The ravens

anyone else on the raven bandwagon - superbowl here we come- tough 1st game vs the bengals tonight - im a nervous wreck

Can Carson Palmer carve up this Ravens’ defense?
Palmer can carve up any defense through the air, but this week will be a steep challenge. If the Bengals can run the football and stay balanced, Palmer could have a very good day. If Cincinnati’s running game falters, Baltimore will attack him without mercy from every angle imaginable. Palmer is resilient though and his outstanding pair of wide receivers should find matchups to their liking. But all of this is assuming the Bengals’ offensive line can pass protect.

Ravens CB Samari Rolle is past his prime and is now the glaring weak link of this pass defense. Cincinnati obviously knows this and will go his direction repeatedly. Regardless if Rolle is matched up against T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Chad Johnson, it will not make a big difference to Palmer. Rolle will still be the target. We expect Rolle to usually draw the assignment of slowing down Houshmandzadeh, who is very crafty and a crisp route runner. Plus, he can play physical and has sticky reliable hands.

This is a game where suspended WR Chris Henry will be missed, as the Ravens’ secondary depth is a bit suspect. Cincinnati will still use multiple receiver sets, with Tab Perry filling in for Henry, but the drop off from Henry to Perry is significant. It won’t be a walk in the park, but the Ravens can be had through the air.

Will Baltimore’s offense look different this season?
Somewhat. Brian Billick will not differ his play calling a great deal and Steve McNair still will be a caretaker quarterback who would prefer to check down rather than force a risky throw downfield, but there will be changes. Billick realizes his team’s strength, which is clearly the defense. Therefore, he isn’t going to call for a lot of high-risk plays that could compromise the defense. That being said, McNair is now in his second year in the offense and his weapons and offensive line should be superior to last season. Todd Heap is a great tight end who should control the middle of the field. Mark Clayton should be improved, but in this matchup, he will probably draw coverage from future star CB Johnathan Joseph, which favors Cincinnati. Derrick Mason is on the decline, but is still a viable option to move the chains.

There are two areas of the passing game which should be distinctly different though. Ravens’ No. 3 WR Demetrius Williams is an angular deep threat who is capable of making big plays and loosening up coverage for Baltimore’s underneath threats. Heap, in particular, could benefit from the threat that Williams provides.

Expect the Ravens to use more three-receiver sets in this matchup and during the entire season than they did in previous years. The other difference will be RB Willis McGahee and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. McGahee is not the type of back who will line up wide and beat defensive backs with his route running, but he is very effective in the flats as a check down option, which is right up the Ravens’ alley. The combination of Heap and McGahee will challenge Cincinnati’s linebacking corps quite a bit.

Will Cincinnati be able to run the football?
Don’t bet on it. With their offensive line, along with TE Reggie Kelly and FB Jeremi Johnson, the Bengals have a fine group of run blockers. The problem is who they will be attempting to block. The Ravens have a supreme run defense. It all starts up front with defensive tackles Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg, who are vastly underrated and amongst the best pair in the league. Moving them off the line of scrimmage will prove to be very difficult and occupying those two will require all three of Cincinnati’s interior offensive linemen. That is great news for Ray Lewis and Bart Scott, two ferocious linebackers who flow to the ball with aggression and violence. No one reads running plays as well as Lewis and Scott has really come into his own as one of the best and most versatile players at his position.

While many people are excited about Bengals’ RB Rudi Johnson this year, there should also be a concern that his best days might be behind him. He has withstood an awful lot of punishment over the past few years and Cincinnati clearly felt that they needed another ball carrier when they selected Kenny Irons with their second-round pick. Now that Irons is out for the season, Johnson will be asked to do more than ever. Do not be surprised if the Bengals abandon their running game as early as the beginning of the second half.

This will be an outstanding football game in the national spotlight. These teams do not like each other. Adrenaline and tempers will be running high in “The Jungle” on Monday night. Baltimore’s offensive line struggled quite a bit this preseason and All Pro LT Jonathan Ogden is still hampered by a toe injury. Baltimore needs him to start and play well, as they are also grooming a new starter on the right side. If Ogden cannot go, that might sway our opinion, but we like Baltimore to win a very close game on the road. They are the more physical football team and their defense is better than the Bengals’ offense. Do not be surprised if this game goes to overtime.

San Diego Chargers have a rotten schedule this year but having examined the strengths and weaknesses of all teams in serious depth, and not at all merely relied on a throw-away comment made by a guy called Steve from San Diego that I was chatting to at a christening recently, I believe they should build on last year’s progress and go on and win the Super Bowl now that Norv Turner has taken over as coach and with LT rushing like nobody’s ever rushed before and the very capable Philip Rivers as QB.

The Chargers were blessed against my beloved Bears on Sunday. 2 turnovers resulted in 2 TDs for SD…the Chargers had not scored up til 3 mins from the end of Q3.

Bring on the Chiefs at Soldier Field next Sunday

Commisserations on the result last night Raven

not too worry - still ironing out flaws - first away game of the season wasnt expecting much- judge us in a months time

Yesssssszzz

1 Like