Are the Ravens a Contender or a Pretender?

Are the Ravens a Contender or a Pretender?

Steve Smith on his way to his first TD of the day

Through 4 weeks of the NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens own a formidable 3-1 record. This includes 2 divisional victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns while they faltered at home to the Cincinnati Bengals. Their most recent victory over the Carolina Panthers was an impressive one in which they led from the start and coasted to a 38-10 victory.  

While still early in the season, I pin the Ravens as a playoff team with potential to be a Super Bowl contender. The Ravens do face a tough stretch coming up including games in Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Escaping any of these road games with a victory would be massive for the Ravens but they are not to worry. Baltimore closes with 6 of 7 very, very winnable games. Home vs Titans, Home vs. Chargers, @ Dolphins, Home vs. Jaguars, @ Texans, Home vs. Browns. Assuming the Ravens can grab 2 or 3 more road wins and hold at home, they will most likely represent one of the two wild card spots in the AFC. Whether the Ravens finish as the 6 seed behind what appears will be San Diego or as the 5 seed, they will need to get hot in the playoffs similar to their 2012 title run. 



The Ravens fortunately have the capability to make a deep playoff run for three reasons. First being, their reining Super Bowl MVP Quarterback Joe Flacco’s playoff experience in addition to his ability to string multiple games together among those of the elite. Flacco has shown he can be a very inconsistent quarterback. Watch a Ravens game and you will see the Raven offense breeze down the field one drive only to see the next drive end up in 3 boneheaded plays by their gun slinger. The thing that Flacco has going for him is the fact that he has made a playoff appearance in 6 of his 7 years including a win in all 6 of those years. Flacco is a prime time performer and getting to the playoffs could be all it takes to spark the performance he had 2 short years ago.

Justin Forsett

Secondly, it appears that the Ravens run game has been fixed with new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. The Ravens lost Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce has been injured but this has not slowed down Baltimore one bit. 7 year veteran Justin Forsett has stepped up unbelievably averaging 5.8 YPC with his 2 touchdowns. Not to mention, 4th round pick Lorenzo Taliaferro has proven he is very capable of handling the rock averaging 4.5 YPC. Even with the injury to Eugene Monroe, who will be sidelined for 4 more weeks, the Ravens managed to rush for a solid 127 yards against the Panthers. 

Rookie Linebacker CJ Mosely
 tackles fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell

The third and final reason why the Ravens could contend come the cold winter months is the defense. The aforementioned offense wins games but defense wins championships. The Ravens have been a little injury prone at cornerback and still have a lot to figure out at the safety position but it’s very early. If you can recall two years ago when the Ravens won it all, many were worried that they couldn’t get it done on the defensive side of the ball. But, what we must remember is that Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, and Ed Reed, the four stars of the defense, did not play until guess when? The Divisional Round of the Playoffs. Compare this to 2014 where Lardarius Webb will most likely battle injury until the playoffs, Will Hunt who was the number 3 ranked safety last season by PFF is suspended for two more games, and two rookies who the Ravens are looking for to make an impact, CJ Mosely and Terrance Brooks, will all be fully gelled by late in the season. A promising thought when you augment that former DPOY Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil line up opposite of each other and Haloti Ngata mans the middle. 

          Give the Ravens their due time and they will stout one of the best defenses in the league  paired with a very capable offense. And if you want some more evidence to why the Ravens can contend, return man, Jacoby Jones, owns the ability to take a kick back whenever he gets his hands on a ball. Finally, they have a pro bowl kicker Justin Tucker with multiple game winning kicks in his short career. The Ravens need to first get to the playoffs but once they get there the top tier of the AFC better not overlook the Black and Purple.

NFL Divisional Round Saturday Predictions

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks: 4:25 p.m. Saturday

       In a clash of opposites, Drew Brees and company will travel cross country to face what seems to be an unbeatable Russell Wilson at Century Link field. I'm sure everyone knows how good the 'Hawks are at home evident by Wilson's lone career loss at home coming a few short weeks ago. While this may seem promising for the visiting Saints, I don't think they should read too much into it.

       Week 13 this season marks the last time these teams met and it was very ugly for New Orleans. They were blown out 34-7 as Drew Bree's road struggles continued. On the road this season, Drew Brees has completed 10% less of his passes compared to at the SuperDome. He's thrown for 500 less yards with 28 more pass attempts. The most telling stat is his 27 touchdowns at home compared to 12 on the road while totaling 9 interceptions away from home while just three in New Orleans. This is a scary stat for New Orleans fans who are hoping their team can take down the king of the NFC.

        Although Brees managed to get over his road woes in the playoffs last week against the Eagles, he will be facing a much tougher defense this weekend. That augmented to the fact that the 'Hawks have a very efficient offense is what will prove too much this weekend. Marshawn Lynch will control the game against a mediocre run defense. While the Saints will limit Seattle through the air, it won't be enough to hold Seattle from advancing to the Championship Game.

                                                   

                                                                                              X-Factor: Jimmy Graham 

     While this pick may seem obvious, the x-factor is in fact obvious. The Saints best chance of staying in/winning this game is Jimmy Graham having his biggest game of the year. This is a lot to ask because Graham has already had a 10 catch, 179 yard, and a touchdown performance this season.

Final Score: Seahawks-30 Saints-17




Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots: 8:10 p.m. Saturday

     Andrew Luck and the Colts needed a spectacular comeback last week to escape the Chiefs and are granted with a trip to a cold New England. This matchup pairs the Future of the NFL versus the face of the league for the past decade. You can't ask for much more than Brady versus Luck but this game will actually be decided on the other side of the ball.

   
The Colts own a bottom 5 rush defense but fortunately for them the Patriots have serious troubles rushing the ball. On the contrary though, the Patriots may be on to something. In the regular season finale, LeGarrette Blount ran for 189 yards and 2 scores on the Patriots' way to a 14 point win over the Bills. With the loss of Gronk many people thought New England's season was over but there is a chance that the Pats have new hope. No matter how much the NFL leans towards the Quarterback, the Super Bowl Champion seems to always represent the team that got production from their running game and defense. This screams Patriots for me. With a shaky defense and a struggling offense all season it seems to be coming around for Brady and Co.

X-Factor: Griff Whalen/Da'rick Rogers

     You are probably saying who? Indy came into the season with their Wide Receiver depth chart as such. 1. Reggie Wayne 2. TY Hilton 3. Darius Heyward-Bey
      Well things have clearly changed with the injury from Wayne and lack of production from DHB. Whalen and Rogers sport the 2 and 3 slots for the Colts. If you know anything about football, you know that Belichick will shut down TY Hilton who had a monster week against the Chiefs. Coverage will lean towards Hilton and all types of schemes will focus on shutting him down. While this may seem problematic, this does open up opportunities for the 2 and 3. Therefore, Whalen and Rogers production will determine the outcome of the game.

Final Score: Patriots-34 Colts-27

NBA Playoff Predictions- Sportacular Sports

I know all you NBA fans won't want to hear me say this, but I'm a College Basketball fan at heart. With that being said though, as I scanned the NBA Playoff matchups, I got a little giddy. In most first round matchups, the 4-5 and 3-6 games are of most interest but this season the 2-7 games are actually pretty intriguing.

Heat vs. Bucks
The Miami Heat have been by far the most dominant team all year. They have the best player in the world right now in LeBron James and his sidekick Dwyane Wade ain't that bad either. Throw in the knock down shooters off the bench and the playoff experience of the Heat veterans and you have a clear favorite. While I don't think the Bucks have any chance of taking down Miami, this series could be entertaining based off the fact that the Bucks can shoot the ball. They have Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, JJ Redick, and Ersan Illyasova to stretch the floor. Add Larry Sanders to protect the rim and I think this series goes farther than expected. Miami in 6.

Thunder vs. Lakers
If Kobe Bryant were playing in this series, I think it goes 7. Without their leader and top scorer the Lakers, you would think, should pose no threat. But think about this team without Kobe. They still possess the top 1-2 punch in the league between Howard and Gasol. L.A. has a 2 time MVP point guard in Steve Nash and the surprising play of Earl Clark to help them out. The Lakers aren't terrible without Bryant they're just not good enough to beat OKC. Thunder in 5.

Knicks vs. Celtics
Wow. A 2-7 matchup between two historical power houses. While NYK has only won one playoff game in the past 11 years, they are still always at the center of the basketball universe. Carmelo Anthony is blazing hot right now and so are the Knicks. After a promising start to the season, the Knicks slid a little but are now right back at the top. For the Celtics, they'll obviously be without their top Point Guard Rajon Rondo, but am I really going to doubt Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Shocker. Upset Alert. Boston in 6. (Melo please prove me wrong)

Spurs vs.Warriors
No one under 85 years old on this earth enjoys watching the San Antonio Spurs play. They aren't exciting, they play good defense, and they just win games. But if you are looking for some exciting basketball in a Spurs game, check out this kid Stephen Curry. He became big after he took Davidson to a magical Elite 8 run in his college days and hasn't stopped since. Curry can explode for 50 at any moment. I believe he's the best pure shooter in the game right now and he isn't afraid to fire. Golden State has plenty of decent players, David Lee, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes. I think the Warriors win a few games, call it a season, and continue to build on their young team. Spurs in 5.

Pacers vs. Bulls
Unfortunately for basketball fans, it appears that Derrick Rose will NOT be returning this season. While I think it is the RIGHT decision, it's not going to make Bulls fans happy. With Rose, the Bulls can compete for an NBA title. Without him they'll fall in 7 to the Pacers. The Bulls will be happy to match Indiana's physical play, which has been deemed the way to beat the Heat. The Pacers are the favorite right now to take down the Heat if any team can do so but a grueling 7 game series with the Bulls won't help. Once again, Pacers in 7.

Nuggets vs. Rockets
This without a doubt will be your most exciting playoff series. If you like points, like most people do, your going to get a ton in this series. Denver and Houston both prefer to play offense and put up big numbers rather than lock each other down. Just check their last game on April 6. 132-114? Even for NBA standards that's a lot of offense. James Harden could be the deciding factor in the series but I think the Nuggets have too much depth. We'll have to watch and see how the loss of Gallinari hurts Denver in this series. For now, Nuggets in 5.

Nets vs. Hawks
Finally, we've reached the 4-5 matchups and I'm sad to say I'm not as intrigued as the games above. Don't get me wrong both these series should go no shorter than 6 or 7 games but I actually don't think they will. The Nets have a younger looking Deron Williams right now paired up with ex-Hawk Joe Johnson. While I don't think the Nets can compete for the title, they're making a step in the right direction. The Hawks have a Josh Smith who is a great player but would rather be playing somewhere else. I say Brooklyn in a sweep. 4 to zippo.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have held their own since trading their Superstar Rudy Gay before the deadline. Although they have held their own, I don't see them holding up in the playoffs. In a rematch of last year's first round matchup (Clippers in 7), I see Chris Paul calmly leading his team to the next round. If the Clippers do move on, I'm very excited to see the high flying LAC squad against the light it up Thunder team. Clippers in 5.

Thank you guys for reading (if you made it this far) comment below your predictions.

#PrayForBoston

NFL Week 17 Headlines

Week 17 Recap

Redskins clinch their first division title in 13 years, face Russel Wilson and the Seahwaks at FedEx Field next Sunday.
-RGIII only completed 50% of his passes Sunday night but his rookie counterpart, Alfred Morris, carried the team. Alfred Morris had 33 carries for. 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. That's a spectacular performance combined with another choke by Tony Romo. Given a chance to prove all the analysts wrong, Romo got the ball down a field goal with 4 minutes remaining on his own 15 yards line. After a 15 yard completion to tight end Jason Witten moved the Cowboys to the 30 yard line, linebacker Rob Jackson bluffed an outside blitz and flew out to the flat. Romo didn't see Jackson and threw up the worst interception of his career. Morris closed the game with his third TD of the game and face the streaking 'Hawks on Sunday.

Adrian Peterson falls 9 yards short of Eric Dickerson's record but Vikings clinch final Wild Card berth.
-With 24 seconds remaining the Packers and Vikings were tied at 34 apiece sitting at the Green Bay 37 yard line. AP was 35 yards away from the record and would need to bust a Touchdown run to hold the record. The only team in America that would have considered running the ball with one timeout, handed the ball off to Peterson who bust through the left side of the line giving everyone a glimmer of hope. Sprinting, stopping, and the juking right, everyone in America was screaming Go! Go! Peterson was finally dragged down at the 11 yard line, 9 yards short of the record. More importantly, AP had put the Vikings in position for a 29 yard Blair Walsh chip shot. I believe Peterson should be the MVP after leading a 3-13 team last season to the playoffs off of a reconstructive knee surgery. Peterson and the Vikes travel to face the same Packers next weekend in a 3-6 playoff matchup.

Houston blows home-field advantage and a bye as Denver and New Emgland sneak into the 1 and 2 spots.
-Sitting at 11-1, Houston dropped 3 out of their last 4 to fall into the 3 seed in the AFC. Instead of a first round bye and extra week of rest, Houston faces a pesky Cincinnati team this weekend. As Denver and New England snuck into the top spots, the AFC is lining up for a Manning vs. Brady matchup in the mountains on January 20th.

49ers slide into the 2 seed, setting up a rookie QB matchup between Robert Griffin 3rd and Russel Wilson.
-The Niners room care of business and defeated the Cardinals. With help from Minnesota, the Niners were able to jump into a first round bye. This set up an intriguing matchup between the two hottest NFC teams. The hype behind Griffin and the underdog story with Wilson should lead to an excellent game next weekend.

Colts dominate the Texans in Chuck Pagano's first game back from leukemia; face Pagano's old team in Baltimore Sunday.
- Written above this game was the game in which Houston choked away their bye but more importantly Chuck Pagano coached his first game since beating his battle with leukemia. The unbelievable underdog story travels to Baltimore to play the hurting Ravens. Everyone in America will be rooting for Luck, Pagano, Arians, and the Colts come Sunday in truly the best sports story this year.

Wild Card Matchups- All times ET
Bengals vs. Texans 4:30 on NBC
Vikings vs. Packers 8pm on NBC
Colts vs. Ravens 1pm on CBS
Seahawks vs. Redskins 4:30 on FOX

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins

Headline:
The Dallas Cowboys travel to the nation's capital to face rookie sensation RGIII and company in an NFC East winner take all matchup.

Dallas Cowboys:
The most known statistic for this matchup is Tony Romo's lack of success in big time games. The muffed extra point in the playoffs and the two blowout losses in the same winner take all games makes the assessment very fair. As a cause of his troubles, many people are calling this game the "moment of truth" of Tony Romo's career. No one is really giving Dallas a chance but Dez Bryant and Miles Austin should be able to exploit the weaker Washington secondary. DeMarcus Ware will be suiting up sporting a shoulder brace and will be a major part of containing Robert Griffin. The key for Dallas is not stopping RGIII but rather containing him to give themselves a chance.

Washington Redskins:
The Washington Redskins have a chance to return to the postseason for the first time in 7 years. Very much so thanks to rookie Quaterback RGIII. One thing I noticed was that his hype has also picked up the others on the team and improved the play of his teammates. The positive attitude Griffin brings to Washington is a major key for their success. If the Redskins can play reasonably on defense they should have an excellent chance of winning this football game.

Prediction:
I really want to pick the upset in this game but until Romo proves himself I have to go with the home team. I'm rooting for Romo but RGIII will play the best game of his career and an Alfred Morris touchdown will seal the deal and send the 'Skins to the playoffs.

Final Score:
Washington-31 Dallas-21
Line:
Washington -3.0
Over/Under:
49.5

Ravens fall to Steelers 23-20

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) 23 vs. Baltimore Ravens (9-3) 20

Charlie Batch and the Pittsburgh Steelers are right back in the playoff race and possibly the AFC North discussion after stunning the Baltimore Ravens Sunday afternoon. Ben Roethlisberger has been out the past few weeks with a life-threatening rib injury and replacements Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch had yet to win a game. The Steelers had their back to the wall and faced a must-win if they had any aspirations of winning the division. The Baltimore Ravens had won 15 in a row at M & T Bank Stadium and 12 consecutive against AFC North opponents. Everything pointed to the Ravens winning this game and ultimately clinching the division. It was a poor performance from the Ravens offense that costs Baltimore a 5th straight playoff birth, for now. 

The Baltimore Ravens have pulled out many victories in tight games this season but many of those they deserved to win. Tonight though, Baltimore and more specifically Joe Flacco, gave the game away. Flacco for the second time in the past few years got stripped on a sack, this time by James Harrison and lost all momentum in the game. This occurred after Ed Reed's 61st career interception. The Ravens could've gone on a FG drive and put the game at a point insurmountable for Charlie Batch. Instead, Flacco fumbled away the game and an impressive Batch drive won the game minutes later. Shaun Suisham's 42 yard field goal capped a 6+ minute game winning drive. 

Going forward, Baltimore is still in the driver's seat as they need only to win 1 out of the next 3 against Washington, New York (N), and the Broncos as well as beating Cincinnati on the last day of the regular season. The Steelers now own the last wild card spot with the tiebreaker over the Bengals. Indianapolis controls the top spot at 8-4 but still has to play two games against the 11-1 Houston Texans. Much time remains and both of these teams look like they should return to the post season. The most important part of the result is the impact it has on the Raven's playoff home field advantage. They now have an extremely tough schedule down the stretch and could end up in a 3rd or 4th seed. The Ravens have struggled mightily on the road and now could risk the chance to only play 1 or maybe no games on the road. This Ravens team doesn't look fit to make a deep playoff run but with the return of Big Ben the Steelers defense can carry them far.