The Ravens Meet Murphy’s Law

We’ve got one of the most accurate field goal kickers in the history of the game, who got his third miss on the year.

We’ve got a rookie quarterback with the cool to make plays, who just happened to give several of them away.

And we’ve got one of the greatest defenses of all time, who couldn’t hold the Tennessee Titans from driving down field for a fourth-quarter touchdown and their fifth straight win on the season.

The miscues that occurred in yesterday’s game were a perfect storm that blew through M and T Bank Stadium, everything that wasn’t supposed to happened, or had no way of happening, happened. You can’t point to any one mistake and attribute the Ravens’ second-consecutive loss to it; it was a cumulative effort of mediocrity.

Joe Flacco again displayed the poor decision making of a rookie QB, but also showed his ability to remain cool and make key throws at key times. It was his play that set up the third quarter touchdown that put the Ravens ahead 10-3 in the third quarter. In a game full of penalties and simmering, Jump Off Joe was Joe Cool long enough for the Ravens to win.

But the fourth quarter was an implosion of sorts. On the part of the referees and the blown roughing the passer call on Terrell Suggs with just minutes to go and the Titans driving, and on the part of the Ravens defense for letting it happen.

Gone are the days when the Ravens had an excuse for drained performances down the stretch. They now have the opportunities to watch the offense dink and dunk down the field for long periods of time. And more than that, the Ravens have the potential to play with a lead, which is what the had for most of yesterday afternoon.

I’m not saying that the Ravens are in trouble, but I am saying that this two-game slide is not all on the offense.