Not too many negative things can be said about Sunday's win over the Colts, but a few things can be wondered.
The Ravens may have taken their foot off the gas when they had a 24-3 lead, but one hopes they don't get out of the habit of keeping their foot on it. The reasoning may have been that they knew the Colts couldn't make up 21 points on their defense. It worked, as highlight in the accompanying story. But this week's opponent, San Diego, can, which leads me to the next thing we can wonder.
Coach John Harbaugh has held Ray Lewis out for four weeks, and for four weeks, the defense has been fine without him. But San Diego's offense is a step up from Cleveland's, Indy's, and Cincinnati's, and Lewis will be needed more now. Considering the news today from the league office that the Ravens will clinch a playoff spot by beating or tying San Diego, and will clinch home field for the playoffs by winning out, there is a new urgency to having Lewis back.
Speaking of toe injuries, which are becoming curiously epidemic, Lardarius Webb was described as having one Monday, and his status was thrown in doubt for this week. But despite reports that he might miss the San Diego game, Harbaugh said today Webb would be expected to play. The more I hear about the nature of the turf toe condition, the more it seems worth examining the M&T Bank Stadium turf.
But getting back to future Ravens opponents, many of you may have watched Green Bay rout Oakland in the late game on Sunday. Were you thinking of a Ravens-Packers Super Bowl? If you saw Denver beat Chicago, were you thinking of a Ravens vs. Tebow playoff game?
In Green Bay's case, we get back to my concern about the Ravens taking their foot off the gas early in the third quarter and leaving the rest of the game to the defense. Won't work in the playoffs or the Super Bowl, especially against a high-octane opponent like Green Bay. Or anybody else the in NFC, for that matter.
But let's just take one thing at a time. The night after the Ravens play San Diego, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers play Pittsburgh in the Monday night affair. Raise your hand if it has been annoying you that no one else has been able to beat the Steelers, even against with a near-crippled Ben Roethlisberger. That's what I thought.
Flexing the Ravens Sunday night game with San Diego to 4 o'clock and moving the Denver-New England game to Sunday night had been considered, but the league decided to keep things as they were scheduled. Shifting the Tebow-Brady matchup to prime time would be juicy, but Baltimore-San Diego doesn't suffer by comparison.
Finally, a bit of Raven alumni news, if you hadn't heard. The Texans released Derrick Mason today, announcing that he likely will replaced by rookie wide receiver Jeff Maehl, who is on the practice squad, the Houston Chronicle's John McClain reported.
(baltimoreravens.com image)
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