*** Official Baltimore Ravens 2011 Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[Uruk-Hai]

I know there's not many of us here, but I also think that those that are here are some of the most level-headed posters on this board.

Using this more as a place-holder for now, but I'll be posting my screwball thoughts on the draft later on. And - yes, even Stiller fans are welcome here. I love hearing fans of other teams' thoughts on the Ratbirds (used by assumed-permission from roadkill1292).

 

[eaglesfan7]

Love the torrey smith pick. I think he breaks out in his second season as the focal deep threat and eventual replacement for boldin.

 

[roadkill1292]

When I read some of the "experts" who say that Ed Reed and Ray Lewis will help keep Jimmy Smith in line, I can't help but think of how much effect those two had on Chris McAlister and his problems.

Still, I like the Smith pick very very much if he's as good as advertised. They still need secondary help, even though I think Mattison did a tremendous job with that group he had back there last year. If you watched them close, they got better every game and were actually pretty decent by season's end.

Torrey Smith had a pretty good year with a mediocre QB situation so I also have high hopes for him. The ACC may never have any great teams but the league still routinely supplies the third most pros so he was going against some pretty good talent.

:waitingfortheotherthreeratbirdfanstocheckin:

 

[fruity pebbles]

Know a lot of people are hoping Rice gets the goalline carries with Mcgahee moving on, but did the Ravens draft their new goalline back in Anthony Allen. Short yardage seems to be his specialty.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

When I read some of the "experts" who say that Ed Reed and Ray Lewis will help keep Jimmy Smith in line, I can't help but think of how much effect those two had on Chris McAlister and his problems.

Still, I like the Smith pick very very much if he's as good as advertised. They still need secondary help, even though I think Mattison did a tremendous job with that group he had back there last year. If you watched them close, they got better every game and were actually pretty decent by season's end.

Torrey Smith had a pretty good year with a mediocre QB situation so I also have high hopes for him. The ACC may never have any great teams but the league still routinely supplies the third most pros so he was going against some pretty good talent.

:waitingfortheotherthreeratbirdfanstocheckin:

What's up, GB?One of the Sun's beat writers mentioned the same thing you did about McAlister, saying that the Ravens "keep 'em in line clubhouse" is largely a myth. Reed, in particular, seems to me to be a guy who keeps to himself. So my hope is that Smith's issues were mostly due to being a kid (hell, he didn't do anything I didn't at that age). And, even though I thought he was overrated, if Smith turns out to be only as good as McAlister I'll be a happy camper.

Anyway, agree with you on last year's secondary improving as the season went on - and that was without Foxworth. The thinking seems to be that Carr - and Landry, who couldn't cover me - may be gone, so Smith panning out and Foxworth fully recovering is paramount. Especially if the Ravens don't generate more of a pass rush, but even having another 1/2 second of good coverage may be enough to get the job done. Seemed to me like the Ravens were thisclose to a sack several dozen times last year.

From all accounts I've seen, the Ravens have had another B+ to B- draft so kudos to Oz & DeCosta & crew. They really, REALLY need to start finding Ray Lewis' replacement though. He's not on the roster right now and picking where they have recently hasn't let them draft a stud LB.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Couple of early notes from Ravens TC:

1. OLB Sergio Kindle (2nd rounder in 2010 who didn't play at all last year because of a fractured skull) is on the field. Good to see, as he could really help the Ravens' pass rush.

2. Ngata is supposedly down to 325 lbs. I'm not sure that's entirely a good thing, but the Ravens are spinning it positively saying he's faster & stronger than before.

3. 3rd round OL Jah Reid (something like 6'7"/350) has impressed and is apprently a nasty individual on the field. When he was drafted, "raw" was the word I heard most often in describing him. If he pans out, I'd like to see him at LT and Oher back at RT.

4. Still nothing on resigning Mason, Heap, and Gregg (McGahee's history). I think all 3 are worth bringing back, provided the price is right.

5. Baltimore's only $4 million under the cap, so they're going to have to play the FA-on-the-cheap game.

6. 1st round CB Jimmy Smith should be signing today.

7. D Foxworth looks to be back to speed after a lost season.

 

[roadkill1292]

GB, the development of Reid could be crucial for this team's offensive success going forward. If he could earn a starting spot at OT (I agree with you about liking Oher better on the right side), then Yanda could move back to guard, where they might be a little soft right now with Ben Grubbs coming off a fairly serious injury. And I was intrigued by the Skins cutting Casey Rabach yesterday. He'd look good back in purple.

Nice influx of rookie talent when you count Kindle as essentially one of those.

I hope they have the luxury of bringing Jimmy Smith along slowly. They've got Foxworthy back and looking quick but Chris Carr is making noise about going elsewhere. He's not a Pro Bowler but a very useful kid and provides them with good depth.

Edit to note that I jumped the gun on the Smith signing. He's expected to sign today, though.

 

[roadkill1292]

Did anybody else when Jarrett Johnson laid out Hines?

As I noted in the game thread, I was very impressed with how quickly and effectively McKinnie settled in at LT yesterday. That let Oher shift back to RT and Yanda to guard, where I think he is at his best. I bet most of us were at least somewhat worried about the Oline and the job they did on the Stillers was very reassuring.

Kudos also to the entire defense. The pass rush hassled Ben and the secondary covered well. What used to be a liability is now gradually turning into an asset, especially once Jimmy Smith gets up to speed -- he could wind up the best of the bunch.

I'm still concerned about the effectiveness of the wideouts. Maybe it'll just take Lee Evans a while to get in sync with Joe. But Cam certainly dialed up some neat plays to take advantage of Dickson's and Pitta's skills and that bodes very well for the passing game this season.

And Ricky Williams appears to have some gas in the tank. I was surprised at his effectiveness and hope the "Cheech and Leach" backfield wears down opponents when they come in to spell the awesome Ray Rice.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

It almost looked like Cam was using Evans as a decoy, but maybe the coverage on him was just that good.

Dickson is going to be a matchup problem in every game he plays and it was great to see Joe throw the ball down the middle to him.

Cam sometimes gets a little too cute for my taste but his gameplan yesterday was great.

Oh, and the lick Johnson laid on Ward was beautiful.

 

[jurb26]

Did anybody else when Jarrett Johnson laid out Hines?

I know I did and I'm a Steeler fan. Hines has been taking cheap shots at people for 14 years. Payback is a real MF'r. I may be a Steeler fan but I certainly respect that physical intimidation on the Ravens part. That hit exemplified a lot of things from that day. The Ravens where more physical, better prepared, better coached and far more focused than the Steelers and it showed in every aspect of the game.

 

[Fat Nick]

It almost looked like Cam was using Evans as a decoy, but maybe the coverage on him was just that good.

Can anyone who watched the game comment more on this? I was driving and listening to the game in the car. Radio announcers don't typically comment on the coverage on non-targeted receivers. Was Evans just a decoy? Was he covered? What's the story here? Given the score, it's odd to me that he was blanked.

 

[roadkill1292]

It almost looked like Cam was using Evans as a decoy, but maybe the coverage on him was just that good.

Can anyone who watched the game comment more on this? I was driving and listening to the game in the car. Radio announcers don't typically comment on the coverage on non-targeted receivers. Was Evans just a decoy? Was he covered? What's the story here? Given the score, it's odd to me that he was blanked.

I remember 3 targets, somebody in the game thread said 4. On a couple of those, he was pretty well covered. He took a little while to get open in the end zone on one play and Flacco had already had to let it go and it sailed on by. That one was mostly timing. IMO, they want very much for him to become a big play threat so Boldin and Dickson/Pitta can work the underneath. But he's clearly not in synch with the rest of the offense yet. Seems like the typical problems that occur when a WR switches teams.

 

[The_Man]

Did anybody else when Jarrett Johnson laid out Hines?

As I noted in the game thread, I was very impressed with how quickly and effectively McKinnie settled in at LT yesterday. That let Oher shift back to RT and Yanda to guard, where I think he is at his best. I bet most of us were at least somewhat worried about the Oline and the job they did on the Stillers was very reassuring.

Kudos also to the entire defense. The pass rush hassled Ben and the secondary covered well. What used to be a liability is now gradually turning into an asset, especially once Jimmy Smith gets up to speed -- he could wind up the best of the bunch.

I'm still concerned about the effectiveness of the wideouts. Maybe it'll just take Lee Evans a while to get in sync with Joe. But Cam certainly dialed up some neat plays to take advantage of Dickson's and Pitta's skills and that bodes very well for the passing game this season.

And Ricky Williams appears to have some gas in the tank. I was surprised at his effectiveness and hope the "Cheech and Leach" backfield wears down opponents when they come in to spell the awesome Ray Rice.

Here's the
. I could watch that allll day. That being said, my favorite hit of the day was when Ngata crumpled Mendenhall. That was crushing.Great points about the O line. I hated Yanda at Tackle last year. It made the O line weaker at 3 spots - Oher was weaker at LT than RT, Yanda was weaker at RT than Oher would have been, and Chester was weaker at RG than Yanda. I love Yanda at RG (did you see him destroy Smith on Rice's 1-yard TD run?) and McKinnie was a revelation. If this line can stay healthy in this configuration, they are going to be nasty. To me, a big part of Flacco's success was finally having a little time.

Worried about Jimmy Smith's injury - if that's high-ankle sprain, it could be trouble. Cary Williams played very well at CB, but whoever was on Wallace (Foxworth, Carr, or Webb) was obviously scared of his speed and gave too much cushion. Some of that probably came from being up by 14+ points, but still - they need that outside speed from Smith.

Loved seeing Reed getting 2 INTs by staying home and playing centerfield. Too often he gets out of position going for the huge play and gets burned. When he lets the game come to him - like yesterday - he's so much more effective. Ngata and Suggs were unstoppable. I hope Suggs can play like he plays vs. the Steelers for 16 weeks. Not sure why he disappears sometimes vs. other teams.

Wonder if we'll eventually see some 3 WR sets. Not much (if any) of that yesterday). On a Steelers note, I heard Polamalu's name 3 times yesterday. When Dickson beat him for a TD, when he got flagged for the horse collar, and when he pushed Rice backward over the pile and touched off that big brawl.

 

[The_Man]

Nice quote from a Yahoo Sports story:

“That guy Chuckie Pagano, man, he’s as smart as he is ruthless,” Suggs said. “I guarantee he’ll only be our defensive coordinator one year, because he’ll be a head coach somewhere next year.”

The last time I heard Suggs praise a coach like that, he was talking about Rex Ryan, who was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator before he became the Jets’ head coach in 2009. I asked him to compare the two coaches’ styles.

“Rex’s thing is, ‘I’m gonna kill you as many times as I can,’ ” Suggs replied. “Chuck’s unorthodox. In terms of his coaching personality, I’d describe it like this: He’s like The Joker. You never really expect what he’s gonna do, and everything has a motive. He’s like, ‘I’m just gonna set you up on this call so I can get you later.’ ”

For example, Suggs said the play late in the first quarter on which he feigned an outside rush before delaying, knifing up the middle and dislodging the ball from Roethlisberger (with Ngata recovering at the Steelers’ 37) was the product of Pagano’s earlier maneuvering: “It was lag, lag, lag and then BAM. We knew where they were gonna slide, and they definitely weren’t expecting that.”

Most telling of all was the way Pagano, and his players, reacted to the one gut-check moment that occurred on Sunday. Four-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter, on third-and-goal from the 11, Roethlisberger connected with Emmanuel Sanders(notes) on a scoring pass that completed a 78-yard drive, cut Baltimore’s lead to 14-7 and had everyone in the stadium wondering if the Ravens were about to blow another lead.

As Suggs is aware, “In these games we always play good and tough against them, but they always find some way to make a play, get back in it and get us in the end.”

Following Roethlisberger’s touchdown, Suggs and his defensive teammates returned to the bench area to find their new coordinator pummeling himself for his passivity.

“It was the one time he questioned himself all day,” Suggs said of Pagano. “He called coverage instead of pressure, and when we came to the sidelines he said, ‘You know what, guys? [Expletive] me. This one’s on me. I’m not doing that anymore. I’m gonna go after him.’

“We said, ‘No, that’s on us.’ It wasn’t the call; we just didn’t execute.”

I'm not as hyper as some Ravens fans and even I was a little miffed when they went with the patented Old Man Mattison 3-man rush on this play and gave up the TD. For better and for worse, the Ravens should just pressure, pressure, pressure, and figure that good things will happen more often than bad. What's the worst thing that could happen? They gave up the TD playing conservative, so why not just go for it.

 

[roadkill1292]

How many times have you heard or read the word "letdown" this week?

It's natural to be a little worried about today's game; they were obviously sky-high for Pittsburgh and there is enduring bad blood with the Titans, who probably feel it a little more on their side. They've suffered some painful losses to Baltimore this past decade.

But do you how many losses Harbaugh has had in 3 years to teams who finished with a worse record? One (the Bengals last year). The other 16 losses were to teams who finished with the same or better record than they did. Harbaugh has his shortcomings as a coach, like anyone else, but he gets them to play hard every week, no matter who lines up opposite.

Edit: Crap, I didn't mean that to sound so overconfident. Anything can happen in the damned old NFL.

 

[James Daulton]

How many times have you heard or read the word "letdown" this week? It's natural to be a little worried about today's game; they were obviously sky-high for Pittsburgh and there is enduring bad blood with the Titans, who probably feel it a little more on their side. They've suffered some painful losses to Baltimore this past decade. But do you how many losses Harbaugh has had in 3 years to teams who finished with a worse record? One (the Bengals last year). The other 16 losses were to teams who finished with the same or better record than they did. Harbaugh has his shortcomings as a coach, like anyone else, but he gets them to play hard every week, no matter who lines up opposite.Edit: Crap, I didn't mean that to sound so overconfident. Anything can happen in the damned old NFL.

This game will go a long way toward showing how good the ravens are. A really good team would build on last weeks beatdown by taking it to Tenn early and often. Also, I wouldn't worry about Lee Evans. He was open where Flacco through him the ball, it looked like he just ran a couple of yards to far before looking for the ball. He's going to make some big plays downfield this year and we have already seen what his impact is on the underneath stuff to Boldin and the TEs. As the season goes on, I'm thinking we'll see more of the other rookie WR from Maryland Laquon Williams.

 

[roadkill1292]

Goodness gracious, of all the things they did badly yesterday, it was the inability of the receivers to get any separation that disturbed me the most. The Titans pass rush was pretty good, not great, but too many times Joe was looking all over the place for somebody open and couldn't find anybody.

Baltimore also didn't generate any kind of pressure of their own and I was a little surprised that Pagano didn't dial up more blitzing with Hasselbeck looking positively Peyton-esque in his accuracy. He hit a lot of passes through some pretty narrow windows and I wasn't expecting that.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Baltimore got Ngata signed, which I guess everyone thought was a foregone conclusion but it went to the last day. 5 years/$61mm. He was the player they HAD to lock up at any price, since I don't mind spending Bisciotti's money. The Ravens may have more immediate concerns, but I'm glad this got done.

 

[roadkill1292]

Goodness, what do we make of last night? So much good, so much ugliness. Starting with the Jets' woes when Mangold was unavailable, it seemed like every break in the game and every call went the Ratbirds' way. Yet the offensive difficulties helped to keep them from putting a foot firmly on the Jets' throat until the very end.

I guess my biggest concerns are the same ones I had in the loss to the Titans (who don't look so bad now, btw): receivers unable to get separation and sloppy Oline play. They'll need to get both problems straightened out during the bye week before what could be a pretty important game at M&T against the Texans, who thoroughly outplayed the Stillers yesterday.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Man, what a flukey game. It reminded me of some they had during the 2000 season (especially against the Titans). Right now, I'm leaning towards chalking up the O's bad performance to them playing a desparate but good Jets D and forgetting about it. If I try to think on it too much, my head might explode.

Anyway, 3-1 heading into the bye with no major injuries (other than those carried over from the preseason). They've got wins against two of their biggest conference rivals and, as roady says, the game against the Texans is another with possible playoffs implications.

Random stuff:

I've run out of superlatives for Ngata. That dude is a wrecking machine.

I think I'd throw to Ray Rice 10+ times a game. He's uncoverable out there. He's also become very good at picking up the blitz.

Getting home playoff game(s) is imperative for this team, I think - which is a big reason why the Houston game is going to be so big.

 

[roadkill1292]

Man, what a flukey game. It reminded me of some they had during the 2000 season (especially against the Titans). Right now, I'm leaning towards chalking up the O's bad performance to them playing a desparate but good Jets D and forgetting about it. If I try to think on it too much, my head might explode.

Anyway, 3-1 heading into the bye with no major injuries (other than those carried over from the preseason). They've got wins against two of their biggest conference rivals and, as roady says, the game against the Texans is another with possible playoffs implications.

Random stuff:

I've run out of superlatives for Ngata. That dude is a wrecking machine.

I think I'd throw to Ray Rice 10+ times a game. He's uncoverable out there. He's also become very good at picking up the blitz.

Getting home playoff game(s) is imperative for this team, I think - which is a big reason why the Houston game is going to be so big.

He made the best catch of the night on that crossing route that went for big yards. Ride that little guy for all he's worth.I thought I heard Michaels and Collinsworth say last night that the Ravens and Jets were a combined 8-5 in their last 13 combined playoff games -- without having had a home game between them. But I also believe this is crucial for them. They do not want to have to go to Foxboro or some such place with a Super Bowl berth on the line; they want to be right here in Crabtown with 70,000 drunks bellowing for them instead of against them. (this all assumes they can get to that point, of course)

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Man, what a flukey game. It reminded me of some they had during the 2000 season (especially against the Titans). Right now, I'm leaning towards chalking up the O's bad performance to them playing a desparate but good Jets D and forgetting about it. If I try to think on it too much, my head might explode.

Anyway, 3-1 heading into the bye with no major injuries (other than those carried over from the preseason). They've got wins against two of their biggest conference rivals and, as roady says, the game against the Texans is another with possible playoffs implications.

Random stuff:

I've run out of superlatives for Ngata. That dude is a wrecking machine.

I think I'd throw to Ray Rice 10+ times a game. He's uncoverable out there. He's also become very good at picking up the blitz.

Getting home playoff game(s) is imperative for this team, I think - which is a big reason why the Houston game is going to be so big.

He made the best catch of the night on that crossing route that went for big yards. Ride that little guy for all he's worth.I thought I heard Michaels and Collinsworth say last night that the Ravens and Jets were a combined 8-5 in their last 13 combined playoff games -- without having had a home game between them. But I also believe this is crucial for them. They do not want to have to go to Foxboro or some such place with a Super Bowl berth on the line; they want to be right here in Crabtown with 70,000 drunks bellowing for them instead of against them. (this all assumes they can get to that point, of course)

Having to go to Foxboro or (God forbid) Pittsburgh are the two that scare me the most. This thing is setting up for them to grab homefield throughout, with the obvious caveat that there are a dozen games left and anything can happen. I noticed Preston graded the O line ungoodly again this week. Sounds like from your comments that you agree. He also singled out Oher (again). That bothers me because I thought he played pretty well over a RT before they moved him.

 

[The_Man]

I'll need to watch the broadcast of the game to have any really worthwhile thoughts, but the only big negative I took away from the game was the playcalling once the Ravens were up big. Why in the world did they continue throwing like that? Reminded me of the playoff loss in Pittsburgh last year, except that the Steelers were at least stopping the run. Once again, the only thing stopping the Ravens' running game last night was Cam Cameron. Related to that is how Flacco and the WRs continue to struggle when the opponent doesn't blitz. If you drop 7 or 8 men into coverage and create small windows, Flacco is really poor. I'd be interested to see his QB rating vs. the blitz, compared to what it is against a 3-man and 4-man rush. It would help if Dickson could catch. I am starting to think Pitta should be getting more of Dickson's looks.

On the defensive side, I have nothing but superlatives. Agree with the above comment about Ngata - is he maybe the leader for Defensive Player of the Year at the quarter mark? On the Sanchez "fumble" he caused, he just tossed Ferguson aside with one arm like a rag doll. And remember how in his prime, Ray made any ILB next to him look like an All-Star? (Hello, Ed Hartwell) I feel like that's what Ngata is doing now with Cody and Redding (and maybe did for Kelly Gregg over the last couple of years). And Suggs is in his absolute prime right now - his pass rushing is the best it's ever been and he is doing great against the run. The pressure was the deciding factor in covering up for our banged-up secondary, who also played well.

Houston will be a huge test for this team, particularly if Andre Johnson is playing. Kenny Britt is no AJ and he carved these guys up.

Let's hope for some healing during the Bye week - Jimmy Smith, Carr, and Grubbs especially. Torrey Smith is making me forget about Lee Evans.

 

[James Daulton]

The more I watch this team, the more I see receivers not getting seperation. I do think that Flacco has been streaky this year, but he has made some beautiful throws into tight windows. What I never see, except for Torry Smith on deep balls, is our receiver running open with a step on the defender. It seems to me that opposing D's sit on our routes. Is Cam's playbook to vanilla?

 

[roadkill1292]

Idly thinking this morning that the Ravens are getting all the schedule breaks this year and that they'd better take the most advantage of them that they can. Houston's coming into town with no A. Johnson, Indy will be here later on with (probably) no Peyton, who they never beat. The best team in the NFC West on their schedule, SF, comes to Baltimore (for a delicious Harbaugh showdown). The Stillers are having trouble keeping Ben from getting killed.

Tough road games include San Diego, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland (those last two because they're division games and hate the Ratbirds). If they can maintain the Harbaugh-induced trait of beating the teams they're "supposed" to and keep from crapping the bed more than once down the line, they've got a real shot at the No. 2 seed and a first round bye, something they just haven't had in the recent past. And if they don't, then they should be disappointed because it won't be lined up for them again like this for a long time.

 

[The_Man]

From the time the schedule came out, I've been looking at this Jets-Texans double header as key to the season. Split (like I thought they would) and you're looking at 10-6 or 11-5 and a fight for the division crown. Get swept and you're 9-7 or 10-6, in a Wild Card dogfight, having lost head-to-head to two other Wild Card contenders. Sweep them, and suddenly you're thinking 12-4 or 13-3 with a chance at a bye.

There's no question the Ravens schedule sets up nicely from here:

Houston

@ Jax

AZ

@ Pittsburgh

I figure they lose at Pittsburgh. So the Houston game is the difference between 6-2 or 5-3 at the midway point

@Sea

Cincy

SF

@ Cle

Getting SF on a short week is huge. Good luck to the 49ers getting ready to play that game when they've got to fly across-country on Wednesday. 4-0 is very possible here (10-2 or 9-3)

Indy

@SD

Cle

@ Cincy

Give them a loss to the Chargers, but the other games look very winnable to me. That gets the Ravens to 13-3 or 12-4. You have to figure they lose one more divisional game, considering the fits that Marvin's defenses always give Flacco. So beating the Texans enables the Ravens to lose at Pittsburgh, lose another divisional game, and lose at San Diego and still go 12-4. Right now, I think the Ravens are favored in all their remaining games, except on the road at Pittsburgh and San Diego.

 

[roadkill1292]

I wonder if the Cincy jinx holds true this year with no Carson Palmer to contend with. It seemed like he always saved his best for Baltimore. And you have to wonder if the rookie QB, even if he's playing well, is up for the Pagano defense if it comes in sharp.

Four of the last seven are against Cleveland and Cincinnati. It would be very helpful if those teams had nothing important to play for by that point in the season.

Philip Rivers, however, is going to throw for 400 yards against them out there.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Bump for game day. Seems like forever since the Ravens have played (probably because their game before the bye was a night game and my old ### didn't stay up to watch).

As my GBs have said above, this Jets/Texans stretch is huge. Baltimore has lucked out with no AJ (who would've gotten 200 yds if he had played) and no Mario Williams. They've got zero excuse for losing this game. They're mostly healthy (no Evans, but that ain't a shock), should be rested, and are at home.

One guy who's quietly having a good year is Mount Cody. Ngata - rightfully - gets tons of ink but Cody is doing some good things in the middle and is starting to outplay his draft position (though he really should have been a 1st rounder if he wasn't so fat coming out, according to many experts).

Memo to Cam: don't go Mad Scientist today.

 

[James Daulton]

Bump for game day. Seems like forever since the Ravens have played (probably because their game before the bye was a night game and my old ### didn't stay up to watch).As my GBs have said above, this Jets/Texans stretch is huge. Baltimore has lucked out with no AJ (who would've gotten 200 yds if he had played) and no Mario Williams. They've got zero excuse for losing this game. They're mostly healthy (no Evans, but that ain't a shock), should be rested, and are at home.One guy who's quietly having a good year is Mount Cody. Ngata - rightfully - gets tons of ink but Cody is doing some good things in the middle and is starting to outplay his draft position (though he really should have been a 1st rounder if he wasn't so fat coming out, according to many experts).Memo to Cam: don't go Mad Scientist today.

I think Flacco gets his head back on straight this week.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Bump for game day. Seems like forever since the Ravens have played (probably because their game before the bye was a night game and my old ### didn't stay up to watch).As my GBs have said above, this Jets/Texans stretch is huge. Baltimore has lucked out with no AJ (who would've gotten 200 yds if he had played) and no Mario Williams. They've got zero excuse for losing this game. They're mostly healthy (no Evans, but that ain't a shock), should be rested, and are at home.One guy who's quietly having a good year is Mount Cody. Ngata - rightfully - gets tons of ink but Cody is doing some good things in the middle and is starting to outplay his draft position (though he really should have been a 1st rounder if he wasn't so fat coming out, according to many experts).Memo to Cam: don't go Mad Scientist today.

I think Flacco gets his head back on straight this week.

I hope so, JD. I can't figure him out - he's inconsistently inconsistent. There doesn't, to my eyes, seem to be any rhyme or reason to when he plays well and when it looks like he's been doing bong hits with Michael Phelps.

 

[roadkill1292]

Good call on Cody, gb Uruk. I think his ability to hold ground in the middle has freed up Ngata to rock and roll, which makes him a fearsome weapon for that defense.

This is the kind of game they must win if they're gonna have any chance of winning the division and getting a bye and/or first round home game. Pittsburgh is not gonna take their foot off the pedal and will be right there all year to take advantage of any slipups.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Good call on Cody, gb Uruk. I think his ability to hold ground in the middle has freed up Ngata to rock and roll, which makes him a fearsome weapon for that defense.

This is the kind of game they must win if they're gonna have any chance of winning the division and getting a bye and/or first round home game. Pittsburgh is not gonna take their foot off the pedal and will be right there all year to take advantage of any slipups.

Merry Game Day, gb. Agreed on all points. They can't ask for a better set-up to take control of the conference so, unless they get hit with a rash of injuries, it's all there for the taking. How did Kindle look against the Jets? I didn't see any stats on him.

 

[The_Man]

Aside from a couple of horrific offensive possessions at the start of the second quarter (3-and-out, 3-and-lost fumble) and some weak red zone offense, I was very impressed with the game yesterday.

Most impressive was the way that Pagano changed the game plan on the fly. Without AJohnson, and in the week of the beating that Oakland put on Schaub last week, the Texans came out with the same gameplan the Titans used - quick drops by the QB, quick hitters in the middle to take advantage of our poor ILB pass coverage - and were having success. So Pagano stopped blitzing, brought in a third safety in a lot of nickel packages, and the D was tremendous after the first Houston possession of the second half.

Also impressive was the clinching drive. Great running, set up great play-action, and the Ravens iced the game. Torrey Smith had a couple of huge catches, included the 19-yarder on 3rd-and-12. I really, really liked this play, because it wasn't just him sprinting downfield for a bomb. Instead he ran an inside route, found a hole in the zone and sat down in it to make a huge catch.

Kicking game was also a weapon with 7 (!) touchbacks.

Gurrode was terrible on the inside. We need Grubbs back. And I thought Oher really struggled - he usually plays well at home, but he was struggling with that speed rush off the short side. We could also use Jimmy Smith. Webb was clearly targeted and had very few passes defended. The reason he had so many tackles was because he gave up so many catches.

I am really liking the way this season is setting up. Am I crazy to be looking at 12-4 as a quasi-worst case scenario now? That would mean losses at Pittsburgh and San Diego (which are both winnable games) and one other loss along the way.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am really liking the way this season is setting up. Am I crazy to be looking at 12-4 as a quasi-worst case scenario now? That would mean losses at Pittsburgh and San Diego (which are both winnable games) and one other loss along the way.

I think that's reasonable, TM. I've got them pegged for at least one loss in the Cle/Cincy games. SF could be tough, too.

 

[roadkill1292]

Gurode and McKinnie did indeed have some blown assignments in the first half and I was glad they got them straightened out before they got Joe killed. Yes, Ben Grubbs is needed. I think he's pretty good.

Good analysis on the play calling adjustments (The_Man, that is), I felt that Boldin would have a good day and he did but there was judicious use of all the receivers. You have to feel a little bit for a shorthanded Texans squad; they kind of got worn down at the end and didn't get any big breaks go their way.

The schedule is indeed set up for 12-4 or even 13-3. But this team still hasn't done anything to convince me that there won't be an unexpected bed-crapping somewhere along the line. Cincy? Cleveland? I don't know, maybe I'm still not over how badly they were outplayed in Nashville and how they still go extended periods with their offense unable to generate anything. So it kinda makes it all the more important that they take advantage of the setup this year because it won't be aligned for them like this again for a while.

 

[The_Man]

I am really liking the way this season is setting up. Am I crazy to be looking at 12-4 as a quasi-worst case scenario now? That would mean losses at Pittsburgh and San Diego (which are both winnable games) and one other loss along the way.

I think that's reasonable, TM. I've got them pegged for at least one loss in the Cle/Cincy games. SF could be tough, too.

Ravens get a huge break with the schedule vs. SF. How can the NFL expect a team to cross the country to play a Thursday night game?The defense is playing really, really well right now, without what I consider its two best cornerbacks (though I like Carr in the slot, not on the outside). It will also be interesting to see Boldin, Smith and Evans in a 3 WR set. They had the other Maryland rookie (Williams?) in there a couple of times, but it didn't seem like Flacco considered him an option. The one time he threw the ball that way, the guy clearly didn't make the right adjustment and the ball went sailing by, followed by Flacco giving him a dirty look.

 

[The_Man]

Just a bump to get ready for MNF - though I think maybe we should change the name of the thread from ***Official Ravens Thread*** to ***Thread Where Uruk-Hai, Roadkill and The_Man Talk Quietly Amongst Themselves***

The longer this season goes, the more I look back to that Week 2 debacle at Tennessee as one of the season's more inexplicable results. I think the Ravens really must have proclaimed themselves Champions of the World after crushing Pittsburgh in Week 1 and done nothing to prepare. Either that, or Kenny Britt is just that vital to the Titans' success and they're not the same team without him.

As is the case whenever they take on an inexperienced QB, I think this game sets up very well for the Ravens. They should be able to control MJD on the ground and I am always impressed by how well Baltimore defends the screen pass. My one concern will be not on passes to MJD on the perimeter, but if the Jags can get him matched up on our ILBs who (Ray included) are pretty slow and a little lost in pass coverage.

I'm also really looking forward to seeing a little Jimmy Smith. I think Webb is a strong slot CB - very effective at blitzing and decent in pass coverage on the inside - but struggles outside. I'd love to see them ease Smith in as the nickel CB, putting him outside and sliding Webb inside in those situations. I'm hoping for some better protection for Flacco. And I'm also very interested to see the continued progression of Torrey Smith. In addition to getting open on another streak route last week, he had that huge 19-yard catch on 3rd-and-12 during the game-clinching drive. I'd like to see him continue to make plays like that and not just sprint straight down the field at full speed every play.

With a win tonight, there's only a home 1 p.m. game vs. AZ between the Ravens going into Pittsburgh with a 6-1 record. Still not sure why this great rivalry is going to be done for the season (well, the regular season, anyway) by Nov. 6.

 

[roadkill1292]

Really, are we all that's here? Ah well, at least I'm keeping good company.

Good post as usual from The_Man. I wonder if some more two-TE sets are in order for this team until Lee Evans is ready to contribute? They're basically running a one receiver offense and while you may get away with that against the schedule they've played so far, it will become a big liability against the more balanced teams they're likely to meet in the playoffs.

Concur with the defensive analysis, anxious to see Jimmy Smith in there playing against the league's elite WRs on the outside. Concerned about the other ILB spot as well, all I ever see from that position is someone making no plays.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I'm a tad more concerned about tonight's game, mainly because it's on the road and Jax actually played Pittsburgh well (& probably should've won the game). In any case, there's really no excuse to lose the game: bad team, check; rookie QB, check; tons for the Ravens to play for, check; not a huge homefield advantage for the opponent, check.

I, too, want to see Jimmy Smith. The CBs who have played have done surprisingly well, IMO, but I feel like they're playing on rotten ice.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Meant to ask: what's going on with Foxworth & Carr? The friggin Sun says I'm over my free page loads for the month (they're going subscription and I ain't buying) so I'm out of the loop a bit.

 

[The_Man]

Foxworth is done for the year - they put him on IR a couple of weeks ago. He just wasn't recovering from the ACL surgery.

Carr is still nursing his hamstring. I think they rushed him back before and he re-aggravated it, so now they're keeping him out as long as it takes until he's 100 percent. At the same time, I think Harbaugh is a little frustrated with how long it's taking to get to 100 percent - same for Evans, and with Grubbs (though to a lesser extent - they seem to think he's more injured than the other two).

Here's a tip for beating the Sun's paywall. As soon as the green thing pops up to block the screen, X it out, then hit Escape. You'll get directed to the home page. Just hit back on your browser, then hit Escape again as soon as you get taken back to the page you want. The green thing doesn't pop up again.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Foxworth is done for the year - they put him on IR a couple of weeks ago. He just wasn't recovering from the ACL surgery.Carr is still nursing his hamstring. I think they rushed him back before and he re-aggravated it, so now they're keeping him out as long as it takes until he's 100 percent. At the same time, I think Harbaugh is a little frustrated with how long it's taking to get to 100 percent - same for Evans, and with Grubbs (though to a lesser extent - they seem to think he's more injured than the other two).Here's a tip for beating the Sun's paywall. As soon as the green thing pops up to block the screen, X it out, then hit Escape. You'll get directed to the home page. Just hit back on your browser, then hit Escape again as soon as you get taken back to the page you want. The green thing doesn't pop up again.

Thanks for the tip, T_M.While I want Evans to get healthy - the more weapons, the merrier - I like the fact that Torrey Smith is getting a lot of field-time that he wouldn't get otherwise. He's still making mistakes but he looks far more comforatable now than his deer-in-the-headlights preseason self.Grubbs definitely needs to get well. What's-his-name is a turnstile in his spot. I also want to see Flacco get his completion % up (duh). I'm trying to decide if it's him or if Cam is calling an abundance of low % plays (probably both) but, in any event, sub-50% is way too low.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

WTF was that?

I didn't watch the game, but it appears they were completely inept on offense.

 

[roadkill1292]

WTF was that?

I didn't watch the game, but it appears they were completely inept on offense.

Epic bedcrapping. I expected one against the Bengals or Browns but in retrospect, the Ratbirds should have been equally wary of a Jacksonville team that played Pittsburgh very tough.I think they've done themselves incalculable harm with last night's loss. With the Stillers playing virtually the same "easy" schedule that they are, it will take a really good record to win the division and get that first round bye. While Pittsburgh has problems of its own, who among us would be surprised if they take care of business the rest of the way, including a revenge win up there in a couple of weeks? Then the big Week 1 win will have been completely flushed away and it's back to going on the road against better teams in the playoffs.

All of which assumes, of course, that they can get these offensive problems straightened out enough to even get to the playoffs. Looks to me like the Jags took a page from Tennessee's defensive playbook and decided to jam jam jam the receivers, confident that they could cover 'em.

Ugh.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Why do they only run Rice 8 times in a one-two score game? So he fumbled twice, so what? Are they going to cut him now?

There's no better way to play into a supposedly inferior oppenent's hands than to keep handing them the ball after 47 3-and-outs. There is no way in hell Flacco should throw 38 times in this game (for a stellar 3.6 ypa; Jeez, those are Boller #s). If you want to put Rice in the doghouse then run Ricky 20 times.

 

[The_Man]

What a debacle. It was truly laughable. Rice got 3 carries in the first half. Cameron is the only person in the NFL who can shut him down. And time after time he was so late getting the play in that they were breaking the huddle with less than 10 seconds on the play clock. Once they had to burn a timeout on third down because of all the players he had shuttling in and out late, and another time they got the snap off but they weren't ready and it was a total disaster leading to a punt.

Del Rio took a page right out of Marvin's defensive playbook on shutting down Flacco. Four-man rush, press coverage on the WRs, keep the Safeties deep and force Flacco to make throws into tight windows. I just don't understand why more teams don't do it. Based on last night, we will battle to get a split with the Bengals.

Defense played great, but this was like a night out of the bad old days, when the D actually had to score to have a chance to win.

This time is great at home, but really stinks on the road.

 

[roadkill1292]

Since I understand that this team is offensively challenged at times, I didn't get mad last night at their ineptitude. But I did say very bad words out loud when Cam couldn't get the effing plays called in time. When they're struggling like that, not even being able to get the play called is the last thing they need.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Since I understand that this team is offensively challenged at times, I didn't get mad last night at their ineptitude. But I did say very bad words out loud when Cam couldn't get the effing plays called in time. When they're struggling like that, not even being able to get the play called is the last thing they need.

That's inexcusable and extremely worrisome. This isn't a new offense with new players/coaches.How was the O line last night? Usual-bad or even worse?

 

[roadkill1292]

Since I understand that this team is offensively challenged at times, I didn't get mad last night at their ineptitude. But I did say very bad words out loud when Cam couldn't get the effing plays called in time. When they're struggling like that, not even being able to get the play called is the last thing they need.

That's inexcusable and extremely worrisome. This isn't a new offense with new players/coaches.How was the O line last night? Usual-bad or even worse?

False starts, holding penalties, no holes for Rice, bad blitz pickups. This must be what it's like to be a Pittsburgh fan, always wondering if your QB is gonna get up from the last huge hit.

 

[The_Man]

Yanda and Birk were o.k. and everyone else was horrific. On one play, right before the half, the Ravens ran a draw on third-and-long from their own end. It looked like it was going to bust open for one second, with McKinnie and Gurode 5 yards downfield, right in front of Rice, with two Jags in their path. Inexplicably, McKinnie swerved to the right - toward Gurode's man - but missed him and left his own man unblocked. Meanwhile Gurode stepped out of McKinnie's way and also didn't block the ILB who then stepped up and tackled Rice. It was inexplicable - two O Linemen, five yards downfield on a running play, blocking nobody and literally just standing there as the RB is taken down.