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A promising season for the Ravens could be on the cusp of becoming, as so many had predicted, a rebuilding one. Baltimore has lost three straight games after falling 31-3 at Indianapolis on Sunday. In four previous ’08 contests, the Ravens never really had been taken out of their conservative offensive game plan that relies heavily on a strong running game and minimized the risks QB Joe Flacco would have to take, but Sunday’s game quickly got away from them. Colts QB Peyton Manning attacked the Ravens’ secondary, with CB Chris McAlister his primary foil, and when Indianapolis vaulted to an early 17-0 lead, Baltimore had to play catch-up, something it struggles to do. Flacco threw for a career-high 241 yards, but he also tossed three interceptions.
The schedule does the Ravens no favors in the coming weeks. Four of their next five games are on the road, and their next opponent is the Dolphins, who are much improved from a season ago and employ the hard-to-prepare-for “Wildcat” offense.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh’s take on Sunday’s defeat was spot-on. “We got what we deserved; that’s what happens when you play the way we did,” he said. Harbaugh went on to praise his team’s effort, but a with a veteran-laden club that was rejuvenated by entering October unbeaten, there are few moral victories.
The loss was alarming in many ways, but none more so than the play of McAlister, who was beaten twice by WR Marvin Harrison for touchdowns. With CBs Samari Rolle and Fabian Washington out of the lineup with injuries, the Ravens needed McAlister to play much better than he did. And when he struggled, the Ravens were in a lot of trouble. Harbaugh defended McAlister after the game, and the veteran cornerback, who was bothered by a knee injury in the preseason, said the knee was not affecting his play.
For all of the early optimism about Flacco and the offense, the story remains the same for the Ravens. They do not have the strong passing game needed to mount big comebacks, so it falls on the defense to keep the game close. When that doesn’t happen, the Ravens are in a lot of trouble. Their running game is neutralized, and the offense is put on Flacco’s right shoulder. Although he has made some impressive throws, and his accuracy is really starting to pick up, he is prone to making mistakes, as evidenced by the three interceptions on Sunday. Also, a pass-first approach on offense puts significant pressure on the Ravens’ offensive line, which is not strong in pass protection and allowed Flacco to be sacked four times in Week Six.
The Ravens’ matchup with the Dolphins is a fascinating one. Baltimore is so tough vs. the run, but Miami's passing game really has gotten a boost with the additions of QB Chad Pennington and the “Wildcat” package. The Ravens’ secondary must play significantly better than it did in Week Six, lest the Dolphins jump out to a big early lead like they did Sunday at Houston. As the Ravens know, high-scoring games usually don’t set up well for them.
RB Le’Ron McClain figures to get much more work in Week Seven than he did on Sunday, when the Colts’ big lead forced the Ravens to abandon their game plan and McClain became a nonfactor with all of two carries for minus-2 yards and a fumble. Check the status of RB Willis McGahee, who left Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury. WR Derrick Mason figures to be the only member of the Ravens’ passing game who will receive widespread starting consideration.
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