The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

I have to admit it was kind of nice to take a break from speculating who will be the next Ravens coach and watch football this weekend with a fresh perspective.

For the record I think Brian Billick is an excellent coach, however, I’m glad to see him go. It’s time for a change, and change should begin at the top. I wish we would have kept Rex Ryan, but I am also interested in seeing who our next coach may bring along to head the defense.

Who will be the next coach? I would have said Bill Cowher, but he looked pretty comfy in his announcer’s chair on Sunday. I pick Mike Singletary as a front-runner for the job, as much as it kills me to say it.

Enough about the Ravens, though. It’s playoff time.

I love the playoffs. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time and you really get to see what these teams are made of. And since the Ravens didn’t make it, I get to pick who to root for with an objective perspective.

I went two for four with my picks this weekend, but I got the important two. I picked Jacksonville would roll on Pittsburgh and I am so happy they did. It was great catharsis watching Ben Roethlisberger choke in his own building. It was almost as sweet as watching the Redskins lose. Yes, I know, they were playing for Sean Taylor, but it is the Redskins and I am a Ravens fan, so Gibbs and company can deal with it.

(more…)

Ya know, most teams started their second string this week. The Ravens were the only team that HAD to. Yes, We ended our losing streak AND we beat the Steelers — however, we beat a Steelers team that had Charlie Batch at the helm.

So what did we really learn? Really? We learned a lot about next year. Here’s a semi-news flash … we could have an entirely new team next year. I understand Mr. Billick said that we’ll have a lot of guys back next year. What he failed to mention is which guys.

Last night’s lineup could very well be the starting lineup opening day in ’08, and to be honest, I’m all for it. I’m sick of the ups and downs. I don’t want to ride a roller coaster anymore. If that means that next year is a losing season, so be it.

I’m a Ravens fan, not a Ravens 2000 fan, or a Ravens 2001 fan, or a 2007 Ravens fan. Just a Ravens fan. I am ready to rebuild damn it. I want Troy Smith as my foundation and Willis McGahee as my rock. I want Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to inspire the next generation of defenders, and in a couple of years I want the Lombardi trophy placed squarely on Lombard St.

I want every die-hard that has gone to a game, listened on the radio at work and watched the game on TV to experience a winning team from start to finish. I am ready to suffer the agony of growth. Just ask the Orioles (I still hit up every game of theirs I can).

I saw a lot of positive things last night and it wasn’t just those two Steelers’ fans who got egged, I saw a city willing to get into it for the long haul. And that, my friends, was the best thing I’ve seen all year.

((Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)

Well it looks like the ’76 Buccaneers can rest easy thanks to Kyle and the gang. Before I get into this, though, I have to say I had a lot of people tell me how mean and harsh I was to the Ravens last week. It was the first thing people said to me when the Ravens came up. So I apologize if I offended anybody.

Oh, and by the way this is football and the Ravens are terrible … man up. If you want me to be nice and cuddly, check out my squash blog at www.elimanninglovessquash.com.

Anyway, I had the pleasure of watching yesterday’s debacle with one of those rare Miami Dolphins fans. Before the game I really felt bad for the guy. I can’t imagine my team losing every game since the start of the year. I don’t think I would even be able to watch football by week 10 but this guy was into it. I felt for him and if it was any other team that he was up against yesterday, I would’ve been pulling for him.

Just like my friend the fins fan, the Dolphins, or what’s left of them, were up for this game. They played like they were clinching a playoff berth. They played for pure respect and when they won, for them, it was almost as big as a playoff win. It’s all a matter of perspective. I think that’s how my friend felt too, and we as Ravens fans may take that for granted sometimes. I know I do (see the first paragraph).

Yes, this season is a loss but we are not the worst team in the NFL and we haven’t been. Remember the Patriots of old, circa 1980s or the Buccaneers of the ’70s? We are pretty much a .500 team over the 12 years we’ve been around. It could be better, but it could also be worse. Much worse. Like 1-14 worse.

A word on our quarterback situation. I think the Ravens’ quarterback just secured the #1 slot on worst job list in America yesterday. Poor Kyle Boller got the shit kicked out of him. Even Willis McGahee was knocked around a bit. Was the offensive line on strike? Did I miss something?

You know what Cam Cameron has that Brian Billick doesn’t? Testicular fortitude. Why Billick didn’t go for the end zone on that last 4th-and-goal play I will never understand. He had nothing to lose. I would rather lose by going for it and failing then watch Stover shank the hell out of a no-brainer and see Cleo Lemon suddenly realize that he should throw the ball because we have no defensive backs.

Thank God it took Cleo until OT to realize we had no way of covering any of his receivers. Otherwise this game would have been a rout.

So there we have it — we’ve sunk to almost the lowest low. Last place in our division, beat by the team that couldn’t beat anybody — does it get any lower? I can think of only one way. Losing to Shittsburgh at home. It sends shivers up my spine.

(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)

October 14th is the last time the Ravens won a game. Even considering that, I can’t remember the last time we got beat so bad. The score 44-20 makes the game sound like it was much closer that it was. This game was over before it began.

Peyton Manning got an early Christmas present in a Ravens secondary that couldn’t cover a 4-ton rock laying in the middle of the field. I don’t know if they got the right angle on TV, but all Peyton did was drop back, hang out for a while, because our defensive line was nowhere to be found, and then he would jingle his keys — which would totally throw off Corey Ivy and David Pittman — and then throw the ball to any receiver he wanted to.

Late in the first quarter David Pittman decided he was going to protest the rain by not covering anything at all. Instead, when the ball was snapped he would just take off in any direction with his arms flailing. I’m sure it took everything Ray Lewis had not stab Pittman with the prison shank he keeps in his shoulder pads. (It was a going away gift from Jamal Lewis.)

The game was even more riveting because there wasn’t anything happening on the offensive side. Someone forgot to tell Kyle Boller that the Ravens were wearing their home black uniforms and not their road whites and poor Kyle just kept passing to the Colts out of confusion.

Willis McGahee thought it would be fun to play volleyball with the football instead of run with it. I would venture to say that Willis wouldn’t make a very good volleyball player. The Ravens kept giving the ball to Indy in the red zone and I think Manning was getting pissed that he even made the trip to Baltimore. He could have phoned this one in. Next time he’ll just send Jim Sorgi. Sorgi, who normally just relishes in the fact that anyone acknowledges that there is more than one QB on the Colts team, was a little upset that he didn’t get in on the action.

It never ceases to amaze me how different the Ravens are from week to week. We went from hanging strong in arguably one of the best games of the year on Monday, to getting obliterated last night. Now we are Miami’s last hope before joining the ’76 Buccaneers in infamy — and after last night I’ll bet there are some believers in Miami who can’t wait to get their hands on the Ravens. We could very easily lose to the winless fish. I don’t even want to think about Shittsburgh. Till next time…

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)

So when it’s all said and done, the Patriots won the big Monday night showdown and no one is more surprised than the Patriots.

The Ravens played better then they have played all season. Granted they still didn’t play that well, but there was more intensity on that field last night then there was in the last 10 games combined. No one outside of Baltimore thought that the Ravens had a chance, nor did many of the people in the stadium last night, but the Ravens made a game of it – and in the end they beat themselves.

The first half of last night’s game was some of the best football I’ve seen all year. Even the offensive line looked somewhat decent last night and Willis McGahee has finally convinced me that he is a better suited running back for this team than Jamal Lewis was.

On the defensive side, Ray Lewis was an animal. He was everywhere. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Willis McGahee were all playing for the memory of their former teammate and it showed. I think the biggest failure on the defensive side was the inconsistency in the amount of pressure being applied to Tom Brady. They gave him too much time on a lot of the snaps. The one thing that you can’t give a guy like Tom Brady is time.

As for our man Kyle Boller, his head is a problem. I don’t know if he’ll ever have the maturity to handle a game like last night. The guy has a lot of emotion and not a lot of patience, which makes him dangerous to himself and the team he plays for. At times last night he played to his potential, but he cracked when we needed him most. The whole Ravens squad has to get the mental side of the game under control.

Penalties have destroyed game after game this year. As a fan I don’t think that there is anything more frustrating. Some of the calls last night (defensive holding comes to mind) ranged from questionable to bullshit, however, we can’t forget that a lot of the calls were also dead on.

Despite all of the mistakes, I think the gods were against us last night. This season seems to have a black cloud over it. Last night’s game was pretty much the only thing left to keep this season interesting for me. Sure, it would be nice to beat Indy and the Pittsburgh game is always a good time, but last night was a real kick to the junk. I almost wish that we were blown out of the water than to come so close.

I’ll leave you all with this thought: I think Rex Ryan should be the head coach of this team next year. Not for anything Brian Billick did or didn’t do last night. I just think it is time. I know, he screwed us last night with that time out but he can be taught. I think we should give the keys to Ryan, let him bring in whoever he wants for offensive coordinator and start anew next year. I like Billick a lot, and I realize that we could have it a lot worse, but sometimes things just don’t work anymore and you have to make a change.

Until next time, you stay classy Baltimore.

(photo by James Lang-US PRESSWIRE, swiped from nfl.com)

There are not too many good things you can say about getting steam rolled by the Chargers yesterday, so I’ll start with an observation about Phillip Rivers. He had a great day yesterday. Good for him. He is a complete asshole.

Now, I know some of you are going to say that I am being a sore loser. Believe me I am not a sore loser. I took yesterday’s loss extremely well. I only punted one beer can at the TV. A stellar day at the Justin household.

Back to Rivers. I’ve always heard he’s a dick but I’ve never actually seen him play on TV. They cut to him on the sidelines a lot and it seems he is always either grab-assing with the backup QBs or trying to complain to whatever referee will listen. He is ear-fucking every man in stripes that comes within five feet of him.

What is he complaining about? I’m not sure, but I would guess he feels he is being beat up a little too much after he releases the ball. That’s where the smart money is. Apparently this is what Phillip Rivers does.

Another thing about Phillip Rivers: When he gets booed he tells the fans to “Shut up.” I don’t know how I feel about fans booing their teams. I know it happens in Baltimore a lot, and sometimes I understand it and sometimes I don’t. I will say this: I will never agree with a player who screams like a maniac for the fans to shut up and then runs to the sidelines berating the fans after throwing a TD. I don’t think this is a double standard. The fans are the entire reason that players have jobs, and, guess what? Being an NFL fan is expensive. Especially if you are fortunate enough to go to a game. So Phillip Rivers…fuck you.

Onto the Ravens. The mistakes were painfully obvious yesterday so I won’t go into to much detail.

Samari Rolle: Thanks for gracing us with your presence. Hopefully next week you’ll raise your game even more and cover someone. That Tom Brady likes to throw.

To the Ravens receivers, secondary and special teams: Anyone who has any opportunity to come in contact with the ball, for every ball that hits your hands and you actually catch, I will personally give you a dollar. That may not be much for these guys, but I feel as though they have no incentive as of right now.

The Chargers completely tore apart our secondary. Everyone was getting burned. There was no semblance of coverage.

I thought Kyle Boller did OK yesterday. Maybe it’s the beard? When he actually had a second or two before the entire Charger front line was in his face, he made some great throws. That said, he got killed most of the time. The hit he took on the roughing the passer call was probably the weakest hit he felt all day.

At some point we all have to admit to ourselves that the problem with our offense begins and ends at the line of scrimmage. No QB would be doing well behind this offensive line.

Looking forward, we have the Patty’s coming to B-more on Monday night. The Eagles showed everyone last night that there are ways to beat the Patriots. You have to look in the middle of their secondary for holes. You have to shut down Randy Moss and keep Wes Welker in check. Most importantly, you have to play like you have a pair. You have to take the big risks. The Ravens have nothing to lose. They need to play like it. The only thing that could redeem this season for me as a fan would be to see the Ravens ruin the Patriots perfect season. Can it happen? Ask Philadelphia.

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)

I decided yesterday as I was walking into the stadium that no matter what, I was just going to have fun at the game. I was sick of beating my head against the wall and I was going to take it easy. Calm as a Hindu cow. All I wanted was to see an actual contest. A close game, and for my sins they gave me one.

Attempting to be a Zen master was rather difficult during the first half. I attempted to keep track of Kyle Boller, and up until the two minute warning in the second quarter he had made only one completion, well only one to a Raven. The offense had put together a whole seven yards. This made it easy to stat track if you were mildly inebriated, as I was.

So the first half wound down, aside a great interception by Ray Lewis, which he took to the house, there wasn’t much else to cheer about. Things were not well for the Ravens. You know it was so awkward watching the game yesterday and thinking that if the Ravens beat the Browns it would be an upset.

Browns? Upset?

These are very strange times. Usually you look at the schedule and see the Browns at home and you think “Oh, that’s a gimme” but all over the AFC north teams are legitimately scared of Romeo and the Brownies. Even Shittsburgh was given a scare. Very weird.

Now I haven’t seen any video of the team that came out onto the field to play the second half for the Ravens but I think it was actually the Florida Gators offense in our uniforms. I think Tim “Teabag” Tebow was actually under center. Whatever the hell happened at halftime should happen always, before every game, at every break. The Ravens in the second half actually looked like an NFL team. The third quarter started with a bang up 75-yard drive that looked good and then, of course the Browns spent the rest of the quarter righting the universe and stomping our ass. No thanks to special teams on this one.

On a side note: Every single member of the special teams (who is not vital on offense or defense, Ed Reed) should be round up and summarily slaughtered. Here’s a tip: Stop kicking the ball right down the middle to Joshua Cribbs every time. Frank Gansz Jr. should be quartered before the game against the Patriots and then his body should be turned into chum and fed to the defense. When you give the Browns the ball and only 40 yards between them and the end zone, bad things will happen. The special teams play and the turnovers were the biggest factors in this loss. I am so goddamn sick of saying that.

But back to the Zen master effect. So as I’m sure you all know, the whole stadium thought that the Brownies missed their game-tying field goal and lost the game. When I say everyone in the stadium, I mean everyone. Including the officials led by Pete Morelli, who is now up there with Richie Garcia as the biggest officiating asshole in the Baltimore sports pantheon. I don’t know how their conversation went, because — like everyone else — I was celebrating the win with 70, 000 of my closest friends while leaving the stadium.

When I got to the lower level I heard the remaining fans go bullshit and that’s when I walked back in to witness the heartbreaker that will go down as a big loss and the death rattle of the 2007 season. Yes I understand that the officials got the call right, but they broke NFL rules to get there. I’ll accept the loss because I am now officially a Zen fucking master but there are ways to do things and there are ways not to. If I broke the rules to hide the fact that I just totally fucked up the job I am paid to do, then I would be shit-canned. Take note Mr. Commissioner.

So there you have it. The Ravens proved last night that they are in fact the worst team in the division by losing to the worst team in the division. This loss gives any playoff hopes a square kick in the junk.

Where do we go from here? I think the Ravens should let it all hang out – for the remainder of the season. If Brian Billick doesn’t start Kyle Boller for the rest of the year, he should find somewhere else to coach next year. I love the guy, but it’s time to put Boller in the position to do what Billick has claimed he can do for all of these years. Just let Kyle Boller play. No matter what. Get the kid some more experience. Let him grow with this young offensive line.

Steve McNair should plant his broken ass on the bench. I love McNair and I can’t thank him enough for giving us the spark we needed last year, but enough is enough. Steve McNair is done. Troy Smith should plant his ass right next to McNair and be on him the rest of the year. We’ve all seen what McNair did with Vince Young. I think Troy Smith is a much better athlete than Young and there are only a few NFL players who can cultivate Smith’s style properly.

The Ravens defense is obviously declining. We’re as deep as a puddle in our secondary. That said, I think they held their own against Carson Palmer and company. The Bengals go to show you that you can have a great quarterback and receiving corps and STILL win without scoring a single TD.

The Ravens need some off-season help with this defense. The NFL pendulum is swinging back towards offense in terms of importance in the NFL. Defense may get you to the playoffs, but it won’t win the playoffs. The bottom line is always this: if you don’t score points and can’t hold onto the ball, you will lose.

I know, I know, no shit.

I like Willis McGahee. I think he is having a career year and if our offense can become two-dimensional and get the passing game to spread the field a bit more, McGahee will only improve. He has one fatal flaw (which I think is a disease in the Ravens locker room): he can’t hold onto the ball. He needs to rent The Program and follow James Caan’s “No Fumble Plan” step by step. If Omar Epps can do it, so can Willis.

Lastly, special teams. Holy Hell. Just get rid of them all. I pray for B.J. Sams to able to make it to the bye week next season and axe the rest. The field goal unit needs a massive overhaul. If someone kicks 7 field goals a game, then just by sheer odds you should be able to get a finger on one! Bush League.

Well thanks for tuning into to my diarrhea of a blog again this week. I look forward to your comments. We get Cleveland at home next, a game that I still think we can win, and then a river of shit after that. Until then…

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)