Bizarro Chad Deflates Miami

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↵Chad Pennington’s personal renaissance in Miami has been built on the foundation (more like FUN-dation!) of mistake-free, methodical offense. No gun-slingin’ here. Of course, it’s worked beautifully for 16 games, given the dynamic backfield and fierce defense the Dolphins boast. It’s a game plan most teams would do well to emulate.
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↵It all went out the window against Baltimore today, as the Ravens won 27-9. Pennington barfed up four interceptions, including a easy duck Ed Reed slalomed back for a touchdown in the second quarter. Baltimore’s offense was only parasitic, feasting upon good field position created by the turnovers while doing little to cinch a win until late. But with a defense so stout, and a Miami offense so predicated on long drives in small chunks, the discomfort allowed the Ravens to dominate.
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↵This game felt a lot like the 2000 AFC Championship between Baltimore’s best defense ever and a mistake-free Oakland offense led by Rich Gannon. Only Ray Lewis and Chris McAlister remain, but at its best the Ravens defense just has a way of choking mistakes out of you. Something to behold, unless you’re an opposing QB. (Of course, it’s hard to remember much more of the 2000 game than Tony Siragusa’s quotes about hearing Gannon scream when he crunched him. Thankfully, Siragusa’s doing more damage to chicken bones than quarterback bones this weekend.)↵