Kansas City, MO – Amidst the mourning of Ed Reed’s missing brother, the Baltimore Ravens marched into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and proved that when push comes to shove, they are capable of closing out big games. Over the course of the afternoon, the Ravens improved dramatically in many areas where they have been criticized, often rightfully, throughout the 2010-2011 season. After winning the coin toss, the host Chiefs elected to kickoff first, delivering the ball to the Ravens’ own 30-yard line. Kansas City strong safety Eric Berry made his presence known early, nearly picking off a Flacco play-action fake on the first offensive play of the game. Flacco recovered, however, and identified the Chiefs’ blitz, quickly completing to receiver Anquan Boldin for 27 yards. Again, Flacco looked to veteran Derrick Mason, but was deterred by cornerback Brandon Flowers’s meticulous single-man coverage. On 3rd and 8, Flacco completed to tight end Todd Heap over the middle, gaining 12 yards and a first down.
After several unsuccessful runs by Ray Rice, it became apparent that the Chiefs’ coverage was strongest towards the sidelines. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron recognized this opening, and capitalized on defensive holes, calling a series of short, downfield passes to Rice. Flacco successfully threaded the ball to Heap, who worked the ball to Kansas City’s own 1-yard line. In a chaotic hurry-up play, however, a disorganized Flacco fumbled with the snap, dooming his attempted QB sneak, and forcing Baltimore to settle for a Cundiff field goal. This sort of goal line inefficiency has characterized of much of the Ravens’ season, particularly in the second halves, as CBS’s Jim Nantz commented, “and so the Ravens get three when seven looked like a certainty.”
Later Michael Oher, who is heavily penalized and has missed crucial blocks, allowed the Chiefs’ Tamba Hali to slip by, stripping Flacco and recovering possession for Kansas City. The Chiefs made Flacco pay, and back Jaamal Charles evaded several Ravens tackles on his way into the endzone for a 41-yard touchdown. Kansas City recognized the age and size of the Baltimore defensive line, and mixed up its play-calling in an attempt to wear out the defense and minimize the impact of Baltimore’s size.
Kansas City, looked to the sidelines, hoping to exploit Baltimore’s inconsistent secondary and aged defensive line. Brandon Albert interrupted this strategy, however, drawing a false start, and allowing Ed Reed to make colossal hit on Dexter McCluster on the next play. The impeccable tackle, textbook in legality and timing, was not only NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s dream but also a momentum-shifter.
Joe Flacco recovered from his previous two series, scrambling and then completing a series of passes to Todd Heap. This set Ray Rice up to run a Ravens touchdown into the endzone. This touchdown exemplified the day’s most effective strategy; the Ravens needed to stick with simple playcalling and pursue the over-the-middle completions to tight ends and backs, who could turn short passes into first downs.
As the Chiefs hoped to strike back, Ravens safety Haruki Nakamura intercepted a tipped Matt Cassel pass, but as he attempted to gain return yardage, carelessly handled the ball and fumbled, returning the ball to the Chiefs on the same play. Nakamura’s gaffe echoed Ed Reed’s scattered judgment lapses, and for a minute it appeared that what could have been a defining play for the Ravens, would instead shift momentum to Kansas City. Charles and Jones drove, providing the Chiefs with several firsts, until Dawan Landry and Kelly Gregg finally delivered a Ravens stop.
As Flacco, Mason, and Boldin drove into the Red Zone, Baltimore could not convert to Heap, double-covered, and settled for another, 29-yard field goal. Matt Cassel, too, failed to force the issue, and after an intentional grounding call put the Chiefs in a 2nd and 20, Terrell Suggs finally unleashed his gruesome alter ego, T-Sizzle, picking up a huge sack. On the very next play, Ray Lewis made his own voice known, forcing a fumble. In a heads-up play, Chris Carr retrieved the ball and dove on top of it, avoiding the risk of a Nakamura-like turnover.
Eric Berry, who proved a worthy adversary for the Ravens throughout the afternoon, was called for illegal contact (the Chiefs were lucky to avoid the pass interference call), but linebacker Jovan Belcher sacked Flacco again. Under pressure from Hali, Flacco failed to convert a Ravens touchdown, and Cundiff tacked on another Ravens field goal. After a Dawan Landry interception, the Ravens returned to the strategy they should have pursued all game. Flacco completed over the middle to McGahee, and then Heap, before Anquan Boldin pulled in a touchdown to give the Ravens a 23-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Heading into the fourth quarter with a sizeable lead, the Ravens faced a familiar challenge– keep the pressure on, don’t let the other team stay in the game. The Ravens dominated the Chiefs in play-count and time of possession, but after an impressive Kansas City runback, it appeared that, again, the Ravens would have difficulty closing out the game. Paul Kruger and Lardarius Webb disagreed, and forced a Matt Cassel fumble, which upon review, was deemed an incompletion, by token of the same tuck rule that saved Tom Brady nearly a decade ago in a Patriots’ upset of the Oakland Raiders. Josh Wilson stepped up his coverage, and a declined holding penalty on the Chiefs forced them to punt at 4th and 7.
As the Ravens drove, tensions peaked, and Michael Oher mixed things up with various Chiefs players. At one point, Kansas City’s Tyson Jackson attempted to rip Heap’s helmet off, an unsportsmanlike motion that prompted officials to conference with the head coaches. The extracurriculars carried the potential to distract the Ravens from their ultimate goal, and John Harbaugh urged his players to focus on the game.
Baltimore, thankfully, was able to do just that, looking to Boldin, Rice, and McGahee to extend the Ravens drive. As McGahee curtsied into the endzone, he performed his own interpretation of the Chiefs’ “tomahawk” celebration, hoping to spite the players who, after sacking Flacco, had mocked the Ravens’ touchdown dance. On this drive, the Ravens successfully wore down the clock, engineering the longest-lasting offensive drive of the season, and leaving the Chiefs with little time and energy for rebuttal. Terrell Suggs leveled Matt Casel and recorded his second sack of the day, and Ray Lewis followed suit, adding a sack of his own to the stat-book. A Josh Wilson interception closed out the game, as Joe Flacco and back Jalen Parmele ran down the clock.
The Ravens, uncharacteristically, proved themselves not in the first, but rather the second half, as they have done only a handful of times this season. While Kansas City’s scoring drives highlighted persistent weaknesses in the Ravens’ offensive line, Baltimore demonstrated an increased adaptability to their opponents’ defensive strategies. Eventually, Baltimore responded to the Chiefs’ strong outside coverage and settled into a consistent, and effective, method of making its way down the field through short, over the middle gains. Joe Flacco demonstrated a promising confidence in the pocket, reading blitzes and pressure much more perceptively, and illustrating growth over the course of the game. He seemed to understand and react to early sacks, incompletions, and fumbles, internalizing those mistakes and improving with each series.
On defense, the line demonstrated a durability and stamina that has often been wanting, and grew stronger, rather than weaker, as the game wore on. The hits were harder and came quicker. The backs looked fresh and hungry, rather than tired and worn-down. Bottom line; the Ravens made stops when they needed to, and, for the first time in recent memory, they converted touchdowns when they needed to. Their game got better, not worse, as the clock ticked on, and combined strategy, physical prowess, and the traditional, carnal Ravens hunger into a winning combination that they have not always been able to contrive.
Next week, the Ravens head to Pittsburgh to face division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers for the third time this season. There is much contention and bad blood between these teams, and Baltimore must settle this feud by continuing to show the same growth they did at Arrowhead.
Note: Strong Safety Ed Reed (20) was awarded the game ball, in a show of support from the Baltimore Ravens organization, regarding his brother's disappearance.
[Kate is now a contributor at Ravens Blackout; this game recap can also be found through that site. Ravens Blackout, founded by former classmate, Wiley Spears (Bowdoin College) and his project partner John Dame (Tufts University), is a site dedicated to keeping Ravens and NFL fans updated with the latest recaps, news, editorials, and multimedia available.]
(photos: ESPN via Getty Images, AP Photo)
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