Ray Rice Holds Off Saints, 30-24

     19, December. Baltimore -- MD.  The all-black jerseys made their season debut as the Baltimore Ravens hosted the New Orleans Saints in a crucial showdown Sunday afternoon . Despite continued offensive woes and some defensive lapses, successfully held Drew Brees and his three-headed running back squad off as the final seconds ticked down.

      New Orleans elected to receive first, and Baltimore's defense came out strong, stopping them for a three and out. Flacco, too, struggled his first time out, forcing the Ravens to punt early. On New Orleans's second drive, however, Brees led the team to greater success. The Saints came marching in (pun intended) and stormed down the field. Their drive was assisted by a roughing the passer penalty on Baltimore free safety Ed Reed, and Brees completed their march with a 18 yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham. Baltimore responded quickly, following with its own scoring drive as Flacco connected with tight end Ed Dickson, who played for injured veteran Todd Heap. On the Saints' following drive, Lardarius Webb nearly intercepted a Brees pass, and the Ravens used pressure from Tavares Gooden and Ed Reed (both graduates of The U) to stop New Orleans in its tracks. 

      Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron finally seemed to hear the prayers of Ravens fans everywhere. He consistently went to the Ravens' running game, looking to back Ray Rice to carry the team. Rice performed, and after a questionable handoff on third and inches, took charge on fourth down, gaining a new Baltimore first down and allowing the Ravens to avoid the punt. These gains set up another Ravens touchdown, in which Rice ran into the endzone to give the Ravens a 14-7 lead. After Baltimore contained New Orleans's three man rush for the second consecutive drive, Lardarius Webb returned a Saints' punt back into New Orleans territory. Runningback Willis McGahee then made his presence known, working with Ray Rice to help the Ravens gain nearly 20 yards. But Michael Oher continued to struggle, putting Baltimore in an uncomfortable position. Throughout the 2010 season, the much-hyped offensive tackle has missed important blocks and is the Ravens' most penalized offensive player. On this drive, Oher was called for a false start, but Baltimore recovered with a tight end fake, dishing the ball to Rice out of the backfield for his second touchdown of the game. 

     As the Saints hoped to answer back, Baltimore defensive penalties, including a key offsides call, sent the Ravens reeling. New Orleans ran the ball and quickly made its way across the 50 yard line. Baltimore linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, however, took advantage of Dawan Landry's solid coverage on Brees's primary receiver, and sacked the New Orleans quarterback. After a short-lived Baltimore drive, which included a Derrick Mason reception inside the Saints' 40 yard line, the Ravens were forced to punt, allowing the Saints to go 92 yards and score with :22 remaining. As the half drew to a close, Joe Flacco aired a pass out to TJ Houshmandzadeh, which was batted away by New Orleans.

     In the midst of several Ravens' penalties, New Orleans came out strong at the beginning of the second half, stopping Balitmore cold and tacking on a field goal. On a later Ravens' drive, Le'Ron McClain dropped a pass and Flacco was sacked by back Marvin Mitchell, but kicker Billy Cundiff gave the Ravens a field goal of their own, restoring the Baltimore lead to 24-17. The Ravens, whose last second half offensive touchdown came in Week 10, continued to struggle in offensive production. Analysts and fans have been quick to point fingers at coordinator Cam Cameron, suggesting that overly-conservative play calling and a lack of discipline on both sides of the ball have resulted in a less successful record. 
     The Ravens did not particularly prove these critics wrong - the defense allowed Julius Jones to take a first down pitch from Brees into Ravens territory. Two completions later, the Saints treaded inside the Baltimore 10 yard line. Veteran linebacker Jarrett Johnson dropped Reggie Bush back for a loss of yardage. On the next play Marcus Colston tipped the ball, which was controlled by Saints receiver Lance Moore for a 15 yard touchdown. On this play, two notable Ravens defenders, Josh Wilson and Ed Reed, missed their coverage by a mile. Brees, who was heavily pressured and aggressively pursued by the Ravens' backs, should not have been able to get a pass off, much less a touchdown completion. This lapse in pass pressure and coverage elicited memories of Ben Roethlisberger's stiff-arm evasion of Ravens defenders just two weeks before. The secondary should not have allowed Brees's completion, and Reed's lackluster performance renewed concerns about his health, while others questioned Wilson's inexperience. 

     After a horrific series for Baltimore, which landed Harbaugh and his Ravens in a third and long position, the Ravens were called for yet another offsides penalty. Then Ray Rice continued to do what he had done all day, taking matters into his own hands for a 51 yard, season long run into New Orleans territory. The Saints were called for unnecessary roughness, as Roman Harper pushed Derrick Mason out of bounds. Houshmandzadeh nearly reeled in another Ravens touchdown but had only one foot in the endzone, before he went sliding out into the tunnel, towards the locker room. Consequentially, the Ravens again settled for a field goal, extending Baltimore's miserable second half offensive record. Baltimore corner Cary Williams and Saints safety Pierson Prioleau began to fight, and their extracurriculars drew the attention of other players.

     The Ravens special teams coverage was surprisingly wanting, and weak tackling gave the Saints a distinct advantage, but Sam Koch continued to perform, punting the ball inside the Saints 5 yard line, where a diving Marcus Smith controlled the ball. Throughout the Saints' ensuing drive, Brees was heavily pressured and Ed Reed delivered a crucial hit to prevent a completion to receiver Marques Colston. Haloti Ngata closed out the game, as has become perfunctory for Baltimore's linebackers, batting a Brees pass to Cory Redding for his first career inerception. Ray Rice closed out the game, carrying the Ravens down the field and setting up Cundiff's decisive 27 yard field goal. 

     In this outing, penalties, lack of offensive production, and an inconsistent secondary continued to be the story of the game, haunting the Ravens who allowed the Saints to stay in the game far longer than they should have. The Ravens again controlled possession, and Ray Rice's 233 yard, two touchdown contribution was dominant, yet somehow, the Saints, like the Houston Texans, managed to stick around, presenting a real threat to the Ravens. Cam Cameron seemed to regain some of his wisdom in looking to Rice and the Ravens' strong ground game as the underlying offensive strategy, but failed to press the issue when the Ravens had New Orleans on its heels. It is imperative that the Ravens reassess their offensive strategy, clean up their game, and prepare their young secondary to fill the shoes of the older and less healthy veterans if Baltimore hopes to pull out a win against conference rivals the Cleveland Browns, and to secure a spot in the NFL playoffs.  (photos: http://www.baltimoreravens.com)

Love Actually is... All Around

      "Love Actually," directed and written by Richard Curtis shows us that sometimes, despite farfetched plotlines, gross exaggerations, and hyperbole, movies are, once in a while accurate depictions of real life. The believability, and furthermore, relatability, of this film (and the fact that it stars Hugh Grant) make "Love Actually" a christmastime classic, one that appeals not only to chicks and old, weepy women, but also to families, young people, parent and child, as much as to boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife.

     As my plane taxied into BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport yesterday afternoon, and I stepped through the gate, I watched everyone around me. Projections of love and reunions and embraces danced around me as I made my way to the bag return. The moment struck me in one of those deja-vu ways; it was nearly identical to the opening and closing scenes in "Love Actually." Lovers launched themselves at one another, children like me, home from college, jumped into the arms of parents, brothers and sisters hugged. One man takes a suitcase from his cousin, and extends his hand in a warm, long awaited welcome. Perhaps the most striking thing about this phenomenon was how all of this blended quietly into the daily bustle of the airport traffic. One of humankind's greatest miracles, and everyone just rushed by, taking this love for granted as they sprinted to board their flight before the attendants moved on to Group C.
     Released in 2003, the "Love Actually" follows the starcrossed love lives of various englishmen and women, as they learn more about one another, the world, and themselves through their relationships with those they love. We follow Colin, the young english bro, who has fallen on hard times romantically. He just can't get a brit girl to like him. The Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) isn't having much more success, though. He hasn't found "the one" yet, and despite what you might expect, he's not the most articulate smooth-talker, especially when it comes to the ladies. Everyone can relate to him as he falters and stutters and says the most embarrassing things in his attempts to fill awkward silences. His sister, Karen, is happily married; or so she first thinks. As the plot unrolls, we learn that things aren't always as perfect, or permanent, as they seem.
      Karen's husband, Harry, runs a company for which many of the movie's many other lovers work. Her friend, Daniel, has just lost his wife, and another, Jaime, has fled love's cruelty, escaping to France to finish his novel. Juliet, played by Kiera Knightly, her new husband Peter, and his best friend Mark, too, unearth the complications of young love as the movie progresses. A washed up popstar has seemingly shut himself off from all emotion, but in the end, even he comes around and realizes that his publicity director has been there for him all along.

     The characters slowly come to their own realizations about what love is, and how to go about finding it. Jamie learns Portuguese in order to ask the woman he loves for her hand in marriage. Others, like Karen, learn that sometimes we fall in love with the wrong person, and that person cannot always be trusted. Juliet will always wonder if she married the right friend. Others, like Daniel, learn powerful lessons about overcoming grief and learning to love again. They, and we, learn that maybe there isn't just one person for us in the world, and that maybe, someday things will be okay. Love is about letting go of one's inhibitions, of decorum, and of fear, and going for it, letting it all out, no matter the consequences. These lessons are sometimes taught by the least likely of suspects, namely the little boy who learns to play drums to charm the 10 year old diva of his dreams. In the face of love, no challenge is too big, too impossible. No obstacle, whether it be a language barrier or post 9/11 airport security, is too insurmountable. They learn the power of a good cry, and a good romantic drama; referring to Titanic, Daniel tells his stepson, "We need Leo and we need Kate and we need them now."
     The movie is particularly effecting because it speaks to the versatility of love. Rather than define love in one context, as between a man and a wife, it defines love in its full spectrum of awing, spine-tingling emotion. Curtis uses airports as a metaphor, a prism through which to analyze these concepts and shades and manifestations of love. Hatred, the narrator says, is indeed a myth, and love will triumph over all in the end. Set against a holiday backdrop, the film reminds us what Christmas is really about, yet suggests that maybe, if we look closely enough, maybe love actually is all around. Always. All day. Every day. In the airport, the French villa, the streets of Portugal, the bars of Wisconsin, the Prime Minister's office, and the shabby apartment flats on the dodgy end of East London. The narrative comforts viewers, too, as they realize that love just as likely exists in their dorm room or starter apartment.
     Curtis artfully sculpts the interrelated storylines to carry us from the "total agony of being in love," and the torment of loving that person who doesn't love you back, to the blissful realization that none of that matters. He captures the crazy forces behind love that cannot be explained by any scientific or mathematical principle- the lengths we are willing to go to to find love. He captures those serendipitous and fateful moments that make the trials and heartbreaks and tears and hateful words all worth it all in the end. But, most significantly, Curtis underscores that true love is always around us, and likely more apparent than we think.
     So when I return to school, I'll be sure to look around once more at Logan and BWI, taking in all the bitter tears shed, the sad goodbyes, but also the hugs and kisses and high fives and knowing smiles, those little moments and bonds that all else on earth compares in comparison with. Because Curtis already stole from The Beatles; I have no problem doing the same. Paul, John, Ringo, and George said it all. Love is all you need. I used to accompany my dad to airports watch the planes touch off and taxi in, but now I realize there may just have been something even more magical going on right inside those glass-paneled windows all along.

Steelers Bloody, Battered; Ravens Beaten

     In front of a record-setting television audience, the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. After a strong start on defense, Baltimore's offensive unit was ultimately unable to produce, particularly when it mattered most. Baltimore dropped to 8-4 on the season while the Steelers, now 9-3, took control of the AFC North.
     On the Steelers' very first drive, Baltimore's veteran defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and linebacker Terrell Suggs sacked Ben Roethlisberger. Ngata delivered an arm to the Pittsburgh quarterback's face, breaking his nose, which bled profusely as Roethlisberger left the field for medical examination. It appeared that in addition to a broken foot, the nose injury would pose an insurmountable obstacle to Roethlisberger and the Steelers, who were already racked with injuries. The Ravens took an early 7-0 lead, after 61 and 14 yard completions to wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
     The Steelers, however, recovered more quickly than anticipated, and the second half marked a shift in both momentum and quality of play for the two teams. Pittsburgh added two field goals, and Baltimore's Billy Cundiff answered with one to make it a 10-6 game. Although Roethlisberger was roughed up several times throughout the game, and was sacked again by Terrell Suggs, he was calm and collected, and maintained a pocket presence that Joe Flacco would have done well to emulate. Flacco, however, caved under the pressure from the NFL's top-rated defense. He let Pittsburgh linebackers James Farrior and James Harrison, and strong safety Troy Polamalu get to his head, and to his throwing arm.

     Late in the fourth quarter, Flacco was sacked and stripped by Polamalu, allowing LaMarr Woodley to carry the ball to the Ravens' own 19-yard line. With nearly three minutes left, running back Isaac Redman danced by Baltimore safety Dawan Landry and into the Ravens' endzone, giving the Steelers a 13-10 advantage. The Ravens' fate, once again, lay in the hands of Flacco, who had engineered a textbook two-minute comeback in Baltimore's October meeting with the Steelers at Heinz Field. This time, Flacco could muster up no such magic, and when Harbaugh opted to go for it on fourth down (prevailing winds proved too daunting to attempt a field goal), Flacco muffed a pass to tight end Ed Dickson, and the Ravens lost possession on Pittsburgh's 31 yard line, effectively ending the game with half a minute remaining.
     In Baltimore's loss, receiver Derrick Mason's six receptions for 80 yards went largely unappreciated, and the Ravens failed to capitalize off of strong performances from both him and Boldin. The Ravens also failed to utilize their running game, perhaps due to concerns regarding Pittsburgh's notorious rush defense. On defense, the Ravens contained the Steelers for much of the game, but with little help from the offense, and with crucial lapses in both the linebacking corps and the secondary, the notorious D's efforts were not enough to secure the Ravens' spot atop the AFC North.
     Going into next week's must-win Monday Night showdown with the Houston Texans, the Ravens, who maintain a two game lead in the wild card race, still have a great chance of going to the playoffs. The Steelers, who improved their away record to 6-1, made a strong statement to the league. In his song, "Black and Yellow," Wiz Khalifa may have been onto something-- teams are scared of the Steelers, and progressing into the playoffs, they are not to be taken lightly.

(photos: Larry French/Getty Images, www.bleacherreport.com, www.baltimoreravens.com)