The NFL is nuts!
One week a team can look like a developing Super Bowl contender and the next like a playoff pretender.
Take for instance the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens’ opponent this week. They fall to the Browns 31-10 who one week later took one on the chin from the then winless Jaguars.
Speaking of winless, Tampa’s single “W” on the season was in Pittsburgh where the Steelers a few weeks later put up a 51-spot on the Colts, which by the way was one week removed from Indianapolis’ blanking of the Cincinnati Bengals who followed that whitewash with a big win over the Ravens.
If you think for one moment that what happens in Week 9 will somehow paint a postseason portrait of sorts, think again. It’s a rollercoaster ride folks.
Buckle up and keep your hands in the cart at all times.
Matt Elam is a mess. Of the 82 safeties ranked by Pro Football Focus, Elam grades out at 81. As a pass defender he’s an inviting target and when QB’s throw his way their collective passer rating is 128.4, again according to PFF.
Those who defend the former Florida Gator will remind you that he’s playing out of position and is better around the line of scrimmage. I’ll believe it when I see – assuming of course he stays in the starting lineup.
Elam leads all safeties in missed tackles (12), five in the Bengals game alone and when asked to blitz he’s been largely ineffective. That isn’t the type of production you get from a player who is supposed to be a better in-the-box safety.
As if the Ravens secondary needed more challenges we learned today that Jimmy Smith will miss the next few weeks while recovering from a foot sprain. That leaves Lardarius Webb, Dominique Franks and Chykie Brown as the only healthy corners on the 53-man roster.
Ben Roethlisberger must be salivating.
In an offense that has boosted the Ravens offensive stats across the board, Torrey Smith’s productivity is slipping markedly. Here’s a look at his career stats through the first 8 games during each of his four seasons:
Joe Flacco heads to Heinz Field for the 9th time in his career and the 7th during the regular season where he is 3-3 as the Ravens starter. In those regular season starts Flacco has thrown 6 TD passes to go with 2 interceptions and he’s posted an 84.5 passer rating.
Flacco has gone head-to-head with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh four times. The Steelers QB is coming off a monster game against the Colts this past Sunday at the ketchup bottle. During those confrontations with Flacco, Roethlisberger has thrown 4 TD’s and 3 INT’s while posting a passer rating of 84.7. He has beaten the Ravens in 3 of those games.
