Nice post from Chargers forum

**dscola31** · 12-13-2011, 08:50 AM

#59 Today, 03:41 AM
ChargerBooster
N.F.L. ***** Alumni Assoc Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kailua-Kona
Posts: 1,211

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've got a team coming in to play us Sunday night, the Ravens, who are basically where we want to be. They've been in the playoffs the past three seasons and have won at least one game each year when there. And guess what ? They're going again this post-season and can easily be considered one of the favorites. They have a model organization, with some great coaches and their front office, both staff and model, which is uniquely theirs, is one to envy, and perhaps emulate.

Going beyond the obvious playmakers, which with Baltimore usually starts on the defensive side for some mysterious reason, guys such as Ray Lewis, who though long-in-the-tooth is also exceptional and inspirational as a leader, Terrell Suggs who back in about 1994 had Chargers players that had just watched him playing on the Qualcomm girdiron in a college game calling him "a stud", and that was before he was drafted and even played a down in the League. Also there's Haloti Ngata, a NT who at least in my book, compares very well with Jamal Williams in his prime, and has a lot of years of 'Ball ahead of him. Ed Reed is almost synonymous with top safety play.

But on this side of the ball what is concerning are the match-ups. For instance Ngata at about 340 lbs or more going up against Nick Hardwick ? Throw in Terrence Cody at about 350+ going up against our guards. (Note: I was one of the biggest detractors of Cody before that draft, but with Ozzie Newsome spending a pick on him and how he has worked once drafted, I have to admit I sorely misjudged that one). How about Suggs lining-up outside Jarred Gaither ? Gaither was, after all, selected by the Ravens in the fifth-round of the supplemental draft and spent years on their squad. Think Suggs might know a thing, or two about him ?

The linebacking play is not only based on their playmakers, but their LB coach used to coach the Patriots defense as coordinator, back a few seasons when we used to then still be one of the top teams in the league, and those Patriots defenses that he commanded were more than worthy opponents, who had more than their share of victories over us.

Looking at their offense I have to start with their offensive line. This is a good one, starting from the inside-out, with Matt Birk, ex of the Vikings for many years and a frequent Pro-Bowler, with Yanda and Grubbs, both homegrown Baltimore boys and handfulls, plus their tackles. Is Micheal Oher playing ? Shoot, so many of us used to hope-against-hope that we'd have a shot at drafting Bryant McKinnie, aka "Mt. McKinnie" back before Minnesota selected him. Of course now he puts on a Ravens jersey and helmet. Well, you start to get the picture. Oh and how about a Pro Bowl fullback in Vontae Leach, leading the way for Ray Rice ? Now Rice is not a huge back at 5' 8 ", but you only have to watch film, or look at the record books to see what a weapon and offensive talent he is both running and catching the football, something that could give our defense some big headaches.

At receiver, Lee Evans is a burner still after all his years up in Buffalo. How about the guy they traded for from the Cardinals, Anquan Boldin ? Simply a great wideout and a vet. Joe Flacco has been a winner almost from the get-go and knows Cam Cameron's offense completely. Remember Cam ? He's a competitor and, oh yes, we might see a reverse, or two. At least, Todd Heap is no longer a Raven, but that's not much to hang your hat on.

What a roster ! This Baltimore team is composed of guys who love to play the game, play hard and hit hard. This is not one of those franchises where the players double as jailbirds and law-breakers off-the-field, at least, not overall and as the team was philosophically built.

Bottom-line, though we've faced the Packers, to me this may be the best complete team we've faced. They've suffered a couple of let-downs this season, mostly on the road (whew!) to teams that one could logically expect them to beat, but logic goes out the window as this is the N.F.L., which leads me to my last point. The Chargers, after back-to-back wins over the Jaguars and the Bills will have to build on those games and bring their entire team play up another couple of levels. Make no mistake, this Ravens team is top-echelon and has the intangibles so many of the Chargers fans and posters have, whether they know it or not, been longing and hoping for: a great coach, who by the way never was even a coordinator, let alone head coach at any level prior to being hired to coach Baltimore, a great front office with a long-term scouting and personnel staff and team, groomed in-house and accustomed to giving input and having their opinions heard and who have, under G.M. Ozzie Newsome an excellent drafting record and results.

Also, looking at the Ravens Strength-and-Training Coach, they have one of the top guys. Now I don't know if this is in anyway coincidental at all, but there are currently only about 5 or so guys on I.R. for the Ravens. Compare that number to ours and so many other rosters....hmmm, could there be a correlation ?

Again, we are facing one of, if not the best teams we will have faced all year, and for me personally, disregarding all the media noise being made for the Packers, and rightfully so; they are, after all, our current reigning World Champions, but this team flying into San Diego from the east coast this weekend is something else again.

We are going to have to bring our A + game, something I'm not even sure we've played yet, although we finally played two good games as a team the past two weeks, but we'll need all that and, dare I say it, also some football-breaks to come our way ? Would it be too much to hope for that the Ravens overlook us a bit, or let down because they expect to beat us ? I don't think so. At the very least whether we're riding-high and basking in glory, or melting down in gloom after the upcoming game, we should know for sure how we, and much of our personnel stack up against one of the best rosters and teams in the entire N.F.L.

He left out a few key players but this shows how other teams' fans view us.

**Ravenswintitle** · 12-13-2011, 09:16 AM

nice post, gave me a smile. We shouldn't take for granted what we have in this team

**Captain Silver** · 12-13-2011, 09:16 AM

Nice assessment. Hey Tony, you should hit this guy up to be a Charger Blogger.

**JAB1985** · 12-13-2011, 09:25 AM

Nice post, surprised teams know as much as they do about us. Kind of reminds me last year about how we were bitching after a win like we typically do, the other teams fans didnt understand, not quite sure I do either, but as a fan base weve almost become spoiled and expect too much sometimes. If it isnt PERFECT it isnt good enough. Time to count our blessings Ravens fans, we have one hell of a team and organization.

**chicagoravensfan** · 12-13-2011, 09:34 AM

The Ravens have had some playoff disappointments over the years but no team has squandered more talent over the years than the Chargers: Brees/Rivers, Tomlinson, Gates, Merriman -- and not a whole lot to show for it.

**TimTheEnchanter** · 12-13-2011, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by dscola31

Remember Cam ? He's a competitor and, oh yes, we might see a reverse, or two.

I now need to clean the coffee off my keyboard and monitor.

**Beerracuda** · 12-13-2011, 10:04 AM

"Terrell Suggs who back in about 1994 had Chargers players that had just watched him playing on the Qualcomm girdiron in a college game calling him "a stud", and that was before he was drafted and even played a down in the League."

Well, that's quite a bit off, since Suggs was 12 in 1994.

But otherwise, a pretty good writeup about the Ravens.

**NOLARavenFAN** · 12-13-2011, 10:15 AM

That fan know his stuff, great knowledge of the game.....they have Rivers and we are going to have to deal with him, in other words, get at him early, often and with truculence, and stay on him.

**Jayc00** · 12-13-2011, 10:20 AM

Nice find I'm impressed with his knowledge of the Ravens. Oh and the reverse reference with Cam was hilarious!

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 12-13-2011, 10:34 AM

Sounds like some in SD still carry a torch for Cam.

The post puts me to shame - I've never even thought, much less posted so kindly & knowledgeably about an upcoming opponent.

Maybe he is just fishing for a date w/ Jess of this board.

**Jsmoove** · 12-13-2011, 11:03 AM

Pretty good assesment he did favor our team just little bit but you can't blame him, I am rather nervous about this game though.

**Tottenham Raven** · 12-13-2011, 11:13 AM

I'm curious to see how his fellow posters responded to the thread. Sure there's always opposing teams fans who have the utmost respect for their opponents, but that guys drooling allover the Ravens. It's definitely nice to read as a Raven fan, but if I'm a Charger fan on that message board this might irritate me a bit.