One Hell of a "Last Ride"

 

AFC Championship Recap

As many of you know, last Sunday the Baltimore Ravens exorcized yet another demon. In a post season that seemed rigged to send Baltimore home empty handed, the Raven's prevailed. In the Wild Card round, the Raven's were up against the Colts, a team that they were 3-9 against, and 0-2 in the post season. After finally beating the Colts in the post season, the Raven's had to face Peyton Manning, the long time quarterback of those same Colts. The Raven's were only 1-8 against Peyton leading up to the Divisional Round, in which they were 9.5 underdogs in the below freezing altitude of Mile High Stadium. But as we all know, last second heroics placed the Raven's back in the AFC Championship game. So in a post season of demons, the obvious next step would be to place the Ravens back in New England, where the ghosts of Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff are all to close in memory. The Raven's had to play against the inspired young Colts, the physical Broncos, and the mind of Bellichick and Brady; but this Ray Lewis driven team, would not go down without a fight. 

On Sunday, the Raven's took on Brady and the Patriots. The game started slow,  with both teams looking more like a Raven's v Steeler's defensive matchup than the high-flying style the Foxborough fans were accustomed to. But the second half brought the scoreboard back to life, in a way that stunned that very same Foxborough crowd. 

The game started slow, with both teams punting on their first drives. But then life came when the Patriots methodically down the field, but were ultimately held to a 31 yard field goal. After each team had several more series and several more punts, the quarter ended with The Patriots up 3-0. 

The Raven's came out hot in the 2nd quarter, scoring on their first drive. The Raven's capped off a 90 yard drive with a Ray Rice touchdown. Ray was able to bounce off three tacklers on his way to the end zone for a 2 yard touchdown, putting the Ravens ahead 7-3. The Patriots quickly responded with a touchdown drive of their own, to regain the lead at 10-7. The drive was capped by a 1 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker on a coverage miscommunication between Chykie Brown and Corey Graham. After forcing a three and out, the Patriots increased their lead by kicking a 25 yard field goal to end the half with a 13-7 lead, and all of the momentum. 

As the Second half began, it appeared to be a continuation of the same tide, each team was forced to punt on their first possession of the half. With 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the tide of the game shifted once again, and there was no looking back. The Ravens scored 3 unanswered touchdowns, while forcing 3 turnovers to secure a 28-13 victory, sending them to the SuperBowl. 

The Ravens overcame being 9.5 point underdogs in two consecutive games, the first time that has happened in NFL history. They also got past two future HOF quarterbacks, a HOF coach, and a young team on the rise. 

Does the League Hate the Ravens? Or is it Just Las Vegas. 

You could make the valid case that the odds makers in Las Vegas simply just don't like the Ravens. Being a 9.5 point underdog to the Broncos is understandable, but still slightly over-the-top, especially considering the beat down they had just put on the Colts. But then to disgrace them by being 9.5 point underdogs again against the Patriots is absurd. The Ravens lost by 3 points a year ago, and won by 1 point this year when playing the Patriots, so how could Vegas assume they would lose by more than a touchdown, especially when you factor in the victory of the Broncos. 

But lets keep in mind that it is not only Vegas, but the League, the Refs, and the analysts that hate the Raven's as well. The NFL is a business, and like any good business, they were hoping for the best possible story line each week. Which for them would leave them rooting for a Peyton vs Brady AFC Championship Game. But ultimately in the Super Bowl they got their wish of having the first ever siblings coach against each other in any major sporting championship. So why do I say that the League hates the Ravens? It would be because Roger Godell has made a point of making a point out of the Ravens. Time and again he chooses Ravens players as targets to make his point for increases player safety, while ignoring the safety of Ravens players. 

Not to worry, the Refs also seem to be on the side of the League. Not only was Tom Brady not penalized for his obvious attempt at kicking Ed Reed in the 2nd quarter, but the refs seemingly did everything they could to get the Patriots back in the game in the 2nd half. Early in the 2nd half, hard hitting safety Bernard Pollard was flagged for hitting a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area. The penalty was justified, as Pollards hit was slightly high, however the argument could be made that the receiver ducked into the hit. My complaints really start with the missed call against Dennis Pitta. In the middle of the 3rd quarter, Pitta caught a 5 yard crossing pattern pass from Flacco, and was promptly hit by inside linebacker Jarod Mayo. As shown below, "Mayo (B2) launched and hit Pitta (A2) in the head with; the crown of his  helmet, facemask to facemask, his shoulder, or his forearm."As the rulebook clearly states, this would be an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver, warranting a 15 yard penalty, or in this case, half the distance to the goal. For those who would like to take a look, a video of the hit is placed below. I understand that in this case, the penalty would not have changed the outcome of the play, and the drive ended with a touchdown on the next play anyway, but consistency from the refs is a must if the league wants to continue to claim that player safety is of utmost importance. 

Ok, maybe you don't buy my belief that the League and the refs hate the Ravens, but how about the analysts. Yes, the ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports and NFL Network analysts. I believe that the analysts hate the Ravens, with few exceptions, like beloved NFL Countdown anchor, Chris Berman. When the Raven's went to Denver, only 4 of 36 analysts picked the Ravens. A week later, when playing the Patriots, only 13 of 53 analysts from these networks picked the Ravens to win. Of course, I will mention the fact that only 4 of 29 analysts picked the Colts to win in the Wild Card match up. But other than the one game in which the Raven's were favored, most analysts picked against the Ravens, some even going above and beyond, as mentioned in last week's blog. 

Super Bowl Showdown

You don't have to be a Raven's or a 49ers fan to understand that importance of this match up, not even a football fan or a sports fan... national media is all over the "Harbowl". Brothers John (Ravens) and Jim (49ers) will coach against each other for the games biggest prize. Which ever brother wins, it will be their first Super Bowl victory, and the first for their respective franchises in over a decade. Which ever brother loses, it will be that franchises first loss in the big game, as both teams are a combined 6-0 when making it to the Super Bowl. 

But this game as many more headlines than just the sibling rivalry. Ray Lewis will be playing in his last NFL football game. For the past few weeks we have been wondering which game will be his last, but now we now, number 52, making his last ride, has made it to the big dance once again. His career will end on Feb. 3rd, whether the Ravens win or lose. But this is not only a big game for Ray. Veterans Ngata, Reed, Birk, Suggs, and Pollard will all be making their first Super Bowl appearance late in their careers. The often criticized Joe Flacco will be making his first Super Bowl appearance, 5 years into his career (keep in mind, the obviously Elite QB Peyton Manning didn't make it until his 8 year in the league). 

In a league most recently dominated by high powered offenses, the two teams playing in the Super Bowl are defense driven teams, with "unproven" offenses. The defenses have both been a top story during the playoffs, and each offense has been a surprise leading up to the Super Bowl. 

Last Thanksgiving Won't Matter

If you remember, last Thanksgiving featured the first Harbaugh brothers showdown, but unlike the Denver game, their are very few ways in which you can compare last seasons meeting with the upcoming Super Bowl. 

Last years game featured the newly revived Alex Smith, this year, the 49ers QB position was controversially switched to Kaepernick, who will be making just his 10th career start, but waisted no time impressing the league. A few other players will be in different roles than they were last year. Ray Lewis was sidelined for last years meeting, but now he is healthy, and playing for the last time. You can rest easy knowing that Ray Lewis will be playing with passion, intensity, and a will to win that may not be surmountable for the 49ers. Terrell Suggs was an impact player last year, and put in a performance that may have solidified his position of DPOY. This year, Kruger is the primary pass rusher, with Suggs quietly getting pressure. 

Last Year, each team was just shy of a Super Bowl birth, each team was let down by special teams. The 49ers fumbled a punt, leading the a Giants recovery, and it ultimately lead to the Giants winning the game. And the Ravens were let down by a botched field goal, which would have forced overtime against the Patriots. This year, the 49ers are plagued by kicking questions, while Ravens rookie Justin Tucker has been as consistent as they come. Each team has sured up their return game, with Pro-bowl quality return men. 

This game will be nothing short of extraordinary, each team has a legitimate chance to win. 

Still No Respect.

This screen shot is from ESPN's TV Personality, most known for his radio show, and for being the lead anchor on the often comical Sports Nation, Colin Cowherd. His quote may be all I need as a proper title. The Ravens were a 9.5 point underdog going into Denver. Very, very few analysts gave the Ravens any shot at all at beating Peyton Manning and the Broncos. However, I will admit, I was nervous about the Denver game, as many fans were. The stats seemed to speak for themselves: the Broncos had won 11 straight; Manning was 8-1 against Ray Lewis and the Ravens; Flacco had never been consistent on the road; and of course the 34-17 loss in week 14. But the Raven's overcame all of the nay sayers to beat the Broncos in double overtime, 38-35. Surely taking down future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning would get the Ravens some national respect, wouldn't it? Simple answer... NO.

As shown above, national media still doubts the Ravens ability. Cowherd says the "patriots are a machine right now," leaving the Raven's with no chance of winning. But didn't Cowherd learn from anything his ESPN college? ESPN reporter Ashley Fox became a well known figure in Baltimore last week when ESPN published a picture of Ray Lewis with the caption "Thanks for all of the Memories, because Sunday was your last NFL Win." This was in reference to the 24-9 Raven's victory over the inspired Colts. Ashley Fox did not stop at disrespecting Ray Lewis, she furthered her statement by comparing Peyton Manning to a Mac Book, a machine. She said that the Raven's would have to take a "hammer to the screen" or "pour beer on the keyboard" of this Mac Book to win. Bu the Raven's did win, by out playing the Broncos on offense, and containing Peyton Manning long enough to force a "hardware malfunction." So if the Raven's just outplayed one machine, why does Colin Cowherd think they won't out play another.

I do understand that the Patriots are playing with 'machine-like' characteristics. Tom Brady threw for 344 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The Patriots team totaled 457 yards, and scored 41 points. Make no mistake, those are impressive numbers. However, those impressive numbers are extremely similar to the Ravens numbers on Saturday. Flacco threw for just 13 fewer yards; he threw for just as many touchdowns, the Ravens totaled 22 more yards than the Patriots, and came up with just 3 fewer points. So if the Patriots are a machine on offense what does that make the Ravens? How can you say that one team is a machine and the other is not?

Looking Forward

The Raven's will travel to New England on Sunday to play the Patriots for the chance to go to the Super Bowl. Not only is this a week 3 rematch, but it is an AFC Championship game rematch from last season.

In Week 3 and in last years AFC Championship Game, Flacco has simply out-dueled Tom Brady. Not only has Flacco been on fire, the Raven's defense has been stout against Brady.

Many analysts on ESPN, and many fans are concerned about the high flying offense that Brady brings. If you watched the Patriots - Texans game on Sunday, you saw that much of their game plan relied on getting the ball deep to Lloyd. Cary Williams is expected to be matched up against Lloyd, and many analysts are marking this as the key match up. However these same analysts are forgetting about what Cary just did up against another deep threat in Decker. Decker was allowed catches in tight coverage, but nothing over the top, and nothing deep. For the most part Cary shut down the deep threat, and is expected to do the same Sunday. They are also listing the match up between the O-line and Wilfork as a key match up. However in the last two match-ups, Wilfork had only 1 sack, and 7 total tackles. Wilfork was also kept quiet in the run game, see how the Raven's were able to rush for over 100 yards in each game, and that was before the break out of Pierce, and the vastly improved O-line play.

The nay-sayers are once again standing loud against the Ravens, few giving them any chance at all. Yet they forget the Week 3 victory, and the Raven's stunning victory of the Broncos. I assure you that this weekend will once again prove that analysts clearly know nothing, which is why, as Chris Berman always says, "that's why we play the game."

Ravens v Broncos

I've never been one to forget the past, quite honestly I love to dwell in the past (I suppose that would explain my history major). So I would like to explain why for this weekend, I am going to focus on why the past means nothing. Of course to do this, I will have to explain the importance of the Week 14 match up.

Week 14: Denver 34 - Ravens 17

The most obvious stat that jumps out at everyone from this game is the final score, Denver doubled up on the Ravens. However certain things to get lost in simply looking at the final score. Every fan who watched the game remembers Joe Flacco's untimely pick-six right before half time. However few people remember what happened in the 2nd half. After half time, the two teams tied, each scoring 17 points. This left many people wondering "what if." What if Flacco hadn't thrown the interception. What if Flacco had thrown a touchdown. What if the Ravens hadn't started the game so slowly.

With the final score line showing a dominating Broncos performance, many people never bothered to really examine the games stats. The Raven's defense held Manning to 204 yards, nearly 100 fewer yards than his season average, and his lowest total of the season. Flacco threw for more yards, and more touchdowns than Manning. In all aspects except the impossibly complicated QBR, Flacco out preformed Manning.

Many analysts look at Peyton Manning, and a 11 game win streak, and dismiss the Ravens without a second look. However that 9 game win streak does lack some legitimacy. In those 11 games, the Broncos only played 2 playoff teams, the Ravens, and the Bengals. They played 5 playoff teams, and lost to 3 of them.

"New" Faces

Another critical statistic, the players on the field. Of the 6 leading tacklers for the Ravens, only 1 was a Week 1 starter (Cary Williams). The starting Middle Line Backers, Josh Bynes and Brandon Ayanbedejo. Meaning Ellerbe and Lewis were on the sideline, both of whom will be playing this weekend. Lewis provides leadership and knowledge that surpass any Raven, and arguably any active defensive player. Ellerbe provides experience at the position and a much needed pass rush.

Also missing from the Week 14 line-up, pro bowl guard Marshall Yanda and the local star of Bernard Pollard. Starting with Pollard, he provides a better run stopper (something they struggled with in week 14) and a greater "middle-of-the-field" presence.

Second is Marshall Yanda. Yanda is a two time pro bowler, and the Raven's best lineman. But his presence is not the only offensive difference, not even the only offensive line difference. The line has been adjusted consistently over the past several games. Finally leading to a line that allowed only 1 sack to a Colts defense that prides itself on their pass rush, mainly from the quitted Freeney and Mathis. Freeney couldn't even notch a tackle in the game. The offense was under first time coordinator Jim Caldwell. Caldwell now has a few games experience, and has added consistency to a struggling offense.

Key Roles

The Broncos, Ravens game on Saturday will be a hard fought game. Two strong, battle tested defenses, two high flying quarterbacks, and two run games that are much improved from earlier this season.

Running Back Bernard Pierce played in the first game, but his "break-out" came one week later. Line Backer Paul Kruger played in the first game, but his "break-out" came one week later. Tight End Dennis Pitta played in that first game, but his "break-out" came in the 4th quarter.

Meaning

Many Baltimore fans are focusing on the 34-17 defeat, and saying the Ravens have no chance of winning the rematch. However they forget, Peyton historically struggles with three things, a pass rush, cold weather, and a bye-week. Peyton is 1-7 in games played outdoors with the temperature below 25 degrees. The forecast for Saturday predicts 18 degree weather. Peyton has always struggled with a bye week, or getting rest in the final week of the year, having only one 1 playoff game following a week of rest in 5 attempts. And aging, surgically repaired, Peyton Manning, is not physically capable of out running my grandma, much less new found pass rushers Kruger and Ellerbe, much less the hitting ability of Suggs, Nagta, Pollard, Ihedigbo.

Baltimore has a chance to shock the world this week, much like they did in 2000, winning a Super Bowl in the franchises first ever playoff appearance.

Battle of the Beltway

I know that I haven't blogged anything recently, and that has mostly been due to the busy schedule of a college student, but partially because of my main motivation as a sports writer hasn't been there.

One of the reasons I started this page was because I was a frustrated member of the Baltimore community. As an avid watcher of ESPN's SportsCenter, I am often frustrated with the lack of national attention that Baltimore teams receive (I mean for God's sake, the Raven's Steelers game was briefly mentioned while Tony Romo's 2 interception performance in a loss required 20 minutes of discussion every hour). Furthermore I am often frustrated by Baltimore's unique condition of sports bipolar disorder. Every fall Friday the city is proudly wearing their purple, yet every Sunday evening (win, lose, or draw) the game was never good enough for Baltimore. This is never more evident then when listening to 105.7 The Fan on Monday's. I swear to God that Joe Flacco could throw for 5 touchdowns, 350 yards, and the Ravens could win the game 35-7, and everyone will call in Monday morning bashing on Flacco for the one interception he threw, or the one sack he took on third down. And if the "fans" aren't bashing on Flacco, I promise Cam Cameron did something wrong (probably calling a run play on 3rd and 9 with 1:32 left in the game, which was won long ago, thus giving the ball back to the opponent). So with this in mind, Baltimore sports 'fans' have riled me up once again, and because of that I decided to write this post.

Today the Ravens lost a close game to the Redskins, which caused Baltimore to come out calling for the heads of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and defensive coordinator Dean Pees, and of course, quarterback Joe Flacco.

Lets put this into perspective. Flacco threw for 3 touchdowns, the second most of any quarterback this week. He also had a rating of 121.4, the second highest of any qualifying quarterback. Yes, he did have an untimely red-zone interception, but you could easily blame that on the lack of time provided by a subpar O-line. So I can't see any blame landing on Flacco this week.

Secondly, Cam Cameron has received a lot of blame for an 'underperforming' offense. However I don't see the underperforming part at all. The Raven's offense ran for 178 yards on the leagues third best rushing defense, who previously allowed only 91 yards per game. They also scored 28 points today. Of the 15 games played so far this week, 28 points would have won 10 of those games. And I don't think it is far to include the Giants and Seahawks into this equation, but I did anyway. They also tallied 359 yards on offense, more than 19 of the 30 teams to play this weekend. Also, they had a 3rd down efficiency of 50% and a RedZone efficiency of 75%. All of these factors would lead to a win 9 times out of 10. One of the final criticisms I've heard most about Cam Cameron this week is that fan's are asking why he did not play Ray Rice more throughout the game. Ray had 20 carries for 121 yards, while Pierce had 8 carries for 53 yards. That means Rice was a part of 71% of all rushing plays today, a pretty high percentage for someone who apparently didn't touch the field according to social media.

Now lets move on to Dean Pees, our defensive coordinator. With all the stats just mentioned for the offense, it is easy to blame the defense for stumbling in the 4th quarter and costing us the victory. But I will not sit here and say that it is in any way Dean Pees's fault, and anyone who does needs to rethink their decision. If all players were healthy, are starting middle linebackers would be Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe, with McLain receiving playing time. Today are starters were Jameel McLain and Albert McLellan (normally and outside linebacker). But not to worry, McLain received a neck injury late in the third quarter and was replaced by Bynes, who was subsequently injured. So for the game tying and game winning drives, our middle linebackers were Brendan Ayanbadejo and Albert McLellan, neither of which normally play the position. This is of course not to mention the fact that pro bowler Suggs is out, Webb has been out for several weeks, and 2nd string CB Jimmy Smith is still out. This leaves Dean Pees with out 6 of his 11 starters, and he lost 2 players who had been playing well in the game. So to blame Pees for this loss is unacceptable,

In my opinion there are two types of band wagon fans. First the common bandwagon fan, Skip Bayless for example. This type joins the fan base of any team doing well. This year that would mean someone not from the greater DC area all of the sudden becoming a avid Redskins fan. These types of fans are annoying, but at least understandable, I mean, it is only natural to root for a team that is winning and fun to watch. But then there is the 2nd type of band wagon fan, the much much worse type. This is a fan who has been a proud supporter of a team for many many years, but the second they lose a tight game in a rivalry match up, that fan bashes on his team and 'disowns' them, so pretty much any fan of any Philly based sports team. To me this type of bandwagon fan is unacceptable, you are either a fan of the team or not. The reason I bring this up is because it truly upsets me that so many people in Baltimore can complain that a team, who is 9-4, is probably going to the playoffs for the 5 straight year, has had a rough two came span, losing by a combined 6 points, both on last second or overtime field goals. Especially when its the same Baltimore fans who stood by the O's through 14 straight losing seasons. If you are a Baltimore Fan, I can only say this one way, GROW UP. You have been privileged to watch a great team play football in Baltimore for the past 5 years. No, they may not have won or appeared in a Superbowl in those 5 years, but hey, there are 30 teams that miss out every year. At least we can say we were close, unlike the Browns, Bills, Dolphins or Jaguars.

Nate The Great

Game 4 of the ALDS between the Yankees and the Oriole's was as exciting as advertised.

The pitching matchup is not as intriguing as a typical post season matchup, Phil Hughes of the Yankees was taking on Joe Saunders for the Orioles.

Phil Hughes is a typical number 4 for any organization, but Joe Saunders would fit into most teams minor league systems. Saunders does not have a particularly quick fastball, he does not have any spectacular "strike-out" pitch, he is by many standards, average. But how he uses his pitches, his command, and his experience were all the O's needed. Saunders pitched the Orioles to victory in the Wild Card game, and facing elimination, all they needed was a repeat performance, shouldn't be too hard right? Well maybe not, but with the Yankees, nothing is easy, especially not in the post season.

At the start, everything seemed to be going the Orioles way, McLouth led off with a walk, and Hardy attempted a sac-bunt to move him over. But Hardy's bunt rode the foul line all the way to the bag, staying just far, allowing Hardy to reach safely, and Hardy to advance. But Hughes was able to rally for three straight fly-outs to end the O's early chance.

Saunders settled into the game nicely, not allowing a hit until the 3rd. In the 3rd, Hughes walked the lead off man for the second time, Machado was able to draw the walk, and McLouth quickly doubled to right to advance Machado all the way to third. But then Hardy grounded to short, and Machado was thrown out at home. So just like the first inning, the O's went quietly after a quick start.

Nate McLouth homers to
take the lead in the 5th 

Now fast forward to the top of the 5th, and McLouth is lead off man again. McLouth had walked and doubled in his two at bats so far, and he wasted no time adding to an impressive game. McLouth his a solo HR to break the ice and give Baltimore a 1-0 advantage in the 5th.

McLouth saving a run with
 his spectacular catch and
double play in the 5th

After an impressive HR, Saunders walked the Yankees lead off man, and quickly struck out a struggling Granderson. Jason Nix stepped up with one out and a man on first, and he hit the ball hard to deep left field. McLouth, who had just hit his home run, made a leaping catch up against the wall, and had the presence of mind to get the double play at 1st, ending the Yankee's chances in the 5th. However the Yankee's were eventually able to score on an RBI single from Jeter in the 6th.

With the game tied at 1-1, and the endless parade of match-up relief pitchers, the game was now in the 13th inning, the second straight extra inning game, and the first time in league history the same post-season series has gone more than 12 innings in back to back meetings. With most of their match-up pitchers already used, both managers had to turn to their long relievers. The Orioles went with red hot O'Day and then followed with a well rested Pedro Strop. The Yankees went with Joba Chamberlain, but then quickly had to bring in Phelps, (due to an elbow injury to Chamberlain) and eventually Clay Rapada.

Hardy with a stand up double
to score Machado in the 13th

In the top of the 13th, Clay Rapada gave up a lead off double to Many Machado, McLouth grounded out to second advancing Machado to 3rd. Hardy came up with one out and a runner on 3rd. All night the O's went hitless with runners in scoring position, but a quick look to the jovial O's dugout gave you the sense that this would result in a different story. Hardy hit the ball hard to deep left, where it dropped in just in front of the fence, giving the O's a 2-1 lead with Hardy on 2nd.

O's celebrate an extra inning
 victory to force a game 5. 

Jim Johnson came on in the bottom of the 13th, and did what he does best, retire the side.

The O's were able to pull out the victory in Game 4, just past midnight eastern time. This forces a Game 5 to be played this evening, with a first pitch scheduled for just past 5. This gives coaches and players just about 17 hours to recoup from last night and get ready to play again. Both teams will pitch the same pitchers from Game 1, meaning Hammel for the O's and CC Sabathia for the Yankees. This marks the first time since the beginning of the divisional series that all 4 series will have a game 5. Both the Orioles and Yankees will be looking for the opportunity to take on Detroit in the ALCS with a win tonight.


Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below, and please share this with your friends!

Birdland Woes

Sunday promised to be an exciting day for sports fans across the nation, but a special note went to the fans in Baltimore. Across that nation there were great match ups across the board in several sporting events, the NFL and MLB took center stage. Brady vs. Manning is an intriguing match up at any point in any season, especially when its been more than a year since the two have met. Andrew Luck leading a comeback against Aaron Rodgers, a match up featuring two quarterbacks facing the same role, following a legend. Drew Brees completing a touchdown pass for the record breaking 48th time. And of course, you have the MLB playoffs.

In Baltimore, The Orioles were playing their rival The Yankees in Baltimore, and the Ravens were taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, two exciting games for the city of Baltimore. 

Ray Rice powering for a first down
in Sundays victory. 

For the Ravens many will call it a disappointing game. One of the top five offenses in the Ravens were going up against a 1-3 Chiefs team. It certainly was not a pretty game. The offense went 3-11 on third down, notching just under 300 total yards. The defense gave up 214 rushing yards, 140 of them to Jamaal Charles. But as Ray Lewis said, "The ones that count the most are never the prettiest. The ones that count the most are the ones that you have to fight through. Anybody on each side of the ball will tell you they'll take a 'W' before anything."

The Ravens did come out victorious, winning on 3 Tucker FG's, 9-6, and at the end of the day, the Ravens are 4-1, and in control of the AFC North. The few bright spots of the game were Ray Rice and Paul Kruger. Ray Rice rushed for 102 yards on the day, and racked up 6.0 yards per carry. Ray was able to power his way for a few 3rd and 1 type rushes for 1st downs. Kruger came up big in the 2nd half, having 3 tackles for a lose, and many more big time run stops.

Moving on to baseball, The Orioles vs. The New York Yankees. This game ultimately was to be decided 6 and a half hours after the schedules first pitch. 

Both CC Sabathia and Jason Hammel started well for their respective teams, but eventually Hammel would have to give way to the bullpen, while Sabathia made it 1 out away from a complete game. 

Hammel pitched strong through 5.2 innings, but the pitch count would bring his night to an early end. Patton came on in relief and got the O's out of jam to end the 6th. After Patton struggled early in the 7th, O'Day came on to keep the game at a 2-2 draw. Matusz came on in the 8th and pitched spectacularly. Both O'Day and Matusz were able to get out of their innings hitless, setting up Johnson to pitch in the 9th. 

The O's were able to capitalize early on the rare Yankee's mistakes to take a 2-1 lead. Eventually it would be a 2-2 tie entering the 9th. Johnson came on trying to preserve the tie for the O's offense in the bottom of the 9th. Unfortunately that is not at all how it went for Johnson. This season he has struggled in non-save situations, and that is the position he was in last night. Johnson gave up 5 hits and 5 runs, leading the an Orioles 7-2 loss. 

Fans in Baltimore were quick to blame Buck Showalter and Johnson today, but I am not here to do that. I think it was a well managed game, against a truly special pitcher. Sabathia threw a gem of a game against the Orioles, and maybe we just have to tip our caps in respect, and look for a win tonight. Many fans in Baltimore will panic after going down 0-1 in the series, but I promise you no one within the organization will. As Buck always says, our number one pitcher is the guy pitching that night. Well tonight that is Chen, who lead the team in wins and ERA this season. The Yankees clear number one pitcher is Sabathia, and it is all down hill from there for the Yankees. The O's were able to get 7 hits off Sabathia, they just weren't able to get him to break with runners in scoring position. With a little better discipline at the plate tonight, they will be able to do just fine against Pettitte. The O's were 3-3 agains the Yanks in Baltimore this season, and they will look to go 1-1 in the post season. Should the O's win tonight they will go to New York tied 1-1. The O's were 6-3 in New York this year, so I will take our chances if we go to New York tied. 

Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below, and share this with your friends and Birdland Family. 

BOHlieve

15 years since the Orioles last playoff birth.

Saunders being congratulated for his
performance Friday night. 

Texas has played in the last two World Series. 

 Joe Saunders went 9-13 this season.

Yu Darvish went 16-9 in his rookie season. 

Joe Saunders was 0-6 lifetime when playing at Texas. 

Yu Darvish was 10-0 when facing a team for the first time. 

All stats logically lead to a Rangers victory, but as Chris Berman always reminds us, "thats why we play that game."

The Orioles did not waste time, getting lead of hitter Nate McLouth on with an error. After stealing 2nd, Hardy brought home McLouth on a single to center field. The Orioles had a 1-0 lead early. 

Sauders struggled at the start, walking Ian Kinsler, and then giving up a single to Elvis Andrus. Hamilton then grounded into a double play, but not before the Rangers scored Kinsler making it a 1-1 ball game. 

The game was a pitchers duel from here on out. Saunders matched Darvish out for out into the 6th inning. He did what many people were considering the impossible, he gave the O's a chance to win. In the 6th, Adam Jones hit a sacrifice fly to deep right, scoring JJ Hardy, giving the Orioles a 2-1 lead. O'Day came on with two outs in the 6th and pitched great. O'Day pitched 2 full innings, giving up just one hit and no runs. With Hamilton coming up to bat, the O's brought in lefty specialist Matusz, who struck out Hamilton on three straight pitches. 

Through the innings, the O's were able to add some insurance runs to make the game 5-1 in the bottom of the 9th. Closer Jim Johnson came on, fresh off his 51 save season, trying to close out his first post-season save. Of course this could not be done simply, thats not the Orioles way. Johnson loaded the bases off a single, walk, single. With two outs and the bases loaded, David Murphy came up to pinch-hit. Murphy was one of two players to hit a home run off of Johnson this year. Fortunately for the O's, Johnson got him to fly out to left field, securing a victory for the O's. 

Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton
console each other after
a heart break 5-1 lose.

Texas will be left with many questions tonight and in the coming days. Center Fielder, and power hitting Josh Hamilton is now a free agent. A team that was coming off of two straight World Series appearances, and was 5 games up in the division with 6 games left, will now be watching the rest of the playoffs from their couches.   

The Orioles will now come home for the American League Division Series against the Yankees. This will be a best of 5 series, playing the first 2 in Baltimore before heading up to New York for the remaining 3 possible games. The Orioles and Yankees split the season series at 9 a piece, setting up a great story line for a rival match-up.

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The Orioles celebrate their 5-1 victory in Texas.