Sports

Purple Friday the 13th

This week in Ravens news includes a case of mistaken identity, the healthy receiving corps and slighted by primetime.

By Brian Hooks

That's Not Jacoby

All Baltimore Ravens fans love seeing their favorite players in public, whether it's Joe Flacco grocery shopping or Ray Rice talking to kids about bullying.

But with 17 years of team history and two Super Bowl teams, the number of Ravens legends is stacking up—so much so that you can mix them up from time to time.

As was the case with Rebecca Clark, who recently posted the picture above with this caption on Facebook:

"Omg biggest fan here i just wanted to say me [a]nd my sister met Jacoby Jones [a]nd got a pic with him"

That's awesome….except he's not Jacoby Jones.

True, he has caught touchdowns as a receiver for a Super Bowl-winning Ravens team, but it was for the first championship squad. The guy these two ladies met was Qadry Ismail, who retired from the game in 2002.

Needless to say, the Ravens fans with a keener eye called out Rebecca for the mistake, and many others said it gave them a good chuckle.

Ravens-Patriots Moved Out of Primetime

This week, the NFL decided to flex the Sunday night matchup on Dec. 22 from the Patriots and Ravens in favor of the Eagles and Bears matchup.

The decision to push the Ravens-Patriots game—a rematch of the past two AFC championships—has ruffled the feathers of many Ravens faithful. Instead of being showcased on "Football Night in America" on NBC—which is the most-watched primetime game every week—the matchup will move to the 4:25 p.m. slot on CBS.

As if Baltimore fans need a bigger chip on their shoulder, this move by the NFL further supports the fan theory that the Ravens are not only battling other teams and referees, but also the favorite franchises of commissioner Roger Goodell.

PeRK82 commented on the Ravens website about a theory as to why the NFL chose not to feature the Ravens-Patriots game:

"I know why... They Know the RAVENS are going to slaughter the PATS and they don't want a National [audience] to see it. They want to sweep this game under the rug…"

Receiving Corps Finally Healthy

The most important player on a football team is the quarterback, and Joe Flacco has been the unquestioned starter for the Ravens since his rookie debut.

But a quarterback can only be as good as the players he throws the football to, and for the first time this season, Joe Flacco has his first team receiving corps at 100 percent, according to the Ravens website.

Tight end Dennis Pitta—one of Flacco's favorite targets—made a partial return last week, after suffering a serious hip injury during the preseason. Return specialist and deep threat receiver Jacoby Jones has been full strength for the past three weeks, after a collision sidelined him in week 1.

Receivers Marlon Brown and Torrey Smith have stayed healthy for the most part, but Brown has made a strong case for the no. 2 receiver spot while Smith has solidified his spot as the no. 1 receiver. 

Hopefully, with all systems go on the receiving front, it will loosen the Detroit Lions defense, opening up the run game. If the offense is clicking, the Ravens offense will stack up points opposite a dynamic Lions offense featuring quarterback Matthew Stafford and All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson.


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