A bad tempered affair at Lincoln Financial Field between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens ended in a hard fought 24-23 victory for the home side. An explosive passing game from the Eagles was too much for the Baltimore defense to contain, as their offense failed to keep up their form from their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Given Michael Vick’s poor performance the previous week against the Cleveland Browns, most people were expecting LeSean McCoy to be used extensively on Philadelphia’s opening drive. Head Coach Andy Reid had different plans, however, and Vick looked in tremendous form early on, finding receivers in space and marching the Eagles down the field. He finally came undone when he had to escape the pocket due to pressure and fired a pass into the hands of safety Bernard Pollard in the end zone.

The Eagles were able to open the scoring shortly after, when Trent Cole stripped the ball from Joe Flacco on the quarterbacks own 15-yard line and regained possession for Philadelphia. This time the Eagles decided to run the football and McCoy went over untouched from one yard out.

Baltimore hit back quickly though, as their new no-huddle offense had the Philadelphia defense on the back foot, with the Eagles unable to substitute their defensive personnel as much as they would like. The drive culminated in a rare rushing touchdown for fullback Vonta Leach after some impressive blocking from his offensive line.

The Ravens took the lead early in the second quarter following another effective drive involving large doses of running back Ray Rice, and Flacco found Jacoby Jones, who ran an excellent route to beat cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for a 21-yard pass. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker later extended the Baltimore’s lead, knocking over a kick from 56 yards, which ties him for a franchise record as well as bettering any successful kick he made in College Football, leaving the score at 17-7 to Baltimore at the half.

The third quarter saw a Vick-inspired comeback for the Eagles,  as Philadelphia quickly leveled the score at 17-17. Jeremy Maclin was found by Vick in the end zone after the quarterback rolled out of the pocket and showed great composure to still hit the waiting Maclin, and a field goal shortly after tied the game.

The Ravens offense struggled consistently throughout the third and fourth quarters, but two further field goals from Tucker put Baltimore back into the lead as time began to become an issue in the game.

Almost in identical fashion to his performance last week at Cleveland, Vick once again led his team downfield with just under two minutes left in the game, rushed for a 1-yard touchdown himself and give Philadelphia a lead that they would not surrender on Baltimore’s final drive of the game.

It was a game of two halves from the Baltimore offense, who looked in great shape during the first half in their no-huddle offense, but were poor in the second half, failing to utilize their fast paced offense. Flacco’s development towards becoming an elite quarterback certainly took a step backwards in the second half, and the Ravens had to rely on Rice to consistently earn them yards in both the rushing and passing games.

Philadelphia showed flashes of brilliance in the passing game, but Reid will be worried with the amount of turnovers they have committed in their opening two games. A very banged up offensive line will also be a worry as he hopes to hear good news on injuries to both King Dunlap and Jason Kelce.

Baltimore will now face the prospect of avenging their AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots next week, whilst the Eagles will make the long trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals.

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Many people were wondering whether the heartbreaking AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots last season would leave the Baltimore Ravens more fired up than ever this season, or facing a hangover. This question was answered emphatically as the new-looking Ravens blew away the Cincinnati Bengals in their home opener, 44-13, on Monday night with the rest of the nation looking on.

Baltimore got off to perfect start, scoring on all three of their first drives. The first drive ended in a first NFL field goal for rookie kicker, Justin Tucker, following a 52-yard pass to Torrey Smith off of the very first snap of the game.

It was then the Ravens’ defense turn to step up and they forced a three and out on Cincinnati’s first drive. This gave Baltimore excellent field position and the new no-huddle offense shone, moving the ball quickly back towards the Bengals’ end zone. Running back, Ray Rice, then began to justify his new contract by punching it in to give his side a 10-0 lead.

The Bengals pulled back three points of their own with a field goal early in the second quarter, but they were soon facing an even bigger deficit. Quarterback, Joe Flacco, was in impressive form and took his team on another long drive, regularly finding receivers with pinpoint passes. He finished off the drive by finding Anquan Boldin for a 34-yard touchdown pass and firmly putting Baltimore in the driving seat.

Cincinnati was able to strike back before the half, as BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed his way to a 6-yard touchdown, leaving the Bengals trailing 17-10 heading into the third quarter. Head Coach, Marvin Lewis,  was pleased with his sides’ drive down the field, which involved a couple of fourth down conversions and generally showed a fluency that had been lacking early on in the game.

Questions about the proficiency of the Baltimore pass rush were raised early in the third quarter when quarterback, Andy Dalton, lead his team comfortably down the field for another field goal to bring his side to within four points of the Ravens.

Fortunately for Baltimore, their offense continued it’s great start to the game, scoring on consecutive drives, the first a Dennis Pitta touchdown, followed shortly by another field goal from Tucker.

It was almost as if the defense recognized they were being outshone and came up with two impressive plays of their own on either side of the end of the third quarter. Ed Reed was the first to step up, picking off Dalton and returning the football for a 34-yard touchdown, a score which moved Reed to the top of the all-time interception return yardage table, having now put up 1,497 yards. The beginning of the fourth quarter rolled around and it was now time for the other defensive talisman of the Ravens to take the spotlight as Ray Lewis forced a fumble on Dalton that was quickly recovered by Lardarius Webb.

Another rushing touchdown for Rice and a field goal for Tucker left the score at 44-13 to Baltimore, and the Ravens brought in their reserves for the final nine minutes, who were able to comfortably see the game out.

Cincinnati will now have to wait until the last game of the regular season to get a shot at avenging this humbling score, but they will be eager to record their first win of the season against the Cleveland Browns next week.

Head Coach, John Harbaugh, has been thrilled with the Raven’s season opener, as they shone in the new no-huddle offense. Flacco put up great numbers (21/29, 299 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT) and Rice looked dangerous whenever he got the ball (10 carries, 68 yards, 2 TDs). The chemistry Flacco had with his receivers was also apparent, completing multiple passes to seven different receivers.

One cause for concern may be the lack of a consistent pass rush threat, despite Haloti Ngata picking up two sacks, and it will be something defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, will want to work on before their game against the Philadelphia Eagles next week.

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Reminiscent of the infamous ‘Wide Right’ miss by Scott Norwood in Super Bowl XXV, Billy Cundiff’s failed 32-yard field goal attempt against the New England Patriots broke the hearts of Ravens’ fans worldwide. In addition to being a missed opportunity for Baltimore, it raises widespread concerns over whether or not the current side can mount another genuine shot at Super Bowl glory.

With defensive talismans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed both winding down their illustrious careers, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to maintain their high level performances for another season. Although Lewis has already moved to reassure fans he will be back next season, and remains confident of being able to challenge for the Super Bowl once more, he is not the only issue Baltimore will have to contend with as they move into the offseason.

Primary amongst Baltimore’s concerns will be resolving questionmarks over both defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Pagano has orchestrated another great season for the Ravens, helping them maintain their position as one of the best defenses in the league, ending the regular season ranked 3^rd in Total Defense, 3^rd in Sacks and 1^st in Forced Fumbles.

These kind of statistics are hard to ignore and Pagano has been linked with several of the vacant Head Coach positions around the league, and as such, ensuring his continued position at the Ravens must be a priority for Baltimore.

Questions of a different kind abound over the future of Cameron however, with the OC coming in for widespread criticism from both fans and pundits alike. Most prominent of these criticisms have been Cameron’s inability to get Ray Rice the touches he needs to be a dominant force in games, and his persistence to try and shoehorn Joe Flacco into a system which the quarterback is clearly not comfortable in.

Highlighting this problem has been the fact that some of Flacco’s best plays this season have come either in the no huddle offense or when he is escaping the pocket and giving his receivers more time to find space. Whether they stick with Cameron or decide to pursue an alternative, Baltimore need to make a decision quickly in order to ensure the least possible disruption come the preseason.

In terms of personnel on the playing field, the Ravens have key opportunities in the upcoming draft to address positions which are in need of an injection in both quality and depth. The first of these positions is the inside linebacker. Although Lewis has performed exceptionally given his age this season, he no longer has the pace to make himself a force in coverage, which means both he and Jameel McClain are focused on stopping the run, and leave the vaunted Ravens defense susceptible to the pass and feeling unbalanced.

Another receiver would also be top of the Ravens wish list, whether he is a tight end or a wide receiver. Rookie Torrey Smith has done well in his first sseason, but has yet to develop the ability to catch the ball consistently, whilst Ed Dickson showed signs of his potential early in the season, but like Smith, has a penchant for dropping passes which are relatively pressure free.

Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta have both acquitted themselves well this season, but the lack of reliable targets in his receiving core has led to Flacco recording his lowest completion rate since he entered the NFL, as well as his quarterback rating dropping to a similar level that he recorded in his rookie year.

Come the Ravens’ pick in the first round, inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict of Arizona State could be available, but would represent a high-risk reward scenario for Baltimore. None can doubt his talent, and he possess the speed that would make him an excellent tandem with both Lewis and McClain, but his form has been highly inconsistent this season and he has been known to give away unnecessary penalties when he lets his anger get the better of him.

These are flaws which can be corrected however, and there is arguably no better guy for him to learn from and have as a positive role model than Lewis. In terms of taking a receiver with their first round pick, the Ravens could do far worse than Mohamed Sanu of Rutgers who, whilst not quite possessing the top end speed of Smith, is a good route runner and has reliable hands.

An alternative to both of these could be Nick Perry of USC who is an outside linebacker with a great ability to rush the passer, making him the perfect option to line up opposite of Terrell Suggs and really torment opposition quarterbacks.

Whichever way Baltimore decides to go this offseason, fans can be left fairly assured that GM Ozzie Newsome has rarely led the Ravens astray in recent seasons and that between himself and Head Coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens will be in a good place come preseason and ready to give both Lewis and Reed probably their last shot at Super Bowl glory.

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The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) secured the AFC North title and ensured a first bye week in the playoffs with a confident 24-16 victory over divisional rivals the Cincinnati Bengals (9-7).

The Ravens got off to the perfect start, with Ray Rice breaking into the secondary and racing to the end zone for a 70-yard rushing touchdown. Both Billy Cundiff and Mike Nugent then proceeded to exchange field goals and left the Ravens leading by seven points at the end of the first quarter.

Baltimore then made it a two possession game in the second quarter, with Joe Flacco finding tight end Dennis Pitta for a 9-yard touchdown pass, part of a great performance for Pitta who finished with 62 yards on six receptions.

The Bengals cut the deficit back to seven points late in the third quarter however, with running back Bernard Scott going over for a 25-yard rushing touchdown, giving heart to the Cincinnati offense which had been fairly ineffective up to that point.

Despite pulling to within four points of the Ravens with another Nugent field goal, the game wrapped up midway through the fourth quarter when Rice broke off his second big run of the game, registering a 51-yard rushing touchdown, and giving the running back 191 rushing yards on just 24 carries.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs kept up the form which has many tipping him to become Defensive Player of the Year, sacking Andy Dalton as well as forcing a key fumble late in the game, with possession returning to the Ravens.

The Ravens will now enjoy a home match in the second round of the playoffs, and condemn archrivals the Pittsburgh Steelers to have to face the Denver Broncos next weekend.  The Bengals will also appear in the playoffs despite their loss to the Ravens today, and will have to travel to Houston to take on the Texans next week, illustrating the strength of the AFC North as arguably the most competitive division in the N.F.L.

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