July 24, 2014, the first day that the full 90-man roster took the field at the Under Armour Performance Center seems so long ago. Forty-five days and 37 players later opening day has finally arrived.
The outlook for the Ravens both locally and nationally is mixed. Many believe that offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak along with Joe Flacco’s new go-to-guy Steve Smith, Sr. will have a huge impact upon the Ravens offense and that eventually the defense, which consists of an ideal blend of youth and experience, will eventually gel.
Of course time will tell and of course Game 1 will receive an unusually high degree of scrutiny. In the minds of many a great game on opening day will win you a Super Bowl and a bad outing will have you competing for the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. One only needs to listen to the talking heads on ESPN and NFL Network describe the play between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers from Thursday night for proof.
Can Heath Evans possibly be a bigger blockhead?
But I digress…
With that said, here’s what I’ll be watching today when looking away from the ball:
1. THE OFFENSIVE TACKLES: Eugene Monroe, despite his newfound familiarity with the Ravens offense, didn’t exactly have a stellar preseason. He was off-balance too often and that opened up opportunities for opposing pass rushers. He’ll need to clean things up.
Rick Wagner has played well in the short spurts provided during the fake games but now things get real and he’ll face a touch challenge in the likes of Carlos Dunlap.
2. BIG MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Brandon Williams was a beast during the preseason both in run support and when collapsing the pocket. Today he’ll take on the Bengals’ rookie center Russell Bodine. If Williams is as dominant when the games count that will open up opportunities for the Ravens’ big named vets like Ngata, Suggs and Dumervil. A Williams’ win today could be nightmarish for Andy Dalton.
3. ROUNDED CORNERS: It would be naïve to think that Lardarius Webb and Asa Jackson will be sharp today. Webb has taken no preseason snaps while Jackson has struggled with a high ankle sprain. Fortunately they’ll catch a break not having to face WR Marvin Jones who is out with a foot injury but they’ll still have their hands full with the big menacing target named Mohamed Sanu. Look for Jimmy Smith to match up with AJ Green. Smith has had an outstanding summer.
4. RUN IT: Bernard Pierce says he isn’t injury prone. Apparently he sees something the rest of the world doesn’t. Let’s hope he’s right today. Kubiak’s offense is ideally suited for Pierce’s skill set but with the game against the Steelers just 4 sleeps away, expect ball distribution among Pierce, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett. Forsett needs to take better care of the ball when he’s on the field than he showed during the preseason.
5. GET OFF THE FIELD: The Ravens defense was plagued in 2013 by an inability to get off the field in the fourth quarter. Can they improve against a familiar opponent? Last season defensive coordinator Dean Pees borrowed a bit from the days of Rex Ryan and dialed up organized chaos to rattle Andy Dalton who has a 58.7 passer rating in three games at The Bank. Winning first down will be key to getting off on third for T. Sizzle & Co.
6. TACKLING: The Ravens must do a better job of tackling particularly in the open field where Bengals’ OC Hue Jackson will try to place his dangerous tailback Giovani Bernard. The second-year back is a home run hitter and the Ravens will need to wrap up and be physical with the faster version of Ray Rice.
7. KEEP IT TIGHT: The soft white underbelly of the Bengals defense is the intermediate to deep middle of the field. Middle linebacker Ray Maualuga struggles in coverage and Cincinnati’s safeties George Iloka and Reggie Nelson are inviting targets. That could mean a big day for Dennis Pitta and rarely seen newcomer Owen Daniels.
The Ravens will need to be equally aware of the big cats’ impressive tandem of tight ends in Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham. They’ll need big games from Daryl Smith, CJ Mosley, Matt Elam and Darian Stewart. How long will Stewart be able to hold off the hard charging rookie Terrence Brooks?
NOTES:
Rumors are swirling that Ed Reed will make an appearance today on the Ravens sideline…Elvis Dumervil had 2 ½ sacks at M&T last season against the Bengals…For those watching at home expect a Bengals love fest from former Bengal Solomon Wilcots…The Ravens are 13-5 against the Bengals in Baltimore…The Ravens are 44-10 when they score first and 49-12 when scoring 20 points or more.
PREDICTION: Ravens 27, Bengals 23
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