A word from the Baltimore Sun

To quote Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning,
"The rattlesnakes are committing suicide."
Read on, fellow Panther fans...



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Originally published Sep 9, 2002

Mike Preston
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Congratulations, Ravens, and move over, Detroit. The Ravens are now officially one of the worst teams in the National Football League.

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but the Ravens hit rock bottom in the season opener. They lost to the Carolina Panthers, 10-7, yesterday in half-filled Ericsson Stadium, where the home fans have lost interest.

Just how low can you go? This may surpass the two losses to the Cleveland Browns last year. The Ravens lost to a team that had not won a game in 364 days, to a team that had lost 15 straight, including the previous eight here.

They lost to a quarterback who is older than Moses, has not started a game since 1998 and had not thrown a pass in the NFL since 1999. They lost to a team that had the league's worst defense and the second- worst offense a season ago.

This was a game the Ravens had to win, because Sunday they have Tampa Bay, which is followed by a bye week. Then they play host to Denver, followed by road games at Cleveland and Indianapolis. Can you say 0-5?

Can you say oh-no?

"Players bounce back pretty quick, so what I told them was that this is the NFL and there is nothing you can gain by losing," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "There are no moral victories or anything else like that, but you have to improve with each contest and take something from each contest to make you better."

Something?

The Ravens have a long laundry list. In areas where they were supposed to be solid, they were weak. See offensive line and see linebackers. In areas where they were supposed to be weak, they were just downright ugly. See secondary and see defensive line. Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis said the defense turned in a solid performance because it gave up only 10 points, but who is he kidding?

If the ancient one, Carolina starter Rodney Peete, shaved off another 10 pounds, got into shape and put some of that old heat on the ball, the Panthers would have beaten the Ravens by at least 14 points. If he hadn't thrown behind a wide-open Muhsin Muhammad on a pass over the middle with 12:12 left in the first half that would have been another touchdown.

If Peete hadn't thrown behind Steve Smith on a crossing pattern later in the first half, it would have been another six points. Peete completed 12 of 19 passes for 136 yards, 118 of those yards in the first half. The Panthers had such a lack of respect for the Ravens offense that they went conservative offensively early in the second half. Peete completed only three of five passes in the final two quarters, and the Panthers' best play on passing downs were pitches around the end.

If Carolina can run the ball that effectively, then what will Pittsburgh and Cleveland do? Can't Cincinnati and Detroit be added to the schedule every other week? Please? Or how about fast forwarding to 2004, when some of these 19 rookies will have gained some playing experience?

It's still hard to imagine. The Ravens lost to Rodney Peete and the Panthers. They lost to John Fox in his first game as a head coach. The Ravens turned down a gift three months before Christmas.

"Game plans have to be a little simpler, and we can't make mistakes out there with young guys," Ravens outside linebacker Peter Boulware said. "We can't expect to go out there and dominate like we did with the vets."

There are some things that the Ravens can't control. Salary cap issues have put players on this team who don't belong in the NFL. But you also have to look at other things.

How about the offensive line? Guard Casey Rabach and center Mike Flynn were dominated physically. The Ravens had problems picking up blitzes in the middle, a recurring problem during the past three years. It's time for a change in the plan.

Quarterback Chris Redman was one of the team's bright spots, completing 20 of 34 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked twice and hit eight other times. There may never be a quarterback controversy, because there may not be many left. Running back Jamal Lewis ran hard and started to dominate the game in the second half. He had 17 carries and 64 yards rushing, but most of those came on his own on cutbacks.

The defense had just as many problems. Missed tackles. Receivers running wide open (missed assignments or poor scheme?). Poor pursuit angles (how can that happen on this level?). Carolina guards were getting running starts to block Ray Lewis, and Boulware and defensive end Michael Mc- Crary looked rusty from not playing in the preseason.

Cornerbacks Alvin Porter and Chris McAlister?

They didn't show up until the second half. Meanwhile, safety Anthony Mitchell was stuck in one gear in pass coverage. Slow.

Despite the problems, the Ravens still had a chance to pull out the game when Fox made a big mistake and had John Kasay try a 50-yard field goal with 2:00 left instead of ordering a punt that might have put the Ravens inside their 20 with one timeout left while being led by a quarterback making his first start.

But after Kasay missed, Redman was hit by defensive end Julius Peppers three plays later and Dan Morgan intercepted the ball at the Baltimore 39-yard line to end any comeback attempt with 1:19 remaining. After the game, the Panthers were talking a lot of smack. They just don't realize how bad they still are and how far the Ravens have to go.

But the Panthers have an excellent chance to go 2-0 next week. Detroit comes to town. Wish they were coming to Baltimore. The Ravens need to establish some bragging rights.


Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun

Yeah, okay, he had to take a few shots at us, but that's to be expected. My my tally, he took way more shots at the Ravens, and besides...we can always point to the scoreboard.

 

"This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but the Ravens hit rock bottom in the season opener. They lost to the Carolina Panthers, 10-7, yesterday in half-filled Ericsson Stadium, where the home fans have lost interest."

What a crock of shit... there were at least 3/4 filled stadium and the fans cheered hard during the game and all the way back to their cars...

 

yesterday in half-filled Ericsson Stadium,

Don't reporters know that once they tell a complete lie then the rest of their stuff is really not taken serious anymore.

 

Hehe! I thought that might've got you going, Sandman.

 

Preston is pretty good. He has definintely pissed of some of the local folk with his criticism(s) of the Ravens in the last year or so. The locals need to shut the fuck up. Mike has pretty much nailed the Ravens in his analysis so far this year. To repeat ONE more time - the Ravens are going to blow. Now there will be a few games where the Ravens offense shows JUST enough consistency to keep their D off the field and eek out a win, but most days the Ravens will either be far behind or lose because they get run over in the second half. Either way, the picture up here ain't pretty. I'm pretty happy about it.

 

Read his previous column where he said the Ravens would cake walk over the Panthers what a fuckin dork... says the big bad Ravens are gonna beat the lowly Panthers... jackoff is a yellow journalist plain and simple

 

Anybody can be a dumbass making a predictions. I do it all the time. Read the last YEARS worth of columns and then tell me Mike is a dumbass.

Yes, he's harsh and yes that column reads like sour grapes. But from what I saw of the game yesterday (every play, like many of you) he's right in everything he wrote up there. He was just dumb to expect a win - and he's probably as bitter as the rest of the locals here who are still delusional about the amount of talent on the Ravens squad (as you said, see previous column). Both teams suck. It was a sorry game between two sorry teams. Pointing out that the Ravens "sucked more" in losing may piss you Panthers fans off, but it's still pretty much true. Take it from someone who doesn't really give a shit about either of the two teams.

 

He sounds like a good reporter but why would he taint his column with the lie about the stadium not being half full.

 

He's a dumbass... here's a copy of the article I spoke of:

Playing Peete at QB makes Panthers even bigger joke
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Originally published Sep 8, 2002
Mike Preston
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - And now, starting at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Rodney Peete. ...

At first, it seemed like a joke. Or maybe new Panthers coach John Fox was trying to confuse the Ravens last week when he made the announcement. But it's true. Out with old Chris Weinke, 30, in with the older Peete, 36 going on 55.

That in itself, tells you about the state of the Panthers: losers and heading further south. Marvin Lewis must be chuckling these days about the Panthers rejecting him in their search for a head coach last offseason.

Carolina has become one of the NFL's most incompetent franchises. The Panthers have lost their past 15 games. They had the league's worst offense a year ago, and the second-worst defense. During the offseason, they signed such high-profile free agents as Lamar Smith, Terry Cousins and Peete.

Who?

And you thought the Ravens had problems with 19 rookies on the roster. ...

Imagine being the marketing director of the Panthers and trying to sell a lifetime assistant making his debut as a head coach (Fox) and a quarterback whom many thought was sitting on the porch playing bingo with Elvis Grbac.

The last time Peete started a game was Nov. 2, 1998. The last time he threw a pass in a real NFL game was 1999. Someone joked that game film of Peete might appear on ESPN Classic or The History Channel.

Even the Compu Coach doesn't have any film on Peete in his extensive, digital, satellite, filing system.

"We don't have any film on him at all," Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis told the Charlotte media in a conference call this week. "But one thing about that is we never look at that much film no matter what quarterback we are going against, unless we are playing a quarterback like Brett Favre, who we really have to watch out for. Rodney, in my opinion, is on the downside of things."

Ouch.

There was more.

"Which Classic Sports is he on?" Lewis asked. "The 'Where Are They Now' Classic Sports?"

Of course, Lewis is crossing the line of respect. He should remember that saying about letting an old dog lie, but most of us have questions about this Peete thing.

Like, how is your wife (Holly Robinson-Peete) doing? Where did they find Peete, selling cars, or insurance, or was he a high school coach in Shreveport? Did the arena league close down?

Peete seemed to have been out of pro football so long that the NFLPA should have filed a missing person's report.

But that's life in the NFL these days. It's filled with average Joes like Bobby Joe, Billy Joe, and the Bubby Bristers of this world. So, why not another Rodney who gets no respect?

"I don't think I ever faced Rodney Peete," said Lewis. "I was probably too young when Rodney Peete was playing."

Oooo, another shot.

It's hard to keep a straight face. It's a fitting combo: Peete and a franchise that has had only one winning season since the franchise's 1995 debut. Maybe the Panthers are having second thoughts about selecting defensive end Julius Peppers over "franchise" quarterback prospect Joey Harrington last April. Peppers was No. 2 overall, Harrington was the No. 3 selection, by the Detroit Lions.

The Panthers apparently felt that Weinke, the former Heisman winner, was their quarterback of the future. He lasted four preseason games, completing 35 of 59 passes for 270 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Some future.

This is not the first quarterback controversy in Carolina. There was another failed experiment a year ago when Jeff Lewis was pulled for Weinke 10 days before the regular-season opener. Weinke finished with a rating of 62.0 last season, the second lowest in the NFL.

Apparently, owner Jerry Richardson's vision of the future is obscured by the dark, ominous cloud that hangs over his franchise. Now the Panthers are using Peete, who missed much of training camp because of a knee injury, the birth of his third child and the death of his father. He played about only two preseason quarters, completing nine of 19 passes for 68 yards.

But the Panthers went with Peete because of his 14 years in the league, and his connection with new Carolina offensive coordinator Dan Henning. Henning was the Lions' offensive coordinator when Peete played in Detroit in 1992 and 1993.

"He's been in the offense. He's got a past with Dan Henning," said Fox. "He's a veteran. We've got to remember that Chris Weinke is a second-year quarterback in this league, and five weeks into this offense. That's why the decision was made. "

Peete isn't here for the money. He is a competitor. Carolina might enter with a conservative game plan, but Peete will audible and take chances.

"I'm just here to try to do whatever I can to help this football team win," said Peete. "What concerns me is what we have to do on Sunday. That's all I'm focused on. One thing I am going to do is play with a lot of confidence, and always be upbeat."

The Ravens should be concerned. There are no Deion Sanderses, Mel Blounts or Ronnie Lotts in their secondary. This group was beat up in the preseason as much as the U.S. basketball team lately.

Peete's career numbers are OK. He has thrown for 13,686 yards with 61 touchdowns and has a completion rate of 57.1 percent.

But you also have to remember that he is now playing for his sixth team. Some of his best years were in Detroit with a running back named Barry Sanders, not Smith, who gained 6 yards on six carries against the Ravens last season in the playoff game against Miami.

Peete has had only limited practice time, and is playing for a franchise that recently signed former XFL star running back Rod Smart, a.k.a. "He Hate Me."

It just keeps getting funnier.