DieBruderschaft.com

BALTIMORE -- As limited as they seemed on offense, the more aesthetically pleasing side of the ball, the Baltimore Ravens always figured to be a problem in the AFC. They still have a defense that is no fun to play against, and they still have a coach and a quarterback who have proven they can win the Super Bowl.But now that New England Patriots tight end?Rob Gronkowski is out for the year, turning the conference tournament into something of a jump ball, the Ravens have officially evolved into a gathering threat. Start with their history in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the most likely site of the upcoming AFC Championship Game and the scene of Baltimores next stop on Monday Night Football.John Harbaughs Ravens have won two playoff games in Foxborough, and they nearly won two others. Over the summer, after considering his relative success against New England while reading a MassLive.com ranking of the 25 biggest villains in Patriots history, Harbaugh decided he wasnt happy with his spot at No. 19.I think thats a little low, he told ESPN.com. I plan on making that higher in the future.He can start working on that next week. Harbaugh laughed when reminded of that comment after his team shredded the Dolphins and their six-game winning streak, but declined to add to it. The Ravens coach did stop outside his locker room to bat away the suggestion that the Gronk injury has opened a window of opportunity for some second-tier hopefuls in the AFC.I just think theyve got a great team, Harbaugh said of the Patriots. Theyve got Tom Brady. Theyve been the best team in the conference, and its going to be our toughest challenge of the year.No, a single 38-6 beatdown of a Miami team that wasnt as good as its winning streak suggested doesnt change the fact Baltimore has too many issues running the ball and too many receivers who have seen their 30th birthdays, including one, Steve Smith Sr., who started his career around the advent of the forward pass. But in the post-Gronk AFC, everybody is vulnerable and nobody with a defense, a coach, a kicker (Justin Tucker has made 35 consecutive field-goal attempts) and a quarterback can be counted out.Joe Flacco did a good job showing people Sunday why he remains the quarterback, and a pretty damn good one, by completing 36 of 47 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns before taking an early seat. When Flacco threw for three scores and 258 yards in the first half, building the Ravens a 24-0 lead, he reminded everyone (Ray Lewis included) that he was a Super Bowl MVP and a quarterback capable of pitching a perfect postseason game (11 touchdowns, 0 interceptions in that 2012 championship run). Lewis had blitzed Flacco from the blind side last month by assailing his supposedly passion-free approach to his craft before the retired linebacker tweeted his videotaped apology to the active quarterback.No blood, no foul. Flacco has never shown the demonstrative fire of, say, Brady, but theres a reason he has won 10 postseason games and 30 more regular-season games than he has lost. Flacco is the AFCs answer to Eli Manning -- a stoic whos a very good-but-not-great quarterback from September through December, and a fearless and opportunistic winner in January and the first week of February.Manning was the MVP of two Super Bowls four years apart, and before you start laughing over the possibility that Flacco could perform the same trick, remember that the 2011 Giants were 7-7 before ripping off six consecutive victories and seizing ring No. 2. At 7-5 and leading the AFC North, Baltimore has won four of five; its only loss came to Dallas, only the best team in the sport. Flacco completed passes to 10 different receivers Sunday, and he was so hot that he actually threw for 91 yards on a remarkable 18-play, 88-yard touchdown drive (a Smith penalty allowed him the statistical oddity).We go as he goes, Smith said of his quarterback.Flacco mightve called his best audible of the week when he jumped his offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg in a meeting about becoming more aggressive with his playcalling, a take-that poke at Lewis and all others who have doubted the quarterbacks inner fire. Mornhinweg agreed to open things up, and Flacco honored the coordinators faith by throwing touchdown passes on Baltimores first two drives.The rest of the day amounted to fast-break basketball for the home team, and a whole lot of half-court breakdowns for the visitors. The Dolphins were overwhelmed by a Baltimore defense that isnt as ferocious as the franchise standard -- the 2000 Ravens who obliterated the Giants in the Super Bowl -- but is better than the 2012 defense that won it all and almost all of Baltimores Marvin Lewis/Rex Ryan units.Their current coordinator, Dean Pees, also gives the Ravens a competitive edge that cant be dismissed -- Pees spent two years coaching New Englands linebackers and four years running its defense. In other words, he has a pretty good idea of how to defend Brady.But the Ravens didnt want to spend too much time Sunday talking about defense; theyve been doing that for years and years. They wanted to talk about offense, finally, and a breakout performance that breathes new life into their postseason hopes and dreams.I think it gives the guys a lot of confidence to see it and have done it, Flacco said. Now we have to go up into a hostile place in New England that we really enjoying playing [at]. ... Im looking forward to it, big time.So is the head coach. Harbaugh had a much better day than his kid brother Jim, whose Michigan Wolverines were denied a bid to college footballs final four. John went 2-for-2 on fourth-down gambles in the first half, and felt good enough about the performance to gesture to the crowd for more noise in the fourth quarter, with victory already assured.Harbaugh needed this one to set up the next one. He hasnt seen the Patriots since they used a Julian Edelman touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, and all that hocus pocus with ineligible and eligible receivers, to overcome two 14-point deficits in the playoffs two years ago. Harbaugh is still upset over the way the refs officiated that game and those formations, and he told ESPN.com before the season he was pissed off over Bradys postgame remark that Baltimore should study the rulebook and figure it out, a remark the Ravens coach described as uncalled for.So thats one reason why Harbaugh wants to become a higher-ranked Patriots villain in the near future. If nothing else, this Ravens team might be good enough to move him up the charts. Richard Sherman Jersey . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Dwight Clark Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. http://www.cheap49ersjerseyssale.com/?tag=brock-coyle-jersey-sale . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Adrian Colbert Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Cheap Football 49ers Jerseys . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. For the sixth season in a row, ESPN.com is ranking the top players in the NBA. Who will be the best player this season?To get the final ranking, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard vs. Chris Paul.We asked, Which player will be better in 2016-17? To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each players contributions to his teams ability to win games.Well roll out the rest of our top 200 players over the next week. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook.On to the list ...39. Derrick FavorsJazz | PF?| @dfavors14Last years rank: 482016-17 projeected RPM: 1.dddddddddddd89Insider profile:?Already a six-year NBA veteran at age 25, Favors has established himself as a solid 16-point, eight-rebound per game contributor who has the ability to play both frontcourt spots effectively. Favors still has two years left on his contract, and since hes making just $23 million over that span, he could be a candidate for a renegotiation and extension that would lock him up past the summer of 2018 at a below-max rate.?Read more ?#NBArank 31-4031: Carmelo Anthony32: Hassan Whiteside33: Kristaps Porzingis34: Gordon Hayward35: Marc Gasol36: Steven Adams37: Rudy Gobert38: Kemba Walker39: Derrick Favors40: Dwyane Wade Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Baseball Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys China Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Custom Jerseys China Cheap Basketball Jerseys Authentic NFL Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys ' ' '