You Said It! - Week 11

on the Offensive Line...

on Living with the enemy...

After watching a struggling offense year after year, I finally feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  Joe Flacco's presence in the pocket and ability to make all the throws has made life as a die-hard RAVENS fan, living in the heart of Steeler country, MUCH MORE PLEASANT.  Two weeks in a row I got to see a Baltimore offense get two touchdowns over 40 yards THROUGH THE AIR!  Living in southwest PA, our house is lit up purple with Ravens stickers in all windows and flags flying high and proud. But the boos and finger pointing has turned into "hey, that young QB you guys got is looking good!"  If the Steeler faithful has realized, Baltimore has found their first "franchise" QB.  A lot of them tell me he reminds them of Big Ben his rookie year, only better.  I've worn a Ray Lewis jersey (so has my wife and 3 kids) for as long as the Ravens have been in town. This Christmas I get my first offensive jersey and it will read "FLACCO".  Congrats Joe Flacco and thank you for making living with the enemy a little bit easier.
Deric Huhn
Uniontown, PA

on the Playoffs...

The NFL playoffs are going to be so tight this year. And by tight, I don't mean they're going to be cool. I mean there are so many teams in the NFL hovering around or on .500, that there are going to be a lot of teams vying for wild card spots come the end of the season. Typically at this stage in the season, he have three or four clear-cut teams who everyone considers Super Bowl contenders. This year, there is one, maybe two, teams who are definitely going to have a strong playoff push: the Tennessee Titans for sure and you could give the Steelers consideration as well. Other than that, the playoff spots are up in the air. Every game is going to count. The Ravens, interestingly enough, lost to both of these teams by only three points on last second plays. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens finish their season. 
Jake SummersSilver Spring, MD

on Mason and Clayton...

To those who feel Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton are not legitimate threats at receiver consider this.  Mason may finish his career in Baltimore.  Furthermore he may very well end up in Canton when it's said and done.  Can he outrun a speedy corner on a fly route? No.  Can he convert a 3rd and 17 when the team needs a huge play by running a perfect route and having hands you can depend on?  Probably as good as any #1 receiver in the league.  The Moss's and Owens's of the league are flashy but drop a lot of balls at the wrong time.  Mark Clayton may not be a #1 but he is as good a #2 as you will find.  Hands, speed, route running ability and an uncanny knack for making DB's miss in open field is a valuable commodity.  Let's face it, since Clayton came to the Ravens there hasn't been a QB that can go through the progressions to get to his 3rd and 4th receiver before protection breaks down. That is, until now.  We have the weapons and now we have a QB that is learning how to use them.  Football is so much more than 80 yard TD passes and long runs; it's about controlling the game with offense and your defense being able to get off the field without giving up yards/points. The Ravens do that by leading the NFL in time of possession and having the #2 overall defense. Ask the defense how they feel, I am sure they will not complain about the rest they get as we grind out an 80-play 5-plus-minute drive.  Besides, if you dump the money into a big name receiver you probably lose Bart Scott, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs just to name a few!!
Don PopeFelton, PA

on Cam Cameron... 

I'd like to extend my gratitude to Cam Cameron this season for making so many noticeable improvements to the offense, and subsequently, to the entire team. After watching the first half of the season, and the blowout in Houston this week, I think that Cam Cameron deserves so much credit for turning the team around. I look at our roster and see so much talent. Before every game I get excited about my favorite players making plays on the field. I like to see the young players making contributions, and then I say to my Bears fan friends, "I'm so glad we got him this year." It's nice to see this year, not only our defensive front, but finally, our secondary with some depth. I look at the franchise, after being a fan for ten or so years, and see how great it is compared to others. It gives me so much joy to see the team, well-coached, go out and play up to its expectations. After seeing great defensive players leave over the Ravens' tenure, I see other players emerge to fill their spots, and the franchise maintains league dominance. The first round draft picks have, clearly, kept me satisfied. This team with so much talent, and this franchise, with so much great leadership, deserves so much recognition. Thank you, to whom it may concern (coaching staff, management, players, everyone), for doing such a great job out there. Thank you for signing Cam Cameron, and John Harbaugh, and their staff. Thank you for holding on to Rex Ryan. I look forward to the second half of the season. Go Ravens!
Keith RumburgOcean City, MD

on DeAngelo Hall...

C-Mac is done for the season. That means we are a cornerback short, a Pro Bowl cornerback at that. DeAngelo Hall was let go by the Oakland Raiders this week. Why is he a Washington Redskin and not a Baltimore Raven? This signing would have been a great one for the Ravens. Chris McAlister is going on 31 years old. Samari Rolle is 32, Corey Ivy is 31. DeAngelo Hall is only 24 years old with some Pro Bowls already under his belt. Then you have Fabian Washington 25, and Frank Walker at 27. That's not a bad backfield for years to come. And with the defense being so good, Hall would have had another Pro Bowl like season.
Carlos AndinoGermantown, MD 

on Flex Scheduling...

Nelson Kelly here-President of Ocean City Ravens Roost #44, the largest in the state of Maryland with 175 members. WE LOVE OUR RAVENS. We have a game day bus for all home games – 3 hours up and 3 hours back. It really puts a hurting on us when they move game time to a late start. We just feel like as fans we have no say on these decisions. We understand the need to move times for prime time TV but to change time without a good reason is a real hardship on the fans, especially with a workday ahead – i.e. the last game of the year last season: Ravens vs. Steelers. Ravens out of the chase and Steelers had theirs tied up. A last minute decision to change game time wreaked havoc on us trying to change times on a chartered bus. Getting home after midnight causes problems – babysitters, etc. Please try to get the NFL to be considerate of fans with these decisions. We are having a great season and enjoying the heck out of it. –Best Team – Best Owner – Steve is our Buddy and visits sometime. Thanks for letting me borrow a shoulder.
Nelson Kelly
Hometown: Ocean City, MD