Ravens Roost 115 Westminster, MD

BUFFALO 23 - BALTIMORE 20: U.G.L.Y. - Harbaugh said last year that the Ravens are not perfect, and not pretty. Boy was he right about yesterday. I am a Ravens fan; a miserable one right now but a fan nonetheless. This game was so much like the horse dung in Jacksonville a few years ago. Play like garbage but still come down to the end with a chance to win and end it with a pick.

 There is not too much good about this one. In fact, I cannot remember anything good about it.

 1. The Defense looked like it was lost against the run. It was asked to keep coming back onto the field quickly in the early going, but it could not get off the field on third downs. They were pounded by the running backs and left holes. And the passes they let up were the ones that helped in key spots. Of course, they were not the worst performers of the day.

 2. Five INT's = Loss. Not an unknown equation. Two were tipped balls by receivers who could not snatch it in traffic. The one in the end zone was after Torrey stumbled and was falling backwards; making him unable to become a defender and/or fight for the ball. The one over the middle looked like Flacco was throwing to a spot and the receiver kept running. Still, Flacco is throwing into hot areas and leaving it up to the receivers to get the ball. Other than Torrey and Brown, who can you count on to do that? And if you throw 50 times a game you generally are not going to win.

 3. Running Game: There was none. Nobody was effective and there were no real lanes. Which leads to...

 4. O-Line: This group is pathetic. There is no pass protection to speak of and they are not blowing off the ball to set up the run. There is clearly something wrong with this part of the game and it cannot continue. If it is the line calls by the center, then it is a real problem. There is not much you can do with personnel at this point. If it the blocking schemes, then switch back to last year and call it a failure. Until this is changed, this team will not be successful. You cannot have your QB hit so often and you cannot let the opposition's defense control the line.

 5. I have always liked Harbaugh as a coach. This pattern of choking up a hairball against inferior teams on the road though does not sit well with me. I understand they are "grown men", but somebody has to get them to play hard in these contests. If there is not player to slap them around, then it comes to the Head Coach.

 This was a tough one to swallow. There was nothing good to build around, so the tape has to be burned. They are facing a good Miami team next week and cannot afford to repeat this performance. It is going to be a llooonnnggg week.