Random thoughts from the local sports scene that are bouncing around the cranium this week…

*  I don’t know about you, but this current Maryland men’s basketball team is probably the most forgettable group ever assembled during Gary Williams’ tenure in College Park.  No inside presence, very little depth, a repeated inability to play cohesive team defense and a lack of a true “go-to” player all add up to the debacles like last night’s in Chapel Hill and the embarrassment in Durham two weekends ago.  For a guard-dominated team, there sure aren’t many good ones on this roster.  In my opinion, Adrian Bowie has to play 30 minutes a game at point guard and settle that position once and for all.  That would allow more freedom off the ball for Greivis Vasquez to come off of screens and play a little closer to the rim (because, Lord knows, he’s just not very good from way outside).  More Sean Mosely can’t hurt either.  But unless and until Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory contribute much more significantly, this Terps team is doomed to finish with a maximum of 6 ACC wins.  Just look at the remaining schedule and tell me how they can finish the second half of conference play at 6-2 (which is what it will taje to go 9-7 and be a legitmate “bubble” team come NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday).  Wake, Duke, UNC, Clemson and Virginia Tech are all significantly better than Maryland and will assure the Terps another NIT trip.

As for the status of Gary Williams, it appears he will at least get another year to straighten out the current problems in the program.  At least as it regards recruiting, this is a positive development.  Any appearance of internal conflict could easily chase away potential Terps, no matter how highly or lowly regarded they may be.  And right now, this program needs all the talent it can possibly unearth.

*  So Ty Wigginton is a Baltimore Oriole?  I guess I’ll upgrade from that 13 game plan to a 29 game plan now.  I mean really.  How much more of this type of mediocrity are all lifelong Oriole fans supposed to swallow?  I understand that every major league team needs depth and versatility for the rigors of a six month season, but exactly how does having Wigginton fit in?  Is this a preliminary move that clears the way later this year to trade Melvin Mora (assuming he waives his no-trade clause, which I would imagine he’d be happy to do by mid-July when they’re 22 games out) or even, perhaps, Brian Roberts?  There simply appears to be an overabundance of utility players on this current roster.  Wigginton, Chris Gomez, Ryan Freel.  Awfully inspiring.

*  Speaking of the Orioles, I brought this up on-air the other day while filling in for Nestor.  Why wouldn’t the team have any interest in Manny Ramirez?  I know the answer already ($$$$), but why wouldn’t you at least explore something along the lines of two years?  He could be the everyday DH, hit a ton in Camden Yards, stick it to Boston and New York 38 times a year, and show some of the younger players how to be a complete major league hitter.  And don’t give me the argument about Manny taking away at-bats from Felix Pie or Luke Scott.  Really, who cares?  If you’re telling me that people wouldn’t be much more inclined to go see the Orioles on a Tuesday night in June against Seattle because Manny’s in the lineup, I’d tell you you’re lying.  The guy is the best right-handed hitter available, a certain Hall of Famer and a draw.  Oh, right, I forgot, who cares about selling tickets when MASN is lining the hallways of the Warehouse with cash.  Silly me.

*  Money, money, money.  We’ll be hearing plenty of talk about it over the next month as the Ravens map out their future with the pending free agents.  My guess is that Ray Lewis has played his final game as a Raven; he will simply take the highest offer, and the Ravens will choose not to match.  The two most critical pieces to retain are Terrell Suggs and Jason Brown.  After that, it will be “right player, right price” as the team rebuilds for ’09.  And every one of us that cares about the team should not go insane about any of the moves this front office makes until the season is played.  As I recall, there was an awful lot of yammering and Ozzie bashing last April, May, etc. about his draft manueverings and picks, free agents, trades, etc.  Be patient, everyone, and give this entire front office a little credit as the off-season plays out.  More often than not, the moves work.  Which is the most critical reason behind the franchise’s success over the past decade.

*  Early Final Four hunch: Duke, Marquette, UConn, Michigan State

Where will we be this time NEXT year?  

The Ravens’ playoff run for the 2008 season hasn’t been over for 48 hours and they are already forging ahead at Owings Mills in preparation for 2009.

A suggested theme:  ”Let’s play one more game”.

After all, in 2008, the MAXIMUM amount of games a team could have played — 20.  The Ravens played 19.

If only they could have played one more game.

Maybe next year.

But, there will be a lot of action, a lot of news and a lot of changes next year in Baltimore.  Those changes are both obvious and subtle, but equally important.  Some might be changes for the better.  Some might not.  

We won’t know until this time next year.

The most glaring of the changes will be the departure of Baltimore’s long-time defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.  Rex was not only a fixture here, but he takes with him to New York the one intangible that every coach in any sport craves to own — his players enjoyed playing for him.

Forget about the money.  Forget the “contract year” stuff.  Dismiss styles, schemes, etc.  

Almost to a man in Owings Mills, the players played for Rex Ryan first and foremost.

He will be missed.  The players knew his departure was inevitable.  But that won’t make it any easier when training camp rolls around next July.  Will the new defensive coordinator command the same respect as Rex?  Only time will tell.

When a coach leaves, other’s follow.  Players look around the room and say, “that was MY guy…maybe the next coach won’t appreciate me the way Rex did.”  Some might head out of Baltimore with that thought in mind.  A few players have openly talked about Rex in New York and wondered aloud if perhaps their career trail might lead them to the Jets and a stint in the Big Apple.  

While the Rex decision didn’t fall at the feet of the Ravens, the Ray Lewis decision most certainly will be one they make on their clock.

It will go down as the hot-button topic of the off-season, without a doubt.

It appears as if Ozzie’s summer of ’08 gamble to let Ray play out his contract is going to come back to haunt Steve Bisciotti where it hurts the most – at the bank.  Ray kept his mouth shut all year and played football.  At a high-level.  And when Baltimore trotted out of the locker room on Sunday night in Pittsburgh, they took to the field in large part because of #52′s fearless competitive streak and his Hall-of-Fame performance in 2008.  

Ray deserves to get paid.  

Someone in the league WILL pay him.

It would be grossly unfair if it weren’t the Ravens.

But that’s THEIR decision now.  They have a variety of options.  They can re-sign Ray and give him some sort of staggering signing bonus in the vicinity of $20 million for a 4 or 5 year deal.  They can slap the franchise tag on him and extend him one more season – but Lewis will most likely bristle at that option since he’ll say he played 2008 “in good faith” and the franchise tag is looked upon by most players as a method the club uses to duck out of their obligation to reward a player.  They can also apply the little-used transition tag on Ray and allow him the chance to go out on the open market and secure his best deal – and then the Ravens can match it, and keep him, or let him wander off to (insert team here).

As Ray goes, so will the rest of the off-season.

Baltimore has a number of key players getting to roam around sniffing for a new deal.  If Ray signs, where does that leave Terrell Suggs?  What about Bart Scott?  Jim Leonhard?  Jason Brown?

Who is going to catch the football for Baltimore in 2008?  Isn’t it time for the franchise to make a dedicated commitment – like they did with the QB position last April – to the passing game by adding a couple of quality, reliable, wide receievers who can endure the tough AFC North?  It would appear that the triple threat of Mason-Clayton-DWilliams isn’t going to get the job done.  That’s not to say that one or two of those players can’t fill a role on next year’s team, but Baltimore needs an upgrade at the receiver position. No hard feelings.  

The secondary is in need of an overhaul and a move toward youth.  Perhaps no department on the team battled injuries like this year’s secondary and on the “heart meter”, it zooms past 10 and goes straight to the top.  But, as we saw Sunday night in Pittsburgh, you can have all the heart in the world but that doesn’t matter to Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.  The Ravens need to add experience, speed and strength in the secondary.  Better ball hawks.  Better tacklers.  Better players.  That’s what they need back there if they want to beat the Steelers next year.  

George Kokinis will be heading off to Cleveland to take over as the Browns’ GM and the Ravens will lose a high-quality front office mind.  He’s a behind-the-scenes guy at Owings Mills that very few people know. I’ll sum up Kokinis for you in about 50 words.  Do you like Jim Leonhard as a player? Justin Bannan? Fabian Washington?  Those are three important parts of the ’08 team that were all signed off on by Kokinis and handed over to Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh.  Kokinis will be missed.

There’s little doubt that chemistry and personal affection for one another – to a man – had as much to do with Baltimore’s success in ’08 as any element of on-field play with perhaps the exception of the new quarterback from Delaware.  

There’s an old saying:  ”you can’t catch lightning in a bottle…twice.”

How will this team come together next year?  New people.  New personal agendas.  New philosophies.

It might be better, of course.  

But, it might not be.

Joe Flacco will be better.  So will Jared Gaither.  Most of the young players who played a role this year have plenty of upside.  It’s the team experienced corps of veterans who are starting to show the inevitable wear and tear.  But those veterans also comprise the heart and soul of the locker room.  Dan Wilcox is a lion and a player that every man in that locker room looks up to — and he might be moving on if the Ravens elect to not sign him to a new contract.  What happens if Ray Lewis doesn’t get rewarded like he believes he should? Who steps in for him and becomes the team’s beating heart?  

That’s why losing on Sunday was so damaging.

This team – this exact gathering of men – will not be back for a second go-round next season.

These chances don’t come along very often.  

And that’s why Sunday’s loss hurts.

But, teams lose coaches and players every year and they all stay in business and they all do their best to rebound and move on to the next challenge.

For the Ravens, though, the next challenge will come with different people in place.

We trusted the folks in charge of the challenge this year.

It will be hard to replace those that have departed or will move on in the next month or so.

Let’s hope we don’t learn a hard lesson in 2009.

2008 was just too much fun.

And, after all, we’re only asking for the team to play one more game next year.

-Coach Harbaugh gave his lock of the week for this week,”New England is going to win a football game. We know that. Everybody knows that. So we’re going out there to win our football game. That’s what we need to take care of, and we don’t need anybody else to get us in the playoffs. That’s our job to take care of that.”

He was then asked if the Patriots were the lock of the week, “the lock of the week. Book it.”

 

The media that cover the team on a daily basis, submitted their votes for team MVP and media good guy awards. The media good guy award goes to the player who is always media friendly and provides good quotes. After a couple of years of campaigning for the award, Terrell Suggs walked away with that title this year. For winning Suggs received a roll of Bounty paper towels. The year that Bart Scott won, he received a bottle of hot sauce.

Ed Reed ran away with the MVP award as he received 12 of the 17 votes. Ray Lewis received two votes while Joe Flacco, LeRon McClain, and Derrick Mason, all got one vote.

- The Ravens will be doing some scoreboard watching leading into their game on Sunday while the Bills and Patriots play their game. The Ravens mindset here is that they have to focus on beating the Jaquars and not get worried about what the Patriots are doing. However, I think it is safe to assume that once they find out if the Patriots have lost, they will pull some guys out of the game.

-I asked Joe Flacco today if the Jaguars can use trying to upset the Ravens playoff chances as motivation for going into the game. Here is Joe’s response,”yea, for about the first quarter, but as long as we come out and play like we want to and let them know that we came here to play. Hopefully we can do that and let them know that they have no business coming to Baltimore and trying to ruin our chances.”

-Derrick Mason is dealing with issues in his shoulder involving the muscles now more than anything else. Derrick said he will see how the week goes, but is feeling a lot better than he was on Monday. He is hoping things will progress and he will be ready for Sunday. As far as sitting out a game, he said that if he is healthy he will play, if he can not play he will not be out there.

-Terrell Suggs pointed out that this week for the Jaguars is the first week of their new season. He said the Jags winning the game would be a great way for them to get their new season off to a good start.

So, it looks like we’re getting into the playoffs. Well at least we can talk that way for a few more days and as a 10-point favorite against Jacksonville this weekend (and please note the gametime change to 4:15 p.m., which means the coldest possibilities for us) the Ravens should win. Heck, if they don’t win they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs, really.

So, assuming that the Ravens are going to win this week and advance to the playoffs I started putting together playoff possibilities onto a cocktail napkin on Sunday and this is what I came up with…and I can’t imagine the NFL scheduling gods could have cooked this weekend up with a whole lot more drama than what they have – several cool matchups and playoff spots on the line in both conferences.

Indianapolis can now pack their bags for Denver or San Diego. But that Sunday night game is gonna be a good one. You gotta think that the Chargers have all of the momentum and the home field. What a story that would be, digging out from 4-8 to make the playoffs. Kinda unheard of…

Clearly, Nasvhille and Pittsburgh are just sitting tight, taking a “bye” week before their official byes. And as we saw two years ago, that extra slacker time isn’t always the best route. Two of the last three Super Bowl champs (Pittsburgh 2005 and N.Y. Giants 2007) have come from the No. 6 hole and not only won three in a row on the road but also overcame the extra game and the lack of a bye. You’d figure that being a higher seed would be a good thing but the recent history doesn’t support it.

And the Ravens (or the eventual No. 6 seed) will be headed to the AFC East winner. If Miami beats the Jets, we’re headed to South Florida. If the Jets beat the Dolphins, we go to New England provided they win in  Buffalo (hardly a given).

And such begins any legitimate Ravens fan’s aspirations of catching fire and making January 2009 one helluva memorable month. Here are my thoughts:

1.    Miami is the Ravens’ best first-round path. While the flights are jam-packed (good luck trying to get to South Florida next weekend if the Ravens make it there!), the weather and a matchup where the homefield won’t be so unkind is favorable for the Ravens. It certainly beats going to frosty New England, which is the worst scenario for the Ravens. If the Jets win and the Patriots flop this weekend and we wind up at the Meadowlands against Brett Favre, I still like our chances. Just FYI: if the Ravens go to New England or New York, we’ve already got “Miller Lite Roadtrips” ready to go! If the Ravens play in Miami, we will not be offering a trip.
2.    A Ravens win at the AFC East champion would take them to a path that’s well-traveled and familiar to Ray Lewis, Matt Stover and any real Ravens fan: Nashville. Clearly, the Titans would rather not see No. 52 coming back into the former Adelphia Coliseum in January. And assuming another Tennessee road miracle win…
3.    The AFC Championship Game could be in Pittsburgh (assuming they don’t choke the weekend of Jan. 10-11) or San Diego, Denver or even Indianapolis, if they could win two in a row on the road and take down the Steelers at Heinz Field.

Of course every fan of every team is plotting their own pathway through their respective conference playoff possibilities. This is the joy of having a Festivus celebration – the possibilities and hope that even being a “potential” No. 6 seed affords. And, we still have to win a game at home this weekend against a feisty Jacksonville team to do that.

As we’ve seen over and over again in the NFL: NO ONE LAYS DOWN late in the season. Well, no one but the Arizona Cardinals, any way…

The lowly Seahawks, Redskins and the Bills all pulled off upsets over playoff-inspired favorites last Sunday. The Jaguars played the Colts extremely tough last Thursday night and they’ll have two extra days of rest before coming here this Sunday. Maurice Jones Drew got dinged up very late in the game against Indy, so it’ll be interesting to see how effective he’ll be this week but he’s an explosive threat, like a human pinball or a poor man’s Barry Sanders. He’ll present speed issues for the Ravens defense in the middle of the field.

There’s no “counting chickens” as a Ravens fan. This Jaguars game is hardly a walkover in my mind. But a win this week opens all sorts of doors of possibilities for 2009 and dreams of an improbably Super Bowl run with a rookie coach, a rookie quarterback and a veteran Hall of Famer inspiring the troops in the September of his career.

The storylines for the Ravens are obvious:

Ray Lewis in a walk year trying to win another Super Bowl…

Trevor Pryce going for No. 3…

Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle, who both came up one-yard short almost a decade ago, getting another chance…

A first chance for Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Todd Heap and other Pro Bowlers to win a championship…

Will it start in Miami?

Or New England?

Or a trip to the Meadowlands for Favre and the Jets?

Can the Ravens avoid an upset at the hands of the Jaguars – who were truly Kyptonite to this franchise in the early years when they won the first eight matchups of the rivalry – to earn the No. 6 seed. For better or worse, the playoffs come to Baltimore at 4:15 this Sunday in what amounts to a “play in” game for the franchise and the city.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, indeed…

Happy Festivus to all…

With only one week remaining in the regular season, the Ravens are on target to return to post-season play for the second time in three seasons.  The only thing standing in their way: a visit from downtrodden Jacksonville this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Get ready to celebrate.  There’s no way the Jags come here and beat the Ravens with everything on the line for Baltimore and nothing at stake for J’ville.  If, somehow, Jacksonville does win on Sunday, it goes down as the most disappointing defeat in Ravens history.  Period.  That Indy home playoff loss was a downer, but it WAS a playoff game and the team that beat the Ravens on January 13, 2007 went on to win the Super Bowl.  It wasn’t like a 5-10 team came limping in here ready to mail it in and suddenly found a win to pull the upset of all upsets to keep us out of the playoffs.  That’s the scenario the Jags face on Sunday.  I don’t see it happening.

So, when the Ravens win this Sunday and scoot in as the surprising 6th seed in the AFC, the reflective question of the day will be this: “How’d we do it?”

How did the Ravens go from 5-11 a year ago, with a locker room in complete disarray and a group of mouthy, disgruntled players, to an 11-5 team just 12 months later?

There are some easy answers and some complicated ones, but they all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

First off, last year’s team might have finished 5-11, but they weren’t really a 5-11 club.  They lost three games in memorable, completely unexpected (some would say “fluky”) fashion.  One of the losses came at home when Cleveland’s kicker booted a game-tying field goal that hit the goal-post and bounded onto the back stantion, where it promptly bounced forward and was ruled no good.  A review (of sorts) of the play resulted in a change of the call (rightfully) to “good” and the Browns went on to win in overtime.  A few weeks later, Baltimore beat then-undefeated New England except Rex Ryan called a time-out in the game’s final minute…just as the Ravens were stopping the Patriots and their winning streak on 4th down.  Moments later, after New England capitalized on 4th down opportunity #2, Tom Brady threw the game-winning TD and the Pats won a game they had already lost.  And in week #14, ultra-reliable Matt Stover missed a 43-yard field goal in overtime that would have given Baltimore a win at Miami.  

So, a 5-11 team really played more like an 8-8 team.  But 5-11 it was.

Also last year, injuries played havoc with Baltimore’s starting 22 and the depth of the team was fully exposed in the latter stages of the season.  At one point in 2007, 8 of their best players missed at least 20% of the campaign, some even more.  McAlister (knee), Ogden (toe), McNair (everything), Lewis (hand), Rolle (health), Heap (ankle), Pryce (hand) and Wilcox (toe) were all sidelined and their replacements were not only inadequate, but in some cases, liabilities.  Who can ever forget that Indianapolis home game?  Peyton Manning torched the Ravens’ depth-less secondary so much the Baltimore City fire marshal showed up at halftime and issued #18 a citation for outdoor burning.

This year’s team battled injuries early on, but their BEST players, with the exception of Rolle, McAlister and Kelly Gregg, have all played the entire schedule to date: Ray, Flacco, Ngata, Suggs, Reed, Mason (banged up but playing every game somehow…what a warrior), Gaither, Brown, Grubbs, Scott, Pryce…none of those guys have missed extensive time.  It helps when your best players are playing. This year, for the most part, the Ravens best players have been available.

And it also helps when the organization learns from its mistakes.  Depth (lack thereof) was a major reason for last year’s failure, but depth is a big reason why the ’08 version is winning.  When Dawan Landry went down in week #2 with a season ending spinal injury, safety Jim Leonhard stepped in and did the job and then some, earning the respect of everyone with his week-in, week-out hard-nosed style of play.  And when Rolle and McAlister both missed time, newcomer Fabian Washington stepped in admirably at cornerback and even the oft-criticized Frank Walker has been decent enough to warrant a respectful tip of the cap.  Kelly Gregg’s absence hasn’t been felt at all, thanks to a monster year from Ngata and a breakthrough campaign for erstwhile back-up Justin Bannan.  And the triple-threat at running back has given the team different looks and different strengths all season long.  

“Players play, coaches coach” – that’s the old adage.  And it’s true.  But, when dissecting this year’s success, you’d be unfair if you didn’t mention the off-season front office work of George Kokinis, Eric DeCosta and, of course, Ozzie Newsome.  Via the draft and free agency, those three added depth in the secondary and on the offensive and defensive lines.  

John Harbaugh came in a with no-nonsense style that ruffled a feathers at the outset, but as he settled down, so did the discontent.  Coodinators Cameron and Ryan are well respected by the players and they quietly mirror Harbaugh’s confidence that this roster of players is capable of winning big games right away – even with a first-year quarterback at the helm.

But the two main components that contribute to the ’08 Ravens success are the complicated pieces that complete the puzzle.  I’ll call them “Peace and Quiet” for lack of a better term. 

First, and most obviously, it’s at quarterback, where Joe Flacco (“Peace”) has done the unthinkable. He’s gone from leading a Division 1AA school to its post-season to leading an NFL team to the brink of its post-season — all within 12 months.  And he’s done it with a quiet, reserved, hardly-a-pulse manner that has made his teammates believe in him almost from day one in Westminster last summer. Kyle Boller NEVER had the faith of his entire team in five seasons.  Joe Flacco gained it all in about five weeks. 

And without that distraction at quarterback and with the team in harmony both on and off the field, this year’s Ravens have been able to focus on playing football.  And good football, at that.

It’s been awfully “Quiet” this season.  Have you noticed how much bickering has gone on this year? Even when the team stumbled in October and dropped three straight, do you remember any public whining and moaning?  McAlister was involved in a fortnight of controversy with the coach over some misbehaving in Miami, but he suddenly suffered a season ending knee injury (*ahem*) that saved Harbaugh a tough mid-season talk.  And, other than Ed Reed dropping a “we don’t like the way Harbaugh talks down to us…” hint at mid-season, you heard no other negative whispers from the locker room.

No more complaints about the quarterback.  No crying about playing time.  No public campaigning for new contracts, extensions, etc.  No controversies, even on the occasion when results and fortune could have allowed for it.  

When the Ravens got pounded by the Giants in New York, they simply said, “we got beat by a better team today…” – Early in the year they lost a heartbreaker at home to the Titans when Tennessee orchestrated a late drive that was aided in large part by a phantom “blow to the head” call against Terrell Suggs…”we shouldn’t have been in that position…can’t let a good team like that stay in the game” was what the players said afterwards. – And last Sunday after losing to Pittsburgh in dramatic fashion with a goal-line TD call leaving everyone in America wondering about the effectiveness of instant-replay, the Ravens refused to bite: “we just have to go to Dallas and win a football game…we didn’t do the job on that last drive…can’t win many games if you don’t score touchdowns.”  No complaining this year.  No bellyaching about the referees, bad luck, bad coaching, etc.  

This team stayed positive all season long.

Looking for the BEST example of all?  Willis McGahee.  Essentially benched in the late stages of the season for lack of production, #23 took the chance to support his coach by saying, “If I were the coach, I’d bench me too…I’ve played like dog doo-doo.”  Gone are the days of hearing a guy chastising the coaching staff for not getting enough touches on the ball — McGahee took his demotion like a pro and put the team first. It’s been a while since I felt better about a player scoring a touchdown than I did on Saturday night when Willis broke off that 77-yard TD run.  He deserved that more than anyone else on the team.

The topper, though, has to be the unwavering championship play of Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott. All three are seeking a new deal and all three are – for the most part – competing with one another for that big cash cow at season’s end.  If Ray gets all the money, Suggs and Scott might not. If Suggs cashes in, Ray and Scott might be looking at giving a purple discount or moving on to another team. Yet, there hasn’t been one – not one – moment where any of those three took the opportunity to bellow about a new deal either here or elsewhere.

It’s a happy house in Owings Mills these days.

The team has won.

The players have played hard.  Injured players have been replaced by guys performing at unexpected levels. And certain players have battled ailments to the extent that it almost looks unhealthy for them to be out there in the first place.

The Ravens have come together as men and played for one goal.

And their focus has been on winning football games.  Nothing else.

Playing time, personal friendships, money, feelings about the coach and his staff…it’s all been put on the side in exchange for trying to win.

It’s been their ’08 success formula.

Let’s hope it carries over for just one more Sunday.

Then everyone starts at 0-0 again and it’s suddenly a 4-game season.

And, based on what I’ve seen over the last four months, I like the Ravens chances in January.

There’s a lot of football left and anything can happen.

Five games is an eternity in the NFL.  

Injuries…a missed call by the zebras…a bad match-up or two.

In the NFL, you can win three in a row in a heartbeat and lose three in a row just as quickly.

But this is a Ravens team that looks different than in years past.  Record wise, this team is clearly much better than last year’s squad that was beset with injuries and dictated a mini-coaching-mutiny from within when it was apparent by Thanksgiving that the season was a lost cause.  

I think this team is better than the one that went 13-3 in 2006, truth be told.

Reason?

They have a quarterback.

Steve McNair wasn’t chopped liver when he showed up here for the ’06 campaign but he became chopped something shortly thereafter.  Even when he was healthy, he looked like he was on his last legs.  Players would openly marvel at how McNair could literally sleep for 20 minutes an hour before kick-off.  And, while the players knew McNair was better than Kyle Boller, they also knew his stay in Baltimore would probably be short-lived. 

That’s not the case now.  Joe Flacco’s going to be here for a long time.  And the players know it.

Flacco’s meteoric rise hasn’t come as a total shock to the Ravens.  Even back in training camp, players watched him and remarked at how he *looked* like a pro quarterback.  Samari Rolle showed up a week or so into camp after the death of his father and was standing on the sidelines on his first day in Westminster. He watched Flacco play for about 10 minutes and looked around to a Ravens’ staffer and said, “#5, the rookie. We’re gonna play him, right?  I mean, we’re trying to win aren’t we?”  A very telling statement from a Pro Bowl defensive back who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks and their abilities.

It might have taken some players (and fans) longer than 10 minutes to buy into Flacco, but one thing for sure by now.  Everyone wants to invest him.

The standard line at Owings Mills these days is this:  ”Buy stock in Joe Flacco.”

Flacco’s emergence is reflected in the team’s 7-4 record and their rise in the ranks of the AFC, but his play has done much more than just put points on the board for the Ravens.  He’s all but squashed any thoughts – private or public – from players who think Troy Smith would be a better fit than Flacco for this Ravens team.  He’s also quieted a locker room that was well-known for hosting a group moaning session on regular occasions when the Quarterback Du Jour wasn’t getting the job done.  There are no more cryptic radio show comments from Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs or Willis McGahee.  Flacco has shut everyone up, critics and teammates alike.  As we all know, it’s not easy to shut up the Ravens.  But Flacco has done just that.

And a quiet locker room can make a lot of noise on the field, where those sounds best belong.

#5 has made life pleasant again in Baltimore.  He’s a viable candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year and could very well lead his team to the playoffs in his inaugural campaign in the league — something few people expected, much less demanded.  And his play has also brought harmony to the locker room.  No more bickering, no more mid-season finger pointing and no more concerns about having to win games with a quarterback who is a liability.

For years, the Ravens have belonged to Ray Lewis.  

And, in perpetuity, #52 will always be the guy who built the Ravens’ house.

But it’s looking more and more like Joe Flacco is going to build an addition on to that house.

And when you build an addition, the first thing people say is, “Wow, your house sure looks better.”

That’s the story of the Ravens in 2008.  No matter what happens from here on in, their house looks a lot better with Joe Flacco at work. In fact, the house hasn’t looked this good in a long, long time.

I hope that new addition has room for a certain trophy named after a Hall of Fame NFL coach.

I think we’ll need the room one of these days in the not so distant future.

Here’s my Tuesday Top 7……7-Ray Rice

He didn’t really have a good game; but he was an option out of the backfield on 3rd down; which is a help. No one else was really making plays on 3rd down, so it was good that Rice was there.

6-Ray Lewis

He didn’t really have that great of a game either; but he did make an interception at a crucial time; when the game was still in the balance.

5-Terrell Suggs

I was surprised to see that Suggs had collected 7 tackles, but I did know he had played a decent game. Drew also says the Ravens graded him high, which I guess is good too.

4-Haloti Ngata

He jumped a couple of times; but otherwise just played one more great game in what has been a great season.

3-Joe Flacco

If I was grading the first half alone; he wouldn’t be on the list. If I was grading the 2nd half alone; he’d be number 1.

2-Derrick Mason

Other than the miss that lead to the Interception, he was the best player on the field BY FAR. Unfortunately, that was a pretty costly miss.

1-Jarrett Johnson

I’ve said before that when the game is still in the balance, I am more generous in grading. When Johnson went to the air to make sure he sacked Eli Manning, you could tell how much effort he was giving to try to turn things around.

Let’s see what everyone else has to say…..

Best of Monday’s WNST Blogs:

Drew Forrester

says Birds finally start spending money

Thyrl Nelson has Ravens 10th in power rankings

Casey Willett says Harbaugh believes W. Anderson has ‘chance to play’ Sunday

Casey Willett says some in Cleveland want Browns to pursue Scott

Rob Long says Giants were ‘licking their chops’ to face Ravens

Nestor Aparicio wants you to enter your Ravens basement in Miller Lite contest

Ken Zalis didn’t care Ravens were running ball in 4th quarter

Chris Pika says Eagles will present ‘another tough challenge’ for Ravens

Mark Mussina not surprised Ravens lost to Giants

Alex Thomas thinks Flacco deserved game ball

RAVENS:The Official Site’s Mike Duffy

 

says Harbaugh preparing to battle former Eagles team

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says Ravens lost TOP battle for first time all season

The Official Site’s Denver Parler says Mason toughed out Sunday’s game with shoulder injury

The Official Site’s Scott Garceau says Jacobs ‘may have had best 73 yard game in NFL history’

Eagles Official Site’s Dave Spadaro says team needs to ‘jump on things earlier’ vs. Ravens

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Ravens will have chances to ‘prove themselves’

The Sun’s Mike Preston says loss to Giants shouldn’t cause ‘despair’

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Harbaugh ‘hopeful’ Terry can play

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Harbaugh ‘concerned’ with Ravens’ penalties

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens in ‘big trouble’ if Gaither can’t play

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens only had ‘10 percent chance’ to beat Giants

The Examiner’s Phil Macek says Ravens ‘face long road to playoffs’

The Examiner’s Steve DeClue gives only Sunday praise to Flacco

Aaron Wilson says Ravens looking to ‘build’ from tough loss

Aaron Wilson says Harbaugh thinks Gaither will be ‘touch and go’

The AP says Ravens must fix flaws to get to playoffs

Philadelphia Daily News’ John Smallwood thinks Reid’s time should be done in Philly

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Ravens can’t suffer ‘long losing streak’ rest of season

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Giants may give NFL ‘blueprint’ for running on Ravens

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gives Ravens ‘D’ for Giants game

TERRAPINS FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

previews Saturday night’s showdown with Florida State

The Official Site offers complete Maryland-Florida State release (pdf)Florida State Official Site

says Bowden thinks Terps’ defense similar to BC’s

Terrapin Times’ Mark Clem says Terps hoping to ink JuCo star this week (must subscribe)The Sun’s Kevin Van Valkenburg

says Terps fans should ‘trust’ in Ralph

The Sun’s Matt Bracken says Stinebaugh’s big game highlighted weekend action for Terps’ commits

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Terps will play at Boston College at noon or 3:30

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Terps, BC each control own fate

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says OC Franklin ‘frustrated’ with Portis

The Diamondback’s Eric Detweiler says Franklin took players’ advice and kept running vs. Heels

Washington Post’s Josh Barr says Cosh’s son rising QB prospect

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Turner thinks Terps ‘like playing at home’

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says FSU safety McClure injured celebrating against BC

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says ACC won’t determine Maryland-BC kickoff until we know what game means

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says projections have Terps in Orange, Gator, Champs Sports Bowls

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Williams named ACC offensive lineman of the Week

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Terps don’t control clock, but have put together long drives

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Terps must ‘handle success’

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell has already booked hotel room in Tampa

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Terps leading ACC in 4th quarter scoring defense

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says running success helped Williams to ACC honor

ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich thinks Terps end up in Atlanta

ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich has Terps 2nd in power rankings

TERRAPINS BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

previews tonight’s tilt with Youngstown State

The Official Site offers complete Maryland-Youngstown State release (pdf)The Official Site

says Padgett officially inks with Terps

Youngstown State Official Site says tonight’s game features two of 8 coaches with 600 career wins

The Sun’s Don Markus says scoring ‘least of (Gary’s) worries’ for big men

The Sun’s Don Markus didn’t hear booing during Terps’ opener

The Examiner’s Dylan Waugh says Padgett joins J. Williams in important big man class for Terps

The Diamondback’s Mark Selig says Tucker ‘solidified’ starting job with performance against Bucknell

Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Youngstown State team features new players

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Terps can’t rely on interior defense anymore

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Terps 3-1 all-time vs. teams from Horizon League

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Padgett signing ‘anticlimactic’

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Greivis had top +/- vs. Bucknell

Terrapin Times’ Mark Clem says many helped Bowie improve jumper this summer (must subscribe)Terrapin Times’ Dan Painter

says Barton amongst most ‘valuable’ ’10 prospects (must subscribe)TERRAPINS SOCCER:

The Official Site

says Terps 2nd overall seed in NCAA Tournament

The Diamondback’s Aaron Kraut says Terps would have home field advantage in Tournament until College Cup

Washington Post’s Steven Goff says only Deacs seeded higher than Terps in Tournament

TERRAPINS LACROSSE:Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens

 

says Terps open season in Jacksonville

UMBC BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

says Greene sets all time assists mark, but Dogs fall at Morgan

MORGAN BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

says Bears avenge ’07 loss by beating UMBC

The Sun’s Jeff Seidel says Bears held Dogs to 37 percent shooting

LOYOLA BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

says Hounds run out of gas vs. Eagles in NIT last night

The Official Site says Harvey honored by MAAC

LOYOLA SOCCER:The Official Site

 

says Hounds 9th overall seed in NCAA Tournament

MT. ST. MARY’S BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

says Mount hangs tough, but falls at Virginia Tech

The Official Site says Goode named NEC Player of the Week

Carroll County Times says Eers blew 8 point lead with 6 minutes to play

Washington Post’s Zach Berman says Hokies ‘mostly outplayed’ by EersNAVY FOOTBALL:

The Examiner’s Tom Flynn

says Navy-Notre Dame had ‘festive bowl-like’ atmosphere

Annapolis Capital’s Bill Wagner says Niumatalolo doesn’t think going to Dobbs would solve all offensive problems

Washington Post says Niumatalolo starting Dobbs because he has Mids’ offense ‘moving’

Go Mids’ David Ausiello says Navy needs ‘leader’ to emerge on offense

NAVY BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

previews tonight’s contest with St. Francis

The Official Site offers complete Navy-St. Francis release (pdf)Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens

says Mids trying to replace Sprink’s production

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Navy keeping ‘busy’ early

TOWSON FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

previews Saturday’s finale vs. #1 James Madison

HOPKINS FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

says Jays to play Catholic in ECAC Southeast Bowl Game

SALISBURY FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

says Gulls to play in ECAC Southwest Bowl Championship

ORIOLES:The Official Site’s Spencer Fordin

 

says veterans like Mussina, R. Johnson unlikely to want to finish career in Baltimore

The Official Site’s Alden Gonzalez says O’s exec Proefrock joins Phillies as Assistant GM

The Official Site’s Alden Gonzalez says Birds sign Hennessey, D. Murphy to minor league deals

The Sun’s Dan Connolly says Birds have not made offer to Teixeira yet

The Sun’s Dan Connolly says former Oriole Townsend to miss season again

The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec says former Reds GM Krivsky could be candidate for Proefrock’s job

The Sun says Hennessey, D. Murphy invited to Spring Training

The Examiner’s Jay Trucker says with Loewen gone, Birds should discontinue ‘Magic’

HORSE RACING:Thoroughbred Times’ John Scheinman

 

says Laurel horse with equine herpes euthanized

The Sun’s Bill Ordine says 50 other horses test negative for herpes at Laurel

SWIMMING:The Sun’s Kevin Van Valkenburg

 

says Phelps, Bowman claim top honors from USA Swimming

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS:-I’ll say Maryland 94, Youngstown State 62. This is lesser competition than Bucknell was and Vermont will be. Also, I’ll say Loyola gets a 59-54 win over Cornell, but they have to be tired. Navy 74, St. Francis 67 as well.

-Congratulations to SunTrust Athlete of the Morning Kourtney Salvarola, who had 12 kills and 16 digs to lead the Broadneck Bruins to a 4 set win over Thomas Johnson in the state 4A Volleyball final. Congratulations to Centennial as well, who beat Towson in straight sets for the 3A title.

Talk to you tomorrow.

-G

 

I said last week that if the Ravens won; they would be an AFC Championship contender.

If they lost, the Ravens would still be a playoff contender.

They lost, and they lost badly. But they’re still a playoff contender. It won’t be easy; as they still have a VERY difficult schedule; but they are definitely still a playoff contender.

Those “Super Bowl” rumblings some of us were chiding about the last couple of weeks appear kinda silly right now though.

Let’s see what everyone else has to say……

Best of Sunday’s WNST Blogs:

Drew Forrester says Ravens must be itching to play again after butt-whooping

Drew Forrester says Ravens suffer ‘Giant butt kicking’

Thyrl Nelson says Ravens still need to beat a good team

Bob Haynie thinks it ‘imperative’ Ravens win next 2 games

Casey Willett says Flacco ‘continued to grow’ in loss

Nestor Aparicio says Ravens ‘humbled’ at Meadowlands

Glenn Clark says many Terps made big plays in win over Carolina

RAVENS:

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says Giants ‘never looked back’ as Ravens lost 30-10

Giants Official Site’s Michael Eisen says G-Men ran for 200 yards again in win

Giants Official Site’s Michael Eisen says Giants get first ever win over Ravens

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Ravens’ defense put together one of their ‘most forgettable’ defensive performances in loss

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Ravens give up most yards on ground in 11 years

The Sun’s Rick Maese says Suggs doesn’t think loss ‘end of the world’

The Sun’s David Steele says Flacco’s performance far from worst, but far from best

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley, David Steele, and Rick Maese say Stover has FG blocked, but sets record for most consecutive PAT’s

The Sun’s Mike Preston offers no praise, offers harshest criticism to LB’s, special teams

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens ‘beaten at own game’

The AP says former Ravens OC Fassel wants to coach Raiders

The Examiner’s Ron Snyder says Harbaugh thinks Giants ‘even better than (he) thought’

Aaron Wilson says Pryce thought Ravens got ‘thumping’ at hands of Giants

Aaron Wilson says Ravens suffered another special teams ‘calamity’

Aaron Wilson says Flacco made ‘big mistakes’ in loss

The AP says Jacobs, Giants knew running on Ravens not ‘impossible’

Washington Post’s Mark Maske says ‘nothing worked’ for Ravens in loss to Giants

New York Post’s Paul Schwartz says Ravens ‘crumbled’ under Giants’ Jacobs

New York Post’s Brian Lewis says Ross picks off 2 for Giants in win

New York Times’ Joe LaPointe says Giants ‘unstoppable’

New York Times’ Bill Pennington says Giants ‘overpower’ Ravens

New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica says Giants ‘class of the sport right now’

New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano says Giants improve to 6-0 at home with win

New York Daily News’ Filip Bondy says Ravens ‘couldn’t bring Jacobs down’

New York Daily News’ Ohm Youngmisuk says Ross’ TD helped finish off Ravens

Newsday’s Tom Rock says Giants’ Snee wanted to get 100 yard rusher in win

Newsday’s Wallace Matthews says only Giants can beat Giants

Newark Star-Ledger’s Steve Politi says Giants ran ball ‘down (Ravens’) throats’

Newark Star-Ledger’s Kevin Manahan says Flacco gets tough treatment in native New Jersey

ESPN.com says Ravens’ defense ‘dud’

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Ravens must improve vs. NFC East

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Giants ‘controlled game from the outset’

Fox Sports’ Howie Long says what Giants did to Ravens ‘remarkable’

SI’s Dom Bonvissuto says Flacco ‘not the reason’ Ravens lost

SI’s Peter King says Giants keeping Jacobs fresh for playoffs by not giving him too many carries

CBS Sports’ Clark Judge says Flacco Ravens’ leading rusher in loss

Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole says Ravens could be in for ‘long December’

TERRAPINS FOOTBALL:

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Ralph thinks Terps viewing ACC title chances as ‘reality’

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Ralph will likely get big game in front of big crowd Saturday night

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Ralph expects players to monitor BC game before Terps kick off

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Egekeze didn’t watch Barth’s missed FG

The Examiner’s Abby Sondak says Terps in ACC ‘driver’s seat’

The AP says UNC win vaults Terps back into top 25

The Diamondback’s Eric Detweiler says Terps back in first by themselves

The Diamondback’s Greg Schimmel says Perez’s ‘phenomenal’ stop on Sexton turned tide for Terps

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Ravens have most chances to win Atlantic

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Noles bring dominant defense into Saturday night showdown

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Ralph feels this season ‘important’ to Terps

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Davis impressed by Terps’ front 7

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Sexton thought he played ‘worst game of year’ vs. Terps

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Terps won’t get to face another ranked team as Noles fall out of Top 25

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says UNC LB Paschal felt like Terps had ball all game

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Ralph treating this Terps team softer than he has in past

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Ralph pleased with schemes Cosh used to stop UNC WR Nicks

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Terps could be part of dreadful BCS

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says #22 Maryland highest ranked amongst ACC teams

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Turner continues to play better vs. ranked teams than unranked teams

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Turner belongs in ACC Player of the Year ‘discussion’

Fox Sports’ Dan Borst says Maryland-Cincinnati not particularly appealing Orange Bowl matchup

Terrapin Times’ Keith Cavanaugh says ACC title ‘within grasp’ for Terps (must subscribe)

TERRAPINS BASKETBALL:

The Examiner’s Dylan Waugh says Terps look pretty good compared to Duke’s close win over URI yesterday

The Diamondback’s Mark Selig says win over Bucknell ‘ugly’

TERRAPINS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Strickland scores 14 as Terps beat Delaware State

The AP says Kizer, Coleman add 13 apiece in win

The Diamondback’s Adi Joseph says Terps ‘frustrated with effort’ despite big win over Delaware State

Washington Post’s Camille Powell says Barrett plays well in place of Toliver to lead Terps to win

Washington Times’ Mike Fratto says Terps improve to 1-1 with win

TERRAPINS SOCCER:

The Official Site says Terps beat Cavs 1-0 to claim third ACC title

The Sun says Hall scores winner to give Terps 1-0 title win

The Diamondback’s Aaron Kraut says Terps get ‘signature moment’ with ACC title win

TERRAPINS FIELD HOCKEY:

The Sun says Terps beat Duke to advance to Final Four

The Diamondback’s Michael Katz says Terps beat Duke 8-5 in highest scoring game in NCAA Tournament history

NAVY FOOTBALL:

The Sun’s Don Markus says Niumatalolo thinks chances ‘good’ Dobbs becomes starter

The Examiner’s Dave Carey says Dobbs will be ‘ready’ if given the nod to start

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Virginia ‘ideal’ candidate to face Navy in EagleBank Bowl

Go Mids’ Christian Swezey says Mids got onsides help from former hoops player C. Johnson

NAVY BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Mids use 17-1 run to finish off Howard 66-55

Washington Post’s Steven Goff says Mids didn’t allow field goal in last 9+ minutes to hold off Howard

TOWSON BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says freshman Franklin scores 19 but Tigers lose to Niagara 79-62

LOYOLA BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Harvey scores career high 34 to lead Hounds past Tennessee State 73-70

The Examiner’s Dave Carey says Patsos had to play Harvey through foul trouble yesterday

LOYOLA SOCCER:

The Official Site says Hounds suffer first defeat of season 1-nil to Fairfield in MAAC Championship

MORGAN BASKETBALL:

The Official Site offers complete Morgan-UMBC release (pdf)

MT. ST. MARY’S BASKETBALL:

The Official Site says Eers visit Va Tech tonight

ORIOLES:

The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Reimold catching fire in Arizona

HORSE RACING:

Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman says Curlin to be sent to stud in early ‘09

Thoroughbred Times says Curlin could make one more start before retiring

SWIMMING:

The Sun’s Kevin Van Valkenburg says Hoff will work with Phelps’ coach Bowman

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS:

-Congratulations to the ACC Champion Maryland Soccer team; and Misty Meharg’s Field Hockey team, who is headed to the Final Four. It was a pretty good weekend in College Park; and Sasho’s team deserves a 1 seed when the brackets are announced tonight. Loyola deserves a 4 or 5; as their schedule wasn’t that tough.

-Congratulations to SunTrust Athlete(s) of the Morning Nick and Vinnie DePaolo. The Hereford brothers totaled 3 TD’s and Nick added a fumble recovery to help the Bulls blow out Mervo in first round playoff action. David Stinebaugh again deserved the honor; but there’s nothing I can do about that.

Talk to you tomorrow.

-G

As I prepared for my game this week between the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs I had a chance to see first hand what the Chiefs are going through with their purging of their roster and building anew this franchise. Trading away their best defensive player (Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings) and loading up on draft choices this year you can clearly see the commitment the Chiefs have made to the future, and the growing pains they are experiencing at 1-8.

Seeing Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson put this plan in motion, I can’t help but think back to the 2002 season when Ozzie Newsome and I were faced with the same task.

As much as we as coaches would like to think otherwise, our jobs (particularly that of a head coach) are inexorably linked to the finances of any given situation. In 2000 the Baltimore Ravens reached the top of the professional football pyramid winning Super Bowl XXXV and then returning to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in 2001. The price was unavoidable, however.

In 2002, the Ravens fielded the youngest team ever (19 rookies) in the history of the NFL. The decisions made in the preceding years to the “Cap Purge” of 02’ were all made with the consensus agreement that the team would have to be gutted after the 2001 season. With every signing leading up to the Super Bowl year General Manager Ozzie Newsome would make the obligatory observation, “Now we all know the piper has to be paid in 2002, right.” It was an acknowledgment by all involved that the expenditure “over the cap” had an unavoidable consequence in today’s NFL. That for every dollar “over the cap” you spend you will be devoid of those dollars in subsequent years.

At the heart of the Ravens’ Championship year were players like Shannon Sharpe, Priest Holmes, Rob Burnett, Duane Starks,Tony Siragusa, Qadry Ismail, Sam Adams. Jeff Mitchell, Jamie Sharper, Jermaine Lewis and even future Hall of Fame Rod Woodson would all be victims of the financial “balancing of the books” that every team must come to recon with.

It was only fitting that the cover of the 2002 Ravens’ Media Guide adorned the oil portraits of myself and Ozzie. Indeed, we where left with the task of rebuilding a championship team with our “financial” hands tied behind our backs. We did so in the only way left to a team in this situation and that is to draft and draft well.

Draftees like Jamal Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Todd Heap, Gary Baxter, Casey Rabach, Edgerton Hartwell, Ed Reed, Anthony Weaver, Dave Zastudil and Chester Taylor would team with holdovers Chris McAlister and future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden to form an AFC North Division Championship team in 2003. They key was the franchise’s willingness to take the dramatic steps to “purge” their championship team of older and more expensive talent and replace it with younger more affordable players.

The problem lies in being a victim of your own success. When you draft well, even though the young player comes cheaper, they play themselves into the higher priced market that makes it increasingly tough to keep all of your good players. Ultimately, the successes of drafting Ed Reed, Todd Heap and Terrell Suggs then forced the Ravens to let go of Jamal Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Gary Baxter, Casey Rabach, Edgerton Hartwell, Anthony Weaver, Dave Zastudil and Chester Taylor. It has become a vicious cycle, in a reverse of nature, the “young eating their old.”

In training camp of the 2002 purge year Todd Heap had a humorous, but acute observation. We had long had a tradition on our team that the most veteran players got to sit in first class when we traveled. Typically that would be seven or eight players, usually with 10+ years in the league. Todd Heap, who was just entering his third year in the league, at our first OTA with this young group observed, “Coach, looks like I am going to be in first class this season.”

Having spent the day with Herm Edwards, it’s clear he is finding the same things I did in 2002. Though tough getting through the loses, it was one of the most enjoyable years I have had coaching. Working with and developing the young talent is what being a coach is all about. Herm will also find that by having to play so many young players you are going to learn a great deal more about them than you might otherwise have a chance to do. Next year when he looks at his roster and sees a bunch of 2^nd and 3^rd year players he will not have to worry about how they will play in their first starts. They will all have 10 to 16 games of playing experience.

Your Tuesday Top 7……7-Steven Hauschka

If he can regularly deliver 50+ yard field goals; then the Ravens have another new element to their exciting offense. And the kickoffs are a weapon too.

6-Todd Heap

Not only did he have 5 catches for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he also had one of his best blocking games of the year.

5-Terrell Suggs

It figures he would be having an impact season with a payday looming….

4-Joe Flacco

He can’t put passes where his receivers can get hurt; and he needs to learn how to take a sack. But his performances have been pretty special.

3-Ray Lewis

He controls the pace of the defense, and the pace of game play on the field. The stiff arm was a joy to watch as well.

2-Willis McGahee

McGahee is the difference for this team offensively. He is the only home run hitter on the field; and can control the pace offensively the way Ray can defensively.

1-Haloti Ngata

The guy ABSOLUTELY looked like the most dominant player on the field Sunday. It is a pleasure to watch him play. The INT; the hits on Rosenfels that caused INT’s, the blocking at the goal line…..it was all there.

Let’s see what everyone else has to say….

Best of Monday’s WNST Blogs:

Drew Forrester

thinks McGahee top Raven vs. Texans

Drew Forrester not a fan of new Orioles hats

Casey Willett says Harbaugh praises Coaches H. Jackson, Montgomery

Thyrl Nelson has Ravens 8^th in power rankings

Nestor Aparicio wants more than just “Baltimore” from Orioles

Alex Thomas gives game ball to Ngata

Ken Zalis thinks Ravens 5^th best team in NFL

RAVENS:The Official Site

 

says Harbaugh thought win ‘team victory’

The Official Site’s Scott Garceau says offense finally catching up to defense

The Official Site says Ravens made ‘numerous’ mistakes

The Official Site’s Mike Duffy says Ravens averaging NFL high 33.5 points per game over last four weeks

Giants Official Site’s Michael Eisen says team knows Ravens ‘great challenge’ Sunday

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says offense has ‘tough tests’ in upcoming games

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens can start using ‘P’ word

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Ravens keeping both Stover, Hauschka

The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Harbaugh ‘hopeful’ Mason will play SundayThe AP

says former Ravens WR Hunter sentenced to six months in prison

The Sun’s Edward Lee says Harbaugh expects W. Anderson to ‘fight like crazy’ to play Sunday

The Sun’s Mike Preston says McAlister wanted to push surgery, doctors told him playing would ‘jeopardize career’

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Heap ‘never complained’ about not getting ball

The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens should continue using all RB’s

The Examiner’s Dave Carey gives highest praise to D-Line, LB’s

The Examiner’s Ron Snyder says players more ‘positive’ about Ravens’ direction

The Examiner’s Phil Macek says Ravens looking at ‘huge game’ with Giants

The Examiner’s Steve DeClue gives highest praise to D-Line, LB’s

Aaron Wilson says Ravens have ‘sprinted’ from Colts loss

Aaron Wilson says ‘too early’ for Harbaugh to determine Mason’s status for Sunday

The AP says things have changed dramatically for Ravens over last month

New York Post’s Paul Schwartz says Giants formidable run game faces Ravens’ formidable run D

New York Daily News’ Gary Myers says this Giants team could be better than ’86 Giants

Newark Star-Ledger’s Frank Della Femina says some in New York talking ‘repeat’

Newark Star-Ledger’s Jenny Vrentas says Giants can’t afford to keep fumbling

ESPN.com Page 2’s DJ Gallo says McGahee’s bye week frustrations misguided

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Clayton’s play good sign if Mason can’t go Sunday

ESPN.com’s James Walker says Ravens ‘very well-conditioned football team’

ESPN.com’s James Walker says ‘settling’ QB position has made Ravens playoff contender

ESPN.com’s James Walker says 52, McGahee ‘hot’

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco gives Ravens another “A”

Yahoo! Sports’ Michael Silver says Neal compares Flacco to hot high school sophomore

TERRAPINS FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

previews Maryland-Carolina

The Official Site offers complete Maryland-Carolina release (pdf)The Official Site

says Terps will play Florida State on ESPN

North Carolina Official Site says Heels will be without TE Pianalto Saturday

The Sun’s Matt Bracken says Porzel, O’Brien, Stinebaugh highlight big weekend for commits

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Davis talking up Terps

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Terps, Heels to kick off at 7:45

The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Terps have slumping run defense, Heels have red hot run offense

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says MTSU over Maryland amongst most unlikely outcomes all season

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Terps will bring 0-3 record at night to Florida State game

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell breaks down Terps, Heels statistically

Washington Post’s Eric Prisbell says Terps must run ball, stop run to beat Heels

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says tailgaters excited for Florida State at night

Raleigh News & Observer’s Robbi Pickeral says Davis thinking about Terps; not Tennessee job

ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich says UNC’s Houston getting tips from Va Tech’s Evans

ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich says defense must improve for Terps

ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich says Terps don’t have defense, offensive playmakers to match Noles, Hokies

SI’s Stewart Mandel has Terps headed to Boise

Terrapin Times’ Mark Clem says Kerr ‘looking forward’ to hitting campus in January (must subscribe)TERRAPINS BASKETBALL:

The Sun’s Don Markus

wonders how Vasquez will respond to benching

The Diamondback’s Mark Selig says Milbourne embracing captain role

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says Neal featured prominently on media guide

ESPN.com Page 2’s Paul Lukas says new Under Armour jerseys ‘flashier’, not ‘better’

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish thinks Terps on ‘bubble’

Terrapin Times’ Dan Painter says ’10 prospect Regan visiting this weekend (must subscribe)Terrapin Times’ Dan Painter

recaps New Jersey event (must subscribe)NAVY FOOTBALL:

The Official Site

previews Navy-Notre Dame

The Official Site offers complete Navy-Notre Dame release (pdf)The Official Site’s Bob Socci

says Bryant ‘tough as nails’

The Sun’s Don Markus says Weis will have ‘active’ role in Notre Dame offense

The Examiner’s Tom Flynn remembers when Navy, Notre Dame battled in Ireland

Annapolis Capital’s Bill Wagner says Dobbs tends to struggle in practice

Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock says ‘there are rumors’ Weis will be fired if Irish lose to Mids

NAVY BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

previews hoops season

TOWSON FOOTBALL:The Official Site

 

previews Towson-Villanova

MORGAN FOOTBALL:The Examiner’s Dave Carey

 

says Bears must win out to have any shot at MEAC title

UMBC BASKETBALL:The Official Site

 

says Coach Monroe to host show today

Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens has UMBC, Morgan, Mt. St. Mary’s IN; Terps OUT

COPPIN BASKETBALL:The Sun

 

says Eagles building around MEAC star McKee

MT. ST. MARY’S BASKETBALL:The Sun’s Mike Klingaman

 

says Coach Brown trying to keep Eers ‘humble’ after Tourney run

Frederick News-Post’s Stan Goldberg says Atupems playing together for Eers

Frederick News-Post’s Stan Goldberg says Eers bring back 7 of top 8 scorers

HOPKINS BASKETBALL:The Sun

 

says Jays should continue good ‘trends’ from last season

ORIOLES:The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr.

 

says Matusz collecting strikeouts, giving up runs in Arizona

The Sun’s Dan Connolly says Matusz, Tillman get some love in Baseball America

The Examiner’s Jay Trucker says Palmer, Markakis, Guthrie, Sherrill will attend rally

MARINERS:The Official Site

 

says team hosting another tryout this weekend

BALTIMORE COLTS:Newsday’s Neil Best

 

says Gifford wondered whether last year’s Super Bowl ‘greater’ than ‘Greatest Game Ever Played’

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS:-Congratulations to Suntrust Athlete of the Morning John Jenkins; who had the game winner for Lutheran in their 2-1 victory of Chapelgate in the C Conference title game. Congratulations also to Amy Chotikul and Christie Brown; who were both starters for the Boys’ team at Lutheran.

Talk to you tomorrow.

-G