Panic Stations?

Three weeks ago, on the eve of the Ravens' first game of the 2015 NFL season, I was quietly confident. Joe Flacco is in his prime, Steve Smith Sr. is retiring at the end of the season and playing with an intensity rarely seen, even in the NFL. Yes, there were issues, such as the long-term injury to first round draft pick Breshad Perriman, and the loss of key players from last season in free agency. But excuses aren't the way the Ravens do things. It never has been, and it never will.

So with three weeks gone in the season, with the Ravens sitting at a paltry 0-3, what on earth has gone wrong? A first week loss at Denver, I can understand. A home game against Cincinatti (a team which has now won the last 4 meeting between the two) was always going to be tough. Losing to the Oakland Raiders in Week 2 was a real shock, however. Contrary to a quote from outside lineback Elvis Dumervil following last night's loss to the Bengals, I think the Ravens could easily be 3-0 instead of 0-3. Historically known for playing strong, physical defense, the Ravens squad of 2015 isn't quite performing to the level it has set for itself.

Defensive co-ordinator Dean Pees seems to be struggling to get the best out of his unit, which is missing Terrell Suggs for the season, but still has quality players on all three levels, such as Timmy

Jernigan, CJ Mosley, and Jimmy Smith. How this defense has yielded 28 points per game is quite staggering. Pees' 'bend-but-don't-break' philosophy seems to have been replaced this season by a "bend-then-snap-at-a-crucial-moment" policy. Against Denver, the defense gave up a 17-play, 11 minute drive, which gave the offense barely a minute on the field to pull out the victory. They couldn't manage it. Against Oakland, the offense scored 13 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, and all the defense had to do was stop the Raiders one time. Derek Carr threw a touchdown to Seth Roberts with 0:12 remaining. Against Cincinatti, the defense scored off an Andy Dalton fumble, then immediately yielded an 80-yard TD to AJ Green. The offense came back out and scored again through Steve Smith (seemingly the only man capable of catching a ball on this team), before the defense gave up another 80 yard drive, in only 1min 46secs, which condemned the squad to their third defeat of the season.

Ravens #3 WR

Last season, it took until Week 8 for the Ravens to lose 3 games. So what's the problem? For me, it's a combination of a lack of playmakers on offense, and a defense which isn't playing to its strengths. Joe Flacco is being forced to play from behind in football matches, and is throwing to a group of receivers that, outside of Steve Smith Sr and Crockett Gillmore, might as well be a bunch of rocks and troll dolls. The defense has two good cornerbacks in Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, but they are best utilised in press man-to-man coverage, jamming their opposite number at the line of scrimmage and not allowing him to get into his route-running. Pees' defensive scheme isn't allowing them to play like this, and it's affecting the pass rush, which might not be as fearsome without Terrell Suggs, but still contains Elvis Dumervil, who has recorded 91 sacks so far in his 9 year career.

Essentially, as it stands, neither unit is helping the other, and as a result, the whole team is suffering. The offense starts slowly and picks up towards the end of games, and the defense sucks for 45 minutes, and then completely breaks down like a mediocre robot in the 4th quarter. Neither are  recipe for success, and if John Harbaugh wants his team to find the winning formula, he'll have to do it quickly. Playing Pittsburgh at Heinz Field on Thursday is just the kind of game which will either kick start the season, or send the Ravens into a catastrophic spiral, the likes of which have never been seen before in Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos

So, the NFL season is back. While some games kicked off with a bang (Marcus Mariota producing a near-perfect debut, for example), the Baltimore Ravens started their march towards Super Bowl 50 in a somewhat sluggish fashion, losing out narrowly to a strong Denver Broncos team in a defensive battle of wills. There were of course positives to take from the game, but at the end of the day, Baltimore sit 0-1 and already a game behind their AFC North rivals, the Steelers and the Bengals.

Let's start with what went well. The defence looked impressive, notching up 4 sacks and an interception against a notoriously strong O-Line and Peyton Manning, who doesn't usually turn the ball over much before November. Jimmy Smith's first career TD off the interception early in the second half looked to spark a change in fortunes for Dean Pees' "bend-but-don't-break" defence, who had been standing off the likes of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, allowing Manning to complete shorter, faster passes. With Peyton Manning looking a shadow of his former self, future opponents may want to try and jam the receivers at the line, forcing him to throw further downfield, where he looked particularly vulnerable on Sunday afternoon.

Another impressive performance came from second year linebacker CJ Mosley, who had 5 total tackles, as well as two sacks, in a showing which seems to have continued his form from last season, when he finished second to Aaron Donald in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. If he carries on as he has done for the first 19 games of his NFL career, Ravens fans may well start to make comparisons to a former MLB that once played in Baltimore. He did alright for himself, I think.

No matter how well a team plays, there is always room for improvement. Having lost yesterday, there are a number of facets of the team which have come under the microscope in the 14 hours following the result, and it doesn't make good reading for new Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman. For one, he spells his name with a 'c', and for two, his O-Line could not handle the outside speed rushers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. Left Tackle Eugene Monroe left towards the end of the first quarter with a concussion and was replaced by James Hurst, who seemed to handle last year's limited responsibilities relatively well. However, when faced with one of the best pass-rushers of the last 15 years, and one of the best pass-rushers of the next 15 years in tandem. I've seen Hurst's performance from last night described as a 'turnstile' and a 'wet paper towel', suggesting that a sheet of Plenty would have done the same job and been paid far less to do it.

The woes of the offensive line meant that Joe Flacco was often left with little time to make a throw, hence why he finished the day 18/32 for 117 yards, 0TDs and 2INTs. He most certainly wasn't helped by a receiving corps limited to a 36-year old Steve Smith and a bunch of untried, untested receivers with fewer than 20TD catches between them IN THEIR CAREERS.

Of course, the worst news from the Ravens' weekend was not that they have begun the season with a loss against a team considered to be one of the best in the country. The worst of it was a season ending injury to key linebacker and team captain Terrell Suggs. For the second time in 3 seasons, Suggs has torn his Achilles tendon. This time, it's the left tendon. Last time, it was the right one. At 32 years of age, you have to start wondering whether that will be it for a player who has long been the bane of Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady in the NFL. A man who divides opinion, but who nobody can deny is surely one of the best all-round outside linebackers of the last 20 years.

Anyway, now that Suggs is gone, John Harbaugh's Ravens have to look forward. What better way to retaliate from Sunday's loss than to annihilate the Oakland Raiders in the hot California sun this weekend? I can't think of a nicer way to follow up a tough loss.

Predicting the 25-Man Squad: 09/07/15

Goalkeepers: Adrian, Darren Randolph
Adrian has been one of the best keepers in the league since taking over from Jussi Jaaskelainen in December 2013, and has quickly become a fan's favourite, not least for his penalty heroics in the FA

Heroics.

Cup 3rd round against Everton. Randolph, described rather optimistically by one of my mates as 'the best keeper in the Championship' joined early this summer on a free transfer from Birmingham, and will provide Adrian not only with competition for his place in the Premier League, but also with some rest during domestic and European cup competitions.



Defenders: Joey O'Brien, James Collins, James Tomkins, Winston Reid, Doniel Henry, Aaron Cresswell, Stephen Hendrie

Best LB in the league. Maybe I'm biased, though.

Much the same group as last season, with the addition of Hendrie as backup to Hammer of the Year Aaron Cresswell, Bilic will potentially be looking to add another right back to this group, with Carl Jenkinson being touted for another year-long spell at Upton Park. The centre-back group of Collins,
Reid, and Tomkins, alongside potentially Henry and Burke, with Reece Oxford as backup (should an injury crisis hit again), is a solid group to have. The rumoured addition of Angelo Ogbonna would bolster both centre-back and full-back positions as well. An extra CB and one more RB and this group could carry West Ham to a decent finish in the league.

Cheikhou Kouyaté v2.0

Midfielders: Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Cheikhou Kouyaté, Pedro Obiang, Diego Poyet, Stewart Downing, Dimitri Payet, Morgan Amalfitano, Matt Jarvis
The club have acknowledged a need to free up wages before being able to spend more money on new players, and it is widely agreed that the players we need to ship out from this group are Jarvis and
Nolan, with Downing drawing huge interest from Middlesbrough. Alex Song is a name being banded about as a potential new signing, although it seems that West Ham have lost out to London rivals Crystal Palace in the race for the services of Yohan Cabaye, which to me is a big shame. If Jarvis and Downing do indeed leave, Bilic will surely be looking for another winger or two, with only Payet and Amalfitano to call upon from this group.


Attackers: Mauro Zaraté, Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia, Andy Carroll, Modibo Maïga

Destined to lead the line again.

In a similar fashion to the midfielders, I would be surprised if Gold and Sullivan weren't looking to move Modibo Maïga on after a relatively successful loan spell at FC Metz last season. I imagine that they would then go out and look for a relatively well-established striker with at least a little bit of Premier League experience. This could come in the form of Loïc Remy from Chelsea, although considering his wage demands, a loan move from January might be more realistic, especially if Mourinho manages to wrap up another signing to go alongside Costa and Falcao. Zaraté, Sakho and Valencia will certainly have their work cut out when they have to compensate for the inevitable loss of Andy Carroll to injury after only 8 games and 3 goals. With Bilic wanting to compete in all 4 competitions this season, it is of vital importance that West Ham's strike force is firing on all cyinders wherever possible this season.

Notable Players Eligible to Play, but Not Included: Raphael Spiegel, Reece Oxford, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Elliot Lee

The Future's Bright. The Future's Bilic.

Following the spring of discontent in E13, Davids Gold and Sullivan decided it was time to bring to a close the Big Sam era at Upton Park, and now the club are embarking on one of the biggest seasons in their 120-year history. Here are just a few things for the fans to get excited about:

1) Slaven Bilic

#WelcomeSlaven

Bilic, who played 48 games for West Ham in the late 90's had been a front runner for the job long before Allardyce left the club, having stated his interest in the position on a number of occasions. Coming from a 3rd place finish in the Turkish Superlig as manager of Besiktas (who, it should be noted, played every game away from home last season), Bilic brings with him tactical nous and relatively attacking football, especially considering the dross the fans dealt with after Christmas under Allardyce. Personally, I think he'll bring a tenacity to the job that will excite fans and players alike, and his personality will certainly make West Ham and interesting place for new players to ply their trade.

2) The Last Season

Having been called "home" for 112 years, this will be the final season that West Ham spend at the Boleyn Ground, and everyone involved with the club in any capacity is absolutely clamouring for a great season. Expect 35,000 people packed in every week, and almost certainly there will be tears when Swansea come knocking on May 7th 2016 and E13 9AZ closes its doors for the final time. There's so much more to look forward to beyond May, as well.

                                                    3) An Influx of Players

Bonjour Dimi!

Relatively quietly going about their business so far, the Hammers have already signed Darren Randolph from Birmingham, Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria, and most intriguingly, Dimitri Payet

from Marseille. Randolph will provide stricter competition for Adrian in goal, while Obiang and Payet are additions to a growing squad, which is vital for European competition this coming season. No doubt there will be a number of players to be signed between now and the close of the transfer window, which will strengthen the team in a number of positions.

4) Transfer Talk

With the addition of three new first team members by late June, the board will no doubt be looking to add more big names, and with the rise and rise of Twitter's ITK sources, fans have a greater connection with what's going on than ever before. @ExWHUEmployee is a really reliable source for West Ham transfers, and his sources have told him that interest in players like Alex Song and Yohan Cabaye is high, as well as wanting to add Carl Jenkinson and Mattia Destro on loan. Such signings would not only mean that the team can build on their 12th place finish last season, but also try to push on in domestic and continental competitions alike.

Thursday Nights on ITV4

5) The Return of European Football

Nine years since being dismantled by Palermo, and 15 years on from an Intertoto Cup win against the likes of SC Heerenveen and FC Jokerit, European nights are back at Upton Park. Beginning with a walk-in-the-park 3-0 victory over Lusitans of Andorra, West Ham will be hoping to progress through qualifying to the group stage, although they'll have to get past Lusitans and either Birkirkara (Malta) or Ulisses FC (Armenia) before they can even think about that. Thursday nights at the Boleyn are bound to be special, especially when you consider the magnitude of this season for the club. Hopefully the team do themselves proud, and continue the way they have begun in Europe.

6) More Exciting Football

Mentioned earlier, Bilic's tactical knowledge of the game brings with it an increased opportunity for West Ham to use their players to the best of their abilities. Attacking threats like Sakho, Valencia, Zaraté, Payet, Carroll, Downing, and even Jarvis and Amalfitano will be used to the best of their abilities. With a midfield boasting the likes of Noble, Kouyaté, Obiang, Poyet, and potentially Song, the defensive minded nature of the middle of the field will likely allow the forwards to pose a greater threat to opposition defences, and hopefully the goals will come crashing in.

AFC Divisional Preview: Ravens vs Patriots

I know I haven't blogged in a while, and for that I apologise. However, I figured what better way to get back into it than by reporting the business end of the NFL season: The Playoffs. I was going to do a similar article in the lead up to last weeks Ravens-Steelers encounter, and I started writing it, but then I got excited and watched the Cardinals-Panthers game instead of finishing it, so sorry about that.

But on to the serious business. Ravens and Patriots in New England. It's a playoff game we've seen time and time again. First, the 2009 Wildcard round, won in convincing fashion by the Ravens, with the help of Ray Rice and and a secondary that forced Tom Brady into throwing 3 interceptions. Then, there was the now infamous 2011 AFC Championship Game, which would have been won by the Ravens, but for a great play by Sterling Moore. The game could also have gone to Overtime, were it not for the Ravens kicker-who-shall-not-be-named, who missed a 33 yard field goal by the widest of margins. Finally, the 2012 AFC Championship Game, one year on from the previous game, and the Ravens rolled in to Foxborough and took sweet sweet revenge on the Patriots, with a 28-13 victory on their way to their second Super Bowl title.

Of course, none of those games mean anything any more. This week's game sees an almost full strength New England side go up against a Baltimore team dealing with multiple serious injuries on both sides of the ball, and that could well be the decisive factor here. Tom Brady's LT, Sebastian Vollmer, picked up an injury in Week 17, and seems unlikely to play, putting extra pressure on the pass-rush duo of Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs to perform. A plus for the Patriots will be the numerous injuries that the Ravens have suffered all season long, including linchpins Dennis Pitta and Jimmy Smith.


Battles to Watch:

Patriots O-Line vs Ravens Pass Rush
The Ravens racked up 49 sacks in the regular season, good for second-most. Led by All-Pro OLB Elvis Dumervil and former Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, the Ravens have been menacing up front all year, and they will have to rely on that again as a banged up secondary goes up against arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Haloti Ngata, Chris Canty and Pernell McPhee all chip in as well, along with CJ Mosley from the ILB position.

Ravens LBs vs Rob Gronkowski
The only concensus 2014 All-Pro, Tight End Rob Gronkowski, has been a pain for opposing defenses all season, racking up 1,124 yards and 12TDs during the regular season. Linebackers CJ Mosley and Daryl Smith have been imperious all season, leading arguably the best linebacking corps in the entire NFL, and are a large part of the Ravens defensive gameplan for stopping one of the best weapons in the game. Dean Pees managed to more or less freeze out Antonio Brown last week, and Ravens fans will be hoping for a repeat performance this week.

Patriots D-Line vs Ravens Run Game
Justin Forsett has been the basis of all good things in the Ravens offense this season. Building off Gary Kubiak's scheme, the veteran runner has averaged 5.4 yards per carry, which leads the league this season. If the Ravens can establish the run early on, then it puts pressure on cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis to truly lock down each side of the field. If the Ravens can get to the point where the play-action game becomes effective, then Crockett "The Rocket" Gillmore and Owen Daniels become increasingly powerful.

Game Prediction: Patriots 23-24 Ravens. With purple and black flowing alongside the claret and blue in my veins, I cannot physically bring myself to tell you all that the Pats are going to win.