Diplomatic Immunity

4 Aug 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Sweeping Up

Game 1 : Orioles 6, Rays 3 – Hanser Alberto goes 3-5, including a homer (#1) & scores twice, Anthony Santander goes 3-4 w/ a 2-run homer (#2), scores a run & drives in 3 as the O’s double up the Rays @ home. Alex Cobb tosses 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, walks 3 & strikes out 2. Blake Snell allows 3 runs on 4 hits, including 2 HR’s, walks 0 & strikes out 4 in 3 innings of work. Brandon Lowe (#1) & Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (#1) each homer for the Rays.

Bal (3-3) TB (4-4)

WP : Fry (1-0)
LP : Fairbanks (1-1)
S : Sulser (2)

Game 2 : Orioles 5, Rays 4 (11 innings) – Pinch hitter Pat Valaika singles home the go ahead run in the bottom of the 11th to give the O’s the win. Renato Nunez homers (#1) – Rio Ruiz & Luis Severino add RBI singles, Ruiz drives in 2 on the night. Wade LeBlanc allows just 1 run on 4 hits, in 5+ solid innings, walking 1 & striking out 3. Michael Brosseau homers (#1), Jose Martinez & Kevin Kiermaier add RBI singles as Tyler Glasnow pitches 4+ solid innings for the Rays despite the loss.

Bal (4-3) TB (4-5)

WP : Lakins (1-0)
LP : Drake (0-2)

Game 3 : Orioles 5, Rays 1 – Hanser Alberto doubles home the tiebreaking run in the 7th, Renato Nunez (#2) & Pat Valaika (#1) both homer for the O’s, who pick up their first series sweep since 2018. Alberto has 3 hits & also scores a run & Jose Iglesias goes 2-2 w/ a pinch hit RBI double. Tommy Milone allows just 1 run on 6 hits in 5 strong innings, walking none & striking out 8. Brandon Lowe goes deep for Tampa Bay (#2) accounting for their only run.

Bal (5-3) TB (4-6)

WP : Phillips (1-0)
LP : Beeks (0-1)
S : Sulser (3)

The Orioles sweep the Rays @ home, they had the day off due to a canceled home game against the Yankees. They will start a 4 game doubleheader against the Marlins @ home, before traveling to Miami for the next 2.

GO O’S!!

#HomeCooking

31 Jul 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Damn Yankees

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Game 1 : Yankees 9, Orioles 3 – D.J. LeMahieu goes 4-5 w/ a homer (#1) & drives in 2, Aaron Judge goes 2-3 w/ a 2-run shot (#1) & scores 3 runs & Aaron Hicks also hits a 2-run homer (#1) for the Yankees. Orioles starter Asher Wojciechowski gives up 5 runs in 5 innings of work. He allows 4 hits, walks 2 & strikes out 7. Gerrit Cole goes 6+ strong innings for New York, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, walking 2 & striking out 7 as well. Dwight Smith hits a 2-run homer (#1) & Jose Iglesias adds an RBI double for the O’s in the loss.

Bal (2-2) NYY (3-1)

WP : Cole (2-0)
LP : Wojciechowski (0-1)

Game 2 : Yankees 8, Orioles 6 – Giancarlo Stanton goes 3-4 w/ an RBI single, Luke Voit drills a Grand Slam (#2) as the Yankees grab the early lead but the O’s rally on a pair of 2-run homers by Hanser Alberto (#1) & Rio Ruiz (#3). Luis Severino hits a go ahead 2-run shot (#1) in the 8th but Aaron Judge hits a go ahead 3-run bomb in the 9th (#2) to put the game away.

Bal (2-3) NYY (4-1)

WP : Loasiga (1-0)
LP : Sulser (0-1)
S : Britton (2)

The Yankees sweep the brief 2 game series, extending their winning streak to 18 games in a row over the Orioles dating back to last season, and 17 in a row @ Camden Yards. Tampa Bay now comes to town for 3 over the weekend.

GO O’S!!

#GettingOwned

28 Jul 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Starting Fast

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Game 1 : Red Sox 13, Orioles 2 – J.D. Martinez has 3 hits, scores 2 runs & drives 3, Kevin Pillar has 3 hits, scores a run & drives in 3 more as the Red Sox pound out 13 hits to roll the O’s @ Fenway. Nathan Eovaldi tosses 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 4. Rio Ruiz homers for the O’s (#1) as Tommy Milone allows 4 runs on 4 hits, he goes 3 innings, but the bullpen gets shelled, allowing 9 runs over the next 5.

Bal (0-1) Bos (1-0)

WP : Eovaldi (1-0)
LP : Milone (0-1)

Game 2 : Orioles 7, Red Sox 2 – Alex Cobb is strong in his return to the mound, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 6 & walking none in 5+ innings as the O’s back him up w/ 7 runs on 10 hits, to pick up their first win of the season. Renato Nunez drives in 2 on a double & scores on a throwing error, Hanser Alberto has 3 hits & scores twice, Anthony Santander adds a 2-run double. Mitch Moreland goes deep (#1) for Boston.

Bal (1-1) Bos (1-1)

WP : Cobb (1-0)
LP : Perez (0-1)

Game 3 : Orioles 7, Red Sox 4 – Jose Iglesias goes 4-5, drives in a run & scores a run, Rio Ruiz (#2) & Anthony Santander (#1) each hit a pair of 2-run homers & Chris Davis adds a run scoring double. Ryan Weber is rocked for 6 runs on 6 hits, strikes out none & walks 3 in 3 2/3 innings, Wade LeBlanc goes 5+ innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none. Christian Vasquez (#1) & Kevin Pillar (#1) each go deep for Boston.

Bal (2-1) Bos (1-2)

WP : LeBlanc (1-0)
LP : Weber (0-1)
S : Sulser (1)

The O’s take 2 out of 3 in Boston to start the season, they were set to head to Miami but instead headed home due to an outbreak of the Coronavirus amongst the Miami Marlins team. They will now host the Yankees on Friday.

GO O’S!!

#ConfidenceBuilder

23 Jul 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

The Return Of *Sports

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Well, due to the Coronavirus outbreak & current Pandemic, that has now been going on for over 4 long months, we witnessed something that we may never witness again. When sports completely stopped.

No March Madness. No NBA. No NHL. No PGA tour. No NOTHING!
We were all forced to seek out other areas of entertainment as we patiently waited on their returns. All leagues were shut down as athletes from all different sports tested positive, or had family affected by it in some way shape or form. This virus has showed no discrimination in attacking anyone it can along the way, and athletes, owners & front office executives are no different. From Utah Jazz C Rudy Gobert to Arizona Cardinals owner Michaell Bidwill, it spread like a wildfire all across the land of sports & entertainment. People from all walks of life have been affected, and of all different ages. This has forced the world to temporarily shut down little by little and even though parts of the world have picked back up again, the United States continues to get hit hard, which has affected the sports world tremendously. Now, after 4+ months sports will resume this evening as major league baseball becomes the 1st of the major 4 sports to resume play. It will start it’s 2020 season tonight in what will be the most surreal, and weirdest Opening Day ever, in a season which will now be only 60 games, and very quiet due to having no fans. The NBA season will RESUME on July 30th, picking up where it left off in March, and the NHL will follow suit on August 1st. The NFL has canceled all it’s Preseason games and will begin it’s season in September as of now. Sports like Nascar & Golf, and Soccer have already resumed.

All that being said, it has been a LONG time, and we definitely took sports for granted, although I myself did not. This is only the second article i have written since the stoppage of sports, and the start of the Pandemic. Partly because I had prepared myself for this moment, unlike this country who was not ready for COVID-19. I used to always think “what would happen, if one day sports came to a stop, or was NO MORE?’ Well, my thoughts became reality in March & immediately focused my mind on other things in my life.

It gave me a break from writing, from coverage, and from being consumed. It gave me different outlets to focus on as well as the sports world, and showed me, and the rest of the world that just because sports stops, life does not. Family, Finances, Entertainment, Quiet time, Reflection, Music, Finding other ways to occupy your time, and even starting new hobbies or working on your were all being done. I am NOT A FAN of sports coming back. I think the NBA needs to just wait and come back in the winter. Playing in a bubble, isolation, players testing positive, only 22 teams, no fans anywhere? Baseball should also pack it up & pack it in. 60 games, no fans, some teams having to play on the road all season? Players testing positive all season. The NHL? No fans there either. Positive tests? I mean i could go on & on.

Just come back next year. All of them need to chalk it up & wait until things calm down. All this chopped up & half ass attempt to bring sports back is not the way to go. I will have a hard time cheering for my Orioles & if my Ravens have a 8 or 10 game season, then it’s no point having one at all. Any team who wins a ring this year can hoist that trophy but I can’t lie, and say it will feel like the others. This whole thing makes me sick, and quite frankly, i have already lost interest. There is only 1 reason sports is attempting to restart…….MONEY!! ALL OF IT NEEDS AN ASTERISK!! Fuck COVID-19! Give us our REAL sports back!! No Asterisks!!

#TheYearOfTheAsterisk

30 Apr 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Baltimore Ravens Draft Recap & Grades

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

New Ravens GM Eric DeCosta wrapped up his 2nd Draft as Ravens GM, amongst the conditions of Covid-19 & still was able to put together a masterful run through the young talent in this years crop & once again hit it out of the park.

DeCosta & the front office navigated it beautifully from Rounds 1-7, filling a need for a young ILB in Round 1 & ending it w/ a diamond in the rough S in Round 7, but also drafted 10 players overall & every single one complimented this team even more. Once again drafting 2 WR’s in for the second year in a row, DeCosta continues to build this team around his young QB, also drafting an explosive RB, & snagging 3 picks in the 3rd round alone, while also getting 2 O-Lineman. This Draft was a complete splash & DeCosta showed why this front office is known as one of the best in the league.

Here is a recap & breakdown of every pick, as well as the Grades of each pick.

Round 1 : Pick 28 – Patrick Queen – ILB – LSU – 6’1 – 229

The first player ever drafted out of LSU by the Ravens front office, Queen gives this team exactly what it needs as a sideline to sideline linebacker that will feast as a member of this defense, due to the big bodies up front. The kid is a tackling machine, who can get to the ball quickly, & has great ball skills as well as the ability to drop back & cover, despite starting only 1 season @ LSU. He is undersized, but that will benefit this defense as he will be able to roam free while the line wreaks havoc. Queen earned Defensive MVP honors in the National Championship Game for LSU, as he registered 2.5 tackles for loss, .5 a sack & 8 tackles in the win over Alabama as well as 85 tackles & 3 sacks in his final season.

Queen is a game changer that has incredible instincts & fits exactly what this Ravens defense wants to do. He plays like a Raven in every way!

Grade : A

Round 2 : Pick 55 – J.K. Dobbins – RB – Ohio St. – 5’9 – 205

The only player in Ohio St. history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, while scoring 21 TD’s on the ground. Dobbins is the perfect compliment in this offense, that already set a record for rushing attempts & rushing yards in a season. Dobbins is an absolute playmaker & a threat to break it anytime he touches the ball, which gives this already potent offense another weapon to use out of the backfield, where he is just as dangerous catching it as he is running. He is a balanced back & runner w/ quick feet & great vision, he can make defenders miss easily & is also very durable, he never missed anytime in 300 games @ Ohio State.

Dobbins is another great leader that also brings character & attitude to an already motivated group. He fits exactly what the Ravens want to continue to do on offense.

Grade : A-

Round 3 : Pick 71 – Justin Madubuike – DT – Texas A&M – 6’3 – 293

Madubuike is a fast defensive lineman, so fast that he ran a faster 40 than both Browns QB’s Baker Mayfield & Jets QB’s Sam Darnold. He is a physical specimen, who can take over games & has high level pass rushing skills, combined w/ the ability to run down opponents. While a little undersized, he is still physical enough to bang inside on the interior & can eat up running backs as well. He had 40+ pressures in his final season & posseses good acceleration to get to where he needs to be. He tallied 45 tackles, including 11.5 for loss, while recording 5.5 sacks.

Madubuike will fit in perfectly in the Ravens defensive scheme due to his size & versatility. He will have to beef up a little bit but has all the tools to be an every down player.

Grade : A-

Round 3 : Pick 92 – Devin Duvernay – WR – Texas – 5’10 – 200

Duvernay is a magnet for the football. He catches almost anything that comes his way & is an absolute playmaker, he has the speed to go up against any defensive back & is incredibly explosive, but also very quick. He can run deep seam routes or deep posts & is also dangerous on quick routes & slants as well as screen passes & short routes. He adds even more speed to this already fast offensive group. Duvernay ran a 4.39 40 yard dash & reminds many of former Raven WR Steve Smith w/ his speed, his toughness, his size & his hands. He should fit in perfectly in this offense alongside the other playmakers already in place. He caught 106 passes for 1,386 yards & 9 TD’s for Texas in his final season.

Duvernay is an excellent value pick that has huge upside & will be used in many ways that utilize his speed & hands. He is a major threat in open space & a matchup nightmare for DB’s.

Grade : A-

Round 3 : Pick 98 – Malik Harrison – ILB – Ohio St. – 6’3 – 247

A steal by Eric DeCosta & the front office here as Harrison is a plug & play LB that can contribute right away & should team up w/ Patrick Queen to make a solid impact for an already stout defense. While Queen is a sideline to sideline linebacker, Harrison plays more downhill, but can also cover, despite allowing some plays in man coverage where he has struggled. He can full gaps well & is a thumper when he makes contact. His size should help him, as he stands 6’3 & his ability to read defenses should also benefit him moving as he still has a lot of upside. He had 75 tackles, including 16.5 for loss & 3.5 sacks in his final season.

The Ravens doubled up on Harrison after drafting Queen because this level of talent was just to good to still be on the board & filled their needs. Coaching will benefit this kid so much & his ability to fill gaps & plug holes will be valuable to this defense.

Grade : A-

Round 4 : Pick 106 – Tyree Phillips – G/T – Mississippi St. – 6’5 – 331

This kid is massive & powerful, he can maul defenders in the run game & that plays right into what Baltimore wants to do offensively. He’s long but lacks range, but he can definitely win in a phone booth due to his footwork & knowing how to move his hips. He has excellent vertical push & knows how to get an angle, but his best attribute is his power. He only started one season for Mississippi St., but still started all 13 games, including a team high 821 snaps, 819 @ LT & 2 @ LG. He wound up starting 13 of 26 career games played & allowed just 2 sacks 1 QB hit in 397 snaps in pass protection.

Phillips can shut down an opponent if he gets his hands on them & can downright forklift defenders. He is tenacious & strong, can take on any blocker due to his length & knows how to pass protect, but he excels in run blocking.

Grade : B

Round 4 : Pick 143 – Ben Bredeson – G – Michigan – 6’3 – 315

A four year starter @ Michigan, Bredeson made an immediate impact both on the field & in the locker room, starting all 13 games in his last season. He tenacious, powerful & hard nosed, has great length & packs a wallop when he makes contact. He has a physical frame & is an intelligent blocker who does a good job on double teams & has great use of his hands on the interior. This kid is a monster, who despite not being able to change direction quickly in pass protection is still able to make up for it w/ his talent alone. He was hailed as the best pass blocking guard in the country by PFF College w/ 451 snaps in pass protection w/ out a hit or sack allowed.

Playing in 50 career games w/ 46 starts as a LG, he has the knowledge of the game & the tenacity to fit right in on this team & in the NFL. Losing a HOF G in Marshal Yanda to retirement hurt, but this kid will compete for that starting job right away.

Grade : A-

Round 5 : Pick 170 – Broderick Washington – Texas Tech – 6’2 – 305

A 3 year starter @ Texas Tech who started all 37 games in his career, Washington is a physical player, using his bull rushing skills to harass QB’s on passing downs, as well as being able to play the run due to his ability to take up space on the interior. He occupies a lot of room & is very physical for being recruited as an offensive lineman. He tallied 39 tackles, including 5.5 for loss & 2.5 sacks to go along w/ 2 pass breakups in his final season. He has an attitude that coaches will love & has been tagged as a “future coach”, his tough mentality & brute strength make him a tough matchup for opposing lineman. He plays w/ force, despite being a little undersized. He will certainly add depth to this already potent & versatile defensive line.

This kid is known for his work ethic & leadership. He will blend well w/ the cast of characters that the Ravens already have in the locker room & he will help out due to his ability to diagnose plays & separate to set the inside edge.

Grade : B+

Round 6 : Pick 201 – James Proche – WR – SMU – 5’11 – 201

This kid can run all the routes because he just knows how to get open whenever he wants. A speed burner who will be used in many different ways in this Ravens offense, his quickness & extraordinary ball skills make him a threat whenever he has the ball in his hands. He will play more in the slot in this offense as well as contributing on special teams & even as a return man due to his speed & hands. He can catch anything thrown his way & can track down balls w/ his body control & focus, but his routes are somewhat rounded which leaves them open to being jumped. Proche is the second receiver taken in this draft by Baltimore that accumulated over 100 catches (111) in his final season, while scoring 15 TD’s & creating matchup nightmares for defenses.

Proche will be used all over the field to utilize his speed & instincts. He loves the 50/50 challenge & can compete w/ the best when the ball is in the air. He creates space & is can make some insane grabs because his hands are so good.

Grade – A

Round 7 : Pick 219 – Geno Stone – S – Iowa – 5’10 – 207

This kid still being on the board in the 7th round is an absolute steal! This kid was high on most coaches & analysts boards, yet somehow slipped all the way to the 219th pick where Eric De Costa wasted no time in drafting him. Stone is a highly intelligent defensive stud, who has the ability to read routes early & trigger down on top of them. He uses his above average body control in everything he does & is a stubby split safety, that can shove & press receivers off the line & re-direct routes. He has a lack of length & speed but makes up for it w/ his high football IQ & eyes that can almost see things before they happen. He recorded 70 total tackles, including 46 solo & 1 INT (pick 6) in his final season.

He is quick to find his pursuit angle & does not hesitate to come down & stop the run. Stone has great instincts & is light in his feet. He will learn from some of the best & was a great way to cap off an already amazing draft.

Grade : B+

Overall Grade : A

DeCosta once again nailed a draft for the second year in a row & made an already dangerous team even better. It’s hard to improve a team that had 14 wins last season, but E.D. did just that, he improved this team on every level – snagging a franchise LB, a future stud RB, a young defensive beast, 2 possible starters on the O-line, another depth move to get another young D-lineman, 2 speedy, tough receivers & a young ball hawking safety. This group of youngsters will definitely make their name known here in Baltimore & will continue to solidify Eric De Costa’s legacy right next to Ozzie Newsome. This draft was special, just like last year’s. The Ravens are continuing to build something special & all we can do is sit back & watch this young group make their way in the NFL. Good things to come in the future here in Charm City. The excitement is gonna be running wild to see all this young talent blossom on this team.

Thank you, E.D.!

#TheNewEra

23 Mar 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Ravens – What they Gained vs. What they Lost.

User Submissions

This past week was insane to say the least. The players we lost were Michael Pierce, Chris Wormley, Hayden Hurst, Seth Roberts, James Hurst, and Brandon Carr. While the team gained Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers to stack the defensive line up with interior pass rush while making other moves to save cap space to potentially make another move. I will go through every move and point out if the loss hurts the team; and talk about if the gained players outweigh the players the team lost.

Losing Michael Pierce to the Vikings for a 3 year deal worth 27 million dollars. A good chunk of change right there if you ask me. The big Defensive tackle from Samford was in Baltimore undrafted and played beyond all expectations. Pierce although a really good player doesn’t hurt the team by him walking in free agency. The big reason why is the signing of Michael Brockers and the trade for Calais Campbell. Brockers is one of the most underrated run stuffers in the league, as well as a better pass rusher then Pierce. Brockers can apply interior pass rush, while being able to stuff the run so signing Brockers was an upgrade to replace Pierce. Now Brandon Williams can go back to nose tackle and get Campbell and Brockers time to apply interior pass rush.

Chris Wormley was a solid starter for the Ravens. Was he elite? No, but he did his job but we all have those bad memories of Derrick Henry absolutely ending our season all by himself. Do I think if the team had Campbell and Brockers on the line would that have happened? No way in hell. Plus Wormley had 1 year left on his rookie deal, so the team had to replace him soon anyway. Getting a 2021 5th round pick for a player the team would have let walk in free agency anyway is an absolute steal.

Hayden Hurst was the one player where I was hurt by him getting traded because of how dynamic “Garnet Thor” is with how dominant the tight end trio was last season. But putting emotions aside Mark Andrews is the number 1 at the position and Nick Boyle makes this offense run with his blocking ability. Boyle does everything and that doesn’t get put on the stat sheet. Trading Hayden who is the 3rd tightend at the time for a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick is astounding value. The Texans got a 2nd round pick for DeAndre Hopkins the best wide reciever in the league. Hayden is good and has a high ceiling but is he Hopkins? No, the value is insane. Eric DeCosta making genius moves once again.

Seth Roberts dropped a few passes in the playoff loss but he was solid when called upon. I don’t think this is a huge loss because he wasn’t the big part of the offense, but more of a complimentary piece.

James Hurst being cut hurt more so because of Marshal Yanda’s retirement and the offensive line losing depth, but I believe the line will be fine. The Ravens always draft offensive linemen in the later rounds and turn them into solid players. Hurst was undrafted and he was a starter at different positions in his tenure.

Cutting Brandon Carr hurt the depth at the cornerback position but he is getting older, and the team is stacked at the position. Marlon Humphrey who is a shutdown corner, Marcus Peters is an interception waiting to happen, and the best slot corner in the league in Tavon Young. They also have Anthony Averrett and Iman Marshall in the waiting. In the perfect world I would bring Carr back on a cheaper deal similar to the deal given to Lardarius Webb a few years back, but most likely the team will try to bring Jimmy Smith back and his market is drying up so he could come back possibly. I expect the team to bring one of Carr or Jimmy Smith back but drafting a cornerback is a must.

The big question is did the Superbowl Contending Baltimore Ravens get better in free agency? The short answer is absolutely. Franchise tagging Matt Judon while collecting assets for players is amazing. Signing Campbell and Brockers opens up the pass rush department. The pass rush got better by default. The run defense got way better with the two studs signed going with the best run stuffer in the league. Losing Hayden Hurst hurt but again he was third on the depth chart, expect another tightend to get drafted. The offensive line got weaker with the release of James Hurst and Yanda’s retirement but remember lasd year when everybody was freaking out about Skura and Bozeman starting? Yeah, and look what happened during the season. The team is great at developing offensive linemen, we will be alright. The extensions given out to players like Chuck Clark, Marcus Peters, Sam Koch, Justin Tucker, etc are genius moves because if the team waited to sign them there market value will go up.

Eric DeCosta is an evil genius. There will be more moves coming for sure especially with a month before the draft but RavensFlock let the apprentice do his job. He got this. I believe the team will shore up the few holes on the team, and we will make another run at it next season!

– James Sheppard

15 Jan 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

AFC Divisional Round – Ravens Recap & Grades

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Titans 28, Ravens 12 : AFC Divisional Round Recap & Grades :
Offense – This group ran it better than anybody all season & chose to hand it off 9 times in the biggest game of the year. Lamar Jackson leads the way w/ 20 carries for 143 yards, an average of 7.2 yards per carry.
Grade : D
Defense – This unit held up until it couldn’t hold up anymore, numerous opportunities inside the 50 yard line just doomed things, despite them giving it all they had, the were not able to overcome the short field position.
Grade : B-
Special Teams – Justin Tucker hits on both of his FG attempts & despite P Sam Koch only punting it 1 time for 44 yards, this group failed as well as the rest.
Grade : B
Coaching – This is where the issue lies, running the football only 9 times in a Playoff game, after running it better than anybody all season long makes no sense to anyone. Horrible coaching job & horrible strategy. The coaches are accountable here.
Grade : D
Overall Grade : D
GO RAVENS!!
#NotReadyForTheRole

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14 Jan 2020 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Crash Landing

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Titans 28, Ravens 12 : Crash Landing – The Ravens start slow & never recover as they get ambushed @ home & are once again 1 & done for the 2nd year in a row. Lamar Jackson’s pass bounces off TE Mark Andrews hands & is picked off by S Kevin Byard on the Ravens first possession & Tennesee scores 8 plays later as QB Ryan Tannehill hits TE Jonnu Smith on a juggling 12 yard TD pass to make it 7-0 in the 1st. After the Ravens turn it over on downs, Tannehill hits WR Khalif Raymond on a 45 yard TD pass 1 play later to make it 14-0, but Justin Tucker hits FG’s of 49 & 22 yards to make it 14-6 @ the half. RB Derrick Henry tosses a 3-yard TD pass to WR Corey Davis in the 3rd & Tannehill runs it in from 1-yard out to make it 28-6. Jackson hits TE Hayden Hurst on a 12 yard TD pass w/ 11:04 left in the game but it was too late. Baltimore’s season ends brutally, despite such an amazing regular season, but the future is still very bright.
Bal (14-3)
Ten (11-7) @ K.C.
GO RAVENS!!
#PermanentlyScarred

31 Dec 2019 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Week 17 – Ravens Recap & Grades

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Ravens 28, Steelers 10 : Week 17 – Recap & Grades :
Offense – The ground game once again rushes for over 200 yards as Gus Edwards leads the way w/ 130 yards on 21 carries, an average of 6.2 yards per carry & Robert Griffin III rushes for 50 yards on 8 carries, an average of 6.3 yards per carry & passes for 96.
Grade : B+
Defense – This group holds the Pittsburgh offense to 168 total yards on the day, allowing only 95 yards passing by QB Devlin Hodges & they register 2 sacks on the day to go along w/ 2 forced turnovers.
Grade : A
Special Teams – Justin Tucker hits on all 4 of his FG attempts & Sam Koch punts it away 3 times for 140 yards, an average of 46.7 yards per punt. De’Anthony Thomas totals 33 return yards.
Grade : B
Coaching – Coach Harbaugh had this team ready to go despite having almost nothing to play for. The focus & intensity was the same even w/ the backups in the game. The focus was still finishing strong.
Grade : A
Overall Grade : A
GO RAVENS!!
#BreakingOutTheBrooms

31 Dec 2019 Diplomatic Immunity 0

Record Breaking Run

Chief Diplomat Blackmon

Ravens 28, Steelers 10 : Record Breaking Run – The Ravens win for the 12th time in a row, breaking a 41 year rushing record in the process, while sweeping Pittsburgh. In another rainy home game, Justin Tucker kicks FG’s of 45 & 21 yards in the 1st quarter to make it 6-0, but RB Benny Snell runs it in from 4 yards out to give the Steelers the lead in the 2nd. Tucker boots a 42 yard FG & Rookie RB Justice Hill runs it in from 8 yards out to make it 16-7 @ the half. Chris Boswell kicks a 26 yard FG to cut it to 6 in the 3rd & Tucker hits from 47 out in the 4th to make it a 9 point lead. S Jordan Richards recovers P Jordan Berry’s drop of a snap in the endzone to make it 26-10 as the Ravens pull away. CB Brandon Carr then nearly sacks QB Devlin Hodges in the endzone & it ends up as a safety as intentional grounding is called. Baltimore closes it out & finishes up 7-1 @ home. They will have 2 weeks off before the Divisional Playoff.
Bal (14-2) vs TBD
Pit (8-8)
GO RAVENS!!
#FranchiseFirsts

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