Team's Thoughts On Last Night's Costly Win

Terrell Suggs Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week AGAIN

Dan Kolko reports:


"Suggs was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week today after recording three sacks and three forced fumbles in Sunday's win over the Colts. It's the third time this season and second time in the last three weeks that Suggs has earned Player of the Week honors."


"Suggs is in the middle of the best season of his career, and has now recorded a career-high 13 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions through just 13 games."

NFL Week 15 Power Rankings: Ravens Move Up the Charts

NFL.com

This week: 3
Last week: 6
"The Ravens keep winning. No snarky remarks about beating the Colts not counting as a win here. The Ravens D, particularly Terrell Suggs, was solid if not suffocating. Baltimore is making a play for the top seed, with a road game versus the suddenly resurgent Chargers up next, before an AFC North run of the Ohio teams. That Week 17 matchup in Cincinnati might be one of the more important games of the year. Should be a good one."


ESPN.com

This week: 2
Last week: 2
"Insert LB/DE Terrell Suggs (three sacks against Indy) into the MVP conversation."

ESPN AFC North Blog: AFC North Stock Watch

According to AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley, Ray Rice's stock is on the rise!

(Photo: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/37896/afc-north-stock-watch-35)

" Ray Rice's carries. The Ravens have a history of turning to their running back in December, and it's no different this year. In the first nine games of the season, the Ravens running back averaged 15.3 carries. In the last four -- all wins -- Rice has received 24 carries per game. During this stretch, he has ran for 470 yards and scored four touchdowns. Baltimore is 6-0 when Rice gets at least 20 carries and 4-3 when he does not. " (Full post)

Sunday Night Food Fight

Sunday Night Football on NBC has served up a competition between the Chargers and the Ravens that extends beyond the football field and into the kitchen! They are asking fans to vote which food would beat the other; the Baltimore Raven crab cakes or the San Diego Charger fish tacos. 

"Sunday night the Ravens take on the Chargers, but WHO would win in a Ravens, Chargers FOOD FIGHT? Click "LIKE" on the picture of the food you think would win this battle. The most LIKES advances. At the end of the season, one city's food will reign as the Sunday Night Food Fight Champion"


Visit the official Sunday Night Football on NBC Facebook page to cast your vote by liking the picture that you think would win the food fight!

'Game-wrecker' Suggs eyes 'football immortality' with Ravens

Check out this great feature on Terrell Suggs from NFL.com as well as a Colts vs. Ravens highlight video!

"It only counts if we get to Indy and the confetti drops," Suggs said. "I don't really care (about personal awards). I can't help it if you all talk about it. People are talking about it. But what does it matter if we lose our first playoff game? What does anything that any of us have achieved this year mean? Nothing. It's short lived. It don't last forever. But championships do."

(Photo credit: http://bit.ly/uJRlXV)

Monday Morning Media Roundup: Ravens Get the Job Done Against the Colts

WNST

Ravens Insider - Aaron Wilson

- Ravens overwhelm undermann(ing)ed Colts, win 10th game

- Ravens leave Colts still winless after victory at M&T Bank Stadium

- Ravens notebook: Suggs sizzles against Colts

ESPN:

- Terrell Suggs records three sacks, three forced fumbles in Ravens' win 

- Ravens could take AFC's top seed with win

- NFL Playoff Machine

NFL

-Playoff Picture: If the Season Ended Today

2011 Baltimore Ravens "Ball So Hard"

NFL Power Rankings Week 14

Despite the win in Cleveland this weekend, Baltimore stays put on both the NFL and ESPN's lists this week.

NFL.com
This week: 6
Last week: 6
"The Ravens stay put, even with all of the hubbub left in the comments section. The gap between two through six is minimal, but with the 49ers, Steelers, Patriots and the Saints all winning Sunday, there's nowhere to go. While Joe Flacco was not asked to do much in Cleveland, he still ... didn't do much. The "franchise" quarterback went 10 of 23 for 158 yards and a lost fumble. I trust Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Drew Brees a lot more right now. The Ravens did beat the second-ranked 49ers, but the Niners are playing as good at defense as any team in the league."

ESPN.com
This week: 2
Last week: 2
"The Ravens are back to December football. Baltimore rushed for 290 yards against Cleveland."

The View Is Nice From The Top For The Baltimore Ravens

Monday Morning Media Roundup:


ESPN's AFC North Blog

• Wake-up call: And then there were two - "No other team has a better resume of victories than the Ravens (five wins against teams who would make the playoffs if the season ended today: Houston; Pittsburgh, twice; Cincinnati; and San Francisco). No other team has been as consistent in all three phases than the Steelers (the Ravens have struggled on offense and special teams throughout the season and the Patriots have the NFL's worst defense)." 
• Baltimore Ravens move up to No. 2 seed - "The Baltimore Ravens would receive the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye if the regular-season ended today. The last and only time the Ravens have earned a first-round bye in their history was 2006."

Ravens Insider - Aaron Wilson

• Baltimore Ravens' Report Card 
• Ravens notebook: Lardarius Webb breaks loose for a touchdown - "Lardarius Webb has believed for weeks that he was getting close to breaking loose on a punt return. His vision became a reality Sunday as he returned a low, short Brad Maynard punt 68 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Baltimore Ravens' 24-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns."
• Ravens, Rice run past Browns - "Rice steamrolled the Browns on a soggy, blustery Sunday, exploiting their shoddy run defense for a career-high 204 rushing yards and one touchdown on 29 carries during a 24-10 road victory."

WNST Post-game Video Coverage

NFL Power Rankings Week 13

NFL.com
This week: 6
Last week: 7
"If the Ravens can create the kind of pressure they did Thursday night, they'll go to the Super Bowl. That's no exaggeration. The corners have long been considered a weakness on John Harbugh's team. They'll get far less exposure with the kind of collapsing pocket Niners QB Alex Smith faced Thanksgiving Night. Of course, Joe Flacco's inconsistent play is always a concern. He was solid in Week 12. How will he fare next week at Cleveland? Don't snicker. The Browns have the top pass defense in football."

ESPN.com
This week: 2
Last week: 5
"After shutting down San Francisco on Thanksgiving, the Ravens have jumped from No. 5 to No. 2, their highest plateau of the season. "
"Opinions vary, but chances are the No. 2 spot will change hands some more in the coming weeks. For now, the pressure's on Baltimore to hold serve."
"With a statement win over the 49ers, the Ravens proved they are a legitimate title contender."

Morning Media Roundup: "Winning on Thanksgiving moves Baltimore that much closer to some home cooking in the postseason."

Photo Credit: http://es.pn/vqM5KU

ESPN's AFC North Blog: Ravens win more than bragging rights

• The Ravens' decisive 16-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers allows you to make the argument that Baltimore is the best team in the AFC. What's not debatable is this: The Ravens are the AFC's most dangerous team at home. 
• Baltimore consistently crashed the pocket on Smith with four- and five-man rushes, tying a franchise record with nine sacks. The Ravens' sacks outnumbered Smith's passes of more than 10 yards (five). For the season, 27 of the Ravens' 38 sacks (71 percent) have come at home. 
• One Baltimore fan held up a sign that read: "We have the better Harbaugh." But this Thanksgiving night was more than the older brother beating the younger. This was about the Ravens establishing themselves as the team to beat in the AFC and proving their dominance at home once again. 

Ravens Insider: Ravens win Harbaugh Bowl, defense dominates Niners

• Relentlessly attacking on defense despite All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis being sidelined for the second consecutive game with a toe injury, the Ravens (8-3) stonewalled 49ers star running back Frank Gore as they limited him to a season-low 39 rushing yards on 14 carries.
• Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs tied a career-high by sacking Smith three times, and defensive end Cory Redding chased Smith down for 2 ½ sacks with All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata decking him twice more.
• Flacco completed 15 of 23 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 100.1 quarterback rating.
• And the Ravens converted 6 of 9 third downs in the second half and 7 of 15 for the game.

  
  

  
  

  
  

Ravens Feast on the 49ers

NFL Week 12 Power Rankings

A huge win at home for the Ravens last weekend earned them the top spot in the AFC North. Unfortunately, the Raven's inconsistency is still leaving the sports media scene skeptical in terms of this week's power rankings. Where did we land this week?

NFL.com

This week: 7
Last week: 7
"Huge win at home. Those weren't the early 2000s Bengals coming to town. Perhaps more importantly, Ray Rice received 25 touches from offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. That means drive-time listeners on Baltimore AM radio will get to hear something besides Cam-ripping this week. If they had lost, Cameron might have been blamed for the Colts leaving."

ESPN.com

This week: 5
Last week: 6
"It's a family affair this week for John and Jim Harbaugh. Could 49ers-Ravens be a Super Bowl preview?"

First Place... Feels So Good!

"It was just an emotional loss."

Ravens long-snapper Morgan Cox named this year's recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award

Less than one year after suffering an MCL, ACL and meniscus tear during a game against Cleveland, Morgan Cox is being honored by teammates and the Ravens organization as this year's recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

Despite the fact that his injury was typically one that would require a player to be carried off the field because they are unable to walk, Cox limped on his own to the sideline and only minutes later returned to the field to finish the game for his team. In pushing through immense physical pain to finish the game, Cox earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.

The Baltimore Ravens and many other teams in the NFL only carry one active long snapper on the roster so if Cox had not finished the game, Baltimore would have had to turn over the duties to backup running back Willis McGahee.

He finished the game without missing any snaps and the Ravens went on to earn the win, 20-10.

For more on his recovery process that helped get him back out on the field this season, check out the full story from BaltimoreRavens.com!

NFL Week 11 Power Rankings: Ravens Take a Fall

NFL.com

This week: 7

Last week: 3

"... starting here. Baltimore beat Houston head-to-head earlier this season, but the Ravens' play lately can be best be described as shaky at best. My colleague Dave Dameshek predicted an interconference snafu from the Ravens, an it came true. It seems Baltimore gets up for the Steelers, then goes flat. It happened in Week 2 at Tennessee, and Sunday in Seattle. Joe Flacco is up, down, up, down, basically inconsistent as hell. Yes, he had 255 yards passing, but it took him 52 attempts to get there. His interception led to a field goal and a 22-7 lead. In the aforementioned loss in Nashville, Flacco went 15 of 32 with two picks. Despite beating Houston earlier this season, Baltimore's Jekyll-and-Hyde nature secures them no better than the seventh spot overall. By the way, it's not all on Flacco. David Reed's two fumbles sure didn't help."

ESPN.com

This week: 6

Last week: 3

"There's no excuse for RB Ray Rice to get five carries and QB Joe Flacco to throw 52 times."

NFL.com - Keep Feeding Rice

"After Baltimore’s surprising Week 7 loss to Jacksonville, the focus was on the fact that RB Ray Rice had a mere eight rushing attempts in that game. In each of the next two weeks, Rice’s workload was bumped up to 18 carries — and the Ravens came out on top. So it’s somewhat distressing for Ravens fans that Rice then had a season-low five carries in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks.

While the chart below shows that the Ravens are not giving Rice a consistent workload, the formula is pretty simple: When Rice has more than 15 carries this season, the Ravens are 5-0. When Rice runs the ball less than 15 times, they are 1-3." (Check out the full story here!)

           (Photo courtesy of NFL.com)

ESPN AFC North Blogger's Quarterback Report

Jamison Hensley offers his comparison of the 4 AFC North QB's. The Steelers QB, Ben Roethlisberger holds the top spot with a QBR of 90.5, good enough for 9th in the league. Joe Flacco takes a distant second place with a QBR of only 47.0, 16th in the league. Not far behind Flacco is Browns QB Colt McCoy with a 37.6 QBR and Andy Dalton of the Bengals with a 28.1.

Check out his analysis as well as his QB grades following this past weekend's games!