tsylvester

Yes, every year our favorite team gets a chance to get away, refresh, unwind, heal up. Every year we have to find other things to do, hope the team is healing up, staying out of trouble. So what do we, fans do? Maybe a look at where this team stands, 9-3, at their bye week. What went into the 9 wins and 3 loses, what can we expect the rest of the way. Mistakes,(9 fumbles lost, 5 ints) too many of them, went into the 3 loses. In each game, the team had the lead, in the 4th quarter too boot, and yet, they allowed turnovers, penalties, missed assignments, poor coaching decisions to turn leads into deficits. Blocked, missed field goals.... Yes, with just one less turnover, a smart play, a clever coaching choice, those loses could be wins. As it stands, offensively we have seen them score touchdowns more in the redzone than at any time before. They are 7th in the league in total offense, averaging 366 yards per game, 207 passing, 157 rushing. At times, this unit can move down the field quickly and once in the redzone, 64 % of the time they put it in the endz9ne, good for 3rd best in the league. Then there are times when they can't get out of their own way, a few series of missed blocks, drop passes, errant throw, poor play calling, penalties. Yes, it is maddening at times. Defensively, they stout, 2nd in the league in total defense, allowing just 273 yards per game,102 yards on the ground, 171 via rhe air, first in sacks with 47, 10th in total take aways with 19. Yet like the offense, this defense has had lapses that lead to the 3 loses, missed tackles, blown coverages, leads vanishing. Yes, a top 10 team in offense and defense, which leads to them having 9 wins in 12 tries; impressive as they sit atop the AFC North and the AFC as well. Where they go from here is anyone's guess. They have been here before, not too long ago, first round bye, then a disappointing loss by lack luster play. Have they learned their lesson? Stay tuned, buckle up it could be a bumpy, fun ride.

Stanley is clearly a liability right now. Moses I think is suffering because of Simpson, who is struggling. I wish they would put Merkari in there for Simpson. But the defense is going to be tested coming up quickly, their 15 pts per game is going to go up me thinks. I do think the offense is going to out things together. Todd has seen now exactly what works, what Lamar and the receivers are best at and hopefully got those stupid wr screens out of his system. Likely had his best game as a pro, ran hard, ran fast (stop leaping) But if they can use him down the middle of the field, the seam splitting the safeties, no one will catch him. We have found a great bevy of runningbacks, speed, quickness, power; that is a great thing.

The most incredible fact; he is the first coach since the merger in 1970, to be fired in back to back seasons. 1-10, in disarray, no first round pick next year. I remember Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman going 1- a large number in their first season. How did that turn out? I'm not saying Frank was the right choice for coach, nor that Young is a Hall of Fame qb in the making. But....

I think the bye came at just the right time, 9-3, could realistically be 12-0, seriously. 3 loses because players and coaches lost focuse, either in preparation or in execution. Let us hope that they rest up, heal up, realize just how good they can be if focused

Aaaaaand another thing, smart resume recording stinks when using it for a football game. It never takes you to the end of commercial breaks when fast forwarding. Idiots

Well, a win is a win, right? Create 4 turnovers and only scored 20 points, 7 of those in the final minute? 197 yards rushing looks impressive, except 37 of those came on one play, in the final minute of the game. Some lucky non calls that could have changed the game, certainly the score. 4 for 13 on 3rd down? 1 of 3 on 4th down..... Tucker, 2 of 3 on field goals,,,, again! Lamar, 56% complete, No, the Chargers defense did not play better than we expected, the Ravens offense did just just enough to win... How do you get a delay of game penalty on the extra point? That should have been a big red flag that this team just was not completely focussed. A win is a win, right?

I want to see them exploit the seam pattern. When ever the Chargers go to zone with split safeties, the seam is going to be wide open with the tight end, use it early, use it often.

True, but there comes a time when you have to prove that you belong named as one of the best teams in the league. This is that time

Obj is questionable, Simpson and Harrison are out, other than that everyone else is healthy including Stanley. Special teams have been an issue all season, a couple of blocked field goals, a few big returns, don't get me started on the fair catch nor the onside kick... One way for a bad team to best a good one is via Special teams, the other, turnovers. The only reason that this game should be close is because it has not started yet....

Eh, pay wall, can't read it. I hope they talked about his inability to throw the long ball accurately. Sure, 20 yards and in he seems to be fine, but deeper throws he is way off target most times. He doesn't seem to have developed the touch pass to drop it in a bucket over a backer in front of the safety without it being high... time will tell

Not sure what planet I'm on, but I just realized that it is a night game, oy, dvr another gane. Least I get to skip all of the commercials

Boss will miss this game, thankfully, sprained foot, but they will still have to deal with Mack.

Yes, another long trip, to the left coast this time. If you have followed the NFL for a while, you know that as a franchise, no matter the coach or quarterback, more times than not, the Chargers find more creative ways to lose football games. This year's version is no different. So, who are they? What are they good at besides losing? Offensively, they rank 11th in the league in total offense, averaging. 354 yards per game, 248 yards via the air, 105 on the ground, 25 pts per game. Herbert, while a pocket passer, is completing. 66% of his passes, with 19 tds and 5 picks, he has been sacked 22 times. He can avoid sacks quite nimbly, and runs well with 186 yards rushing, with 3 tds and 15 first downs. His favorite targets are big guys who run well and are precise route runners in Mike Williams & Keenan Allen, they also use Ekler out of the backfield quite often. Defensively, they are holding opponents to an average of 23 ots per game, 35% on 3rd downs, 291 yards per game through the air, with 34 sacks, 102 yards per game on the ground with 12 tds. This is a game the Ravens really need to win, and should win easily. The last time these two teams met in 2021, in Bmore, it was a whooping, with the Ravens winning 34-6. Should we expect the same? The defense needs to prove it can hold up for 4 quarters, not give up multiple touchdowns in the 4th. The offense needs to prove it can be taken on the road and produce for 4 quarters, not turn the ball over in the 4fh quarter. Let your weak opponent hang around they will find ways to win, even this desperate Chargers team who saw their game last Sunday slip through their fingers. Everyone over there is on the hot seat, take it to them and dont spare the rod.

From Espn not that Harbs has been right about injuries... he thinks Andrews could be back "My understanding is in talking with our trainer and the doctors is that it wasn't as bad as initially feared right after the game," Harbaugh said. "It's a little cleaner than they thought based on the MRI." Harbaugh said Andrews is currently with Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the team will know more when he returns later in the week

Goose was playing to the crowd, as he often did. He was not truly trying to hurt Gannon, he just landed on him because he could nothing else.

Big difference between a pass rusher sacking a qb at full speed and having to try to pull a 350 body away than a 245 LB just needing to move his legs to the side. Nice try Ole buddy

Hopefully in this short bye week not only is the defense getting some rest, but also studying how to keep the edge. Teams have been killing them running on the edge, usually to the defense's left. Fix that, fix staying in your rush lane against mobile quarterbacks, and while this team is leading the league in sacks, if there was a Stat for missed sacks, they might be leading there as well. So relearn how to sack a qb, how to wrap up

The tackle that seals his angry, intent to injure is the one on Obj. To use a term from an idiot ref who is now retired, he tackles with malice in his heart. He didn't just tackle Obj, he drove him to the ground and made sure his body was fully on top of Obj. There are a number of ways to tackle someone, most are lower in % of injury risk. The way he tackles, 90% risk of injury.

I'm no doctor, though I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express, but the hit Clowney put on Burrow did not cause a tear in Burrow's wrist ligament UNLESS, it was already strained. Which, would explain the wrist splint. The NFL is investigating, a fine, maybe a pick as well if they "find" something. Yeah, qbs dropping, but not from illegal hits, not from excessive hits either. It is just one of those years.

A cracked fib and damage to the ligament as part of Mark's injury, ouch https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/mark-andrews-injury-update-ravens-te-suffered-cracked-fibula-damage-to-ankle-ligament-per-report/

Burrow out for season, torn ligament in wrist, per Espn

A nice read for the slight layoff until the next game https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/ravens/2023/11/16/baltimore-ravens-defense-stats-mike-macdonald/71583795007/ OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The comparisons to the Baltimore Ravens’ 2000 defense, one of the greatest in league history, were premature. But the 2023 version of Baltimore’s defense, through the first 10 games, is worthy of its own praise. Having a second season in defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s system has been an obvious – yet important – difference, players say. He’s got a somewhat complicated scheme," safety Kyle Hamilton told USA TODAY Sports. "But he’s done a great job drilling it down and making it simple for us." Hamilton, himself more accustomed as a second-year player, was the poster player of the Ravens’ transition from longtime defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale – now with the New York Giants – to Macdonald, who was a first-time NFL coordinator in 2022. In Week 2 of that season, it was Hamilton being beat deep by the Miami Dolphins that was the visual representation of their late-game collapse. Fast forward to Week 10 of this season against the Cleveland Browns, and it was Hamilton who crept up to the line of scrimmage, blitzed and tipped a Deshaun Watson pass straight up into the air to come down with it and score on the second play of the game. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Having defenders know how to do multiple things and play in different spots – especially for a 6-foot-4 safety like Hamilton – are all parts of Macdonald’s philosophy. I think it always keeps the offense on their toes, and I think allows us to make plays in different areas and show our versatility," Hamilton said. Players have to keep up with the wrinkles Macdonald and his staff devise each week, edge rusher Odafe Oweh said. "I also think guys are just getting more comfortable with the scheme and the defense," Oweh said. "Mike had all this stuff last year, too. Guys are just learning plays and being more skillful in certain positions. In 2023, the Ravens enter a “Thursday Night Football” matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals allowing the fewest yards per play (4.2) of any team. Despite giving up 27 points – the offense was responsible for a pick-six that was followed by a missed extra point – in a 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Baltimore still has the top scoring defense in the NFL (15.7 points per game). The unit is third in sack rate (9.51%) with a league-best 39, and the 17.3 first downs the group allows per contest also ranks third. Macdonald's defense found its groove in the second half of 2022. After a Week 9 trade with the Chicago Bears for inside linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens allowed 14.9 points per game, the second-best mark in the league. Baltimore finished third in rushing defense (92.1 yards per game). During the offseason, Macdonald said the defensive coaches talked about “having a clear vision of what we wanted to get to.” So, it crystallized a little bit in how we were coaching it and our methods and how to do it," Macdonald said. "I think it was clear, and the staff has been awesome on how we’ve worked together on how we want to do it and how you go about executing it. So, the logistics of everything is just a lot smoother the second time around." Of course, players need to buy into what the coaches are teaching. Thirteen players have registered sacks – an overrated metric in Macdonald’s mind, because there are more accurate ways to calculate the effectiveness of a pass rush. Veterans Kyle Van Noy (16 quarterback pressures) and Jadeveon Clowney (five sacks) have contributed despite not being with the team for most of the offseason. Safety Geno Stone, not a starter at the outset of the season, leads the league in interceptions with six.

Yeah, Likley is the obvious, but as papa said, Lamar rarely throws to him any more, and yes he has been wide open numerous times, since his big drop earlier in the season, "spoiling" a potential comeback. They drafted Kolar high, too high, (remember Andrews was nof their first choice either), so maybe they can start using him more. Im a little more concerned with Obj being injured, he drew anlot of coverage, created penalties, and appears to be, pre injury, back to his youthful self.

Yes, you tackle his mid section, both arms wrapped around him, then move, naturaly, your legs to the outside of the runner. It is pretty easy if taught and learned properly. Learned it my self in pee wee football..

I agree, the proper way to make that tackle is to slide your legs out, away from the defender. Clearly he cant make that tackle properly and should not be allowed to do so in the future