Flacco shows impatient fanbase that he is the man

Flacco is just another Boller. Put Bulger in! Flacco can’t take this team to the next level. He has no personality. He doesn’t care! He’s not a leader!

Flacco heard it all after his performance against Cincinnati. He didn’t play well, and no one, especially Flacco, would dispute that.

The talk radio lines were fired up, message boards crashing, fans panicking – what is wrong with Joe Flacco?

So you mean it was just a bad game? No way!

Joe Flacco went 22/31 yesterday against the Browns for 262 yards, 3 TD’s, and 0 turnovers.

I would say that at least 3 of those incompletions consisted of Joe throwing the ball away because no one was open; a fact that 70,000 fans seemed to not understand yesterday when Flacco was getting booed in the first quarter.

The bottom line is that Flacco showed in week 3 what he is capable of. He showed that he has the talent to be a top QB in this league.

Flacco proved to all of Baltimore what he can do when he has just a little bit of a time to throw, receivers getting open, and an offensive coordinator that actually called plays based on what was unfolding throughout the game.

I hope the fans that called for Marc Bulger watched the game, and now understand why Flacco is the man in Baltimore.

Flacco is much younger than Bulger, and he has a much higher ceiling than Marc. Most of all, he’s just better. That should never have been disputed.

Flacco is a good quarterback right now, with the potential to be a great one. Finally, that potential can be realized now that the Ravens got him some weapons.

Let’s let him use them. Let Joe show us what he can do. He did on Sunday.

Of course, there will be fans that say that it was just the Browns. I actually heard one fan calling in to a show saying that now Flacco has to prove that he can perform on the road against playoff caliber teams.

You mean like he did last year at Pittsburgh when he was 13/25 for 166 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 INT, with Mason dropping Joe’s potential 3rd (and game-tying) TD?

Or as he did in week 6 last season at the then 5-0 Vikings when he was 28/43 for 385 yards, 2 TD’s and 0 picks? When he let yet another game-winning drive that ended in a missed field goal?

There is so much to talk about regarding he Ravens. Baltimore football fans have so much to discuss.

Anything regarding Joe Flacco being benched is not one of those topics that have any legitimacy behind them.

Joe Flacco is the man on this team; he’s the man in Baltimore.

And regardless of what some fickle, impatient “fans” (or should I say drunks) want to believe when they are sitting in the stands booing their soon to be 2-1 team in their first home game since last December, Baltimore is lucky to have him.

 

Please Baltimore: spare us the calls for Marc Bulger

The Ravens lost today 15-10 to the Bengals. Quite predictably, anyone turning on the radio will hear repeated calls for backup QB Marc Bulger to get the start next week against Cleveland.

After all, the backup QB is always the best friend of all the casual fans out there; the fans that saw Flacco throw 5 interceptions and only 1 TD during the first 2 weeks, and dismiss him as the next Kyle Boller here in Baltimore.

We heard the same tune about Troy Smith. Now we’ll hear it about Bulger.

Joe Flacco is 24-15 thus far in his career, including 3-2 in the playoffs, with all 3 wins being on the road. I challenge anyone to find 5 QB’s that had a better 39 game start to their careers.

Baltimore has such passionate fans, which is why the Ravens have one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL when playing at home in M&T Bank Stadium.

Unfortunately, many of those fans are not the most in-depth students of the game.

It’s easy to look at a stat-line and see 4 interceptions. It’s also easy to overlook the fact that one of Flacco’s interceptions were tipped, and one was on 4th and 12 in desperation time in the 4th quarter.

Was Flacco horrible today? Absolutely. Did he cost the Ravens the game? He certainly played a big part in the loss.

Should he be benched? Give me a break.

Where are the calls for the offensive line to be benched? Where are the criticisms for these receivers not getting open against the Bengals’ secondary? Joe can’t do it all on his own.

Turn on the Ravens post-game show, and I hear a fan wondering why the coaching staff didn’t replace Flacco with Mark Bulger. Really? During this game? That fan wants John Harbaugh and Cam Cameron to put a new QB in a one possession game after Joe Flacco won last week on the road in NY?

Go to a prominent local message board, and you have one of highest voices of authority claiming that Joe Flacco had a deer in the headlights look from the start.

Was that before or after that beautiful drive coming out of half-time? Could balanced play-calling, and Derrick Mason actually getting open behind a defender have contributed to that drive?

The Ravens are 1-1, after two home-opener road games against two playoff teams from a year ago. One of those games was against Rex Ryan and the #1 defense in the NFL.

Todd Heap dropped an easy TD in New York. TJ Houshmandzadeh would have had another if he was not interfered with in the end-zone. Add in those 2 TD’s, and Flacco’s numbers look a lot less horrific.

Should I have to be defending Joe Flacco’s stat-line at this point? No, I shouldn’t.

Fans, however, need to look at more than just a stat-line. Watch the game. Analyze the game. If you groan when Flacco throws a ball out of bounds, then don’t groan when he throws an interception trying to fit the ball into tight coverage.

If you want Joe to throw the ball farther down the field, share who you want him to throw the ball to.

This is a guy who has won 24 of his first 39 NFL games, with Mark Clayton as his #2 receiver throughout the first 37 of those. Mark Clayton is so valued around the league, that the Ravens shipped him to the Rams for a late round draft pick.

The last time a Ravens receiver other than Derrick Mason or Mark Clayton caught a TD pass? November of 2008 against the Houston Texans, when Yamon Figurs caught a deep ball from Flacco.

This guy has done more with less than anyone in the NFL. He’s finally got the weapons.

The Ravens are 1-1. Everyone relax. Let’s enjoy this season.

Let’s enjoy the best QB the Ravens have ever had.

Baltimore: let’s enjoy Joe Flacco.

 

What a difference a playmaker makes!

The Ravens opened their season on Monday night with a 10-9 win over Rex Ryan and the Jets in what John Harbaugh called one of the best defensive performances in Ravens history.

I agree with John in that it was an epic defensive performance, but the main reason the Ravens won this game can be attributed to what Baltimore fans have been clamoring for since the early Billick days: playmakers at the WR position.

The defense has always been there for the Ravens. It was there under offensive guru Billick, and it has been there for John Harbaugh.

Last January in Indianapolis, the defense showed up, injury-riddled and all. Ray Lewis and company held the Peyton Manning and the high-powered Colts offense to 20 points.

Yet the Ravens lost that divisional playoff game. They lost because the Colts took away their top weapon in Ray Rice, and the Ravens could not get anything going in the passing game.

When the offensive game-plan did not work, Joe Flacco was stuck. Derrick Mason is a very good WR, but the Colts secondary could key in on him, and he does not have the size to go up and make a play on a jump-ball.

The bottom line is that Joe Flacco and this Ravens offense did not have the playmakers in that game, and thus the offense sputtered. Joe did not have a guy who he could throw the ball up to, and say “go make a play.” Everything had to be scripted. Everything had to be perfect.

Fast forward to Monday night against the Jets. The Ravens’ offense was again sputtering. That is no knock on them, as most offenses sputter against Rex Ryan and the #1 defense from a year ago. The Ravens were involved in an old-fashioned, hard hitting slug-fest.

But then Joe threw a ball up to TJ Houshmandzadeh and he brought it in. Joe, backed up against his own goal-line, threw a 38 yard jump-ball to Anquan Boldin; and Boldin made the play.

The Ravens’ playmakers, well, made plays. They caused mismatches. Their individual talent and ability was too much for the defensive players trying to cover them.

Todd Heap ran free across the middle of the field late in the 4th quarter, largely because the secondary was too keyed in on the Ravens three headed WR monster.

The Ravens do not win this game last season. Ray Rice would have been shut down as he was on Monday night, as the Jets, much like the Ravens, shut out mostly every running back.

Derrick Mason would have been held in check by Revis, and Mark Clayton would have not gotten the separation necessary to gain the trust of QB Joe Flacco. Todd Heap would have been bogged down with all the LB’s stacked in the box to stop Ray Rice.

This Ravens team is truly different. The defense, as they showed loud and clear on Monday night, is still there.

But the offense that Ravens fans have been desperately wishing for, now for over a decade, has also arrived.

This offense has playmakers across the board. When all else fails, Joe can let his receivers make a play on the ball.

They did just that on Monday night. As a result, the Ravens are 1-0.

Play this same game a year ago, and the Ravens would be 0-1, heading into a must-win game at Cincinnati.

What a difference a playmaker (or two) makes.

 

Ravens choose Cundiff, but will they regret it?

Over the weekend, the Ravens announced that Billy Cundiff had won the kicking competition, and would be the Ravens placekicker heading into their opening game in New York.

I think it was fairly obvious that although both kickers kicked well during Training Camp and throughout the preseason, Cundiff was at least a small step ahead of Graham. Cundiff was rock solid with his FG’s, but also has been kicking off extremely well. He is showing a leg on kickoffs that he really did not show last season.

It is not a huge surprise that Cundiff is kicking better. This is the first time that he has gone through an entire offseason and Training Camp with a team in quite some time. He has repeatedly said that being in the same system with the same team is a much better environment for consistent success.

When talking to the media yesterday, Cundiff alluded to the fact that before he signed his tender, he wanted to know exactly where he stood with the team. They told him that they were going to sign Shayne Graham to compete with him, but the competition was going to be totally open. It would not be based on the past, but both kickers would be evaluated based on what they did throughout the offseason, during camp, and throughout the preseason.

I think it is fair to say that the organization kept their word. I just question the notion that the competition should have only been about present performance.

Shayne Graham is the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history. I understand that the Ravens need a kicker for 2010; not for 2005 or 2006. That being said, shouldn’t a kicker’s track record play a part in the decision?

Personally, if either of these kickers would go on to struggle during the regular season, I would be more confident that Shayne Graham could rebound. He’s done it before. He’s had consistent success over a period of several years.

The Ravens, as most are well aware of by now, are a legitimate Super Bowl contender; perhaps even the favorites. The last thing they need is a kicking distraction during their run.

Last year, the Ravens were 3-3 after six games, rather than 4-2 or perhaps even 5-1, in large part due to their field goal kicking.

They do not want to have to go through that again. Billy Cundiff will determine whether they do or not.

Looking around the Ravens locker room, it’s almost surreal how many playmakers and big-time guys there really are on this team.

Make no mistake about it: the Ravens are going for it in 2010. They are going full-throttle.

I like Billy Cundiff, and I do think he can be a solid kicker in this league.

But is he good enough to put this team on his back and be the guy at the kicker position on the way to the Super Bowl? I’m not so sure he is – and if the Ravens and Ozzie Newsome can go out and find a Josh Wilson, a TJ Houshmandzadeh, and an Anquan Boldin, why can’t they find a more reliable kicker than someone who last kicked in 16 games all the way back in 2004?

I do not trust Billy Cundiff to handle the pressure of a Super Bowl run; and I’m not as confident with John Harbaugh and Jerry Rosburg making the decision as I should be based on their impeccable Special Teams reputations. Steve Hauschka is too fresh in my mind to completely trust those two guys making the decision.

Should those two men know whether Cundiff can answer the challenge? Should they know if Cundiff has the mental mindset to be able to kick the game-winning kick in Week 7 after missing a key kick in Week 6? Absolutely they should.

But they should have known that about Steve Hauschka as well, especially if they were going to make the decision to jettison Matt Stover in favor of the young kicker.

Ravens fans all across the region know how that decision turned out. Matt Stover haunted the Ravens in more ways than one last season. It was only fitting that he helped end their season last January in Indianapolis.

Hopefully for Ravens fans, not much is said about Billy Cundiff this season. Much like referees and offense linemen, the less talk surrounding a kicker, the better.

 

Cutting ties with Demetrius Williams may hurt Ravens as season unfolds

When the Ravens cut their roster down to 53 players yesterday, they decided to keep six WR’s: Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, Donte Stallworth (out until the BYE week), Mark Clayton, David Reed, and Marcus Smith.

Marcus Smith has developed into a very good Special Teams player, and as Jerry Rosburg has indicated, John Harbaugh, a former Special Teams coach himself, places a very high emphasis on Special Teams.

As I have previously acknowledged regarding David Reed, Ozzie Newsome, Eric Decosta, and the rest of the Ravens talent evaluators obviously saw something that they liked in this guy to take him in the 5th round out of Oklahoma State.

The Ravens do not an abundance of young WR’s who are under contract for a few years, and David Reed fits that bill. He can be developed for a year or two, and perhaps be ready to grab some significant playing time when Derrick Mason retires, or when Mark Clayton and/or Donte Stallworth move on to another team.

While both Marcus Smith and David Reed do bring some positives to the field, some of which I just outlined, I am a bit surprised that the Ravens decided to keep both of them over Demetrius Williams.

Demetrius Williams has been much maligned over the last few years here in Baltimore. Injuries have kept him off the field consistently throughout his time with the Ravens, and the immense talent and upside that he has flashed in Training Camp and in practice just has not carried over into the meaningful games.

Last season, the Ravens were struggling mightily with their WR depth, and Demetrius Williams was seemingly healthy down the stretch. In the Monday night Green Bay game last December, Williams came in and quickly stretched the field, forcing interference penalities and providing Joe Flacco that big, athletic target that he has lacked here in Baltimore.

However, he did not get much playing time after that, and he was virtiually non-existent down the stretch as the Ravens made their playoff push. There was talk that he was in John Harbaugh’s doghouse.

For whatever reason, things have just not worked out with Demetrius over the past few seasons.

All of that being said, Williams once again flashed his potential during Training Camp this yaer, and with Donte Stallworth going down for the first half of the season, the Ravens still do not have that big, down the field target. Williams could have been that guy.

I’ve argued that in a year in which it is basically Super Bowl and bust for the Ravens, the tiebreaker for the close roster decisions should go to the player most likely to help this season.

Should Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, or Anquan Boldin go down early in the season for any length of time, either David Reed or Marcus Smith would be elevated to the #3 WR.

In a year when the Ravens were suppose to feature their most explosive passing attack since the Testaverde days, Demetrius Williams sure could have provided some much needed depth; depth that any legitimate Super Bowl contender, over the course of a 16 game season plus the playoffs, is going to need to play, and also produce.

Hopefully for Ravens fans, David Reed and Marcus Smith can grow up in a hurry. Say what you want about Demetrius Williams, but he has had four years of experience, and he has found some success in spurts throughout his career.

As much promise as the Ravens feel David Reed and Marcus Smith may have down the line, that “down the line” is unlikely to help the Ravens make a run at a Super Bowl this year.

Demetrius Williams could have.

 

Adam Jones needs to get back and finish strong

While Adam Jones is one of the most promising players making up the O’s young, talented core, one thing that he has not done as he wraps up his third season in Baltimore is get through a full season healthy.

After struggling mightily throughout the first several weeks of the 2010 season, Jones has steadily progressed, and his final numbers will look very nice for a third year guy looking to break out and reach his potential.

I was looking forward to seeing Jones continue to progress and improve under Buck Showalter, while at the same time, staying healthy for the duration of the season.

Adam Jones is approaching a very important time, as he will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this off-season. This is the time that the O’s gave Nick Markakis his six year contract prior to the 2009 season.

Earlier this season, Andy MacPhail indicated that he wanted to see Adam play a full season before he made the decision as to whether he would give Jones a long-term deal.

It is very important for Adam to come back soon, and not let this recent injury bug linger through the end of the season.

The potential for Adam Jones to break out and turn into an elite player is definitely there. However, I think it is fairly clear at this point that even if Jones does not reach his full potential, he will at least be an average CF and an asset on this team going forward. Of course, that is banking on him staying healthy and being able to produce day in and day out both at the plate and in the field.

It will be interesting to see how things develop with Jones. Will he sign a long-term deal if he believes he is set to develop into an All Star caliber player? Will Andy MacPhail and Buck Showalter want to commit to Jones if he continues to be banged up, and ends up not having played a full season in three years?

Jones has done a great job overcoming his tough start, and other than his on-base percentage, his numbers will end up very respectable. Next on the list is getting through a full season without a fairly extended absence.

Adam played 132 games in 2008, and 119 in 2009.

He’s at 125 right now. If he can get that into the 145 range, he will have made yet another stride in his young career.

Buck Showalter is observing and evaluating. Adam Jones needs to get back out on the field, and finish 2010 on a strong note as he heads into 2011.

His prospects of being offered a long-term deal may be dependent on it.

 

Showalter proving he’s no push-button manager

Moments after Buck Showalter managed his first game as Orioles skipper on August 3rd, he had this to say regarding the save rule.

“Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better.”

That was in response to Showalter having Mike Gonzalez come in to start the 8th inning and get five outs, only then going to the closer Alfredo Simon to get the final out. Since Simon only faced one hitter with no one on base and a three run lead, he was not credited with a save.

This was quite a change from the “push-botton” managerial style that Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel, not to mention previous managers Sam Perlozzo and Lee Mazzilli, seemed to abide by when they were at the helm.

Trembley would have set, defined bullpen roles, as he believed the pitchers would perform better if they knew precisely what their roles were, and exactly when they should expect to come into the game.

Perlozzo would go to Dannys Baez in the 8th and Chris Ray in the 9th, even if he had a rested Jamie Walker in the ‘pen with three lefties due up that had great splits against right handed pitchers.

I remember a game that I covered on June 27th, when the Orioles defeated the Nationals 4-3. David Hernandez entered in the 8th inning when the game was tied 3-3. Hernandez struck out two batters on a grand total of six pitches. The O’s got a run in the top of the 9th, and Alfredo Simon came in for the save. Fortunately for the Orioles, Simon did go on to earn the save, but I couldn’t figure out why Juan Samuel didn’t leave Hernandez in to finish the game. After all, he clearly had dominating stuff that day, and Alfredo Simon by then was known for taking the team on a roller coaster ride whenever he attempted to close down a game.

I asked Juan at his post-game press conference if he had thought about letting David finish the game. He responded that if the O’s would not have scored, he would have left Hernandez in. But since the Orioles got the lead, he went to Simon.

In other words, it was a save situation, so Juan had to go to his closer; even though his closer was highly unlikely to be as effective as the pitcher he was replacing that had thrown only six pitches.

I wonder what Juan would say to Buck’s above quote. Is it a stretch to say that Juan Samuel’s actions indicated he was more concerned about the save rule than the win rule?

Luckily for everyone who wants the Orioles to succeed and win some ballgames, Buck Showalter has provided a stark contrast to those previous managers. He further supported that notion last night when he went to his closer in the 8th inning, calling on Koji Uehara to get 5 outs to end the game.

When asked about his decision, Buck responded with another gem for those against bullpen roles..

“I’ve been telling you all along, it may not be conventional, but it gives the Orioles the best chance to win there.”

Once again, Buck mentions winning. All this man cares about is winning games. Win, win, win.

Showalter also used Julio Lugo earlier in the season in LF when he wanted to get as many right handed hitters in the lineup as possible.

Lugo had two of the Orioles’ three hits that day.

That was an out of the box idea. It was unconventional. But he thought it was in the best interest of the Orioles – and he did it.

This guy gets it.