DECEMBER 7, 2009
A week ago we asked the question, which Ravens team do you believe in? Are they a quality team that can fight back and beat the Super Bowl champs? Or are they a bad team that can nearly let a third string quarterback beat them in a must-win home game?
After watching the Ravens travel to Lambeau Field Monday night and flounder on national television in a 27-14 loss, the answer is entirely unsatisfying. The answer is: neither.
They most certainly are not a good team right now. Nor are they are they really a bad team. They are, blah. And at 6-6 they are at a crossroads. They are an uninspiring, uninspired team that is badly in need of direction and a strong identity.
What is their identity? They are certainly not the smash-mouth, risk-taking defense of days gone by. Nor are they the ball-protecting, down-hill rushing offense of Trent Dilfer and Jamal Lewis.
The problem is typified by the offense. This season started brightly when the Ravens exhibited a strong vertical attack. But as teams learned to press Ravens receivers and play their safeties back, the passing game was grounded. It morphed into predictable attack, featuring seven-and-out sideline throws, or check-downs to Ray Rice.
Then, a week ago an increased commitment to the run seemed to emerge.
But against the Packers Cam Cameron abandoned his innovative unbalanced line and extra blockers, and went back to a more standard formation, with a fullback and single tight end with two wide outs.
The approach was not hard-nosed enough to earning rushing respect from the Packers, nor was it wide-open enough to be productive through the air. This “balanced” offense might be a fine idea, but only after a coaching staff has established a single strength—what our old friend Brian Billick would have referred to as a “profile.”
This offense has established nothing, other than the fact that Ray Rice can be hard to tackle in space. Cameron has conservatively limited the number of receiving options for Joe Flacco, to maximize his protection. And Cameron all-but eliminated the middle of the field as a throwing option, to coddle his quarterback. It’s something the rest of the league figured-out about the Ravens six weeks ago.
It’s high time they choose an identity and commit to it. Perfect it. Dominate with it.
All of which comes back to John Harbaugh. Where was his leadership Monday night, as the team sleepwalked their way into the game, and allowed a bad Packers special teams unit to take the opening kick out to the forty and set up a quick field goal? Where was the leadership as they sleepwalked their way down the field as the final minute ticked off the clock?
Who was in charge on the sideline? John Harbaugh? Jim Harbaugh? Ed Reed?
It’s time for Coach Harbaugh to drop the clichés and lead his team out of this morass. It’s time for him to assess where the talent on this roster lies, and mold it into a real identity. An identity that can carry the Ravens through the next four games, and carry them forward into many seasons to come. It’s time for John Harbaugh to tell his team, and us, what “playing like a Raven” actually means.
Quarterback: D
Joe Flacco and the offense in general, looked sluggish. He had positive moments, such as the poise to escape a blitz and dump the ball to Mark Clayton, or tight-roping the sideline for a first down. But his day was marred by poor decision-making. After his team fell behind early, and the running game stalled, and the blitz pressure began to reach him, Flacco started forcing his throws into coverage. He had two terrible interceptions. First on a flea flicker thrown into a pack of five Packers. And later an interception thrown across the grain into the end zone and into the waiting arms of Tramon Williams. AJ Hawk also made a nice play on a Flacco throw into the middle of the field for the third interception of the day. A passer rating of 27 is all you need to know about Joe Flacco’s trip to the tundra.
Running Backs: D
The offensive line did not give Ray Rice and Willis McGahee much room to work and what room they did get they did little with. Other than one 21-yard run on a passing down with time expiring, Rice gained just 33 yards on the ground over 13 attempts. McGahee had a one-yard scoring plunge but -4 yards total, which makes his stat-line as ugly as the most lead-footed quarterbacks in the league. Nursing a strained abdominal muscle, LeRon McClain did not carry the ball. The Packers keyed on Rice as a receiver, so he was limited to three catches and 17 yards. Both Rice and McClain dropped passes to start the second half. Rice also fumbled after very slight contact.
Wide Receivers: D
Demetrius Williams and Kelley Washington outshined Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason in limited opportunities. Washington was targeted four times with four catches, including two on the first touchdown drive. Williams the receiver was too much for Williams the corner to handle, but he was thrown to just once. Charles Woodson clamped down on the normally elusive Mason for much of the night. Clayton fared no better gaining separation. Together they accounted for three catches and 29 yards. It very well could be time to conclude Clayton and Mason are too similar, and Washington and Williams need more reps. The turning point of the game may have come after a missed field goal by the Packers gave the Ravens the ball down 17-14, but an offensive pass interference and unsportsmanlike call on Mason destroyed any chance for the Ravens to score, and it forced a punt from the team’s six. Four plays later the Packers scored to take a ten-point lead. Game over.
Tight Ends: C
Todd Heap dropped a near TD pass. He also had a nice catch and run for 23 yards. With Rice taken out of the game by the Packers defense, Heap became the favorite target for Flacco, with ten throws and five catches for 52 yards. He was charged with a false start.
Tackles: F
It was Michael Oher’s worse day as a pro, and it raises the question whether the young tackles Oher and Jared Gaither can hold up for a long NFL season. Oher struggled mightily against the pass rush, even with double team help. He was beaten to the inside, outside, or getting pushed back into the pocket. Both Gaither and Oher struggled against a four-man rush. Both Gaither and Oher went offsides on final drive, and looked indifferent throughout much of the game, and did not finish blocks.
Interior Line: F
Credit Marshal Yanda with another excellent start. It was not enough to save the grade for this unit, but he was impressive at times. He should he could push pile and also release to the second level, or make kick-out blocks on the edge. He was a monster on the goal line paving the way for McGahee. As good as Yanda was on the right side, left guard Ben Grubbs was horrid. He was getting destroyed by B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins at the point of attack and could not slide fast enough to pick up Clay Mathews on blitzing downs. Matt Birk also struggled with Mathews’ blitzing and NT Ryan Pickett beat him off the ball a few times. Much of the offensive woes could be directly tied to poor play on the offensive line.
Cornerbacks: C
New week, same story. Lardarius Webb looked promising. Dominique Foxworth struggled. Both corners are putting in the effort, but Webb is executing better with form tackles and close coverage. Foxworth fell off receivers or missed tackles, including Donald Driver to allow a touchdown. Frank Walker and Chris Carr were utilized to help control the Packers’ potent passing game, and overall the unit performed better than many expected. There were numerous pass interference calls, a couple of which may have been correct. More on that later. This group had trouble stopping the Packers on third downs; or at least it seemed that way despite the fact that both teams were 6 for 13, 46% converting on third down.
Safeties: C
With Ed Reed coaching on the sideline in street clothes, Tom Zbikowski was called on to fill his role. He struggled early with poor awareness and slippery feet, failing to stop and short throw underneath him that was extended for a first down. He later grabbed an interception of a Rodgers pass that was badly overthrown. Zbikowski was no match for tight end Jermichael Finely on a fade pattern in the end zone.
Linebackers: B-
The Ravens rotated a lot of linebackers into the game, including seldom-used Antwan Barnes, who was able to provide some QB pressure and forced Chad Clifton to grab him on the way by. Dannell Ellerbe also saw a lot of action at the expense of Tavares Gooden. He looked like a better linebacker closing in the hole or even in coverage, although he was out of position covering Donald Driver in the slot to allow an easy TD. He nearly stripped Ryan Grant for a fumble. Ray Lewis and Jarrett Johnson teamed to bat down a Rodgers pass, but also struggled to beat blocks on blitzes. Johnson made a great interception catch on a ball off of Driver’s foot. There has not been much pressure generated by this unit outside Barnes.
Defensive Line: B-
Kelly Gregg looked stronger and more active than he has in previous weeks. He was bottling inside runs and pursuing from the back side, although he also overran a pitch. Dwan Edwards was also strong in pursuit. Haloti Ngata took on double teams and still ate up runners in the middle. Daryn Colledge could not block him one-on-one. Trevor Pryce applied good pressure to get the defense off the field and force a missed field goal that kept the game 17-14.
Special Teams: C
This unit allowed Jordy Nelson to return opening kick to the 43 and quickly put the Ravens behind in the game 3-0. Cary Williams looked very strong in coverage, particularly flying down the field on a long Sam Koch punt. Koch did a good job saving a bad snap from Matt Katula to allow a Billy Cundiff conversion.
Coaching: D
There is not a lot to say here that has not been said above. The team looked sluggish and unenthusiastic. It started with the opening kick and it continued through to the end with untimely time outs and poor clock management. And while Gregg Mattison is to be credited with holding together the secondary with two starters out, he still has not cracked pressuring quarterbacks. Against a poor offensive line there was little pressure whether from a four man front or from blitzing schemes.
Officiating: F
Walt Anderson’s crew did their best to ruin a nationally televised game by over-officiating. I’m not sure they would understand pass interference if it walked up to them and shook their hands. Trivial hand-checking that should have been overlooked was flagged on both teams. Foxworth, Landry and Walker were erroneously called. Mark Clayton deked the officials into calling pass interference when he simply extend an arm and acted as though he was held. Tramon Williams was flagged for holding Demetrius Williams, which was a bad call that gave the Ravens their second score. But then a more obvious PI call on Williams was overlooked when he held Clayton. Worse, the officials began to allow players and coaches lobby for calls, which came late, or came from the far side of the field. They also strangely allowed 51 seconds to tick off at the end of the half, for no apparent reason.
Broadcast: C
The MNF crew announced down to the poor level of play on the field and seemed disinterested, except for reminding us of storied Packers traditions or singing the praises of Rodgers and Charles Woodson. Ron Jaworski was uncharacteristically hyperbolic in his praise. Good points were occasionally made however, for instance when Mike Tirico reminded views that the home team has a huge advantage seeing challengeable replays. All in all it was a sloppy telecast with an obscene amount of commercials.
Obscene also describes the level of play for the Ravens right now, with winnable games upcoming that afford them the chance to correct mistakes and discover their identity.
