The Ravens were #Blessed (my attempt at being ‘basic’) to get the Phil Simms & Jim Nantz A-team duo for their season opener against the Denver Broncos. The pair gave us exactly what a fan would want from their announcers: lack of bias, none of the gimmicky calls or attempts at humor, no ‘way back’ stories… just call the game, give us a few tidbits on a few of the players, and let us lament at our lack of offense while we blame a wide receiver who has never stepped foot on the field for the offensive line issues (I got your back, Perriman!).
Of course some may suggest Simms & Nantz spoke about Manning and the Broncos ad nauseam. And to be honest, that was true early on. But how could they not? It’s up to the broadcast team to talk about the players on the field and, well, Flacco and the Ravens offense spent substantially more time on the sidelines than they did on the field (Joe also spent more time on his back than he did upright). There’s also the star power factor: Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, C.J. Anderson… there’s plenty of big names on that Denver offense.
The Ravens? There’s Joe and Smith Sr. And then… Forsett I guess. And then…
(crickets)
The Ravens did eventually get their time in the spotlight, as they came out for the final 2 minutes of the game, down 6, and steadily on the move. Nantz spoke highly of Flacco’s anticipation on his 4th down completion to Crockett Gillmore, with the duo in tandem approving of the offense’s anticipation of a blitz on the Forsett screen that broke of a 20 yard run into the red zone.
I also want to extend kudos, and real appreciation, for Simms and Nantz not taking the lazy route and blaming Flacco for the game-ending interception in the endzone. It was a gutsy call, but with a big tight end in Gillmore, it was a respectable call, and a great throw by Joe (I got your back too, Joe!)
My only major gripe with the broadcast? Nobody wanted to talk about Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman and his ridiculous vampire guard from the Twilight collection.
Come on man… that thing is just juvenile. Maybe save it for the games closer to Halloween, or give it back to the pee wee football player you stole that from.
Another note worth hitting on, and what many of us really missed, was the foreshadowing put in place by former NFL referee and current CBS ‘Rules Expert’ Mike Carrey.
Halfway through the 1st quarter when line judge Gary Arthur was crushed on the sidelines during a Ravens punt, the broadcast team took it up to New York and put Mike Carey on the spot to explain the shifting of the officials when one goes down. Carey explained to the masses that 7 minus 1 equals 6, and how they shift positions in a time of need, but the real kicker was his ability to foreshadow an eventual outcome in this game. Here’s how the exchange went:
Mike Carey: “This is a Line Judge going down. What they’ll do is they’ll eliminate the Back Judge position and move someone to the line of scrimmage. And so, well, you’ll have 6 men covering where 7 men did before.”
Phil Simms: “What does that change Mike? Does it take eyes off something that could be a factor in the game, as far a defensive back or receiver?”
MC: Yes, it takes a guy in the middle of the field, downfield, away from the game, which gives a little vulnerability to tight ends or the strength of the offense… It’s a little more vulnerable to the passing game.”
Flash forward to the final minute of the game (it’s not like you missed much).
Remember that whole game-ending interception? The one that hit Crockett Gillmore… who is a tight end… in the hands? It looked sort of like this:
Another angle perhaps?
I know. It’s really a crap shoot call. The contact was minimal, but he made no effort to turn and locate the ball. With a Back Judge in place, maybe that warrants the call. A big maybe. I mean, according to the holy gospel that is the NFL Rulebook…
| Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to: |
| (a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver’s opportunity to make the catch. |
Or maybe I’m just in denial and reaching for a Tom Brady call. Maybe if Joe and Crockett would’ve thrown their hands in the air, somebody would’ve thrown the flag.
Either way, Mike Carey suggested downfield issues for tight ends, did he not? And the game ended with an issue for a tight end, did it not? More like Mike Scary, am I right?
If you’ll excuse me now, I need to go hound a certain @MikeCareyRef94 on Twitter for some Mega Millions numbers…
