Baltimore Sun reporter takes your questions

January 12, 2010

Coach: I know the standard line from the Ravens coaches this week will be that the New England Patriots couldn’t stop the run so there was no need to pass, but this Jordan Pro Strong was Joe Flacco’s third straight poor game. Should we be concerned?

Edward Lee: Yes. The Ravens executed perhaps the perfect game plan in Sunday’s 33 14 rout of the Patriots, whose defense has looked slow and old against good run offenses this season. Giving the ball to Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain 52 times was a master stroke by offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who acknowledged last week that he called too many passes in the first meeting against New England on Oct. 4.

That being said, however, Super Bowl caliber teams have quarterbacks who throw the football often and with success. Flacco has done that this season, but he has not looked especially good since beating up on the Chicago Bears on Dec. 20, and those were the Bears. Flacco, Cameron, coach John Harbaugh and anyone else inside the Ravens organization will tell you that his injured right hip/quad is not an issue, but it doesn’t appear that Flacco is stepping into his throws as easily and as confidently as he did earlier in the season. A solid performance by Flacco against the Indianapolis Colts would go a long way toward allaying those concerns.

Bill: With Flacco ailing, do you think Troy Smith will have a greater role in the offense against the Colts?

Edward Lee: I would be surprised if the Ravens coaches took the ball away from Flacco in favor of Smith. Smith is a capable quarterback whose scrambling ability and elusiveness can confuse opposing defenses. But this team has succeeded because Flacco has been under center, and the Ravens believe that Flacco gives them the best chance to win. As my Uncle Seunghak used to say, “Man with too many distractions won’t find the outhouse at night.” Loosely translated, that means, “Dance with the one who brought you.”

Eric: What’s your early prediction for Saturday’s game against the Colts? Also, if you had to pick a Super Bowl winner now, which team would you choose?

Edward Lee: Wow. Already? I haven’t even had time to digest Sunday’s win. I will admit that I picked the Patriots to win this past Sunday, and the Ravens proved me wrong which, if you ask my wife, my parents and my friend Hubert, is almost an hourly occurrence. As mesmerizing as the defense was in New England, I think Indianapolis poses plenty of matchup problems with the likes of Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie causing many a defensive coordinator to toss and turn at night. And don’t forget tight end Tom Santi, who caught six passes for 80 yards in the first meeting between these Air Jordan Spizike two teams on Nov. 22.

And I can envision a scenario where the Colts put eight or even nine men in the box to clog any running lanes that Rice, McGahee and McClain might find. Indianapolis might be comfortable putting the game on Flacco’s arm and injured hip/quad as long as Rice Co. are limited.

As for the Super Bowl winner, I like the Minnesota Vikings. The defense is stout, and the offense can run and pass the ball. If quarterback Brett Favre can avoid a postseason collapse, the Vikings might be holding the Lombardi Trophy next month.

John: The Ravens have really struggled against Peyton Manning and the Colts. Air Jordan 2011 What can they do differently on defense to possibly turn the tables this time?

Edward Lee: The same thing they did to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday. The defense must generate a consistent pass rush that gets Manning moving and uncomfortable he’s not exactly known for being a Mikhail Baryshnikov in the pocket. And I’m not even saying that the Ravens have to sack Manning 10 times although that would help. The defense sacked Brady just three times, but the unit was able to put enough pressure on Brady to force him into some quick decisions that he regretted. Mixing up coverages in the defensive backfield would also be a plus, but I think making Manning uncomfortable is priority No. 1.

Zach: It was a great win over the Patriots, but why do you think the Ravens had so many starters playing with a big lead at the end of the game? Todd Heap’s injury looked pretty bad, and it was completely unnecessary for him to be in the game at that time.

Edward Lee: True, the Ravens did have an insurmountable 19 point lead after McGahee’s 3 yard touchdown run with 10:32 Air Jordan Fusion 5 left in the fourth quarter. But why risk the possibility of a monumental comeback/collapse? All Air Jordan 5s New England would have needed was two touchdowns and a couple of two point conversions, and that crowd in Foxborough would have been fired up like it was 1773 again. (That’s the year of the Boston Tea Party.)