Ravens prepare for 15 straight games

By Neal Coolong  |   Tuesday, September 16, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Baltimore Ravens
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The NFL rescheduled last weekend's Houston-Baltimore game from Sunday to Monday thanks to the damage Hurricane Ike caused to the Texans' Reliant Stadium. The league then postponed the game until Nov. 9 because of the devastation in Houston. As a result, he Ravens and Texans both took their impromptu bye weeks in a fashion less than typical for NFL teams.

Commentary: Ravens fans make a legitimate point when they express frustration over the situation. The Texans were not comfortable leaving Houston to play in another venue when so much of the city was, and still is, without power. It forced the Ravens into an unfortunate position. From Week 6 (Oct. 11) through Week 11 (Nov. 16), the Ravens have one home game, and just like the Texans, they will play in 15 straight weeks.

The Baltimore Sun quotes Ravens linebacker Brandon Ayanbadejo as calling it "the worst bye week in bye-week history."

Another potential sore spot with the Ravens has to do with the fact most teams use that 10-day stretch between games before and after the bye week to plan for their next opponent. Baltimore didn't get that advantage, with the game being postponed until November at the last minute.

But the silver lining for the Ravens is they had another week to get healthy. Injuries to running back Willis McGahee, defensive tackle Kelly Gregg and cornerback Fabian Washington got another week to heal, and offensive tackle Willie Anderson -- who signed earlier this month -- was afforded an extra week to learn the offense. It could end up being just the unifying event rookie head coach John Harbaugh needs to bring his team together.

Fan Pulse: The chatter on the Extreme Ravens Message Board is both positive and negative. Some are recognizing it as simply tough luck, while others see the early bye week as an advantage other teams in the AFC North don't get.

Fantasy Football Impact: Second-year quarterback Troy Smith was cleared to handle light workouts after battling an infection of his tonsils, but rookie Joe Flacco will still be under center in Week 3 when the Ravens host the Browns. The Ravens platooned rookie RB Ray Rice and second-year man Le'Ron McClain in Week 1 because of McGahee's absence.

Injury Watch: The health of McGahee and Washington will be big stories this week. Smith lost 20 pounds because of his illness and likely won't be back for a few weeks.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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