tsylvester

The lack of ability to block by the receivers has been another reason the running game didn't work. as far as the Pats, it was pretty easy to determine what play was goning to be run. Almost every time the Ravens started off a game with a pass, the very next play was a run up the middle to the left of center. When ever Joe used the audible; "Alaska" and patted his behind, it was a change to a run so long as the runningback was a step behind Joe. If even or infront, it was a fake audible and would be a pass. From there, the secondary just had to read the receivers to know what route they were going to run. Most times, teams just had to rush four to get pressure on Flacco, leaving seven in coverage, easy to stop when the qb has to throw within 2.5 seconds, and why the dumpoffs didn't work; too many players close to the los. What the KC line work, they run very similar plays the Ravens do, but because their line is athletic, they have greater success. Because they have a speedy quick receiver to go along with a true speed receiver, players get open, wide open.... Rarely seen for the Ravens even though they have two of the fastest receivers in the league.

PLenty of good tight ends who block very well and can get down field, catch the ball with their hands. Georgia has one, though he dropped a key one, two, in the Bowl game, he is outstanding and can be had likely in the 3rd or 4th. I expect the Ravens will trade down in the first, toward the end, maybe even out of the first. The top OT's will be gone by 17 and the rest are solid starters but 2n and third rounders, same for receivers. Though if miracles of miracles happens and Watkins some how misteriously falls to 17, they grab him in 1 second of coming on the clock....

Now we will find out just how good a coach Tomlin truly is... If you look at his record, post Cower draft picks, he is an average at best coach. It takes roughly 3 years to realize a draft, he went to two SB and won one with Cowher's players. Since Tomlin's drafts, they have what, the Cowboys of the East? Not that the Rooney's will fire him, they believe in continuity as they showed with Cowher.

The Ravens did it often, the players could not execute them very well, thus my point. There is far more to a play success than just what we think we see on tv. Do you have the NFL network all 22? I highly recommend it if you really want to see the issues I point out. Teams don't respect the Ravens receivers on the outside, one on one coverage. They then clog the middle so even rub routes do not work properly when a receiver makes it obvious, in the first few steps, what they are going to do....

Some what agree. Again though, the receivers were struggling to get off the los in press coverage and even in soft zone, they took a bit long to get into their routes and in position to make a catch. Smith gets easily pushed to the sidelines on the go route, leaving Flacco little room to make the throw. He also floats when looking for the ball, which makes the catch that much harder, the chance of completion lesser. Jones just doesn't run good routes and Brown was still learning the offense, his keys, trusting him to make the right read was a crap shoot. So you can stack them, plit them, have crossing routes & rubs, but when the receivers slow run because they are unsure of their route or run it too fast, it all leads to sacks, picks, incompletes. I think I said this earlier, but the Ravens, even under Harbs, have never developed a receiver, Smith is the closest they have come and he still has a ways to go. I sometimes wonder if they kept the same receivers coach all this time, but know they have changed. I would change them again. This is the place they really mised Boldin was teaching the younger receivers, not so much on the field.

I agree, one year is truly not enough time to normally grade a center on some aspects. But you can't learn to be athletic, only get so much quicker. He has had two years now to gain NFL strength, I doubt he gets much stronger. His technique needs some work, so that will help with some of his blocking issues. However, even Flynn, the least athletic player in the history of the NFL, ok a slight over egageration, could pull, get to the second level in time, be used convincingly on screen. These are things Gino can't do and having worked on the 2nd team, scout team during the week, he certainly had plenty of practice on those types of plays. Osemele is the real ? mark. He was adequet last year as a rookie, injury riddled this year, but next year? Backs, next to hamstrngs, are the worst injury to have especially for a lineman. I agree, right tackle may be where he is headed, pending draft and possible free agent moves. He can't ne worse then the turn style that is Oher.....

Anyone watching the wild card game? See how much more you can get out of an offense with a quick, very, receiver? Yeldon, lightening quick, a similar player the Ravens need. He would open up Smith and Jones deep and even Pita down the seam....

I would like to see, and would not be surprised to see in the next few years, them implementing a franchise player salary where only a certain % of said player's contract counts towards the cap. This would help off set the huge salaries of these, mostly, quarterbacks and be able to retain or sign more free agents, spread the cap dollars around more. The way it is now, under the new CBA, the cap is not likely to grow much each year as it has in the past.

hm, Ozzie has shown over the years he really doesn't value the line as much as we, or most would. Aside from JO and over paying Flynn, a big reach for Searcy, he doesn't spend a lot on the line. We can even take Jo out since he was 1) drafted and 2) a clear HOF from the start. Frankly, I am a bit surprised by his lack of, what's the word, concern for the line since, being an offensive player, he knows the importance of time in the pocket, a lane for a runningback. Gino proved a few things, he can't handle bull rushers, has no athleticism to pull nor run screens and maybe, if media is to be believed, doesn't know how to make proper calls. After the trade for the left tackle, they, the Ravens, claimed he would be the left tackle next year. Turns out, as most who follow the game closely knew, he wasn't much, if any better than McKinnie.

I was surprised to see the runningbacks coach, Montgomery, be the first to go. I am not sure why, haven't looked into whether he left of his own accord or was fired. If the later, shocking, I thought he did a fine job, he certainly got a lot of praise from the front office, coaching staff and players over the past few years.....

That one might be in merry ole London.....

Not so fast my friend. Flacco threw it off the score board and through the uprights....

Caldwell is fine, go back to the Billick days, what was the issue? Can't make chicken soup without water. Same holds true this year and even into last year. Over shadowed by the Super Bowl win and the "luck" that goes along with every team's championship was the inconsistency of the running game and the receivers struggling against press coverage. The great catches by Boldin were required not because the passes were off, but because there was no room for error he was so tightly covered. Same for Smith, Jones, Pita etc. Last year, the dump off worked well because safeties were unsure of the "quality of the deep threat and linebackers made sure to take deep drops to keep the middle of the field, Pita, covered. This year, no Pita most of the year, and teams knew more of Smith, Jones, Clarke, Stokely- in other words, no deep drops needed by the backers and the corners could cover one on one. This is what Caldwell has had to deal with. If the receivers struggle with route running, with no selling routes properly, how can you expect them to run more complex routes, that, take some time to develop? Especially with this line? The biggest issue I saw was the lack of game conditioning the players had. The key players seemed to come into this year out of shape, trying to use the age old way of getting in shape, practice and games. What they, and many teams, did not factor in was the change to the practice rules. This hurt many teams, the Falcons, Niners to a point (their offense not as good as last year) Pats, and especially the Ravens, mostly on offense. I think another year is needed to fully evalute Caldwell, time for Brown to learn more, Smith to get stronger, Pita healthy, a more athletic line that can not only pull but run screens. Caldwell loves the screen game, both normal and wide receiver screens. Add, hopefully, a quick footed receiver and I think you will see a much better offense, better play calling-less predictable.

With linemen, the 40 time is not the key, the shuttle and 3 cone drills, the splits for the 40, what is it at 10, 15 & 20 yards. those are the important numbers, after size & strength of course. The quicker the better. As you saw, this current line cannot pull, they can't run screens.....

Name calling? Oy........ Was Joe bad this year? Sure, but you want to play semantics with what Preston said? Joe made many poor decisions this year, leading to incomplete passes and interceptions. Some of those incompletes were in the red zone, where he did not look off a safety, or did not get properly through his progressions and see an open man underneath. I coud list many that were his fault. However, even with what he did wrong, this team had five games with leads in the late 4th quarter, all could have been won. All given up leads by the defense, is that Joe's fault? Can you or Preston, dispute what I said about the line or receivers? I'll be happy to sit down with all 16 game tapes and show you exactly what I am saying. The routes have been run wrong- this leads to interceptions, late reads by Flacco, making him hold the ball longer, not being able to get through his progressions properly. They run them too fast at times, yes this can happen, too slow at times and at wrong depths. This all leads to tighter windows for any quarterback to complete passes. Proof of what I say is in NE, Brady, his worst completion percentage of his career this year, why? Because of everything I just outlined here in Baltimore. So please, dispute, counter, agree with my points, don't retort with name calling.....

Good snap or bad snap.............

Hmh, top 10 for sure, which is what i consider elite, the new catch phrase, it used to be franchise. Either way, he has proven the team can win a Super Bowl with & because of him. So contrary to what Mike and you feel.......

There are a number of very good receivers coming out this year, this may be the best over all draft for receivers. LSU has two coming out in Landry and Becham, both great over the middle, quick feet, and hand catchers, though not as big. The issue for the Ravens will be draft picks, the quicker receivers who need a little work will be lower rounds, which the Ravens have few. Then there is the issue of developing receivers, never been done. Even Smith needs a lot of work, still, even though he had a statistically good year. He struggles with contested catches, with finding and adjusting properly to the ball in the air. Then there is staying on his route....... Brown is going to be a star, size, good speed, hands, hands and more hands. If the Ravens ever get Joe consistant time, Brown will kill teams over the deep middle. This year, teams were not scared of the receivers, could pressure with just four and their linebackers stayed within 8 yards of the los, which is why dump off passes didn't work any longer. Single coverage on the outside leaves safeties in the middle making every throw across the middle contested, congested. Quickness, real quickness at the reciver spot will stop that, for certain and open up the deep game again.

I could not agree more, Mike just writes to get people to talk about, Him. This quote struck me as clear- Lost? They clearly have a "franchise caliber quarterback" they even have an "elite quarterback" pick any name one wants to use these days. Joe had an average of 2 seconds to throw this year. His receivers, even on short routes, took an average of 2.5 seconds to get well into their routes and get a semblance of seperation. You do the math Mike. Joe as sacked 2nd most in the league this year, some on him holding out hope some one would get open, some on the line, ole` and some on the receivers running the proper routes, to the proper depth. Come on Mike, you can do better with your break down of the team. Yes, injuries to the line hurt some, but not all. Last year they did not run very well, nor pass block very well either, even with helathy bodies in there. Oher has been terrible since he came into the league. Yanda, average at best, Kelechie, average, and the left tackle, pick one, has sucked since JO left. Factor in the receivers and tight ends not very good at blocking and you get 2.5 yards per carry. Factor in the receivers struggles to run good routes, not telegraph them and the line's inability to give Joe time, and you get a plethora of crossing routes where the middle is jammed with defenders. You get receivers re-routed by a slight push, hugging sidelines giving Joe no room for error on go routes. Throw a seam pass? No time, no one to run them. They have speed at receiver, but that speed takes 12-15 yards to get to full speed and they only have one gear. What they need at wide out is quickness, that is why Stokely was brought in, they hoped he had a little more left in him, alas, he did not. So they need to revamp the line, get a bigger tight end who can block and a quick, hands receiver; plenty of them in the draft. I would also look at position coahces, with all the firings today, some better positional coahces, cough, offensive line, will be available.

Joe has takena step back? Really? You do relaize, for most of the season he has had two rookie receivers, both very raw, as the #1 and #3, right? You do realize, with no training camp, one of the offensive lineman was an out of shape older vet, right? You do realize, he was also missing his starting center and gaurd this year, right? Add to that a more down field passing game plan and you get his completion %, a career low, but an improved touchdown to interception ratio. Is he Brady, P Manning, Brees or Rogers? Nope, but then who is? a step back, I think not, and I guess you frget he beat the Steelers for a 2nd time in two years, with a game winning drive; both games in Pittsburgh.... Yeah, a lot of quarterbacks do that........with the cast of characters Joe has had to work with. Other than that, what you have said has been said in the other threads on this subject. Ed is the best option at the safety position. Is he the Ed of old, no, but his leadership and instincts are needed far more than Ray's. Last night Ed was playing hurt, reinjured on the attempt to tackle at the goal line when he went shoulder first in the runningback's hips. The receivers don't get open because 1) Tory is still raw, never did run good routes, but he is improving. He is a deep threat for the most part. Evans is still learning the offense, and Boldin runs the same routes. A good portion of the issue is play selecion. Cam does not like to use everything in each game, he likes to use just enough in the route tree... Foolish, yes, but it has gotten them to 10 wins, man, people will cry about everything...........

Junior could cover pretty well. Something Ray can't do, he would not be any better than what the Ravens have now at outside backer, infact, he would be worse.

The fact of the matter is, this team is right where they should be; in the playoffs. I think it was Dan I was talking with on facebook before the season. I said then, this was more or less a rebuilding year, in as much as younger players were going to see a lot of playing time. You can hide on or two young players, but the Ravens were going to use three or four on each side of the ball. That means inconsistent play. It has been very valuable experience for them. The defensive line has youth, good, very good talent in McFee, Cody, Jones, (even have one stashed on IR). However, they are trying to get used to this longer season so they have to get their legs back. Thus, little pressure on a trip like that to the west coast. The same on offense, remember, to start the season, they had two rookie receivers getting major playing time. Even their tight ends, while first year players, are hitting the wall right now. The offensive line has two old players on it, in their last year of playing. They too tire out this time of year, though Birk played well last night. For them to have been in a position to have home field throughout was a testament to their determination this season and a clue as to how good they will be moving forward. However, we see the holes too. Line backer, good players who just need reps- move over Ray. Secondary, one ego driven cb in Smith, very similar to C-Mac in size, speed, and talent. But like C-mac, he needs to get his head on straight. Even so, he should be above average. Web is ok, more fast than good to be honest. Ed is Ed, yes older, slower and injured. Not just his neck, but last night he hurt a shoulder, again, so it really slowed him yesterday. Pollard is good, but he needs another safety with him. Nok and Zib are decent players, but not the answer at safety. So the team clearly has to address the secondary this off season. The offensive line, oye. Grubbs, Yonda, then who? No left tackle and an average at best right tackle in Mr Blind side. No center after Birk. No back up for Rice, Williams is done after this year and even to finish out this year, I can see him costing the Ravens a game with a fumble or two. Fortunately for the Ravens, in the AFC, there is no definitive elite team. They can match up with anyone in the AFC. The Pats can't stop the run and are only so-so against the pass. Yes, even with the Ravens suspect secondary which plays very well at times, they would beat the Pats. Denver could have yesterday if they had a real quarterback. I'm a big fan of Tebow's, but if Denver had Cam Newton, they win. The Ravens can own the clock against the Pats. We know they can beat Pit, anywhere this year and now Ben supposedly has a high ankle sprain. If true, that slows him immeasurably. The other teams are way below the Ravens, yes even the Chargers. in 10 games, the Ravens would beat them 9 out of........ They just did not belong as a number one seed, too inconsistent because of the youth and even the age in major positions. A week off would help, some, but I don't think enough. The real issue would be the Super Bowl if they made it. Both GB and NO can really abuse the Ravens' secondary, and have strong enough lines to hold off the rush (if GB gets their starters back)........ For me, this has been a win, a great season, they answered a lot of questions- wide out, defensive line, edge rusher to go along with Suggs. even linebacker...

He didn't see it the last three years, not sure he will now.

Come on guys, what did you expect? A Night game, on the West Coast, against a historically great December team = loss. It did not help that the refs followed league rules for prime time games and held their flags. The dismal Charger line was tackling players all night long, Gaither espcially. That is why there was no pass rush. Rice could only get 10 carries, they were being blown out from the get go. Frankly, I thought the mix in the first half, we perfect, we had them gussing. However, Flacco had little time thanks to a Sunday night game on the west Coast and an old left tackle, an over hyped, average at best right tackle. I just don't know how anyone could have thought the Ravens were going to mock history and win in SD, on a Sunday night in December. As some one said, of most concern is the kicking game; can't win games missing field goals like this.....

It's not just throw to the man he is covering. Teams know Ray cheats up and is quick enough to get the proper depth in the middle on pass plays. So they throw over the middle, under the safties. If Ray would get proper depth, 15-17 yards, those passes could not be complete. Did you see Ray barking on the sidelines in the first half, after they gave up the 3rd touchdown? JJ rolled his eyes and walked away. The playerrs know it, he may make a play or two per game, but by and large he is a detriment to this defense.