The Baltimore Ravens matched the heavens above today, as they poured it on against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium.
With the Ravens 48-3 victory, combined with the Steelers lost Thursday night, and the Miami victory over Jacksonville today; it is now a full-on sprint to the AFC Playoffs.
More on that below, but first a review of the action today.
The Good:
1) 548 yards of offense, 308 rushing yards, 23 first-downs, and 48 points qualifies as a great day against anyone in the NFL.
2) Ray Rice had 13 carries for 166 yards, and 4 receptions for 53 more. If the Ravens had continued to feed him the ball, (they were correct for not doing so) you have to wonder how many yards he could have had today. He ends today with 1,041 rushing yards, and 652 reception yards on 68 catches. What a weapon he has become this season.
With each game, he continues to remind me more and more of Thurman Thomas.
3) 18 combined carries, and 108 yards rushing, with 3 TD’s today for McGahee, and McClain. Obviously both backs have fresh legs, and that can be an advantage for the Ravens down the stretch.
4) Obviously the Detroit defense was completely inept today, but you still have to credit the Ravens offensive-line. With Gaither out, Oher was making a difference today at LT. Grubbs had a rough-game against Green Bay, but responded today with the Ravens run-first mentality. I had spent the early part of the season stating I preferred Chester to Yanda at RG, but I think I had that wrong. While Chester is the better athlete, and better equipped for pulling; Yanda is tougher and seeks out contact.
5) I can not tell you how ecstatic I was to see Demetrius Williams get an opportunity to make a few plays down the field. 2 catches for 45 yards, including a 34 haul he went up for.
6) Culpepper was held to 135 yards passing, including just 37 to Calvin Johnson.
7) Barnes registered his first sack of the year. Zbikowski had an interception for the 2nd-straight week. Ellerbe made a couple of tackles of note. Suggs returned to action.
8) Reed got another week of rest in a game that he was not needed.
9) Before the season I stated I thought Heap would come close to matching his combined receptions from the 2007, and 2008 seasons (58) this year. With his two catches today, Heap now has 44 receptions. I still think he is capable of taking advantage of a LB, or Safety in single-coverage. I would like to see the Ravens not just use him as a safety valve, but give him a chance to make plays.
10) Troy Smith got to see the field, and was able to get into the end-zone with his legs. Flacco is the starter with reason, but good things happen when Smith touches the ball. I think the Ravens should find ways to utilize his skills. Beyond that, I believe Flacco continues to deal with injuries. If the team believed Flacco would benefit from a week of rest against Chicago, I would have no problem trusting Smith to guide Baltimore to a win.
The Bad & The Ugly
1) There are always things you can nitpick about, but the Ravens beat an NFL team by 45 points today. Commenting about kickoffs, or the lack of sacks just seems trivial.
Up-Next:
Jay Cutler and the 5-8 Chicago Bears come to town. Another game at-home, where the Ravens will be the clear favorite. Cutler has a fantastic arm, but he has also thrown 22 picks, and taken 29 sacks. He has the arm to make plays, and attack Baltimore down the field, but Baltimore should be able to force him into poor decisions.
New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and San Diego are going to the playoffs.
Denver is 8-5.
Baltimore, Jacksonville, Miami, and the New York Jets are each 7-6.
Pittsburgh, and Tennessee are 6-7.
For the teams still eying the remaining two playoff spots, here are their respective schedules:
Denver: Oakland, @Philadelphia, Kansas City (Projected final record = 10-6)
Baltimore: Chicago, @Pittsburgh, @Oakland (Projected final record = 9-7)
New York Jets: Atlanta, @Indianapolis, Cincinnati (Projected final record = 9-7)
Jacksonville: Indianapolis, @New England, @Cleveland (Projected final record = 8-8)
Miami: @Tennessee, Houston, Pittsburgh (Projected final record = 8-8)
Pittsburgh: Green Bay, Baltimore, @Miami (Projected final record = 8-8)
Tennessee: Miami, San Diego, @Seattle (Projected final record = 8-8)
So, Baltimore Sports and Life believes that Denver will be the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs, with the 6th seed to be decided by tie-breakers between Baltimore and the New York Jets.
This is based on the belief the Ravens will lose at Pittsburgh. If the Ravens can run the table and finish 10-6 overall, they could edge out Denver for the 5th seed based on the head-to-head victory.
If the Ravens can get to the playoffs reasonably healthy, and commit to running the ball; they might make things interesting yet.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.