RAVENS SEND BRONCOS TO FIRST LOSS

The Baltimore Ravens sent the Denver Broncos to their first loss of the season on Sunday, using 24 fourth quarter points to blow open a close game as they went on to win 30-7.  The big blow came on a 95 yard kickoff return for touchdown by Lardarius Webb to start the third quarter and give the Ravens a 13-0 lead.  Joe Flacco played an efficient, mistake free game at quarterback as Baltimore improved to 4-3.  Denver dropped to 6-1.

The Broncos also lost for the first time this season against the NFL pointspread as the Ravens got the money as -4’ home favorites.  Denver is 6-1 against the spread while Baltimore is 5-2 versus the number.  The 37 combined points scored went UNDER the posted total of 42’.  The Ravens have gone UNDER in just three of their seven games while Denver has stayed UNDER the total in 6 of 7.

After the contest, Broncos’ quarterback Kyle Orton gave the Ravens credit for the sound thrashing:

"We didn't play our best ball, but they're a pretty good team and they beat us pretty good today on all sides of the ball. We didn't really do a whole lot."

Orton talked about a sack on the first place of scrimmage, but insisted that it didn’t set the tone for the loss:

"That's not the way you want to start the game, for sure. It's not just one play. We had a number of plays where we just didn't execute. They were just better than us."

Broncos’ safety Brian Dawkins dismissed the suggestion that Baltimore was a ‘desperate’ team:

"They just did a better job of executing. Desperation had nothing to do with it.”

For the first time in his brief NFL coaching career, Denver’s Josh McDaniels will have to rally his team off a loss:

"Anytime you have a game like this, it forces you to look in a mirror. Hopefully we can find out just as much about one another ... through the adversity of a loss as you can through six wins."

Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco underscored the fact that his team is capable of playing this well every week:

"We know we're capable of doing this kind of thing. We had a chance in the other games. Today we finished. That's why we won."

Denver will face a tough challenge to get back in the win column, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.  The Broncos are +3’ home underdogs with the total set at 38’.  They’ll play at Washington the following Sunday before returning home to host the San Diego Chargers on November 22.  The Ravens will play the Bengals at Cincinnati this weekend, with Baltimore a =3 road favorite and the total set at 43’.  They’ll play on the road against the Cleveland Browns the following Monday before returning home to face the Indianapolis Colts on November 22.