Waiting For Next Year presents... Cleveland vs. Baltimore!

Please extend a warm welcome to Scott from Waiting For Next Year.

Make sure to visit Scott's blog after the game, at which point his header will look like this. There's a lot on the line this weekend. If Baltimore loses, we'll have to deal with Shaun's fat a$$ for a week.

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It’s somewhat a taste of irony when the division rival that is the furthest in terms of location seems to have the most in common to the Cleveland Browns. Or even Ohio in general. Aside from the obvious point that the Ravens actually used to be the Browns, there are plenty more.

• Our general manager used to be your general manager.
• Your former vice president of personnel and current general manager used to be our tight end.
• Our running back used to be your running back.
• Your current running back fell to you in the draft thanks to a knee injury that he sustained while playing against Ohio State.
• Your back-up quarterback won the Heisman while playing at Ohio State.
• The player who came in second place in the same Heisman race is our back-up quarterback.
• Your starting quarterback is a first round draft choice, whom you traded up to select.
• Our same back-up quarterback is a first round draft choice, whom we traded up to get.
• And he is not starting because we also have a quarterback that used to be a Raven.

As the Browns continue to play like a completely different team week in and week out, the one thing that many fans across the Orange and Brown footprint are awaiting is the chance to see what Brady Quinn can do. Sure, Phil Savage feels that it is Derek Anderson that can win now, but one has to wonder how many more rookie quarterbacks will get a chance to start for their respective teams while Quinn continues to watch.

The common phrase is that the back-up quarterback is “one play away” from starting. And while I would never wish injury upon anyone, how fitting would it be in this whole Browns-versus-Ravens vortex if it were a Ravens sack that resulted in a Brady Quinn appearance?

Do I think it will happen? Not at all. But would I be surprised? Not a chance.

With all of that said... Go Browns.

The Ravens will beat the Browns if...

...Joe Flacco avoids turnovers and the Ravens can control field position.



New coach John Harbaugh has this team firing on all cylinders, and a lot of that credit has to go to offensive coordinator and Dolphins pariah, Cam Cameron.

KEEP ‘EM GUESSING
Baltimore’s running game is solid. Way too solid. Not necessarily better than it was with Jamal Lewis, but different. Ja-Lew needed at least 15 carries to wear down a defense. But now Baltimore’s running game can explode at any time. It has a breadth of talent and diversity never before seen in Baltimore. Le’Ron McClain, Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. Hell, even Troy Smith, Joe Flacco and wide receiver Mark Clayton have done damage on the ground. Not to mention the aerial wrinkles. Joe Flacco catching a pass from Troy Smith?!!

AVOID THE BIG PLAYS
Ray Lewis, his fellow linebackers, and the defensive line are all playing at an extremely high level, even with superstar DT Kelly Gregg on IR for the season. But Baltimore’s defensive secondary continues to be a weakness. Like last season, the team has struggled with injuries and poor play. Chris McAlister may be out for the season with a bum knee. That’s not going to help. It’s important that the Ravens avoid giving up the deep ball. Keep the Browns playing dink and dunk long enough, and eventually Baltimore’s defense will make a play.

GO MELLOW ON THE YELLOW
Baltimore’s offensive line has been a question mark. It’s surprisingly solid in the sense that it doesn’t often breakdown and allow a ton of sacks; however, there are still too many boneheaded penalties being committed by Baltimore’s offensive line. Holds. False starts. Poor decisions that bring to mind the Brian Billick Era. To beat the Browns, Baltimore must not sacrifice field position or negate big plays.

JOE COOL
Joe Flacco is a rookie, and it’s his first visit to the Dawg Pound. Like any rookie in any hostile environment, there’s always the chance that the wheels fall off early with no sign of recovery. Flacco’s numbers this season are terrible (3 TDs, 7 INTs) but they also don’t tell the whole story. He has managed games well, and for the most part has stayed cool despite his mistakes. It’s important that he continues that trend if he wants to win in his first visit to the Dawg Pound. An early lead certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Blogging, gambling, podcasting, Chris McAlister's bad knee...

Last week: Chris McAlister says his knee is "excellent."

This week: McAlister's season is in doubt. He reportedly has "major cartilage and posterior cruciate ligament issues," and injured reserve may be the next stop for the McAlister Express. According to Ed Reed, the injury is similar to the one sidelining defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. Demetrius Williams landed on I.R. yesterday. Gotta love the injury bug. Baltimore responded by signing Terrence Copper, released by the New Orleans Saints a few weeks ago.

McAlister: "I don't know what's going to happen yet. I'm waiting to find out what the doctor has to say about it."

Harbaugh on whether or not C-Mac will land on injured reserve: "It's really between the doctors and Chris to make a decision about what's best for Chris going forward this year and for the rest of his career, how it's going to affect the rest of his career. We're really hopeful that he'll play for us this year."



OK, I know what you're thinking. Who is that fat dude wearing a Browns uniform, and what the hell is he doing in the Blogimore logo?

It's Shaun Rogers, fool.

I've got a wager with the guys at Waiting For Next Year. If the Browns win, I have to put this logo on the site for one week. From the closing whistle to the following week's opening kickoff. Straight-up, no spread, I don't want your stupid 1.5 points. That's because Baltimore is going to win outright, and when they do, you'll see Ray Ray dancing all over their banner.



One final thing: I do a weekly NFL podcast with my homeboy, Dr. Football. I haven't done a very good job of promoting them. Hell, I've even missed or skipped a week here or there, like last week. But I'll be doing it tonight, and you can call in. This week's show will be 90 minutes, and it starts at 9:00 p.m. ET. I'll do my best to embed the podcast here tomorrow. No promises, though. I'm lazy.

Feel free to call-in (646-200-3472), listen live, or download the show tomorrow. Apparently we get 10,000 downloads a week or something like that. Don't you all have anything better to do than listen to us knuckleheads?

Battle of the Browns: Baltimore vs. Cleveland 2.0

The good folks at Waiting For Next Year will be doing this week's Ravens/Browns preview. I might do one myself also. I'll definitely be posting something over at Waiting For Next Year.

The guys over there and I also have a friendly wager. The winning team's blogger gets to write a gloating post-game recap, carte blanche, and additionally the losing team's blog will feature the winning team's helmet in its header for one week.

Confused?

Good. Me too.

Bottom line: Some other dude is going to post some stuff on my blog. Then the Ravens are going to beat the Browns. Then you'll see a Ravens logo in the header on that other dude's blog. Hotness.

Got it? Good.

Keith Rivers sounds kinda pissed

Cincinnati Bengals LB Keith Rivers on Hines Ward, who broke Keith's jaw with a vicious block that landed Keith on injured reserve for the season:

"I mean, I would have done it. Honestly, whatever. It is what it is. You know, you reap what you sow. That's what happens. What goes around, comes around. We'll see what happens. If I was able to -- if I didn't go on [injured reserve] -- I'd do everything in my will. Shoot some cortisone in my face and I'll go. Whatever."

He sounds kinda mad, don't you think? Everyone hates Hines Ward. Browns fans. Bengals fans. Ravens fans. People who don't otherwise even care about the AFC North. Everyone.

But you know what?

I like Hines Ward, the way he plays, his viciousness. He's one of the best blockers in the league, and he's easily better than any other wide receiver when it comes time to bring the lumber. You may hate the guy, but if he wore purple, you can't pretend like you wouldn't own that dude's jersey.

Hines Ward, you're OK in my book.

[Don't be mad at me, Keith. I still got mad love for you (no homo).]

Thank you for the free coffee, Compton

Thank you to my homeboy Compton for the free coffee. You see, living here in the Bay Area, I know a bunch of Raiders fans. Like my friend Jeni, with whom I watched yesterday's game. And Alana G. And the aforementioned Compton. To name a few.

But only Compton was foolish enough to wager with me.

Thanks for the free coffee, Compton.



Side note: Jeff is not Compton. But he does blog anonymously for one of the web's most blogtastic sports blogs, and even though you don't know him and I probably don't know you, I guarantee you that Jeff is funnier than you. How does that make you feel? It's only Monday morning and already you're not the funniest person on the Internet.

Cam Cameron presents "The Joe Flacco Show," now featuring Troy Smith!

Yesterday I was impressed with Baltimore's offense. It was not simply a lack of disgust; there was actual admiration for Baltimore and its offensive strategy. Cam Cameron, bringing sexy back.

Joe Flacco catching the 43-yard bomb?!!

Troy Smith running the option?!!

Pretty much the only thing I didn't enjoy about yesterday? Offensive penalties at inopportune times. Jared Gaither and Chris Chester need to step up their games. Stop getting whistled for penalties that negate big plays. Stop reppin' the Billick Era. Undisciplined play was that dude's M.O.

Cam Cameron, keeping doing how you do.

More from Blogimore...

1) I'm glad Darren McFadden didn't play yesterday. He would have been chewed up by Baltimore's D. And I don't want to see that. I like D-Dawg and his game.

2) Todd Heap, explain to me exactly how you are not dead weight? The third-string tight end has a touchdown, and you don't. Your coach involves everyone on offense, maybe even Haloti Ngata. Cameron has a track record of helping guys like you shine, but your impact has been Ngata. There's a decent chance that Haloti gets a rushing TD before you catch one in the endzone. Flacco gave you a shot a few weeks back, but somebody had a case of the dropsies, didn't they?

3) Playoffs?!! Maybe. Baltimore looks good and is getting better each week. The Browns are turning out to be the known entity that they've always been, and the Bengals of course are a disaster. That leaves the Steelers. Pittsburgh enjoys a one-game lead over Baltimore, but the Steelers also enjoy a more difficult schedule.

Anything is possible.

Especially with "The Joe Flacco Show," now featuring Troy Smith.

Ravens bounty on Rashard Mendenhall?

It has been suggested that Baltimore's defense had a bounty out on Pittsburgh's rookie running back, Rashard Mendenhall. Actually, "suggested" is not entirely accurate. Confirmed is more like it.

T-Sizzle, my nizzle: "The bounty was out on him and the bounty was out on [Ward] -- we just didn't get him between the whistles."

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NFL's official take: "That 'bounty' notion is completely against the rules. To the extent that someone is engaged in that activity, we will look into it and address it. Yes, we've seen the comments and we're trying to determine the completeness of the circumstances."

Blogimore's official take: If you're a rookie running back foolish enough to send a text message talking trash to Baltimore's defense before your first-ever match-up with Ray Ray and his squad of bone crushers, then you've got it coming.

Hey, Coach; what's the deal with Chris McAlister?

According to Ravens beat reporter Aaron Wilson, the quote-unquote benching of Chris McAlister remains a bit of a mystery. C-Mac played against the Dolphins, but only sparingly, and he was eating lunch the Friday before the game while everyone else was practicing. Coach Harbaugh dodged the question, saying that McAlister did practice, and he also said separately that C-Mac was suffering from lingering knee issues.

Chris McAlister: "My knee is excellent."

Coach Harbaugh also had this to say:

"If he's one of the guys that we feel gives us the best opportunity to play the best defense at that moment, he'll be out there. If we think there's a guy that can do it better, then he'll be out there. It's a football decision. We're always going to put the best 11 players on the field for that situation. We put the 11 guys out there that we felt were the best to defend whatever we were seeing in that particular package. We had the corners out there in those situations that we wanted to have out there."

Coach, let me be the first to say, "WTF?"

Is C-Mac benched or is he not benched? Is his knee injured or is it not injured?

Remember when running back Willis McGahee sat for all four quarters of the team's season-opening victory against the Bengals? That personnel decision felt somewhat like a de facto suspension. This McAlister issue smells a bit similar. Our secondary is struggling, but there is no way our team is better with Chris McAlister on the bench. Not unless the Coach was simply trying to prove a point.

UPDATE!

McAlister comments on the situation. Coach Harbaugh, why don't you grow a pair and tell us exactly what's going on. Stop trying to duck and hide. That's a Billick/Belichick/b1tch move. Is it health, performance or punishment? Why is C-Mac not playing?

Cheerio, mate; it could be worse

You know it's a rough year in the AFC North when a 3-3 record is considered sitting pretty.

Bengals: When will Marvin Lewis be the next former Ravens coach to lose his job? Yesterday it was 49ers coach Mike Nolan. Lewis and the Bungles are winless with seven losses. They also lost rookie weak-inside starting linebacker Keith Rivers for the season. Broken jaw. Was anyone surprised that it was Hines Ward who delivered the hit? Yeah, me neither. I spent some time last spring with Rivers at USC's Pro Day. He's a good dude. I feel bad for him. Get well soon, Keith.

Browns: There is nothing I can write that compares to this "Airing of the Grievances," a la Seinfeld. Thanks to Scott Sargent for the link.

Steelers: Sure, you're in first place, but your rookie running back and first-round draft pick is out for the season. Rashard Mendenhall, D-O-N-E. The man above him on the depth chart, Fast Willie Parker, is not 100% either. And the team's upcoming stretch of four games is no cakewalk: Giants, Skins, Colts and Chargers. Fortunately for Steel City, only one of those games is on the road (Washington).

Ravens taste victory in Miami

Neither "no-huddle offense" nor "going for it on fourth down" would be in a rookie QB's vocabulary during the Billick Era. Not so with John Harbaugh in charge. Flacco's TD to INT ratio is terrible (2:7) but he looks pretty comfortable playing QB, and the organization has thrown its full weight behind the rookie out of Delaware. Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron have the Joe Flacco and the Ravens playing to win instead of playing to not lose.

It doesn't hurt that no one is outplaying Baltimore's D right now. With the exception of a slaying at the hands of Peyton Manning, who for the most part has owned Baltimore over the years, Ray Lewis has his defense playing exceptionally well. Ray Ray has a case for Defensive Player of the Year so far. Today the defense scored a pick-six, courtesy of Terrell Suggs. T-Sizzle and the Ravens D have returned more interceptions for touchdowns than any other team since 1999. Twenty-six total scores.

Twenty-six, today's magic number.

The Dolphins have now gone 26 games without scoring a TD on the team's first offensive possession. But that Wildcat offense is fun to watch. It challenged the Ravens D.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams and Chad Pennington put on a good show.

Side note: How about that Ronnie Brown hit on Ed Reed? When Frank Walker had the P.I. and Ed Reed had the meaningless pick? Reed returned it to about the 15, where Brown met him with a sack full of nickels. Hello.

Derrick Mason is fun to watch. Todd Heap, not so much. Heap converted a couple of catches into key first downs, and he passed 4,000 receiving yards on his career, but his best days appear to be long gone. Also gone, Stover's cold streak. Matt Stover finally hit a field goal of more than 40 yards. He had been 0-3 on FGs beyond forty this season.

Overall, great road win today for the rookie QB and the Baltimore Ravens.

What's next?

Baltimore is still very much up in the mix for the AFC North title. The Ravens are only two games behind the Steelers, who host the Super Bowl champs next Sunday in Pittsburgh. Baltimore plays host to a much weaker foe. Raider Nation. The Ravens should make easy work of Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell. It'll be the best defense JaMarcus has ever seen.

Scouting the 2008 Miami Dolphins

From my cousin Ted at Ted Ginn & Tonic. Yesssir.

I'll be posting something up on his site just as soon as I get around to writing it. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe I should find more hours in the day.

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Consider this your scouting report for the Miami Dolphins: 2008 version... now with coaching and quarterback competency!

A is for Abomination. Which is what last years match up was. Holy f@*# was that the worst game of football. The 1-15 Dolphins got the one thanks to Brian "No Balls" Billick. Note to Dewey, I know you were no fan of his, so you should thank us for providing the deciding blow to his Ravens coaching career

B is for Beer. I used to not drink it during the games (what the hell was I thinking?). Please enjoy responsibly.

C is for Cam Cameron. Well this is an interesting story line isn't it. Our lame coach is now your brilliant offensive coordinator. Well, I don't know about brilliant yet. Your offense's point totals do rival that of last years Dolphins. Don't worry, it gets better. Oh wait, no it doesn't.

D is for Defense. The Ravens have always had a stellar defense and I don't put too much into last weeks effort against the Colts (should I?). I never like going into a game with them because there is always a chance they could totally shut you down and score points by themselves.

E is for Ernest Wilford. The free agent acquisition who was supposed to be a good possession receiver has one catch. One f@*#ing catch over five games. And he can't even play special teams so he will probably be inactive, again. He is stealing money.

F is for Fantasy. If you have any offensive players from these two teams, besides Ronnie Brown, why? Honestly, they better at most be your last bench player. Both defenses are probably a good play this week but you never know when they'll lay an egg.

G is for Greg Camarillo. Last year he was a practice squad player turned Miami hero. This year he is our best wide receiver. That is a good indication of how bad our situation is here because while he has gotten a little better, on most teams he'd be a #4, maybe #3 option.

H is for Holes. Both teams are still lacking in certain areas. We are past the trading deadline and not much help is available. Whichever coaching staff can exploit the other teams holes in the roster should win the game.

I is for Interceptions. The Dolphins don't make any. Coming into last week they only had one in four games (and it was by a defensive lineman!). They did make two last week, but there should have been five or six. On the deciding drive for Houston there were two balls that should have been picked off, instead they were dropped.

J is for Joey Porter. You remember him from his Pittsburgh days. He has stepped it up this year and actually made plays. Plus he talks a lot. You know he will want a piece of that rookie quarterback. It is best if you

K is for Kicker. The Dolphins' rookie kicker has only attempted four field goals (and made three). If it comes down to a big kick late in the game. I'd be nervous yet reluctantly confident.

L is for LOL. Check out the Madden Sim for this game. There are a few things that made me laugh out loud, mainly reading that Ted Ginn had eight catches. Also it has the Ravens throwing it 40 times, as opposed to 21 rushes.

M is for Matt Roth. He was a Nick Saban draft pick that has been bad enough that I thought he'd get cut. Instead he is molding himself into a 3-4 edge rusher. Some teams have made the mistake of trying to block him with a running back. That's not a good idea.

N is for Nose Tackle. Jason Ferguson has been the main reason for the Dolphins being able to stop the run. He often eats up two blockers, and if you try to block him with one, he'll make a play.

O is for Overtime. Last years game went to it. This one might as well. I don't like it. And no I don't particularly like the college overtime either. The game of football just does not lend itself well to overtime periods.

P is for Protection. Miami's offensive line has been pretty good this year. The pass protect well and pull very well on screen passes or sweeps. Last week the Texans took their best rusher and had him come from the right side (away from Jake Long). That was a good idea and it helped them make a few plays.

Q is for Quarterback. I was actually not in favor of signing Chad Pennington. Well, I will gladly eat crow and accept that he has been exactly what we needed. There are no quarterback controversies and he is playing well enough that I'm not afraid to be on offense anymore.

R is for Ronnie Brown. He has been quite the beast this year. He was doing very well last year too until his injury in week seven. Of course most of the highlights you have seen have been from the wildcat formation but he is doing a great job in any set. The Ravens will need to contain him to have a chance at winning on Sunday

S is for Secondary. The Miami secondary is not good. If the Ravens would like to have success on offense, they should just select their tallest most physical receiver and throw jump balls to him all day. These are the types of receivers that have killed the Dolphins this year. The unit has potential, but only if there is no running game and a great pass rush supporting it.

T is for Ted Ginn, Jr. What much can you say. The coaching staff must not like him. They won't let him return many kicks and instead want him to focus on becoming a good wide receiver. It isn't happening. He's been called a bust for quite some time down here, but it may soon be time to officially label him such.

U is for Underdog. The Dolphins like to be the underdog. Both of their wins were when they were at least a seven point dog. The fact that the Dolphins are favored and many expect them to win, probably bodes well for the Ravens.

V is for Victory. Someone must win (actually I've been wanting to see an NFL tie for a while now). The difference between 3-3 and 2-4 is very significant not only from a standings standpoint, but mentally. Both teams have had their bye and it's a long way to go. A demoralizing loss for either team could start a swoon towards a 4-12 season.

W is for Weather. It could be a factor in this game. It is forecast to be in the mid 80's and the Dolphins will no doubt wear white at home and force the Ravens to wear purple or black. Also we've had a lot of rain and the humidity is very high.

X is for X-Factor. There will probably be one that I have not discussed. It always happens like this. Last week it was Patrick Cobbs, who will probably go right back to being just a special teamer.

Y is for Yamon Figurs. The Dolphins special teams unit has struggled. Figurs could ignite the Ravens offense with his ability in the retun game and lack of kick coverage from Miami.

Z is for Zebras. The NFL refs haven't had the best year. Let's hope the game is officiated properly and it doesn't come down to them.

There you have it. Hopefully you know a little bit more about the Dolphins and the upcoming game. If you have any questions (serious or not), if you leave them in the comments, then I will answer them before Sunday's game.

Tavares Gooden placed on IR

First Kelly Gregg. Then Marshall Yanda. Now it's linebacker Tavares Gooden.

Injured Reserve!

When Gooden was drafted this part April, Ravens fans slobbered over the prospect of the Miami product being the second coming of Ray Lewis. Undersized, underrated, blah blah blah. Chances of him being the next Ray Ray are slim, even more so with this hip injury sidelining him for the rest of the season.

Let's just hope Gooden doesn't become the next Dan Cody. After getting drafted in the second round out of Oklahoma, Cody managed one career tackle. Injuries kept him on the sideline pretty much forever. At least until he was replaced when Marques Douglas came back to town via the Bucanneers.

Get well soon, Gooden.

PS: I don't have a link yet, but according to 1570AM in Baltimore, it's official. Gooden is D-O-N-E.

Baltimore takes a hit in the trenches

Pig farmer and offensive lineman Marshall Yanda is out for the season. The starting right guard for the Baltimore Ravens injured himself during the final minutes of Baltimore's lopsided loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The 31-3 drubbing was the third-worst loss in franchise history. Nothing beats being a part of history. You can't change history! Wait. Nevermind. Scratch that.

Yanda's injury comes only six days after defensive tackle Kelly Gregg was placed on injured reserve. Both sides of the ball have now taken huge hits in the trenches, which is exactly where games are won and lost, especially when you're sporting a rookie QB.

Side note: Isn't that Joe Flacco just dreamy?!! Only seven interceptions on the season. Not bad, right? Plus he's got a touchdown, to boot. With Tom Brady out for the season, I think you've got to consider Flacco for league MVP. His numbers are just way too solid.

Who will replace Marshall Yanda?

1) Put Adam Terry at guard and promote Willie Anderson to the starting lineup at right tackle.
2) Slot Chris Chester in at right guard.
3) Give rookie Oniel Cousins a shot to show what he can do.

Great story about Yanda: Last year a friend who works for the Ravens told me that Yanda's teammates paid him a nominal sum -- it was $300 or $500, I think -- to watch Yanda get tasered three times. Yanda took the punishment, and it didn't even phase him. The guy is a beast who could play through pain if it were at all possible. But Yanda's ligaments are just too shredded, apparently. Nothing like shredded ligaments to kickstart your week.

Vernon Davis blogging on Yardbarker

For all you Turtles out there, Vernon Davis is blogging in the Yard.

Playing Philly, On to NYC: "On Sunday morning I was so excited not to just be out on the field, but to compete against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike Martz said that they had one of the best defenses in the NFL, and it made me excited competing with the best. I love to compete with the best. I woke up in the morning, ate breakfast and then I headed to the stadium with the mindset to play the best that I could and help my teammates win."

Read the rest in the Yard.

Baltimore wets the bed against Indy

The defense looked good early. Ed Reed flattened his former roommate, Reggie Wayne, preventing a perfect TD pass from Peyton. Ray Lewis sacked Peyton Manning. All of this after Joe Flacco's first drive, which resulted in a turnover on the third play. Flacco smartly threw the ball away on 2nd-and-7, and then thew a pick on third down. Flacco redeemed himself on the team's next possession, throwing it away on third down instead of turning it over.

Not much went well after that.

Terrible day from Chris McAlister. He got worked left and right. Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning hooked up for their 50th touchdown together. Wayne beat Corey Ivy, but only after a bad pass from Peyton one play earlier prevented C-Mac from getting torched for the score. C-Mac got burned about 47 times on the day.

The Ravens gave up a first-quarter touchdown, the team's first since the final game of last season, a drubbing at the hands of, yep, that's right: Peyton Manning and the Colts. Last year it was three first-quarter TDs. This year's final score was worse, 31-3. Losing by four touchdowns. Unwatchable by halftime.

Bob Sanders didn't play, but Melvin Bullit did his thing. The second-year guy outta Texas A&M absolutely crushed Yamon Figurs on the kick return, not once but twice. He also intercepted Flacco, the first of three picks from The Joe Flacco Show. The Colts dominated field position. Baltimore's rookie didn't and couldn't do anything. Indianapolis dominated the game. Simply terrible.

Whatever happens today...

...can't possibly be as bad as last year's game against the Colts.

Jim Sorgi in the third quarter?!!

Yikes.

Girls kissing: What would you do for a Ravens shirt?

These three women got a little freaky in the parking lot, all for one $5 Cleveland Browns t-shirt.



Thanks to Browns Gab for the find.

Dr. Z disses Ray Ray

Normally I enjoy Paul Zimmerman's writing, but he's way off the mark on this one. I don't think anyone on the Ravens D is embarrassed by Ray Lewis. That's just crazy talk, old man.

Scroll down to #20.

"You know why I have trouble watching Ravens' games? Because I know I'll always be in for one of those Ray Lewis production numbers sometime during the thing. You know, the chest smacking and the grim visage and the "Dominate! This is our house!" The only part I like is when he gets a few players together for that motivational stuff, and half of them are looking embarrassed."

Kelly Gregg is out for the year

Don't say I didn't warn you: Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg is down for the count. "Long on attitude and humor, shorter on insights," and nearly three weeks ahead of the Baltimore Sun.

Burn.

Did you know Gregg has more tackles than any player in Ravens history other than Ray Ray?

True story. I read it on the Internet.

I'm sorry, Le'Ron McClain

All this time I've been spelling your name without the second "c" -- McLain instead of McClain.

Le'Ron McClain. Got it.

My bad.

That looked kinda personal, didn't it?

Both the Ravens and Titans reached double-digits in penalties, and a lot of them weren't of the garden variety, either. Unsportsmanlike conduct was the day's modus operandi: Emerging CB Cortland Finnegan's cheap shot on Willis McGahee. Albert Haynesworth's cheap shot on Joe Flacco following a dead-ball offsides call. When the Ravens put seven on the board a few plays later, Haynesworth earned another flag on the extra point. It was fitting that Tennessee's fourth-quarter key to victory was a roughing-the-passer call against Terrell Suggs.

Yadayadayadabadcallyadayada.

Ish happens. Stop complaining.

Is it time to replace Matt Stover? He's lasted years longer than anyone could have anticipated. Arguably the second-best offensive player in Ravens history, and one of the best kickers in the history of the NFL. But Stover is 0-3 from beyond 40 yards this season. Something tells me the Ravens will need to start converting on those routine 45-yarders.

What's gonna happen to Ray Ray? Ray Lewis is playing like a beast, and once again he's arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. He's also in a contract year. I don't think Ray will walk following this season, but if he does decide to jump ship, he certainly could find worse times to do so. Best. Linebacker. Ever.

Willis McGahee is a beast. Big Willie Style is leaving it out all there on the field turf, ain't he? What's the deal with Ray Rice? All things considered, wouldn't you have expected more carries from this guy? Second-round pick. Seeing a whole lot of nothing. Six carries in the last three games. WTF. My bad. This blurb was supposed to be about Big Willie Style. Yeah, Big Willie Style. That guy is a beast. How's that for full circle?

Tennessee Titans, cruisin' for a bruisin'

THE JOE FLACCO SHOW

RAY RAY & FRIENDS



"YOU CAN'T HURT THIS. I'M A MACHINE, JERK."

- RAY LEWIS

Stupid Fast is gonna get stupid bruised

Shamefully I don't have very much time to blog this week. I've been busy drinking beer and moving into a new office, and also blogging about bacon. Priorities, people. So with that in mind, I'm not going to pretend I have much value to add with regard to this weekend's Titans-Ravens game. Instead I'll just shoot you to some Titans-related content that I've posted over the past few months, none of which has anything to do with Sunday's game.

Chris Johnson is stupid fast. Fastest man in the NFL right now, ya digg??? I met Chris at this year's NFL Rookie Symposium, and both he and Titans WR Lavelle Hawkins were funny dudes. Here's a short video that you will most certainly find uninteresting, although I find it to be hilarious, ya digg???



Here's a photo I took while at the Symposium: Lavelle on the left; Stupid Fast on the right. Wait, who's that there in the back!? BUST OR BEAST?



Chris Johnson is stupid fast, but he's gonna get stupid bruised by Baltimore's D... ya digg?!!

PS: Duh, almost forgot my interview with Vince Young, which prompted my favorite-ever comment exchange on Blogimore.

Anonymous: "Hey, great, Vince Young plays football and old shoes are cool. But remind me what any of this has to do with the Ravens? Some of your posts might be more appropriate for your other blog. Just my two cents."

Dewey Hammond: "Here's a better idea: You remain anonymous, and I write whatever the f@*# I want on my blog."