Ravens only have themselves to blame for loss to Falcons – not refs

ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 11: Roddy White  of the Atlanta Falcons pulls in this reception against Lardarius Webb  of the Baltimore Ravens at Georgia Dome on November 11, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Some will focus on Michael Jenkins’ catch on a 3rd and 10 that wasn’t overturned by replay. Others will talk about the pass interference call on Tavares Gooden.

Most will fixate on Roddy White’s push-off.

But they shouldn’t. The Ravens didn’t lose to the Falcons on Thursday night because of the refs. They lost because they were dominated for most of the night and couldn’t catch a break or two down the stretch.

Here’s the way I would tally the final drive of Atlanta’s dramatic 26-21 win:

Jenkins’ Reception: It was a catch. The second replay showed that Jenkins kept a kung fu grip on the ball with his fingers and secured it while getting both feet down.

Pass Interference Call: I’m surprised Gooden didn’t get stopped at the Atlanta airport and picked up for the molestation of Tony Gonzalez. It was a good call – Gooden was draped all over him.

White’s Push-Off: It was clear as day – the ref missed it. I think a stiff wind could have knocked Josh Wilson down, but nevertheless White pushed off and it was a bad no call. He should have been flagged, the Falcons should have been backed up and who knows – maybe Baltimore is 7-2 and Atlanta is 6-3.

But you know what? The Ravens have nobody to blame but themselves and here’s why:

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Has the power shifted in the AFC East this season?

Brett FavreBrett Favre gets traded to Jets + Tom Brady goes down for the season in Week 1 = Jets AFC East Champions. Right? Yes, although it certainly hasn’t been that easy.

Despite Patriots’ QB Matt Cassel throwing for a career-high 400 yards and three touchdowns, Jay Feely’s 34-yard field goal in overtime gave the Jets a thrilling 34-31 victory Thursday night in Foxboro. With the win, the Jets took over sole possession of first place in the AFC East at 7-3 on the year.

While watching the game (yes, I am one of the 34 people who have the NFL Network), I got the impression that the power has shifted a bit in the division. Not to say that New England is out of it because clearly Cassel is more than capable of leading the Pats to the playoffs, but Jet Favre has provided a spark in New York that had been missing at the quarterback position.

After the Jets decided to make the game interesting by allowing Cassel and the Patriots to march right up the field for a game-tying touchdown with only seconds remaining in regulation, New York won the opening toss and marched right up the field. I don’t want to get into all of the “vintage Favre” crap, but the drive was indicative of what Brett has done throughout his entire career. He made plays when the game was on the line and propelled his team to victory. Even though he has resurrected the Dolphins this season, I doubt Chad Pennington would have lead the Jets in the same fashion Thursday night.

The Jets face their toughest test of the season next week when they travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. If they can muster a victory, they should be on easy street the rest of the year: vs. Denver, at. San Fran, vs. Buffalo, at Seattle, vs. Miami. Of those games, the Jets get the Bills and Dolphins – two division opponents – at home.

With their victory over the Pats, the Jets have now set themselves up to win the division. But obviously Bill Belichick and New England won’t go quietly so this is shaping up for a great battle down the stretch.

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