The Baltimore Ravens have gone all-in with quarterback Joe Flacco and are counting on him taking them to the Super Bowl in his third season.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco has taken plenty of harrassment from the defenses of the Jets and Bengals (here by Antwan Odom) during the first two weeks of the season. The third-year quarterback is being counted upon to help lift Baltimore back to Super Bowl contention.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Baltimore Ravens made a major decision this year in putting their Super Bowl hopes in the hands of their quarterback. The shift in their philosophy occurred in February when owner Steve Bisciotti publicly challenged Joe Flacco to step up his game in Year 3.
The Ravens proceeded to support Flacco by acquiring accomplished receiving targets Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. They're no longer built like the 2000 Super Bowl team, which pounded teams into submission with suffocating defense and a physical running game.
The risk of the commitment to the passing game was realized last week in Cincinnati. The Bengals blanketed Flacco's receivers and forced four interceptions. Meanwhile, running back Ray Rice -- a 2,000-plus-yard all-purpose dynamo last year -- carried the ball only 16 times in the Ravens' 15-10 loss.
It was the second road game in a row against a tough, physical defense. The Ravens opened the season on a Monday night with a 10-9 win against the Jets. So they're 1-1 and still standing after back-to-back slugfests on the road.
"Two tough games to start. Hopefully it'll pay dividends down the stretch," said Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. "I've tried to build the team for the long haul."
Flacco was scathed from the defensive pounding. He checks in as the lowest-ranked starting QB in the NFL through two weeks (41.2 rating), completing 48.1 percent of his 77 throws. He's accounted for six of Baltimore's seven offensive turnovers.
"Joe played well after getting banged around early by the Jets," Newsome said. "He made some great throws and helped us win that game. Then he had a bad game.
"You don't get too hyped up with the good games and too low with the bad ones. Between Cam [Cameron, offensive coordinator] and Jim Zorn [quarterbacks coach], they'll be able to help him to be more consistent."
Flacco won three playoff games in his first two seasons, which is way ahead of the normal curve for NFL quarterbacks. But in five postseason games, he's completed 47.5 percent of his passes with one touchdown and six interceptions. His postseason rating is 46.5.
The Ravens know Flacco has to reverse those numbers for them to get to where they expect to be in February.
TONY GROSSI'S SCOUTING REPORT
Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday 1 p.m. in M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.
Record: 1-1
One of the key matchups on Sunday will be the renewal of hostilities between Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs and Browns All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas.Last game: Lost to Bengals, 15-10, Sept. 19, in Cincinnati.
Coach: John Harbaugh, 24-15, third year.
Series record: Ravens lead, 15-7.
Last meeting: Ravens won, 16-0, Nov. 16, in Cleveland.
League rankings: Offense is 25th (26th rushing, 21st passing), defense is second (13th rushing, second passing) and turnover differential is minus-6.
Offensive overview: Coordinator Cam Cameron wants his offense to start resembling the one he left behind four years ago in San Diego. But quarterback Joe Flacco has not been smart with the ball and has forced throws into coverage. Part of the problem is the revamped receiving corps -- featuring Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh -- still lacks a burner deep threat. That leaves running back Ray Rice as the main playmaker. They milked him for over 2,000 yards total offense last year, but have seemed reluctant to throw to him through two games (six catches). That may change as a means of steadying Flacco, who has committed six of the team's seven turnovers. They can always fall back on grinding out a game with Rice and fullback Le'Ron McClain and dumping off to the tight ends, but they hope to proceed beyond that this season.
Defensive overview: Perhaps to protect a suspect secondary, coordinator Greg Mattison has tried to manufacture a pass rush with less blitzing. Lineman Trevor Pryce and linebacker Terrell Suggs are the pass rushers of note, but if they don't get to the quarterback the secondary can be beat. Starting cornerbacks Chris Carr and Fabian Washington are small and light and don't have exceptional hands. The best corner may be Lardarius Webb, who had ACL surgery in his first season and is starting to round into playing shape. They also picked up Josh Wilson from Seattle in a trade and are getting Cary Williams back from league suspension. So their depth is improving, but they don't have the playmakers back there anymore, especially with safety Ed Reed out through six weeks after 2009 hip surgery. They have only one turnover in two games. Of course, led by linebacker Ray Lewis, Suggs and tackle Haloti Ngata, this is still a formidable unit that can put a hurt on any team physically.
Special teams overview: Former Browns assistant Jerry Rosburg always fields capable special teams. He's like a 12th man, so this area is not the weakness it was a few years ago. Kicker Billy Cundiff is 2-for-2 with a long of 38 yards. He has three touchbacks on kickoffs. Punter Sam Koch is 28th in gross average (38.5 yards) and 26th in net (33.3) but co-leads the NFL with six punts inside the 20. Safety Tom Zbikowski is dependable on punt returns, not explosive. Jalen Parmele is the kick returner. The coverage units allowed a 60-yard kickoff return in Cincinnati that cost them three points.
Stalwart running back Ray Rice is still looking for the dominant role in the offense that he enjoyed in 2009.PLAYERS TO WATCH:
• Running back Ray Rice: The only player other than Tennessee's Chris Johnson to top 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2009, he has been bottled up on the ground by the Jets and Bengals and hasn't yet been as big a factor in the passing game this year.
• Quarterback Joe Flacco: The team has set him up to take the next step to elite level, but he's thrown five interceptions and lost a fumble in two games.
• Linebacker Ray Lewis: In his 15th NFL season, the 35-year-old still runs the defense on the field, imposing his will on teammates and opponents. This time of season, he still has his legs, enabling him to make plays across the field.
Injury report: TE Todd Heap (shoulder), RB Ray Rice (ankle), LB Ray Lewis (foot), LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder), OT Jared Gaither (back) have been on the team's injury list in the last week.
Small world: Executive vice president/GM Ozzie Newsome was a Browns Hall of Fame tight end and was inducted into the club's new Ring of Honor last week. ... Vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty is a native of Cleveland, attended Benedictine High School and worked for the Browns. ... Several other staff members formerly worked for the Browns, including Vince Newsome, Kevin Byrne, Bob Eller, Bill Tessendorf and Bill Jankowski. ... Senior personnel assistant George Kokinis was Browns GM in 2009 before being relieved of his duties in November. ... Ravens kicker Bill Cundiff played five games for the Browns in 2009. ... Receiver Donte Stallworth played for the Browns in 2008. ... Defensive line coach Clarence Brooks coached with the Browns in 1999. ... Linebacker coach Dean Pees was Kent State head coach 1998-2003. ... Offensive line coach John Matsko is a Cleveland native and played at Kent State. ... Secondary coach Chuck Pagano coached with the Browns 2001-04. ... Special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg had the same job with the Browns 2001-06.