The Ravens Once Again In The Driver’s Seat
A lot of things happen this NFL weekend to help the Ravens move closer to securing a playoff berth. The Jags lost, the Jets lost, the Dolphins lost, the Broncos lost, and the Ravens took the Bears to the wood shed. The Bengals even lost, which, as improbable as it sounds, keeps the division title within reach for the Ravens. The Steelers; however, beat the Packers by the skin of their teeth, which keeps their playoff hopes alive and maybe rattles their cage a little for next Sunday’s showdown with the Ravens. The forthcoming game with the Steelers will no doubt determine the Ravens playoff future. I’m not overlooking a Raiders team that has played very well for the last month, but the first (and real) hurdle for the Ravens is a December trip to Heinz Field.
Another scattered cloud on an otherwise sunny weekend for the Ravens was the season ending injury suffered by rookie standout Lardarius Webb. Webb is thought to have torn his right ACL during a punt return block. As the injury list grows by the week for the Ravens the area where they can least afford to lose personnel is in the defensive backfield. Webb has been the Ravens’ primary option opposite Domonique Foxworth ever since Fabien Washington went down for the season with his own ACL tear in the week nine loss to Cincinnati. With cornerback Samari Rolle done for the foreseeable future the Ravens turn to the rotation of Chris Carr and Frank Walker to replace Webb. The Ravens also acquired second year DB Marcus Paschal, who appeared in three games for the Eagles last season and played sparingly against the Bears. I don’t know about you, but those options make me very nervous, especially when I think about the talented Steeler receivers. I shutter when I imagine Frank Walker matching up against Hines Ward or Mike Wallace in the fourth quarter with the Ravens clinging onto a three point lead.
Chris McAlister was recently cut by the Saints and could provide some much needed depth for the Ravens, but the odds of Harbaugh welcoming CMac back to Baltimore are slim. I don’t think that CMac is the answer as a starter, but could definitely help the Ravens in their nickel and dime packages.
As previously stated, the return of Chris McAlister is unlikely, so the Ravens will need to do a lot of little things better to effectively defend the pass. They’ll need to mix their coverage and their pre-snap looks in order to cause confusion. They’ll also need to find a way to consistently pressure the QB. After recording just two sacks in their previous four games, the Ravens sacked Jay Cutler twice on Sunday and pressured him fairly regularly throughout the game. The Ravens’ pressured better against the Bears, but their efforts will need to continue to improve against the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger is so good, because he extends plays and makes plays in the fourth quarter. If the Ravens can’t pressure Roethlisberger better than they’ve pressure any other QB this season those corners could be in for a long day. ‘
A couple open-ended, quick fire questions for you:
· Will Webb’s injury hurt the Ravens’ defense or special teams worse?
· With over 850 receptions and nearly 11,000 yards is Derrick Mason a Hall of Famer?
· Could Michael Oher surpass Jared Gaither as the left tackle of the future?
· Will the Ravens beat the Steelers?
This Ravens team has fought through a lot of adversity this season, but they find themselves in a good position…win the next two and you’re in the playoffs. All you have to do is get into the playoffs and anything can happen.
~ Pat Cary
