Now that it's Wednesday, I'm able to come back to the blog and write another article. If I wrote the blog on Monday morning, I'd probably get fined by the league for blasting the officiating that has been going against the Ravens. Therefore, I even give myself a three day grace period! Now to the game....
The Baltimore Ravens lost another heartbreaker on Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals. Carson Palmer hit Reche Caldwell on a post pattern for a game-winning touchdown with 22 seconds left to lift the Bengals to 4-1, and first place in the AFC North.
The Bengals dominated this football game. The Raven offense looked like the offense under Brian Billick, and the defense allowed Cedric Benson to become the first rusher in 40 games to rush for over 100 yards against the Ravens.
The Ravens were lucky that Ed Reed reverted back to superman in the 2nd quarter, as he picked off a Palmer pass and returned it 52 yards for the games first touchdown just minutes after Joe Flacco threw an interception at the goal-line on the Ravens first drive. The offense really never recovered from that moment on.
In the fourth quarter, Flacco found Ray Rice for a 48 yard touchdown that showed Rice's strength and speed combination. With the game on the line minutes later, Flacco found Mark Clayton for what would have been a game-sealing touchdown pass. Unfortunately, the pass sailed over Clayton's head by a few yards, and the Ravens were again set up for heartbreak.
The Bengals drove 80 yards in 11 plays (aided by three defensive penalties) to win the game and make M & T Bank Stadium ghostly quiet. It was a bad loss for the Ravens because it was a division loss, and with a tough game coming up against Minnesota, a 3-3 start heading into the bye is entirely likely. The Ravens need to remember what they do best for these next few months: play good defense and let Flacco win the game. He has the ability to do it.
this was a game that the ravens, despite not playing well at all, could have won. It would've been quite the escape. While the penalties down the stretch were killer, the inability of the offense to figure out how to attack the Bengals defense was a bit of a mystery all day long. the bengals ain't the 2000 ravens. Defensively, with the exception of the long game ending drive, the bending but not breaking theory held fairly well. Defense has to figure out how to get more pressure on the quarterback, or it will be a long season as the corners can only stay with their men for so long. My feeling is the braintrust of the ravens, ozzie, harbaugh, cameron and mattitch will figure it out.
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