Five Questions on the Ravens

NFL action, preseason though it may be, is upon us and with it comes that first prurient curiosity about the other teams in the league. What better way to start things off in 2009 than with our friends and rivals up the road a bit in Baltimore, Washington's first preseason opponent and the team with which the league seems really to want the Redskins to have a rivalry.

Do we have a rivalry with Baltimore and the Ravens? City to city Washingtonians are rudely dismissive of the homesteaders up the road, viewing Baltimore as a city desperate for respect yet unable to break out of its mullets and Marlboros roots.

Football squad to squad though Ravens fans get the last laugh, in the ten years Dan Snyder has owned the Redskins the Ravens have one Super Bowl championship, five playoff appearances and two division titles to the Redskins zero, two and zero respectively. To add injury to insult the Redskins are 1-2 in regular season action against the Ravens, including last year's debacle that saw linebacker Terrell Suggs put not one but two Redskins offensive linemen on injured reserve. The last time the Redskins beat the Ravens? The 2000 season *sigh*

So how could I say no when Matt and Jeff from Baltimore sports blog Right Off Russell asked to do a Five Questions exchange? Read below for their answers to my questions and head over here for my answers to their questions.

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Curly R: Joe Flacco was a man on fire last season, are you confident in him going into year two or do you see a sophomore slump with defenses figuring him out with a year of tape? What has the team done to ensure he has the best targets to throw at?

Right Off Russell: I think people are feeling pretty good about Flacco at the moment. He has shown up to camp with a lot of confidence. He has embraced his position of leadership. He appears ready to take the next step. I think what Flacco has going for him is that year of experience behind him. It looks like Cam Cameron will be opening up the playbook a little more this season. The biggest question mark is who is he going to throw to? Most fans wish Ozzie Newsome had made the big deal to bring Anquan Boldin over to the team. Ozzie was happy with his talent. There seems to be a lot confidence in receiver Demetrius Williams. And of course, its always nice to have Derrick Mason unretire so there is not so much hope put in Drew Bennett..... errrrr Mark Clayton.


Curly R: Kind of hard to talk about the Ravens without talking about defense. Can they play at the same level another year? How much does Ray Lewis have left in the tank?

Right Off Russell: I'm definitely a bit concerned about the loss of Rex Ryan on the defensive side of the ball. I'm just not sure what to expect out of Mattison. They say he is very similar to Ryan and there should be little or no effect. I will believe it when I see it. The defense also made a lot of chages. They are replacing Bart Scott with Ray Lewis protege Tavaris Gooden. Dawan Landry is back after an injury and should minimize the loss of Jim Leohnard. The biggest upgrade is Domonique Foxworth who will replace Samari Rolle in the starting lineup. As for Ray-Ray, he has come into camp leaner and quicker. I'm expecting another strong season from #52.


Curly R: Talk about John Harbaugh's philosophies. What will the team look like in five years if he is still the coach?

Right Off Russell: I think you are seeing Harbaugh's philosophies in the current squad and that things will look similar to what they do now. Harbaugh is very much an old school, hard-nosed coach. Harbaugh coined the phrase "Play like a Raven" last year. He wants each guy on the squad to take pride in being a Baltimore Raven and that being a Raven means effort and accountability. Harbs believes in each member of the team committing to the success of the team no matter the cost to the individual. The coaching staff and the front office strongly value tough, intelligent, high-character players, and I think it is the right way to build a team. There is a reason why certain teams field competitive squads year in and year out. The Ravens are doing their best to be counted among them and I think Harbaugh's discipline and commitment will propel the team in the right direction.


Curly R: Give it to me straight: are the Ravens interested in Michael Vick?

Right Off Russell: I just don't see it. The Ravens are happy with their Flacco and his backup Beck. They already have Troy Smith to run the Wildcat. They are strong at RB with Ray Rice and McClain. I can't see where he would fit in with the receiving core. They have good return specialists. For the life of me, I just don't see the value. He would make more sense on the Skins than with the Ravens.

I'm not sure where Mortenson is getting his info, but Ravens beat writer Aaron Wilson is pretty convinced that they are not interested in VIck and I tend to believe him.


Curly R: What are your impressions from Ravens camp so far?

Right Off Russell: Ravens fans tend to evaluate camp based on how the offense looks. We are used to good defenses and at this point see no reason to expect anything different. On the offensive side of things expectations are high for Joe Flacco. The question is whether or not there are enough weapons surrounding Flacco. The un-retirement of Derrick Mason was a big relief. Wide receiver is a big question mark, but there have been a couple of young guys like Demetrius Williams, Marcus Smith and Justin Harper who have shown signs of being play makers. The line is young but very talented and should open up lots of holes for the Ravens three-headed ground attack. Expectations are high, but so is the teams belief in their ability to build on last season. In the Ravens case that would mean a Super Bowl.


Curly R BONUS QUESTION: As a Redskins fan the Ravens have been a source of frustration over the years, Baltimore has an experienced football management staff, insists on careful player selection, forming and retaining a solid core and rewarding key performers. When is Steve Bisciotti going to wake up and realize he is smart enough to make bad decisions without all that help?

Right Off Russell: Truth is that he inherited a lot from the Modell regime. He did finally remove Billick, which was a good 1st step, but then he went ahead and hired someone who was not a sexy hiring and yet may be good. Until Ozzie is removed, I can't help but think Biscotti is going to be held in check. If only Ozzie could be more of a Vinny Cerrato. He has yet to learn the art of being irrelevant. Ozzie and Steve both need to learn that replacing coordinators AND systems evey 2 years keeps things fresh and interesting. (ed. note: this definitely is a prescription for looking more like the Redskins. -Ben)

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Thanks again to Matt and Jeff, head over to Right Off Russell and give them some love, football starts tonight!



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