12/20/09 Gameday: Bears at Ravens

A snowy good morning to you.  What a bizarre weekend of rumors and speculation we have had. There were the rumors of today’s game  possibly being moved to Monday night. No one was sure whether the Bears would actually be in town to play the game until their plane landed safely at BWI airport last night a few minutes before 11 p.m. And how about the snow removal! Great job by the workers at M&T Bank Stadium getting the seats, ramps, stairs, and field ready for today’s contest.

As for the actual game: The Ravens mindset is where right where it needs to be right now. They realize that they have to win out to get a spot in the playoffs. They will not take any teams lightly, just ask last week’s opponent, the Detroit Lions.

At the beginning of the season, hopes were high in the windy city. They had traded inconsistent Kyle Orton to Denver and in return got one of the best young arms in the game in Jay Cutler. But Cutler’s 2009 campaign has been quite disappointing. He has been very prone to turnovers, throwing 22 interceptions! That number leads the entire league. He is still very capable of making all the throws necessary to win a ballgame. This season has been a combination of bad luck and poor decision making for Mr. Cutler.

At the running back position, the Bears have a solid foundation in Matt Forte. The 2nd year back out of Tulane is having a bit of a sophomore slump. He had a tremendous rookie campaign, rushing for over 1200 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also able to add four more receiving TD’s. Similar to Cutler, the talent is there, but things just haven’t gone Forte’s way this year.

Defensively, the Bears suffered a major setback in their season opener at Green Bay when middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was lost for the season. He is the heart and soul of their unit. And accross the board, the numbers are not the same as usual for this defense.

As for the Ravens, they had a nice little confidence boost last week, beating up on the lowly Lions 48-3. I believe that the way Ray Rice is playing right now, is just too much for the Bears. If they focus on shutting down #27, they will likely leave many open opportunities for Joe Flacco and his receivers to do damage. I honestly think Chicago will put up a solid fight on offense, but not enought to topple a team that smells postseason. RAVENS 31 – BEARS 21

Gametime Pushed to 4:15

Baltimore Ravens Press Release – The time of the Ravens’ game against the Bears, scheduled for this Sunday (Dec. 20) at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium, has been changed to 4:15 p.m.

Officials from the City of Baltimore recommended the time change to the Ravens and the NFL, because of safety reasons. “This gives the city more time to clear the streets and other passage ways around the stadium. It also gives us more time to clear the stadium of snow,” Ravens president Dick Cass said.

Cass also noted that 700 people will be at the stadium tonight and tomorrow to help clear the snow. This crew will work through Saturday and until game time on Sunday. The workers will be housed at the stadium club levels.

Hey now! This means fans will be able to get a  few extra hours of tailgating in. Nothing helps beat the cold weather like a few beers.

Speaking of beating the cold, there was an article in today’s Baltimore Sun about the Ravens performance at home when the temperature is below 40 degrees. Their record is 10-1, winning the last 10 in a row. Quite impressive if you ask me.

I’m currently writing my preview for Sunday’s game. It will be posted at some point tomorrow. Stay tuned…

Ravens To Wear Black This Sunday vs. Bears

Baltimore Sun – The Ravens will wear black jerseys with white pants Sunday, when they play the Chicago Bears at M&T Bank Stadium, a team official confirmed Wednesday.

It’s the first time that the Ravens will put on their alternate uniforms this season. The Ravens decided to go from the all-black combination (jersey and pants) last season because first-year coach John Harbaugh didn’t like how it looked.

The only time the Ravens have worn the black jersey with white pants was Dec. 7, 2008, when the Ravens beat the Washington Redskins, 24-10.

As Rich Eisen of the NFL Network would say: Ray Rice from Rutgers Running for the Ravens (and in this case) against the Redskins

Nice. I love it when the Ravens wear black. And honestly, I wasn’t too pleased last year when I arrived at the stadium before the Redskins game and saw the team warming up in their black uni’s and WHITE pants. But as the game went on I got used to the black/white combo and now I can say I like them.

Now what I don’t understand though, is why whoever is in charge of making this decision (based on the article above I’d assume its Coach Harbaugh) chose to wear the black uni’s this week. Why not wear them on Nov. 29th against the hated Steelers, at night, in front of a national audience?

If I were a betting man (and I’m not because I get killed by the spread), I would have said for sure at the beginning of the year that the Steelers game at home would be the one game the team wears black. Good thing I didn’t place any wagers.

To my knowledge, this will be only the second time the Ravens have ever worn black for non-night game and the first time for a 1 o’clock start time. The other occasion was New Year’s Eve 2006, when they hosted the Bills with a 4:15 p.m. kickoff

Ravens vs. Bills in 2006