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Editor's note: Ravens questions for Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston can be submitted on game days from halftime until three hours after the game. Selected questions are published in a Q&A on baltimoresun.com later in the week. Listen to Mike Preston every Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. on Fox 1370 (AM) Sports.
Jeff: Why couldn't the Ravens generate an effective pass rush on Titans quarterback Kerry Collins, especially on the last drive?
Mike Preston: Part of the reason they allowed the Titans to throw underneath is because they didn't want to give up the big play. Another reason is that the Ravens were banged up in the secondary and I think they didn't want to blitz as much as usual, which would have left some of the cornerbacks exposed. And third, the Titans are one of two undefeated teams in the NFL. They have a good team and they made plays. It's not always about what the Ravens didn't do, but what the other team did as well.
Brad: Mike, I thought the roughing-the-passer call against Terrell Suggs during the game-winning drive was really bogus. Suggs was going for the ball and the contact was incidental. There was clearly no intent there. What are your thoughts on the penalty and why do these key calls go against the Ravens time after time?
Mike Preston: I think the Ravens are being punished for past sins, like the time Suggs bumped the official a couple of years ago in Detroit, or last year when Bart Scott picked up the referee's flag in the New England game and hurled it across the field. Referees don't like to be shown up. I've said it for years and I'll say it again: The Ravens need to change their image. Outside of Baltimore, they are in the same class with the Raiders.
I spoke with John Harbaugh before the season started and he wants to change that image. It just takes time, maybe years until some of the eggheads on the roster are gone. Until then, the Ravens need to stop all the whining and complaining about the officiating.
It was a bad call, absolutely horrendous, but it's payback time.
Pat: It appears that the Ravens are struggling to defend the short- to mid-range passes. What's your take on why this has happened so often this season? At least we are not giving up the big pass play.
Mike Preston: I disagree. Except for the last drive by Tennessee and one by the Steelers, the Ravens have defensed the short pass well, especially inside linebacker Ray Lewis. The problem is when the Ravens start bringing in their reserve corners. They just aren't as aggressive as the starters and don't seem to know the defense as well.
Matt: Considering quarterback Joe Flacco's arm strength, how come the Ravens rarely attempt to go deep?
Mike Preston: Flacco has good arm strength and throws a nice deep ball, but the Titans, like the Colts this week, play a lot of Cover 2, which takes away the long strike. Against the Steelers, the Ravens went long at least twice, but Flacco had trouble reading the safety. He also lofted two passes that had more hang time than a Sam Koch punt.
The Ravens are taking their time with Flacco, allowing him to become comfortable with the offense. They aren't going to give him the key to offense and have him throwing the ball 40 to 50 times a game. I like the way they are handling the kid.
Bob: Why is Flacco having such a hard time spotting the underneath coverage? Or does he see it but think his arm strength can squeeze the ball into a tight spot?
Mike Preston: Flacco is just trying to make plays. I think he sees the receivers in front of him, but underestimates the speed of the defensive players in the NFL. Even when he was at Delaware, Flacco was a second or two late in delivering the ball, and now he has to make the adjustment to the pro game. Flacco needs better vision to find receivers. Young quarterbacks often look straight ahead because they aren't comfortable enough to scan the field. Once he gets more time in, Flacco will see more of the field. Right now, he has tunnel vision.
Jason: Do you have any idea of when we'll see Troy Smith return and how do you think the Ravens will use him (if at all) if Flacco is the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future?
Mike Preston: I assume Smith could play within the next week or so, if needed. I would like to see him get on the field in some capacity because he is a great athlete. Once he steps on the field, defenses have to be aware of him. Defenses have to game plan for him because he is a multiple weapon.
But unless Flacco goes in the tank or is injured, I don't see Smith being the starting QB again. It's possible the Ravens will want to use him in certain situations, though.
Joe: Do you believe that conservative play-calling by offensive coordinator Cam Cameron the past two weeks has cost the Ravens those games?
Mike Preston: Nope. Cameron is taking some criticism from around town for being conservative, but he is playing the hand he was dealt. He didn't ask for Flacco to be the starting QB, but the Ravens had no other choice. When you start a rookie, you bring him along slowly.
Against the Titans, Flacco was having a bad day. His game was off. When that happens, you take the ball out of his hands. Tennessee's Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz are excellent coaches and they would have been like sharks if Flacco was throwing the ball all over the field in the fourth quarter. They took away the Ravens running game midway through the fourth quarter with a lot of run blitzes and basically dared the Ravens to beat them with Flacco.
You're going to see the same thing Sunday. Well, if Flacco is on, you go with him. When he was off like last week, you keep him under control. It was a good game between two really strong defensive teams, and fans in Tennessee might have been saying Fisher was too conservative if the Titans had lost.
The problem here is that the Ravens beat the Browns and Bengals, and a lot of people started drinking that Purple playoff Kool-Aid. Instead of being patient, they started yapping about the playoffs, including some folks at The Baltimore Sun.
You have a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback. The team is 2-2 and has lost two straight games to two of the better teams in the NFL. Overall, the play-calling has been good, and I suspect the playbook will open up once Flacco becomes more familiar with the offense. If he was a veteran quarterback, he probably would have been allowed to audible out of some of those situations in the fourth quarter.
But the last time I checked, Flacco has played only FOUR games.
Staci: With five of the next six games on the road (at Indianapolis Colts, at Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, at Cleveland Browns, at Houston Texans, and at New York Giants), what are the main areas in which the Ravens need to improve to have a winning record over that stretch?
Mike Preston: It will be interesting to see when Cameron opens up the offense. I don't think there is a time frame, but he'll have to turn the rookie loose a little because more and more teams will start crowding the line of scrimmage. The Ravens also have to improve their health and coverage in the secondary. And maybe most importantly, they have to play better on special teams, which have performed poorly the past two games.
Jay: The Ravens' special teams have been poor this year and it's an area that's supposed to be John Harbaugh's specialty. Is there any explanation for this? Also, if Matt Stover continues to struggle, at what point should the Ravens bring in another kicker?
Mike Preston: There is no explanation for poor special teams. The Ravens have some great young linebackers on the roster and special teams should be an area of strength. And yes, the Ravens need to find somebody to push Stover. It just can't be some no-name on the developmental squad, but somebody to seriously challenge him. Stover has won a lot of games for the Ravens and you have to give him time to work things out. But the clock is ticking.
Ben, Baltimore: Do you think rookie linebacker Tavares Gooden and rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith can be significant contributors in the future?
Mike Preston: No.
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