Posted by ESPN.com James Walker
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Let's dig into some questions.
James in Missouri writes: James, How concerned should we be with the loss to the Giants by the Ravens today? I know the Ravens D showed a little trouble stopping the run? But Flacco showed great poise in moving the ball and had an excellent 3rd Qrt.
James Walker: It depends on what your expectations were, James. Ravens fans were the only people who really felt Baltimore was going to go into New York and manhandle the Giants. But to the rest of us, the Ravens were underdogs. It just shows that the Ravens still have work to do to compete with arguably the best team in football. But it doesn't mean Baltimore isn't a viable playoff contender.
Jeff writes: Is it to late, Or do the browns have a chance at the playoffs?
James Walker: After Monday's win over the Buffalo Bills, Jeff, Cleveland's chances improved slightly. But don't count on it. The Browns would pretty much have to win out. They don't have enough tiebreakers to get in with eight or nine wins, so it will be extremely hard to catch the abundance of other AFC wild-card hopefuls. But what they could do is play hard the rest of the way and make it miserable for other teams.
Kory from San Mateo, CA writes: Sir, very quietly, TJ Houshmandzadeh leads the league in receptions, and is in the top 10 in receiving yards. Despite all the problems with the passing game, Housh has been a consistant target of Fitzpatrick (and Palmer when he played). Though its hard to see fans putting a Bengal into the Pro Bowl, do you believe he is worthy?
James Walker: Sir Kory, Houshmandzadeh having a solid year is more important for his new contract after this season more than anything else. But as far as the Pro Bowl, wins and losses will play a factor. So if Houshmandzadeh ends the year in the ballpark of another standout receiver with a winning team, that receiver will probably get the nod, especially if the Bengals only finish with one or two wins. But leading the NFL in receptions would go a long way.
Sam from Baltimore writes: James, What are the chances of the Ravens picking up a big corner and possibly a big-play reciever during the offseason this year? From the looks of the team, going into next year, these look to be the only two serious holes to fill. Also, I hear Nnamdi Asomugha is in free agency after this season.
James Walker: I don't expect the Ravens to make a huge splash in free agency this year, because they have at least three big names in house that they will try to keep in linebackers Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott. It's a very little chance Baltimore can keep two or three of its linebackers and still sign a big-name corner. Filling that need in the draft is a bigger possibility.
Chris from Bradyland writes: What do you think about brady quinn after 2 starts? i know his numbers showed that he could perform against a bad defense and struggles against a top-15 defense, but i think that he actually preformed better against the bills. he looked poised and had control of the game. what do you think?
James Walker: The best thing Quinn is doing is not turning over the football. That is why the Browns were in his last two starts in the final possession. Cleveland's offense under Derek Anderson was very high-risk, high-reward, and you had no idea which unit and quarterback would show up on game day. Under Quinn, you're not going to see an explosive offense with many big plays, but you're also not going to see all the interceptions, fumbles and turnovers that came with taking a lot of chances down the field. In that way, both signal callers bring different things to the table.
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after three seasons covering the Cleveland Browns for the Columbus Dispatch. He also covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Cavaliers at the Dispatch. Walker grew up in Hyattsville, Md., before attending Temple University, graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in communications and mass media. He resides in the Cleveland area.
