Ed Reed's Return To Baltimore Highlights Crucial Game For Ravens
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. With that loss, their playoff chances took a considerable nose dive. But with the poor play of the AFC this season, the Ravens still find themselves in position to make a run for the postseason. It makes the upcoming game against the New York Jets all the more important for Baltimore.
Ozzie Newsome's back to work
There was a bit of a scare after the Ravens game in Chicago on Sunday. Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome was taken to the hospital from the stadium and stayed overnight for evaluation. While no information was given as to the cause of Newsome's illness, Ravens coach John Harbaugh assured everyone that their GM is just fine.
"[Ozzie Newsome] is working," stated John Harbaugh on Monday. "He's been here all afternoon working. So, he's back, and he has a clean bill of health. I don't think they know exactly what caused the situation yesterday, but it wasn't anything serious. So, he's doing fine."
Offensive line beginning to improve
Though the Bears field one of the worst defensive fronts in football, it was still nice to see Baltimore block defenders correctly for a change against Chicago. A large number of Baltimore's struggles on their offensive front have more to do with misreading blitzes than actually being outplayed at the point of attack. Ray Rice ran for well over 100 yards and a score and Joe Flacco had time to throw the football. They'll get a much stiffer challenge from the New York Jets on Sunday, but the game against Chicago was a big step in the right direction.
"The whole offensive line played well for the most part," stated Harbaugh. "There were things that we have to do better. There were a couple of pass protection issues that we will look at. The yardage is better, the schemes were better, and the combination blocks were better."
Ed Reed returns to Baltimore ... again!
One of the subplots to Sunday's showdown against the Jets is the return of All-Pro safety Ed Reed. The future hall of famer has already played the Ravens once this season as a member of the Houston Texans. But after being released by Houston last week, Rex Ryan and the Jets decided to sign the free safety to their active roster. While the public assumption is that Reed is old and slow, the savvy ball hawk made it quite clear that rumors of his demise are being greatly exaggerated.
"I'm good enough to be effective and still be the best safety in the league," Jets safety Ed Reed stated on The Glenn Younes Show on 105.7 The Fan. "I don't care what nobody says."
Ed Reed will get a chance to prove himself against his old team on Sunday.
For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
