Black (and Purple) Friday

What a game! Ray who? Monday night, Forsett showed the world in primetime why he is our savior at running back this season. Patiently attacking the Saints porous D for 182 yards and 2 TDs. Securing a three way tie for second (or last if you want to be a jerk about it) in the division. Leaving us all to wonder what we want as Ravens fans at a discount price the rest of this season to get us to the top and possibly win the division.

We saw a lot of positives in Monday night's game (besides Forsett styling on them and Steve Smith inciting a riot) that we would like to see continue.

So without further adieu, in no particular order, here is what we fans desire this black (and purple) Friday from our team.

JUSTIN FORSETT, DO YOUR THING PLAYA!

When I wrote a post a few weeks ago regarding Forsett as the greatest pickup we had this offseason it was met with conflicting arguments for Steve Smith Sr. Well those folks can suck it because clearly I was right. Forsett is approaching the 1,000 yard mark while Smith Sr.(until Monday night) has been M.I.A. for a month. He is the head of the sixth ranked rushing attack in the NFL. A hell of an improvement from that God awful rushing attack we had last year. The gift I want is a 1,400 yard season. That means Forsett averages about 100 yards a game which would make seven in a row. That is some kind of dominant streak!

GIMME 28 TDS JOE!

You are so close buddy. That is just two a game! Brees does that in his bad games! Come on! In all seriousness Joe Cool is at 18 on the season with only 8 interceptions. 28 would be a career high for Flacco and would mean, along with the above request, that our offense is clicking on all cylinders. Flacco is still without his biggest security blanket in Dennis Pitta but has found new members to spread the ball to. Steve Smith Sr., Kyle Jusczyzk and Owen Daniels. The third down play in Monday night's game where he faked out their linebackers as if he was going to run and then dropped a dime to Steve Smith, awesome. More of that and none of this...

1,300 YARDS FROM STEVE SMITH!

At the beginning of the season when he started on a tear I thought he would blow away the Ravens record for receiving yards. It is only a mere 1,201 yards set back in our inaugural season in 1996 by Michael Jackson (sha-mon). A season that also saw Derrick Alexander eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. How awesome would that be for Smith and Smith Receivers at Law to do that. I mean it is not completely out of reach. Torrey would have to average 100 yards a game with Steve nearly doing the same to break the receiving record. Steve needs about 77 yards a game to just break the record. Personally, I want him to just blow it out of the water. We play weak secondaries outside of Miami so I'm saying, there's a chance.

IMPROVE ON THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS

We are currently 14th in the league when it comes to converting on third downs. A whopping 43 percent. The issue I think we have all seen is our inability to pick up the short yardage downs to achieve the first. Going for it on third and fourth and one and not getting it is unacceptable. The stat I kept hearing over the bye was that we were last in the league in converting third and one. Insane considering the power backs we have at our disposal. Our damn QB is 6'6" for God sake. If he snaps the ball, turns around and sneezes we are going to get it. Harbaugh doesn't like QB sneaks because of the possibility of injury. Well how about you start liking them for the possibility of winning close games. Get it to Juszczyk, I'm sure he can fall forward for a yard. I'm just saying we have these big bodies that can do the job. We have put Ngata out there for pushing people around purposes before so why not get some Refrigerator Perry action going on. Give Ngata the damn ball. Big bodies can get short yardage downs. Hopefully a healthy Kelechi Osemele will help with those types of situations as well.

DENVER "STYLE ON" THE BUNGLES

For those who may be unfamiliar with this term, just straight up embarrass them in their house. I'm talking like 45-10. I'm not opposed to them pitching a shutout. I would consider it an early Christmas present. It's not like Pey Pey and the Broncos won't need the game to stave off the surging Chiefs. If you can call having your winning streak snapped by the Raiders surging that is. My thoughts are these, remember when the Pats smashed Cincy? I would just like them to crush them at the end of the season and then eliminated from playoff contention by the Steelers the following week. Sounds like a plan to me. Even if that does put the Steelers in the playoffs. I know this has nothing to do with Thanksgiving and Black Friday but hey, we would get the reward by Christmas so I call technicality here.

There you have it folks. Just a few things I would like to happen to benefit the Ravens this purple and black Friday. I'm sticking to my prediction of them winning the division but all of the above factors are more than likely going to happen for them to succeed in the end of the season and on into the playoffs. This is shopping I can enjoy without getting a black eye! Be safe if you are shopping out there this Black Friday. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Around the North

image courtesy of  www.thesidelinereport.com

Man, what the hell are we all going to do this week? No Ravens to watch, maybe a fantasy team is your liking. Personally I enjoy contemplating how in the world we can make it out of this division and into the playoffs. The only division where every team is above .500! More than likely stuck in front my TV hopefully laughing at one of our division foes going down in a barrel of flames.

Before I do all that, I figure why not go around the division and figure out just how teams got there and if they stand a chance of staying there (cough cough CLEVELAND cough cough). We are going to travel from first to worst in the division.

The Browns shocked not only the Bengals last Thursday but everyone in the division(perhaps the world), claiming sole possession of first place for the first time in 18 years. September 24, 1995 was the last time they were a first place team. You know, the season right before they became the Ravens! The team is currently 6-3 while wearing the division crown.

How they got here: The three headed monster they have in their backfield of Ben Tate (3.3 YPC), Isiah Crowell(4.6 YPC) and Terrance West(3.7 YPC). No one can honestly tell who is going to be the dominant back out of the bunch most weeks (recently it has been the rookie West) but they all produce. West leads the pack with 396 rushing yards, Tate has 342 and Crowell comes in last with 296. The trio has a total of 12 TDs! Which is more than their QB has (10). That production has only eased the passing game for Hoyer who just keeps on winning. He isn't lighting up the stat sheet, as mentioned, but he sure is doing it in the win column. A defense that bends (20th in total defense) but doesn't break (sixth in points allowed) has helped.

A look at the schedule: Man, who thought at the beginning of the year that the division could come down to us and the Browns in that last game? If you said, "me!," you are totally full of it. The Browns will be taking their talents on the road four out of their last seven games including Atlanta (much better at home, let's face it even the Jags beat the Browns when they were the home team) and coming to Baltimore. Any team with a rushing attack is going to give them problems, they rank 28th in the league against the run. Most of these teams at home will try to gain the lead and build that lead with the run (see Jacksonville). Their toughest opponent will be visiting them on December 7th when the Colts come to town. I could see them only getting out of this stretch with two wins but if they can go 4-3 they might take the division.

Important future knowledge: Josh Gordon, arguably the league's best WR will be back in week 12. We are talking about a guy who led the league in receiving last season only playing in 14 games. Their missing passing attack will shine when Gordon returns.

Prediction: 9-7, tied for second in the division

This team was the toast of the league during the first month of the season. Sure they swept us but they have looked piss poor in a decent amount of their games this season. Dalton is proving that when the pressure is on he can't close the deal. In Thursday's contest Dalton had more interceptions (3) than his passer rating (2.0), insane! However the team still remains in second place (stupid tie, no one likes getting ties, not even for Christmas!) at 5-3-1.

How they got here: We have already discussed the disaster on Thursday that ended their 15 game winning streak at home. Started off going 3-0 and being a Super Bowl favorite. Then the massacre in New England happened. The following week was the now infamous tie. Which leads me to ask, how do you tie the Panthers at home? They stink! The biggest news out of that game was A.J. Green's injured toe. Green missed when they were shutout against the Colts and their victory at home against the Ravens. Now they are dealing with Gio Bernard missing time giving the rookie Jeremy Hill some time as the lead back. 50/50 so far. Two weeks ago he was great, against a poor rush defense in Cleveland he was awful. However they were down the entire game so that had a little something to do with it. The team is in the middle of the pack offensively and among the bottom dwellers in a couple defensive categories. Mostly due to Dalton's ineptitude to succeed, he is having his worst season after being overpaid back in August. Doesn't scream, "division winner."

A look at the schedule: It's not looking much better for the Bengals as they prepare for a pissed off New Orleans team who just lost a heartbreaker to the 49ers. The Saints rarely lose at home and I don't anticipate them starting a losing streak. Five of the seven games remaining are on the road for the Bengals. A team that has managed just 40 points in three games on the road. 13-14 points is not going to win this Sunday and it might not even beat Arian Foster and the Texans the following week. They still have four games in the division and more than likely will split the two they have with the Steelers. It's just what division opponents do. However I fully expect them to succumb to the season sweep at the hands of the Browns. They will be a different team with Gordon back for their next meeting and it doesn't help to be in Cleveland's domain. I see them tanking the rest of the season due to their lulls on the road.  Let us not forget that Pey Pey is coming to town with his Bronco buddies on December 22nd. So even though they have two games at home, they will be lucky to be a resident of splitsville and go 1-1.

Important future knowledge: Giovani Bernard is due to return soon which will bolster this lackluster offense who hasn't been 100% since week 4. When Green returned to the lineup he tagged out Bernard who has missed the past two games.

Prediction: 7-8-1, last in the division

Oh boy, time for some home cookin'! We ho hummed our way through the Ray Rice scandal to start the year, going 2-1. While we were dismantling the NFC South (who hasn't really) we started getting some praise. Then Roethlisberger happpened. Nevertheless we are still within striking distance of the division leading Browns even though we are tied for last place with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 6-4 record.

How they got here: Getting swept by the Bengals is honestly what has us at the bottom of the barrel of the division. Splitting with the Steelers and losing to Indy were things we knew could/would happen before the season began. What we didn't know was the resurgence of Steve Smith Sr. or Justin Forsett. Forsett has only gone on to lead the league in yards per carry, something the Ravens were 32nd (yeah sports fans, that was last place in the league) last season. Currently we are the eighth ranked rushing team in the NFL. Mostly due to Forsett. Sure Smith Sr. has slowed down these past few weeks but he is still nearly 400 yards ahead of our second place receiver. While the offense is a little ahead of the middle of the pack the defense. Ranking third in points allowed, something this team has been known for some time now. We all know about Suggs, Ngata and the rest of our veterans but the leading tackler for this team is the rookie C.J. Mosley. Definitely the front runner for defensive rookie of the year, he currently has 90 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 2 interceptions. Our biggest issue has been our pass defense and Jimmy Smith's season ending foot injury/surgery is not helping that. Last week against the Titans we looked okay after that first drive. However, that was the Titans.

A look at the schedule: Coming off the bye week we are off to the Big Breesy for a Monday night date with the Saints. We have won there before but with a much better pass defense. Honestly we are done with the meaty part of our schedule. Among our division, our remaining opponents have the worst winning percentage. We have three at home (San Diego, Jacksonville and Cleveland) and three on the road (New Orleans, Miami and Houston). All very winnable games but we all know the parity of the NFL where any team can pull one out that maybe they shouldn't. Hear me out, we already saw what happened to San Diego coming across country, a beatdown in Miami. Jacksonville is scrappy but should not scare us at home. The division may come down to the Cleveland game. They are going to be the best team that we play the rest of the season. They again will be a different team with a totally different game plan with Gordon in the lineup. However, by then we hope, the secondary will have pulled together. Our biggest challenge on the road comes against the Dolphins in week 13. Hear me out! The Fins are quietly one of the best defensive teams in the league, ahead of us in many of the stats. They are fourth in the league in total defense including being the second ranked team in pass defense. We also will be battling it out with them with the thoughts of a playoff spot being out there. The winning team would have a leg up in the wild card and possibly catch up to their division leader. Let's face it, the Dolphins are a wild card or bust team. They won't catch the Pats.

Important future knowledge: Flacco could turn out to have his best season this year. The only decent defense he will face is Miami. He is only two TDs behind last year's total with far less interceptions. A mere eight away from his career high. We can only hope that the money we spent after his Super Bowl MVP is finally going to show through in his regular season numbers.

Prediction: 11-5, first place in the division

We save the worst for last! Okay okay, tie for worst. The Steelers have been very inconsistent this season and are either the best team on the planet or worse than the Jets...and Bucs. I mean it is hard to consider this team a contender when they do what they do against less than mediocre opponents. No way they should have lost to either of those teams but somehow they found a way to play worse than them. When they lost to Tampa they were still trying to find their offense. They find their offense but lose it against a decent Jets defense. Antonio Brown actually is human and did something wrong(a lost fumble).

How they got here: Horrible losses to the Bucs and Jets that in my honest opinion should have been wins which would catapult them into first place in this division. You have to play to your schedule and the Steelers have not beaten all of the opponents that they should have. On the bright side, this season has been Le'Veon Bell's coming out party. He has been a beast out of the backfield totaling 1,213 yards from scrimmage. Just not sniffing the end zone. Big Ben has been up and down this season, most recently he had the peak of 12 TDs in two games (tying an NFL record). However against the Jets he was back to the Ben Raven fans love, throwing red zone interceptions. The defense has come around since the beginning of the season but is still old and lacking when it comes to pass defense. They are a middle of the pack defense with tremendous upside on the offense, if they are clicking watch the scoreboard go. Also let's not forget the coming out party of Martavis Bryant. He has played in 4 games this season and has 6 TDs. I wish the Ravens could draft a receiver like that.

A look at the schedule: How in the world the Titans got a Monday night home game I have not a clue. However, you got to know that Tomlin is going to be asking his men to step up and show up against another low quality team. Who knows? Maybe they will. Considering their piss poor record against such an opponent I doubt it. They are one of the few teams that have not had their bye week, which will happen next week. This team, like us, can benefit from a late bye. It could help push them into the playoffs. They still play the Bengals twice, if they sweep that could be the division for them. At the very least a wild card. Not that they don't travel well but just where they have to travel makes me believe they won't win another road game this year. Is it possible they can win in Atlanta and Tennessee (cue Arrested Development)? Sure! Have they proven that they will win? Not so much. Their home games are New Orleans (terrible on the road), Kansas City(these Chiefs ain't royal) and finishing out the year against Cincy. Odds are that either this game or the Ravens/Browns game will be moved into primetime. The division could be on the line in either game.

Important future knowledge: The defense will get a boost when Ike Taylor returns from his broken forearm. He wasn't the shutdown corner he used to be but he is clearly their best option. I already mentioned the emergence of Martavis Bryant. He is what this team has been missing since Plaxico Burress left.

Prediction: 9-7, tied for second in the division

Yeah, I know it seems like a homer pick to take the Ravens but in reality they should end the season that way. The back end of their schedule is much easier than their division opponents so why not. 10-6 could win this division but 11-5 just sounds better. We could have two division champs in our town for the first time in my life. That would be awesome!

Dismember the Titans

So last week was a big bowl of suck with a side of garbage. We had to eat it just like Steeler fans had to do back in week 2 when we drubbed them by 20. Luckily for us, a familiar face is about to walk into M&T Bank stadium this Sunday. A former rival of ours and honestly it couldn't have happened at a better time for the hapless Tennessee Titans to come to town.

Before anyone says it, no I am not looking past them nor do I think anyone on the Ravens will be doing that either. Just look at the facts behind this Titan team. They are 2-6 with only the Jags behind them in the AFC South. Tied for a league worst 15 TDs and in the bottom tier of all offensive categories. That puts them at 29th in the league in scoring at a whopping 17.1 points per game. Not to say that their defense is much better, allowing nearly 135 yards a game rushing (good for 28th in the league) along with 241 yards passing (getting them the 16th spot). Not to mention their 25.2 points allowed per game(22nd in the league). There isn't much that is scaring me about this team. There has been a revolving door for QBs with all three on their depth chart getting some time. This week happens to be Mettenberger's turn. No rookie QBs fair well in our house especially on a team with as poor of an offense as the Titans. It isn't like they lack weapons. Delanie Walker, Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter to name a few. However the inconsistencies at the QB position effect not only the passing game but Bishop Sankey, Shonn Greene (yeah remember him?) and the rest of their running game. Let us not forget we can test Michael Oh *whistles*, false start, number 72! Anyway we can see how many times we can get Oher to commit his ever favorite penalty, the false start. The truth is even great offenses get stifled by the Ravens D when they pay us a visit.

Mettenberger has less attempts in his career than Joe Flacco had in the season opener. Yeah yeah I know, just one game but still! Suggs and Dumervil have to be licking their chops to get after this kid. "When you go against a rookie quarterback -- traditionally, usually -- you can make it a hard time for them," said Suggs when questioned about Mettenberger, "but the way the game is played these days, it's pretty much in favor of the quarterback and the offense, so I don't really think that plays into our favor any." Well add that to the news of Jimmy Smith being out for the rest of the season after foot surgery and our piss poor performance last week (seriously six TDs! AND AN NFL RECORD! WHY?!?!?) who knows what can happen. We have two new corners this week and (praise football Jesus) released Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks. Danny Gorrer (former Raven and recently released by the Lions) and practice squad rookie Tramain Jacobs are hoping to right the ship. All they have to do is keep up that horrible passer rating rookie quarterbacks have against us and all will be right in the world. Honestly just don't play like those two and you both will be just fine.

We need this win. We can't go into the bye at 5-5 and sitting in last place. By Sunday we all will know what happened in Thursday's Browns/Bengals game (go Browns and Jeremy Hill, for selfish fantasy purposes!) but anyway you slice it, last feels terrible. 6-4 feels better than .500 besides, that only wins you the NFC South.