Each week, The Examiner meets with Tom Matte to get his take on the Ravens and talk a little about his life in football. We keep it brief, in a Q&A format, and fun.
With the late game Monday night, Staff Writer RonCassie caught up with the former Colts great Tuesday morning ? after he could sleep on the 13-3 loss to the Broncos.
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Examiner: OK, before we get to the bad news, how about the rejuvenated defense and, specifically, Ray Lewis? You?ve played with some great linebackers ? Bill Pellington, Ted Hendricks and Mike Curtis. Who would you say is the most sane of that bunch?
TM: (Without hesitation) Ray Lewis. It?s not close. Pellington would clothesline you once a week just on general principal. Hendricks, well, he was in la-la land. And Curtis would get in a fist fight every week ? at practice.
Examiner: Ray Lewis, Mr. Serenity.
TM: Look, I give Ray Lewis ? and Brian Billick, too ? credit for keeping this team together. On a team where the defense is playing so much better than the offense, it can cause division, but that?s the case here. Lewis is a true team leader.
Examiner: What can the offense learn from Monday night?
TM: They have to spread it out like they did in the first half. I?d get out of this I-formation and try a two-halfback set with Jamal, Musa or Mike Anderson and create some chaos. I don?t know what?s wrong with Jamal, but what they?re doing is too predictable.
Examiner: The Ravens never recovered from Champ Bailey?s interception before halftime. In football, as in life, one bad decision can have real consequences.
TM: That had ?red flag? written all over it. When Clarence Moore came in, who hasn?t been activated for a couple of weeks, everybody knew they were going to lob to him for the dunk.
Examiner: The Ravens have Carolina at home Sunday and are favored by two and a half.
TM: I?m surprised. This team isn?t going to set any scoring records, but you have to score more than three points to win.
Examiner: The Ravens appear capable of bringing anybody down into the muck and turning into a wrestling match. They could go 10-6, but this could be ugly to watch all year.
TM: Not if you like good defense. The bottom line is, if you asked anybody if they?d be happy if the Ravens were 4-1, they?d have been thrilled. So, I?m happy.
