Whether it was the turnovers, a lack of explosion/urgency on offense, or poor run defense, the Bears were the better team on Sunday. What went wrong? After such an inspiring performance on the road last week against the Raiders, why did the Ravens fall flat? The guys give their input.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the Ravens’ shaky 3-3 start, but who deserves most of the blame? Is it Joe Flacco? John Harbaugh and the coaching staff? Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens’ brass? Hear what Jake and Nolan think.
Sunday marked another example of an attendance problem at M&T Bank Stadium. What is causing the increased amount of empty chairs? Is there a solution to get more butts in seats?
Three of the Ravens’ next four games take place on the road, but the opponents are not forbidding. Can the Ravens turn things around, or will they continue their downward spiral? All of this and more on tonight’s episode.
As always, subscribe to the Charm City Bird Watch Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Leave us a 5-star review on iTunes; we may read it on a future episode! Thanks for listening!
OAKLAND, CA — Just two weeks ago, the Ravens flew high with a 2-0 record. Following a trip to London and a tangle with the Steelers, the Ravens came back down to Earth, now owning a 2-2 record and trying to stay afloat in the brutal AFC North Division. On Sunday, the Ravens will play in a third time zone in as many weeks with a trip to Oakland, where the Raiders await.
Oakland finds itself in a similar circumstance. Just like Baltimore, the Raiders emerged victorious in their first two games against the Titans and Jets, and then slipped to the Redskins and Broncos. The Raiders share a similar trait with the Ravens in the injury department. Several starters on both sides of the ball face nagging injuries, and now quarterback Derek Carr‘s name falls on the injury report.
High expectations surrounded the Ravens and Raiders for 2017, and neither team expected to hold a 2-2 record entering week 5. This may not be a divisional game, but it’s a crucial one. The winner will sport a winning record, and pick up a conference win that could help them later in the season.
Ravens’ last time in Oakland: In 2019, the Raiders will move from Oakland to Las Vegas. These two teams will meet again next season, but that matchup will take place in Baltimore. A listing of the Ravens’ future opponents through 2019 can be found here.
Injury Report (as of Oct. 6):
Friday notes:Smith returned to practice, as did Hill. John Harbaugh said he will play on Sunday. Smith has been dealing with Achilles soreness for a few weeks, put played through it. He also welcomed a baby into the world this week. Hill has not yet played this season. after an impressive preseason. Watson and M. Williams also returned to practice on Friday. Watson may play, Williams will not. B. Williams and Terrell Suggs did not practice on Friday. Probably a veterans day off for Suggs; Williams is out.
*Limited Practice (LP), Full Practice (FP), Did Not Practice (DNP)
Weather: Looking at The Weather Channel, the temperature in Oakland on Sunday looks promising. There’s a high of 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and a low of 58. Winds will blow west at 10-15 MPH. There’s a 10% chance of rain.
Offensive Offense?
That graphic says it all. With Joe Flacco‘s back injury and the state of the offensive line, expectations for the offense became low. In the first two Ravens games, the offense got help with the defense forcing 10 combined turnovers. The defense has not played as well in the last two games, and its taking its toll on the offense.
Even with the offensive line in shambles, Flacco needs to play better. Out of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Flacco has the worst QBR (65.0) and its not close. Ahead of Flacco stands Jay Cutler (80.4 QBR). To put things in perspective, the Dolphins have been shut out two games in a row.
Flacco needs to get the ball to the receivers more. The Ravens’ top three receivers have yet to make a difference in a game. Jeremy Maclin (10 catches, two TD), Mike Wallace (nine catches, one TD), and Breshad Perriman (two catches) need to do a better job catching the football too. Watson leads the team in receiving with 16 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.
The defense needs to carry some of the blame too. With B. Williams in the lineup, the defense has given up 10 points. Without him, they have given up 70 points. Offenses, particularly running backs, are taking advantage of Williams’ absence. The Ravens will not have Williams again this week, but Oakland’s running attack has not taken off so far this season. That, coupled along with the absence of Carr, should bode well for Baltimore.
Carr will miss Sunday’s game after suffering back spasms in Oakland’s 16-10 loss to the Denver Broncos last week. Carr, who is 2-0 with a 110.6 rating against the Ravens (seven touchdown passes, one interception) will miss 2-6 games.
In Carr’s place, former Bills first round pick E.J. Manuel will start against Baltimore. Manuel went 11-for-17 for 106 yards and an interception last week against Denver. Manuel is 1-0 against the Ravens in his career. He has 3,608 career passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions (76.9 QBR).
After taking a year off, 31-year-old running back Marshawn Lynch has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game. His highest rushing total so far? 76 yards against the Titans in week 1. He has one rushing touchdown this season.
Right now, the Raiders possess the 15th-ranked offense and the 13th-ranked defense. Oakland has been penalized 25 times for 238 yards, where their opponents got penalized 26 times for 213 yards.
BALTIMORE — Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell skipped most of training camp because of a contract dispute with the Steelers. That showed throughout the first few weeks, with Bell failing to record 100 rushing yards in the first three weeks of the season. On Sunday, Bell finally broke out, dashing for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 26-9 win over the Ravens.
For the second week in a row, the Ravens’ offense got shutout in the first half. In the opening 30 minutes, Baltimore punted four times, missed a field goal, and turned it over when Alex Collins fumbled on a run play. The ineptness of the Ravens’ offense led to a 19-0 Pittsburgh lead, and the Ravens never dug themselves out off the hole created in the first half.
The Steelers, now 3-1, take first place in the AFC North. The Ravens fall to 2-2 and occupy second place. The Bengals, now 1-3, man third place, and the Browns come in last at 0-4.
The Steelers got their 19 points on two touchdowns (with a failed two-point conversion) and two field goals. The Ravens began the game with the ball, but punted after six plays. Pittsburgh got the ball on their own 3-yard line and answered with a 16-play, 84-yard drive that ate up 10:23 of clock. Bell was all over the place on this drive, rushing for 59 yards and catching two passes for 20 yards. Baltimore made a stop when it counted, and forced the Steelers to settle for a 30-yard Chris Boswell field goal for their first points of the afternoon.
On their second drive of the second quarter, the Steelers doubled their lead with a 49-yarder from Boswell. On the ensuing Baltimore drive, Collins fumbled the football and defensive end Cameron Heyward picked it up to give the Steelers the ball at the. Ravens’ 32-yard line. On a 2nd-and-15 play, Ben Roethlisberger linked with tight end Jesse James for 15 yards. Bell and rookie running back James Conner combined for 13 yards in two carries to get the ball on the goal line. From there, Bell ran it in, scoring the first touchdown of the game with 3:24 to go in the first half.
Baltimore’s offense, much maligned by injuries and poor play, responded with a three-and-out and gave the Steelers the ball right back. With 2:13 to go in the first half, and the ball on their own 30-yard line, the Steelers marched down the field. Roethlisberger found receiver Martavis Bryant twice for gains of 24 and 19 yards, setting Pittsburgh up on the Ravens’ 11-yard line. After an incomplete pass attempt to Bell, Big Ben connected with rookie wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster for his lone touchdown pass on the afternoon. The Steelers tried to give themselves a three-touchdown lead with a two-point conversion attempt, but they did not come up with it.
Last week in London, Baltimore trailed 23-0 at halftime. The deficit was four points less than last week, but the Ravens needed a quick spark on offense to begin the second half. The Steelers collected the latter half kickoff, but Roethlisberger got intercepted on the third play of the opening drive. Receiver Antonio Brown could not complete the catch, and as he was tackled by cornerback Jimmy Smith, the ball popped into the air. Safety Eric Weddle capitalized, catching the football and taking it back to the end zone. However, after a review, the refs called it a fumble, but gave Baltimore the ball at Pittsburgh’s 18-yard line. The Ravens did not gain any yardage, and received their first points of the game off a 42-yard field goal by Justin Tucker.
On the ensuing Pittsburgh drive, Boswell missed a 44-yard field goal. Baltimore responded with a three-play touchdown drive that featured a 50-yard run by Collins. Following an incomplete pass, Joe Flacco threw a 16-yard pass to Mike Wallace for a touchdown. The Ravens went for two points with a handoff to Terrance West. The attempt was initially ruled good, but after review, the ruling got changed to no good. Baltimore would not score for the remainder of the game.
In the fourth quarter, Flacco threw two bad interceptions, with the latter leading to Pittsburgh’s third touchdown of the game. That second interception occurred with 5:37 to go in the game, essentially ending it with Pittsburgh owning a 10-point lead. On the seven-play drive, Bell recorded a 21-yard run, and punched the ball in from one yard out. Boswell’s extra point put Pittsburgh up 26-9 with 2:26 remaining, a 17-point difference.
Flacco has now thrown an interception in 10 straight games for the Ravens, which leads the NFL. He went 31-for-49 on Sunday, throwing for 235 yards. Roethlisberger completed 18 passes on 30 attempts for 216 yards. Along with Bell’s 144 rushing yards, Collins led the Ravens with 82 yards on nine carries. Bryant led Pittsburgh receivers with 48 receiving yards. Bell & Brown caught four passes apiece, but did not match Bryant’s 48 yards. 42 reception yards for Bell gave him 186 total yards from scrimmage. Wallace led Baltimore receivers with 55 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
On defense, Ryan Shazier finished with 11 tackles (10 solo) and one tackle-for-loss. Pittsburgh’s defense combined for four sacks – Heyward with two, Mike Hilton with one, and Bud Dupree & Stephon Tuitt combining for the last one. Hilton and Shazier registered interceptions.
C.J. Mosley led the Ravens with 12 tackles (10 solo) and two tackles-for-loss. Lardarius Webb tallied Baltimore’s only sack.
Pittsburgh out-gained Baltimore 381-288 on offense. The Steelers converted 22 first downs, and the Ravens had 18. The Steelers ran 73 plays on offense, and the Ravens ran 68. In the penalties department, eight penalties for 60 yards got called against Pittsburgh, and six penalties for 55 yards were called against Baltimore. The Steelers won the time-of-possession battle, 35:29-24:31.
Coming up next week, both teams will play on Sunday, Oct. 8. The Steelers tangle with the Jacksonville Jaguars, now 2-2, at 1:00 EST from Heinz Field. The Ravens head out west to face the Oakland Raiders, which begins at 4:05 pm EST.
ST. PETERSBURG — For the first time since 2011, the Baltimore Orioles will end a season with a losing record. Improvement is needed on both offense and defense in order for the O’s to compete in 2018. Before the front office begins the offseason process, the club travels to St. Petersburg for a three-game weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Both teams will end the season with losing records, making this series worthless. This provides Buck Showalter and the front office a chance to look at some players who could help the team in the future. However, both Showalter and general manager Dan Duquette have one more year left on their contracts, leaving the future of the Orioles uncertain.
As far as the media knows, no significant contract discussions between the Orioles and Showalter/Duquette have taken place. With time winding down on Duquette and Showalter’s deals, the Orioles’ ownership needs to make a decision soon about what direction they want to go in. With Showalter’s age and Duquette’s questionable decisions in recent memory, fans anxiously wait on what then organization’s decision will entail.
Coming into this series, the Orioles suffered a two-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tuesday through Thursday, the Rays dropped two of three to the Yankees in the bronx. Baltimore received their second off-day of the week of Thursday, Tampa had Monday off.
Last Meeting: Last weekend at Camden Yards, the Orioles and Rays split a four-game series in what marked the last series at home for the 2017 Orioles.
In the first game, Gabriel Ynoa pitched eight innings, allowing one run, five hits, and two walks with three strikeouts. Ynoa’s effort led to Baltimore’s 3-1 win.
After dropping the next two games, the O’s rebounded in the Sunday series finale with a 9-4 win. Four Orioles picked up two RBI on the day – Adam Jones (2-run double), Chris Davis (RBI single, RBI groundout), J.J. Hardy (2-run home run), and Chance Sisco (2-run homer). Pedro Alvarez brought in the last one on an RBI single.
During the game, Hardy received a standing ovation from the crowd, as Sunday could have been the final home game in Baltimore for the 35-year-old shortstop. Hardy’s contract expires after the season, and earlier this season the Birds traded for Tim Beckham, who is expected to take over at shortstop next season.
Season Series: The season series between Baltimore and Tampa Bay is tied, 8-8. At Tropicana field, the O’s possess a 3-3 record.
Game 2: Saturday, Sept. 30, 6:10 pm – Miguel Castro (3-2, 3.29 ERA) vs. Chris Archer (9-12, 4.18 ERA) – MASN 2, 105.7 The Fan
Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 1, 3:10 pm – Kevin Gausman (11-11, 4.81 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (4-7, 4.27 ERA) – MASN 2, 105.7 The Fan
Notes on the Orioles:
Saturday will be Castro’s first MLB start.
In 66 at-bats against the Rays this season, Jones sports a .318 average with 21 hits, five doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI. Jones sat out both games against the Pirates to nurse some nagging injuries, and it remains to be seen if he plays this weekend. Austin Hays has been filling out in centerfield for Jones.
In six appearances against Tampa this season, Brad Brach has allowed one run on six hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts, with a 1.13 ERA.
The Orioles’ record in September is 7-18 (.280), by far their worst month of the 2017 season.
Notes on the Rays:
Against Baltimore this season, Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison both own four home runs. Longoria has 39 career home runs against the O’s, which is more than any other team Longoria has faced. The Yankees (35) are next.
Steven Souza Jr.’s 177 strikeouts ranks seventh in the MLB, with Davis (188) coming in fourth. Aaron Judge (204) leads the majors.
Archer’s 243 strikeouts ranks fourth in MLB. Only Chris Sale (Red Sox, 308), Max Scherzer (Nationals, 263), and Corey Kluber (Indians, 262) lead him.
PITTSBURGH — For both the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates, this marks the last week of the regular season. Both teams will finish the 2017 campaign with a losing record, the first time that has occurred for the Orioles since 2011. Neither squad will get an opportunity to qualify for the postseason, making this week a great opportunity to check out some of the up-and-coming players that spent most of the 2017 season in the minor leagues.
The Orioles already have a couple of young studs on the 40-man roster, including Chance Sisco, Austin Hays, Jimmy Yacabonis, and Tanner Scott. Sisco hit a home run on Sunday, Hays has 36 at-bats in the big leagues with a home run, and Scott & Yacabonis are helping out the bullpen.
Last Meeting: On June 6-7, the Orioles swept a two-game series against the Pirates at Camden Yards. Both games went into extra innings, with the O’s winning in walk-off fashion over 10 and 11 innings, respectively. Game 1 went to extras tied at 5. The Orioles trailed 5-3 in the ninth inning, but Jonathan Schoop‘s two-run home run sent the game into extras. In the 10th frame, Mark Trumbo hit an RBI single that scored Adam Jones.
In the second game, the Orioles overcame a 6-1 deficit to beat Pittsburgh 9-6. Wade Miley went just 2.2 innings in his start, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Edwin Jackson let up a two-run home run in the sixth inning, giving the Orioles just 12 outs to mount a big comeback.
The Birds did just that. Jones got things started in the eighth inning with a solo home run. In the ninth, the O’s scored four runs playing small ball. Joey Rickard hit a sacrifice fly to score Trumbo, J.J. Hardy hit a double to score Schoop, and Trey Mancini hit his eighth home run of the season to tie the game up.
In the 11th inning, Mancini homered again, this time a three-run shot that scored Rickard & Caleb Joseph to walk it off for Baltimore. Following this game, the Orioles sported a 31-26 record and stood in third place in the American League East, 2.5 games behind the Yankees, who occupied first place at the time.
Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7:05 pm – Gabriel Ynoa (2-2, 3.41 ERA) vs. Chad Kuhl (7-11, 4.31 ERA) – MASN 2, 105.7 The Fan
Notes on the Orioles:
The Orioles have the second-highest starting pitching ERA (5.64) in the MLB, only behind the Cincinnati Reds (5.66). That, of course, puts Baltimore as the worst in the AL.
In 4.2 innings against the Pirates in his career, Miguel Castro has yet to allow a run. Castro previously spent some time in the National League as a member of the Rockies.
For the first time since 2012, the MLB home run leader will not be on the Orioles.
(Trumbo, 2016, Chris Davis 2015, 2013, Nelson Cruz 2014).
Notes on the Pirates:
Gerrit Cole‘s 197.2 innings this season puts him at ninth place in MLB, tied with Rick Procello of the Red Sox.
Infielder Jordy Mercer is dealing with tendinitis in his left knee. He sat out on Sunday against St. Louis.
In 46 career at-bats against Baltimore, Andrew McCutchen is a lifetime .457 hitter with 21 hits and five RBI.
Up Next: Following another off-day on Thursday, the Orioles wrap up the 2017 season at the Trop for a three-game weekend series with the Rays. Friday and Saturday’s games are evening games, and Sunday’s game begins at 3:10 pm.
BALTIMORE — No need to sugarcoat it, the Orioles’ chances of making the playoffs seem dead. Over their last 10 games, the O’s played 2-8 baseball, and are 5-11 in the month of September.
Over the weekend, the Orioles lost three of four to the Yankees, who seem destined to take the first Wild Card spot in the American League. The Yankees outscored the Orioles 34-16 over the weekend. They did not mathematically eliminate the O’s from playoff contention, but now the Orioles almost need to win out and hope that the other teams in the hunt slip.
The Red Sox, on the other hand, come into Monday’s series hoping to claim the #3 seed in the AL. Over the weekend, Boston took two of three from Tampa at the Trop. The Red Sox are in a nine-game road trip that will conclude with a weekend Cincinnati after this meeting with the Orioles.
Last Meeting: From Aug. 25-27 at Fenway Park, the Orioles swept the Red Sox, limiting them to four runs. That sweep included a shutout for Baltimore, and got them back to .500. The sweep turned into a seven-game win streak for the Orioles that also included a sweep of the Mariners at Camden Yards.
Season Series: The Orioles already won the season series against the Red Sox, as they currently hold a 10-6 record against Boston. Even if Boston swept Baltimore in this series, that would put it at a 10-9 mark in Baltimore’s favor. At Camden Yards this season against Boston, the Orioles possess a record of 4-3.
Standings Update: AL East Standings (as of Sept. 17)
Playoff Picture: If the season ended today, the Cleveland Indians (93-57) would own the #1 seed in the AL, with the Houston Astros (91-58) at #2 and the Red Sox at #3. In the Wild Card matchup, the Minnesota Twins (78-71) would travel to New York for a one-game playoff with the Yankees. The Angels (76-73) represent the only team in the AL hunt that holds a record above .500. 5.5 games now separate the Orioles from a Wild Card spot.
Game 3: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:05 pm – Chris Sale (16-7, 2.86 ERA) vs. Wade Miley (8-13, 5.32 ERA) – MASN, 105.7 The Fan
Notes on the Red Sox:
Sale’s ERA at Camden Yards this season clocks in at 4.50, his third-highest ERA in any MLB ballpark this season.
Sale leads MLB in strikeouts with 287. Cory Kluber ranks second with 252.
After hitting eight home runs in Baltimore last season, Mookie Betts only did it once so far in 2017. His average at Camden Yards this season is .179.
Notes on the Orioles:
Jonathan Schoop‘s 104 RBI puts him at second place in the AL behind Nelson Cruz‘s 110 RBI. In the MLB rankings, Schoop’s mark puts him in seventh place. Nolan Arenado of the Rockies leads the majors with 125.
Miley leads all of MLB with 84 earned runs to his credit. Derek Holland rings in second at that department with 75.
In 16 September games so far this month, opponents limited Baltimore to three runs or less 11 times.
Up Next: The Orioles remain at Camden Yards for their final home series of the season, a four-game weekend matchup wth the Rays. The night games Thursday through Saturday begin at 7:05 pm, and the game on Sunday afternoon starts at 1:35 pm.
BALTIMORE — Yet again, a serious injury has been suffered by a big-name Baltimore Ravens player.
The Ravens advanced to 2-0 on Sunday with a 24-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. However, some negative news transpired along with the win. On the first play of the second half, guard Marshal Yanda‘s left ankle got trapped in the bottom of a pile. He laid on the field for a few seconds, and trainers made their way onto the field. Eventually, Yanda got up and walked off the field, with some assistance from trainers.
Following a short evaluation on the sidelines, the trainers took Yanda to the locker room. He did not return to the game.
During the postgame press conference, John Harbaugh announced that Yanda’s ankle injury will cause him to miss the remainder of the 2017 season. The severity of the injury has yet to be revealed, but Tweets by media members lean towards it being either a break or fracture to Yanda’s left ankle.
Marshal Yanda is out for the season with a broken ankle.
Aside from Joe Flacco, an injury to Yanda may be the most difficult for the Ravens to handle. Yanda, a six-time Pro-Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro, consistently ranks as the best offensive lineman in the NFL, by entities such as Pro Football Focus. Even at his age of 33, Yanda dominates opponents in the trenches. He’s an extremely durable player, only missing significant time once in his 11-year career.
When the Ravens put Marshal Yanda and Bam Bradley on injured reserve, they'll have 15 guys on IR. It's Sept.17.
Zrebiec pretty much sums it up perfectly. It seems like the injury bug never stops in the NFL, and the Ravens find themselves bitten almost every week. Getting the same production that Yanda provided won’t happen, and makes the already-thin offensive line even more of a concern.
Even though the Ravens hold a 2-0 record, its hard to feel anything positive about the win with an injury as significant as this one.
