In what could possibly be a preview of Super Bowl 52.....
just kidding!
Well, since i brought it up let's think about it for a minute. With Aaron Rodgers possibly out for the season unless he comes back like the 2nd coming of Jesus.. the Vikings have the best chance to win the NFC North. The only issue for them is health and stability at the QB position. The run and pass game is decent to get the job done but not spectacular and the defense is still solid. As far as I know defense can get you to alot of places more than a good offense can. If Teddy Bridgewater can get back to being almost the same player he once was then we'll have a great comeback feelgood story of the year. The Vikings will have two reliable QBs to run their offense if Bradford can stay healthy. The Falcons are still the team to beat in the NFC no question but even they look inconsistent at times. If the Vikings defense can overcome some offensive juggernauts and beat the Falcons, or Eagles then they are well on their way to be the first team to host a Super Bowl in their city. The NFC is more wide open now than you think.
As for the Ravens, they could be one of those jeckyl and hyde teams that nobody can get a read on. They play shitty early in the season when everyone begins to write them off but start catching on fire when the weather gets colder. The Ravens are one of those "what if" teams. Nobody can deny the success the Ravens have had in the postseason under Harbaugh. they've won at least one or two playoff game every season that they were able to get in the postseason and have had success against the Patriots, Chiefs and most recently the Steelers on the road in their last playoff appearance. Right now the run defense is ranked near the bottom and looking horrible. Ravens defense is on track to allow the most rush yards in franchise history but all things considered opponents would rather run on the Ravens instead of pass when the Ravens are #1 in rush attempts against by opponent. those rush yards look a bit inflated when the Ravens are ranked middle of the pack with 4.3 ypc allowed and that is mostly without Brandon Williams. Expect those numbers to decrease once they get him back and that will force opposing QB's to start throwing into coverage once again. Ravens are still one of the top INT leaders this season. I think the defense will only get better as the season goes along. the offense just needs to find a way to fix itself midseason. i have to admit though the Ravens future this season looks shaky. ESPN analytics have already declared that Ravens have a better chance at getting a top 10 draft pick more than their chances at making the playoffs.. that's gotta ruffle some feathers. i am not going to lie but even though they don't look like it at times, the Steelers look like the team that can win it all. I can see it now Big Ben rides off into the sunset.
but regardless i am sticking with my original prediction:
Vikings vs Ravens in Super Bowl 52
but seriously those Steelers do look scary though..
my backup prediction:
Vikings vs Steelers in Super Bowl 52
that was my pre-game warmup. real write-up soon LOL
In what could possibly be a preview of Super Bowl 52.....
just kidding!
Well, since i brought it up let's think about it for a minute. With Aaron Rodgers possibly out for the season unless he comes back like the 2nd coming of Jesus.. the Vikings have the best chance to win the NFC North. The only issue for them is health and stability at the QB position. The run and pass game is decent to get the job done but not spectacular and the defense is still solid. As far as I know defense can get you to alot of places more than a good offense can. If Teddy Bridgewater can get back to being almost the same player he once was then we'll have a great comeback feelgood story of the year. The Vikings will have two reliable QBs to run their offense if Bradford can stay healthy. The Falcons are still the team to beat in the NFC no question but even they look inconsistent at times. If the Vikings defense can overcome some offensive juggernauts and beat the Falcons, or Eagles then they are well on their way to be the first team to host a Super Bowl in their city. The NFC is more wide open now than you think.
As for the Ravens, they could be one of those jeckyl and hyde teams that nobody can get a read on. They play shitty early in the season when everyone begins to write them off but start catching on fire when the weather gets colder. The Ravens are one of those "what if" teams. Nobody can deny the success the Ravens have had in the postseason under Harbaugh. they've won at least one or two playoff game every season that they were able to get in the postseason and have had success against the Patriots, Chiefs and most recently the Steelers on the road in their last playoff appearance. Right now the run defense is ranked near the bottom and looking horrible. Ravens defense is on track to allow the most rush yards in franchise history but all things considered opponents would rather run on the Ravens instead of pass when the Ravens are #1 in rush attempts against by opponent. those rush yards look a bit inflated when the Ravens are ranked middle of the pack with 4.3 ypc allowed and that is mostly without Brandon Williams. Expect those numbers to decrease once they get him back and that will force opposing QB's to start throwing into coverage once again. Ravens are still one of the top INT leaders this season. I think the defense will only get better as the season goes along. the offense just needs to find a way to fix itself midseason. i have to admit though the Ravens future this season looks shaky. ESPN analytics have already declared that Ravens have a better chance at getting a top 10 draft pick more than their chances at making the playoffs.. that's gotta ruffle some feathers. i am not going to lie but even though they don't look like it at times, the Steelers look like the team that can win it all. I can see it now Big Ben rides off into the sunset.
but regardless i am sticking with my original prediction:
Vikings vs Ravens in Super Bowl 52
but seriously those Steelers do look scary though..
my backup prediction:
Vikings vs Steelers in Super Bowl 52
that was my pre-game warmup. real write-up soon LOL
This seems to be the recurring theme nowadays when talking about the Baltimore Ravens this season.. and also the year before that and the year before that. but what's new? Aren't the skies always falling here? Even when the Ravens went on a miraculous Super Bowl run the pundits back then said the skies were falling for the Ravens when they fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron midway thru the season and then there was that 4th-and-29 play..
Here are a few quips i gathered.. hashtag #skyisfalling:
10/19/17: D.C, Dean Pees - “Our problem is we gave up a big play in overtime. That’s what happened. We gave up a big play. It’s not doom and gloom. It’s not the sky is falling. We’ve got to quit giving up the big plays. That’s it, bottom line."
"I'm tired of the sky falling around here. I really am. I'm really sick of it"
8/3/17: guard, Marshal Yanda - ""At this stage of my career, I try to keep my head down and focus on what's in the building. I try to tell young guys that you can't be getting caught up in the media every day, because obviously, if you read the media, the sky is falling every day, and we aren't going to survive until tomorrow."
The criticisms of the offense have got to the point where the Ravens front office and even team owner Bisciotti had to go on public record today to defend the team.
This seems to be the recurring theme nowadays when talking about the Baltimore Ravens this season.. and also the year before that and the year before that. but what's new? Aren't the skies always falling here? Even when the Ravens went on a miraculous Super Bowl run the pundits back then said the skies were falling for the Ravens when they fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron midway thru the season and then there was that 4th-and-29 play..
Here are a few quips i gathered.. hashtag #skyisfalling:
10/19/17: D.C, Dean Pees - “Our problem is we gave up a big play in overtime. That’s what happened. We gave up a big play. It’s not doom and gloom. It’s not the sky is falling. We’ve got to quit giving up the big plays. That’s it, bottom line."
"I'm tired of the sky falling around here. I really am. I'm really sick of it"
8/3/17: guard, Marshal Yanda - ""At this stage of my career, I try to keep my head down and focus on what's in the building. I try to tell young guys that you can't be getting caught up in the media every day, because obviously, if you read the media, the sky is falling every day, and we aren't going to survive until tomorrow."
The criticisms of the offense have got to the point where the Ravens front office and even team owner Bisciotti had to go on public record today to defend the team.
I love it when the talking heads overreact to a loss and cast doubt on a team. The Ravens currently have a better chance at landing a top-10 draft pick(34.5%) than making the postseason(29.4%) according to ESPN projections and most power rankings have the Ravens falling by the wayside when they used to be as high as #11 but now rank around #22 to as low as #28 in the latest rankings. The Ravens can take all this doom and gloom and use it as motivational fuel.
The Ravens as road dogs under Harbaugh are 31-21-2 ATS and 21-33 SU overall but are 14-10 ATS and 8-16 SU as road dogs since winning the title. The Ravens have about 59% chance of covering as dogs and 33-39% chance of winning. It would be farfetch to ask the Ravens to win another tough road game when they haven't won more than 2 road games per year in 3 of their last 4 seasons but that's what they'll need to do this week in Minnesota. Strangely enough Ravens have played just a tad better on the road than they have at home especially on the defensive side. I expect the Ravens to put up a much better effort than they did last week in another close dogfight with another NFC North opponent
I love it when the talking heads overreact to a loss and cast doubt on a team. The Ravens currently have a better chance at landing a top-10 draft pick(34.5%) than making the postseason(29.4%) according to ESPN projections and most power rankings have the Ravens falling by the wayside when they used to be as high as #11 but now rank around #22 to as low as #28 in the latest rankings. The Ravens can take all this doom and gloom and use it as motivational fuel.
The Ravens as road dogs under Harbaugh are 31-21-2 ATS and 21-33 SU overall but are 14-10 ATS and 8-16 SU as road dogs since winning the title. The Ravens have about 59% chance of covering as dogs and 33-39% chance of winning. It would be farfetch to ask the Ravens to win another tough road game when they haven't won more than 2 road games per year in 3 of their last 4 seasons but that's what they'll need to do this week in Minnesota. Strangely enough Ravens have played just a tad better on the road than they have at home especially on the defensive side. I expect the Ravens to put up a much better effort than they did last week in another close dogfight with another NFC North opponent
Injuries played a part in the Ravens loss to the Bears. Not only were they without their best run stuffer Brandon Williams, Williams' back-up Carl Davis was out too. The run defense suffered once again. The offense was anemic it bears repeating. One of the reasons for that was Jeremy Maclin did not suit up that week and to make matters worse, Breshad Perriman was knocked out of the game with a concussion. they also lost their starting tight end Maxx Williams to injury. It's not like the 1st unit receiving corp was performing that well anyway but better than having the backups in. The recievers didnt do Flacco any favors with a catch-fumble and 2 deflected drops turned into INTs one for a pick-six. Ravens were in Bears territory a few times and turnovers literally killed them.
But now for the good news this week...
Brandon Williams a.k.a The Hulk is back and has a good chance to play this week. It's not a certainty but if he does it'll be a big win for the Ravens. Not only is he the best run stopper on the team but the interior line becomes much stronger when he draws double blockers. Opposing offenses will have to worry about the interior pass rush now and not just from the edges. Run-stopping and pass rush productivity goes up when The Hulk plays and the secondary coverage also benefits too.
In the 2 games with Williams..
opponents rush for 3.9 ypc on 21.5 carries and 0 rush TDs
8 sacks on 4.0avg, 10 turnovers(2 Fumbles, 8 INTs)
In the 4 games without Williams...
opponents rush for 4.3 ypc on 39 carries and 4 rush TDs
8 sacks on 2.0avg, 4 turnovers(3 Fumbles, 1 INT)
Opponents have abused the running game in William's abscence but not no more. It's insane that the Bears rushed the ball 54 times last week but the Ravens kind of held their own with 4.27 ypc allowed. if Weddle didn't get too fancy with the attempted strip fumble on Jordan Howard and minus that big 53 yard run, the Ravens run defense would have held the Bears to an 3.3 ypc the entire game. Now we won't have to worry about using safeties in run support as much and have them focus more on pass coverage with Williams back.
Injuries played a part in the Ravens loss to the Bears. Not only were they without their best run stuffer Brandon Williams, Williams' back-up Carl Davis was out too. The run defense suffered once again. The offense was anemic it bears repeating. One of the reasons for that was Jeremy Maclin did not suit up that week and to make matters worse, Breshad Perriman was knocked out of the game with a concussion. they also lost their starting tight end Maxx Williams to injury. It's not like the 1st unit receiving corp was performing that well anyway but better than having the backups in. The recievers didnt do Flacco any favors with a catch-fumble and 2 deflected drops turned into INTs one for a pick-six. Ravens were in Bears territory a few times and turnovers literally killed them.
But now for the good news this week...
Brandon Williams a.k.a The Hulk is back and has a good chance to play this week. It's not a certainty but if he does it'll be a big win for the Ravens. Not only is he the best run stopper on the team but the interior line becomes much stronger when he draws double blockers. Opposing offenses will have to worry about the interior pass rush now and not just from the edges. Run-stopping and pass rush productivity goes up when The Hulk plays and the secondary coverage also benefits too.
In the 2 games with Williams..
opponents rush for 3.9 ypc on 21.5 carries and 0 rush TDs
8 sacks on 4.0avg, 10 turnovers(2 Fumbles, 8 INTs)
In the 4 games without Williams...
opponents rush for 4.3 ypc on 39 carries and 4 rush TDs
8 sacks on 2.0avg, 4 turnovers(3 Fumbles, 1 INT)
Opponents have abused the running game in William's abscence but not no more. It's insane that the Bears rushed the ball 54 times last week but the Ravens kind of held their own with 4.27 ypc allowed. if Weddle didn't get too fancy with the attempted strip fumble on Jordan Howard and minus that big 53 yard run, the Ravens run defense would have held the Bears to an 3.3 ypc the entire game. Now we won't have to worry about using safeties in run support as much and have them focus more on pass coverage with Williams back.
The gameplan against the Vikings is simply this. Once again, the Ravens will need to establish the run effectively if they want to win this game. Theymust not abandon the run and let Flacco throw 40+ times which usually always ends in a loss. But how, arent the Vikings the 3rd best defense against the run?
Lets see who the Vikings faced.. a muddled Saints backfield with seldomly used Adrian Peterson; a rusty LeVeon Bell who missed all of camp and preseason; a non-existant Bucs running game without Doug Martin; and a rookie back in Aaron Jones for the Packers. Coincidentally all of these teams rank in the bottom half in rush offense. The Lions' Ameer Abdullah has the most rush yards with 94 yds and a score against the Vikings but he isnt a top-tier back. The Bears are the only top 10 run offense the Vikes have faced so far and they did a respectable job holding them back with a 3.96 ypc avg. They are going to get another test against the Ravens that is ranked 6th in run offense.
The Ravens running game has been the only consistent thing going for this putrid offense. Alex Collins has been a nice pickup from the Seahawks. Collins is currently 16th in rush yards and he's averaging 6.4 ypc which is more than Kareem Hunt's 5.8 ypc or any of the 15 RB's ahead of him. i would like to see the Ravens use him more and his usage is certainly trending that way. He's definitely taken over Terrance West's job as the Ravens lead back. Javorius Allen has stepped up his game and matured as well in the complementary role. It would be wise for the Ravens to test the Vikings run defense as i think their #3 ranking is a bit misleading. If the Ravens can get the run established that will set up Flacco to get some passes going in the slot to Jeremy Maclin or to his tight end Ben Watson or Nick Boyle where the Vikings can be a bit susceptible.
The gameplan against the Vikings is simply this. Once again, the Ravens will need to establish the run effectively if they want to win this game. Theymust not abandon the run and let Flacco throw 40+ times which usually always ends in a loss. But how, arent the Vikings the 3rd best defense against the run?
Lets see who the Vikings faced.. a muddled Saints backfield with seldomly used Adrian Peterson; a rusty LeVeon Bell who missed all of camp and preseason; a non-existant Bucs running game without Doug Martin; and a rookie back in Aaron Jones for the Packers. Coincidentally all of these teams rank in the bottom half in rush offense. The Lions' Ameer Abdullah has the most rush yards with 94 yds and a score against the Vikings but he isnt a top-tier back. The Bears are the only top 10 run offense the Vikes have faced so far and they did a respectable job holding them back with a 3.96 ypc avg. They are going to get another test against the Ravens that is ranked 6th in run offense.
The Ravens running game has been the only consistent thing going for this putrid offense. Alex Collins has been a nice pickup from the Seahawks. Collins is currently 16th in rush yards and he's averaging 6.4 ypc which is more than Kareem Hunt's 5.8 ypc or any of the 15 RB's ahead of him. i would like to see the Ravens use him more and his usage is certainly trending that way. He's definitely taken over Terrance West's job as the Ravens lead back. Javorius Allen has stepped up his game and matured as well in the complementary role. It would be wise for the Ravens to test the Vikings run defense as i think their #3 ranking is a bit misleading. If the Ravens can get the run established that will set up Flacco to get some passes going in the slot to Jeremy Maclin or to his tight end Ben Watson or Nick Boyle where the Vikings can be a bit susceptible.
This is a tough game to cap because both these teams are nearly identical in style in that they are defensive minded teams and rely on their defense and special teams to help carry the offense . On paper the Vikings look like the better overall team through the first six weeks and seem like a mismatch for the Ravens. i think both teams are more equal than the stats would have you believe...
Your argument will be: but the Ravens are ranked 30th against the run, how are they going to stop Jerick McKinnon? And I will tell you dont pay attention to those inflated numbers. They are irrelevant now that Brandon Williams is back. He is the big cog that makes this defense go and now Dean Pees can get more creative with his defensive schemes.
The Vikings will be without one of their guards Nick Easton in this game. While he isnt one of their best linemen, he just happens to be their best pass protector. Stefon Diggs is also out again and while they didnt need him last week given the situation in Green Bay they will absolutely miss him here. The Ravens pass defense will get back on track today. I see Case Keenum having a hard time moving the ball against Baltimore and will force him to make some mistakes.
The Ravens come into Minnesota with an underrated running game and defense. Yes you heard me. Originally, i had the Ravens losing this game straight up but after looking extensively at the matchup, situations and the intangibles.. I believe the Ravens can keep this game close and have a good shot to take this game outright! The Ravens just need to stick to the formula which is to play good defense, force turnovers, control the clock by running the ball, make timely passes and play mistake-free football like they did at Cincinnati and Oakland. Fortunately the road has been a bit more favorable for the Ravens, and has played to their strengths so far, if you dont count that game in London. These overseas games are an abomination, capitalistic imperialism at its finest. No team really wants to play there. Oh and it just happens the Vikings are playing in London next week. A big distraction nonetheless
The pick: Ravens +5.5
(i understand its 4.5 now but i would still take it. As well as a shot on the ML)
This is a tough game to cap because both these teams are nearly identical in style in that they are defensive minded teams and rely on their defense and special teams to help carry the offense . On paper the Vikings look like the better overall team through the first six weeks and seem like a mismatch for the Ravens. i think both teams are more equal than the stats would have you believe...
Your argument will be: but the Ravens are ranked 30th against the run, how are they going to stop Jerick McKinnon? And I will tell you dont pay attention to those inflated numbers. They are irrelevant now that Brandon Williams is back. He is the big cog that makes this defense go and now Dean Pees can get more creative with his defensive schemes.
The Vikings will be without one of their guards Nick Easton in this game. While he isnt one of their best linemen, he just happens to be their best pass protector. Stefon Diggs is also out again and while they didnt need him last week given the situation in Green Bay they will absolutely miss him here. The Ravens pass defense will get back on track today. I see Case Keenum having a hard time moving the ball against Baltimore and will force him to make some mistakes.
The Ravens come into Minnesota with an underrated running game and defense. Yes you heard me. Originally, i had the Ravens losing this game straight up but after looking extensively at the matchup, situations and the intangibles.. I believe the Ravens can keep this game close and have a good shot to take this game outright! The Ravens just need to stick to the formula which is to play good defense, force turnovers, control the clock by running the ball, make timely passes and play mistake-free football like they did at Cincinnati and Oakland. Fortunately the road has been a bit more favorable for the Ravens, and has played to their strengths so far, if you dont count that game in London. These overseas games are an abomination, capitalistic imperialism at its finest. No team really wants to play there. Oh and it just happens the Vikings are playing in London next week. A big distraction nonetheless
The pick: Ravens +5.5
(i understand its 4.5 now but i would still take it. As well as a shot on the ML)
Davidgibson. I do this for fun and i dont have a timetable or deadlines for posting my writeups its not my fulltime job.
If you read my earlier posts you already can tell i was on Baltimore. Well the book should be open this morning doesnt mean you cant place your bets in now. But if you cant for scheduling reasons then no big deal. Good luck
Davidgibson. I do this for fun and i dont have a timetable or deadlines for posting my writeups its not my fulltime job.
If you read my earlier posts you already can tell i was on Baltimore. Well the book should be open this morning doesnt mean you cant place your bets in now. But if you cant for scheduling reasons then no big deal. Good luck
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