This is starting to get old!

by Fran "The Fan" Vojik

September 27, 2007
4:00 am

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Well, we had to sit through another nail-biter on Sunday when the Ravens couldn’t put away the Cardinals. In the 3rd quarter when the Ravens were up 20-3, I thought if they could get one more TD then maybe I could make a mid 4th quarter exit and beat the Christmas rush to the Light Rail. Au contraire…….it was an exciting but totally unnecessary end and, after celebrating Matt Stoverâ€™s winning field goal, I got stuck in a long mob for the train heading south to Glen Burnie. We won, but nobody was happy.

Why are the Ravens sucking wind in the 4th quarter? Why are they giving up big yards to a no-name backup and a 36 year old has-been? Why are they passing in obvious running situations? Its obvious Billick isnâ€™t fooling anybody with his play calling. The defense was running on gas fumes. Maybe having Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm on the opposite sidelines had something to do with it since, from their Pittsburgh days, theyâ€™re certainly familiar with the Ravens D.

The talk is that the Ravens could easily be 3-0. The way I look at it, they could just as easily be 1-2. Kurt Warner needed just one more driveâ€¦â€¦..

My game balls go to Yamon Figurs and Matt Stover. In his 18th year Matt remains Mr. Automatic and it appears the Ravens have a fine replacement for B.J. Sams. Trevor Pryce â€“ get better quick â€“ real quick. And I want to see Samari Rolle back on the corner on Sunday. As much as heâ€™s been maligned in the press and on the web, the play of Corey Ivy and Ronnie Prude wonâ€™t make me forget him any time soon.

The Ravens better get it right and it better start in Cleveland this Sunday. In a stadium where they historically under-perform, they’ll be facing a hostile crowd and a running back begging to prove the Ravens were wrong in releasing him.

Sunday Prediction: The line is Cleveland +4, but Iâ€™ve been solid all year in taking the points against the Ravens. Given the venue, the fans, and the 4th quarter lay downs, I still canâ€™t see them covering. The Browns will keep it close and Matt Stover will be the hero for another week. Ravens 24, Browns 21.

Fran "The Fan" Vojik

Fran Vojik has been a contributor to the RSR since 2005 (fka Ravens247), first as a regular on the “Letters to TL” page, then as the author of the Fran the Fan column. A lifelong local sports fan, he is a former season ticket holder of the Colts and has season tickets to the Orioles. He is a PSL owner and cheers on the Ravens from his corner end zone seats in M&T Bank Stadium since 2000. Born in Highlandtown, and a graduate of Calvert Hall and the University of Maryland, he lives on Furnace Creek in northern Anne Arundel County. He is president of Ravens Roost 94 in the Point Pleasant section of Glen Burnie. He and his wife, Sandy, maintain his man cave which contains many mementos from the Colts, Ravens, and Orioles. On days the Ravens play at home, Fran can be found tailgating with his fellow Ravens Roosters under the Ridgely Street overpass near Lot O.