Columns

Blackbird Singing - BLACKBIRD SINGING: RAVENS ISO BURNER? SUGGS LOOKING TO CASH IN?

This and more in the NFL & the world of sports...

Enlarge Text Decrease Text Print this Article send this article to a friend comment Add This bookmark facebook twitter rss

Posted On: 1/3/07

Written By:  

Tony Lombardi

GONNA RIDE LIKE THE WIND ~ Without a doubt Devin Hester is a game changer, a difference maker, a playmaker. He was the 2006 regular season winner in the NFC in punt returns with a 12.8 yard average and in kick returns with a 26.4 yard average. And while Hester has certainly made an impact in his first season with the Bears, did you know that B.J. Sams wasn’t that far behind when he fell to a broken fibula? Sams’ averages were 10.6 yards on punt returns and 25.7 yards on kick returns. If you factor in about 5 punt returns per game and 3 kick returns per game, that equates to roughly 13 yards of total return yards per game. As you can see there’s not a big difference between the two. Similarly there’s not a big difference between Cory Ross and a well positioned crab net on punt returns. Ross is averaging 2.8 yards per punt return while the crab net comes in at a sure-handed 0.0 yards per return. That equates to about 14 yards per game assuming 5 punt returns and the crab net carries a much smaller cap figure than Ross.

 

I’M A LOT LIKE YOU…THE DANGEROUS TYPE ~ Many have compared and continue to compare the Ravens 2006 defense to the Ravens’ glory days defense of 2000. Statistically there are several similarities and there are certainly differences. Marvin Lewis’ defense was a very basic 4-3 that executed and tackled extremely well. Rex Ryan’s defense is like those old Transformers -- more than meets the eye. But one thing that has escaped many who cover the team (but not small-minded me), is the fact that the Ravens starting secondary in 2000 has the same numbers as the 2006 version: Starks/Rolle (22) Reed/Herring (20), Woodson/Landry (26) and McAlister/McAlister (21), . Hey come on, it’s an off week for the Ravens…cut me some slack!

 

ALRIGHT, HOLD TIGHT…I’M A HIGHWAY STAR ~ What the Ravens will undoubtedly look for in the offseason is ways to improve their offensive team speed. How much more effective might the Ravens receivers be if Brian Billick could loosen up a defense with explosiveness in the running game? A great 40 yard time would be nice from a back but with the Ravens blocking style, I’m more interested in a back’s time from 0-10 yards. How quickly can he hit that hole and then get into that 4.4 time? You don’t have to tap too deeply into your memory bank to think of many instances when Jamal Lewis was one step from breaking free. Just think what a quick accelerator might do for the Ravens ground attack. MEEP, MEEP!

 

INSIDE OUT…OOOH YOU GOT ME INSIDE OUT ~ With each passing week and with each time I reconsider the huge amount of cap space that the 49ers expect to have available to them ($40 million) this offseason, I see shades of purple fading to shades of ruby red for Adalius Thomas. Think about it, the Niners lost their own versatile backer last offseason (Julian Peterson) to the Seahawks and Mike Nolan would undoubtedly accept a reunion with AD as quickly as Paris Hilton might say yes to the pool boy. That being said, if in fact AD isn’t the “right player, right price” fit for Ozzie Newsome, look for the Ravens to draft a linebacker, preferably and inside backer and then let Bart Scott take on some of the versatile roles that AD has accepted and delivered upon.

 

YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I CAN FLY...SO HIGH...ELEVATION ~ When Terrell Suggs signed his deal as a rookie, it including escalation clauses tied to sacks. With his sack on Sunday against the Bills, word is that such a clause kicked in and it could pay Suggs handsomely in 2007. That could make an already tight cap situation for the Ravens even tighter. Don’t be surprised if the Ravens extend Suggs in the offseason. His current deal ends after the 2007 season. Some in the organization believe that Suggs is a more important re-sign for the Ravens than AD. You do have to tip your hat to Suggs who has really rounded out his game in 2006 and is becoming a complete player and not just a pass rush specialist.

 

US & THEM...AND AFTER ALL WE'RE ONLY ORDINARY MEN ~ AFC V. NFC ~ The 2006 season ended with the AFC holding a 40-24 (.625) lead over the NFC. Only 3 of the 6 NFC playoff seeds have double digit wins while the AFC seeds total 70 wins to the NFC’s 59. Five AFC teams finished below .500 while seven NFC teams couldn’t break even. Of the teams in both conferences qualifying for the post season, the AFC teams are 21-3 (.875) against NFC teams while the NFC qualifiers are 10-14 (.417) v. the AFC.

 

1,2,3,4 CAN I HAVE A LITTLE MORE ~ Among the top 10 AFC leaders in interceptions there are 3 Ravens: Chris McAlister (6), Dawan Landry (5) and Ed Reed (5). No other team has more than 1 player in the top 10. Among the top 10 sack leaders, the Ravens have two -- Trevor Pryce (13) and Adalius Thomas (11). Only the Chargers can match the Ravens pair with Shawne Merriman (17) and Shaun Phillips (11.5). However, the Ravens have another pair among the top 14 sack leaders -- Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs tied at No. 12 with 9 ½ sacks each (along with the Colts' Robert Mathis). Only 2 other teams have 2 in the top 20 (San Diego, Merriman & Phillips, Oakland, Burgess [11] and Sapp [10]).

 

FYI, Ray Lewis nearly had as many sacks (5) as the sack leader of the Redskins -- Andre Carter (6). Oh and McAlister, Landry and Reed have 10 more interceptions than the entire Redskins defense (6).

 

AIN’T THAT HUFF ENOUGH…AIN’T THAT HUFF ENOUGH ~ In other sports news around town, the Orioles overpaid free agent 1B/OF Aubrey Huff.

 

C’MON-MON-MON-MON-MON BABY…BOTTOM’S UP ~ The Philadelphia 76ers are not fretting the loss of Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets. And while Iverson should be happy in his new digs, his new team and his old team are in some ways neck-and-neck, both 4 ½ games off the pace in their respective divisions. The Sixers do have to climb over a few "juggernauts" in the Atlantic Division. The divisional leader is the New Jersey Nets who are tied with the Toronto Dinosaurs at 13-18. No, that’s no typo. At 8-22 the Sixers truly are only 4 ½ out. 

 

Ravens Game Day Photo by Rick Noppenberger

Post your comment

Your Name:

Your Email:

Your Comment:

There are no comments. be the first to post a comment.

«Go back to the previous page.

Enlarge Text Decrease Text Print this Article send this article to a friend Add This bookmark facebook twitter rss

Posted On: 1/3/07

Written By:  

Tony Lombardi