*** Official Baltimore Ravens 2012/13 SB Champs Thread *** (2 Viewers)

[roadkill1292]

Rumor is that Suggs tore his Achilles playing hoops and is done for the year. If that's true, so are the Ravens. This is starting to feel like a 7-9 season on the horizon - schedule is brutal, O Line is worse than last year, nothing done to upgrade the WRs, and the defense is going to struggle to pressure the QB.

Down to one proven LB now and he's 55 years old.

 

[Faust]

Jones could help Ravens on multiple fronts

By Mike Wilkening

WR Jacoby Jones’ skill set fits the Ravens in multiple ways. Given his good speed, he could be an asset to a passing game that likes to stretch the field. Jones is unlikely to be one of the two primary wideouts in Baltimore, but he’s the most proven of the options behind Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin. With Jones in the mix, Boldin, who has lost a step, could see more time in the slot, one rival evaluator suggested to PFW.

Jones is also a capable returner who has shown game-breaking ability. Jones has averaged 10.2 yards on punt returns and has brought back three punts for scores in his five-year career. He also can return kickoffs (23.3 avg.), with one return TD in his career, but punts are regarded as his strength.

Inconsistency doomed Jones in Houston, and he had a costly punt-return fumble in the divisional-round loss to the Ravens, but given the reported cost (two years, $7 million), this is a fairly low-risk move for Baltimore, which adds an experienced No. 3 wide receiver and a fine option in the return game.

 

[Faust]

OTA overreaction: Ravens' Streeter fights 'bust' label

By Marc Sessler

Writer

One consistent theme from this week's league-wide onslaught of organized team activities: unbridled overreaction.

The latest example comes to us from Baltimore, where observers at Ravens workouts have picked apart the play of rookie wideout Tommy Streeter -– after only two practices with the team.

The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec heard Streeter described by pundits as "a project or a bust," and echoed something we've been saying all week: It's too early to go there. Far too early.

"He looks raw with his route running and he's also dropped quite a few balls," Zrebiec wrote. "But let's remember that those same criticisms were being lobbed at (receiver) Torrey Smith when he was struggling during training camp last year, and I'd say his rookie year worked out just fine."

The Ravens landed Streeter in the sixth round of the draft, charmed by his 17.6 yards per catch at Miami in 2011. Baltimore isn't asking Streeter to step in and rescue the city. The roster includes, along with Smith, Anquan Boldin, Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss and LaQuan Williams.

It’s not an easy way to open your pro career, but Streeter has heard the whispers and offered this: "I'm extremely hungry," he told The Sun. "I kind of feel like a lot of people didn't believe in me, even though I believed in myself. ... Ever since I got that phone call on draft day, I had the mind-set that I was willing to work and I'm going to be the best Baltimore Raven that I can be now that I'm in this position. And I'm ready for whoever lines up in front of me."

 

[Faust]

Joe Flacco faces pressure on multiple levels

By Dan Hanzus

Writer

Around the League will examine one key player under pressure on each team heading into the 2012 season. Up next: the Baltimore Ravens.



Under Pressure: Joe Flacco

Sometimes pressure is created by factors around you. Sometimes you put it on yourself.

Enter Joe Flacco: the perfect storm of pressure.

Flacco is entering his fifth season as starter for the Baltimore Ravens, a run that has included personal success (44-20 career record, five playoff wins), but no Super Bowl appearances.

This Lombardi-free reality casts his career in a disappointing light when you factor in the talent that's populated Baltimore's defense in the last half decade. With a core of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata, the Ravens are built for championship runs. That they haven't been able to get out of the AFC playoffs makes you wonder what's missing on the other side of the ball.

The potentially season-wrecking Achilles injury suffered by Terrell Suggs earlier this month amped up the pressure on Flacco and Co. After years of being "carried" by the defense, can the offense now do some of the heavy lifting?

"We shouldn't feel any more pressure because we don't have (Suggs)," Flacco said last week. "We still have a great defense and we still have a great team.

"But having said that, if it does put more pressure on us, if we do feel like we have more pressure on us and we need to score more, I don't think that's a bad thing."

Those are the outside pressures that face Flacco. The next level is created by internal factors.

Nobody believes in Joe Flacco more than Joe Flacco. Last season, he made headlines when he said he didn't get enough respect from the media. He took it to another level -- and left himself wide-open for easy satire -- when he told a radio station in April he believes he's the best quarterback in the NFL.

Flacco will never be the best quarterback in football. He doesn't have to be, either. But the Ravens have reached a point where 12-4 and division crowns isn't good enough anymore. With Lewis and Reed firmly in the twilight of their careers, this could be this group's last shot at Super Bowl glory. Flacco has been good. Now the Ravens need him to be better.

 

[Faust]

Finding the Fits: Upshaw isn't Suggs, but he'll lead Ravens in sacks in 2012

By Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

Over the next several weeks, NFLDraftScout.com will be reviewing some of the more intriguing picks made during the 2012 NFL draft through a series called "Finding the Fits." The goal of the series is to identify one relatively unheralded player per team who appears to be a good schematic fit and therefore more likely to be a surprise contributor early in his pro career.

In most of the previous 27 "Finding the Fits" posts, I've highlighted players selected on Day 3 of the draft. Frankly, there are other, less heralded prospects selected by the Baltimore Ravens who deserved attention in this space. As an example, with Ray Rice holding out, Temple running back Bernard Pierce could be in line for a surprising role this season. I'm also particularly intrigued by the athleticism of two Ravens' picks: cornerback Asa Jackson (fifth round) and wide receiver Tommy Streeter (sixth round).

When it comes to identifying the most impactful rookie of the Ravens' 2012 draft, however, the choice is an easy one.

Ravens' general manager Ozzie Newsome was praised -- as he often is -- following the 2012 NFL Draft for once again finding a falling star with his team's first pick. Newsome has made a living ignoring his team's biggest areas of need on draft day and instead selecting the best player available that slips to him. This strategy has led to Newsome selecting Pro Bowl talents like safety Ed Reed (No. 24 overall) and guard Ben Grubbs (No. 29 overall) despite his club often drafting relatively late in the first round.

Newsome followed this same strategy in 2012 but to an even greater extent by trading out of the first round entirely and yet still landing Alabama's Courtney Upshaw, my top-rated pass rusher, with the third pick of the second round.

Considering I had Upshaw graded as the No. 14 overall prospect in the 2012 draft, it probably doesn't surprise you that I believe the Ravens got excellent value with this selection. The fact that Newsome also acquired the Minnesota Vikings' fourth-round selection (No. 98 overall) in moving down just seven picks just makes the deal that much sweeter.

The selection of Upshaw made sense for the Ravens not only because the All-American was highly rated, however. The fit is also a very good one. In terms of his instincts, toughness and reliability, Upshaw is a similar player to Jarret Johnson, a no-nonsense defender who didn't generate the eye-popping production of Ravens' star Terrell Suggs but certainly would have been missed in Baltimore after signing with the San Diego Chargers as an unrestricted free agent in March.

Johnson would have been missed, that is, until Upshaw was added to the roster.

Drafting Upshaw looks even more brilliant now with the news that Suggs could miss up to the entire 2012 season with a partially torn Achilles' tendon. While Suggs is adamant that he'll return by mid November, Reed and Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh sounded less certain that they'd have their star pass rusher back this season.

To be clear, Upshaw is not the second coming of Suggs. While reports of his average athleticism and struggles during coverage drills at the Scouting Combine and his Pro Day have been overblown, there is no question that Upshaw lacks the burst upfield and lateral agility that helped Suggs register 70 tackles -- including 14 sacks -- and win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2011.

Rather than explosive speed, Upshaw's production is based on his power. Whether as a down defensive lineman or stand-up rusher, Upshaw attacks opponents with a forceful and technically-sound use of his hands to disengage quickly from blocks. Upshaw isn't a dancer who'll spend time attempting to avoid blockers' reach. Generating explosive power through his thick lower body, he's often able to simply drive blockers deep into the pocket through a simple bull rush. Upshaw was at his best in the biggest games, earning Defensive MVP in each of Alabama's last two bowl games, registering five tackles, including three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble against Michigan State in the 2010 Capital One Bowl and a team-leading seven tackles, including a sack against LSU to help the Crimson Tide win the BCS National Championship this past season.

Despite playing alongside arguably the most talented "supporting" cast in football over his career at Alabama, Upshaw proved a star, leading the team in both tackles for loss and sacks over each of his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa. He'll be surrounded by even more talent in Baltimore, of course, but I don't expect the new surroundings to lessen his impact on game day at all. In fact, while Upshaw isn't likely to approach the 14-sack, seven-forced fumble season that Suggs enjoyed a year ago, I do expect he'll wind up leading the Ravens in sacks as a rookie.

The rest of the Ravens' picks:

2nd Round - No. 35 overall - Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

2nd Round - No. 60 overall - Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State

3rd Round - No. 84 overall - Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple

4th Round - No. 98 overall - Gino Gradkowski, OC, Delaware

4th Round - No. 130 overall - Christian Thompson, S, South Carolina State

5th Round - No. 169 overall - Asa Jackson, CB, Cal-Poly

6th Round - No. 198 overall - Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami

7th Round - No. 236 overall - DeAngelo Tyson, DT, Georgia

 

[Faust]

Torrey Smith ready to make the leap for Ravens

By Marc Sessler

Writer

As we count down the days to training camp, Around the League will examine one player from every team set for a breakout campaign in 2012. We next take a look at the Baltimore Ravens.

Torrey Smith will stretch defenses

In the 16-year history of the Baltimore Ravens, the franchise has hit on one defensive prospect after another, but it hasn't been easy finding a franchise receiver.

Names like Jermaine Lewis, James Roe, Patrick Johnson were baffling nonstarters early on. David Reed, Marcus Smith and Yamon Figurs solved no problems in recent years.

Torrey Smith is a different story. A second-round pick in 2011, Smith showed us early what he's capable of. In his first start, in Week 3, he pulled in five catches for 152 yards and three scores against St. Louis. We -- along with the poor Rams -- caught a glimpse of what the Ravens now have at their disposal. Smith can rip the top off a defense; a suitable match for Joe Flacco's powerful arm (say what you want about Flacco, the dude can wing it).

The knock on Smith is predictable: He goes deep, but doesn't do much else. We expect him to improve on his 50 catches and seven touchdowns from a season ago. The Baltimore Sun witnessed improved route-running and acceleration during the team's offseason gatherings.

We all know Flacco is capable of spinning himself into a dark place. It's never pretty. Ray Rice is one solution to "Bad Flacco," but Smith is another.

With the loss of Terrell Suggs, the Ravens' offense will be pushed to produce more points. The Ravens were 19th in the league in passing last season, throwing for 213.9 yards per game. This is a quarterback-driven league. They can't ask Rice to pull them out of every pit.

Smith changes Baltimore's offense, if he stays healthy. All seven of his scores came in five games last season, hinting at what he could do more consistently in 2012. With a year of service under his belt, we expect Smith to put on a show.

 

[Faust]

Ravens' hidden treasure: Tight ends

By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com

Examining a position group that could exceed its preseason expectations:

The Baltimore Ravens made a risky move when they decided to cut Todd Heap last season and went with two inexperienced tight ends. The result: Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta more than held their own. Dickson exceeded Heap's 2010 receptions total by 14, and Pitta matched it.

The problem is, no one outside of the division really noticed what Dickson and Pitta did. That's what happens when New England is putting up big numbers with its tight end combination of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, who were both taken in the same draft as Dickson and Pitta. While no one is saying Dickson and Pitta will become as prolific as the Patriots' tight ends, there's a sense that the Ravens only scratched the surface with their duo.

Dickson and Pitta both finished strong, combining for seven touchdowns in the second half of the season. Dickson has great athleticism and can stretch the field, and Pitta has a chance to be a weapon in the red zone. Quarterback Joe Flacco looked to them in pressure situations last season. Dickson and Pitta both ranked in the AFC's top 15 in third-down catches. Now, Baltimore has to get them more consistently involved the rest of the time.

 

[Faust]

Ravens' tight end duo make for offensive threat

By Marc Sessler

Writer

We saw the Baltimore Ravens employ plenty of two-tight-end sets last season, and that should continue in 2012.

Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta give quarterback Joe Flacco a pair of productive targets. The team's official website pegs Dickson as the starter, but we're not sure the designation matters. Both should see plenty of playing time.

The Ravens love what this duo brings to the offense, and the key word here is flexibility. These guys won't make you forget about Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in New England, but Baltimore's tight ends combined for 94 catches, 932 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Dickson led with 54, but Pitta came on late and developed chemistry with Flacco.

There's chatter the two might cancel each other out, because they're such similar beasts. We doubt the Ravens are fretting over this scenario.

We're seeing more of this around the NFL: A shift toward employing multiple pass-catching tight ends -- treated more like wideouts (often looking more like them, too) -- who can keep defenses on their toes. It's another aspect to Baltimore's increasingly dangerous vertical passing attack, one that might help Flacco finally silence his legion of critics.

 

[Faust]

Jaworksi: Joe Flacco have strongest arm in NFL

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Joe Flacco is coming off his most inconsistent season if you care about stats like completion percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating.

Ron Jaworski is not a stats guy. The game film tells him that Flacco is a top-10 quarterback with the strongest arm in the league.

"That's Flacco's No. 1 attribute," said Jaworski, an ESPN analyst. "I get so tired of hearing how arm strength is overrated. It's far more important than people think. He has the strongest arm in the NFL."

"The element always overlooked by those who minimize arm strength is the willingness of quarterbacks like Flacco to pull the trigger. Few recognize that because there is no quantifiable means by which to evaluate throws that are not made by quarterbacks with lesser arm strength. It's all about dimensions. Flacco gives you the ability to attack all areas of the field at any point in the game."

Jaworski ranked the Baltimore Ravens signal caller overall ahead of quarterbacks like Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Michael Vick, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. We could debate that all day, but we're more interested in Jaws' opinion that Flacco has the game's strongest arm.

It's a bold statement and one that is backed up by a ton of research. That makes it tough to argue. Our top-five strongest arms would have to include Flacco. The rest of my list:

•Matthew Stafford

•Michael Vick

•Jay Cutler

•Cam Newton

If Nate Burleson is to be believed, Stafford's arm is only getting stronger, and he could pass Flacco in 2012.

 

[Faust]

Matt Birk: Joe Flacco doesn't get benefit of the doubt

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Joe Flacco is often a public punching bag, so it was nice when he recently got a little love for having the strongest arm in the NFL. ESPN's Ron Jaworksi also said Flacco was the No. 9 quarterback in the league.

This opinion caused a little controversy in Baltimore, but it's not like the locals think Flacco wasn't ranked high enough. They aren't sure he's really that good. Even among his home crowd, Flacco still has to win people over.

"Certain guys don't get the benefit of the doubt," Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk said during a radio appearance on WNST-AM recently. "He's shown in big spots that he's come through most of the time and he can play. Our game plan isn't designed to have Joe Flacco throw 450 yards a every game to help us win. That's not our style of football. I guess that's not the cool, hip way to play football in the NFL these days."

Flacco has made strides as a pro, and ended last year on a high note. But the criticism he receives is predictable because he's a quarterback on a high-profile team and he still suffers too many letdown games every season. (Last season's Monday Night effort against the Jacksonville Jaguars, anyone?)

Birk is right that Flacco doesn't get the benefit of the doubt from the public. It's just not unique or especially fair. We'd say that's true of any veteran quarterback that hasn't won a Super Bowl.

 

[Faust]

Bryant McKinnie is a potential Ravens camp casualty

By Brian McIntyre

Around the League writer

"Around the League" is taking a look at each team's salary-cap situation heading into training camp. Next up: The Baltimore Ravens.

Adjusted Cap Number: $128.128 million

Cap Room Remaining: $606,858

Best bargain: Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson are not in the same class as the New England Patriots' dynamic tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, but they're a productive one. In their second seasons in the NFL, Pitta and Dickson combined for 94 receptions, 933 yards and eight touchdowns and both ranked among the top 32 tight ends in Football Outsiders' advanced metrics DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) and DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). Pitta and Dickson will earn $540,000 base salaries this season and will be restricted free agents in 2013.

Potential camp casualty: The Ravens paid left tackle Bryant McKinnie a $500,000 roster bonus in March, but he reportedly struggled with his conditioning in the offseason program, prompting the team to hold him out of minicamp. The Ravens have options at the position and if the soon-to-be 33-year-old looks more like a planet than a left tackle when he reports to training camp, his $3.2 million base salary could make him expendable.

Contract issue(s) looming in 2013: Fictional Baltimore resident Omar Little once said in HBO's "The Wire", "Man, money ain't got no owners, only spenders." The Ravens, who currently have the fifth-lowest amount of committed cash in 2013, could be doing plenty of spending next offseason.

Behind door No. 1 is running back Ray Rice, who has nearly 4,000 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns in his three seasons as a full-time starter. Rice led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2011, was franchised to the tune of $7.742 million in 2012 and doesn't turn 26 until Jan. 2013. A deal could be worked out before next Monday's deadline, but running backs are generally poor free agent investments as they have a short shelf-life. Plus, the Ravens could always franchise him again next year.

Behind door No. 2 sits quarterback Joe Flacco, who has been productive (60.8 completion percentage, 13,816 passing yards with 80 touchdowns and 46 interceptions), durable (three missed snaps the past two seasons) and has helped the Baltimore Ravens reach the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, matching the number of playoff appearances the franchise made from 1996 to 2007, the year before his arrival as a first-round pick out of Delaware.

That said the Ravens' five playoffs wins in the Flacco Era have often come in spite of his performances. In three of those wins, Flacco's completion percentage has been at or below 50 percent, including two games in which he completed fewer than 10 passes. Need more proof that "quarterback wins" is a joke statistic? Flacco "won" a playoff game against the Patriots by completing four passes for 34 yards with an interception and a passer rating of 10.0. It's a team game, folks.

Flacco is due $6.76 million in base salary this season, and the Ravens could always place the franchise tag on him next offseason. Based on a projected NFL-wide cap number of $121 million in 2013, the non-exclusive tender for quarterbacks in 2013 would be worth $14.536 million.

Oh, and let's not forget about safety Ed Reed, a future Hall of Famer who has managed to simultaneously angle for a new contract while being non-committal about his playing future. A new deal would make sense for both sides -- Reed has a $7.2 million base salary and $8.5 million cap number this season that could be re-worked to give the Baltimore Ravens some much-needed cap relief - but appears unlikely at this point.

 

[Raider Nation]

During the Bengals/Falcons game last night, the announcers were saying that Chris Redman (now with ATL) was one of three players left in the NFL who won a ring with the Ravens in 2000. The others are Ray Lewis, obviously, and Brandon Stokley (now with Denver).

What I'm wondering is, who was the last Ravens player - other than Ray - on the BAL roster from the 2000 championship team?

Phrased another way if that is confusing, which player from the 2000 team outlasted everyone except for Lewis?

 

[Raider Nation]

Ogden, maybe?

 

[roadkill1292]

Ogden, maybe?

Matt Stover outlasted Ogden by a year. I can't think of any other possibles off the top of my head.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Ogden, maybe?

Matt Stover outlasted Ogden by a year. I can't think of any other possibles off the top of my head.

Has to be Stover. Ozzie flipped that roster pretty quickly after 2001.Onto this season......I haven't watched much of the preseason, but some random thoughts:I really like what I saw out of Flacco and the no-huddle the other night. Besides keeping a pretty stout D off-balance on Thursday, I think it actually helps the pass blocking. I'm worried about the Defense. I'm sure they're playing it pretty vanilla and I'm probably overreacting, but they look slow to me.Looks like they're going with a rookie K. He's been shining in preseason, so hopefully they've got something there. Between injuries and missing that kick against NE, I'm not sure Cundiff ever gets back to where he was.CBS picked the Ravens to go 9-7, which at first had me . But the more I think about it, the more I fear they may be right. Almost everything went the Ravens way last season (from health to lucky bounces to favorable calls at the right time) and the schedule is brutal. I could see some type of karmic revenge.

 

[roadkill1292]

Ogden, maybe?

Matt Stover outlasted Ogden by a year. I can't think of any other possibles off the top of my head.

Has to be Stover. Ozzie flipped that roster pretty quickly after 2001.Onto this season......I haven't watched much of the preseason, but some random thoughts:I really like what I saw out of Flacco and the no-huddle the other night. Besides keeping a pretty stout D off-balance on Thursday, I think it actually helps the pass blocking. I'm worried about the Defense. I'm sure they're playing it pretty vanilla and I'm probably overreacting, but they look slow to me.Looks like they're going with a rookie K. He's been shining in preseason, so hopefully they've got something there. Between injuries and missing that kick against NE, I'm not sure Cundiff ever gets back to where he was.CBS picked the Ravens to go 9-7, which at first had me . But the more I think about it, the more I fear they may be right. Almost everything went the Ravens way last season (from health to lucky bounces to favorable calls at the right time) and the schedule is brutal. I could see some type of karmic revenge.

I'll be more surprised if they go 10-6 than if they go 8-8. I think this is the year we finally see some defensive slippage.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Ogden, maybe?

Matt Stover outlasted Ogden by a year. I can't think of any other possibles off the top of my head.

Has to be Stover. Ozzie flipped that roster pretty quickly after 2001.Onto this season......I haven't watched much of the preseason, but some random thoughts:I really like what I saw out of Flacco and the no-huddle the other night. Besides keeping a pretty stout D off-balance on Thursday, I think it actually helps the pass blocking. I'm worried about the Defense. I'm sure they're playing it pretty vanilla and I'm probably overreacting, but they look slow to me.Looks like they're going with a rookie K. He's been shining in preseason, so hopefully they've got something there. Between injuries and missing that kick against NE, I'm not sure Cundiff ever gets back to where he was.CBS picked the Ravens to go 9-7, which at first had me . But the more I think about it, the more I fear they may be right. Almost everything went the Ravens way last season (from health to lucky bounces to favorable calls at the right time) and the schedule is brutal. I could see some type of karmic revenge.

I'll be more surprised if they go 10-6 than if they go 8-8. I think this is the year we finally see some defensive slippage.

Agree, GB. Are we back to the let's-let-Vinnie-win-a-shoot-out days?

 

[mr roboto]

You guys feel confident in Joe Cool needing to air it out to win games? He looked good in AFC Champ game and so far in the preseason.

 

[Raider Nation]

You guys feel confident in Joe Cool needing to air it out to win games? He looked good in AFC Champ game and so far in the preseason.

I was one of his biggest critics last season, but he is razor sharp. The no-huddle really agrees with him.Hoping not many in my league have noticed.

 

[roadkill1292]

I think they're gonna have to open things up offensively because the days of winning those 13-9 games are mostly behind them. Joe could have a really good statistical year and be a valuable fantasy guy as a quality backup QB or in a best ball format.

 

[Mustang Man]

You guys feel confident in Joe Cool needing to air it out to win games? He looked good in AFC Champ game and so far in the preseason.

The NE pass defense was pretty bad last year. Just saying.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Deadspin.com on why the Ravens suck

 

[Franknbeans]

Deadspin.com on why the Ravens suck

that is hilarious

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Deadspin.com on why the Ravens suck

that is hilarious

Someone posted a link to the Pats article in the FFA, which led me to the Ravens. I'm on the Steelers now and it's as hilarious as the other two I've read.

 

[roadkill1292]

Wait. I think Indianapolis should be a raging tire fire in the heart of flyover country. And not even because of what happened with the Colts anymore, either.

 

[nittanylion]

Hey Fellas, what's going on with the Ravens backup QB situation?

Have either Tyrod Taylor or Curtis Painter distinguished themselves enough to be designated the ***official*** #2?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Hey Fellas, what's going on with the Ravens backup QB situation?Have either Tyrod Taylor or Curtis Painter distinguished themselves enough to be designated the ***official*** #2?

I think Painter's going to get it. Tyrod looks lost out there to me.

 

[The_Man]

I really think this is about an 8-7 season ending into the final game of the year at Cincinnati.

Outside linebacker is now a black hole - the Ravens went from Suggs and Jarrett Johnson, who was simply fantastic at stuffing the run, to ... Kruger and McLellan? Ray is still excellent in pursuit but can't get off of blocks anymore -- this will be the worst Ravens run D we've seen since the Ted Marchibroda era. Good thing our CBs are physical and good tacklers because I think they will get plenty of opportunities to stop guys after 8-yard runs to the edge -- we all know Ed Reed won't be bringing opposing RBs down.

Pass rush is also a major, major concern. If the Ravens are creative and figure out ways to blitz Ray and Pollard, that will play to their strengths while negating their weakness in pass coverage. I'd love to see Pollard in some packages where he plays a hybrid LB/Safety. I really like Pollard inside the box, moving toward the line of scrimmage. But I hate seeing him backpedaling. I think Pagano as defensive coordinator would have made it work but I worry that Pees is much more conventional. We'll just have to wait and see.

Offensively, I worry about the line. McKinnie and Birk are a year fatter and/or older and they were looking pretty fat and/or old late last year. Remember how Birk was abused in the AFC Championship game? And now Grubbs is gone. Flacco could have a very big year if he gets time to throw from a clean pocket. When he can set his feet and see his target, he is lethal. He loves the shotgun and it looks like Cameron is finally going to let him use it more. But there are going to be plenty of games when Flacco is rushed and crowded, because of the line, and he will struggle. To me, Torrey Smith is key to the season. He looks to me like he could become a Pro Bowl WR this year -- his speed is truly a difference-maker and now that teams are going to have to respect that, he will be wide open all the time when he breaks off his routes. And Flacco is brilliant at throwing those out patterns. Plus, if defenses have to double cover Smith, then Boldin becomes way more effective inside the numbers getting single coverage.

I see a lot of 27-24 games this year, with the Ravens struggling early, and then getting better throughout the season - which seems to be a mark of Harbaugh's tenure. Hopefully they get it together early enough to make the playoffs -- nobody wants to see this team in January, especially if Suggs comes back. I just worry it will be too little, too late this year.

 

[The_Man]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle.

Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

 

[roadkill1292]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

Sports Illustrated has the Ratbirds winning the division with a mediocre record (9-7?). How bad do they think the Steelers and Bengals are gonna be? I don't think I share that assessment.

 

[Mustang Man]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

He ended up not getting cut and taking a pay cut to stay in B-MORE.

 

[The_Man]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

He ended up not getting cut and taking a pay cut to stay in B-MORE.

Glad he's staying. Not sure why they Ravens are jacking their starting LT up for a restructure 6 days before the season-opener. It's like they waited until there were no other options for him and then tell him he has to restructure or be cut - knowing that there's no way he'll be able to make as much as the reduced offer the Ravens are now giving him.Feels like a typical Orioles move to me. That is to say, kind of bush league.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

He ended up not getting cut and taking a pay cut to stay in B-MORE.

Glad he's staying. Not sure why they Ravens are jacking their starting LT up for a restructure 6 days before the season-opener. It's like they waited until there were no other options for him and then tell him he has to restructure or be cut - knowing that there's no way he'll be able to make as much as the reduced offer the Ravens are now giving him.Feels like a typical Orioles move to me. That is to say, kind of bush league.

That whole thing was weird yesterday, but I agree it's pretty crappy of the Ravens if that's the way it went down.

 

[BoltBacker]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

He ended up not getting cut and taking a pay cut to stay in B-MORE.

Glad he's staying. Not sure why they Ravens are jacking their starting LT up for a restructure 6 days before the season-opener. It's like they waited until there were no other options for him and then tell him he has to restructure or be cut - knowing that there's no way he'll be able to make as much as the reduced offer the Ravens are now giving him.Feels like a typical Orioles move to me. That is to say, kind of bush league.

That whole thing was weird yesterday, but I agree it's pretty crappy of the Ravens if that's the way it went down.

I think it happens more often than you think. Veterans get "Winslowed" every year at final cut downs. I think there would have been a market for McKinnie IF he had shown up to camp in top shape and ready to play at his highest level - you know, like a professional athlete would. Had that been the case he would have been such a valuable commodity for the team(and around the league) that BAL wouldn't have been able to bully him into a pay cut. I don't have the hate for McKinnie that some people seem to display(if he had been cut I would have hoped SD would be on the phone within the hour - heck, I wanted him when he left MIN) but it's hard to have too much sympathy for a professional athlete that approaches his career like a recreational league in the offseason.

 

[roadkill1292]

Rumor is that the Ravens just cut McKinnie. I guess that means Oher at LT and the rookie Osemele at Right Tackle. Would be a disaster in my opinion. Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don't cut the starting LT 6 days before the season opener. Baffling.

He ended up not getting cut and taking a pay cut to stay in B-MORE.

Glad he's staying. Not sure why they Ravens are jacking their starting LT up for a restructure 6 days before the season-opener. It's like they waited until there were no other options for him and then tell him he has to restructure or be cut - knowing that there's no way he'll be able to make as much as the reduced offer the Ravens are now giving him.Feels like a typical Orioles move to me. That is to say, kind of bush league.

The Baltimore Sun said today that he took out a loan from the league during last year's lockout for $4.5 million. How's he gonna pay that back on a $2.2 million salary? I think the Ravens put the squeeze on him with that at least a little in mind.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Well, one down. Nitpicks:

1. 6 penalties

2. Butterfingers Ed Dickson

3. Running 17 reverses in the 1st QTR

Other than that, not a ton to say. The Ravens get to chase Vick around next week.

 

[roadkill1292]

Everything went great in last year's opener, too, and then they laid a big smelly turd in Nashville the following week. Still, they have almost as many offensive weapons now as anyone else in the league, I hope Cam continues to exploit that advantage.

 

[The_Man]

I have a couple of huge nitpicks -- and they're the same as they were a week ago

Outside linebacker is now a black hole - the Ravens went from Suggs and Jarrett Johnson, who was simply fantastic at stuffing the run, to ... Kruger and McLellan? Ray is still excellent in pursuit but can't get off of blocks anymore -- this will be the worst Ravens run D we've seen since the Ted Marchibroda era. Good thing our CBs are physical and good tacklers because I think they will get plenty of opportunities to stop guys after 8-yard runs to the edge -- we all know Ed Reed won't be bringing opposing RBs down.

Pass rush is also a major, major concern. If the Ravens are creative and figure out ways to blitz Ray and Pollard, that will play to their strengths while negating their weakness in pass coverage. I'd love to see Pollard in some packages where he plays a hybrid LB/Safety. I really like Pollard inside the box, moving toward the line of scrimmage. But I hate seeing him backpedaling. I think Pagano as defensive coordinator would have made it work but I worry that Pees is much more conventional. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Ravens final pass rush numbers look good, but only because of the way the offense put them in position to tee off on Dalton in the second half once the Bengals abandoned the running game - a running game that was doing serious damage.Kruger was a joke last night. He was terrible. Even the one sack he got close to in the fourth quarter came because the RT ran him 18 yards up the field (literally, I counted) and then Upshaw and McPhee flushed Dalton back into him. The Bengals ran at, over, and by him all night. The upside is that I thought Upshaw looked very good in limited time. He's had a disappointing training camp, but he was a bigtime player at Alabama and answered the call when the bright lights went on last night. He looks like he's got more weight in his rump than Kruger has in his entire body, and he was stout vs. the run and also generated a good inside rush. I think he quickly moves into the lineup and Kruger becomes a situational pass rusher.

My nitpicks are set off by happiness with Flacco and the offensive line. Flacco still got a lot more pressure right up in his face than you see most "elite" QBs get - on the game-opening play, and the Boldin TD, for example, he was throwing right as he was getting drilled from a rush up the middle. But with new guys at 3 positions, I thought they held up well - I was very impressed with both Harewood and Osemele. When the game was on the line after the Bengals opened the second half with the long FG drive to make it 17-13, Flacco started with a 1st-and-15 from his own 6 and marched the Ravens down the field like it was easy. In the old days, that never would have happened and it the game would have been on the defense to pull out by a thread.

So, on to Philly. If the Ravens struggled with Green-Ellis and a fast, shifty WR named Hawkins that nobody ever heard of, I worry what will happen with McCoy and Maclin/DeSean. But it's a nice change to actually look forward to seeing your offense come on the field.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Agree on the O-line. Cincy has a pretty fearsome pass rush.

Where was Jimmy Smith last night? Every time I paid any attention, it was Webb and Williams.

 

[The_Man]

Agree on the O-line. Cincy has a pretty fearsome pass rush.

Where was Jimmy Smith last night? Every time I paid any attention, it was Webb and Williams.

Looks like Smith is the nickel CB again, with Webb moving into the slot whenever the Ravens go with 3 CBs. Webb was great at blitzing from that formation.A couple of other random thoughts:

Doesn't it feel like the NFL has kind of figured Andy Dalton out? He kind of burst on the scene but then had a QB rating of 65 or below in 5 of his last 9 games last year.

I think Jim Caldwell has had a huge effect on Flacco. His play fakes were great, his footwork looked so composed, and he's made Joe feel like he's the Man, whereas Cam always seemed to be bringing him down. I loved this quote from Joe last night:

“I feel like I always go out there and put it all out on the field and play pretty damn good every week. The stats might not always say 299 yards or 300 yards or 450 yards, whatever it is, but the bottom line is I go out there and I play hard, I play tough, and we win a lot of football games around here.”

In the post-game press conference, some reporter asked "Is this your year?" and Joe immediately started talking about the team, until the reporter clarified that he was talking about Joe personally. I like that Joe so clearly always thinks team first, and that he then didn't answer the question, saying that he doesn't think about that stuff.

Nice to feel like maybe the Ravens have finally figured out Marvin's defense. In 09 and 10, Ravens went 1-3 vs. Cincy and Joe had QB ratings of: 48, 70, 24, 69. Now the Ravens have won 3 straight and Joe's QB ratings vs. the Bengals are: 105, 112, and 128 last night.

Pretty awesome to see Ed Reed got the all-time INT yardage return record. As much as the laterals drive you crazy, there's nothing more exciting to me than seeing Ed with the ball in his hand after a pick.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

That was lovely, wasn't it? From the atrocious officiating to Balitmore not being able to protect a lead to the return of Flacco's "where's my bong?" face, not a good Sunday for the local boys. Good job by Philly to hang in there when it looked like they were on the ropes.

The Ravens have a lot of work to do. Saying you're an "elite" team is different than playing like it.

 

[roadkill1292]

You know one way yesterday's game was eerily similar to Week 2 in Nashville last year? Ravens receivers were tightly covered. Now it's true that we only see the receiver Joe is targeting and maybe all the other ones were running loose in the secondary and Joe just missed them but I highly doubt it. Whether it be through poor play design or lack of athleticism, this team still seems to go through spells where nobody can get open. That seems so odd to me.

Disappointing though this may be, if you were one of the 9-7 or 10-6 preseason predictors like I was, wasn't yesterday one of the games you had chalked up in the "L" column?

 

[roadkill1292]

I thought Aaron Schatz made two interesting points in this week's Simmons podcast: (1) Sunday's game didn't tell us which of the two teams was better. Most one-points games don't and this one was particularly close in the details. And (2) the Ravens have one of the league's most overrated defenses, even with four high quality guys on it.

They can beat anybody on their schedule this year. They can lose to anybody on it as well. This won't be their last nailbiter.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Welp, 3-1 at the quarter pole. Some Ravens' fans are bemoaning the fact that they aren't 4-0(citing that they got "screwed" against Philly while being strangely silent on the favorable calls vs NE) but I think - given the wonky schedule - this is about as good as we could hope for.

Ravens fans are gonna have to realize this isn't their older cousin's Ravens D anymore and we're back to the Vinny/Byner/MJ days of the 90s - throw a crapload of points up and hope it's enough. I can't quite put my finger on the slippage. The secondary is as good as it's been in years. Can it all be because of Suggs? Is it scheme?

 

[The_Man]

To me, there's no secret to why the Ravens' D is bad - no pass rush whatsoever from a 4-man rush, and weak vs. the run, especially to the edges. Also very poor coverage in the middle of the field, when Ray or Pollard are matched up man-to-man.

They'll get a little better, but will be lucky to finish in the top half.

Offense has a chance to be very good, but it's not there yet. They are racking up the yards but not the points - against CLE, they only got 2 TDs and a FG, the INT for a TD provided the margin of victory. Flacco is on pace for 5,000 yards through the first quarter which is mind-boggling, and Smith is looking like he might be even better than Mike Wallace. But Cameron is falling in love with the chuck and duck offense and needs to keep handing it to Rice. That sets up the play action, and also slows down the pass rush, as Flacco still gets a ton of pressure right up in his face, even from 4-man rushes. To me, a "touch" is not the same as a carry and Rice needs carries, not just touches.

They've looked good, but they've also played 3 at home, where they are a different team. My original prediction was 8-7 going into the season-ender at Cincy, I might be ready to upgrade that to 10-5 and they are in a good position to contend for the division title but I think teams like Houston and SD will be very challenging for them.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

To me, there's no secret to why the Ravens' D is bad - no pass rush whatsoever from a 4-man rush, and weak vs. the run, especially to the edges. Also very poor coverage in the middle of the field, when Ray or Pollard are matched up man-to-man.They'll get a little better, but will be lucky to finish in the top half.Offense has a chance to be very good, but it's not there yet. They are racking up the yards but not the points - against CLE, they only got 2 TDs and a FG, the INT for a TD provided the margin of victory. Flacco is on pace for 5,000 yards through the first quarter which is mind-boggling, and Smith is looking like he might be even better than Mike Wallace. But Cameron is falling in love with the chuck and duck offense and needs to keep handing it to Rice. That sets up the play action, and also slows down the pass rush, as Flacco still gets a ton of pressure right up in his face, even from 4-man rushes. To me, a "touch" is not the same as a carry and Rice needs carries, not just touches.They've looked good, but they've also played 3 at home, where they are a different team. My original prediction was 8-7 going into the season-ender at Cincy, I might be ready to upgrade that to 10-5 and they are in a good position to contend for the division title but I think teams like Houston and SD will be very challenging for them.

Oh, don't get me wrong - I think the playoffs are still a hit/miss thang. I don't know that your 8-7 is wrong even still

 

[roadkill1292]

1. An uncharacteristic strong prediction from me -- they're gonna smoke the Cowboys Sunday. Pretenders have come into M&T before and been sent home with their tails between their legs. Everything will go right for the Ratbirds, they'll get every close call and the game will essentially be over by halftime.

2. I am almost never right with these predictions.

3. All week I've been thinking of that fateful final game at Texas Stadium four years ago. Brought in by the league as sacrificial lambs to the Cowboys' emotional celebration, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain run for 70 yard TDs to ice it for the good guys. I still giggle thinking of the dazed look on Wade Phillips' face at the postgame presser: "Those long touchdown runs, I've never seen anything like that."

4. America's team can suck it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

1. An uncharacteristic strong prediction from me -- they're gonna smoke the Cowboys Sunday. Pretenders have come into M&T before and been sent home with their tails between their legs. Everything will go right for the Ratbirds, they'll get every close call and the game will essentially be over by halftime.2. I am almost never right with these predictions.3. All week I've been thinking of that fateful final game at Texas Stadium four years ago. Brought in by the league as sacrificial lambs to the Cowboys' emotional celebration, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain run for 70 yard TDs to ice it for the good guys. I still giggle thinking of the dazed look on Wade Phillips' face at the postgame presser: "Those long touchdown runs, I've never seen anything like that."4. America's team can suck it.

I'm with ya, roady. I have zero confidence in the Ravens on the road but am all-in with them at home.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Thank goodness the Ravens played the brain-dead Cowboys yesterday because they'd have lost to anyone with a clue.

Sounds like Lewis may be done, but the real blow is losing Webb (& maybe Ngata).

Arian Foster may go for 300 next Sunday.

The only saving grace is the fact that most of the Ravens main competitors are stumbling around, too.

 

[roadkill1292]

Thank goodness the Ravens played the brain-dead Cowboys yesterday because they'd have lost to anyone with a clue.Sounds like Lewis may be done, but the real blow is losing Webb (& maybe Ngata). Arian Foster may go for 300 next Sunday.The only saving grace is the fact that most of the Ravens main competitors are stumbling around, too.

They had no business winning that game (how do you like my blowout call?). And now two of the best run defenders gone for the year from an already depleted defense. We're gonna be seeing pinball scores from here on out. Can they play .500 ball the rest of the way and get into the playoffs? 10-6 will do it because the AFC sucks eggs this year. Good thing they got the NFC West last year before it turned into a powerhouse.Edit to add: America's Team can still suck it.