May 2011 - Baltimore Ravens Wiretap

RealGM's Week 8 Rundown

Jun 4, 2014 9:42 AM


Baltimore 30, Arizona 27 Trench Counter: Ravens +6.5, Cardinals -6.5 Trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) scored 27 of the game's final 30 points to edge the Arizona Cardinals (1-6) on Sunday afternoon. The two teams combined for close to 200 penalty yards and nearly split time of possession. Joe Flacco struggled in the first half, but rallied in the third and fourth quarters to finish 31-for-51 with 336 yards and an interception. His long passes set up Ray Rice, who ran 18 times for 63 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Arizona scored touchdowns on a run by Beanie Wells, punt return by Patrick Peterson and a pass from Kevin Kolb to Early Doucet over a five-minute stretch in the second quarter. For then on, the Cardinals would only score on a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely to momentarily tie the game with close to nine minutes left in regulation. Arizona had just 207 yards of total offense and went 2-for-11 on third down. Minnesota 24, Carolina 21 Trench Counter: Vikings +3.5, Panthers -3.5 The Minnesota Vikings (2-6) won just their second game of the season as rookie quarterback Christian Ponder got his first NFL victory in a close contest against the Carolina Panthers (2-6). The game featured a pair of rookie quarterbacks as Cam Newton played well yet again and drove Carolina to within range of a game-tying field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining. However, Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard attempt (wide left) to give Minnesota the victory. Newton had 290 passing yards and three touchdowns, but Ponder and the Vikings averaged more yards per pass (8.2 to 7.6). Carolina outrushed Adrian Peterson and Minnesota, averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a team. Newton scrambled six times for 53 yards and wide receiver Steve Smith, who caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, gained 12 yards on one ground attempt. The Vikings tied the game at fourteen late in the second quarter after Newton fumbled on a sack by Jared Allen. Houston 24, Jacksonville 14 Trench Counter: Texans +10.4, Jaguars -10.4 The Houston Texans (5-3) downed the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) thanks to timely offense and a fairly strong defensive effort. Arian Foster ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on a workmanlike 33 carries and Houston's defense limited Jacksonville to just 2.8 yards per pass at Reliant Stadium. Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert went 10-for-30 with 97 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Foster's lone touchdown run gave the Texans a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter and it was his ability to gain yards late that allowed Houston to seal the victory. The Jaguars gained just 174 total yards on offense and came back down to earth after their shocking win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, his first road score of the 2011 season. N.Y. Giants 20, Miami 17 Trench Counter: Giants +2.2, Dolphins -2.2 The Miami Dolphins (0-7) flirted with their first win of the season but ultimately fell to the favored New York Giants (5-2), who came to life in the fourth quarter. Dan Carpenter hit a 40-yard field goal with 12:17 left in the third period to give Miami a 17-10 lead, but the Dolphins didn't score again and Eli Manning and the Giants moved the ball well in the second half. The Dolphins committed the only turnover of the game, sealing their fate as Matt Moore was intercepted by Corey Webster with little time remaining. Manning attempted twice as many passes as Moore, accumulating 349 yards and two touchdowns, one to Mario Manningham and another to Victor Cruz. The connection with Cruz came on a 25-yard completion and gave New York their first lead of the game with 5:58 left in regulation. Reggie Bush rushed 15 times for 103 yards, his first 100-yard rushing since 2006 and just the second of his NFL career. St. Louis 31, New Orleans 21 Trench Counter: Rams +3.7, Saints -3.7 The St. Louis Rams (1-6) won their first game of the season in impressive fashion, topping the New Orleans Saints (5-3) with A.J. Feeley filling in for Sam Bradford (ankle sprain). The Rams jumped out to a 24-0 lead and held off a late charge by Drew Brees and the Saints at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis was led by Steven Jackson, who rushed 25 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. They had nine first downs on the ground, against just three for New Orleans. The Saints scored three touchdowns in the final 17 minutes of the game, but it wasn't enough after they dug themselves an early hole. Brees threw a pair of interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 31-14 edge with less than three minutes remaining. New Orleans averaged just 2.8 yards per rush, with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles struggling against a surprisingly potent Rams defense. Tennessee 27, Indianapolis 10 Trench Counter: Titans +2.3, Colts -2.3 The Indianapolis Colts (0-8) bounced back a bit after their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday night, but they remain winless after losing to the Tennessee Titans (4-3). The Colts had more first downs than the Titans (22 to 17), but Indianapolis committed a pair of turnovers while Tennessee didn't give up the football. Delonte Carter and Donald Brown combined to lead the Colts to 6.1 yards per rush and Curtis Painter added 79 yards on seven scrambles, but they were just 6-for-17 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth. Matt Hasselbeck found Nate Washington for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 left in regulation to seal the win for Tennessee. Hasselbeck averaged 6.8 yards per pass, totaled 224 yards and threw for the aforementioned touchdown. Chris Johnson struggled yet again, gaining 34 yards on 14 touches, but Javon Ringer padded the team rushing average with 14 carries for 60 yards. The Titans protected Hasselbeck well. He was sacked just once and hit only five times in all. Buffalo 23, Washington 0 Trench Counter: Bills +18.8, Redskins -18.8 The Buffalo Bills (5-2) absolutely dismantled the Washington Redskins (3-4) thanks to a great performance on both sides of the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21-for-27 with 262 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Fred Jackson had 194 total yards (26 attempts for 120 rushing yards). The win moved Buffalo into first place in the AFC East with nine games to play. John Beck was ineffective, going 20-for-33 with 208 yards and two interceptions. The Bills defense totaled nine sacks, eight tackles for loss and hit the quarterback 14 times. Washington managed just 178 total yards and was a combined 4-for-16 on third and fourth down. The game marked the first time that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan had been shut out in his coaching career. Detroit 45, Denver 10 Trench Counter: Lions +14.9, Broncos -14.9 The Detroit Lions (6-2) got back in the win column with a drubbing of the Denver Broncos (2-5) and quarterback Tim Tebow. Matthew Stafford, playing despite suffering a foot injury last week, went 21-for-30 with 267 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford threw a touchdown pass in each of the game's first three quarters. Calvin Johnson was his leading receiver with six receptions for 125 yards and a score. Detroit averaged 6.1 yards per play. Tebow, a week after leading a dramatic comeback win over the Dolphins, went 18-for-39 with 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 63 times in just his second start of the 2011 season. Tebow was sacked seven times and hit on seven other occasions. Denver didn't score a touchdown until the 8:19 mark of the fourth quarter when Tebow found Eric Decker for a 14-yard score. Pittsburgh 25, New England 17 Trench Counter: Steelers +6, Patriots -6 The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) scored the first 10 points of the game and made a defensive stand late to defeat the New England Patriots (5-2) at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh had 10 more first downs than New England, who went three-and-out on their first possessions of both the first and second halves. The Patriots managed just 213 total yards and held the ball for only twenty minutes. Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball early and often, going 36-for-50 with 365 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, while Tom Brady had a 4.9-yard average. Brady went 24-for-35 with 198 yards and two touchdowns, but Pittsburgh used press coverage and swarmed the ball whenever a pass was completed. The Steelers averaged 5.5 yards per play. The Patriots moved an average of just 4.3 yards per offensive snap. San Francisco 20, Cleveland 10 Trench Counter: 49ers +10, Browns -10 The San Francisco 49ers (6-1) remained hot with a nice win over the Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Candlestick Park. The 49ers remained the only team in the NFL with one loss and they have the second-best record in the league behind the Green Bay Packers (7-0). Alex Smith managed a good game, going 15-for-24 with 177 yards and a touchdown, while Frank Gore did the heavy lifting. He rushed 31 times for 134 yards and a score. Colt McCoy had a rough afternoon for Cleveland, tossing an interception and losing one of his four fumbles. He finished 22-for-34 with 241 yards for a decent 7.1 yards per attempt average. The Browns averaged just 2.9 yards per rush attempt and totaled only 66 yards on the ground with Peyton Hillis out. Cincinnati 34, Seattle 12 Trench Counter: Bengals -2.7, Seahawks +2.7 The final score was ugly, but the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) were close statistically in their victory over the Seattle Seahawks (2-5). Seattle actually had more first downs (20 to 18), total yards (411 to 252), and a higher yard per pass average (7.4 to 5.5). Marshawn Lynch scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left in the game to bring the Seahawks to within 17-12, but Cincinnati scored the final 17 points of the game. Ironically, it was their special teams that put the game away with Brandon Tate returning a punt 56 yards for a touchdown and Reggie Nelson returning an interception 75 yards for another seven points in the final four minutes of the game. The AFC North is now loaded at the top with the Bengals and Ravens tied for second place between the Steelers at 5-2. Philadelphia 34, Dallas 7 Trench Counter: Eagles +14.1, Cowboys -14.1 The Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East with an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) on Sunday night. The Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead and led 34-0 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown on a 70-yard pass from Tony Romo to Laurent Robinson at the 12:44 mark of the final period. Philadelphia had 31 first downs (against Dallas to 12), went 7-for-12 on third down (against 3-for-10 for Dallas) and 495 total yards. The Cowboys gained just 267 yards at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles held the football for 42:09 as they earned their second-straight win after a very poor start to the season.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Misc Rumor, Personal Award, Team Achievement

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Flacco Fine With Early Boos At Home

Nov 23, 2014 12:27 AM

Joe Flacco and the Ravens endured boos at home on Sunday before staging the biggest comeback victory in the history of the franchise. Billy Cundiff kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired for Baltimore. The Cardinals led 24-3 late in the second quarter, but the Ravens scored 27 of the game's final 30 points. "You can take a few boos every now and then," Flacco said, "especially when you come back and win the game." The sellout crowd of 71,022 voiced their displeasure after Arizona scored three touchdowns in a matter of five minutes in the second quarter. "I don't go to a lot of football games, but I probably would have wanted to boo if I was in the stands, too," Flacco said. "We weren't looking too good. We weren't playing too well."

Associated Press

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens

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Todd Heap Inactive Against Former Team

Sep 30, 2014 11:38 PM

Cardinals tight end Todd Heap was inactive on Sunday afternoon against the Ravens, his former team. Heap spent 10 seasons in Baltimore before signing as a free agent with Arizona this year. This will be the third straight game Heap will miss with a hamstring injury.

Associated Press

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Injury

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Rice 'Expects To Be More Involved' Against Cardinals

Jul 1, 2014 8:54 PM

Ray Rice didn't demand more touches following Baltimore's loss to the Jaguars on Monday, but he expects to be more involved this weekend. "I definitely expect to be more involved," Rice said. "My involvement with this offense hasn't changed since the beginning of the season, I don't want Cam and them to feel like they've got to force me the ball. I'm not that kind of guy. My carries come when the whole offense has success. I look forward to having that success. "We're not going to ignore the fact it happened. We didn't execute I don't want to make it seem like I'm begging for carries. At the same time, I do know when we're getting first downs I touch the ball." The Carroll County Times reported Rice's eight carries for 28 yards against Jacksonville marked his lowest output since an Oct. 3, 2010, game against the Steelers. Rice struggled to hold onto the ball throughout the loss, losing one fumble, and he spent a long stretch of the game on the sidelines.

NFL.com

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Misc Rumor

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Harbaugh Agrees With Suggs, Ravens Need More Rice

Oct 16, 2014 10:18 PM

Ravens coach John Harbaugh agrees with linebacker Terrell Suggs, the team needs more of Ray Rice in their offense. Suggs raised eyebrows on Monday when he criticized Baltimore's offense and called for more of the Pro Bowl running back. "You know, Terrell Suggs' heart is always in the right place, and he's a leader on our football team," Harbaugh said. "I listen to all of our guys, and definitely I listen to Terrell Suggs, especially with the way he's playing. And then, the things he says are right. "But that's what we're trying to do. It's not like we're not trying to do the things he's talking about doing. So, I think we're all on the same page with that."

NFL.com

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Misc Rumor

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Suggs: Ravens Have To Feed Ray Rice

Oct 11, 2014 4:38 PM

Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was critical of the team's offense following Monday night's upset loss to the Jaguars. Baltimore's defense held Jacksonville to 12 points, but Joe Flacco and the offense managed just seven points of their own. Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 30 times for 105 yards, and the Jaguars rushed 42 times overall. "They kept it simple. Jones-Drew had 30 carries. His backup (Deji Karim) had 10 or 15. It baffles me that Ray Rice only had seven carries," Suggs said. "This (Rice) is a Pro Bowl running back we're talking about. You've got to feed the horse. They fed their horse. We got to feed our horse. "He's a good guy. He wants the ball. I think we should feed him. Ray Rice is a phenomenal player. You've got to use your phenomenal players. How many catches did Anquan (Boldin) have? We have guys who can do phenomenal things. We've got to get them the ball. It's that simple."

CSN Baltimore

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Misc Rumor

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Vonta Leach: Texans Didn't Appreciate Me

Oct 16, 2014 11:56 PM

Vonta Leach, now playing for the Ravens, has let his true feelings about his former team, the Texans, known. Leach maintained earlier in the week that he had no hard feelings about his negotiations this offseason with the Texans and his parting with the team. However, on Saturday he said he felt the team's management disrespected him and lied about its intentions to retain him. "I had five good years in Houston, and I did leave on a bad note," Leach said. "When I was there, I laid it all on the line for Houston, whether I was hurt or not. During my time there, they paid a lot of players I felt didn't necessarily deserve to get paid. What disappointed me was when it was time for me, maybe my last contract, to get a good deal ... I didn't have to be the highest-paid fullback. "I just wanted to feel appreciated. I didn't. I was not appreciated."

NFL.com

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Misc Rumor

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Raiders Begin GM Search With Baltimore's DeCosta

Oct 6, 2014 8:14 PM

The Raiders have inquired with several NFL front-office executives, including Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta, about their general manager position, according to league sources. Oakland, which is reworking their front office after the death of longtime owner Al Davis, is contacting candidates to oversee their front office. DeCosta, 40, has long been considered one of the elite young personnel men in the league.

Jason La Canfora/NFL.com

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Misc Rumor

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Rex Ryan Jokes That He's 'Going After' Jarret Johnson

Oct 11, 2014 12:30 AM

Jets coach Rex Ryan plans on teaching his former pupil, Ravens outside linebacker Jarret Johnson, a lesson when their teams play on Sunday night. Ryan remembers something from last season's Week 1 matchup. "He punched me in the stomach the last time," Ryan said with a smile. "I'm going to whip him this time, you can print that one. I'm going after Jarret Johnson." Johnson's response? "Tell him to come get it," he said. "There's no person I'd love to get a shot on more than Rex."

NFL.com

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Misc Rumor

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Ravens Won't Avoid Revis On Sunday Night

Oct 14, 2014 9:42 PM

The Ravens respect top cornerback Darrelle Revis, but they won't avoid throwing near the Jets cornerback on Sunday night. Many believe that Revis is good enough to shut off half of the field. "He can definitely take one man away," Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. "I don't know if it is one side of the field. They do a great job [with him]. They roll the coverage away from him, lock him up on the backside. "The thing that impresses me about him is he's consistent. He is a technician. He is not just an athlete out there playing, shutting people down. He uses good technique, he knows how to play square, he is a good tackler. You look at his body type — he is a great looking guy from a football perspective. He is not a slightly built corner." On Sunday, Ravens wideouts Anquan Boldin and rookie Torrey Smith will get the chance to be Revis-busters. "So they've got two guys out there on the outside that play pretty well," quarterback Joe Flacco said, bring up Antonio Cromartie. "With Revis over there, it allows them to roll their coverage certain ways and leave him on an island. They trust that he's going to be able to man up whoever they put out there on him. So we'll do something to try to switch that up and get one-on-one matchups the way we like them. But those guys are very good at what they do and we'll have to account for that."

Baltimore Sun

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Misc Rumor

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