AFC Wild Card Live-Blog: Ravens @ Dolphins, 2nd Half

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Can Miami actually get something going against the Ravens' D in the second half? Doesn't look good, does it?

Another touchback to start, Pennington and Co. will begin at their 20. Three yards on two carries for Ronnie Brown. Fabian Washington is the latest recipient of a Chad Pennington pick, thrown to a receiver he thought had single coverage. McClain rushes for a couple up to the Miami 36. 3rd down pass from Flacco is incomplete, and Cook comes in to punt again. The ball is downed inside the 1 yard line.

Pennington is turning into Shane Falco before our eyes. - Anon @ 2:46

His receivers aren't really helping him either. A 12-yard run from Polite gets them out of the deep end; Williams picks up a yard on a blown play of sorts. Pennington to Brandon London for the first down. Couple plays later....run to Cobbs, and he gets ROCKED, fumbling the ball and Terrell Suggs recovers for Baltimore.

McClain to the 14 on the first carry. 3rd and 5 to Clayton at the 8, first and goal. McClain just rumbles on in for the touchdown. Stover's kick is good, 20-3. At what point do I completely give up on this game being competitive? I think one more score will probably do it.

Cobbs takes the kickoff out to the 29 after slipping. 1st and 15 after a false start. Brown picks up a 1st down on the short pass, getting 23 total. Brown picks up 4 more to cross midfield. Pennington to Ginn with Trevor Pryce on his back, and another first down. Pennington hits Ginn again on the left side of the field with the intermediate route. Ginn again for the first down. Another short down to Brown, who keeps his feet moving for a couple extra yards, and some roughneck stuff inside afterward.

2nd and 4 at the B-more 21. Sideline route to Ginn at the 17, first down -- and ridiculously efficient by Pennington, 7 straight completions. Screen to David Martin loses a couple yards....and the next pass is picked once again by Ed Reed!

Superman wears Ed Reed pajamas.

McClain gets back to the line of scrimmage....and ow, that looks like it hurt for Reed. 2nd down at the 20 yard line, McClain gets five yards on the carry. McGahee is short on 3rd down, and a punt will take care of the 3rd quarter. Miami will start in their own mid-20s.

First pass play is incomplete, but thanks to a PI on Hiroki Nakamura (he pushed Cobbs in the back during the catch attempt). Pass to Ginn is out of bounds. Bess drops 2nd and 10, he was trying to get upfield before making the catch. Another PI flag on B-more, trying to cover Ted Ginn. Pennington to Bess -- and he finds a hole and scampers down the sideline! 45 yards for the Hawai'i product, down at the 4 yard line of Baltimore! First and goal.

Pennington to Brown, but the end is sealed and he's down at the 2 yard line. Play action fake to Brown, who runs out to the side, Pennington's rushed, throws it in front of Brown, who dives and makes a great catch in the end zone! TOUCHDOWN, DOLPHINS. Carpenter's kick up...and...BLOCKED! 20-9, Baltimore.

More Ed Reed facts:

Ed Reed eats 50 footballs for breakfast. - SSR
You don't find Ed Reed. Ed Reed finds you. - James Craven
Until telekinesis is banned, Ed Reed will continue to eat human souls, and intercept footballs. - Lord Nero

Ed Reed is the holder of the Power Cosmic, he is Galactus, Destroyer of Quarterbacks. All that Chad Pennington knows is at an end.

Ravens start at their own 20 after the returner takes a knee. Flacco's just a bit far on the deep ball to Mark Clayton. McGahee for four yards on the carry. Another bomb attempt to Clayton incomplete, and it's a three and out. Bess is tackled at the Miami 31 on the punt return.

Pennington tries to make Bess climb the ladder, but it's too high and Ed Reed breaks it up. Ed Reed drinks your milkshake, sir. He drinks it up. 2nd down pass to David Martin, picks up 13 and a first down....tripped up and tackled by Ed Reed. (Do you see where I'm going with this?) Pennington steps up, flips to Brandon London, and he streeeeetches for the marker. First down at the Ravens 44.

Ginn with the catch, 8 yards. Ricky Williams bashes his way past the marker. Screen to Martin, four yard gain. Yikes...nightmare play as Pennington flips to Ginn coming around, and the defense influences Ginn fumbling, and he falls on it all the way back at the 46. Pass to Ginn....he came down out of bounds.

Leonard fair-catches the punt and gets hit while doing so -- here come 15 extra yards for Baltimore. Carry to McClain for a yard.

I love Mike Leach, but is the timing of the 60 Minutes interview really that good considering he just lost to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl big-time?

McClain bulls for several more, and then Flacco throws a short gain to Lo Neal for a first down. McGahee gets one yard....and the next carry is BIG, as Willis delivers a nasty stiff-arm and rushes all the way down to the Miami 3 for 48 yards. McGahee gets knocked back for a loss of a yard on first and goal. Flacco passes to McClain on 2nd down, and it's at his feet. 3rd and goal.

Flacco keeps it, and rushes right into the end zone to ice this game. Kick up and good, 27-9, Ravens.

miami's drive ruined by another bullshit high school play. - David

I'd counter that it's only a bullshit HS play if it doesn't work. These things have worked for them all season (and frankly, the NFL could use more trickery borrowed from the college ranks, especially the teams that are thinner on talent.) However, B-more's just too smart defensively to fall for them.

Ginn returns it, gets another 15 on an unnecessary roughness penalty. Incomplete, sack by Nakamura and Leonard, pass to London for 9. 4th down, going for it as the last hurrah. Throw to London is three yards short. Ravens ball.

It's kind of useless to catalog the rest of the plays. This will end 27-9 save some sort of intervention, and the kneeling is in. Baltimore will play the Titans, and the Bolts will play the Steelers next week. Eagles-Vikes live blog in a half hour, folks.

48 Comments:

Oh, my.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:43:00 PM  

Pennington is turning into Shane Falco before our eyes..

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:46:00 PM  

I guess Joey Porter doesn't have a huckleberry to pick on today.

49er16 said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:52:00 PM  

Who are these Dolphin receivers?

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:53:00 PM  

The Dolphins are self-descructing in front of our eyes.

49er16 said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:54:00 PM  

The Dolphins avoid the end zone like it's the plague.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:57:00 PM  

Are the Ravens even this good? or the Dolphins really this bad?

49er16 said...
Jan 4, 2009, 2:59:00 PM  

Give the Ravens credit, this defense is scary.


So in short: Sign Sproles, fire Marshall and hire Rex Ryan, release Brian Russell and draft Crabtree, and Seattle is a Super Bowl contender.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:00:00 PM  

"I grew up in Louisville."-Phil Simms

As Nantz is in stunned silence.

49er16 said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:03:00 PM  

Ed Reed eats 50 footballs for breakfast.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:09:00 PM  

The white jerseys with the green numbers, Chad.

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:10:00 PM  

Did someone forget to tell Miami that the game is at one and not at night?

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:11:00 PM  

Unless Nantz has a script in front of him, it's silence. LOL

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:12:00 PM  

"[He] just became a dad last night for the first time." - Nantz


Maybe because at my age having a kid would send me to the Maury Povich show, but how can you be a father multiple times?

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:13:00 PM  

You know what makes mash potatoes so damn good? Sour cream? Nay. Butter? Nay. Dolphin Tears.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:14:00 PM  

Pennington looked asleep there.

"The Dolphins have to wonder if they should throw another pass" - Simms, the sheer idiocy of that statement should get him fired on the spot

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:15:00 PM  

Like I said, take all your Chuck Norris facts and replace Norris with Ed Reed or Eddie Hercules...

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:16:00 PM  

Ladies and Gentlemen, in an encore performance, your 2007 Miami Dolphins.

Mal said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:17:00 PM  

You don't find Ed Reed. Ed Reed finds you.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:18:00 PM  

Until telekinesis is banned, Ed Reed will continue to eat human souls, and intercept footballs.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:19:00 PM  

OH, MY!

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:20:00 PM  

I think dolphins just used their last football miracle.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:21:00 PM  

The missed Extra Point by the Dolphins pretty much sums up their day.

49er16 said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:21:00 PM  

That "whiz kid" in the Wendy's ad went to the Moe Howard Barber School to get his haircut.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:22:00 PM  

Did you know...are you stupid enough...did you have any idea...Ed Reed is paid 99 cents by Apple every time he listens to a song?

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:25:00 PM  

Before there were Terrible Towels, there were White Hankies.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:27:00 PM  

Jack Bauer calls Ed reed for advice.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:29:00 PM  

Ed Reed expected The Spanish Inquisition.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:31:00 PM  

Ed Reed won Le Tour de France without a bicycle.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:33:00 PM  

Ed Reed molested Pennington before the game. Thats why he keeps throwing to him,and fumbling. Oh and the free skittles.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:35:00 PM  

This forceout rule eliminates sideline passing now when there is a defender.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:35:00 PM  

The Dolphins have self-destructed. All thanks to Ed Reed.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:36:00 PM  

miami's drive ruined by another bullshit high school play.

Unknown said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:36:00 PM  

Ed Reed's tears are known to cure cancer. However, we hav never seen Ed Reed cry.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:39:00 PM  

Selected in the fourth round all of a sudden?

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:40:00 PM  

Game over. See you in Nashville next week.

JamesCraven said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:41:00 PM  

Ed Reed tackles kittens when he gets bored.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:43:00 PM  

Gumbel and Dierdorf confirmed for Ravens/Titans, while Chargers/Steelers gets Nantz and Simms.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:44:00 PM  

If you don't see ed reed, that means he's behind you, with your football and your trachea

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:46:00 PM  

Ed Reed uses human intestines as jump ropes.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:48:00 PM  

Odd Nantz and Simms arent going to # 1 seed, unless CBS expects Titans to lose and Steelers to win

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:48:00 PM  

The offense helps the defense out...classic. I would only expect that from madden.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:48:00 PM  

Crap, I picked the final score of 27-16 and the Dolphins failed.

TJX said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:51:00 PM  

With Lawn Chair Pennington you know the dolphins had no choice but to fail

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:53:00 PM  

Phil Simms, your an adult quit letting your mom dress you.

Lord Nero said...
Jan 4, 2009, 3:55:00 PM  

James Brown just said "multi-media Boomer Esiason just led us to that..." What he didn't say was that The Great White Dope is horrible in EVERY medium. Can there be a bigger dick in any medium than megalomaniacal Norman? Hell, no!!

Anonymous said...
Jan 4, 2009, 4:12:00 PM  

Does this crappy performance make Pennington eligible for next year's Comeback Player of the Year award too?

Lindsay said...
Jan 4, 2009, 4:13:00 PM  

You may disagree about the bullshit high school play comment, but guess what? They didn't work against Baltimore the first time this year and they weren't working today. In that spot they needed two scores and they were in position for a FG already. That play has the potential to go for a huge loss every time and the Fish pretty much got the expected result when playing against a disciplined defense.

Unknown said...
Jan 4, 2009, 5:29:00 PM  

Post a Comment