Tap's Thursday Night Pick: Ravens at Broncos

Thursday night picks will be a couple of the college games and the NFL game. Usually, we just do ranked teams, but for Thursday night, we will add some unranked games just for the hell of it. Ed. Note: No games worth talking about in college football so it's all the big boys tonight.  

Baltimore at Denver 7:30 NBC - For some Milwaukee and surrounding Milwaukee area residents, the National Football League will not get off to a rosy start for them. Time Warner Cable and WTMJ, the NBC affiliate have been at cable war since late July and neither side is showing signs of letting up. This means both NBC games cannot been seen unless someone buys an antenna for the cool price of 25 dollars or finds some bunny ears lying around the house. My best recommendation is pick up the antenna or head to a bar. I would do the latter, it's Thursday, it is a great excuse to get drunk to celebrate football returning for another season.  As for the game itself....

Both teams come in with some questions even though they have established players all over the field. For the Ravens, this will be their first game without Ray Lewis or Ed Reed even being on the sidelines. While I think the Ravens will be better as a unit, it is still going to take time. The Broncos have similar concerns on defense as Von Miller and Champ Bailey will be missing from action. Miller provided a majority of the pass rush for the Broncos so someone will need to set up in that category. As for Bailey, he cannot get exposed again by Torrey Smith and that's a shame.

With the questions on defense, Joe Flacco and Peyton Manning should both have field days out there. With Flacco's new contract and the way he played to finish out the year, it will be interesting to see how much of the team belongs to him versus Ray Rice still getting some love. Manning will have a new weapon with Wes Welker and I assume he uses it very well.

I do think we get a high scoring game to start the year and even though, the Ravens are on the road, it is tough to bet against history as the defending Super Bowl champions have never lost this Thursday night. I am taking the Ravens in an extremely tight one coming down to a field goal. Baltimore 31-28  

Read More

32 in 31: Baltimore Ravens

Another year of 32 for 31, Sports News on Tap takes the month of August to preview the National Football League. We spend every day of the month looking at a new team and how they will fare in 2013. 

The Super Bowl champs are back to try and defend their title with some familiar faces, but mostly a new
version of this team. With Ray Lewis retiring and Ed Reed going to Houston, the Ravens are now Joe Flacco's team without question. This is his squad and his opportunity to make his case for being one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League. But as we have learned throughout the years, it is hard to defend the crown as Super Bowl champs.

In the last five years, there has been a true variety of how teams do after winning the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers nearly went undefeated, but suffered a loss in the divisional round to the eventful Super Bowl champions, New York Giants. Those same Giants missed the playoffs last year and the same fate happened to the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers after their Super Bowl win.  A Super Bowl champion has not won a playoff game the year after since the New England Patriots repeated as champs in 2004 and 2005. It is not easy having the target squarely on your back.

OFFENSE
The Ravens were dealt a seismic blow when they lost Dennis Pitta for the season with an injury. Pitta became Flacco's go-to man in redzone situations as well as being a safety valve when he could not find someone deep. They lose Anquan Boldin meaning Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones need to be more than just vertical receivers. For Jones, that is highly unlikely but people should expect Smith to be a fringe Pro Bowl player at his position.  While much is made about Flacco and how good he is, people forget about Ray Rice. He is a top-tier running back in the National Football League who can do it all on the football field. Sometimes the Ravens offense tends to bury Rice and that is still something they need to improve on this season. Baltimore is a better team when Rice and Flacco are working as duel threats, not just Flacco chucking deep balls down the field.

DEFENSE
Personally, I believe the defense will be at the same standards they were for many years now. There was statistical proof last season the Ravens were a better defense when Ray Lewis did not play a snap. While he certainly carried the emotions for the 2012-2013 Baltimore Ravens, he did not really have the same impact as he had before. It is likely rookie Arthur Brown will play a major role in Lewis' absence and they add Elvis Dumervil on the outside with Terrell Suggs which will be just plain scary. Ed Reed might be another story. He still made plays at his old age, and would always be good for a couple returns during the season. In other words, he is a playmaker.  The Ravens look to move on with free agent Michael Huff from Oakland and rookie Matt Elam from Florida whom seems to fit perfectly with Baltimore's tough nose defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS 
Jacoby Jones is obviously the highlight of this group. Jones is a complete threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. Justin Tucker succeeded as a rookie, but there is no guarantee he will be the same player this year. Sam Koch is solid as their punter.

KEY ADDITIONS 
LB Elvis Dumervil, DE Chris Canty, QB Caleb Hanie, S Michael Huff, DE Marcus Spears - They did not do much in the offseason yet Dumervil is still a very large fish that could have a huge impact.

KEY DEPARTURES
LB Ray Lewis, S Ed Reed, WR Anquan Boldin, C Matt Birk, LB Dannell Ellerbe, NT Ma'ke Kemoeatu, LB Paul Kruger, S Bernard Pollard, G Bobbie Williams, CB Cary Williams.

RAVENS DRAFT PICKS 
S Matt Elam, LB Arthur Brown, DT Brandon Williams, DE John Simon, FB Kyle Juszczyk, OT Ricky Wagner, DE Kapron Lews-Moore, OT Ryan Jensen, WR Aaron Mellette, CB Marc Anthony - I would keep my eye on Wagner and Simon. Wagner might have been a higher pick if he had better workouts.

GAME TO WATCH 
Thursday November 28th - vs. Pittsburgh 7:30 pm - We will get there tomorrow, but I expect Pittsburgh to be pretty damn good this year. This could decide the division and it is on Thanksgiving night. I love it so much.

PREDICTION
12 to 14 wins - I think the Ravens will be most like the Green Bay Packers after their Super Bowl win and take the top spot in the AFC. I worry a bit about the new parts on defense and Pitta's injury does not help their cause either although Flacco might be an MVP candidate this year. Yes I am going to drink battery acid for several days now.

Charlie.

Read More