CRAB BAG: More Tampa Glory in Store for Ravens?

The city of Tampa has been pretty kind to the Ravens in their brief history. Of course, their first Super Bowl championship, back in Super Bowl XXXV in January of 2001, was played at Raymond James Stadium. In addition to that, they also posted a monumental beatdown of the Buccaneers there in 2006. There was a loss sandwiched in there though, a 22-10 whooping at the hands of the Bucs in 2001. All time, the Ravens are 2-2 against Tampa and 2-1 in games played in Raymond James. Here’s hoping for 3-1 come Sunday evening.

Let’s take a look at the stats, quotes, and more on Ravens/Bucs, in the CRAB BAG brought to you by Conrad’s Seafood.

KNOW THY ENEMY

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Colts head coach Chuck Pagano on the Ravens’ defense:

“When you look at it, it looks like a scary movie – ‘Scary Movie 8, 9, 10, 11, 12’ – whatever you want to call it. All I know is they’re extremely well-coached, they’re tough as damn nails, [and] you can’t run the flippin’ ball on them. Front to back, they have playmakers everywhere. They run to the ball, tackle well [and] cover well. Front to back, again, they have a bunch of game wreckers over there and a bunch of guys that we have a tremendous amount of respect for.”

John Harbaugh addressing the team following last week’s game:

“Here’s the thing: It’s a long season – marathon, sprint, whatever you want to call it – it’s a series of battles one week after another. … We have everything it takes to be a great football team. … Let’s go to work. Let’s build on all the things that we are seeing that are good, and let’s find a way to get back to or build on an environment like this, that we can go in and play our kind of dominant football and beat a really good team in their place, because that’s what it’s going to take now or sometime down the road. … Let’s continue to become the football team that we’re going to be when it matters the most, because it matters most right now this week.”

RB Justin Forsett on why Gary Kubiak’s system is so conducive to running backs:

“[It’s] because he uses the backs in a lot of different ways. With the lanes that open up in the zone-blocking scheme, of course you have your opportunities there. But as far as catching passes out of the backfield, you have to [be able to] line up to catch passes from the wide receiver position. It just allows you to show your versatility. I think that’s why running backs excel.”

G Kelechi Osemele on what C Jeremy Zuttah brings to the Ravens’ offense:

“He is really athletic. He is stronger than he looks, and he is highly intelligent. Having a guy that can go out there and make the calls quickly – and be agile and athletic enough to also help in the run game, as well as be the center that has to be the quarterback for the offensive line – it’s a pretty potent combination.”

John Harbaugh on OLB Pernell McPhee’s versatility to move inside and outside as a pass rusher:

“You can put Pernell anywhere, and he’s going to get pressure. But we have two pretty good guys coming off the edge [in Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs], so you want Pernell on the field. And not just him, [there are] other guys. Chris Canty has gotten tremendous pressure, too. Courtney [Upshaw] has gotten pressure. We have a lot of guys that can rush the passer, and we want them on the field.”

OFFENSE COOKING (Everywhere but Indy, of course)

GETTING TO KNOW YOU ~ Q&A with Elvis Dumervil

What comes to mind when you hear the following? John Harbaugh:

“He’s a great teacher and great role model. “

Terrell Suggs:

“Competitor. He’s the type of guy you want to go to battle with.”

Courtney Upshaw:

“Courtney is very entertaining. He has a great sense of humor. A lot of people don’t know it, but Upshaw is a really funny guy.”

Who is the best pure athlete you’ve played with?

“Von Miller is a freak. He just has an incredible ability. It was freakish watching him play.”

Toughest?

“[Marshal] Yanda, man. He’s really tough.”

Most knowledgeable?

“The smartest player I’ve ever played with was Champ Bailey, but so are Haloti [Ngata] and [Terrell] Suggs.”

What kind of rush do you get from recording a sack?

“It’s amazing. There’s no better feeling than that. It actually gets silent in my mind. It gets quiet until you hit him, and then once you get back up, all you hear is the crowd noise. It’s the best feeling.”

What meaning does No. 58 have for you?

“Growing up, I always admired Derrick Thomas. He was my favorite player, and I respected him as a pass rusher. Also, it somewhat matches my initials [ED].”

What’s the most underrated aspect of football?

“The mental part of the game. A lot of people always emphasize how 90 percent of the game is mental, but it’s really something that I try to work on.”

What’s the next “mountain” of your career?

“The most important thing to me right now is winning a Super Bowl. That’s why I came to Baltimore. We have a bunch of selfless players and a great coaching staff. I really feel we have a chance to get that done before I retire.”

The best advice you’ve received?

“You can control what you can control, and with the things that you can’t, you have to let it go. For me, having faith goes a long way. That advice there, that nobody can tell you what you can’t do, is something I truly believe in.”

Who is the most influential person in your life?

“It’s no particular person, but just my family. My mom really displayed work ethic, and my pops really helped me with just being consistent. And then my brothers helped me set my goals. I was the youngest, so I just chased a dream behind them learning from their experiences.”

HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR! ~ Key Connections

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was the special teams coordinator (1998-2006) and secondary coach (2007) for the Philadelphia Eagles while Buccaneers defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier coached Philly’s DBs (1999-2002). Ravens offensive line coach Juan Castillo served as the Eagles’ offensive assistant (1995-96), TEs coach (1997), offensive line coach (1998-2010) and defensive coordinator (2011-12). Ravens secondary/assistant head coach Steve Spagnuolo was the Eagles’ defensive assistant (1999-2000), DBs coach (2001-03) and LBs coach (2004-06).

Ravens C Jeremy Zuttah (2008-13) was originally tabbed by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played in a total of 90 games, including 76 starts (30 at center, five at RG and 41 at LG).

Buccaneers G/T Oniel Cousins was originally selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft. Cousins played three seasons (2008-10) and a total of 26 games for Baltimore.

Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in 2012.

Ravens assistant offensive line coach Todd Washington was drafted by Tampa Bay in the fourth round and played five seasons for the Bucs (1998-2002). He was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl XXXVII Championship team, seeing action on the O-line in all 19 games (16 regular season and three playoff) that year.

Ravens special teams coordinator/associate head coach Jerry Rosburg was the Falcons’ special teams coordinator in 2007 and coached Buccaneers P Michael Koenen, who punted for 3,824 yards and a 43.5-yard average that season.

Ravens assistant strength and conditioning coach Juney Barnett served in the same capacity for the Vikings (2006-11) while Buccaneers defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was the Vikings’ “D” coordinator (2007), assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (2008-10), interim head coach (2010) and head coach (2011-13).

Buccaneers LS Andrew DePaola is from Parkton, MD, which is located in the northern part of Baltimore County.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK AT EXPENSE OF RAVENS’ OPPONENT