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Zibby Makes First Start in Green Bay
Zibby Makes First Start in Green BayBy Kristopher Fiecke December 12, 2009Exclusively provided by CurvSports.com
Content powered by NovaFantasySports.com All-Pro safety Ed Reed was declared inactive for Monday nights game in
Green Bay, opening the door for Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski to make his first
career start. Its not easy to fill in for one of the games best defenders,
but Zbikowski did so quite admirably.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had not thrown an interception in 133
pass attempts, the second-longest streak in his career. Late in the first quarter, Rodgers dropped
back and looked to hook up with wide receiver Greg Jennings. The first rule of playing safety at any
level of football is never, ever let anyone get behind you. Zbikowski followed that rule to the
letter.
Rodgers throw carried a little farther than he intended; Zbikowski was
able to get under it and make the pick. His momentum took him backwards and Jennings was able to tackle
Zbikowski before he could regain his footing and return the interception. And thats a shame too, with
Zbikowskis skills as a punt returner, he could have made a significant gain
had Jennings been unable to contain him.
Unfortunately, the Ravens offense couldnt capitalize on Zbikowskis
interception and struggled for most of the game. Baltimore trailed the Packers 17-0 at halftime.
The Ravens were down, but they werent out. Baltimore rallied for two touchdowns in the third quarter to
close the gap to 3 points, but they wouldnt get any closer. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit
tight end Jermichael Finley for his 2nd touchdown of the evening and
Mason Crosby added a field goal to put the final score at 27-14.
The loss
drops the Ravens to 6-6 on the season, trailing the AFC North Division-leading
Cincinnati Bengals by 3 games. Ravens coach John
Harbaugh maintains his team is "still breathing" in the playoff race.
"Weve got plenty to be encouraged about," Harbaugh
said. "Were in a tight race for the wild card, we are every bit in it.
Everybody, theyll say what theyll say. Its a week-to-week proposition in
this league."
If the Ravens are going to make the playoffs, theyll have to cut
down on penalties. Monday night,
the Ravens were flagged for 5 pass interference penalties, the most in the NFL
in one game in nearly a decade. Those types of mistakes are tough to overcome.
The Ravens have an opportunity to get back on track against the
Lions. Detroit comes into the game
with a 2-10 record, this is a game the Ravens must win if they hope to keep
their playoff hopes alive.
Safety Ed Reed figures to return to the field, moving Tom
Zbikowski back into his role as special teams standout and backup safety. The Ravens can feel confident that they
have adequate depth in the defensive backfield with Zbikowski on the roster. With three solo tackles, an assist and
an interception in his first career start, Zbikowski has shown the league that
he has what it takes to be an NFL standout.
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