Courtesy: Rob Carr/Getty Images
As good as Joe Flacco looked during week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he looked equally as bad in the second half of Sundays match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles. As we all know it cost the team dearly, leaving Lincoln Financial Field as 1-1 instead of 2-0. Most fans have a sense the game was robbed by the refs, but there is much more to that as well.
After capitalizing on the turnover machine that is now Michael Vick, the Ravens started off strong and went into the locker room at halftime with a 17-7 lead, while also receiving the kickoff to start the second half. In what would prove to be a bad omen for the rest of the contest, as Flacco’s third down pass on that drive was thrown into triple coverage and intercepted. Flacco went on to complete only 8 of 25 passes in the second half and the Ravens blew their 10 point lead and lost to the Eagles 24-23.
The Ravens defense played well at times, forcing the Eagles into 4 turnovers, but when they needed a stop on the Eagles final drive of the game, simply put, they failed, and the Eagles took the lead with under 2:00 remaining in the contest. The Ravens linebackers and safeties were victimized the entire day by tight end Brent Celek, who finished the contest with 8 receptions for a career high, 157 yards.
Courtesy: NJ.com
Though the Eagles beat the Ravens this past Sunday in devastating fashion, after last year’s heartbreaker in New England in the AFC championship, this type of regular season loss is a bit easier to swallow. No one expected this team to go 16-0, and with a one point loss in hostile territory, against a talented team, the result is not as rough a few days later. The Eagles have an excellent defense and if Michael Vick can limit his turnovers, the Eagles have no ceiling on how good they can be. And with the Baltimore Ravens, the organization has only one goal, to win the Super Bowl; with this game as only a speed bump to their hopes for the season. After watching on Sunday, there is a good possibility there may be a rematch in order, come February.
What to say in regards to this week’s contest against the Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday Night Football? As Kanye’s new masterpiece goes, “You ain’t fucking with my clique.”
That’s’ my Note from the Rafters of Lincoln Financial Field.
