. After all, he is a raw rookie who is sure to make mistakes. Flacco, on the other hand, is an experienced veteran who can lead a team if he catches fire and though he isn’t as explosive, might be better trusted to win close and important games at this point.

If it were me, I would give Lamar Jackson the chance to start until he loses. Jackson is the future of this team, whether fans want to admit that or not, and all the Ravens lose by starting him is a season that – if we’re being honest – doesn’t seem poised to amount to much more than a playoff birth, anyways. I say give the kid a chance to show us what he can do. Who knows, maybe the former Heisman Trophy winner will come out firing.

After their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears as if the Ravens are going to stick things out with the current coaching staff. I don’t necessarily agree with the decision but I understand it, as Steve Bisciotti has always emphasized stability within the organization. However, in a press conference on Monday, John Harbaugh made an interesting point in saying that there is “no timetable” for Lamar Jackson’s first NFL start, but that it would happen “eventually.” In addition, he suggested that the coaches have considered leaving Jackson in for entire series instead of pulling him after one or two plays. What does this mean? Well, to me, it means that the Lamar Jackson era is coming – perhaps sooner than we anticipated. I don’t want to spend too much time on the Ravens, as I’m going to take the BYE week to talk Maryland sports as a whole, but I think that if they fall to Cincinnati in two weeks time, Jackson will find himself at the helm against Oakland the next Sunday.

As I eluded to, with the Ravens in their week off, I think it’s time I take a step back and talk about the other teams in the region, just to remind you all of how brutal our situation as fans is. As the obvious choice, I’m going to start with the Baltimore Orioles.

The O’s are lucky I’ve had the Ravens to write about over the past 2 and a half months, because they have really turned my optimism about the franchise’s direction into nervousness. First, they failed to sign any of the three premier international targets, who it seemed like their flurry of deadline-day trades were directed towards. Of course, they will have the opportunity to make a ton of minor signings to add volume to their minor league overhaul, but the inability to pick up even one of Sandy Gaston and the Mesa brothers may prove to be a sizeable mistake. On top of that, there have been absolutely no rumors about the vacancies at President, General Manager, or Manager. At first, we could chalk this up to the brass’ desire to keep things quiet, but now, a few weeks after the World Series, it’s beginning to feel like they’ve just been slow to take action. As many pundits have stated over social media, the fact that the Orioles didn’t have a list of names already prepared by August is mind-boggling and shows the lack of initiative the franchise takes in righting the ship.

With so much uncertainty about the future of the Baltimore Orioles, it’s impossible to still hold excitement for the rebuild they’re about to embark on. Until they make a move that I find overwhelmingly positive, I just can’t feel good about where they’re headed.

Next, of course, there’s the Maryland Terrapins football program and all the nonsense that unfolded last week. The action taken by the board of regions and the school as a whole was despicable; they severely underestimated the reaction that the public and the players would have to the decision to keep Durkin on board. As a result, they looked like fools when they let him go a day later. The big question that I have in the aftermath of all that’s happened is how the hell any coach that’s hired is going to recruit players to the program. As Jason stated in this week’s podcast, other coaches like James Franklin will be reverse-recruiting Maryland heavily – and it will probably work. If I were a parent, I wouldn’t let my son even entertain an offer from UMD, much less commit to playing there.

And last, but by no means not least, come the Washington Wizards. This team is dreadful. I’ve tried watching a few games in my free time but I simply can’t. And when I have a chance to turn it on, like I did last night, my ESPN app reminds me not to, saying “Mavericks – 70, Wizards – 49 at Halftime.” As if I’m going to turn that on. The fact that the Wizards have two or three potential All-Stars on their roster but can’t even begin to contend in the Eastern Conference is embarrassing, and I think it’s time that they are dismantled. Trade John Wall, trade Brad Beal, and if possible, trade Dwight Howard. Go get Zion Williamson or another one of those insane Duke 5-stars to revamp this Washington squad in a few years.

If you’re like me and these are four of your favorite sports teams to follow, it might be time to find other interests for a while; we could be entering four (!!!) rebuilds. For the Orioles, we already know that the reconstruction is upon us, but the Ravens will look entirely different next year, potentially having a new set of safeties, a new set of wideouts, a new running back, and new linebackers alongside their new franchise quarterback. Maryland is going to have even bigger problems, as they will find it incredibly difficult to attract young athletes and pull them away from bigger, better, cleaner programs. And finally, the Washington Wizards, who were never that good to begin with, may attempt to restock and wait for the Warriors, Rockets, and Celtics to collapse. Maybe they’ll build their own dream team in a few seasons, but if Ernie Grunfeld still holds the safest job in sports, something tells me that won’t happen.

Get ready, Maryland sports fans, dark days are ahead.

Nobody was more shocked or disgusted by the Ravens loss in Carolina than I was. As you know, I had predicted a statement game from Baltimore, one that reaffirmed their identity as a contender and one that got them rolling on – what I thought would be – a winning streak. Now, the Ravens have little-to-no room for error, and this game against Pittsburgh is an absolute must-win.

Sitting at 4-4, the time is now for the Ravens to get on a roll and put themselves back in position to make the playoffs. For me, the objective is pretty clear: they have to win the next three games, which are all at home. Obviously, the most challenging of those three will be the Steelers, so if the Ravens can find a way to pull this one out, they might be in decent shape. Anyways, it’s not worth looking ahead to Cincinnati or Oakland, because if they lose on Sunday, their season is likely over.

The Ravens caught Pittsburgh in the mud the last matchup, running out of Heinz Field in convincing fashion. I, and many others, expect that this week will be very different. Having lost two in a row, Baltimore is reeling. Having won three in a row since their defeat to the Ravens, Pittsburgh is soaring. But, when these two teams meet, you can throw away records, momentum – if that’s really a thing – and anything else. It’s going to be a dogfight.

I expect the Ravens to play with a sense of urgency, backed by a home crowd that does not want to be watching 12 other teams in January. Setting the tone early will be important, just as it was in Pittsburgh. If the Ravens get up early and can avoid turning the ball over, I believe that they can win. My hesitation, however, is that I think teams are starting to figure out Wink Martindale’s defense. Hopefully, that isn’t the case, or Big Ben may light us up.

For this blog, I’m going to give my final score now, as I think it’s a score that will change the course of Ravens football forever. Something big is coming, Baltimore.

Ravens – 24, Steelers – 30

Yes. The Ravens are going to lose to Pittsburgh on Sunday. It’s not going to be pretty, either, as the Steelers will move the ball with ease and Joe Flacco will play his second-worst game of the season. The Ravens will be outcoached and outplayed, and Steve Bisciotti will tire of these Same. Old. Ravens.

After this week, the Ravens have their BYE week, which gives them plenty of time to make adjustments. As a result, the pitchforks will be back out and John Harbaugh will be out as the Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Similarly, Marty Morninhweg will be fired as the Offensive Coordinator. In their stead, Greg Roman will take the OC duties and Jerry Rosberg will coach the team, as well as fulfilling his role as Special Teams Coordinator.

This decision might seem rash, but the Ravens are a team that needs to get ahead of its downward spiral and start fresh. Now is a perfect time, too. They have a new General Manager, Eric DeCosta, stepping in for Ozzie Newsome at season’s end and they have the quarterback of the future in Lamar Jackson. After falling to 4-5 with games remaining at the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers, Bisciotti will recognize that this team will not be playing in January. With that in mind, Harbaugh will be out, Morninhweg will be out, and Lamar Jackson will be under center by Week 15, at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

First and foremost, we have no place to blame Justin Tucker for missing that kick; he’s just made too many big ones that we have to forgive an inevitable hiccup. Yeah, it was completely gut-wrenching. I was jumping up and down in my apartment, fired up, knowing that surely the game was headed for overtime. Honestly, I didn’t even have to think about the kick. To me, once John Brown caught the ball from Flacco, it was overtime. For every bit this loss was a killer, it also provided hope. In my mind, the Ravens’ ability to keep pace with the Saints and play them close, even at home, proved they are a contender. They grounded a high-flying offense, they scored enough to bring the game within one point of overtime, and they probably didn’t play their best ball.

The Ravens should have won on Sunday afternoon, even with Justin Tucker’s miss. The defense played terrifically for 3 quarters before surrendering 17 consecutive points in the 4th quarter. Jimmy Smith’s return is a problem, and he got torched by Michael Thomas, especially in the second half. The Panthers don’t have a wideout the caliber of Thomas, however, so Smith may not prove to be a liability.

The toughest test for the Ravens this week will be to score on Carolina’s stout defense. The Panthers are a tough, physical team who will be even harder to beat on their home turf. I had the Ravens winning this game in my original predictions, not necessarily for some specific reason, I just have a feeling. The Ravens are usually a good team off a loss, and I expect this week to be no different. After showing the ability to hang with one of the best teams in the league (and my NFC representative in the Super Bowl), Baltimore can make a statement by winning in Carolina and again at home versus Pittsburgh.

This Sunday, I’m forecasting a tough, ugly, typical “Ravens” win. They won’t do anything special, except maybe defensively, but the prospect of Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey doesn’t bother me too much. As long as the Ravens can score 20 points, I think they will win. And, as I’ve said, they will – easily.

Ravens: 27 – Panthers: 16

There’s not much to say about that loss other than that it was excruciating to watch. The sheer number of brutally-wasted opportunities made for one of the most frustrating games that I can recall watching (maybe even up there with the slow-pitch softball games the Orioles play). While I had a bad feeling about the game going in, I had no idea that the team would play quite that poorly, and my optimism from the week before was very quickly tossed out the window. Once again, this team is starting to look like a .500 squad, and for Ravens fans, that’s unacceptable.

Because I don’t want to dwell much on the game, I will hit a few points that I feel are worth discussing and that I think we should keep an eye on moving forward. First, and most obviously, Michael Crabtree’s drops are a big concern. He killed two drives in the first quarter and when he could have made up for it by catching the would-be game-winner, he failed. Richard Sherman called him a choker a few years back, and while it’s probably rash to jump to that conclusion after last week, he sure looked the part in Cleveland. The Ravens brought him in to be the reliable chain-mover; he needs to step up and be that guy now.

Second, I want to give credit to Anthony Levine, who I thought stepped up again and has strung together some strong performances to start the campaign. Before the season I viewed him as a cap-casualty saved by the injury to DeShon Elliott, but now, I’m extremely impressed by the do-it-all player he’s become for this defense. He’s absolutely instrumental to their continued success.

Third, the Ravens need a game-breaking running back in next year’s draft. I love Buck Allen and I’m not an Alex Collins hater, per se, but this position still lacks explosion. Ironically, the passing game is very strong for this team, but they’ve lost their consistency in the rushing attack and even when it was consistent, they didn’t have homerun potential. For the Ravens to take the next step, they need one more playmaker with a John Brown type impact.

Finally, I have to note that this loss was not on the defense. Once again, the Ravens allowed nothing after halftime (and, obviously, they barely allowed anything before it, either), as Wink Martindale’s crew stymied the Mayfield-led Browns all game long. Without any thought of doubt, the inefficiency of the offense and inability to capitalize on tremendous field position was what led to this defeat. Marty Mornhinweg’s game plan was stale, the team failed to make valuable adjustments to the attention Cleveland paid to throws over the top, and the running game was abandoned when it actually was doing alright. Tennessee will be similar competition to what the Browns were, so the Ravens need to switch things up big time.

Looking ahead to Tennessee, this game is looking like a must-win. Yes, it’s away from home, and it’s tough to expect a team to win 2 of 3 on a road trip, but the upcoming schedule – even with 2 at M&T – is scary. Home against the Saints, at Carolina, and home against a rejuvenated Steelers squad will not be easy, and Baltimore could potentially drop all 3. The Ravens have to be 4-2 heading home, so how do they accomplish that?

Well, the defense shouldn’t be an issue, and I genuinely think Baltimore will continue to hold the opposition without a second-half touchdown. If Tennessee scores more than 20 I will be surprised and disappointed. With that in mind, the goal for the Ravens should be to score over 20, something they were unable to do in this matchup last year, when they lost 23-20.

This will be a lot harder than it may sound, as the Titans boast a very strong defense that can get after the quarterback and cover the deep ball. To open that up, it’s paramount for the Ravens to stay true to the run game and, even if they aren’t cracking off 4-yard gains or more, don’t become one-dimensional. If Tennessee has to honor Collins, Allen and DeLance Turner (hot take – he will be the leading rusher), Joe Flacco will have John Brown at the ready.

Other factors will come into play, too, such as 3rd-down efficiency, the use of Lamar Jackson (who I think is due for a big play), and the separation that Hayden Hurst and other tight ends can make on a less cover-happy group of linebackers, but unpredictability will be key for the Ravens this week. As has been the case with this team so far in 2018, I am hopeful that they will make the necessary adjustments. Final Score:

Ravens: 23, Titans: 13