The loss to the Titans does not make the Steelers win meaningless. In Nashville, the Ravens looked like a completely different team from the one we saw last week when they played a nearly perfect game against Pittsburgh. After dominating their rival, the Ravens were beat “in every way you can beat a football team,” said Head Coach John Harbaugh. Joe Flacco and Co. couldn’t find rhythm, the offensive line struggled without two-time Pro Bowl alternate guard Ben Grubbs, and there was no answer for the Matt Hasselbeck-Kenny Britt combo. It’s disappointing for Ravens fans. But the disappointment doesn’t erase what Baltimore accomplished when it manhandled the Steelers. It was an important division win that gives the Ravens (1-1) a tie-breaking edge over Pittsburgh (1-1) and it was an emotional win for the entire city. Fans can still savor that victory. It’s tempting to get caught up in one win or one loss, but as of now, this is all we really know: 1) the Ravens will not go undefeated and 2) we’ve seen two different teams in two weeks of football. The question that remains is: Which team will we see going forward? There answer probably falls somewhere in between the two performances. But judging off recent history, the Ravens will bounce back.
Stopping Chris Johnson isn’t enough to beat the Titans. Losing 9 of their last 10 before facing the Ravens, analysts already decided Tennessee isn’t a playoff team. Part of their problem was that Johnson was their only offensive weapon. As we learned Sunday, however, that is no longer the case. As a former 2,000-yard rusher, shutting Johnson down became priority No. 1 for the Ravens. They were so successful – limiting him to 51 yards on 23 carries – Johnson’s own fans started booing him. Yikes. The Titans’ defense should be equally complimented for slowing Ray Rice (43 yards on 13 attempts). With both running attacks stalled, the game was to be decided through the air. Amassing 358 yards of passing to the Ravens’ 197, that battle was decisively won by Hasselbeck, Britt and Co. Which brings me to my next couple of points …
The cornerbacks corps missed injured Jimmy Smith (ankle) and Chris Carr (thigh). Smith hasn’t even played a defensive snap in the NFL, but even Lardarius Webb said he was missed. To their credit, both Webb and Cary Williams earned their starting spots with strong outings in the preseason and training camp. But it just wasn’t their day, as physical playmaker Britt and sidekick Nate Washington combined for 234 yards and a touchdown on 16 catches. And Domonique Foxworth still isn’t 100 percent after last year’s knee surgery. The Ravens needed to look elsewhere for help, but an injury-ridden backfield prevented them from doing so. Said Webb, “Are we missing Chris Carr and Jimmy? Yes. … It would be nice to have Jimmy out there on a Kenny Britt to put his hands on him and work him.” Maybe Smith’s size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and Carr’s experience (seven years) could make a difference going forward, but there’s no telling how long either will be out. That’s why Webb also said the healthy corners will “just have to get better.”
Joe Flacco will get more criticism than he deserves for this loss. Flacco finished the game completing less than half his passes, one touchdown and two interceptions. If the offense is going to excel, those numbers need to improve and stay consistently high. That said, quarterbacks typically get too much of the credit in victory, and too much blame in defeat. When asked about Flacco’s performance, Harbaugh said, “I’m not going to sit here and nit-pick one guy or another guy. … I think everyone didn’t play well and that’s the bottom line. So you can go all the way down the roster. Every single guy didn’t and every single coach, none of us.” The offensive line didn’t do Flacco any favors, as he was frequently flushed from the pocket and was sacked three times compared to Hasselbeck’s zero. Plus, the four-year veteran didn’t have many open targets. Receiver Lee Evans is not 100 percent while he deals with a nagging ankle injury, and rookie Torrey Smith has to yet to make his first NFL reception. Boldin drew most of the Titans’ attention and finished the afternoon with three catches for 46 yards.
Matt Hasselbeck isn’t Ben Roethlisberger. I make that point because it was an important factor in the Ravens’ pass rush, or the lack thereof, against the Titans. It was entertaining to watch Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano throw one creative blitz after another at Big Ben last week. Led by Terrell Suggs, the Ravens sacked Roethlisberger four times, forced two fumbles and pressured him into throwing three interceptions. Why didn’t the defense get after Hasselbeck like they did Roethlisberger? Jarret Johnson says the answer lies in Hasselbeck’s quick release. “I’m sure everyone back home was expecting us to bring the same pressure we brought against Pittsburgh, but Roethlisberger is a different animal,” said Johnson. “He’s going to stand there and take it like a man. I’m not saying Matt isn’t (a man), but he’s a West Coast guy and he is going to throw it. You can bring seven guys (on a blitz) and he’s still going to throw it. … There’s no sense in sending seven and putting the pressure on your back end.” That’s true. So it likely means the Ravens will have to ratchet up some pressure with three, four or five men against quick-release quarterbacks. Having big, jamming corners (such as Smith) also helps throw off the timing of quick-release offenses.
