Halftime notes as Ravens lead Steelers 14-7
Those who assumed that the Ravens would win in a walk today because Ben Roethlisberger isn't in at quarterback for the Steelers, think again.
Dennis Dixon has played fairly well, going 8-of-10 for 87 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, and Pittsburgh is obviously still very much in this game at the half.
Here are a few quick-hit notes on the first 30 minutes of play as the Ravens lead 14-7:
- Derrick Mason's touchdown grab at the end of the first half is his first ever TD against the Steelers in 21 games. He has 80 receptions in that time frame.
- The score was also Flacco's first touchdown pass in the last four games. Good to see the Baltimore QB get back on track after a few off weeks.
- Marshal Yanda has replaced Chris Chester at right guard, a move that some have been calling for recently. Chester has done a nice job at times, but Yanda has a little more bulk and might be the better long-term option on the inside.
- The Ravens have gone back to more of the unbalanced looks that they used frequently last season. Moving Michael Oher to the left side and putting him next to Jared Gaither gives Baltimore a powerful one-two punch out there, and those guys have done a nice job clearing lanes for Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain.
- I also like that they started using defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in goal line situations. Now that Ngata has worked his way back from a sprained ankle and is close to full-health, he's a great option in spots where the Ravens need some more beef up front.
- Mark Clayton emerged from a recent funk to have a huge first half. Clayton had three grabs for 86 yards in the first two quarters, 54 of which came on a long bomb from Flacco that set up Mason's TD. That's 86 receiving yards for Clayton in 30 minutes, compared to only 58 total receiving yards from the wideout over his previous four games.
- Somewhat surprisingly, there hasn't been a ton of pushing and shoving after the whistles today. That's most likely because a few of the key players in the trash talking between these two teams (Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs) aren't on the field today.
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Categories (click for archive)Dan Kolko | Ravens News |
YEAH! We scored some TD's finally. We usually play well in the second half on offense. If we can score early in the second half it may force the Steelers to throw more. Look for some INT'S for our D.