We don't have to worry too much about Baltimore

[ironwasp]

They have all the offence of a legless piglet. Aside from the odd McNair scramble and Jamal Lewis ploughng for a few now and again, there's nothing going on there whatsoever.

The Bengals, on the other hand, look a much better team now than when we came across them two months ago. Palmer, Johnson and TJ are having a ball, and even if the Ravens are closing them down in the red zone, they're moving the ball just fine to get in there.

And for the record, the NFL Network commentary is beyind bad.

 

[Digger44]

They have all the offence of a legless piglet. Aside from the odd McNair scramble and Jamal Lewis ploughng for a few now and again, there's nothing going on there whatsoever.

The Bengals, on the other hand, look a much better team now than when we came across them two months ago. Palmer, Johnson and TJ are having a ball, and even if the Ravens are closing them down in the red zone, they're moving the ball just fine to get in there.

And for the record, the NFL Network commentary is beyind bad.

I find it ironic that you post something like this when we just came off of a few games with a massive amount of turnovers. IMO the addage "Defense wins championships" is very accurate. It's not flawless, but just because this Raven team has difficulty in a game you just do not throw out a team who is on top of there division. This is silly and hasty.

 

[carolinatony]

The Ravens took advantage of the Steelers having a really bad year. They have a good defense but that offense is not much.
If we didn't have the loss to the Jets we would be sitting pretty for # 2 seed.
Can you image another COLD game in january if S.D. came to town.

 

[mosi]

They have all the offence of a legless piglet.

Legless piglet. That is a funny picture.

 

[carolinatony]

It amazes me how some teams have such a bad offense year after year.

 

[pats1]

From PFT's live blog:

...

Gumbel calls it a "game of field position" -- no, the teams are consistently starting at their own 20 or so, with no one getting any field position advantage. (Okay, we know we're being picky but this guy is driving up nuts.)

...

Reader says: "I'm tempted to say that watching this game and listening to the dream team of Collinsworth and Gumble is like watching old people f--k. But I'm not sure that's fair to old people."

...

A reader thinks that Collinsworth's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma got busy with this buzzard.

...

TacoBill found sent a picture of Gumbel and Collinsworth in the booth.

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Great Seinfeld reference from a reader, who thought Gumbel said "tippytoe" while Collinsworth was trying to get the tape out of the answering machine.

...

Second quarter starts. Gumbel really is awful. Stinko was cheating forward before the snap -- that rarely gets called.

...

Gumbel calls it a "game of field position" -- no, the teams are consistently starting at their own 20 or so, with no one getting any field position advantage. (Okay, we know we're being picky but this guy is driving up nuts.)

...

Gumbel once again says that a team "will give it up on downs." (No -- they'll punt.)

Gumbel calls a punt angled inside the 20 a "shank."

...

Collinsworth seems to forget that McNair and the Titans were driving for a tie, not the win, in Super Bowl XXXIV.

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"Why do crowds cheer when their coaches challenge?" asks Gumbel. (Um, maybe because it gives them hope for a better outcome from the last play?)

A reader thinks that Robin Roberts is doing the play-by-play.

A reader says that Gumbel's voice makes him wish that his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma hadn't slept with anyone.

...

A reader says that his German Shepherd can hear Gumbel just fine.

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Several readers say Gumbel's voice can't be heard.

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Listening to Gumbel's voice is like drinking a glass of tap water on a full stomach.

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Gumbel says that the Bengals "will turn it over on downs." (Um, no. They'll punt.)

...

Gumbel apparently hasn't made it through puberty in the past week.

Hey -- just found out that the game is in HD on DirecTV Channel 95. Just in time to see the undulations of Cris Collinsworth's Adam's apple, which is only slightly smaller than Suzy Kolber'd.

"Vivid, exciting, luxurious HD," says Gumbel.

...

 

[ironwasp]

I find it ironic that you post something like this when we just came off of a few games with a massive amount of turnovers. IMO the addage "Defense wins championships" is very accurate. It's not flawless, but just because this Raven team has difficulty in a game you just do not throw out a team who is on top of there division. This is silly and hasty.

I'm just judging it on what I'm seeing. And that's a running team having a big problem moving the ball on a team that has, to this point, struggled to stop the run.

We don't have the down field threat that the Bengals have shown this evening, but we have plenty else, and in the context of what we might see in the play-offs, Baltimore looks a lot less threatening than other possible opponents.

Hasty? Perhaps. But this isn't the first time I've seen the Ravens struggle to score this season. And it won't be the last.

Silly? Perhaps. It's only half time and within a couple of hours my post may well look a bit daft.

But I'll say this: in a match up with Ravens. I like our team just fine.

And if I'm proved wrong I'll be happy to come on here and admit it.

 

[SVN]

the bengals could be the steelers of this yr...they win today they are 7-5

 

[Digger44]

I'm just judging it on what I'm seeing. And that's a running team having a big problem moving the ball on a team that has, to this point, struggled to stop the run.

We don't have the down field threat that the Bengals have shown this evening, but we have plenty else, and in the context of what we might see in the play-offs, Baltimore looks a lot less threatening than other possible opponents.

Hasty? Perhaps. But this isn't the first time I've seen the Ravens struggle to score this season. And it won't be the last.

Silly? Perhaps. It's only half time and within a couple of hours my post may well look a bit daft.

But I'll say this: in a match up with Ravens. I like our team just fine.

And if I'm proved wrong I'll be happy to come on here and admit it.

Don't get me wrong, I like the match up between our teams as well. But you have to consider something. Who is the coach of the Bengals and what is his relation to the Ravens? Does the loss to Mangini ring a bell? Marvin knows the offense and the defense of the Ravens. He has a coaching advantage for schemes and play development.

I guess when I read that we don't have to worry abouta top NFL team it sets off a reaction that says, "Hold on there are no gimme's in the NFL." The Ravens deserve respect and I guarentee you that if we turned the ball 5x we will lose against the Raven we would lose.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

McNair played great, not good, last week. He was completing perfect passes with a guy full body slamming him in the grille. I mean, McNair was sharp. The Steelers defense showed up to play, but the Ravens were better.

If he is having a bad game, like we have seen the Pats do from time to time this year, he probably can still bounce back.

I think the Ravens are a solid team. I'd love to see them lose this game!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The Ravens have always had a defense that was playoff caliber, just no offense. They have some with McNair, but I don't think it will be enough. He is dangerous but also mistake prone. Always was. And he's older now but I think he's playing on adreneline a little like what we saw with Drew lugging that chip around on his shoulder in Buffalo in 2002.

Neither of these teams scare me if we are executing. Of course if we remain inconsistent, everybody currently ahead of us in the ACF looks scary.

We really need Cincy to hang on here.

And they will!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

The Ravens have always had a defense that was playoff caliber, just no offense. They have some with McNair, but I don't think it will be enough. He is dangerous but also mistake prone. Always was. And he's older now but I think he's playing on adreneline a little like what we saw with Drew lugging that chip around on his shoulder in Buffalo in 2002.

Neither of these teams scare me if we are executing. Of course if we remain inconsistent, everybody currently ahead of us in the ACF looks scary.

We really need Cincy to hang on here.

And they will!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Story of the season. We will either end up executing ourselves or everbody else when the playoffs arrive.

 

[mgcolby]

The Ravens could end up with 5 losses. They go to KC next weak and they have a road game in Pit and play Buffalo to end the season. Pit will be looking for revenge, KC needs the win to keep pace for a chance at the division and a wild card and Buffalo could potentially be looking at a playoff spot in week 17. I don't think dropping two of those games are far fetched.

Now lets root for Buffalo at home on a snowy (in the forecast for buffalo) Sunday vs the Chargers.

 

[spacecrime]

I'm just judging it on what I'm seeing. And that's a running team having a big problem moving the ball on a team that has, to this point, struggled to stop the run.

Like the Pats against the Colts?

Giving up on a team because they had a bad game is silly. No one is going 16-0. Everyone is going to put up a stinker or two each season.

Leave this type of analysis to the ESPN analysts. It's their job to declare teams major busts or the next dynasty based on how they played last week. We're smarter than that.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

It amazes me how some teams have such a bad offense year after year.

After watching the game, i have to think somewhere Jim Fassel is smiling and drinking a beer thinking, "they can't blame this one on me, Billick is calling the plays now".............

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

I've been saying this all year. I live in the DC area and get stuck watching Ravens games sometimes. They're a .500 team masquerading as a contender.

 

[richpats]

Let's not overlook the fact that the Ravens' D held Cincy to 13 points AT HOME. I know we did the same, but our offense wouldn't put up many points if matched up against our D either.