NFL Week 15: Chris Henry Deathwatch

[katmai]

And then there were the Colts.

[CountDeMoney]

Well.  I certainly wouldn't have expected this one tonight.  Quite frankly, the Saints might even be a bit relieved.

[CountDeMoney]

Finally, the Bears get to town.

Bears land in Baltimore
M&T Bank Stadium will be ready for 4:15 p.m. kickoff Sunday

After two days of travel difficulties for the Chicago Bears, the Ravens are still scheduled to kick off against the late-arriving NFC North team at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, an NFL official said.

A record snowstorm for this area and airplane troubles forced the Bears to rearrange their schedule Friday and Saturday. Their flight arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport at about 10:50 p.m., only 17 hours before kickoff in what is a critical game for the Ravens' playoff hopes.

About 700 workers, who stayed at M&T Bank Stadium's club suites Friday night and Saturday night, pushed the massive amount of snow from the top of the stadium down to the field, where it was hauled and dumped into a nearby waterway. The field and stadium will be ready for kickoff for the team's final regular-season home game, Ravens vice president of operations Bob Eller confirmed.

The Bears (5-8) tried to avoid the weather and fly out a day early, but the team's flight Friday night was canceled because of a mechanical problem, a source told the Chicago Tribune. An attempt to change planes was called off when the window to arrive safely in Baltimore had closed. According to the Tribune, the Bears didn't arrive back at their facility until 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

Chicago's attempts to fly into Baltimore on Saturday were hampered by the heavy snowfall. The winter storm closed BWI in the afternoon, which delayed the Bears' departure to around 9 p.m. Eastern.

While the snow caused havoc with the Bears' schedule, it didn't alter the Ravens' normal Saturday routine.

Players attended a 7:30 a.m. meeting at team headquarters and conducted a 30-minute walkthrough, Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne said. All players and coaches made it to the Owings Mills complex, according to Byrne. Several players drove to the downtown hotel after the walkthrough. The Ravens always stay at a nearby hotel as a team the night before a home game.

Ravens officials said the NFL never approached the team to move the game to Monday.

On Friday afternoon, it was announced that the game time was pushed back from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Officials from Baltimore City recommended the time change to the team and the NFL because of safety reasons, the Ravens said. On Saturday, the NFL decided to switch the kickoff for the San Francisco 49ers-Philadelphia Eagles game from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. because of the weather.

M&T Bank Stadium parking lots will open at 11 a.m. Sunday, and stadium gates will open at 2:45 p.m.

This is an important game for the Ravens to reach the postseason for the second straight season. The Ravens (7-6) are currently the sixth and final seed in the AFC playoffs with three regular-season games remaining.

Two other AFC teams (the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets) are also 7-6. The Dolphins play at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and the Jets play against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Ravens, who are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since September, believe they are in a must-win situation.

"We have to hit a streak here," linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "If we don't hit a streak, we go home. We have no other choice but to get hot."

[ulmont]

Losing to the Cowboys in December?  That's humiliating.

[Valmy]

Damn it Saints I just needed you to win this one damn game.

[katmai]

all the time changes are messing up the early game for me, but for 4pm est games i get
Packers-Steelers
Bengals-Bolts.

[jimmy olsen]

HMB told me the Saints would go undefeated yesterday.

Tainted.

[Neil]

HMB told me the Saints would go undefeated yesterday.

Tainted.

You're the only one who taints teams.  The Patriots, for example, are tainted by your bandwagoning.

[jimmy olsen]

HMB told me the Saints would go undefeated yesterday.

Tainted.

You're the only one who taints teams.  The Patriots, for example, are tainted by your bandwagoning.

How can I be bandwagoning the Pats, they're my hometown team. As for tainting, they've won three Superbowls and been to five since in the last 15 years.

[Neil]

HMB told me the Saints would go undefeated yesterday.

Tainted.

You're the only one who taints teams.  The Patriots, for example, are tainted by your bandwagoning.

How can I be bandwagoning the Pats, they're my hometown team. As for tainting, they've won three Superbowls and been to five since in the last 15 years.

They are a Boston team.  You are from Rhode Island.  Not hometown.

Also, all their Superbowls are vacated due to the cheating thing.  That was sweet,

[HisMajestyBOB]

HMB told me the Saints would go undefeated yesterday.

Tainted.

[Vince]

With Ryan and Turner probably playing I have no doubt the Jets will manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  Especially if its during a snowstorm like they're predicting.

[Ed Anger]

I'm glad the Aints lost. I'm sick of hearing about them.

[Syt]

I'm getting Miami @ Tennessee tonight.

The other games will be on too late (Cincinnati@San Diego, Minessota@Carolina).

[Neil]

I'm glad the Aints lost. I'm sick of hearing about them.

That's one thing I won't miss.  All that 'They had Katrina, now the Saints give them hope' bullshit get tired.