Second helping of last night's crow

Some more thoughts following last night's loss to the Steelers.

Haloti Ngata now has two of the more memorable interceptions in Ravens history. First there was the pick during his rookie year, the one where he lumbered about 60 yards toward the end zone, falling short at the end when he ran out of gas. And Ngata's interception last night was a gasser. Even Big Ben was laughing.

Kelly Gregg didn't play again last night. Not surprising:

"In other news, I spent a decent portion of this weekend with someone very close to Kelly Gregg. There is a very good chance he'll be placed on IR. The team should know within 7-10 days, but it's not looking good. Not looking good at all. I'll get an update on Kelly Gregg later this week, and once I sober up I'll share that with y'all."

I realize now that I owe y'all an update. I just sent my contact at text message to see what's what. If I hear back, I'll probably do a separate post. A Kelly Gregg special. Yesssir.

Tough luck keeps getting doled out to Willis McGahee. Big Willie Style returned from offseason surgery only to sit on the bench for all of week one's victory against the Bengals, and then in week three against the Browns he gets poked in the eye. Last night McGahee took a nasty shot to the knee, courtesy of Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith. Big Willie Style left the game before halftime, and who knows when he will return. The Ravens have some depth at the position, so it's not a huge blow immediately, but as the season wears on and on and on and on and on, for 14 weeks without a bye, it would be nice to have another warm body in the backfield.

The Joe Flacco Show experienced its first touchdown pass last night. Congratulations to the entire production. Hopefully your run on Broadway in Baltimore continues for many, many years. I'm sorry for doubting you, Joe. I'm not going to doubt you any more. I reserve the right to doubt you in the future. I'm a believer. Waiting for Next Year, though, has its doubts: The solid Cleveland sports blog wonders whether it's all a giant flash in the pan?

Coaches don't get fired for electing to receive

The Ravens should have gone for two. I said it last night, even before the Ravens hit 19 on the scoreboard, and of course today my opinion remains unchanged. Why leave it up to a coin toss, which even if you win, which of course we did, doesn't do anything about the fact that you've got a rookie QB on the road? Punch it in, right then and there. End it and get the hell back to Baltimore.

I hate overtime games. Especially the coin toss. As a Ravens fan specifically, it's lose-lose. Even if you win the coin toss, truth is you'd probably rather see the defense on the field anyway. Pin the other team at its twenty and let the defense make plays. But instead you win the coin toss and elect to receive, because coaches don't get fired for doing that, and then you watch the offense go three-and-out and give the other team good field position. And of course if you lose the coin toss, well, then you lose, even if deep down everyone in purple knows that's a win. How's that for confusing? Maybe I shouldn't drink so many Jagerbombs on a Monday night.

Side note: Did anyone else think the Ravens should have challenged the incomplete-pass that could have been a TD in the first half? Uh huh. OK.

Joe Flacco, on the road, turning the ball over, gift-wrapping a TD for the principal adversaries. Welcome to the NFL, kid.

Flaccco: "Before I could throw the ball, I was getting hit. I just have to take care of the ball. If we take care of the ball there, it's a different story. I'll learn from this."

If, if, if.

If Flacco didn't fumble. If the Ravens went for the two-point conversion. If John Harbaugh threw the red flag.

Ravens-Steelers caption contest

Win a free copy of "Iron Man" on DVD. You gotta enter in the Yard, though. Comments left on here will be ignored. Well, I'll read 'em, but I won't send you a free movie. I probably won't even laugh. Yeah, that's right. You're not funny. See, it's like reverse psychology or something like that. Now get your a$$ over to the Yard and prove me wrong. Twenty-five winners will receive a free copy of "Iron Man" on DVD. For what it's worth, I've never seen the movie. Not a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr. When it comes to Iron Man, I prefer Tony Starks.

Remember last year?

The Steelers scored three TDs in about 45 seconds. With Brian Billick in charge of an inept offense, the game cemented itself in Ravens lore as the quickest game in the history of Baltimore football. It was over before the end of your first beer. What a terrible embarrassment.

This year can be no worse. That's because this year the Ravens have already outperformed my expectations. I figured they'd win maybe one game in the division, and already they're 2-0. So while normally I'd be somewhat nerve-wracked going into tonight's game, today I'm not stressed. Whatever happens, happens. Hopefully it lasts more than 45 seconds, but if not there's always Phil Collins.

Behind Enemy Lines: Steelers/Ravens

Don Spagnolo over at Mondesi's House brings you this week's Ravens/Steelers preview. You can read my thoughts on the game over on his website. Enjoy. I'll get at you when I get at you. Until then, stay solid. Go Ravens.

- Dewey

Ravens fans, I must be brutally honest with you: when looking at the schedule, I had no idea that this game would be anywhere near as important as it appears to be. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Steelers and Ravens have played some memorable games, especially of the Monday night variety, in the past decade. And unlike our little relationship with Cleveland, this rivalry is not so one-sided, unless Steeler fans have forgotten the 27-0 and 31-7 pastings at the hands of Team Billick in 2006 that made Sunday's Steeler offensive line play look like an All-Pro performance by comparison.

That being said, I'm sure the Ravens would like to settle the score with many a Steeler for last year's 38-7 humiliation on MNF that basically made James Harrison a member of the Pro Bowl squad. Many of those involved in the Steeler victory were not present for the Week 17 rematch due to injury or the upcoming playoffs, including Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Troy Polamalu, and Hines Ward to name a few. But it's pretty safe to say that Bart Scott hasn't forgotten that little detail and is looking forward to Monday night's contest.



The major storyline of this game, other than the pure hatred on both sides, the pomp and pageantry of Monday Night Football, and the fact that first place is on the line, is injuries. There are plenty of them on the Steeler side, most notably RB Willie Parker, NT Casey Hampton, and DE Brett Keisel, who will all be absent on Monday. In addition to that troika, Polamalu (quad), CB Deshea Townsend (heel), LB LaMarr Woodley (hamstring), and LB Donovan Woods (hamstring) are also nursing boo-boos, to say nothing for Roethlisberger, who's lucky to be standing upright at this point after the pounding he took on Sunday.

Another storyline worth mentioning is the first career start of rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall, who steps in for the injured Parker on Monday. Mendenhall, who fumbled thrice in the preseason, has carried the ball just 10 times this season, all coming in the week one blowout of Houston. How Mendenhall performs will be greatly dictated by the porous Steeler offensive line, which has allowed Roethlisberger to resemble a human tackling dummy through the first three games. I'm sure the Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewises and Ed Reeds of the world are salivating at facing a Steeler offense coming out at anything less than 100%.

When they are 100%, the Steelers have a group of skill-position players among the best in the league; Roethlisberger is among the NFL's truly elite passers, Parker has established himself as a franchise back, Ward's reputation is well-known among Ravens faithful, and Santonio Holmes is capable of making a big-play at any point in the game. Unfortunately, their talents are negated if the offensive line can't give them time, and that facet of the contest will probably decide the outcome of this game. And if offensive coordinator Bruce Arians doesn't get better at in-game adjustments based on the looks of the defense, he might want to start researching other lines of work.

On the other side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how Joe Flacco reacts to the first real defense he'll face as a pro, albeit one without Hampton and Keisel. Flacco is not thought of in the highest regard after he bailed on the Pitt Panthers a few years ago once he lost the starting QB job to Tyler Palko, so needless to say, quite a few local football fans are surprised to now see him quarterbacking our division rival while Palko is now relegated to showcasing his wares in front of the Broncos on a September afternoon. Flacco has already managed to earn the "game manager" label by no less an authority than Mike Tomlin himself, so we'll see if he can throw for a third-consecutive 129-yard game in a hostile environment.

The banged-up Polamalu has had an inspiring start to his season after an injury-plagued 2007. Woodley, who's also injured to some degree, is the newest Steeler LB that I'm sure you'll come to loathe in the near future. And I believe you're now quite familiar with Mr. Harrison. But the defense as a whole has performed well so far. The only complaints are some annoying third-down conversions they've allowed, but all in all, it's been a strong unit. The team has only allowed 38 points in three games, and that's counting two on a Roethlisberger safety last week. So in reality, the defense is averaging an allowance of 12 points per game, which ought to be looked at as a positive. The only teams better are the Titans (9.6) and the Ravens (10), so don't be surprised if this turns into a defensive slugfest. Hopefully we won't have any Byron Leftwich appearances.

If nothing else, this game will be a barometer of where these teams really are at this point in the season. The Steelers' 2008 campaign has been a bit of a roller-coaster, while the Ravens have experienced nothing but wins. There is one common theme, though: neither franchise has beaten a team that's won a game. Sure, the Ravens have a half-game lead in the division, but I'm not really confident that they would've fared much better against McNabb and Co. on Sunday. I guess we'll definitively find out on November 23 when the two teams do battle.

We now come to the prediction portion of the preview, and that's where I am sure to fail. I stand at 0-2 lifetime when picking games for these "behind enemy lines"-style previews, so take this for what it's worth: Steelers 17, Ravens 10. And don't stray too far from your set, because the lumber will be laid, on both sides of the ball.

How well do you know the Baltimore Ravens?

Saw this Ravens quiz on Yardbarker. Ten questions, multiple choice, zero Kyle Boller.

Mondesi's House and MNF

This week's Ravens/Steelers preview on Blogimore Ravens will be written by Don Spagnolo from Mondesi's House, which is a Pittsburgh-area sports blog. I'm sure he's cool and all, except for the fact that he cheers for the Steelers, which means he totally sucks. Flip flop. Nah, I'm just playin', yo. I'm sure homeboy's a cool dude, evidenced by the fact that he's going to let me publish a Ravens/Steelers preview on his site. Both should appear on Friday.

I've been reading Mondesi's on and off for the past year or so, and I've never once bothered to figure out why the hell it's called Mondesi's House. But I figured if I'm going to let Don publish on Blogimore, I should at least look into it. Fortunately his site has an FAQ. I'd have an FAQ, but none of y'all ask any questions. Besides, if you asked me how I got the name Blogimore Ravens, well, I'd have to come to the conclusion that you're about as dumb as Ben Roethlisberger a bag of rocks.

Why in the hell is a Pittsburgh sports blog named Mondesi's House?

I was inspired by Raul Mondesi, an outfielder who the Pirates signed for the 2004 season. He would play just 26 games in a Pirate uniform, due to one of the most incredible/ridiculous stories one will ever hear from an athlete.

Just a month into the 2004 campaign, Mondesi told the Pirates that he was the victim of an extortion plot by former hitting instructor Mario Guerrero and that his family in the Dominican Republic was in danger, claiming that he would have to leave and may never play baseball again.

The Pirates allowed Mondesi to return home during the season but quickly grew tired/skeptical of his story and ultimately released him a week later. With his life fully in order, Mondesi signed a contract a mere 10 days later with Anaheim, a deal that was quickly investigated by Major League Baseball due to the questionable circumstances.

Shortly after he signed with the Angels, he tore his quad (karma?) and was placed on the DL. He was released by the Angels in July of '04 for not showing up for his rehab therapy.

Atlanta arrogantly signed Mondesi as a reclamation project in 2005 and proved once and for all that he was at the end of the line, appearing in just 41 games and producing 4 HR that season.

From a comedic point of view, I considered it the most ingenious maneuver ever as far as getting out from under a McClatchy/Nutting-Era Pirate contract. And considering I started the site in the midst of some of the worst Pirate baseball ever seen, I thought it would serve as the backdrop for the site's style, meshing serious Pittsburgh sports talk with a heavy dose of comedy and sarcasm. And FYI, Raul Mondesi is in no way affiliated with the site.

Steve McNair autographed mini-helmet (aka Yaaaaaaaaaaawn)

About two years ago I signed up for some MasterCard plastic from Bank of America. It was one of those Ravens credit cards, and I'm not going to lie: I chose it because it came with a free autographed mini-helmet of Steve McNair. This was before Steve's first season with the team. I needed a new credit card anyway, so I never really lost any sleep when the helmet never arrived.

But here we are, more than two years later, and after a weekend in Vegas, I came home to find this in my mailbox. Actually, I don't have a mailbox. And it wasn't even in my mail slot. It was just kinda sitting on the front steps of my apartment building. Just chilling. Totally immobile. Sorta like McNair himself.

Why the hell would I want this thing now? To be honest, I'd trade this thing for a single beer.

First place, yo!

I've been in Vegas all weekend, trapped in debauchery and swimming in the saucy goodness of sin. I missed most of the game today, partly because I suck but mostly because, well, I suck. Yeah, that's it. I suck. I really had no other choice. I'm sitting at the airport now, tortured by the beep-beep-beep-f$cking-beep of slot machines.

It sounds like Dawan Landry is OK. That's great news.

In other news, I spent a decent portion of this weekend with someone very close to Kelly Gregg. There is a very good chance he'll be placed on IR. The team should know within 7-10 days, but it's not looking good. Not looking good at all. I'll get an update on Kelly Gregg later this week, and once I sober up I'll share that with y'all.

First place... yesssir!

Tale of the Tape: Browns & B'more

Quarterback: Joe Flacco had a nice debut, but it's clear that Derek Anderson is the more experienced QB. I don't even want to entertain the thought of what's possible if Flacco goes down with an injury. Boller is out for the year. Troy Smith still can't play because of severely infected tonsils. Todd Bouman? Dude's been on the team for like 20 minutes. He's a journeyman who hasn't done anything in years. Flacco is Baltimore's only hope, and even that's thin ice. Flacco displayed the potential for greatness two weekends ago, but let's not forget that he's bound to have his fair share of disastrous performances. Let's just hope the rook's general momentum is headed forward in a positive way.

Running back: Jamal Lewis is the prototypical Baltimore back. He's a bruiser who needs to carry the ball at least 15 times to be effective. He breaks down the D and gets his big yards in the second half. Unfortunately, that strategy isn't likely to work against Baltimore, his former team, which is too strong against the run. Cleveland's run defense improved with the offseason acquisition of defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, but Baltimore's run game looks rejuvenated, thanks to Cam Cameron, who utilized rookie Ray Rice and also fullbacks Lorenzo Neal and especially Le'Ron McLain. Week three should see the return of veteran Willis McGahee. Expect Baltimore to run the ball early and often. The Ravens have the running backs and fullbacks necessary for success, but the offensive line will have to play at a high level, which it did in the team's debut against Cincy.

Offensive line: Baltimore's O-line outperformed my expectations in the team's season opener. Cleveland bolstered its D-line with the offseason addition of Shaun Rogers, which makes this year's Browns team more challenging than last year's team. I'll be interested to see if the Ravens are up to the task. For Cleveland, franchise left tackle Joe Thomas was absolutely the correct choice instead of Brady Quinn. Entering his second season, Thomas is already a beast. He's a Pro Bowl talent who will continue to get better. Fortunately Baltimore's D is Beast Mode.

Wide receivers and tight end: No question. The Browns absolutely have the advantage here. Kellen Winslow. Braylon Edwards. Baltimore can't compare. Todd Heap is either injured or washed up. But he's not longer worthy of the HEEEEEEEEEEEEEAP. Baltimore's wide receivers are above average on a good day, and below average on most of 'em. They're never outstanding.

Defensive line: Cleveland added Shaun Rogers, but Baltimore easily has the better D-line. Haloti Ngata. Kelly Gregg. Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs blasting through off the ends. Joe Thomas will have his hands full. So will Brady Quinn. It's imperative that Baltimore gets all up in Anderson's grill. If they don't, our secondary could be exposed. We can't expect our guys to match-up all day one-on-one with Edwards and Winslow, the latter of whom could chew apart a linebacker in coverage.

Defensive secondary: I'm most interested in seeing what Fabian Washington brings to the table. The Ravens traded a fourth-round pick to secure Washington from the Oakland Raiders, where he had been a first-round selection after being the fastest man at his respective NFL Combine. He was criticized for poor tackling while with the silver and black, but maybe he just needed a change of scenery. I spent some time in the offseason with Fabian's roommate with the Raiders: CB Stanford Routt agreed that Washington would thrive with a change of scenery. The guy has skills. Let's see 'em on the field. Our secondary doesn't have a ton of room for error. Samari Rolle is an injury risk and he's also getting older. Oh yeah, one more thing: I love the special-teams guys we picked up: Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski. These guys were expected to contribute mostly on special teams, but Zbikowski is already seeing action in certain packages.

Special teams: They have Joshua Cribbs. We don't.

Kicking game and coaching: We have Matt Stover. They don't. We also don't have Brian Billick. How awesome is that?

Ravens and Texans lose bye week

The game originally scheduled for this weekend has been rescheduled for November 9, which until today was Baltimore's bye week.

Baltimore loses its bye week, as does Houston. I guess you could consider this weekend a bye for the Ravens and Texans, but none of the players enjoyed any of the benefits of a bye week. Especially the Houston Texans.

Houston's bye had been scheduled for November 26, but now on that date they'll play the Cincinnati Bengals, the team they were supposed to play on November 9.

For more on Hurricane Ike, check out the Weather Channel's Hurricane Ike storm tracker.

Update on Ravens/Texans; significant death toll in Galveston

Reliable Carroll County Times beat reporter Aaron Wilson posted this on the Scout.com Ravens forums.

"Guys, they haven't reported this yet, but there is a significant death toll in Galveston, I'm told by reporters in Houston. It would look pretty ghoulish on the NFL's part to play this game anywhere. Also, the Texans may not be able to travel. Several players' homes are without power. I know some reporters are unable to vacate their homes because their cars are stuck in their garages. There is no power and the Texans have nowhere to practice today or Sunday. I seriously doubt they will play this week."

Reliant Stadium damaged; Ravens/Texans postponed again

Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans: originally scheduled for Sunday; rescheduled for Monday; postponed again because of damage done to Reliant Stadium. There will be a conference call between the teams and the league at 4pm ET today.

Hurricane Ike shattered the windows at the top of JP Morgan Chase Tower, which is 75 stories.

More than four million people are without power.

Forty percent of Galveston's nearly 60,000 residents did not evacuate.

Curfews are in place.

See photos and read more about Hurricane Ike.

Football Reporters Online radio show with Blogimore

Last night I co-hosted Football Reporters Online's weekly radio show. Looks like I'll be doing this weekly. It's an hour long. We talked about the New York Jets, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and of course your Baltimore Ravens. Oh yeah, and the Tennessee Titans.

Getcha popcorn ready!

Why watch division rivals Philadelphia and Dallas when instead you could be watching the Baltimore Ravens play the Houston Texans?

Sunday afternoon's game between the Texans and Ravens has been rescheduled for Monday night at 8:30 p.m. (ET) because of Hurricane Ike, which already forced the postponement of Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown, originally scheduled for last night in Hollywood, Florida.

No word yet on whether or not this game will be available on Sunday Ticket. If it's not, I will personally kick Hurricane Ike's a$$. That would be some ish.

The Ravens are slated to fly to Houston on Sunday night, but keep in mind that if the storm damages Reliant Stadium, the schedule could be changed again. There are serious bye-week implications real-world issues at stake, so let's try not to get too caught up in the fact that the Ravens and Texans may be unfairly inconvenienced by this pesky and pending natural disaster. If the team loses its bye week, so be it. Worse things could happen. Like living in Cleveland.

Severe weather screws up my Sunday drinking plans

I have it on good authority that the Baltimore Ravens/Houston Texans game will be rescheduled due to scary weather. My guess is that it'll be played on Monday night. Currently it is scheduled for 4pm ET on Sunday. There will be an announcement later today.

Mario Williams & DeMeco Ryans vs. The Joe Flacco Show

Today I watched a replay of last weekend's game between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It took only 30 minutes. All of the B.S. was cut out, and it was just play after play after play after... whoops, another Matt Schaub interception!

Ravens O vs. Houston D: The best defenders on the Texans are DE Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans. Against the Steelers, both Williams and Ryans showed up to play, even if the rest of the defense did not. Willie Parker ran wild, and Big Ben had all the time in the world, but Williams capitalized when the Steelers O-line got sloppy. Super Mario finished the day with two sacks and one forced fumble, which he stripped beautifully out of Big Ben's hands. The fumble was returned by Ryans, who labored slowly down the field, not entirely unlike when Haloti Ngata ran out of gas last season in the red zone after recovering a fumble.

The Ravens will need to keep a close eye on Super Mario, but even if the O-line plays as well as it did last week, smart money says Williams slips through the cracks at least once. Joe Flacco is a big boy, but he's no bigger than Big Ben, and he's certainly less experienced. When Flacco takes a shot from Williams, he's going to need to hold onto the football. Don't be surprised to see a Flacco fumble courtesy of Mario Williams. Flacco played well in his debut, but let's not kid ourselves: He's a rookie.

Houston's defensive secondary was unimpressive, which puts them right on par with Baltimore's air attack. (Todd Heap, please catch the ball.) Baltimore should keep the ball on the ground. Run, run, run. Pound, pound, pound. Repeat as necessary. Tire out the defense, and then let Flacco take some shots downfield. There's no need to make him a sitting duck earlier than necessary.

Houston O vs. Ravens D: The Houston Texans are in for a world of hurt this weekend. Houston's offensive line looks weak, and QB Matt Schaub's ability to make plays under pressure is suspect. Early on against the Steelers he was able to check-down and find an open receiver for a short gain at the last minute. But as the game wore on, Schaub showed his true colors, throwing two picks directly into the hands of Pittsburgh defenders. Schaub's O-line was leaky, and he panicked under pressure. Rex Ryan must be chomping at the bit. Baltimore's defensive secondary gets a boost with the return of CB Fabian Washington, who was suspended for the team's first game because of disciplinary issues with the league (read: weed). The defensive secondary will need all of the help it can get. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is every bit as good as Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Blogimore's podcast with Football Reporters Online

Dr. Football of Football Reporters Online conducts a weekly podcast, and Blogimore is involved. The show posted above was conducted last week, so it's old, but if you want to check it out, I get started at the 33:00 mark. We talk about the Baltimore Ravens and also the Oakland Raiders.

The next show is this Thursday. You can listen to it live at Blog Talk Radio (9pm ET; call-in #: 646-200-3472). I'll post the show whenever it's available. Thursday or Friday. I won't be as far behind the timing curve as I was this week. The embed code and the Internets and the what where huh? Computers confuse me.

Underdogs to the Texans?

Baltimore (+4.5) at Houston.

Five reasons why the Ravens are underdogs to the Texans.

1) Houston's stadium is loud, loud, loud.

2) Joe Flacco had a nice debut, he's still a rook.

3) Historically the Texans have played the Ravens tough. Granted, they've played only twice (with the Ravens winning both games) but the total margin of victory for the Ravens is five points (23-19 in 2002; 16-15 in 2005).

4) Andre Johnson is healthy.

5) Steve Slaton?

What's next for Willis McGahee?

The company line was that Willis McGahee didn't play on Sunday because there were concerns about his conditioning. Homeboy may or may not have slacked-off during the offseason, but he definitely showed up to camp a few pounds overweight and a few yards shy of 100 percent.

But I think McGahee riding the pine had nothing to do with his current conditioning, and everything to do with coach John Harbaugh wanting to send a message: Don't put yourself before the team.

You hear that, Willis? That's why we're talking 'bout. Stop being so selfish, and start being a professional. When you play for the Baltimore Ravens, that's a job you take pride in 365 days a year. That's the message that you're going to get when your head coach spent a decade coaching special teams.

If it truly had been a conditioning issue, then Willis would have gotten at least a few carries. But he got zero. He never even saw the field. Harbaugh benched Willis without saying it publicly. Which is cool. I guess. Personally, I'd prefer Harbaugh to man-up and be honest about his motivation. But I suppose you can't discipline players for skipping "voluntary" workouts. If you started doing that, Gene Upshaw would turn over in his grave.

What's next for Willis McGahee?
Rookie Ray Rice played well, but I expect to see Willis get the majority of carries next week versus Houston. Rice should still get his fair share, though, and I'm interested to see what happens with Le'Ron McLain and potentially Lorenzo Neal. That's a crowded backfield right there. Cam Cameron takes convention and puts it in the blender. Chopped and screwed. Houston style.

Time machine: Gerome Sapp not arrested

Get in your time machine and set the dial for January 1, 2008. That's the day I reported on former Ravens safety Gerome Sapp being arrested for assaulting his former teammate Joe Maese. Turns out I had my facts wrong. Mostly because I'm not savvy with searching public databases and/or dealing with the associated legal mumbo jumbo. An incident did occur, and both parties (i.e. Maese and Sapp) filed complaints; however, no arrest was made.

The reason I know this is because a few weeks ago I received an email from Shawn Smith, who works for X-A-M Sports & Entertainment, which represents Sapp.

"Hello Dewey, we represent Gerome Sapp and noticed that your website contains inaccurate information regarding Mr. Sapp (see the following link http://blogimoreravens.com/2008/01/gerome-sapp-arrested-for-assault.html). Mr. Sapp was never arrested regarding this matter, and the matter has subsequently been dismissed. Please kindly remove this item as it is erroneous. Thank you in advance."

My bad.

I responded to Smith asking for confirmation regarding exactly what occurred. I never heard back from him. I wonder if that's because his client isn't completely without guilt? Don't you love that question mark there, that "wondering" of mine? I can seed your mind with doubt without actually writing that I think he's guilty (of something). My mastery of words never ceases to amaze me. I'm awesome. Sort of like Joe Flacco. But shorter and with a degree from a better school. Villanova, represent. Wildcats, baby.

[Dewey's ego: Exit stage left.]

Smith never replied, but I followed up with my contact who works for the Ravens. That person had this to say: "No arrest. Both filed complaints. Nothing came of it."

Blogimore featured in Baltimore Sun

Last week the Baltimore Sun featured an article on Ravens bloggers. Thanks to Ravens Gab for sending me the link. The Sun's Blogimore summary: "Long on attitude and humor, shorter on insights."

Here's an insight for you. Actually, it's more of a suggestion. Learn how to use links. Step up your game from Bush League to the B-Team. There's my trademark attitude. Rearing its ugly head again. Frankly, I don't really care about link love, but generally speaking bloggers get a little huffy about those sorts of things. Something to do with decency, common sense and respect. None of which I have.

Ozzie been iced-out like who the f*** need Billick?

Last September I was one of the very first to call for Brian Billick's head, and I didn't let my foot off the gas until he was eventually fired. Sometimes I'm right. More often than not, though, I am wrong.

That's just how I roll. Yesssir.

I was in NYC for April's NFL Draft, and when Ozzie traded up to select Joe Flacco, I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry myself to sleep. Or as my boy Pelechati would say, "Go dark." A few days later, I put Flacco smack-dab at the bottom of my Baltimore QB Power Rankings. Then less than a week ago, I suggested that Ozzie may be on the hot seat.

Don't get my wrong. I don't think one good game from a rookie erases a decade-plus of ineptitude on offense; however, there are plenty of bright spots to suggest that Ozzie & Co. are on the slow track to success following Billick's offseason departure, not the least of which is Cam Cameron's potential. For once I had some confidence in our offense, and if it weren't for some drops by his receivers, Flacco's numbers may have looked halfway decent as opposed to pedestrian.

Ozzie Newsome, I am sorry for doubting you.

Joe Flacco, I'm not sorry for refusing to blindly support you out of the gate; however, I'm jumping on the bandwagon right now. My previous grandstanding on behalf of Troy Smith is done and done, and I'm now wacko for Flacco. I'm sure you'll have plenty of terrible games down the road, but what I saw yesterday was enough to convince me that you have a chance to be a great quarterback in this league.


In Oz We Trust.

PS: If you don't get The Game reference in the title of this blog post, do yourself a favor and pick up his new album. Then listen to "Money," but not before doing your homework on Jacob the Jeweler. Whaddyaknow. Here's the video for "Money," by The Game.

Le'Ron McLain is a beast

Football is back. And so is beer at ten in the morning. Great game today from the Baltimore Ravens, which picked apart Cincy en route to a 17-10 victory. Also, I have NFL Sunday ticket this season. So no more watching the games without sound at the bar.

Baltimore's D/ST: Haloti Ngata, Bart Scott and Ray Lewis stuffed a crucial 4th-and-1 with less than eight minutes to go. And it wasn't the only crucial fourth-down stop. With three minutes to go in the third quarter, Baltimore put the breaks on a fourth-down Cincy pass play. Overall, the run defense was way too solid. So was the pass defense. First five Cincy possessions = four punts and one INT. Baltimore held Carson Palmer to a career-low passer rating. Yamon Figurs had a punt-return TD called back due to a penalty, but sloppy blocking reared its ugly head early and often last year. Today it was nearly non-existent. And although the penalty was legit, it wasn't a total mental collapse. That call could have gone either way.

Baltimore's O: Cam Cameron didn't play scared. He incorporated a no-huddle offense, which Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell were unable to do in Washington's opener against the Giants, and he also incorporated a diverse running game, including a double-reverse and a heavy dose of fullbacks, mostly Le'Ron McLain. I suppose there could have been better clock management. Three timeouts burned early in the second half, although you've got to give him and the team the benefit of the doubt. With a rookie under center, you can't expect everything to go smoothly, and frankly you should be happy if anything goes smoothly. With more than 20 minutes T.O.P. in the second half, there wasn't much about which to complain.

Chris McAlister: He had one pick and one fumble recovery, but two pass-interference penalties on the same drive near the end of the first half eventually translated into three points for Cincy.

Joe Flacco: The rookie laid down not one but two blocks on Mark Clayton's double-reverse 42-yard TD run, and Flacco himself had a 38-yard TD run of his own. His numbers weren't great, but there is no doubt that he played well, and he almost certainly outperformed everyone's expectations. I certainly didn't expect much from Joe Flacco.

Ray Rice: You can't fumble the ball when you're supposed to be chewing up the clock. Up 14 points, Rice's fumble was picked up and returned for a TD. All of a sudden it's a ballgame again. Overall he played well, but no better than FB Le'Ron McLain, who turned in the most surprising performance of the day. Even more surprising than Joe Flacco.

Le'Ron McLain: Wow. The Bengals today got a heavy dose of fullback Le'Ron McLain, who had 86 yards on less than 20 carries. Amazing, gutty performance. He had 21 more rushing yards than the entire Bengals offense. Key third-and-one conversion with less than six minutes to go in the 4th. Cam Cameron really does know what he's doing. Baltimore was able to capitalize on plenty of thirds-and-short instead of thirds-and-long, which had become the calling card of the Billick regime.

Marshall Yanda: Great job by the second-year right guard.

Terrell Suggs: Two mental mistakes worth mentioning: Sizzle lined up in the neutral zone early in the first quarter, and he dropped an easy INT on the last play of the third quarter. With the Ravens up 14 and the defense looking great, that play had the potential to be the icing on the cake.

Todd Heap: Second play of the season. Fumble. Dropped pass in the endzone. Dropped passes all over the field. He looked timid and pedestrian. And then he got hurt. He returned to the game, but will he next time? The guy is a guaranteed injury.

Joe Flacco gets thrown into the fire

Today's the day. Week one. Ravens. Bengals. Joe Flacco. Purple camouflage. Et cetera.

I had hoped to find time to write a more detailed pre-game write-up, but I didn't, partly because I was busy watching Chuck Liddell get knocked the F out, and partly because I have no idea what to expect this year. Outside of the fact that I think the Ravens will be terrible. There are too many question marks, which is why I am going into this season with zero expectations. Hopefully cutting expectations out of my diet will also eliminate, or at least mitigate, that nauseating feeling I get when the Ravens lose. Especially to division rivals like the Bengals.

Good luck, Joe.

Ovie Mughelli's return to Baltimore

Former Ravens FB Ovie Mughelli blogs about his return trip to Baltimore, where his new team (Atlanta Falcons) played the Ravens in some serious preseason action.

"Getting ready for season 6"

Excerpt:

One of the funniest parts was when I went into the Ravens locker room, which I wouldn't have done if it hadn't been a pre-season game. I know that place like the back of my hand, so I went into where the trainers tape up all the players through a side door, and asked to be taped up. One of the trainers, Bill T, started jokingly yelling for security right away. Bill was always great... he used to mess around and say that he used up his entire tape budget on me, because he was always wrapping up a wrist or an ankle for me. He was cool with me being back there, but some of the other trainers who weren't so familiar with me did panic a little and try to get me out until Bill calmed them down.

During the game it was a little weird because I actually had to break up a couple fights between my current and former teammates. Harvey Dahl, one of our O-linemen, is always extremely aggressive all the way up to (and sometimes past) the whistle. So Dahl, who is hot-headed, and Bart Scott, who is also very aggressive, got into it one time. All kinds of words were flying, and I had to get in there and break it up.

Todd Bouman in; Kyle Boller out

Today Kyle Boller was placed on injured reserve, which means his season is over, and probably also his tenure in Baltimore. Boller is in the final year of his contract. It's clear that Flacco is the quarterback of the future, but it remains to be seen who will serve as Flacco's backup, both for this season and also down the road. This year, it'll be either Troy Smith or Todd Bouman, the veteran journeyman who beat out Joey Harrington and Chris Simms for that final QB spot.

Kyle Backup ends his career with more passing yards than any QB in Ravens history.

How sad is that?

WTF

First it was reported that the Ravens signed Joey Harrington. Then Todd Bouman. Also maybe not true. At this point, I don't really care who the Ravens sign, because Flacco is the plan, for better or worse. It's a shame that Super Boller couldn't stay healthy. He's a solid backup who knows the offense, and he also knows his place (i.e. on the bench). Let's get this train-wreck started. Baltimore football, baby. 2008.

2008 season preview: Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback: Kyle Boller. Troy Smith. Joey Harrington. Todd Bouman.

It'll be at least two or three seasons before we know whether or not Ozzie rolled the dice on the right guy.

Joe Flacco.

Ozzie's track record at this position has been terrible, and if he strikes out again, it may be time for him to move on. Especially considering that Ozzie traded up to draft Flacco.

Offensive line: The organization has invested a lot in the O-line over the past two offseasons. Jared Gaither. Ben Grubbs. Marshall Yanda. But there hasn't been enough consistency (i.e. too much shuffling between positions) and the veterans (Jason Brown, Chris Chester, Adam Terry) haven't ever played up to their full potentials.

With a rookie quarterback at the helm, the O-line is pressured to step up its game. They need to execute the gameplan and play smart. In order to be succesful, they'll need to say goodbye to the false starts that became a hallmark of the Billick era.

Does anyone feel like doing some research? I bet you the Ravens ranked near the top of the league in false-start penalties over the past five or so years.

Running back: I've enjoyed giving Willis McGahee a hard time this offseason. I think I even wrote an article blasting him for coming into camp four pounds overweight. Talk about misguided anger. McGahee is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bleak offense. With the addition of rookie Ray Rice, expect Big Willie Style to be even more productive this season.

Running back is the only position on offense where there are no worries on paper.

Tight end: Todd Heap will be injured at some point this season. Happens every year.

Wide receivers: There isn't too much reason for excitement here, at least in part because of the question marks under center. Demetrius Williams represents the promise of a deep threat. Unfortunately I think most of his promise is tied up in Kool-Aid. Drink it. Mark Clayton is a serviceable slot receiver when healthy. Last season he struggled with an ankle injury. If healthy, I expect an uptick in his production. Derrick Mason still catches balls, but rarely for more than a few yards.

Fullback: Does anyone really care? The most I can say about Le'Ron McLain is that I had to Google his name to make sure I spelled and punctuated it properly. I never had to do that for Ovie Mughelli.

Defensive line: Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg are both way too solid, amongst the best in the league at their positions. If Trevor Pryce and Terrell Suggs can stay healthy, this defensive line should be able to defend well against both the pass and the run. I've given Sizzle a hard time here before, and arguably rightfully so, but when paired with Pryce he's a beast. Albeit an overpaid one.

Linebackers: Ray's supporting cast needs to step up its game. Jarret Johnson and Bart Scott, I'm looking at you. It'll also be interesting to see how Tavares Gooden and Antwan Barnes develop. Ray Lewis is still the king, of course. The linebackers will be solid. They always are. The addition of Brendon Ayanbadejo should help the special teams.

Defensive backs: Stay healthy, Ed Reed. Everything fell apart last season when Trevor Pryce was injured: no pash rush, no pressure, no pass defense. Fabian Washington joins the Ravens from Oakland, where he struggled making tackles and he never lived up to his first-round billing. Washington has silly speed, and his addition to the team is obviously a plus. Samari Rolle struggled last season with epilepsy, and he missed a bunch of games. Chris McAlister is still the cornerstone. Last year this unit struggled, but this year I expect them to return to form. Or at least approach it.

Coaching and special teams: John Harbaugh is not Brian Billick. That's a good start. Hopefully he can instill some discipline into an otherwise historically undisciplined franchise. This team needs to right its ship, and when Joe Flacco starts throwing pick after pick after pick and pick, it's going to be the defense and details that keep them in ballgames. Harbaugh is going to sweat the small stuff, and he's going to hold his players accountable. Ray Ray, Fast Eddie, C-Mac, Big Willie Style... everyone.

At least I hope so.

I have a feeling it's going to be a long year in B-more.

Wins and losses
WEEK 1 (Cincinnati Bengals): Loss
WEEK 2 (at Houston Texans): Win
WEEK 3 (Cleveland Browns): Loss
WEEK 4 (at Pittsburgh Steelers): Loss
WEEK 5 (Tennessee Titans): Win
WEEK 6 (at Indianapolis Colts): Loss
WEEK 7 (at Miami Dolphins): Loss
WEEK 8 (Oakland Raiders): Win
WEEK 9 (at Cleveland Browns): Loss
WEEK 10 (BYE)
WEEK 11 (at New York Giants): Loss
WEEK 12 (Philadelphia Eagles): Loss
WEEK 13 (at Cincinnati Bengals): Loss
WEEK 14 (Washington Redskins): Win
WEEK 15 (Pittsburgh Steelers): Win
WEEK 16 (at Dallas Cowboys): Loss
WEEK 17 (Jacksonville Jaguars): Loss

Prediction: 5-11

Joey Harrington apparently not signed by Ravens

Yesterday I wrote that Joey Harrington signed a contract with the Ravens. Oops.

QB Joey Harrington joins Ravens; Flacco named opening-day starter

Today the Ravens inked journeyman QB Joey Harrington to a contact. Owner Steve Bisciotti paid $600 million for the Baltimore Ravens. You've got to think that today has not been one of his better days.

Vinny Testaverde, Eric Zier, Jim Harbaugh, Scott Mitchell, Stoney Case, Tony Banks, Trent Dilfer, Elvis Grbac, Randall Cunningham, Chris Redman, Jeff Blake, Anthony Wright, Kyle Boller, Troy Smith, Joe Flacco. And now Joey Harrington.

What an absolutely terrible track record for GM Ozzie Newsome. Simply embarrassing. The closest The Wizard has ever come to respectability was Derek Anderson, who slipped away to a division rival.

Prepare yourself for a terrible season, Baltimore fans.

The offensive line continues to be unsettled. The quarterback position is at worst a disaster, and at best a big question mark. Willis McGahee is due for a meltdown. Todd Heap is a guaranteed injury. Terrell Suggs is overrated and unhappy. Trevor Pryce, please do not get injured. Fabian Washington, please do not suck. Tavares Gooden, please be the next Ray Lewis. Ray Ray, please run a tight sheep and keep that locker room in check. Fast Eddie Reed, get well soon. John Harbaugh, please be the truth.

PS: John Harbaugh just announced Joe Flacco as the week one starter. I have nothing to say. Instead I'm going to return to my PS3 and maybe get another coffee. I have no expectations for this season, and now that Flacco is officially the guy, at least for now, all we can do is sit back and hope for the best. Most of the talking heads with whom I spoke during the 2008 NFL Draft (e.g. Mike Mayock, Mel Kiper, Ron Jaworski, John Clayton) seemed to agree that Flacco is the quote-unquote real deal. We shall see. I have my doubts. Forgive me for not giving the benefit of the doubt to another strong-armed quarterback. At the very least, I hope Flacco doesn't get happy feet in the pocket. Once those lights are on in Cincy, all bets are off.