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Ravens vs. Broncos report card
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That was a huge win for the Ravens. A season-saving win, possibly. More than that, the way they dominated an undefeated team was very impressive. I'm not sure the Ravens have that type of performance in them every week, but if they do, watch out. I'm not sure anyone is beating the Ravens when they are playing with that type of intensity. Next week's game against Cincinnati looms large, that's for sure.
Quarterbacks: It wasn't one of Joe Flacco's better games, but he still made a couple of big plays that most quarterbacks wouldn't make. Flacco was high on several throws to start the game but eventually settled down. The touchdown pass to Derrick Mason was a thing of beauty, and he avoided the rush several times and got the ball in the hands of a playmaker. He has a great feel in the pocket and surprises defenders with his mobility. Grade: B
Running backs: Yet again, it was the Ray Rice show. Yards were hard to come by in the first half, but things eventually opened up for him. He continues to be a dual threat both running the ball and catching it and managed to find the end zone late in the game. Willis McGahee was a non-factor, but Le'Ron McClain did break off a long run in the fourth quarter. Grade: B
Wide receivers: Mason hauled in a touchdown pass and had a decent day despite facing Champ Bailey most of the time. Mark Clayton had a nice grab on a high throw early in the game, and Kelley Washington continues to come up with clutch third-down receptions. Todd Heap was involved early, but then disappeared. Grade: B-
Offensive line: It was a slow start for this group, which seems to be a weekly occurence. However, they picked things up in the second half and embarassed the Broncos on the final drive of the game. Both the run blocking and pass protection steadily improved throughout the game, and it was nice to see Flacco standing upright after the beating he took against Minnesota. Grade: B-
Defensive line: This was possibly the best performance of the season from the defensive line. The group did a solid job against the run and also put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Even Kelly Gregg and Brandon McKinney were chasing around Kyle Orton. If this unit keeps it up, the Ravens are going to win a lot of games in the second half of the season. Grade: A
Linebackers: Jarret Johnson had his best game of the season, which is saying something. He was everywhere. Ray Lewis had a solid game, but did drop an interception. Terrell Suggs was quiet yet again and it has to be a growing concern. Tavares Gooden did a nice job slowing down Brandon Marshall on one particular play where the wideout looked like he might turn back inside and gain a chunk of yardage. Grade: B
Secondary: What a difference two weeks makes. This looked like a completely different group, although some of the credit does go to the pass rush. Domonique Foxworth did a fantastic job on Brandon Marshall and Ed Reed delivered some huge hits. Fabian Washington played a solid game and Dawan Landry seemed to be in better position than past weeks. This group does need to work on catching the football. They dropped a bunch of interceptions. Grade: A-
Special teams: Great day from this unit. The kick and punt coverage was excellent against Eddie Royal and Lardarius Webb is really starting to make a difference on special teams and defense. Steve Hauchska knocked home all three field goal attempts to wipe away most memories of his miss in Minnesota. Even Chris Carr looked somewhat competent on punt returns. Grade: A
Coaching: It seems as though the coaching staff took full advantage of the bye week. The team showed a sense of urgency and intensity from the opening kickoff that had not been present yet this year. Cam Cameron really had the Broncos off balance in the second half and Greg Mattison did a much better job of disguising blitzes and mixing things up on defense. Grade: A
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