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.
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)
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