Gathering Speed

Okay. Here’s how you know I’ve officially settled in Los Angeles. Because everyone I know out here gave me the same look on Tuesday. That same wide-eyed look that Jack Palance gets from the saloon he walks into. That slightly on edge, deer who might have heard a hunter look in their eyes that wait anxiously for Mike Rosolio to pull a Billy Costigan with his cranberry juice. I have nothing more to say about that game, other than we almost beat the greatest team ever assembled. Plain and simple. The horseshoes and hand grenades thing is true, and no one will remember it, except in Baltimore, where it could live on in Namath infamy. The only way it could get worse is if Pittsburgh is the team that knocks them off this weekend in Foxboro. Luckily, I think there’s no shot in hell of that happening. If it does, I guarantee I will throw up. Everywhere.
The ultimate upside from the ultimate optimist (who had to drive 30 miles out to Malibu and stare into the black of the Pacific Ocean for an hour to fashion said optimism) is that the Ravens might need that much of an overhaul. Granted, everyone played above and beyond themselves. Ed Reed was a terror, the fumble on the return being his only blemish. Willis McGahee played like his forty million dollar contract was on a string in front of him. Haloti Ngata had his Adrian Peterson-like coming out party as the best defensive tackle in the league. Samari Rolle showed a physical side that I’ve never seen before, even back to his Tennessee days (lesson to all young corners; have seizures and you can tackle). And crazy young guards Jason Brown and Ben Grubbs beat all-pros Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren into submission. With a fourth place schedule next season, precisely no expectations, and no superhuman Pats team next year (they won’t be like this ever again), the Ravens are a lot closer to contention in 2008 than previously thought.
So two schools of thought for 2007: either Baltimore is screwed for the rest of the season (which wouldn’t surprise me considering the staggering frustration level and the black cloud officially checking in over Charm City) or they realize they’re a lot closer than previously expected and go on a rampage, destroying Indy, Miami, Seattle, and Pittsburgh along the way. Either is possible, and we won’t know which one until kickoff against the Colts. But this team will absolutely cover this week. And might do a whole lot more before this done season is actually done.