Ravens Release Steve Hauschka

The Ravens finally get rid of kicker Steve Hauschka after he missed a couple of key field goals during the season. So the Ravens hope to get someone that can make some big field goals in the near furture. This was a good move for the Ravens as they get ready to face the Colts and the Steelers in the next two games. Both of the games are going to make or break the Ravens season, these games are going to be close and probally will come down to a field goal in the closing seconds. So we will see what kicker the Ravens will sign in the next couple of days. The Ravens wont get another Matt Stover, they can only hope to get a kicker, that can even come close to Stover.

The Ravens Have Something To Prove

After the Baltimore Ravens got a much needed break. The Ravens are hoping that they will come out the bye week with a win versus the Denver Broncos. Going into this game the Ravens have lost three games in a row, as the Broncos enjoyed an undefeated record. The ravens knowing that this is a must win in regards to the Ravens making a turn around.

The Ravens started the game with a lot of intensity and passion, on the first play of the game the Ravens got a devouring hit from Jarret Johnson on quarter back Kyle Orton. From there I knew the Ravens were going to have a huge game. On the first two quarters of the game it was all Ravens on defense and special teams as the Ravens lead 6-0 solely because of Steve Hauschka two field goals, this was a good sign from Hauschka. To me this showed me that Hauschka has rebounded from a heart breaking missed field goal versus the Minnesota Vikings.

With the start of the third quarter the Ravens look for more points, and to the surprise of the Ravens they get a kick return of 95-yards for a touchdown from Lardarius Webb. This gave the Ravens a spark on all sides of the ball with that kick return; the Ravens did not let go of the momentum even though they gave up a rushing touchdown from the Broncos Knowshon Moreno. Again Hauschka got another field goal to end the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was all Ravens. In this quarter you saw a couple of different things from the Ravens offense. You saw a passing game when Joe Flacco Connected with Derrick Mason for a 20-yard touchdown down the middle of the field. You saw some running as Ray Rice ran very well in the Ravens last offensive possession of the game and caped it off with a 7 yard touchdown run.

In this game you saw a lot of passion for the game of football as the Ravens went on to defeat the previously undefeated Broncos. I liked what I see from the Ravens Defense as they only let up a touchdown in this game. I finally saw coach Greg Mattison start to draw up a lot of blitz plays for the Ravens. The Ravens should look back at this game and use it as a blue print for the rest of the season and deep into the playoffs. To me this game showed that the Ravens still have a chance to be one of the elite teams in the NFL.

Let’s take a look at the key performers of this game:
CB/RS Lardarius Webb- In this game he had a 95-yard kickoff return in the start of the second half of the game and showed some promise on the defensive side of the ball.

S Ed Reed- In this game he had a forced fumble, and was all over the field the whole game.

LB Jarret Johnson- Had a sack on the first play of the game for an 8-yard lost, Johnson had pressure on Kyle Orton the whole game.

K Steve Hauschka- In this game he made three field goals on three tries, he had a 43-yard and a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter, added a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter. Hauschka showed that he can rebound from a heart breaking missed field goal and face he’s fears on the field.

If the Ravens played like they did in this game then they will be in good shape to have a good season. The Ravens have to win this next game versus the Cincinnati Bengals to revenge an earlier loss and gain some ground in the AFC North.

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Ray Rice: Showing the NFL That Size Isn’t Everything

What a difference a year makes. Last year Ray Rice saw limited playing time as a rookie runner for the Baltimore Ravens. Now, there is little disputing that the Ravens have a special player in Rice.Since the Ravens drafted Rice in the 2008 NFL draft, he has showed a lot of promise here in Baltimore. Rice is unique running back with his knack of being around the ball and his ability run and catch.

Rice went through some tough times during his childhood. When Rice was only a year old, his father was killed in a drive-by shooting. Ray’s uncle helped to raise him before dying in a car accident in 1998 due to a drunk driver. Ray’s mother Janet raised her four children with only one income from her job as a special education teacher. Going through something like this is very tragic for any child to go through, but Rice took very well and continued to pursue what he was born to do and that is to play football.

In his days at Rutgers, Rice had a very good career with many record breaking runs and games making him one of the greatest running back’s to play for the Scarlet Knights. Some of his feats that he accomplished while playing for Rutgers include setting the all time program record in rushing touchdowns and he set the record for most yards in a single game which he broke when he had 280-yards in the International Bowl, he won the MVP for his performance in that game.

Standing at 5-foot-8 inches tall, his height was a factor that made a lot of teams think twice about drafting. The Ravens didn’t care about that factor and drafted him. With his career in the NFL beginning in 2008. Rice had a pretty good year one in the NFL making some great catch’s and run’s.

Rice made his first start in his first NFL game in week 1 of the 2008 season versus the Bengals. Rice had a team-high 22 carries which was good for 64 yards, only having a fumble. Rice had three receptions for 19 yards, in the Ravens 17-10 win over the Bengals. His best game that year was in week 9 versus the Cleveland Browns, in that game Rice ran for 154-yards on 21 carries.

Rice finished his rookie year with 454 rushing yards on 107 carries and he also had 273 receiving yards on 33 receptions. In my opinion Rice had a really good year one in the NFL.

He made so much of an impression that the Ravens coaching staff chose him over Willis McGahee to get the starting job for the 2009 season.

After playing two games in the 2009 season, Rice got his first career rushing touchdown. So far with a couple of 100-yard games, with some great runs for touchdowns, and a few good catch’s that went the distance.

He got his first touchdown reception in week 5 versus the Bengals. His best game so far in the 2009 season came in week 6 versus the Minnesota Vikings. In that game Rice led the Ravens in both rushing and receiving yards, he rushed for 77-yards on 10 carries, scoring 2 touchdowns, and he also caught 10 passes for 117-yards. To me that was one of the greatest performances by a Ravens running back since Jamal Lewis ran for 295-yards versus the Browns.

The Ravens have used Rice in many different ways making him the main part of their offense. Everytime time Rice gets the ball in his hands he can take it all the way with his ability to break tackles, his speed, and his ferocious stiff arm.

With Rice being 5-foot-8, it makes him low to the ground and hard for the opposing team to see him behind the Ravens offensive line. When Rice takes the field every Sunday, you know that he is going to have an big impact in whether the Ravens offense will have a big game. To me Rice is one of the most all-around running backs in the NFL today. The Ravens made a very good choice of choosing to draft Rice in the 2008 NFL draft.

You will see Rice for many years in Baltimore, and you will be pleased with his abililty to make the big play. Through the years the Ravens were looking for a player with this type of ability on offense and they finally got their wish when they drafted Ray Rice.

The Bye Week Comes At A Good Time

Well the first three games of the season were good, they showed that the Baltimore Ravens had alot of promise and on the other hand the last three games of the season showed that the Ravens still need alot of work on all the phases of the game. The bye week should give the Ravens a time to reflect on the games played before the bye week. The Ravens started off fast in the first couple games of the season, but soon they faded on the last couple games before the bye. So The Ravens bye week came at a good time.

Let's take a look at the opening game of the season when the Ravens played the Kansas City Chiefs at home. The Ravens headed on to the field, with the emotion and energy of the fans pumped for a new season. The Ravens got off to a fast start with the defense playing fast and intense trying to set up the offense with great field poistion. The offense took the field, Joe Flacco threw a couple of bullets to Derrick Mason and newly aquired wide out Kelley Washington. The Ravens played good on offense and defense and came away with the win 38-24.

Let's take a look at the Ravens first road game of the season against the San Deigo Chargers. This game was a see saw battle as both offenses were puting up points. The Ravens played sloppy in the secondary as Philip Rivers tore them up with big plays. The Ravens got saved in this game by Ray Lewis bolted up the middle on 4th down and took out Darren Sporoles to seal the game for the Ravens, the Ravens won this game by a score of 31-26.

After The Offense Showed Up In Week One To Bail Out The Defense And In Week Two The Defense Bailed Out The Offense Like The Ravens Of Old. It Was A Different Story In Week Three When The Ravens Took On The Cleveland Browns At Home In Front Of A Sold Out Crowd At M&T Bank Staduim. So the Ravens looked good in the first three games of the season.

The last three games before the bye were the same type of game. They all gave the Ravens a chance to win the game, but they did not. The Ravens hurt their selfs with penalties late in the game. Also the Ravens did not know how to finsh them games versus the New England Patriot, The Cincinnati Bengals, and The Minnesota Vikings. In these games there was alot of heart break for the Ravens and The Fans through out the city of Baltimore, the most notable heart break was the game against the Vikings, when the Ravens came roaring back to take the lead and still the Ravens lost that game on a missed field goal.

Well that was a look at the Ravens ups and downs in thier first 6 games before the bye week. So I hope that the Ravens will adjust all of their weaknesses and get back on track and finish the season strong. Last year the Ravens did not get a bye week, so I hope the Ravens take advantage of this and turn this team around for good. I know that the Ravens need alot of work to turn this around, deep down inside I know the Ravens will fix all their problems during this bye week.

The Ravens need to come out the bye week with more intesity and an eager to win, if they do this then they will be in great shape. The Ravens are going to have to work really hard, cause they have some big oppenents coming up in the near weeks. We will see if the Ravens has what it takes when the bye week ends and the Ravens face the Denver Broncos that are having a great season so far.

That is why the bye week comes at a good time for the Ravens.

Ravens Need A Turn Around

After the Baltimore Ravens lost their second game in a row. The Ravens need to get it turned around in the up coming weeks. The first task is endind this skid with a win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Ravens are going to have to turn it around on all of the phases of the game. First of all the defense is going to have to pick up the slack in the secondary, cause that secondary is letting up to much yardage in the passing game. The offense needs to run more on first and second down and start throwing the ball on 3rd down, cause the offense needs to be more aggressive and bring back that running game that has helped the Ravens in past years.

The main part of this losing skid is the penalties. The penalties are mainly happening on the defensive side of the ball, cause the defense is being to aggressive when it comes down to the clutch, they are known as a aggressive defense, but it comes a time where you can't be aggressive. To me alot of the penalties are the Ravens fault, but on the other hand some of the penalties are questionable from the refs stand point.

Well the Ravens have to get a win next week versus the Vikings, so they can head into the bye week on a winning note. It's not going to be easy against the Vikings with how Adrian Petterson and Bret Farve have been playing, but if the Ravens play like a team they can win this game. I know that the Ravens can win this game, cause they have been under this kind of pressure and still prevailed.

Well the Ravens signed David Tyree this week. Tyree will add depth on special teams and in the Ravens passing game, so that should help the Ravens turn this around.

If the Ravens stick to their gameplan, they will be good to get this turned around. If the Ravens do what I said in this article, then they will get back on track and get back to their winning ways. Finally it's not time to panic the Ravens will get this turned around, all teams go through losing, but its the way that you respond to the losing.

So I hope that the Ravens get this turned around. Only time will tell.

Thanks, Ryan

Baltimore Ravens: Week 4

The Baltimore Ravens were going on the road looking for their second road win of the season. They would have to get through the New England Patriots. From the start the Ravens were making mistakes when Chris Carr fumbled the opening kickoff, but the Ravens only let them score a field goal, it was still a big part of the game. The Ravens would rebound when they marched down the field and got a touchdown from a jumping Derrick Mason catch in the endzone. The second period was all Patriots scoring two touchdown's that was helped with two unneccssary roughing the passer call's on the Ravens part. The Ravens Defense would show up at a good time when they Terrell Suggs sacked Tom Brady and made him fumble, Dwan Edwards picked it up and got a touchdown off of it, that put the Ravens right back into the game. The Ravens would give up a touchdown right after that when they left Randy Moss wide open in the endzone. The Ravens would get back in the game when they orchestrated a touchdown drive to get a pass and catch from Joe Flacco to Willis McGahee. The Ravens defense gave up a field goal, but that was a win for the Ravens cause they did not give up the touchdown, which would of made a two possesion game. The Ravens get the ball, that would be stalled as the Ravens fail to get a 4th down conversion. The Ravens Defense came up big when they got the Patriots to go 3 and out, that would give the Ravens one last chance to win the game. The Ravens were in pretty good shape intill they got in the redzone and on two consective play's Mason drops a pass and finally on 4th down Mark Clayton drops the pass that gives the Patriota the win. The Ravens have to learn from this game and get back on track and win next week at home against the Bengals who are playing pretty good. I will be back next week to cover that game against the Bengals. See You Later, Thanks!!!

Johnny Unitas Vs. Joe Flacco

The story starts the same for Johnny Unitas
And Joe Flacco, they both got their debuts
With the injury of the starting quarterback's
On the original Baltimore football team the
Baltimore Colts and The fierce Baltimore
Ravens.


With Flacco being 6-6 and 235 pounds and Unitas being 6-1 and 194 pounds, that puts them both in the category of big-armed quarterback's. Being a big-armed quarterback makes it much easier to play in the NFL, and with their running abilities makes it even better. They were born to play quarterback in the NFL. They both came from different backgrounds with Unitas being from Pittsburgh that has ties with Flacco as he went to the University of Pittsburgh and played football before he transferred to the University of Delaware. Unitas went to college at the University of Louisville. Flacco was born in New Jersey. Even though they have different backgrounds, they still have the desire to play football in the NFL and to win at this level. Flacco and Unitas was drafted in different years and times in the NFL draft, in 1956 a young man by the name of Johnny Unitas was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 9th round with the 102nd pick of the draft. Unitas was released from the Steelers, Unitas joined the Baltimore Colts in 1956 under legendary coach Weeb Ewbank, the Cleveland Browns gave a fight to try and get Unitas. On the other hand, in 2008 a young man by the name of Joe Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1st round with 18th pick of the draft. Even back than the Steelers and a Baltimore football ball team have some bitter tension towards each other. They both had some big games in their careers, let’s start with Unitas who in 1958 played in the “ The Greatest Game Ever Played” in this game Unitas had 26 completions on 40 attempts for 349 yards with a touchdown and interceptions, the colts won that game on a cold winter night in 1958. Another big game was in 1969 when he went up against Mr. Guarantee Joe Namath in super bowl 3, the Colts lost this game, but Unitas had a pretty good game with a 110 yards passing and a interception that’s what stands out on his stat card that day in January. In 1971, Unitas got another chance to play in the super bowl and get a win, which he did. He did not get that many stats you tell by the stat card which read 3 for 9 for 88 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interception, he had a poor day but the Baltimore Colts still found a way to beat the Dallas Cowboys on that day. In 2008, Joe Flacco Set a record winning two playoff games as a rookie. His first playoff game came against the Miami Dolphins on the road in the 2008 playoffs. Flacco had a good game that day completed 9 of 23 attempted passes, accumulating 135 yards without throwing a touchdown or interception. In his second play off game versus the Tennesse Titans on the road in Nashville. Flacco was 11 of 22 for 148 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over for the second straight game. It was a different story in the third play off game, which was the championship game. The Ravens played the bitter rival Steelers. Flacco was abused on that day getting sacked 3 times and intercepted 3 times. The Ravens lost the game on that cold brutal winter night, that will be a game that Flacco never forgets even though he lost the game, it gives him a chip on his shoulder to go out and destroy the Steelers next time he plays them. Through the first 12 games of their careers, they stack up like this Flacco had 126 attempts only completing 74 of them passes for 975 yards, Giving him 10 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions, he had 21 sacks, he also showed some running ability on 40 attempts he ran the ball for 145 yards with 2 touchdowns, he also had 7 fumbles. Unitas had 198 attempts only completing 110 of them passes for 1498 yards, giving him 9 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions, he had 0 sacks, he also showed some running ability on 28 attempts he ran the ball for 155 yards with 1 touchdown, he also had 0 fumbles. All and all Unitas is one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game of football, and on the other hand Flacco is going to be something special for the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens for years to come. It is hard to compare Unitas and Flacco, because Unitas play in a time where money didn’t matter when it game to football, it was many different rules that changed through the years, and they played football like it was their lifes. On the other hand Flacco plays in a time where it matters about the big bucks, there is still something the same the rules are changing, that will always be the case cause the NFL is such a big part of our soceity, and Flacco is playing during the time where football is played like a job, but Flacco plays like its his life you can tell with the way he play’s the game of football.It was a sad day on September 11, 2002, when the world lost a big part of the football world in Unitas his spirit will live on for ever through the streets of Baltimore and through the NFL. Outside of M & T Bank Staduim there is a statue that says the “Golden Arm” which truly show’s the abilities of Unitas and Sundays on home games the Ravens Fans touch His feet to show they still care about Unitas. The Ravens go into the game to watch the next big thing in Baltimore Joe Flacco, he will definetly have a statue out side soon in Baltimore if he countinues to play this way he could be one of the best quarterbacks to play the game of football, time can only tell.

Capitals Season Opener

The Capitals Kick Off Their Season In Boston Against The Bruins Tonight. The Capitals Are

Heading Into The Season Looking To Repeat Their Success In The NHL. Just Like The Capitals

Style, They Start Off The Scoring Real Quick With A Score From Brooks Laich In The First

Period, That Made The Game 1-0. In The 2nd Period The Capitals Got Back To Scoring With A

Goal From One Of The Greatest Caps Of All-Time Alex Ovechkin, That Made The Score 2-0.

The 3rd Period Starts And The Capitals Are Looking For More Goals. They Get Another Goal

From Laich, Giving Him 2 Goals On The Game, That Made The Score 3-0. In The 3rd Period

They Also Got A Goal From You Know Who, Ovenchkin, Giving Him Two Goals On The Game,

Making The Game Pretty Much A Blow Out. The Bruins Would Show Some Life When They Get

A Goal Of Their Own From Patrice Bergeron. This Game Went The Capitals Way The Whole

Game. In This Game It Was Pretty Much Laich And Ovechkin's Show. In This Game Ovechkin

Showed Why He Is One Of The Greatest Capitals Player's And One Of The Greatest NHL

Players. As The Time Ran Down The Capitals Knew They Had A Win Under Their Belts. Well

That Some's Up The Season Opener. I Hope To Be Back Here For Game 2 Againist The Maple

Leafs As The Capitals Try To Get Their Opening Home Game Win. Intill Then This Is Ryan

Heller And That Is The Capitals Season Opener, See You Later!!!

Thanks

Baltimore Ravens: Week 3

After The Offense Showed Up In Week One To Bail Out The Defense And In Week Two The Defense Bailed Out The Offense Like The Ravens Of Old. It Was A Different Story In Week 3 When The Ravens Took On The Cleveland Browns At Home In Front Of A Sold Out Crowd At M&T Bank Staduim. The Ravens Started The Game Quick And Fearless, Making The Browns Go 3 And Out In The First Drive Of The Game. Joe Flacco And The Offense Took The Field Looking For A Touchdown And They Got What They Wanted When Willis McGahee Ran 7 Yards For The Score. The Ravens Added A Field Goal To Blank The Browns 10-0 In The First Quarter. The Ravens Started The 2nd Quarter With A Field Goal Off The Foot Off Steve Hauschka. The Ravens Added Another Touchdown From McGahee When He Ran The Ball 15 Yards For The Touchdown. Again The Ravens Blanked The Brown In The 2nd Quarter Making Their Lead 20-0. The Ravens Started The 3rd Quarter With A Touchdown Of 9 Yards Off The Legs Of Ray Rice, This Was His First Career Running Touchdown. The Ravens Made Their Lead Even Bigger Making The Score 27-0. Heading Into The 4th Quarter The Ravens Were Looking To Get A Shut Out. The Browns Answered That With A Drive Down The Field, To Finally Put Points On The Board In The Form Of A Field Goal. So That Got Rid Of The Shut Out And Showing Some Life From The Browns. The Ravens Added One More Touchdown, When Flacco Bombed One 72 Yards To Mason For A Quick Touchdown. The Ravens Got Another Win Uhder Their Belt, When They Won The Game 34-4. Some Extra Stuff To Think About Derrick Mason Caught His 800th Catch Of His Career In This Game, The Ravens Defense Had A Good Day With 4 Interception's In The Game Which All Them Were Turned Into Points, And The Ravens have opened the season at 3-0 for only the 2nd time in their history (2006 season). That's All For This Week, I Will Be Back For Week 4 When The Ravens Head Out On The Road To Take On The New England Patriots, See You Then.

Thanks, Ryan Heller

Baltimore Ravens: Week 2

The Ravens are heading on the road to battle the Chargers in week 2. After a great week one the Ravens are looking for a good one againist the Chargers. The game started in the Chargers favor with a pitch and catch from Philip Rivers to a wide open Darren Sporoles who took 81 yards for the score. The Ravens answered them back by marching down the field and getting a touchdown off the legs of Willis McGhee. On the next drive the Chargers managed to get a field goal from Nate Keading. With the start of the 2nd quarter the Ravens got another touchdown from McGhee. The Chargers again got another field goal in the red zone. The Ravens answered the call by getting a touchdown on a throw and catch from Joe Flacco to a wide open Kelley Washington. The Chargers got another field before the half making the halftime score 21-16. The Ravens and Chargers head into the locker room to rest and swith up a few things. The Ravens start the 2nd half on a good note, by marching down the field with a mix of runs and passes too finally getting a touchdown off a throw and catch from Flacco to a well covered Todd Heap. The Chargers made it interesting when they got a long pass and catch from Rivers too Vicent Jackson. The fourth quarter got much more dicier when the Chargers got a field goal, making the game much closer. The Chargers got one last shot to comeback and win the game, for a minuate there I thought the Chargers were going to win. But when the Ravens are in trouble there is only one player to make the game winning play and that is Ray Lewis. Lewis darted up the middle un seen to stop Sporoles and the Chargers on 4th down sealing the game for the Ravens. With a sigh of reilief the Ravens down the football and headed off the field with a hard earned win.