The Ravens have yet to beat a team with a winning record, losing close games to the Steelers and Titans and getting blown out at Indianapolis. Still, they're 6-3 with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, and they're rounding into competitive form.
Matter of fact, they put 41 up on the road at Houston this week, despite Bill Simmons trying to curse them by putting them fourth in his latest power rankings.
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blablahhblah Hey, you don't HAVE to look like Brady or Manning to win. spacer
The fact is that Simmons is likely right. The Ravens are built to win in cold weather, with a three-headed rushing attack combining the bruising former fullback, LeRon McClain, with slashers Willis McGahee and Ray Rice. All three have own games this season pretty much on their own, and none are showing signs of slowing down at all. New fullback Lorenzo Neal has been overlooked, but Cam Cameron hasn't even needed him on the field in all rushing situations. The line, thought to be highly suspect prior to the season, has come together nicely.
People want to point to Flacco as a rookie who just seems to get it relatively quickly, but all credit goes to Cam Cameron. The "Suggs Package", where Flacco and Troy Smith are on the field at the same time has worked wonderfully so far, with Troy Smith rushing for a first down on an option play and throwing a TD on a waggle later in the game to clinch the win. Flacco is getting decent protection and Derrick Mason is running perfect routes. Flacco is making good decisions and throwing the ball accurately, but I put the credit with Cam Cameron for giving the rookie easy to control situations.
blhblblah I am naming my firstborn son or daughter Cam if we win 10 games.Oh yeah, and they still play defense. The team sorely missed Trevor Pryce last year, and it's showing now with him present. Pryce and Haloti Ngata are eating up four linemen by themselves, much as Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams did for the Ravens' 2000 championship run. This defense is not as strong as that one - just look at the corners - but this offense is better than that one too.
The similarities are eerie, really, with a two-headed rushing attack, crushing fullback, great run defense apparently led by a ridiculous linebacking corps but secretly fueled by a dominant defensive line, and a quarterback who doesn't turn it over and takes the easy stuff. I'm not saying this team will win a championship, but this is a vacuum season much like in 2000, where no team is truly dominant. Actually, in 2000 the Titans were the team to beat, much like this year.
All that being said, we find out next week. The Ravens travel to the Meadowlands to face the reigning champion Giants. If we're going to draw comparisons to 2000, a big win over the G-Men would go a long way. If it happens, the Ravens are going to have to be taken seriously.
3 Responses:
I would give anything to be the one to wax Flacco's eyebrows.
Maybe I can call the local radio station and get that contest cooking.
I have to say, I'm really, really happy with my boys this year. I mean, it isn't too difficult to be better than last year's team, and it would be really hard to be as good as the team the year before that (13-3, right?). I'll be happy if we end up above .500, especially with the nasty NFC East coming down the turnpike. We have a ton of talent that is spread out from seasoned and grizzled vets to wide-eyed rooks who haven't tapped their full potential yet.
Honestly, though, I'm just glad I don't have to see no. 8 out there again. I don't care how far you can throw the ball on your knees, Kyle, just go away.
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