I’m sure I’ve attended Ravens games at M&T Bank (or PSINET) in worse weather than Sunday, but I’m just not sure when. Maybe the 2013 Minnesota snow/sleet game. Maybe last year’s Frost Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Maybe not. All I know is that I was soaked by the middle of the second quarter. I wore a rain poncho.
I should have worn a rain suit.
Anyway, the rain was coming down sideways at times as the Ravens overpowered and completely dominated the Buffalo Bills at the Purple Vault on Sunday. This was one of those rare games that was over well before halftime. The Ravens game plan to consistently throw the ball took the Bills by surprise and their defense played on their heels the entire game.
It’s hard to tell what the live gate was because, although the stadium looked maybe a third full, the concourses were full of fans sitting or standing at the various watering holes. There was a mass exit to the gates at half time with the game well in hand, but Real Fan Dan was still there, in fine fettle to lead cheers to those of us still in the stands.
When John Harbaugh pulled the starters early in the 3rd quarter and Sean McDermott did the same, I looked at my companion and said “It’s now a preseason game.”
Bills Mafia represented very well on Sunday. They were out in numbers and I truly give them credit. It’s too bad their team stunk the joint up. It was so bad that they were cheering completed passes. The Mafia were the only fans I saw in shorts and flip flops, which took me by surprise until I realized that Sunday’s weather is probably what passes for mid-July summer weather in upstate New York.
Joe Flacco was the undisputed star of the game yesterday. He wasn’t elite, but he was plenty good enough in 35 minutes of work. He was 25 of 34 for 236 yards, 3 touchdowns and no picks, and could have been even better if 3 or 4 of his passes weren’t dropped. He spread the ball around to 9 different receivers and was extremely mobile as a couple times he ran out of what last year would have been sure sacks. On second thought, for 35 minutes of work he was elite.
One game is a small sample size, but it seemed that the Ravens receivers were open all over the field. It looks like this bunch of out wideouts and tight ends can run routes, catch, and then get yards after catch.
The Ravens Defense exposed Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman for what he is – a career backup and a bad one at that – and the Bills front office for their disastrous decision to jettison both Tyrod Taylor and A.J. McCarron. It should be Josh Allen’s job now, and Sean McDermott should make that official without having to “look at the tape first.”
It’s hard to believe that the Bills were a playoff team last year (albeit thanks to the Bengals and some creative tie-breakers) and at this point I can’t see them winning more than 4 or 5 games this year. At this point they are in first in line for the 1st pick in the 2019 draft.
It’s equally hard to evaluate the Ravens performance when everyone looked so good. Mike Preston, not known for dispensing the Purple Kool-Aid, gave the Ravens seven A’s out of 9 grades on his report card. His lowest grade was a B. I can point fingers at perhaps the running game and fumbles by Alex Collins and punt returner Janarion Grant, but that’s about it.
Things will get a great deal harder this Thursday when the Ravens travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. The only good thing is that Harbaugh & Co. are getting the mandated Thursday night game out of the way early and while entering the game relatively healthy. At this point the only reported injuries to come out of the Bills game are non-specific injuries to RB Kenneth Dixon and CB Maurice Canady.
If the Steelers are the Ravens greatest rival, then the Bengals are the Ravens’ annoying pest that continually disrupts plans. I can’t shake the feeling that Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton just have the Ravens number. Since the 2012 Super Bowl season the Bengals have won 7 of 10 games between the two and if the Ravens are going to the postseason this season, this trend must end.
That said, it stops this Thursday.
I’m calling it Ravens 19, Bengals 17 on 4 Justin Tucker field goals.
