QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Torrey Smith on identify coverage… “The corner lies, safeties don’t. You don’t really play the corners in your mind; it’s the safeties that tell you what’s going on.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Monday’s game against Cincinnati is the first of four in 18 days for the Ravens. Baltimore is at Philadelphia on Sept. 16, hosts the Patriots in a Sunday night special on Sept. 23 and plays the Browns on Sept. 27 at M&T Bank Stadium.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ~ The Ravens have won 10-consecutive games at M&T Bank Stadium and 18 of the past 19. Including the postseason, Baltimore owns the NFL’s longest home winning streak – 11 games.
• In their eight regular season home games in 2011 – all wins – the Ravens averaged 27.4 points per contest, while permitting just 14.9 ppg…Baltimore outscored opponents 219-119.
• The Ravens totaled an NFL-high 33 sacks and forced 18 turnovers at home in 2011, allowing 12 sacks and turning the ball over just 11 times (registering a +7 turnover margin).
MAGIC 8 ~ The number of consecutive wins the Ravens have posted against teams in the AFC North, the NFL’s longest current streak against one’s own Division.
ANOTHER MAGIC NUMBER ~ Since 2000, the Ravens own a 57-1 record when posting at least a+2 turnover margin in a game, with the only loss coming Week 6
of 2010 in a 23-20 OT thriller at New England.
OPENING DAY ~ Baltimore is 8-8 all time in season openers, including 5-3 in games played at home.
Ravens Individual Bests on Opening Day
· Rushes: 27, Priest Holmes at Pit. (2000)
· Rushing Yards: 119, Priest Holmes at Pit. (2000)
· Rushing TDs: 1, 11 times – Last by Ray Rice vs. Pit. (2011)
· Pass Attempts: 43, J. Flacco vs. KC (2009) & K. Boller at Pit. (2003)
· Pass Comp: 26, Joe Flacco vs. KC (2009)
· Passing Yards: 322, Vinny Testaverde vs. Jax. (1997)
· Passing TDs: 3, 3 times – Last by Joe Flacco vs. Pit. (2011)
· Receptions: 9, Todd Heap at Cle. (2004)
· Receiving Yards: 143, Michael Jackson vs. Jax. (1997)
· Receiving TDs: 2, Jermaine Lewis vs. Jax. (1997)
· Sacks: 3, Terrell Suggs vs. Pit. (2011)
· INTs: 2, Ed Reed vs. Pit. (2011)
THE CAPED CRUSADERS
• Ray Lewis needs 28 more INT return yards to pass Derrick Brooks(530) for the most all-time INT return yards by a LB. Lewis has 503 return yards on 31 INTs.
• Ed Reed needs 21 INT return yards to set the NFL’s all-time record. Reed’s 1,463 return yards rank second behind Hall of Famer Rod Woodson’s 1,483 yards on 71 INTs in 17 seasons.
JOE THE QUARTERBACK
• Joe Flacco has produced 44 regular season wins (49 including playoffs) as a starter, the most in NFL history by a QB in his first four seasons. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan ranks second (43), followed by Dan Marino (41).
• Joe Flacco is the only starting QB since the 1970 merger to make the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. He also owns a 5-4 postseason record, with four of those victories coming on the road.
CALLING SIGNALS ~ The Ravens are scheduled to face a Pro Bowl QB in 13 of their 16 games this season: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Andy Dalton (twice), Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger (twice), Tony Romo, Matt Schaub and Michael Vick.
CALLING THE GAME
– National Radio: Westwood One
– Ian Eagle (play-by-play) – Boomer Esiason (analyst), Tony Boselli (sideline)
– TV: ESPN – Monday Night Football / WJZ (Ch. 13)
– Mike Tirico (play-by-play) – Jon Gruden (analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline)
JUNGLE CONNECTIVITY
• Ravens rookie G/C Gino Gradkowski and Bengals QB Bruce Gradkowski are brothers. Bruce is six years older than Gino, andthe two grew up in Pittsburgh, PA.
Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier served as the Ravens’ secondary coach from 2006-09, while Bengals assistant special teams/assistant DBs coach Hue Jackson was the Ravens’ QBs coach from 2008-09.
• Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons’ first NFL job was with the Ravens in 1998 as quality control/special teams coach…Bengals RB Cedric Peerman was originally selected by Baltimore in the sixth round (185th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
• Overall Series v. Cincinnati: Ravens lead, 18-14.
• In Baltimore: Ravens are 11-5. • In Cincinnati: Bengals are 9-7.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Q: If you have a car containing a Bengals wide receiver, a Bengals linebacker, and a Bengals defensive back, who is driving the car?
A: The cop.
