Thursday, September 5, 2019

So, no surprises during the Week Four preseason game with plenty of dropped balls and penalties. Guys were playing to make the Ravens 53 man roster. Some dreams were fulfilled, others were dashed but they all called home with news of their future. For the players who made the team, their future is in Miami where the Ravens will face the Dolphins in Week one of the regular season.

Wait? Is that true?! Have we finally gotten through the dregs of preseason and into games that mean something? I have been waiting for this like a schoolboy waiting to go back to school. What? No, that doesn’t fit but you know what I mean.

As usual, the Ravens start the season with possibly more questions to answer than when they started training camp.

• Can we make a run first offense work in today’s pass happy NFL?
• Will the defense dominate in a style in which we are accustomed?

This is why it is the most wonderful time of the year! This is why we keep coming back season after season to see if this year’s batch of players and coaches is the correct mixture to win the Super Bowl.

I must say I am excited, no very excited, no very very excited to see what the Ravens can do this year.  The Ravens put their emphasis on improving the offense and they did.  The signing of free agent RB Mark Ingram makes the Ravens one of the strongest, oldest, and youngest backfields in the NFL.  Couple Ingram (29 years old, will be the oldest starting RB in the league but he doesn’t look like it)  with second year Gus (The Bus) Edwards, rookie Justice Hill and I almost forgot the Lamar show also a sophomore player we will control the ball and the clock.  So you thing that’s scary add the most talented wide receiver course the Ravens have ever had, including two rookies Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin who will break the Ravens jinx of drafting receivers who just don’t pan out.  On top of that add the tight ends Hayden Hurst, Nick Boyle, and Mark Andrews who are good blocking tight ends with great hand to catch the ball.  I mention the blocking tight ends since the O-Line may needs some help when we play some of the stronger defenses we have on the schedule.

How can I describe the defense?  I will just say unproven.  When you lose veteran plays like Suggs, Weddle, and Mosley somebody’s got to step up and that’s were the unproven part comes in.  Can Matthew Judon replace Mosley, YES, can Earl Thomas replace Weddle, YES,  can rookie Jaylon Ferguson replace Suggs, maybe, (just kidding) if you look at Terrell’s stats from last year they weren’t that good, so yes Jaylon can replace an aging Suggs.  The Ravens secondary is getting all the press and I am hoping they can live up the the hype.  I’m not worried about the D-Line with Brandon Williams and Michael Piece anchoring the middle.

The Ravens road to the Super Bowl starts this week in Miami where we play the Dolphins who are rated the worst team in the league and who just traded away two of their better offensive players.  The Dolphins are already playing for the first pick in the 2020 draft, how would you like to be that poor schmo who just paid for their season tickets.  So what does this mean, all of the pressure is on the Ravens.   We just can’t lose to the worst team in the the NFL.

GO RAVENS!!!

Remember don’t bet the mortgage on my picks, they are who we want to win and help the Ravens, not who we think will win.

This week’s games:

Thursday night 8:20 pm

The 100th season of the NFL starts with the Packers vs da Bears
I’m not picking this game because I just want to set back and watch knowing this game counts, and that it doesn’t affect the Ravens at the point in the season since they are both NFC teams.  And even better this first game is usually a show casing of the Super Bowl winning team so we don’t have to endure a three hour Tom Brady love fest.

Sunday 1:00 pm

RAVENS over Dolphins
Let’s start this season with a shot across the bow of the NFL by crushing the Dolphins. I truly can’t wait to see what the offense can do.  I want to see Lamar stay in the pocket and throw the ball and leaving the ground game to the running backs. I want to see receivers get open and catch the ball.  It’s a simple game.  You could almost say playing the Dolphins is just am extension of the preseason.  Ryan Fitzpatrick was named the starting QB just this week and I am sure he was not happy to hear his blindside left guard was traded to Houston.  Look for Fitzpatrick to be running for his life while the 2019 Ravens defense proves that yes we do have a pass rush.  The Ravens will get a road win in Miami.

GO RAVENS!!!

Redskins over Eagles
This will never happen but I have to work with some of those Redskin fans and I just don’t want to hear their whining.

Jets over Bills
We play both of these teams later this season so it doesn’t matter who wins since we will beat both of them.  Rooting for the home team.  Side note LeVeon Bell will play for the first time since holding out last year while he was with the Steelers.

Falcons over Vikings
Now that Joe is gone I guess I can stop comparing him to Matt Ryan, but I still don’t like the Vikings so we are rooting against the Vikings.

Chiefs over Jaguars
We play the Chiefs week three and we don’t want them pissed off.

Titans over Browns
Don’t get me started on the Browns.  I am just waiting for that locker room to explode from the huge egos of Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr.

Panthers over Rams
Both NFC teams rooting for the home team.

Sunday 4:00 pm

Seahawks over Bengals
No one knows what the Bengals will do this year but I know they will lose to the Seahawks this week.

Chargers over Colts
Rooting for the home team.

Buccaneers over 49ers
Both NFC teams rooting for the home team.

Cowboys over Giants
Both NFC teams rooting for the home team.

Cardinals over Lions
Both NFC teams rooting for the home team>

Sunday night 8:00

Patriots over Steelers
I would rather poke a stick in my eye them root for the Patriots so we are rooting against the Steelers.

Skip out of work early and take a nap it’s going to be a long night we have two games on Monday.

Monday night 7:10

Saints over Texans
NFC over AFC

10:20

Broncos over Raiders
Yea maybe I still have feelings for Joe and the Raiders stink so this may happen.

Enjoy the games with an old Friend you haven’t seen in a while.

And that’s just The View From 151.

GO RAVENS!!!