(Omar Whistle/Warriors playing)………………………………………………………………………..
Bragging Rights Sports Presents:
A Maryland Culture Production
“In 1996, they arrived in Baltimore away from an angry Dawg Pound. They have been criticized by many people outside of their city ever since their inception. Despite 2 championships and many Hall of Famers they get little respect. They get called names such as Murderer, Running Back, Hypocrite, Overrated, Soft, and others. But even if they are disrespected more than any team in the NFL the goal is still the same. Win the Lombardi Trophy. No one outside of the 410 cares about them, yet they work harder every single day. These boys have a swagger, and like to be pushed no matter what. We as Marylanders call them…………………………….”
CHARM CITY BEASTS
The Unrivaled Themed Story of the Baltimore Ravens
(It’s Never Pretty, It’s Never Perfect, BUT IT IS US!)
(XXXV, XLVII)
(BIG TRUZZ)
(THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM)
Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Justin Tucker, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Roquan Smith, Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, Kenyan Drake, John Harbaugh, Eric DeCosta, Greg Roman, Mike Macdonald, Sashi Brown, Steve Bisciotti, Edgar, Allan, with Poe, and the Salty Marylander/Narrator Michael Hession.
Location: M&T Bank Stadium Opponent: Carolina Panthers
(Season 3) Episode 10: Advent Comin’ (SOS Carolina)
WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN US? NOOOOBODY!
Narrator: Advent, in Raven terms it is the most important time of the NFL season. Usually it’s a 6-8 week period where Baltimore takes no prisoners and the anticipation of the Maryland Festivus is only getting higher with each game. John Harbaugh and his squad know this very well. Last Advent was a complete disaster, 6 straight losses to end the year and both Lamar Jackson and Marlon Humphrey suffered season ending injuries in the process. Harbs analytical decisions played a role too but they would have lost those games regardless. No Festivus in 2021 was the result. Those injuries plus an absolutely brutal schedule to end the year with 5 division games plus the Rams and Packers sandwiched in there was too much for the Boys in Purple to overcome. And to top that off Cincinnati of all teams made the run to the Super Bowl could have belonged to the Ravens. This time around things should be better. With the AFC North weaker than in years past, Baltimore has an easier road towards a division title and the return of Festivus. Uh, the Salty Marylander has something for us right now. Lets see what he’s got? Marylander: This year the Ravens fan base when it comes to the usually dominant 2nd Half of a season and playoff hype songs have something special cooked up. We sat around and wondered what it would be like to recreate the hype of 2019 and the flashbacks of our fans playing Miami by Will Smith. Today we have a new one! Thanks to a now suffocating defense that has led the league in sacks since the Blackout game, (Plus Roquan Smith is on board, and Marcus Williams will be back in December) and the Super Bowl Halftime act being Rihanna this February in Arizona, we are going to put opposing teams in SOS Mode! Poe: Whistling (I love it when a plan comes together!) Allan: Whistling (SOS please, someone me!) Edgar: Whistling (This is our year!) Marylander: That’s right boys. WE’RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL IF WE HAVE TO DIE TRYING! (When did the fans start playing Miami in 2019? Week 11. What week is it right now? Week 11. The irony) PAUSE.
Narrator: Anyways thanks to a clever idea from the Salty Marylander and the Raven brothers we have found the party anthem for this season. As for the Ravens themselves, it was a calm week all things considered. At 6-3 with a Bye on their schedule, the Boys in Purple could do whatever they wanted. Kyle Hamilton and Ronnie Stanley in particular went to M&T to watch their alma mater in Notre Dame take on Navy. The Irish won in a tightly contested game thanks to amazing catches and white hot 1st Half. Planet LJ visited a young Ravens fan that was going through a heart condition following the Monday Night game in New Orleans. For Lamar it was really a calm week compared to being at Wrestle Mania and having a 1-on-1 with Taylor Rooks over the past 2 weeks. As for Boy Wonder Johnny Harbaugh, well he wanted to focus on getting guys healthy. (By the way he was also at the game since his daughter goes to Notre Dame) In particular Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards. With 1 game in 24 days, there was certainly an emphasis to have players rest up during the Bye Week. Whether it works or not, who knows. But having key players back is a major point of discussion. With their pass rush completely dominating teams left and right over the past few weeks, Mike Macdonald has stated that the evolution of what was once the Ravens greatest weakness under Martindale has been tremendous. It says something when 33 year old Justin Houston is 2nd in the NFL with 8.5 sacks. Just like he did with Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo last year at Michigan, Mike Man has taken guys who may not be big names on the pass rush and turned them into game changers. (This is what happens when teams double Odafe Oweh up front as well) Speaking of Ojabo he, like Tyus Bowser, is also back from his achilles injury. The insane Front 7 of the Boys in Purple just got stronger. With 5 deadly edge rushers that they can sub in and out, an underrated D-Line, Patrick Queen playing up to his potential over the last 5 games, and obviously a generational talent in Roquan Smith, the Ravens defense looks ready to put teams on SOS. Um, hold on a second, I wonder what that sound is? Let me go check.
(A few moments later) Are you boys playing Just Dance 2? Poe: Whistling (Yes we are buddy) Edgar: Whistling (We set it up on the Wii Console) Narrator: You boys are hilarious. Allan: Whistling (Can you guess which song we’ve danced to) Narrator: Let me guess SOS. Poe: Whistling (You betcha! We need to be hyped up for the 2nd Half) Narrator: That’s what we need. We need those good vibes. So who has gotten the most points? Allan: Whistling (I have) Narrator: I’m not shocked, Allan you have probably more energy than any of us, keep it going! Allan: Whistling (Big Truzz) Narrator: Salty Marylander, are you seeing this? Marylander: What? Narrator: The Raven brothers are playing Just Dance 2. Marylander: That is hilarious! Edgar: Whistling (I know it is since we’re boys and it’s normally a game mostly played by girls but hey when a game like that features the hype up song for the 2nd Half you have to play it) Marylander: I see Edgar. Now I understand. Can I play? Poe: Whistling (Sure buddy) (3 minutes later) Marylander: UGH! ALLAN IS TOO GOOD! Allan: Whistling (That’s right, I can do no wrong in this game) Narrator: Anyways boys those were some good moves you put on, but we need to get to the game.
Speaking of this week’s matchup, the Boys in Purple face another NFC South opponent in the Carolina Panthers. A squad that early in the season was one of the biggest gong shows in the league. Matt Rhule got fired after just 5 games, trading away Christian McCaffery, and benching Baker Mayfield. They had to play a backup in PJ Walker over the past 4 games. He did alright winning 2 of the 4 games. But those were against division rivals in the Buccaneers and Falcons. Carolina may be 3-1 against their own division, but are 0-6 outside of the division including 0-4 on the road. On paper it sounds like this would be a game dominated by Baltimore especially in M&T Bank Stadium. But the Ravens need to be aware of one thing. CRACK! PJ Walker sprained his ankle Atlanta or so we think he did. He will be sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks. In his place comes a man who John Harbaugh knows very well. BAKER MAYFIELD! The man who was once hailed as the savior of the Cleveland Browns gets one more chance to prove to everyone why the Panthers acquired him over the summer. Even if it has become outdated, the hype of Baker has returned. I’m looking right at you Skip Bayless. He stated that Baker has had his 5 best performances of his career against Baltimore. Let’s be real, most of those passing yards were either in garbage time, or against an injured Ravens secondary. Plus he faced Martindale who is now with the Giants and is a huge reason why they have the 2nd best record in the NFL. Twisting the knife, Skip said that this would be the upset of the week. Little does he know that like his old colleague Stephen A, he is about to eat his words from every Marylander in a 250 mile radius. Another factor that would play in, the weather. Normally in November, the weather in Baltimore is in the 50s and 60s with the wind being light. In this game, it was the opposite. 35 degrees with a wind chill of 20 with 30 MPH winds. (A near record low for the exact day)
It would have a huge impact on how the game was played. The Ravens were aggressive to start things out by getting the ball to start. They made good progress but it was undid because of 2 key drops. That would set the tone for how the game would be. Points would be hard to come by. Especially since both defenses benefited due to the strong winds. As for the Panthers offense, they would be at the same disadvantage. And their pass protection is one of the worst in the NFL. That smells like disaster against one of the best defensive fronts in the league. The theme of the 1st Half would be simple. Punts. Jordan Stout and Johnny Hekker, 2 of the best punters in the game this season, would showcase their elite talents. Whenever there wasn’t a punt, well you’d either see a big guy interception, or bad play calling on 4th Down. No one could score until JT added a field goal on the final play of the half. Besides punts, bad weather, plus neither team being able to do much offensively, there was another key element. REFBALL. Jerome Boger. Oh boy. That man gets on almost everyone’s nerves. Long reviews, calling penalties on every 5 plays, and causing the fans to disagree with some calls. Just like in last years Blackout the Ravens have to beat Baker Mayfield and a Boger led officiating crew. The only thing Carolina had going was that they somehow got a field goal due to 2 bad penalties against the Baltimore secondary plus an injury to Kyle Hamilton. That’s gotta tick off Mike Man in a big way. It doesn’t matter since Planet LJ finally woke up and with DeMarcus Robinson having his best game as a Raven, they were able to reach the red zone. But one questionable penalty undid the push. Jackson completed a 3rd and 4 pass to Justice Hill for a 10 yard gain. There was one problem. “Personal foul, facemask, offense #78.” Marylander: Morgan Moses that was a clear facemask call and you know it. You can’t tell Boger that it was a BS call, you could have gotten another 15 yards tacked onto that. Narrator: Yes indeed. How can this get worse? BOOM! Oh dear god. Please don’t tell me Ronnie Stanley is out long term again, luckily he was able to walk off the field and his status is still up in the air. And on top of that Moses was Burned thus leading to a punt. (Get it because that’s who sacked Lamar)
Luckily Stout pinned the Panthers deep in their own end even if the call was originally ruled a touchback. (Why did Boger take so long to review that play, the TV timeout was only 2 minutes) Even if Baker and his boys got out of there they still couldn’t get past midfield. The battle for field position had been key all day. The question was who would win the 4th Quarter. Tied at 3 this defensive slugfest may have seemed boring but as the Salty Marylander said inside M&T Bank Stadium on this cold day we are due for some cheap fireworks. (It’s fitting that Qadry Ismail was the honorary Legend of the Game) That’s what the Ravens provided. Lamar and Mark Andrews finally got off the schneid. The drive lasted 12 plays and even if it didn’t lead to a touchdown, the Boys in Purple had reclaimed the lead. Edgar/Allan: Whistling (Look at us) Poe: Whistling (You get em boys) Narrator: I see you boys. Leading 6-3 with Enter Sandman playing and Real Fan Dan finally getting some scoreboard time, (R-A-V-E-N-S RAVENS!) the energy inside M&T had changed. What looked like a nervous crowd was all fired up. As for Baker this may be the biggest drive of his career, this may be his last chance to prove himself as a starting QB in the NFL. Sorry to tell you this but I got bad news. HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! Wouldn’t you guess it, the High End Talent of the Ravens defense seized the game in a big way. Marcus Peters robbed Shi Smith without a gun by striping the ball just before his knee touched the ground. Marlon Humphrey recovered it. First of all, how is that not ruled a touchdown? Marlo wasn’t ruled down and he ran all the way to the West endzone. Well REFBALL wanted to troll B-More again. It didn’t matter because Kenyan Drake finally got some running room and his 30 yard run set up LJ for the only TD of the game. You know what that means? (Alarm siren) SOS ALERT! SOS ALERT! SOS ALERT! Mike Man was about to tee off on his one time nemesis. The pass rush which had been held in check in the sack department all day long finally broke loose. It’s hard when you have to block Calais Campbell, JPP, Justin Houston, etc. with an O-Line that is overcooked to being a hockey puck. On 4th Down Mayfield was dropped by Pierre Paul. Luckily for the Panthers, a holding call against James Proche undid a potential 25 yard run by Jackson. That kept them in the game. Nevermind, Humphrey jumped a roll out pass and picked it off. As Marlo’s celebrity crush would say put all this on replay. No matter what the Panthers did to try and fool the Baltimore defense, it failed miserably. And finally the spoon inside the Raven flavored snow cone. “Baker Mayfield will throw on 3rd Down. Batted down and Intercepted! Deflected ball right into the hands of Jason Pierre Paul and with 43 seconds left to play the hay’s in the barn!” That is a fitting way to end this game. A day dominated by the defense ends with an interception thanks to a batted ball by Broderick Washington. (That’s 2 of those in 2 games. Justin Houston had a pick in the New Orleans game on a similar play) Man that D is giving Charm City flashbacks to 2000. Marylander: I THOUGHT STEPHEN A SAID WE DIDN’T HAVE A DEFENSE! BALTIMORE RAVEN DEFENSE UNCONSCIOUS! PAUSE.
Narrator: This game felt like last year’s Blackout against the Browns. Bizarre game, low scoring, Baker Mayfield, Jerome Boger, chilly conditions, and the Ravens defense dominating. This may have been an ugly win but hey I’ll take it. When you play 1 game in 24 days there is a good chance there will be some rust. That rust came from the offense but that’s because of the cold weather and the fact that the Panthers got 3 of their better defenders back from injury. I must say that Carolina, even though they are unofficially eliminated from the playoffs, have looked like a different team since Matt Rhule was fired. Steve Wilks is still unproven as a coach but he and his team have played smash mouth football for most of the last month. People will say that they are a QB away from being a playoff team but as I’ve said earlier nothing will be fixed unless David Tepper makes a major commitment into bringing excellent O-Line coaches. The issue is I just don’t know where you can find them. Turns out that the Baker Mayfield experiment has failed but you could have had 2015 Cam Newton behind that line, and they’d still be bad. As for the Ravens, well they needed this win. This game all but eliminates Mayfield’s former team in Cleveland as well as Pittsburgh from winning the AFC North. It looks like the division will come down to Baltimore and Cincinnati. In that case it favors the Boys in Purple. They have the easiest schedule while the Bungles have the hardest. Even if Cincy is the defending AFC Champions and have Joe Burrow and a great supporting cast, the road for them is brutal. They still have to play the 3 favorites from the other AFC divisions plus New England, Cleveland with Deshaun Watson, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore. (The Ravens will be playing for a potential #1 seed in that Week 18 game) It’s too soon to tell who has the edge in the AFC North but right now I like the Ravens chances. But they shouldn’t count their eggs until they hatch. After how rusty they were against a Panthers team in quicksand, they shouldn’t take their schedule lightly. With Jacksonville and Denver ahead there’s a good chance they won’t overlook those 2 teams especially after what happened this week. One more thing before we go, Salty Marylander what do you got. Marylander: Be watchful, and ready, for you all know that the chaos of playing us is coming! SOS BABY! RAVENS GHANTA SUPER BOWL! Raven Brothers: Whistling (LETS GOOOO! RAVENS! Big Truzz! LETS GOOOO! RAVENS! Big Truzz! LETS GOOOO! RAVENS! Big Truzz!)
Bragging Rights Sports 