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WEEK 4 IN REVIEW |
| Pre Game Analysis: |
Jamal gets the ball Jamal Lewis: It's go time Running game threat will open up offense No pun intended but on Sunday night the Ravens played their sloppiest game in quite some time. Unless you're a freak of nature, you don't have enough fingers to point for the poor showing. The entire team looked lethargic, unemotional, asleep at the wheel. I try not to get too high or too low after a game and I'm still in the honeymoon stage, thankful that I have something to complain about on Monday morning. Having said that, give the entire team (including coaches) an "F" for effort and give Miami a lot of credit for playing with passion and beating the Ravens to the punch in every phase of the game. A disappointing showing, to say the least. The bright spot? Jamal Lewis. This young man can obviously play the game. It may be time to start centering the offense around him. With all due respect to Priest Holmes, Jamal is a game breaker, a constant home run threat and will change the entire dynamic of the team. A large part of the St. Louis Rams' highly potent offense is the ever-present threat of running back Marshall Faulk. Teams must key on him as he is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. This alone has opened up many other avenues of success for Kurt Warner and the wide receivers. Jamal Lewis is such a running back. With power, speed, instinct and receiving ability, he must be constantly "shadowed". Opponents will be forced to put that 8th man in the box, opening up the field and taking some pressure off of Tony Banks and the young wide-outs. The NFL is all about winning. Give Jamal 25-30 carries a game, coupled with the team's defense and there are not many teams that can beat the Ravens. WEEK 4: THE FACTS:
Week 4
Predictions:
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Ravens: Home sweet home Team hosts Cincinnati before departing on 3 game road trip The mighty 2-1 Baltimore Ravens at home
against the 0-2 bumbling Bengals. An easy win, right?
Well...maybe. Cincinnati boasts a few young stars of
their own in quarterback Akili Smith, wide receiver Peter
Warrick and running back Corey Dillon. The Bengals looked
quite impressive last Sunday on the road against
powerhouse Jacksonville. Although perhaps a few years
away from contender status, this Cincinnati team features
some game-breakers and should not be taken lightly. They
have the ability to put it all together on any given week
and are the proverbial "spoilers" for a team
seeking post-season action. Warrick, the Florida State
standout, is a slippery, elusive reciever who lines up in
many different positions and can give defensive
coordinators fits. Along with FSU pal Ron Dugans, these
two give the Bengals a wide receiving corps with a great
deal of promise for the future. Smith is a battler, a
scrambling quarterback with big-play potential who can
throw on the run and Dillon, despite an offseason
contract battle, is a lethal, cutback-style running back.
This game should provide a good test for the Ravens
defense who have gone from the extreme of smothering the
Pittsburgh Steelers to allowing Jacksonville to go up and
down the field at will. The slap in the face supplied by
the Dolphins and the "12th man" should provide
enough incentive for a strong showing. Offensively, Tony
Banks' on-again off-again history dictates a good outing
and Priest Holmes' history against Cincinnati, along with
the emergence of Jamal Lewis should prove to be too much
for the Bengals. Ravens approach quarter pole Team has displayed mixed signals to date It's hard to believe that the season will be a quarter of the way completed after Sunday's game. The Ravens, through three games, have displayed multiple personalities. The NFL's version of "Sybil", if you will. On opening day at Pittsburgh, the defense played true to form, smothering the Steelers at every turn, frustrating Cowher & Co. to the point of throwing in the "towel". The offense played mistake-free ball and the team coasted to a 16-0 win. Week two saw the birth of a potentially dominating offense, with the ability to come back against a great team under trying circumstances. The defense, particularly the secondary, suffered a setback however and the weaknesses of our young cornerbacks were exposed and exploited by a gritty, veteran quarterback. Who knows what happened last week? One thing is for certain though, the Ravens played an uninspired, "maybe something good will happen at the end" type of football game. How many lessons does this team need? All players and coaches should be required to watch a tape of last year's lay-down in front of the New England Patriots before taking the field each Sunday. In fairness to the team, there were some extenuating circumstances surrounding the Miami game and hopefully the poor effort will prove to be a one-game aberration. The next two weeks should give the Ravens an opportunity to work out some kinks. The team should whip up on the Bengals and Browns, no ifs, ands or buts. There are no excuses. The Ravens' talent is far superior to these two opponents and they need to drive this point home on the field. Should they need another lesson however, they need only take a peek down the road about 60 miles or perhaps right across the street to an Orioles team who have stood up and shouted to the world, "Talent alone doesn't win!!!" I look for Jamal Lewis to make a major impact over these next two weeks and for the defense to once again establish itself as the intimidating power that it truly is ....and not just against the run. My wish is that Anthony Poindexter returns to the field and knocks a few blocks off. The secondary needs to establish that "killer" mentality before heading to Jacksonville. Week 4 |
| Post Game Analysis: |
Down and out Week 4 |
A Tale of Domination Ravens beat up hapless Bengals, cruise 37-0 Talk about a lost weekend. In a span of 24
hours, the Cincinnati Bengals lost a football game, their
pride, the loyalty of their star running back and a head
coach. Pouring salt into the wounds of an already
staggering Cincinnati team, the Ravens attacked from all
angles and beat a bewildered Bengals team into submission
before a packed house at PSINet Stadium. The numbers were
staggering: Rushing yards: Ravens 176, Bengals 4. First
Downs: Ravens 27, Bengals 7. Total yards; Ravens 391,
Bengals 94. Time of possession: Ravens 38:44, Bengals 21:16.
Cincinnati never posed a serious threat of scoring during
the entire game. Things turned disastrous quickly for the
Bengals when quarterback Akili Smith was knocked out of
the game on a vicious hit by defensive end Rob Burnett
midway through the first quarter. Smith was replaced by
backup Scott Mitchell, he of the ‘benching after 6
quarters’ fame, (by Brian Billick) last year.
Mitchell's immobility made him a sitting duck for most of
the afternoon, pressured by an unrelenting Baltimore
defensive line, throwing two interceptions and forced
into numerous hurried, off-target passes. It went from
bad to ugly for the Bengals. Running back Corey Dillon,
recently re-signed by the team, left the field in
frustration, much to the chagrin and disbelief of head
coach Bruce Coslet. As the puzzled coach tried to coax
Dillon back onto the field, the running back refused and
took a seat on the bench. Coslet's fatal mistake? Letting
this poor excuse for a competitor later return to the
game. On Monday morning, Coslet had decided that enough
was enough and resigned, leaving behind a confused and
frustrated football team with a brand new stadium and a
makeshift general manager, team owner Mike Brown. For the
Ravens' part, it was a team that they were supposed to
beat and beat them they did. In the singular most
dominating performance in the team's short history, even
the home fans left early, perhaps to catch a more
competitive game on TV. Next up, the team travels to
Cleveland to face the new Browns and unless you have been
living under a rock for quite some time, you are aware of
the history and the bad blood that exists between these
two cities and teams. |
