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Ravens vs. Bengals report card
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Yesterday was nothing short of a disaster for the Ravens. They lost a divisional game at home and made the Bengals defense look like the 2000 Ravens. Don't get me wrong, the Bengals deserve credit and are a solid team, but they don't have the same personnel as the Ravens. What an embarassing loss, and one that could really come back to haunt them.
Quarterbacks: If Joe Flacco had tripped over his own feet a couple of times, I would have sworn Kyle Boller was back as the starting quarterback. What was going on out there? Flacco looked like a rookie much of the day. He seemed lost out there, although a lot of it had to do with the playcalling. Still, he had two big throws to impact the game, and neither turned out well. Once was an interception that cost the Ravens a shot at a field goal, and the other time he overthrew Mark Clayton for a sure touchdown that would have wrapped up the win. Grade: D
Running backs: Where is the running back by committee? Ray Rice had a good game, especially receiving-wise, but Willis McGahee needs to be on the field more often. Le'Ron McClain saw a little bit of action, but he still isn't getting the number of carries he saw last year. Grade: C-
Wide receivers: Where were these guys? I think the search party is still looking for Derrick Mason and Kelly Washington. How does Mason go the entire game without catching a pass? Why was Washington not a bigger part of the offense? Todd Heap had a few catches but was not a major factor, and Clayton was shaky yet again. Yes, that should have been ruled a fumble. Grade: F
Offensive line: It's a tough go for this group without Jared Gaither, but Michael Oher did a pretty good job on the left side. They opened some holes for the running game, but Flacco did feel some heat when he dropped back to pass. Grade: C-
Defensive line: This unit was disappointing. You can usually count on this group to at least stuff the run if nothing else, but even that didn't happen Sunday. Haloti Ngata started off strong but disappeared in the second half, and Justin Bannan is not playing as well as he did last year. The group continues to struggle getting to the cornerback, though it would help if the referees called a hold for Trevor Pryce once in awhile. Grade: D
Linebackers: Ray Lewis played a strong game, but the questionable unnecessary roughness call really cost the Ravens on the final drive of the game. Jarret Johnson played a very strong game despite still nursing a shoulder injury. He is playing as well as anyone right now. Tavares Gooden made a couple of big tackles, but that linebacker spot is still up for grabs. Terrell Suggs was a non-factor and is killing the Ravens right now. He needs to pick it up in a hurry. Grade: B-
Secondary: Ohhh boy. Thank goodness for Ed Reed, that's all I can say. Reed had a monster game, intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown and causing a big fumble. He kept this group from receiving a failing grade. Fellow safety Dawan Landry had a big sack that was nullified by a questionable call but has been terrible in pass defense. He looks completely lost. Domonique Foxworth has been a huge bust and is taking a lot of the heat off of Fabian Washington. It may be time to give Lardarius Webb a shot at Foxworth's spot. Grade: D
Special teams: Punter Sam Koch was solid as usual while the team did get a spark on the kickoff return team thanks to Webb. Look for him to get an expanded role on the team in the near future. The punt return game featuring Chris Carr was weak, and the coverage units are mediocre. Grade: C+
Coaching: The team did not look prepared to play at all. The Ravens seemed to sleepwalk through most of the game and could not match the Bengals' intensity. The offensive gameplan designed by Cam Cameron was perplexing to say the least. I'm still baffled. He has been terrible the past two weeks. Greg Mattison hasn't been much better, though some of the defensive issues are personnel related. Grade: F
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