MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
"If you're not happy, something's wrong."
That's what Ray Lewis told reporters in Houston after the Ravens squeaked out a 34-28 overtime win over the Texans last night.
Uh...Ray, I don't think many Ravens fans have huge smiles on their faces right now.
Ok, the Ravens put another notch in the win column and improved to 9-4. They got a road victory on Monday Night Football in a tough environment. They now have the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture and still have a shot at a division title.
But come on, now.
Anyone who has hopes of Lewis hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season has to be incredibly frustrated and concerned by the Ravens' performance last night.
For 30 minutes and 15 seconds, the Ravens dominated the Texans. They had a 28-7 lead after David Reed's 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half, and were in complete control of the game.
Then, the same issues that have plagued the Ravens all season popped up again - their offense fell off a cliff, and their defense struggled to get any pressure on the quarterback and got picked apart through the air.
After managing 182 total yards of offense in the first half, the Ravens had just 71 after halftime. The offense had put 21 points on the board by the time halftime came around, but Joe Flacco and his offensive cohorts didn't score a single point after the break.
Defensively, the Ravens allowed an insane 489 yards of total offense, 301 of which came after halftime. They gave up second half scoring drives of 70, 37, 99 and 95 yards, and let Houston score on all four of their second half possessions.
Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison continued to rush three and drop eight into coverage (a favorite strategy of his), allowing Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub to sit comfortably in the pocket for what seemed like days, look over the Baltimore secondary and wait for a receiver to come open.
All of a sudden, that 21-point lead was gone, and for the seventh time this season, the Ravens had blown a fourth quarter lead.
Bottom line - borrowing Ray's favorite phrase - Super Bowl teams don't have those issues time after time.
They don't blow huge leads and consistently put themselves in hot water late in games. They don't move the ball with ease for two quarters and then act like they have no idea where the first down marker is over the next two quarters. They don't sit back and allow opposing offenses to put up three-bills worth of offense in the second half.
Those in the Ravens locker room might toss out the "a win is a win" cliché and point out that while they didn't make the big play with the game on the line last week against Pittsburgh, they were able to do so last night.
And, to an extent, they might be right.
But we're entering Week 15 now, folks. You can't keep coming back to that line of thinking.
Not when you hope to be the last team standing in early February.
