To put it simply, the Ravens did what they needed to do. Against a Browns team that everybody knew was not as good, the Ravens held strong to the very end and put up a solid win. Once again, as the trend has seemed to be during John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach in Baltimore, the Ravens won a game that they were expected to win.

While that may not seem like a huge feat, fans of the Ravens don’t have to look too far to appreciate what an expected win means to a team. Just west, the Redskins struggled mightily against the St. Louis Rams, just a week removed from putting up an outstanding performance against the Titans. The Maryland Terrapins seem to find ways to screw up “in the bag” wins as well when it comes to football and basketball. With all the reality checks lurking in the corners, Harbaugh has his team trained to do one thing better than anybody else- win the games you have to win and give yourselves a shot. Those wins are the most important because they keep you in the running.

1. Joe Flacco turned his shiz around.

Flacco looked like a completely different animal on the field against the Browns then he did last week against Cincy. Yes, you can say what you want about how the Browns defense is nothing compared to the Bengals, who have been surprisingly dominant so far this season. However, an NFL football team is still just that in the long run, and Flacco’s poise was not phased as the game progressed. He was able to find open receivers (mainly Anquan Boldin who had the game of his career), he got rid of the ball, but most importantly, he threw the ball with confidence.

So Tyson, what do you mean “with confidence”? Funny you ask, because I was about to explain myself.

Flacco was consistently late when trying to get the ball to an open receiver in week two against the Bengals. Several times, based solely on the replays shown during the live broadcast of the game, it was obvious that he was hesitant to trust his receivers by throwing the ball to the spot they were headed as opposed to the spot they currently occupied. When a QB begins to get in that habit, it’s almost impossible to hit an open target considering how small a window of opportunity is in the NFL. But last week was a different story. Flacco gunned that ball in where it needed to go with perfect timing, and gave his wide receivers a chance to get their hands on it and make a play. A perfect example was the third touchdown pass to Boldin; With a lofty, but accurate and well timed pass, Joe Cool thread the needle and made the Browns secondary look silly.

2. Ray Rice was back on track… until his severe knee contusion.

I hate the word “contusion”. It’s stupid and misleading. Ray Rice has a heavy set bruise on his knee, and that is the bottom line because Stone Cold said so. However, despite the use of confusing words by injury reports, the fact of the matter is that Rice may not play this week. The Ravens have been giving McGahee more reps in practice while Rice has been watching from the sideline. Unfortunately for Baltimore, it seems as if just as when little Ray was getting things back on track from a year ago, he’s going to have to watch the first game against Pittsburgh as a spectator.

But, enough with the negativity! Rice put up great numbers against Cleveland, replenishing our morale when it comes to having faith in the running game. During the first two weeks, Baltimore was matched smartly against the run, and teams were figuring out not only how to make Flacco feel uncomfortable in the pocket, but also challenging the running game that the Ravens took so much pride in last season. Against the Browns, Baltimore was able to exploit their defense for yardage and confidence.

3. Anquan Boldin. What can I say?

Here are some mind boggling numbers. Eight passes caught for 142 yards and three touchdowns. You want to talk about a number one receiver? I’m pretty sure that Flacco found his answer against Cleveland last week. While Joe looked so much more poised under center (after turning the ball over six times in the first two weeks, he avoided anything of the sort this time), he was helped out by Boldin, the most solid, well rounded receiver in the game. Think of Anquan as a tank- he will move up the field, nothing in his way bothering him, and will haul in the pass without a hitch. He’s fast, he can gain yards after the catch, and he is big, giving him a legit chance to outperform opposing CBs.

Baltimore has one of the best wide receiving corps in the league. With Boldin at the helm, Mason on the opposite side, and Heap lined up at Tight End, Flacco has the weapons he needs to carry this offense into the playoffs. With complete respect to the rest of the offense, however, the success will come down to Boldin’s output. Displaying what he did against Cleveland on Sunday is only a taste of what there is to come.

Next week will arguably be the biggest test of the Ravens’ season. They will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the division rival and hated enemy Steelers. Already the lines have been drawn, and Baltimore will have their work cut out for them. It will be the third road game of the season for the Ravens, and while Pittsburgh is starting 4th stringer Charlie Batch, the Steelers defense has not been known to let much go so far. It should be a grudge match to the end, and I for one cannot wait.

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