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One week ago, the Ravens were unbeaten heading into a Monday-night game at Pittsburgh. Now, they are 2-2 as a trip to Indianapolis — a club that has beaten Baltimore in each of the past four seasons — looms. The Ravens’ latest loss, a 13-10 defeat to Tennessee, was especially painful, as Baltimore led for much of the second half. One disputed call helped tilt matters in the Titans’ favor late. With the Titans facing a 3rd-and-10 at the Tennessee 20, Titans OLT Michael Roos committed a false start, but play continued, and Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs was penalized for roughing QB Kerry Collins. Referee Bill Carollo, according to The Baltimore Sun, contended that “(Suggs) him on the side of the helmet, the right side of the quarterback's helmet. We're blowing the whistle, blowing the whistle. He may not have heard that — and we're going to give him that — but he still can't hit the quarterback on the helmet.” Suggs thought otherwise, saying, according to the team’s Web site, “If anybody can go back and show me something I did illegal, then I would be happy to oblige and say, ‘I messed up and I got what I deserved — a personal foul.' "
The Titans made the most of the call, marching down the field and scoring the game-winning touchdown on a Collins-to-Alge Crumpler 11-yard pass. The Ravens’ last shot at tying or winning the game ended when rookie QB Joe Flacco was intercepted with less than two minutes left.
The PFW spin
Here we go again. The Ravens’ relationship with the officials will again be a topic of conversation after the game-changing call on Suggs.
“We hit arms,” Suggs said, according to The Associated Press, referring to his collision with Collins. “It just goes to show the referee has too much power.”
Suggs could be fined by the NFL for that second statement, but the bigger issue for the Ravens is how head coach John Harbaugh will deal with the fallout from the club’s second home loss in less than a year that involved a controversial officiating decision. Several calls in the Ravens’ 27-24 loss to New England last December drew the ire of the defense, and the issue was a major story for a couple days thereafter.
The Ravens followed that performance by being blown out by Indianapolis, and that’s something that has to be on Harbaugh’s mind as the Ravens begin their preparations for the Colts. Indianapolis presents a tough matchup for Baltimore, as QB Peyton Manning is not rattled easily and is able to make the necessary in-game adjustments vs. the Ravens’ unique defense. Any loss of focus, which certainly affected Baltimore the last time the officiating was a major story line, would severely compromise the Ravens’ chances against the Colts.
This might be Baltimore’s best chance to defeat Indianapolis in some time. The Colts are very, very fortunate not to be 1-3 after Houston blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead thanks in large part to two fumbles by QB Sage Rosenfels. But by the numbers, the Colts look like a team that could struggle to keep up in the AFC playoff chase before long. The Colts are last in rushing offense and rushing defense — two areas the Ravens are likely to exploit. Moreover, the Colts’ ability to protect Manning isn’t what it was.
Here is the Ravens’ chance to settle a score with a foe that has had their number of late. But that will happen only if the club realizes there is no score to settle with the officiating. Harbaugh must drive home that point.
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