Baltimore Sports Then and Now

Ray Rice and the Ravens ended a three-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over Denver.

After three straight close losses, the Baltimore Ravens took no chances against the previously undefeated Denver Broncos. The Ravens controlled the action throughout the game on their way to a 30-7 victory.

Neither team moved the ball consistently in the first half, but the Ravens took advantage of a fumble to score the first points of the game on a 43-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka.

A second field goal by Hauschka in the second quarter following the best drive of the half (10 plays, 46 yards) gave the Ravens a 6-0 halftime edge.

Baltimore increased their advantage on the opening play of the second half as Lardarius Webb rambled 95-yards with the opening kickoff to make the score 13-0.

After gaining only 64 yards in the entire first half, the Broncos marched down the field following the Baltimore touchdown. A one-yard run by Knowshon Moreno capped a 10-play, 86-yard scoring drive.

Read the rest of this entry →

So close, but yet so far away. The Ravens came within a missed 44 yard field goal of knocking the Vikings from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Well the first three games of the season were good, they showed that the Baltimore Ravens had a lot of promise and on the other hand the last three games of the season showed that the Ravens still need a lot of work on all the phases of the game. The bye week should give the Ravens a time to reflect on the games played before the bye week. The Ravens started off fast in the first couple games of the season, but soon they faded on the last couple games before the bye. So The Ravens bye week came at a good time.

Read the rest of this entry →

Ray Rice and the Ravens will look to regain their balance against the Vikings.

Overview: What a difference two weeks can make. It was only 14 days ago that the Baltimore Ravens seemed poised to become one of the elite teams in the NFL. Now, following consecutive losses to the Patriots and Bengals, they are instead facing an early must-win game on the road against an undefeated Minnesota Vikings squad.

Last Week: The Ravens were out-played both offensively and defensively by the Cincinnati Bengals, but still had a chance to win the game. They were leading until Carson Palmer drove the Bengals 80 yards in the final minutes to pull out the 17-14 victory. The much-heralded Ravens defense has been struggling in recent weeks and continued that trend against the Bengals as they allowed 403 total yards, including 142 yards on the ground. The Baltimore offense had their weakest performance of the year as they were limited to only 82 yards rushing and 257 total yards.

The Vikings participated in little more than a glorified scrimmage against the St. Louis Rams. Minnesota handed the Rams their 15th straight defeat with an easy 38-10 victory. Brett Favre posted a solid effort connecting on 18 of 24 passes for 232 yards a touchdown and an interception. Adrian Peterson gained only 69 yards, but scored two touchdowns.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Ravens will look to recover after being tripped up by the Patriots.

Overview: After suffering their first defeat of the season at New England, the Baltimore Ravens must recover quickly as they face the surprising Cincinnati Bengals.

Under the direction of former Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, the Bengals are off to their best start in several years and very easily could have been undefeated had it not been for a strange bounce in their opener against Denver.

Last Week: The Ravens had a chance to win at New England, but fell just short in a 27-21 defeat. Joe Flacco had another standout day connecting on 27 of 47 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Ray Rice also had a banner day with 103 yards rushing and five receptions for 49 yards.

The Bengals needed all 75 minutes of action allowed in the regular season to sneak out a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Carson Palmer continued his solid season with 230 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Read the rest of this entry →

Willis McGahee and the Ravens will look to finish the deal against the Patriots in 2009 after falling just short in their last meeting in 2007.

Overview: For the second straight week, the New England Patriots will be hosting a talented second year quarterback on an undefeated team. Last week they held Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons to only 10 points in a 26-10 win. They might have a little tougher time this time around against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens.

Last Week: The Patriots looked good both offensively and defensively in the win over the Falcons. The running game finally showed some life as Fred Taylor rushed for 105 yards. Tom Brady was solid completing 25 of 42 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots controlled the ball for 40 minutes. The defense held Atlanta to 257 yards and 10 points.

Read the rest of this entry →

Derrick Mason caught five passes for 118 yards against the Browns.

The Baltimore Ravens scored more than 30 points for the third straight week to remain undefeated with a 34-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Few expected the Browns to win the game, but the Ravens took the visitors out of contention from the very beginning.

After a pass interception by Domonique Foxworth on the first drive of the game, the Ravens went 31 yards in six plays to take the early lead.
Read the rest of this entry →