Kurt Warner was a busy man over his 13-year NFL career, but over the last several years, he has gotten to know two of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest offensive weapons closely, and he says that Ravens fans this year should be in a real treat this year.

Everyone knows Kurt Warner’s story by now. How he came out of Northern Iowa, didn’t get drafted, and eventually found his way playing on Arena League teams-on top of bagging groceries at the local grocery store to make money.

But one injury in the preseason to Rams starter Trent Green put Warner on the map as an MVP and a Super Bowl champion.

“Who is this guy?”, people said in that 1999 campaign, which ended in a Rams victory over the Tennessee Titans. In that Super Bowl, Warner passed for a Super Bowl record 414 passing yards en route to winning Super Bowl MVP.

He was only the sixth player to win league MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year.

After winning another MVP in 2001 and taking the Rams to the Super Bowl again, Warner’s star in St. Louis began to dim. An injury to his hand in 2002 basically ended his career as a Ram, ultimately losing his job to current Ravens backup QB, Marc Bulger.

He then was the stop-gap between Eli Manning and the NFL for the Giants in 2004, but ultimately Manning grabbed the starting job and Warner’s career looked to be not only over, but dead, as he went to the abyss known as the Arizona Cardinals, whose idea of a good quarterback over the years was Jake Plummer.

Things looked to be the same as they were in St. Louis and New York early on as Warner lost his job to Josh McCown and Matt Leinart, but with a budding offensive team around Warner, head coach Dennis Green began to see the Kurt Warner of the late 90′s yet again.

Ironically, it was against the Ravens in Week 4 that Warner stepped in for Leinart with the Cardinals trailing 20-6.

What did Warner do you ask? He only completed 15 of 20 passes for 258 yards and 2 TDs, which tied the ball game. All in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens eventually won on a last second field goal by Matt Stover, but that was the beginning of the end of the Matt Leinart era in Arizona as long as Warner was on the roster.

Warner was a key piece in the Cardinals’ run to the Super Bowl in 2008, who lost to the Steelers on a game-winning catch by Santonio Holmes.

He is only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 100 TD passes for two different teams, as well as the only quarterback to throw for 14,000 yards for those teams.

One of his weapons for all those years in Arizona was Anquan Boldin, who came to the Ravens in the off-season for third and fourth round picks in this year’s draft. Somehow, it’s another Raven connection for Warner, and since Warner retired a few months back, he has been able to keep in contact with one of his former wide-outs about his new team.

“You guys are going to be in for a tremendous surprise,” Warner told Rex Snider during the “WNST Curing Cancer One Call at a Time” Marathon on Saturday.

“A lot of people think they know what Anquan brings to the table and what kind of a football player he is, but until you get a chance to see him, whether it be on a daily basis…he is a special football player.”

“And he brings an amazing leadership, competitiveness, and toughness to the football field. I guess its very much in the mold of what you think about when you think about Baltimore Ravens football.

Warner couldn’t be happier for a guy who really grew kind of disappointed with his experience out in Arizona the last few years waiting for a new contract.

“I’m excited for him,” Warner said. “It’s a new opportunity…one that I know he’s excited about.”

And now that he has even more time on hands after retiring in January, he also has taken quite an interest in the maturation of Joe Flacco as an NFL quarterback.

Flacco came to Warner’s charity flag football tournament in the off-season, and that was one of the first times Warner was able to chat with the third year man out of Delaware about what it takes to be a starter in this league.

And he got a good idea of how good Flacco is with a football in his hands just from him throwing footballs to 40-year old “corporate guys”.

“Obviously he’s big and hes strong, and he can make all the throws,” Warner said. “I’ve been very impressed with the times I have watched him and the times I’ve had to talked to him about what he brings to the table.”

And much like Boldin, Warner said Ravens fans are going to be surprised quickly how much of a bigger step he takes this year with guys like Boldin around him.

“I think he’s going to continue to get better and better. The big key for him is I think getting the pieces around him. Last year, Ray Rice came in and had a breakout, tremendous year and it took some of the pressure off Joe to have to throw the football.”

“Now you bring in guys like Anquan that I think are going to complement all the things they do, and allow some more of that pressure to come off Joe where he can continue to just relax, grow into the position, and not be called upon to do everything for that team, and specifically for that offense.”

WNST Thanks Kurt Warner for joining us over the Weekend for Our “Curing Cancer One Call at a Time Marathon” benefiting Harbor Hospital. If you still would like to donate, click here.

Nestor Aparicio and I were chatting this morning on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, and something interesting came up. While discussing the Baltimore Ravens’ addition of former St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger, “The Nasty One” suggested that John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome were concerned with the back injury Joe Flacco suffered late last season, and would have felt more comfortable having Marc Bulger backing him up than Troy Smith and John Beck had Flacco been unable to play late in the season or in the postseason.

Of course, I couldn’t help but respond by saying “Marc Bulger wasn’t on a football field late last season.”

I’m not trying to suggest that in any way is the signing of Marc Bulger a BAD move for the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, the perspective I am attempting to offer is that I don’t necessarily know that this is a GOOD move. Hence, I’m UNmoved.

Marc Bulger has had a nice career in the NFL. He’s thrown for over 20,000 yards; connecting for 122 TD’s and 93 interceptions. He’s twice made the Pro Bowl, and has lead his team to the playoffs twice in his career. At this point, he is clearly better suited as a backup than a starter, as he has played a full 16 game season just ONCE in his 8 year career.

Marc Bulger quite obviously has a better background than either Smith or Beck amongst the Ravens’ reserve QB’s. After Bulger (presumably) passes his physical and gets under contract next week, he will immediately be installed as the team’s number two QB. With that being said, I would be lying if I said I suddenly felt more comfortable about the team’s Super Bowl hopes with Bulger on the roster.

If Joe Flacco were to get hurt in Week 6 this season against the New England Patriots, the Ravens would PROBABLY be better served with Marc Bulger on the field a week later at M&T Bank Stadium against the Buffalo Bills than they would be with Troy Smith or John Beck. However, if Joe Flacco were to get hurt in Week 6, they would be in NO better shape come Week 13 when the Pittsburgh Steelers invade Charm City with Bulger under center than Smith or Beck.

Bulger is an upgrade, but don’t get carried away. At this point in his career, he’s a MARGINAL upgrade. He’s a quarterback who a month before Training Camp opens found himself unemployed. That isn’t a mistake. A slew of teams around the NFL made (or needed to make) QB moves this offseason, and none of them took a $3 million (or so) shot on Bulger.

The Arizona Cardinals are going to defend their NFC West crown with either Derek Anderson or Matt Leinart under center. The Cleveland Browns will try to improve in the AFC North with either Jake Delhomme or Seneca Wallace under center. The Carolina Panthers will have Matt Moore and/or Jimmy Clausen throwing the ball. The Denver Broncos will play either Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow this season.

Any of those teams could have acquired Marc Bulger. They didn’t.

Bulger has had a nice career, and would likely be better served in an offense with better weapons and with a solid O-Line; which is expected to be the case in Baltimore. If healthy, he may be able to have a level of effectiveness at this point in his career. Of course, that’s a big if.

But this is the backup QB position we’re talking about. This isn’t about whether Marc Bulger or Troy Smith is a better QB. I know the answer to that question. This is about whether or not Marc Bulger gets the Ravens closer to winning the Super Bowl than they were before they brought him in. I’m not so sure that’s the case.

I’m not trying to just be negative. I’m really not. I don’t want this to be taken as me saying I don’t “like” the addition of Bulger. That’s not the case at all. I don’t like OR dislike the move. I’m just not particularly moved by it whatsoever. I thought the Ravens were a Super Bowl contender before Wednesday, and I think they’re a Super Bowl contender on Thursday.

I think the MOST positive thing that could come from the addition of Bulger would be the departure of Troy Smith from the Ravens locker room. Smith isn’t going to get the team any more than a 7th round pick at this point (and probably a conditional 7th round pick); but subtracting Smith from the locker room would likely do wonders for improving the culture John Harbaugh has tried to create in Owings Mills.

As we discussed in May when Drew Forrester and I put together our “Month of Jerks” list, Troy Smith is not a great dude. His attitude in the locker room is rarely overly positive; and there’s no doubt that letting him go could be an “addition by subtraction” type of situation.

I still call myself “unmoved.”

And to be completely honest, I hope that we’ll never know. If Joe Flacco plays every snap this season for a team that wins the AFC North, it will never matter whether or not I was moved by a backup QB acquisition.

There’s no question that it’s the best case scenario for any Baltimore Ravens fan.

-G

If Kurt Warner doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame, then they should just blow the whole building up and start over.

Although he’d probably never say such a thing, it’s not Kurt Warner’s fault that the football world never fully grasped his greatness. After all, the only reason that Warner’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, now that his career has come to a close, is even debatable, is due to the failures of 32 NFL football teams to realize that Warner was the truth. Forget about the numbers, Warner’s back-story alone is Hall of Fame worthy.

We’ve all known that guy, the one holding on to his pro sports dream for far longer than reason or common sense should allow. You try to encourage them, and hope that when reality inevitably sets in for them, as it did for all of us sooner or later, they won’t have wasted too much of their life. You can imagine the reactions that Warner must’ve gotten from his co-workers at the Hy-Vee market, as he espoused on his NFL dreams.

In a story too sappy to have been written for a Disney movie, Kurt Warner achieved heights that likely even surpassed what once seemed like little more than delusions of grandeur. Scour the landscape of sports, or American history for that matter, and you’ll likely find no better spokesperson for the concept of chasing your dreams, regardless of what anyone else may believe. Eventually, what Warner proved to us all was simply that doubting him was never a good idea.

Even as Dick Vermeil was giving his teary eyed, now famous, press conference, trying to convince the world that the team had confidence in Warner, it seemed he was likewise trying to convince himself. What he failed to realize at that time, what none of us could have realized, was that Warner had enough confidence and conviction to overcome what his teammates or anyone else lacked in him.

From there the rest should have been history. Warner’s exclusion from the NFL had been corrected to the tune of a pair of Super Bowl appearances, with a win in one, a pair of league MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP award to boot. One might look at this season’s Super Bowl participants and the overall change of the NFL toward that of a passing game, and declare Warner and his “greatest show on turf”, the forefathers of modern offense.

Instead, Mike Martz instead declared himself the mastermind behind the “G.S.O.T.”, and jettisoned Warner to make way for Marc Bulger. One rocky season in New York, and Warner’s fairy tale ride appeared over. Shiftless and benched a few times in Arizona, Warner almost began to give the appearance of a guy holding on for too long. And who could have blamed him? After all he had fought to overcome to gain entry to the league, no one would’ve expected him to go out willingly.

A Sunday afternoon in Baltimore in 2007 saw Warner get another chance. Taking over for an ineffective Matt Leinart late in a 23-6 Ravens’ blowout, Warner led a memorable comeback effort, which eventually saw his Cardinals lose 26-23 in overtime. In a way it’s kind of fitting that it happened against the Ravens, the team against whom he made his improbable debut in 1999.

Now after leading the Cardinals, as he did the Rams, through an unprecedented stretch of success for their history, Warner rides off into the sunset; having put the exclamation point on not just a hall of fame career, but also a hall of fame story, a hall of fame pursuit of a dream, and is generally regarded as an even better human being than football player.

It’s kind of ironic that Warner goes out without much suspense or fanfare, not looking to command the spotlight, simply going away on his own terms, after fighting for so long to justify his belief in himself and his own belief that he belonged. Meanwhile, we prepare as well for the inevitable opposite as Brett Favre will soon begin the public spectacle that is his retirement watch. Especially interesting since Warner’s first taste of the NFL was as a free agent invite to Packers camp, hoping only to back up Favre, as unseating him would have been out of the question.

Forget about the numbers, which also stack up pretty well against current hall of fame quarterbacks, what Warner accomplished goes far beyond numbers. If ever there was a deserving Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner is the one.

The NFL is a copycat league, there’s no denying that. Every off season, like clockwork, teams of little fortune try like mad to emulate the successful practices that they’ve seen implemented by other clubs. It’s a league of trends, and those left behind said trends are likely to find themselves out of contention and likewise out of favor with their fans.

One of the interesting new trends in the NFL of late has been the propensity of teams to look beyond the usual suspects in attempting to fill their head coaching positions. Perhaps in no small part due to the recent success of such upstart coaches as Mike Tomlin of the Steelers or the trio of rookie coaches in John Harbaugh, Mike Smith and Tony Sparano who all led their teams to playoff appearances in their rookie campaigns last season, teams have all seemingly begun to reach for the next young star in coaching.

After the early successes of Harbaugh, Smith and Sparano, the NFL reacted in kind. Eight head coaches were hired last off-season, and among them, only Mike Singletary who had coached a handful of games as the interim coach had previous NFL head coaching experience. What’s more, at the start of the 2009 season, only 3 of 32 NFL coaches even had rings as head coaches, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin and Mike Tomlin.

It’s probably a good thing that Superbowl credentialed coaches like Brian Billick, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher have settled nicely into the TV ranks, because based on current trends, it could be quite some time before the league could consider them attractive coaching candidates again. Guys like those are left hoping these days that the likes of Coughlin or Mike Shanahan can do big things in regard to reversing the current trend.

Look no further than Shanahan’s own situation to illustrate how far the plight of the recycled head coach has come. Do you really think that Washington was on Shanahan’s short list of attractive destinations before gauging the lack of perceived interest that the market seemingly had in him?

If this season had proven anything however, it may have proven that finding the next young rock star coach may be easier said than done. Of the 8 aforementioned head coaching positions filled last off-season, only Rex Ryan and Jim Caldwell saw their fortunes advance beyond the regular season. The rest of those teams are left to ponder whether their leap of faith was actually the right move.

In the playoffs however, a surprising, if not disturbing trend has arisen this season. In the 8 playoff games staged so far this season, all but one have been won by the teams with the least experienced coaches. Among the 3 coaches who went into 2009 with   Superbowl hardware, only one even qualified for the playoffs, and for his efforts, Belichick’s Patriots were rewarded with perhaps the playoffs’ most unceremonious ouster.

In the opening weekend, second year coach John Harbaugh watched his Ravens bounce the Patriots along with Bill Belichick, his 15 seasons of experience (10 in New England) and his three Superbowl rings right out of the playoffs. Additionally, Ken Whisenhunt, in his 3^rd season saw his Cardinals eliminate the Packers led by Mike McCarthy in his 4^th season at the helm. Rookie Jets’ coach Rex Ryan saw his team take out Marvin Lewis’ Bengals, in Lewis’ 7^th season as head coach. And in the read between the lines match up, Andy Reid in his 11^th season in charge of the Eagles lost to Wade Phillips, whose coaching career began 6 seasons before Reid’s, but Phillips only has 8 total seasons spread out over 3 cities of head coaching experience, and has only been in charge of the Cowboys since 2007.

The second round saw the only upset to the trend when 4^th year coach Sean Payton saw his Saints eliminate Whisenhunt’s Cardinals. Otherwise, Brad Childress in his 4^th season and the Vikings took out Phillips’ Cowboys, and a pair of rookies in Rex Ryan and Jim Caldwell beat out the oft-recycled Norv Turner and the grizzled second year vet in Harbaugh.

None of that likely gives us any indication of which way to go this weekend, as both championship games will feature head coaches of equal tenure. Childress and Payton, both in the head coaching ranks since 2006 will meet on the NFC side, while a couple of rookies in Caldwell and Ryan will duel it out for the AFC. And once the dust settles in 3 weeks, one thing will be for sure, there will be one more coach going into next season with that elusive Superbowl hardware, as a first timer is now guaranteed to win; it’s just matter of which first timer.

Experience is a funny thing. In a 16 game NFL season, every game is bound to pose a new quandary, we’ve seen evidence of that here in Baltimore over the last 2 seasons, as Harbaugh has found his way admirably, but has also endured a lot of lessons learned on the job. For years, we’ll be left to debate whether the Ravens’ success over the last two seasons happened as a result of the Harbaugh regime, or despite it. Hindsight will surely show that at least a few of the young coaches who saw success this season would fall into the latter category.

One thing that’s probably not debatable though, is that Harbaugh is surely a better coach today than he was two years ago. Heck, he’s probably a better coach today than he was on Saturday in Indy. Experience is what’s made him better, and what will continue to do so.

Why experience is no longer seemingly valued in the NFL is beyond me, but that seems to be the trend. It could make things very interesting going forward, as most of the veteran candidates for head coaching jobs will likely have to gravitate to college or coordinators’ jobs until their stocks rise again. If the NFL is a coordinators league anyway, the impact on the field could be interesting.

Once upon a time, experience made you rich; now, in the NFL at least, it just makes you undesirable. In this league though, everything is subject to change on a moment’s notice. Something tells me that there are a lot of former coaches secretly cheering for Coughlin and Shanahan.

Despite the proclamations of many, the NFL still looks to be a running league, at least once playoff time rolls around.

The NFL has become a passing league. You don’t have to look too deeply to find evidence of that. Quarterbacks are piling up unprecedented numbers, referees are calling penalties downfield much more tightly, and every so-called expert fit to offer an opinion seems to agree that the NFL, and football leagues at all levels for that matter, is becoming a passing league.

The question though is, are they quite there yet? Fans in Indianapolis, Arizona, New Orleans and even San Diego are sure hoping so. If the league favors the passing game these days, there are few teams better equipped than those to air it out and run it up. And with 3 of this weekend’s games being staged in domes, and the other in sunny San Diego, there’s virtually no chance that conditions are anything but ideal for primed offenses to open things up this weekend.

In terms of getting to the playoffs, a strong passing game may be the key, or at least a big part of the formula. Seven of the top eight passing offenses from this season qualified for postseason play, and 5 of those remain alive into this weekend’s action. That’s partly because 4 of those teams earned byes for the first round of the playoffs – a testament to their success no doubt – but among those who played only Dallas managed a win.

New England’s 3^rd ranked pass offense fell to a Ravens club that finished the season 18^th in passing yards, and only completed 4 passes themselves on Sunday. The sixth ranked Cowboys advanced as well, against the 10^th ranked Eagles, and in doing so out rushed Philadelphia nearly 3 carries to 1. The 7^th ranked Packers fell to the 12^th ranked Cardinals in a shootout for the ages, and the Cards may consider themselves lucky to have escaped a game that most conceded would boil down to who had the ball last. It’s probably still worth mentioning though, that with a 17 point lead early, and a 31-10 lead just after halftime, Arizona probably wins easily if they use Beanie Wells and his 6.5 yards per carry for the game, more than 14 times. This weekend, the 2^nd ranked Colts, 4^th ranked Saints, 5^th ranked Chargers and 8^th ranked Vikings will try to join the Cowboys in reversing the run first trend.

When you look at running stats, the trend remains the same, where the Jets (1^st), Ravens (5^th) and Bengals (9^th) are the only top 10 running offenses to gain entry to the playoffs without a top 10 passing game too. (The Saints and Cowboys are 6^th and 7^th respectively, but also boast top 10 passing offenses) But again in last weekend’s action we saw 3 of 4 games go to the team who ran the ball better during the season, and arguably all 4 went to the team better equipped and more committed to running the ball in their playoff games. (Make your own determination on what decided that Packers / Cardinals game)

If you’re looking for a read on this debate, from an offensive standpoint, this weekend’s games couldn’t provide a better “boxer vs. puncher” analogy, especially in the AFC. On Saturday the Jets will take a #1 running game and a #31 passing game to San Diego, where conditions should be ideal for anything, to face a Chargers offense ranked 5^th in passing and 31^st in rushing. On Sunday the Ravens will take the 5^th ranked rushing offense and 18^th ranked passing offense to see a Colts offense that ranks 2^nd in passing, but 32^nd (that’s last) in rushing.

On the NFC side the offensive match ups might be a little trickier than the numbers may bear out. When the Cardinals travel to New Orleans on Saturday, they’ll be offensively overmatched on both sides, at least statistically. The Saints pass offense ranks 4^th in the league to the Cardinals at 12^th, but the Saints also boast the 6^th ranked rushing offense, while the Cardinals come in at 28^th. In Sunday’s match up, Dallas brings the 6^th ranked passing offense and 7th ranked rushing offense, the Vikings come in at 8^th in passing and 13^th in rushing.

While the Saints look better equipped in both ways offensively, the Cardinals have found some rhythm in their running game since expanding the role of Beanie Wells, still with the fear that either of their backs could put the ball on the carpet at any time, Arizona looks like they actually feel safer with Kurt Warner and the passing game, and probably have more top end talent in the passing game than New Orleans if not their depth, especially if Boldin is healthy. The Saints look like they can beat you offensively any way they choose, but also seem to have lost momentum over the seasons closing weeks.

While the Cowboys have the edge statistically over the Vikings in both offensive phases of the game, it’s tough to argue that there’s a more dangerous back in football than Adrian Peterson, and despite his down year offensively, a fresher Peterson for the playoffs could become a scary proposition if the Vikings choose to lean on him. The passing edge favors Dallas statistically too, but in a much closer fashion, whether you’d rather have Brett Favre or Tony Romo quarterbacking your playoff team may be a no-brainer, but both have been known to make some pretty curious decisions in crunch time, usually though, in Favre’s case they work.

While the AFC games seem clear cut offensively, with one team looking to run and the other to pass, in the NFC, it may come down to which team is better able, or better equipped to be the dominant clock controlling ground game on game day.

On the defensive side of things, the argument may look much different. As it pertains to regular season rankings and making the playoffs, 7 of the top 10 run defenses earned playoff berths, and four of them remain as week 2 approaches. However, in this weekend’s match ups, Green Bay and the leagues top ranked rushing defense lost to the Cardinals, ranked 17^th against the run, although run defense was of little consequence in that match up, as both teams looked utterly off balance and unprepared when faced with the few rushing attempts they did see. And the 7^th ranked Bengals rush defense lost to the 8^th ranked Jets, in what was statistically a push going in, and was basically a push for the day too, with Bengals equaling the Jets’ yardage total, but in less attempts, for a better average, but less time of possession.

The 5^th ranked Ravens run defense disposed of the 13^th ranked Patriots, in a game where running and run defense was clearly the deciding factor, and the 4^th ranked Cowboys run defense took out the 9^th ranked Eagles, in a game where the Cowboys ran 35 times for 198 yards and 2 TD and the Eagles managed just 13 attempts for 56 yards and no end zone trips.

Of the top 10 pass defenses for the regular season, only 4 earned spots in the playoffs, and all 4 also had top 10 run defenses as well. Over the weekend it held up like this, the 1^st ranked Jets and 8^th ranked Ravens predictably disposed of the 6^th ranked Bengals and 12^th ranked Patriots, but the 23^rd ranked Cardinals beat the 5^th ranked Packers and made them look like anything but a top 5 pass defense, and 17^th ranked Eagles lost to the 20^th ranked Cowboys’ pass defense.

In this weekend’s match ups, the Ravens bring the 5^th ranked run defense and 8^th ranked pass defense against an Indy team that will look to test that highly ranked yet somehow highly maligned Ravens’ secondary. The Colts’ run defense, for their part, ranks 24^th in the league, and may have benefited a lot from the Colts’ prolific winning streak and ability to force teams into catch up mode. As for their pass defense, the Colts come in at a middle of the road 14^th. This one seems simple to figure out, the Ravens will try to run, and the statistics say that they should be able to. The Colts will look to pass, big surprise, and although it looks statistically like they might have some problems, and the Ravens secondary seemed to go to another level in Foxboro on Sunday, I’ll still believe that when I see it.

As stated above, San Diego will probably be looking to air it out against the Jets and will have their work cut out for them. It’ll be cut out for them no matter how they choose to attack a Jets defense that ranks 1^st against the pass and 8^th against the run. If the Jets defense does what they’re capable of, then this one could fall to rookie Mark Sanchez, or more likely the Jets running game. For their part, the Chargers rank 20^th against the run, so they’ll have their work cut out for them there. The rookie Sanchez will have to deal with a San Diego pass defense that ranks just outside of the top 10 statistically at 11^th, but who may have to load up the box in an effort to stop the Jets’ prolific running game.

On the NFC side, in what looks to be a shootout, Arizona is obviously utterly under equipped to deal with an offense like the Saints’. The Cards pass defense ranks 23^rd in the league, and their run defense isn’t much better coming in at an unimpressive 17^th. It looks like Sean Payton and Drew Brees will have their choice of how to attack the Cards’ defense, and if you saw them last week, it’s tough to argue that this Arizona team is ready for an offense like the Saints. Defensively the Saints come in ranked 23^rd against the run, despite playing much of the season from far ahead. And like the Cardinals, the Saints’ pass defense is even worse ranking 26^th in the league. Like Brees, Kurt Warner should have his choice of how to go after the Saints defense, but seems less likely to rely on the running game if it’s close. This may be another case of whichever team scores last wins, but the Saints didn’t look good before they elected to shut down, if they take time to get warmed up, this one could start like the Cardinals’ last game. We may get to see if they learned anything about running the clock from that one.

And in the other game, the Cowboys with the 20^th ranked pass defense and 4^th ranked run defense have a pretty clear game plan. They have to hope that their highly regarded run defense can minimize Adrian Peterson, and will have to take their chances against Brett Favre. If the Vikings decide to lean on Peterson though, Dallas may find out just how good he is, which could open up things for Favre and the passing game. The Vikings defense, ranked 7^th against the run and 19^th against the pass, will hope they have what it takes to minimize the damage from Dallas’ three headed backfield, and will have to hope that Tony Romo lives up to his reputation for making mistakes in crucial moments.

So whether or no the league has gone fully to a passing league, just yet at least, is still debatable, but this weekend’s games should provide an interesting case study in what wins playoff games, particularly in the AFC. I’ll stick with defense and running, until it’s proven otherwise, and last weekend’s games seem to support that notion. That’s playoff football; right?

There will be plenty written and said in the next few days about the Ravens’ AFC Divisional Playoff matchup with the Colts on Saturday.

If you don’t know how much sports information resides on WNST.net, here is a great example of what you can find if you click on the grey bar at the top of the page where it says NFL: A head-to-head analysis of the Ravens and the Colts in 2009, and each team’s individual stats.

Ravens-Colts 2009 Comparison

2009 Baltimore Ravens Stats

2009 Indianapolis Colts Stats

I will have my “How I See It” column with a Ravens-Colts prediction up early Friday morning, but these team numbers should give you something to discuss with your friends leading up to game time.

All four games this weekend will be too close to call, in my opinion. The big surprise may come in New Orleans, where the Saints are vulnerable against the Cardinals. In fact, all four road teams (Arizona, Baltimore, Dallas and New York) have good reason for optimism against the division winners they face.

If you are not one of the many people traveling to Indy on the WNST Purple Playoff Trip or by other means, please join us at 8 pm here on WNST.net for the Playoff Purple Haze Live Chat with news and info from the Lucas Oil Stadium press box from Drew Forrester and Glenn Clark and your comments and questions during the game.

Click @BlogAndTackle to follow Chris Pika on Twitter

9:51-

Ian Eagle is the next guest. Drew congratulates him for having the best comment of the year. Eagle said that Baltimore is not used to playoff baseball, that’s not a low blow, its a fact. Eagle next talks about the Ravens upcoming game with the Colts. He agrees with Drew that regardless of the outcome of the game, the national media will focus on the Colts’ decision to rest their players at the end of the regular season.

9:27-

Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Weekly is next up. he begins by talking about the interesting matchup between Arizona and New Orleans. He states that the Saints have lost their reputation of invincibility with a bad losing streak to end the season. He also talks about the success the Cardinals have had in the playoffs. Moving on the Ravens, Wilkening explains that the team had an excellent game plan coming into New England. Wilkening also talks about the Bengals’ quick exit from the playoffs. Instead of placing a lot of blame on Carson Palmer, he explains that the offense needs to become more balanced and add a deep threat to compliment Chad Ochocinco (Johnson?). In regards to possible upsets this week, Wilkening states that the Dallas Cowboys have the best chance of going on the road and defeating the Vikings.

9:09-

Rick from Parkville calls in. He first mentions that the Terps have recently picked up a solid linebacker commitment. Next, Rick talks about how the Ravens need to keep Peyton Manning off the field. He also mentions that the offense needs to get into a better passing rhythm.

7:53-

Pat Kennedy is next up with Drew. He states that there is a difference between a poor record and playing badly. He has seen progress recently and calls the next 5 game stretch very important. Kennedy mentions how he has shifted his lineup so the team has a bigger frontline. He explains that with these improvements hopefully the team can win some more close games.

7:50-

Ed in Park Heights brings up another point in the argument over whether or not the Ravens should have kept Matt Stover. He states that Dannell Ellerbe, who was one of the last players to make the team could have been cut if the team kept two kickers.

7:34-

Brendon Ayandaejo joins Drew early this morning. He starts off by talking about how he will be recovered in plenty of time for the start of next season. Ayanbadejo next discusses how the Ravens will try to contain Peyton Manning this weekend. On the offensive side of the ball it is important to once again run the ball and control the clock. Ayanbadejo also chimes in on the steroid debate that has been renewed by Mark McGwire’s admission of steroid use. He believes that so many players used performance-enhancing drugs it is almost an even playing field.

9:51-

Dan from Fallston next calls in. He talks about how the Ravens only passed the ball 10 times this past weekend. If the team is able to run the ball that often, the team is probably in good shape no matter what.

9:34-

Stan Cotten, the play-by-play voice of Wake Forest, is next up with Drew. He discusses the up and down season Wake has experienced thus far. He calls the team’s inconsistent nature “odd.” Cotten next turns to how the Demon Deacons will try to shut down Greivis Vasquez. He states that Vasquez will definitely get his points, Wake must just limit his overall impact on the game. Cotten agrees with Drew that the ACC is having a down year this season.

9:22-

Drew and Glenn talk about the decision Bill Belichick to defer to start the game. Both agree that in the playoffs, it is very important to start off with the ball in order to have a chance to seize momentum. No team can assume there will be a close game and they can “steal” a possession by taking the ball in the second half. Glenn also brings up the fact that the Colts have never won after a first round bye in the playoffs.

9:02-

Steve in Edgewood is next up. He brings up the idea that the Ravens should knock Manning out of the game early on and deal with a fine or suspension later on. Its probably not a good plan.

8:56-

Jerry from Timonium calls in. He brings up a previous game against the Colts in which Peyton Manning abused the secondary early on. He states that the Ravens need to get off to a much better start and rush the passes more effectively to have any chance of winning.

8:35-

Tom in Rising Sun is the next caller. He compares that Patriots receiving corps to the Colts. Drew states that he believes Colts receivers and tight ends are much stronger that those of the Patriots. Tom also asks whether or not Flacco will be able to get back into a rhythm passing the ball. Drew explains that the team’s plan was not to run the ball as much as they did.

8:12-

Patrick Stevens joins Drew to talk about the Terps. Stevens talks about the scheduling issues for the mens’ basketball team. After the teams victory over Florida State on Sunday night, the team had a short turn around before having to face Wake Forest tonight. On the topic of Wake, Stevens talks about how the Demon Deacons also lost to William & Mary during their out of conference schedule. Stevens next discusses with Drew how the ACC is most likely not as strong as it has been in recent years. Stevens states that if one player a night other than Greivis Vasquez can step up, the Terps will be a dangerous team. To finish up Stevens talks about how the CAA is a very strong basketball conference this season. It is a distinct possibility that a team could get an at-large bid out of the conference.

8:06-

Kevin in Baltimore is the next caller. He asks Drew what advice he would give to Tiger Woods. Drew talks about how Tiger may now be able to play better golf if all his other issues are off his mind. He goes on to say that it was a very good idea for Tiger to “disappear” for a while.

7:50-

Ross Tucker from Sports Illustrated is on with Drew to talk about the NFL playoffs. He first talks about how he really believes that Ravens have a solid chance of beating the Colts this weekend. Tucker thinks that the key to the game will be the pressure the Raven defense can put on Peyton Manning. Drew mentions that if the Ravens can get off to another strong start, they have a chance to win. Tucker also speaks about the thrilling game between the Packers and Cardinals this past weekend. He explains that the way the Saints finished the season leaves them in a vulnerable position to lose to the Cardinals.

7:43-

John from Canton calls in to talk some Ravens. He starts off by talking about Ed Reed’s tendency to lateral the ball. He states that all the other defensive players should not get in a position to receive a backwards pass.

9:48-

Jim Nantz who will call the Ravens-Patriots playoff matchup this weekend comes on with Drew. Nantz invites Drew to see him before the game. He talks about the teams’ previous game that was the Raven’s first loss of the season. Nantz next explains how the league has turned into an offensive league. He states that through the draft and hiring decisions the Ravens have adjusted well to this change. After talking to Harbaugh, Nantz says that the coach believes that team is better at every aspect of the game.

9:31-

Sean Salisbury now joins Drew. He says that he is looking forward to a hard-hitting, good game between the Ravens and the Patriots. Drew tells Sean that he is sticking with his Super Bowl pick of the Chargers over the Packers in the Super Bowl. Drew states that he thinks the winner of the Green Bay-Arizona game will defeat the Saints. Sean agrees that a physical team could take down the Saints.

9:13-

Devin Barclay is the next guest. He is a Maryland-native and was the kicker for Ohio State this past college football season. Barclay is a former professional soccer player. After his short career, he walked on at Ohio State and began to kick field goals. He talks about the pressure of playing for such a prominent national power house, like the Buckeyes. He next discusses why his soccer career did not pan out. He states that one thing can never determine one’s career. He explains that a multitude of factors led him to step away from the sport when he did.

9:00-

Steve from Pimlico calls in. He brings up the fact that a team’s quarterback makes or breaks the coach. He gives the example of Bill Belichick before and after Tom Brady was the starting QB.

8:30-

Drew talks about a comment Mike Paskoff made on his blog this morning. Mike then calls in and the two get in a heated discussion. They talk about Drew’s decision to lose a game on purpose

8:09-

Brian Billick makes his weekly appearance. He begins by discussing the excitement of wild card weekend and the uncertainty for some head coaches. He next talks about the Cleveland Browns’ situation. The team is carrying some momentum into the offseason by winning its last four games. Brian explains that he is not sure what direction Mike Holmgren will take with coach Eric Mangini. Drew reminds Brian that the Buffalo Bills play the Ravens next season. Brian responds that he believes the Bills will find a top young coordinator to the head coach. Before he leaves, Brian says that Dallas will beat Philly, Green Bay will beat Arizona, the Ravens will beat New England, and New York will beat Cincinnati.

7:31-

Jalen Parmele of the Ravens joins Drew early this morning. He starts off by talking about how it is exciting for him to able to make a name for himself in the NFL. He also states that he hopes to be a part of the mix for the kick returning job next year. Next, Parmele explains how the game this upcoming weekend will be special, since it is his first ever playoff. He also discusses the difference between returning punts and kicks. He states that he has not returned punts since high school. On the topic of preparation for the Patriots, Parmele says that the team is doing  essentially the same thing as the other weeks.

9:51-

And today we finish up with salutes to all those who got involved in the show this morning as we every day.

9:40-

Sean Salisbury is the next guest. He is on to talk about the NFL with Drew. Sean believes that a must win game can occur early in the season, and this week’s Ravens-Bengals game is just that. He thinks that the Ravens will use their toughness and physicality to win the game. Sean explains that the Eagles beating of the Giants says a lot about the momentum of both teams. The Eagles are in midseason form that Andy Reid always gets his team into. He also thinks the Giants will be able to turn the season around and still be a force in the NFC East. Moving on, Sean states that the 49ers are much improved, but they must learn to finish games. He calls “winning ugly” something that good teams are able to do. The Colts did this against the 49ers last week.

9:11-

Mark Mussina joins us now. He starts off by saying that he believed that both starters would struggle last night. This only partially was the case. He also talks about the Phillies’ failure to hit left handed pitchers. Mussina calls Jimmy Rollins vastly overrated. Rollins was very ineffective as a lead-off hitter. His on-base percentage against lefties is very low. Discussion next moves to Johnny Damon’s career. Damon’s numbers are very impressive and if he continues to play for a few years he could make a case for the Hall of Fame. Mussina also talks about Andy Pettitte’s Hall hopes. His postseason performance will help his case. His numbers also compare favorably to Curt Schilling in some areas. Finally, Mussina compliments the ability of Mariano Rivera. He states that he has never seen a pitcher able to control his pitches like Rivera is able to.

9:09-

Joey the Yankee fan calls in. He calls himself a “Yankee apologist.” He apologizes to Orioles fans for his team constantly beating the O’s.

8:52-

Drew follows Glenn up with by taking a shot at Steve Melewski. Melewski recently stated that WNST has an agenda when it comes to the Orioles. Drew explains that his only agenda is to have the Orioles be a winning franchise again. He says that Melewski is being paid to be an Orioles apologist.

8:41-

Glenn kicks off “Cheap Shots From the Bleachers” with a shot at The Tribune Company. Glenn sat next to Dan Connolly last night at a viewing of “The Blind Side.” Connolly is the national baseball beat writer for the Baltimore Sun. Glenn explains that The Tribune Company believes that one national writer is enough to cover an event as large as the World Series. Instead, writers like Connolly should be sent to the Series to write stories that have a Baltimore connection. Topics that could have been used for this year’s Series include Mark Teixeira, Sam Perlozzo, and AJ Burnett.  

8:20-

Brian Billick is next up to talk some football. He begins by talking about the Cardinals-Panthers game this past weekend. The game mirrored the Cardinals upset of the Panthers in the playoffs last year. Brian next comments on the teams that are facing major organizational problems, including the Browns who are rumored to be interested in Brian as coach. He explains that the Browns are in trouble because they are in need of a new coach and a new general manager. He states that he would not want to go to a team where the coach had no say in regards to personnel decisions. Brian will be calling the Panthers-Saints game this weekend. The Panthers must use the same formula to beat the Saints that they used to defeat the Cardinals.

8:03-

A caller congratulates Drew for the Yankees victory. The caller explains that just because the Yankees win they way they do, not every team needs to spend huge amounts of money. He also points out that despite the expensive payroll of the team, the team was still very close to not winning the World Series.  

7:58-

I apologize, but I just feel the need to post this picture.

7:45-

TowsonUniversityMen’s Basketball coach, Pat Kennedy is on with Drew. He starts off by describing the changes to his coaching staff this season. The team has lost a few key assistants this season to other schools. Three new coaches have been brought in. He next talks about how the team still has a couple positions that are notcompletely set. He states that the team has excellent depththisseason, with two solid players at each position. The team will open the season on November 13th at home against Miami of Ohio. He calls Old Dominion a team to look out for in the CAA. He explains that the top teams in the conference will be as strong as they have ever been.