We roll into the penultimate round of the NFL season with a 5-4-1 playoff record that was two plays away from being 7-3. Either one of Jake Elliott's missed extra points would've meant an Eagles' cover. Meanwhile, you could pick any one of a dozen plays that the Ravens failed to make that would've put them over the top. Sure the three turnovers and Mark Andrews' drop on the 2 point conversion are obvious targets but let's dig a little deeper into a yet another playoff coaching debacle for the team from Charm City.
Some basic facts:
- The Ravens were again the best running team in the NFL regular season averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
- In the first round of the playoffs, they completely shredded the Steelers' 6th ranked run defense for 299 yards.
- The conditions in Buffalo were cold and snowy.
- Todd Monken is the Ravens' offensive coordinator.
- It takes Todd Monken twenty minutes to tie his shoes in January because he spends the first nineteen trying to reinvent shoe laces.
On the Ravens' first two plays from scrimmage, Derrick Henry rushed for a total of 2 yards. From there, they proceeded to go 71 yards and score a touchdown through a combination of Lamar Jackson scrambles and passes. We should've recognized that drive as the kiss of death.
Despite averaging 6.6 yards for the rest of the game, Ravens' running backs only got 20 more carries to end with a total of 22. On 2nd and goal from the 3 yard line with a chance to tie the game and right the ship after two turnovers, Lamar dropped back to pass and got sacked. He almost threw a pick on the next play and they settled for a field goal. Four points gone . . . poof.
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(Hoosiers voice). "Hey I think Derrick could beat the guys trying to tackle him." |
I could go on but what's the point? Oh wait. All three turnovers were on pass plays. Ok, now I'm done.
So the season is over prematurely again. Monken has done amazing things with the Ravens' offense in the regular season and against inferior playoff opponents but at some point John Harbaugh may need to look him in the eye and say "you're not a wartime consigliere Todd."
Philadelphia by 6 over Washington: The Pick - Commanders
Philadelphia by 6 over Washington: The Pick - Commanders
The doomsday scenario would be a Commanders v. Chiefs Super Bowl which I fully expect to happen and may decline to watch. As I have mentioned before, the football team that plays its homes game in close proximity to our nation's capitol is the sports franchise that I have despised the most during my lifetime. Having to endure the existence of them AND the Chiefs for two more weeks may force me to seek a monasterial existence.
Kansas City by 1.5 over Buffalo: The Pick - Chiefs
My initial analysis of this game after last weekend was "who gives a shit?' My secondary analysis was that you have to go with the Bills because the Chiefs can't keep getting away with this right? Unfortunately, neither are very useful when evaluating the reality of what will happen today.
First we have to acknowledge that the Bills aren't all that good. They were at home against the Ravens and got the benefit of a 3-0 turnover margin along with the aforementioned buffoonish coaching and still barely won the game. For all of the Josh Allen leg humping, he only threw for 127 yards and ran for 20. That may have been the gameplan but it would've been a loser if their opponent had played with any competence.
Now they have to go to Kansas City and play a better coached team that isn't going to hand them the game and, even if they wanted to, the refs wouldn't let them. They're only hope is that Allen dramatically outplays Mahomes and the league decides that we need some new blood in the Super Bowl but ask teams who played the Tom Brady Patriots how likely that is to happen.
Last Week's Record: 2-1-1 . . . Playoff Record: 5-4-1.
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