Diplomatic Immunity

Ravens 23, Bengals 17 : Week 6 – Recap & Grades :
Offense – Lamar Jackson accounts for 338 total yards, while setting an NFL record for Quarterbacks. He rushes for 152 yards on 19 carries, for an average of 8.0 yards per carry & passes for 236 yards.
Grade : A-
Defense – This group didn’t play their best game, but still came to play. They record a turnover on an interception & record 2 sacks, while allowing just 250 total yards, but allows 235 yards passing to Andy Dalton.
Grade : B
Special Teams – Justin Tucker hits on all 3 of his FG attempts & Sam Koch punts it away twice for 84 yards for an average of 42.0 yards per punt. This group does give up the opening kickoff for a TD but clamps down after that.
Grade : B+
Coaching – Coach Harbaugh & his coaching staff needed a better game plan then what they had this week. Too much inconsistency on both sides of the ball. This team needs to be coached better in games like this.
Grade : B-
Overall Grade : B
GO RAVENS!!
#TooCloseForComfort

Ravens 23, Bengals 17 : Running Man – The Ravens recover from an opening kickoff return TD & put a clamp on the Bengals to hold on & win @ home, despite allowing a late Cincinnati comeback. Bengals FS Brandon Wilson runs back the opening kickoff 92 yards for the TD to stun the home crowd & put the Ravens in a hole early. QB Lamar Jackson leads the offense down the field on their first drive & caps off a 6 play, 75 yard drive as he runs 21 yards for a TD to tie the game. The Ravens then cap off a 10 play, 66 yard drive as RB Mark Ingram runs it in from 1 yard out. Justin Tucker hits from 40 yards in the 2nd & Randy Bullock kicks a 22 yarder for Cincinnati before the half to make it 17-10. Tucker also boots a 40 yard FG in the 3rd & then kicks a 21 yarder that caps off an 18 play, 83 yard drive, taking 9:46 off the clock in the 4th. The Bengals score on a late 2-yard TD run by QB Andy Dalton, but Baltimore still holds on to win.
Bal (4-2) @ Sea
Cin (0-6) vs Jax
GO RAVENS!!
#SurvivalMode

I’m really developing a love affair with this year’s Washington Nationals ball club. They started out the season 19-31 after being swept by the New York Mets. There were calls for (including by me) the firing of skipper Dave Martinez. Since then, this team has gone on to win 93 games and earn their fifth playoff birth in the last eight years. This includes a 4-3 wild card win over the Milwaukee Brewers in which they were down 3-1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning until one of the “youngins”, 20 year old Juan Soto gave the Nats the lead with a three run hit.

The winning pitcher of that game was Steven Strasberg. While being a starter this year (18-6), Manager Martinez decided on a paradigm shift, asking Strasberg if he were willing to pitch relief if necessary. This was a big deal because of his known proclivity with his routine. Stras simply said, “I pitched relief in college.” He ended up being the winning pitcher.

Next up is this year’s major league juggernaut. The Dodgers won 106 games en route to this years matchup. After being shut out 6-0 in game one, the Nats took game two behind six innings of three hit (10 strikeouts), one run ball by Strasburg. Also contributing on the mound is our other starter/reliever Max Scherzer, who struck out the side to snuff out an L.A. rally. After the game, Scherzer provided the quote of the series: “There is no routine in the postseason. There is no routine right now, It’s come to the park ready to compete.”

On the brink of elimination after being rocked in game three (10-4), they bounced back to take game four behind yet another effort of four hit one run ball by Scherzer, aka, The Bulldog.

Excuse me for being old-fashioned, but for me pitching and defense win championships. Going into game 5, we got momentum and our ace (excuse me, our other ace) Strasberg going.

All I can ask for.

– Breezy G

Ravens 26, Steelers 23 (OT) : Week 5 – Recap & Grades :
Offense – Lamar Jackson rushes for 70 yards on 14 carries, for an average of 5.0 yards per rush. He also passes for 161, but throws 3 INT’s, is sacked 5 times & pressured all day.
Grade : B
Defense – This group had a better performance then past weeks, but still gave up 199 yards passing to backup QB’s. The pass rush was nonexistent, as they get just 1 sack on the day, but they do hold Pittsburgh to just 269 total yards.
Grade : B-
Special Teams – This unit pretty much won the game. They led the way, as Justin Tucker hits on all 4 of his FG attempts & Rookie RB Justice Hill explodes for a 46 yard kick return to set up good field position.
Grade : A
Coaching – The entire coaching staff matched wits w/ Pittsburgh’s the whole way, the sense of urgency was definitely there & you could see it. Despite some bad calls, nobody panicked & the whole team fought until the end.
Grade : B-
Overall Grade : B-
GO RAVENS!!
#LetsGetPhysical

Ravens 26, Steelers 23 (OT) : Pittsburgh Punch Out – CB Marlon Humphrey punches the ball out to force the turnover that ends up winning the game as the Ravens get a gutsy win in Pittsburgh. Tucker kicks a 27 yard FG on the Ravens first drive to make it 3-0 & newly signed LB Josh Bynes picks off Steelers RB Jaylen Samuels @ the Pittsburgh 17 to set up a 4-yard TD run by Mark Ingram, making it 10-0 Ravens in the 1st. QB Mason Rudolph hits WR Juju Smith-Schuster on a 35 yard TD pass to get the Steelers on the board in the 1st, but Rookie WR Marquise Brown hauls in an 11 yard TD pass from Lamar Jackson in the 2nd & Baltimore led 17-13 @ the half. Tucker hits from 48 yards out to tie it in the 4th as the teams go to OT & Smith-Schuster hauls in a 10 yard pass from QB Devlin Hodges that Humphrey punches out & also recovers @ the Pittsburgh 37. It sets up Tucker to kick the game winning 46 yard FG & give the Ravens the dramatic win.
Bal (3-2) vs Cin
Pit (1-4) @ LAC
GO RAVENS!!
#CardiacRavens

Left at 2-2, licking wounds before heading into Arrowhead to play the talented and dominant Kansas City Chiefs led by phenom QB Patrick Mahomes and 2018 league MVP. The loss to the Raiders stung like a right hook from Riddick Bowe and also revealed some deficiencies for the 2019 Indianapolis Colts. Outside the top half of the league and with injuries to key players like 2018 NFL Defensive rookie of the year LB Darius “Maniac” Leonard (Concussion) Wide receiver TY Hilton( quadracep) and FS Malik Hooker (knee) who has been compared to the likes of newly inducted Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed by many NFL experts. This Colts team is a team that simply doesn’t seem good enough to make it over the hump, But the biggest issue the Colts face seems to be is trying to get a defense that finished 11th in the NFL, 2018 season back to where they left off. So far they’ve given up 363 yards per game(yuck 🤪) 24 yards more than they gave up last season….The Colts only have two sacks in the past two games, after tallying up eight in the first two weeks of the season. Maybe defensive coordinator Matt Eberflush has something up his sleeve, if he does week 5 would be time to show it against the Chiefs on the road cause this definitely won’t be a cake walk.

– Mike Nickelz

Browns 40, Ravens 25 : Week 4 – Recap & Grades :
Offense – Mark Ingram rushes for 71 yards on 12 carries, an average of 5.9 yards per carry, but loses a crucial fumble. Lamar Jackson throws for 247 yards & 3 TD’s, but also 2 INT’s & he is sacked 4 times.
Grade : C
Defense – This unit allows over 500 yards in back to back weeks for the first time in Franchise history. Nick Chubb rushes for 165 yards on 20 carries & 3 TD’s, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. They generate little pressure & the secondary is torched.
Grade : D
Special Teams – Justin Tucker connects on his only FG, from 41 yards & Sam Koch punts it 3 times for 141 yards, an average of 43.7 yards per punt. The coverage is good all day, allowing just 43 return yards.
Grade : B-
Coaching – HC John Harbaugh is responsible for having this team ready to play. There were too many breakdowns in coverage & the team as a whole just did not look fundamentally prepared for this game.
Grade : D
Overall Grade : D
GO RAVENS!!
#RealityCheck

Browns 40, Ravens 25 : Not So Tough Now – The Ravens allow over 500 yards of offense for the 2nd straight week, as the Browns shred the Ravens on the ground & through the air in Baltimore. Baker Mayfield hits TE Ricky Seals-Jones on a 9 yard TD pass as Cleveland led 7-0 after 1. Rookie WR Miles Boykin catches a 9-yard TD pass from Lamar Jackson to tie it in the 2nd & the Browns led 10-7 @ the half. Justin Tucker hits on a 41 yard FG to tie it in the 3rd, but RB Nick Chubb has TD runs of 14 & 2 yards to give Cleveland a 2 TD lead after 3 quarters. Jackson hits TE Mark Andrews on an 8 yard TD pass in the 4th & Mark Ingram runs it in to convert the 2. Chubb breaks off on a 88 yard TD run to make it 30-18 in the 4th & Dontrell Hilliard runs it in from 2 yards out as the the Browns make it a 40 burger. The once proud Ravens defense is picked apart for the 3rd week in a row. There are many issues that need to be corrected right now.
Bal (2-2) @ Pit
Cle (2-2) @ SF
GO RAVENS!!
#GettingExposed

Red Sox 5, Orioles 4 : Fantastic Finale – Mookie Betts scores from 1st on a single by Rafael Devers as the Red Sox walk it off against the O’s in the 9th inning of the season finale for both teams. Austin Hays doubles home Richie Martin in a 3-run 3rd against Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, but Christian Vasquez singles home Xander Bogaerts in the 6th to tie it against O’s starter Chandler Sheppard. Bogaerts singles home Devers in the 7th against reliever Evan Phillips to put Boston ahead, but Jonathan Villar singles home Hanser Alberto in the 8th to tie the game again against reliever Matt Barnes, who blows the 20th win of the year for Rodriguez. Wilkerson then makes the catch of the year to rob Bradley Jr. of a homer in RF in the 8th. Betts walks against reliever Dillon Tate in the 9th & then scores on the single by Devers as the ball bounces off the SS Martin’s glove to end the game & the season.
Bal (54-108) Bos (84-78)
WP : Workman (10-1)
LP : Tate (0-2).
GO O’S!!
#SeeYouNextYear