Bart Confirms ‘Someone Gon Get Hit’
ESPN is helping to stir the pot for the much-anticipated Ravens-Jets Monday Night season opener.
As you’ll recall, sideline reporter Suzy Kolber interviewed Ray Lewis during the Ravens’ Thursday Night preseason game vs. the Carolina Panthers.
She asked Lewis about trash talking with the Jets leading up to the game.
“Talking is whatever it’s going to be,” Lewis said. “The bottom line is, come Monday night, somebody’s going to get hit.”
Of course, Kolber followed up with a similar question for former Ravens linebacker Bart Scott last night during his Jets’ Monday Night preseason game against the New York Giants.
“I think Ray Lewis said it best: ‘Someone gon get hit,’” Scott replied. “It’s going to be a physical one.”
Can somebody please mic these two hard-hitting talkers during the game? I need that audio.
Madden 11 Foresees Ravens’ Future
If you’re bored with the same-old, played-out media rankings and predictions, and you can’t wait four weeks for the season to begin, here’s another way to glean the outcome of the Ravens’ 2010 season.
Virtually replicate the entire season with Madden 11.
I reserve the right to pull a Brett Favre, but as of right now, I’ve officially retired playing Madden. With the demands of an NFL football season combined with family responsibilities, I’ve had to quietly bow out. But ESPN blogger James Walker rented the game this weekend and simulated the entire year.
While the Ravens finished third in the AFC North with a 9-7 record behind the first-place Steelers (12-4) and second-place Bengals (10-6), Madden 11 had Baltimore advancing to the Super Bowl after beating the Broncos (Wild Card), Steelers (Divisional Game) and the Jets (AFC Championship) all on the road.
The Ravens ended up losing to the Minnesota Vikings, 27-14, in Super Bowl XLV with Adrian Peterson rushing for 160 yards – good enough to be the Super Bowl MVP – and quarterback Joe Flacco throwing for just 144 yards.
Here’s what else you can expect from the Ravens in 2010, per Walker’s Madden 11 experience:
- Quarterback Joe Flacco is stellar in his third season, with a 87.5 passer rating, 3,550 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Flacco’s passer rating is third in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Tony Romo.
- Beware fantasy buffs: “Madden 11″ projects running back Ray Rice will get hurt this season. He records just 789 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Willis McGahee fills in with 508 rushing yards, and fullback Le’Ron McClain adds 445 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
- The Anquan Boldin acquisition was solid in his first season in Baltimore. He notches 61 catches for 896 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns. Derrick Mason’s production will drop off significantly, according to “Madden 11,” as he records just 44 receptions for 639 yards. Those totals are his lowest as a Raven.
- Linebacker Ray Lewis will lead the team once again with 98 tackles and three interceptions. But this simulation projects the secondary will be a disappointment.
- Cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington combine for just three interceptions and 25 tackles. Both will be hurt at different points of the season. The Ravens will be just 2-4 in the AFC North, according to “Madden 11.”
Clayton: Secondary Will Cost Ravens The AFC North
ESPN’s John Clayton believes the injury-plagued secondary could cost the Ravens the AFC North.
“Before seeing them and before the Domonique Foxworth injury, I thought the Ravens would win 11 games and the division,” Clayton wrote. “The cornerback situation has caused me to switch to the Bengals, a team with a top-five defense and plenty of offensive weapons.”
He went on to say it’s too much to ask the front seven to apply good pressure for 16 games, but if the Ravens can win Week 4 against the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger and hold on long enough for Lardarius Webb to return, they could still maybe notch 10 or 11 wins.
Quick Hits
Mark Clayton could be the only player in the NFL with the chance to play the Super Bowl in his hometown. [Dallas Morning News]
The Ravens’ penalty problems from last season crept back into the preseason, as the team was penalized eight times for 55 yards in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. [Baltimore Sun]
Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is still holding out hope that he’ll be able to avoid the reserve physically unable to perform list. [MASN]
SI_PeterKing: Tweetup in Baltimore, 4:30 pm Wed, Amicci’s Rest, Little Italy … Me and radio czar Nestor Aparicio talking NFL, Ravens. Come!