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Ellerbe embarrasses Ravens in preseason finale

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – September 3, 2010Posted in: NFL

Baltimore’s preseason came to an end with a 27-21 loss to the St. Louis Rams Thursday night. The loss isn’t so bad for the Ravens, but some of things that went on during the game were troublesome.

First, Dannell Ellerbe’s showboating on his interception and touchdown was a terrible moment in the game. Ellerbe is clearly talented, but he drew the ire of John Harbaugh immediately after that play. Chances are Ellerbe still makes the team, but his playing time could be significantly reduced, at least to start the season, because of that incident.

Secondly, Troy Smith didn’t acquit himself very well. Smith played the entire game under center, but was just 18-for-38 for 237yards. He threw two interceptions, didn’t have a passing touchdown and his passer rating was 45.6. Smith’s biggest issue is he doesn’t stay in the pocket very long and is more willing to take off and run rather than throw it out of bounds or check down. Not all of the incompletions were Smith’s fault as the receivers did drop a few passes, but he overthrew the receivers sometimes or couldn’t get it beyond the defensive line. The positive side of Smith’s performance was he ran seven times for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

The rest of the team, except for a few players like Cary Williams and Ellerbe, was playing for its NFL life. The Ravens could easily stash a few players on injured reserve but they still have to cut a bunch of good football players. Baltimore has some decisions to make with its roster which will most likely occur Saturday afternoon.

The biggest question mark is going to be the kicker. Shayne Graham was considered the favorite, but it appears Billy Cundiff has outperformed Graham. Cundiff’s kicks have been going longer on kickoffs and he was perfect on both field goal and extra point attempts.Graham has missed one field goal and hadn’t gotten as much distance on his kickoffs.

Overall, ending the preseason 3-1 is a good sign because the first-team offense looked good when it was on the field. Thursday night’s game was just a last chance for some of the roster uncertainties to make the team.

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What to watch for in Ravens preseason finale

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – September 1, 2010Posted in: NFL

Every NFL team will end their preseason schedule Thursday night and hope to avoid injuries to their starters who may only play a series.

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the St. Louis Rams at 8 p.m. Thursday and Troy Smith will more than likely play the entire game. Smith is fighting to make the team so playing a full game will be a good opportunity to prove himself to the coaching staff once again.

Smith isn’t the only one that’s making a push for to make the final 53-man roster, however. The kicking battle has been very close all preseason even though Shayne Graham seems to be the favorite. Billy Cundiff hasn’t missed a field goal and his kickoffs have been deep in the end zone which could give him the edge in the eyes of a former special teams coordinator.

Demetrius Williams, a reserve receiver, is another player trying to make the roster. Due to injuries to Donte’ Stallworth and Mark Clayton, Williams needs to step up if he wants to keep his job with the Ravens, even if it’s just temporarily. Williams is fast and can play the role Stallworth was expected to play, but he also needs to stay healthy.

The fourth game will be the last chance for some of the roster question marks to make an impression on the coaching staff. Special teams will be a key to making the team in 2010 so guys like Prince Miller must play their best game of the preseason Thursday night.

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Ravens blast Giants 24-10

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 29, 2010Posted in: MLB

Week three of the preseason is considered the “dress rehearsal” for NFL teams. If Saturday night was the Baltimore Ravens’ dress rehearsal the show should be a good one this season.

Quarterback Joe Flacco and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron didn’t waste any time establishing the fact that the Ravens will be able to pass the ball this year. Flacco was 21-for-34 for 229 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He completed passes to multiple receivers and even was Baltimore’s leading rusher. Flacco’s two touchdowns came to Anquan Boldin and Todd Heap over the middle of the field. In the past two seasons, Flacco may not have thrown it over the middle even with single coverage on the receiver, but he looks much improved in 2010.

Marc Bulger saw limited action, but he did complete four of his five passes. Third quarterback Troy Smith saw the second most action and had his best game of the preseason.Smith threw a touchdown to Marcus Smith in the fourth quarter securing the blowout.

Baltimore’s defense looked fast and didn’t allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Ravens intercepted Eli Manning once on a tipped pass by Dannell Ellerbe that Haruki Nakamura came up with as it was headed towards the ground. They also had three sacks.

The Ravens’ special teams didn’t contribute much in the return game, but their coverage teams were very good. The field goal, kickoffs and extra point tries were all good. Neither kicker again was able to separate himself, but having two solid kickers is better than what the Ravens had last year.

On the downside, Baltimore didn’t come out of this game healthy as they had in their first two games. Donte’ Stallworth has a broken foot and is expected to be out until the Week 8 bye and Mark Clayton left the game with a mild concussion. Due to the injuries, a guy like Marcus Smith or David Reed will have to step up and be productive.

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What to watch against the Giants

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 27, 2010Posted in: NFL

Baltimore will be playing their third preseason game on Saturday night. The third game is generally regarded as the most important preseason game because the starters play at least a half, and generally, halfway through the third quarter.

The Ravens are off to a strong start, allowing just 15 points on defense. On offense, however, the Ravens haven’t done much with their first team. Joe Flacco has looked good completing passes to a lot of different receivers, but he still needs to get the team in the end zone.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The O’s with Showalter at the 20 game mark

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 24, 2010Posted in: MLB

Buck Showalter officially took over the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 3. The team had 32 wins at the time and appeared to be spinning its wheels towards another lost season.

This season is another lost season, but Showalter has the Orioles at 12-8, a .600 clip, since he began running the show.

The starting pitching has improved, with a few bad outings sprinkled in, the rotation has gone deeper in to games and given up fewer runs than at any point this season. Also, the bullpen has improved because the pitchers seem to know their roles better than at any time this year, except the closer’s role.

Baltimore’s offense has shown some improvement under Showalter as well. The clutch hits were few and far between for the two other managers the O’s have had this season, but a more patient approach has produced more hits in situations with runners in scoring position.

The last facet of the game that seems to be better is the defense. Fewer errors has meant shorter innings for the pitchers. There have also been more double plays turned in the last 20 games, however, that could be the impact of Brian Roberts’ return. Adam Jones has also seemed to returned to his Gold Glove form from 2009.

Showalter isn’t the fix-all, but his impact has been felt over his first 20 games for the O’s and if the franchise can continue this momentum going in to next season, the O’s could be looking at their first winning season since 1997,

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Ravens dominate Redskins 23-3

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 22, 2010Posted in: NFL

The Baltimore Ravens got their second win in as many tries this preseason Saturday night. Baltimore’s first-team offense played a full half against the Washington Redskins.

Joe Flacco went 9-for-16, completing passes to several different receivers, including new acquisitions Donte’ Stallworth and Anquan Boldin. Ray Rice didn’t get many opportunities to rush the ball as the team is protecting him for the regular season, but he ran for 17 yards on just three carries. The offensive line was good at times, but Michael Oher got pushed around a little bit.

On defense, however, the secondary was tested early and often. Travis Fisher gave up a big play early on that turned in to the Redskins only points of the game. The pass defense gave up 365 yards to Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman.

On the positive side defensively, Terrell Suggs looked like the Suggs of old. Suggs pressured McNabb in to some bad throws and even an interception. That interception was caught by Cary Williams. For Williams, that was his second interception in two games, and his two game suspension could hurt the Ravens at the beginning of the season. Jason Phillips, a fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft, also was all over the place, recovering two fumbles.

The most impressive facet of the game Saturday night was special teams. Billy Cundiff and Shayne Graham each made their field goal attempts and were successful with their kickoffs. The biggest play of the game came on a fake punt. Haruki Nakamura ran a punt 51 yards down to the Redskins 1-yard line.

The Ravens still have some work to do, but the first half was an impressive display of football Saturday night as Baltimore picked apart the Redskins 23-3.

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Looking ahead to the Redskins

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 20, 2010Posted in: NFL

The Baltimore Ravens will play their second game of the preseason Saturday night against the Washington Redskins.

There’s very rarely anything out of the ordinary to look for in preseason games, but this one we’ll get to see the starters play a half. Quarterback Joe Flacco should get more than enough time to throw to his new weapons and take a few hits.

Baltimore may decide to run the ball a little more with Ray Rice, even though Rice probably won’t be around for long.

On defense, the secondary will be tested by new Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. McNabb has a good arm and can make things happen so the secondary will need to keep tabs on hin.

Fabian Washington will play, possibly as much as the first half, so that’s another story in the secondary to watch. Washington will be making his first appearance since tearing his ACL against the Colts last season.

One other competition to keep an eye on is at kicker. Neither kicker is ahead of the other one and incumbent Billy Cundiff wants to get ahead of free-agent kicker Shayne Graham. Graham missed a field goal in the opener, but it was a 50-yard attempt. Cundiff had kickoffs and extra point attempts against the Panthers and didn’t make any mistakes.

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Looking back at the opening preseason game

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 13, 2010Posted in: NFL

The Baltimore Ravens opened their preseason amid excitement from the home fans. Baltimore looked pretty decent in a game that ultimately means nothing more than getting chemistry going between quarterback Joe Flacco and his new receivers.

Flacco connected with both Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton, who had a touchdown catch, with ease, however, it seemed like he and new acquisition Anquan Boldin were just a bit off. Flacco went completed eight of his 12 passes, including that touchdown to Clayton in the second quarter, which means he was far more accurate than he’s been in his previous two seasons. Flacco, like most of the starters, didn’t hang around long and gave way to the second- and third-string players.

Marc Bulger saw limited time, so it’s hard to judge his performance from Thursday night. However, third-string quarterback Troy Smith got a full half to show what he could do. Smith got off to a really slow start and never really got going, completing two of his six attempts. Smith had trouble handling the ball, fumbling it once. A positive from Smith’s performance was his quarterback draw in the third quarter.

The Ravens did have trouble keeping the ball off the ground, fumbling it four times and losing it on three occasions. The starting offensive line had some protection issues, giving up two sacks. Michael Oher and Ben Grubbs both got beaten by Carolina defensive end Tyler Brayton. The Ravens will have to tighten that up before the start of the regular season if Flacco is going to make it through the whole season.

Baltimore’s secondary, which has been an area of concern among fans, played well without starters Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb. Cary Williams, who will be suspended for two games this season, looked pretty good covering the Panthers’ receivers, even getting an interception. So far so good with the secondary, but the real test for the unit will be when the season opened.

Special teams was interesting to watch. The kickers alternated kickoffs, point after attempts and field goal attempts. Both kickers’ kickoff attempts were good, going deep in to the end zone. What stood out was Shayne Graham’s miss on a 50-yard attempt. Graham was 1-for-2 on his attempts, however, a miss from 50 yards may not hurt his chances in making the team. Billy Cundiff didn’t get a chance to attempt a field goal, so that will be something to follow for their next game.

On the other side of special teams, Prince Miller separated himself as a potential punt returner. Miller had a 57 yard return on one of his three returns. Coming in to the season, there may have been uncertainty for who would return punts. Carr was originally signed to be a nickel back and kick and punt returner, but with questionable depth at the cornerback he probably won’t be used in that role this season.

Overall, it’s hard to take much away from this game, other than Flacco looks improved. The Ravens play the Redskins on Saturday, Aug. 21. Expect the starters to play a little longer and get more chemistry heading in to their season opener Sept. 13.

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What to watch for in Ravens v. Panthers

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 12, 2010Posted in: NFL

The Baltimore Ravens finally get back on the field in a competitive situation for the first time since their loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season. Although it doesn’t really count, the first preseason game signals excitement for the fan base and gives the fans a quick look at the team that may take the field when the season opens Sept. 13 at the Jets.

Of interest, obviously, is how quarterback Joe Flacco works with his new receivers, Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth. Boldin was acquired in a trade and has been working hard this offseason, and during training camp, to develop chemistry with Flacco. Stallworth, signed as a free agent, has a lot to prove this year after being suspended for all of last year. Stallworth was signed to be a threat to stretch the field and to complement Boldin and Derrick Mason.

More importantly, the secondary gets to be evaluated without its top players available. With the status of Fabian Washington uncertain, players like Prince Miller will get a chance to play. Domonique Foxworth is out with an ACL tear, Lardarius Webb is recovering from a tear of his own and Chris Carr was injured Saturday and his status is also uncertain. It will be interesting to see how the back ups in the secondary perform.

Another back up that is likely to play is offensive tackle Oniel Cousins. The Ravens have brought the three-year veteran along slowly and his time may be now. Jared Gaither is nursing an injury so Cousins could be an acceptable replacement. Cousins is aggressive which sometimes gets him penalized, but he has a good attitude for an offensive line.

Lastly, the battle for the kicking job begins tonight. Shayne Graham and Billy Cundiff will take turns on field goal attempts to see if one can get ahead of the other. Cundiff is the incumbent and performed pretty well for the Ravens last year. Graham left Cincinnati as a free agent and signed with the Ravens earlier this offseason. Neither kicker has a lead so far.

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O’s continue roll under Showalter, but still have work to do

By
Jeff Wolfson
 – August 10, 2010Posted in: MLB

A week in to the Buck Showalter era and the Baltimore Orioles appear to be a vastly different squad than they were before he officially took over last Tuesday. However, they aren’t very different, except for some of their injured players have returned from the disabled list.

Although the team is 6-1, there are still issues that need to be dealt with going in to the 2011 season. I’ve noticed that there have been some base running errors and some fundamental mistakes. During Sunday’s game, although shortstop Cesar Izturis had a solid game, he made a bad base running mistake. He hit a leadoff double and Josh Bell did right by hitting a fly ball to the right fielder, instead of advancing, however, Izturis went halfway between second and third and had to retreat to second base. Luckily, there was a pass ball and Izturis wound up on third base anyway.

Also I noticed that Koji Uehara didn’t cover first base on a ground ball to the right side. Covering first on a ball to the right side should be automatic for big league baseball players. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but Showalter is evaluating as he manages.

Showalter has a reputation for paying close attention to details and covering first base is a major detail throughout the season. He’s also aware of little base running mistakes and wants to tighten those up. Showalter doesn’t seem to worry much about getting thrown out taking an extra base, but that is because the team is being aggressive.

Heading in to the offseason, the Orioles have work to do, lucky for them, Showalter is the perfect man for this situation.

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