DEFENSIVE LINE

Kelly Gregg and Tony Weaver were manhandled as was Kemoeatu when he played in the defensive line rotation. On a first and 10 from the Steelers own 8 yard line, the Ravens defense had a chance to pin down the Steelers. Instead, Jerome Bettis ran it up the gut for 7 yards. Kemoeatu was driven 10 yards downfield and eventually pancaked by Center Jeff Hartings. To start the second half and set the tone for the remainder of the game, Bettis took the half’s second play for a 7 yard run. No one in the Ravens’ front seven even touch Bettis until he was 4 yards downfield. This play was the first of 12 consecutive runs producing 62 yards, setting up the two yard toss from Roethlisberger to Tuman. Marquez Douglas was heavily involved (12 tackles) but often several yards downfield before making the tackle.

LINEBACKERS

Two linebackers brought their A game on Sunday -- Adalius Thomas and Edge Hartwell. Ray Lewis was tentative and missed a few tackles and was beaten badly by fullback Dan Kreider. One has to wonder if the Ravens would have been better off using Bart Scott or T.J. Slaughter for the injured Lewis. Terrell Suggs made two very good plays, one on a tackle behind the line to force a fourth down and another on fourth down, in pursuit of Roethlisberger on a designed roll out. Otherwise, Suggs was very stealth -- hardly seen or heard. This unit continues to struggle to cover tight ends.

SECONDARY

The secondary was hardly tested but when it was, Roethlisberger seemed to connect at will, completing 67% of his throws. The first touchdown to a wide open Plaxico Burress was hardly a sharp route. Burress ran a simple post corner that seemed effortless as Baxter chased 3 yards behind. Randle El could have burned Chad Williams all day -- a big mismatch. Back to Baxter, he was at times in position to make plays yet played extremely tentatively. The Gary Baxter I used to know, would have stuck his nose in there aggressively to make tackles. Yesterday, he and several of the Ravens seemed to have Bettisitis. Poor and tentative tackling permeated the field on the Ravens side of the ball. McAlister was tentative on a corner blitz and bit badly on Roethlisberger’s pump fake.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The kickoff team was tested only twice and they provided decent coverage. The kick return team had more opportunities and they opened the game providing great field position for the offense -- position that was not taken advantage of especially after punting from the Steelers 35 gaining only 15 net yards of field position. Zastudil tried to get a little too cute and didn’t allow B.J. Sams to get downfield to down his pooch punt. Inside the 10 is just fine….you don’t have to try and kill it at the 1. Matt Stover hit a rare shank, that on the heals of last weeks kick into Bennie Anderson’s head. Uh-oh.

COACHING

As we reported last week in The Grapevine, Brian Billick has assumed the play calling chores. The results are no different. This entire offensive system needs to be blown up. It stinks! When they need 10 yards for a first down, the team runs patterns of 6 yards; a sense of urgency for the Ravens means talking faster when calling in the play to Boller’s headset; screens are disasters as are the quick pitches left -- these linemen are weak in the open field; two weeks in a row they did not adjust for a pass rusher off the edge that decidedly beat his man (Freeney v. Ogden and Harrison v. Brown/Brooks/Dinkins.); they continue to dictate plays with their personnel packages and formations; they use play action on 3rd and 9 fooling no one but themselves; they fail to involve Todd Heap enough; the list goes on…..

The coaching staff like the players, lacked a killer instinct yesterday. After a very efficient 11 play, 68 yard Ravens’ drive to tie the game at 7, the Ravens failed to capitalize on Will Demps’ interception. Facing a third and 8 from the Steelers 26, the Ravens line up in an I-formation with Ricard and Jamal Lewis in the backfield. Another play action pass as both backs go through the line and into the secondary to set up as outlet passes. The result: Boller under heavy pressure from James Harrison has his desperation pass tipped into the hand of Joey Porter. Why play action? Why doesn’t one of those backs help on Harrison who tortured the Ravens from the start? They have to get 3 points off that turnover. Instead, with the wretched play calling, they turn it over themselves and give away the momentum.

Following a turnover on downs at the Ravens 32 with 3:09 remaining in the half, the Ravens run Jamal Lewis for a gain of one. How about a play to maintain the momentum instead -- maybe play action there would be more appropriate! Two plays later the Ravens punt. After they get the ball back again in the first half following the Randle El fumble with 0:37 remaining and the ball on the Ravens 30, the Ravens decide to run the football, a draw to Chester Taylor -- no gain. As the clock ticks down to 12 seconds, the Ravens then call for a pass with Kyle Boller rolling right. He throws it away and then they kill the clock on the next play with a run.

First of all, why don’t you try and advance the ball 40 yards here, take advantage of the turnover and try to tie the game at 10 (the Ravens had 2 timeouts remaining)? And if you do want to do the passive thing and run the clock out, why throw on second down with 12 seconds left? This confusion on the field is a direct reflection of the coaching staff off the field. They are hardly professional when it comes to managing the clock. Have you heard that one before?

I was also surprised by the defensive strategy. The Ravens were very successful against Eli and Peyton Manning moving in and out of defensive alignments to create confusion. Yesterday, the Ravens chose to set back in their base defense and let the Steelers come right at them. They did not try to disrupt the young QB’s rhythm. They allowed the Steelers to dictate the pace of the game and employ their smash mouth brand of football that has been a winning formula for the Steelers for 13 consecutive weeks.

FINAL THOUGHTS

* It’s fan appreciation day on Sunday. What we would appreciate is an NFL offense.

** Speaking of professional, that description uncharacteristically describes Joey Porter yesterday. Give this clown credit -- at least he was focused upon the task at hand.

*** The Steelers had the ball for 28:37 seconds of the game’s final 45 minutes.

**** The Ravens were once again embarrassed defensively by a team with a superior run blocking offensive line. It started in last season’s playoff game against the Titans. Then it was the Chiefs, then the Patriots and now the Steelers.

***** For those who believe that the Ravens are just a receiver away from going to the big dance, I think yesterday revealed otherwise.

****** Adalius Thomas’ post game comments included: “We didn’t play Ravens football.” I’m not sure what that even means anymore. Billick talks of profile and team identity. Last year, the Ravens had one. This year, they have seemingly lost one.