Ready to Rave N Roll?

Well we’ve reached the third week of the preseason and that means things are getting serious for every NFL team. Typically, the 3rd preseason game is treated as a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season and each team takes it seriously as if the game counted. The starters usually play the first half and a series or two into the second half and the coaches are trying to make the final determinations as to who will be making the final 53 man roster. With that said, the Ravens had their 3rd preseason game last night against the Carolina Panthers, so what is the verdict after seeing their performance?

I have to say that I really liked what I saw in the Ravens 17-13 victory over the Panthers last night. On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens continued to look in midseason form. During the first half, they only gave up 3 points and very few big plays down the field. The defensive prevented QB Jake Delhomme and the rest of the Panthers offense from getting into any type of rhythm. The Panthers first unit could not get anything going until the Ravens entire defense had the second unit in at the end of the third quarter. I do worry some if the injury bug starts to bite, but that is true of every team and the Ravens do have good depth to stand up to a few injuries. I was impressed with the play of new Ravens QB Dominique Foxworth. Foxworth was brought in to make the secondary a bit younger and faster, and he was able to make some good plays last night and seems to be picking up the defensive schemes. This bodes well heading into the regular season.

On the offensive side of things, I continued to be very impressed and encouraged in what I saw. Joe Flacco was extremely good in the first half as he completed 17 of 22 passes and threw his first touchdown of the preseason. What impresses me most is the development of his decision making. He is making smart plays and picking up when he needs to check down to his other receivers and also dump the ball off. Flacco also made some good down the field throws and I am hopeful that the downfield passing game will continue to improve. If it does, the Ravens will get more and more dangerous with the aerial attack. As an extra note, I noticed on Twitter that ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and CBS’s Pete Prisco both see the improvements in Flacco and are predicting good things ahead for him. I can dig that.

I was also impressed with the play of RB Ray Rice. Last season, everyone could see the speed and quickness of Rice and knew at the very least, he would be a good third down back and also a back that could give your starter a good rest every now and then. But now, Rice is starting to prove himself as capable of being a starter and carrying the offensive load when it comes to the run game. He continues to make strides when it comes to patience and he is getting better at picking his running lanes and openings and not trying to do too much. I also saw him make some good plays in the passing game, taking a few short passes from Flacco and turning them into good gains. This is a very good sign for Baltimore and again, CBS’s Prisco made mention on Twitter that he believes Rice will be a steal in fantasy football drafts this year. If Rice can handle the load and Willis McGahee stays healthy and can come in and continue pounding the ball, the Ravens offense may finally start to turn the corner.

It also seems as if Todd Heap is rounding back to form after dealing with injuries last season. He made a few nice catches and caught the TD pass from Flacco. Heap still has the ability to be extremely effective if he can stay on the field. A healthy year will give Flacco another weapon and allow him to work the middle of the field. WR Derrick Mason is also showing no signs of slowing down. He made a few nice grabs on deeper passes and the guy just knows how to get the job done.

So after seeing this performance tonight and watching all three preseason games, I have to say that the Ravens are looking more and more like legitimate contenders this season. I will still not get overly optimistic, but I will say that it will be a hell of a battle in the AFC North this year. The games against Pittsburgh should be off the hook and I will be glued to the TV for them. The Ravens don’t have a cupcake schedule by any means, but I think they can seriously challenge for the division title and if the offense keeps developing and the defense plays to its usual standard, the Ravens will have a shot this season.

And a final tidbit for Ravens fans out there…the last time the team started 3-0 in the preseason was in the 2000 campaign, the year in which Baltimore won the Super Bowl. Just some food for thought…

The Game’s Quick Hits

- I would be remiss if I did not mention the funeral for Ted Kennedy which took place on Saturday. I watched the proceedings and thought that it was a great service. The eulogies delivered by his sons Ted Jr. and Patrick were very poignant and offered a glimpse at the type of man Ted Kennedy was and what he stood for and tried to instill in others. As always, President Obama eloquently delivered a tribute to a friend and mentor and spoke about trying to honor Kennedy’s memory by always moving forward and trying to do what we can to persevere and make the world a better place. It was cool to see the funeral procession and final ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery as it was the first time I really witnessed and sat down to watch a burial like that for a prominent national political figure. The scene on the steps of the Capitol was pretty remarkable and the spontaneous singing of “God Bless America” was touching. Truly Ted Kennedy left his mark on America and whether you agreed with his politics or not, he was a man to be respected for what he endured and tried to accomplish.

- In an attempt to bolster their roster and hold off the Texas Rangers in the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels acquired P Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for 2 minor leaguers. I definitely have to give credit to the Angels for getting this done and trying to do what they can to make their team stronger for the playoffs. Kazmir has been pretty effective when he has not been slowed by injuries and the guy also has playoff experience, having started Games 1 and 5 of the World Series last year. I think the Angels need all the help they can get when it comes to pitching because it seems like the Yankees, who won a 1 hit, 10-0 shutout over the White Sox yesterday for their league leading 81st win, are still pressing full speed ahead and they look like the team to beat come playoff time.

- Tiger Woods tried to make a move on Saturday at The Barclays, but his 4-under par round of 67 only was able to bring him to within 5 strokes of co-leaders Steve Marino and Paul Goydos. Again, Tiger was able to leapfrog higher up the leaderboard into a tie for seventh place, but he still has a daunting task in trying to win on Sunday. I watched a good bit of the 3rd round and Tiger finally got some putts to drop and he kept grinding away. Only because of what Tiger Woods is capable of will I be tuned into the final round tomorrow. I do not expect Tiger to win, but he has made comebacks before, so you just never know. Final round Sundays are always a good watch when he is on the front page of the leaderboard.

- Sources indicate Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson is seeking to be traded to a contender. The 31 year old made statements saying that he only has about 4 or 5 years left and he wants to be traded to a team that consistently makes the playoffs and is in position to win a championship. I can’t recall hearing about this guy being a trouble maker or anything, so I can respect his position and where he is coming from. Golden State is one of those franchises in sports that just seem like they always will be mediocre and have nothing going for them. Constantly losing takes its toll, so I have no problem with a veteran player wanting to try and win a title. Jackson averaged a career high 20.7 points per game last season and is a career 15.4 ppg scorer over 9 NBA seasons. Obviously Jackson could help a contending team, but his production would also come with a decent price tag that I am not sure a contender is willing to pay.

- Back to more Michael Vick news…as if it was any surprise, head coach Andy Reid stated that Vick will play in the Eagles final preseason game against the New York Jets. Reid said that he felt Vick looked good and he could see a more extended period playing QB in the final preseason game. I really feel that the Eagles need to let him play at least a series or two and let him stay in at QB to see what he can do since this might be the last time they will see Vick for a few weeks. Roger Goodell will make a decision by week 6 on whether Vick will be fully reinstated, so the Eagles might as well get a good look in the last preseason game. My guess is that Vick will sit 2 to 4 more games before being reinstated and then the fun can begin.

- Another QB battle was settled on Saturday when Tampa Bay announced that QB Byron Leftwich would be the team’s starter come week 1. Coach Raheem Morris said that Leftwich had the edge on QB Luke McCown heading into camp and held it with steady play in the preseason. In my estimation, it really didn’t matter who the Bucs picked to be their started because I don’t think they will be a big contender this year and probably will struggle to have a shot at the playoffs. I don’t think Leftwich or McCown are that consistent or dynamic, so the Bucs will really have to rely on running the ball and defense this year if they hope to compete.

- Other football notes: Patriots coach Bill Belichick insisted that Tom Brady was pulled from Friday night’s preseason game because the plan was to evaluate the other QBs. Speculation is already running wild as to whether or not Brady has any sort of serious injury. We will be playing the waiting game on this because you know Belichick will not say a word…Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel left in the first quarter of the Chiefs preseason game against the Seahawks with an apparent leg injury. Reports indicated that the injury was not believed to be that serious, but one has to wonder why Cassel did not try to return then. That is definitely something Kansas City doesn’t need. They need all the help they can get, especially with a week 1 game against the Ravens…Starting USC WR Ronald Johnson broke his collarbone in a mock game on Saturday and will be out for 6-8 weeks. Coach Pete Carroll described the loss of Johnson as “just a crusher”. I would say it is. You don’t want to lose your #1 WR when you are starting a true freshman at QB. I am on record saying that USC will not be in the hunt for the National Championship and I still believe that because this injury does not help them at all…Alabama head coach Nick Saban signed a contract extension which will keep at the school until 2017. Good to see that he actually might want to stay put this time. He can dream of trying to become the next Bear Bryant, but don’t count on it.