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Bye week blues: A New Speedway Boogie

Patrick Delaney Written by Patrick Delaney, Wednesday October 28 2009
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For someone who reads a TON of local and national football columnists, articles, power rankings, and the infamous "grades" throughout every Monday during the NFL season, the bye week for me is torture. Being a football fan, unless my team was already sitting at the top of the NFL heap (pun marginally intended), or they went out and acquired a game-changing player, the bye week only means that the team will sink in the eyes of the media.

Not that the media really matters – except they are the ones with intimate, first-hand knowledge of the goings on in the locker room, clubhouse, and the Castle out there on One Winning Drive – but who doesn’t like reading more positive than negative things said about one’s team? 


And especially when my beloved Baltimore Ravens have hobbled (I refuse to use the word “limped” simply because all three consecutive losses were winnable games) into their bye week at 3-3, each day until next week’s game feels like an eternity. My previous Sunday consisted of a bunch of half-hearted game watching as I prayed to the football Gods that the Bengals and Steelers would lose. No such luck considering Cincinnati embarrassed the Bears and Pittsburgh took another step to reasserting itself as one of the best three teams in the AFC. Dammit all. 


It gets even worse when you consider the remaining schedule – and if you agree with the popular opinion that the Ravens will have to go 7-3 down the stretch to sniff the playoffs. The next five games: Broncos, Bengals, Browns, Colts, Steelers, and Packers. Teams with a combined record of 25-12. And if you remove from that equation the putrid stench that is Cleveland, we’re talking a combined record of 24-6. Ouch. Double ouch. As my daughter Katie would cry as she gets taken down by an older child, “Ole man, ole man, ole man, ole man. Ole man, ole man, ole man, ole man…..[and on she would go until she was rescued].”

But wait…it gets better. The Broncos, like the Ravens, are coming off their bye week. Fair enough – two teams who have had a chance to get some much needed rest will be squaring off. But wait…we play the following week in Cincinnati – who will be coming off of their bye week. Ugh…that’s no good. So then we travel to Cleveland…who…coincidentally, will be coming off their bye week. Are you kidding me? So then all we have to do is play the Colts – who have complete and utter mental domination over us. So in effect, a team who didn’t get a bye last year is playing three consecutive games – two on the road – against teams coming off of their own respective bye weeks. The schedule is what it is…and I’m saying exactly what it is: unfortunate. 


But no Ravens blog is complete without the obligatory “hey, we can still do this – the season’s far from over” diatribes. So here it goes…


It’s tough not to feel confident about the Baltimore front office going out on a limb and choosing Joe Flacco in the first round after reading this article (thanks to Jonny L. for the link). I mean, it’s easy to say that now – after witnessing what Joe Cool did last year and thus far this year – but Ravens management realized this two years ago and had to pull some strings to hop up to #18 in the first round and snag him. 


And his second year compatriot, Ray Rice, leads the AFC in all-purpose yards (766). "I don't want to be known as just a running back," Rice said Tuesday. "I want to be known as an all-purpose back." You are, Ray. Keep it up. 


But alas, to quote Bill Parcells, “You are what you are.” But besides being 3-3, what...who...are the Ravens? Are we a team that runs the ball? A team that passes the ball? A team that can stop the run? The very foundation of a franchise that has developed so many telling traits and characteristics over the past decade has been called into question this year.   A team predicated on a bruising running game and impenetrable defense all of a sudden is taking the shape of a pass happy offense and porous defense. People in Baltimore are angry (what else is new)…but you have to wonder why, with three running backs that I would say match up just as well as any rotation in the entire league, we’re not pounding the ball…eating the clock…keeping opposing offenses off the field and, more importantly, keeping our notably vulnerable defense off the field??? 


Just like the last verse of Billy Joel’s “’Keeping the Faith” paralleled new coach John Harbaugh’s first year as head coach in 2008 (which I wrote about but can’t find the article for the life of me), the Ravens and their fans might find some hidden truths inside the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie.” Interpret it how you will…there are subtle hints referencing the nay-sayers and arguments raging in this town, the Ravens attempt at finding an offensive identity, and those that hope there are better days ahead:


Please don't dominate the rap, jack, if you've got nothing new to say.
If you please, don't back up the track; this train's got to run today.
I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill.
I heard someone say "Better run away", others say "better stand still".
 

Who can deny, who can deny, it's not just a change in style?
One step done and another begun and I wonder how many miles.
 

You can't overlook the lack, jack, of any other highway to ride.
It's got no signs or dividing lines and very few rules to guide.
 

One way or another, one way or another,
One way or another, this darkness got to give.

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