dc.

While I'd normally hate any move involving AP leaving your team... given your absolute lack of WRs prior to the two trades, I think I actually think both are okay. Not great, okay. Jacobs + Portis might even improve your running game because McGahee/Sproles vary so much (though, Porits does as well). The additions of Gates + Johnson are nice too - though giving up Smith, eh... I mean, pretty much you went +Gates, Johnson, Portis, Jacobs, and -Peterson, Smith ... hard to argue that tooooo much

Saying it won't. The "Not happening" is Schefter's opinion. The RT @ stuff is getting back to the regular question. (The guy Sparkydub asked Schefter "Bowe to Baltimore? Maybe, Hopefully?"

Would have to see a replay... I thought our last play went to the left and the spike happened on the left.

Enough in-fighting for one day says the one who started it.

But even if our secondary wasn't shitty... what are we doing signing a guy who has no business or interest in playing? I mean, I interpreted the quotes form Rolle as saying the he never expects to see the field this season or ever again.

See... and there's the exact problem. If he hits it, to you this team is perfect and fulfilled your fantasy. But to me, if he hits it, I'm happy we won but I know we escaped from a game we clearly should have lost... because you're right about our returns sucking and our coverage sucking, and everyone else is right about our secondary and defensive line sucking for most of the game. A win does not eliminate those issues. A win hides them, but it doesn't eliminate them. Hauschka making that kick does not make your prediction right or glorious. It would mean you, like the team, got away with one when so many other things went wrong.

I think I know what you were trying to say... and I agree. Well, I still disagree about Ed. But I think I know what you meant about Ray. That within 2-3 years we're going to need to replace him permanently, and that it's silly to ignore that now while we patchwork some other areas. But in terms of this season... we have to work with what we have. And that's just going to be hard.

Indeed, cleetz. I certainly do want this team to run the ball more. Again, I'm not sure why we shouldn't be able to - last year we ran on everyone with the same three backs (though with different splits). But you're right... if you put the ball on the ground against one of the league's best rush defenses... you're going to get in trouble when it doesn't work. Meanwhile, that doesn't mean we didn't run too little in NE, especially when it was working.

Except that every week it's the same. Again, every week before the game the Ravens are perfect. Then, when they lose, you just want to place blame - as if the team owes you for not fulfilling your prophecies. I don't care about predictions. I've made plenty of predictions. And plenty of wrong ones. But afterwards it's rarely "I would have been right except..." Your prediction wasn't ruined by Hauschka's missed kick. It was ruined by an awful three quarters by this team. But instead of accepting that this team, as a whole, might not be as good as you expect, you put the blame on one bit. And then in two weeks, on Thursday, I'm going to have to listen to how the Ravens wil have no problem running all over the Broncos for X, Y and Z reasons... until it doesn't happen. At which point, again, it has nothing to do with this team being less than your expectations, it apparently has only to do with individual failures.

Not quite... Minny never abandoned the run - Peterson had more than 140 yards. And late in the game they continued to run to try and eat clock. People have called Childress a sissy for it, but it was the right call. They didn't abandon the run, they embraced it. Flacco to Heap happened three times. I'll give you it was effective when it worked. But our bread and butter in the passing game was never over the middle in this game. In fact, we were far more successful going outside than inside. Minny only had to play from behind once, and they killed us. I guess that's a correct prediction, that Reed & Co should be ready to run. But it had little to do with Minny trailing. It had to do with Favre exploiting us. And Jared Allen finished with 7 tackles, a sack, four tackles for loss and a pair of QB hits outside of the sack. He was all over Flacco and Oher all day long. Hardly overrated. What part did you get right? The only thing you almost got right was us winning. But in the end we didn't. And instead you just rambled about how everything would go right for us... but it didn't. In fact, for three quarters everything went wrong for us.

Mason also put a hitch in his step 15 yards in front of where the pass would have dropped... I don't think he knew it was coming and thought the play was ending. Silly thing, but it cost us. Meanwhile, what was the result of that drive? I feel like we eventually scored anyway, or am I mixed up and that was earlier in the game? Personally... I think the offense looked flat for the first two quarters as well. I our late success was part game plan and part adjustments. It just took Cameron so long to get to those adjustments. We've got to find a way to start hot again... like we did in some earlier games. If we can start hot, we can score 40 on anyone. Meanwhile... had to laugh at Jared Allen saying the game wasn't a meltdown for the Vikings because they won. Sorry, JA... you went from winning by 17 to losing by 1. That's a meltdown. Even if your offense saved your ass. Even if Hauschka's miss saved your ass.

The blitzing schemes have bothered me as well... as has the rapid change-outs on the line. I want Ngata out there on every play. Maybe he needs a breather, but that seems to be coming way too often. I want the big man there every play. Instead, and I know there is a method to it all that I don't always understand, but I see Ngata/Gregg/Edwards make a great play... and then they all run off while Bannan/Pryce/McKinney run on. After just one play. And I'm just staring at the TV saying "they finally get pressure and we replace all three guys?" [For the record, that's not a dig at the second three guys... I've seen them have that happen as well. Especially Pryce... he seems to be taken out after every sack he makes. It's like we're giving them time to adjust to what we've figured out.]

Question about Rolle, while his name pops up... A few weeks ago, Rolle made it sound like there was a possibility - and a good possibility - that he may never play football again. The doctors were evaluating and evaluating and there was just no way to know what could happen on the field and he was quoted as saying something like "I'm not stepping on that field a doctor tells me it's the right thing to do, because I'm not jeopardizing my life for the game." Now, without being insensitive to Rolle... how did he ever pass physical and get on this team with a pre-existing injury that could possibly end his career if he stepped on the field? I know Reed has something similar... but Reed is healthy enough to play every week. Rolle has still be in a soft neck brace a few times at practice. Did we just re-sign him to help him collect a check? I mean, I badly want him on the field if he's ready... but I get the weird feeling that he's never going to be ready. Is there an update on this?

Well... to me the bat is all about being reasonable. With all respect to Mark Teixeira, who is a fantastic player, he is not a once in a lifetime player. He's not even a once ever 5 or 10 years player. The only thing that makes him special is his ability to switch hit... but his numbers are comparable to any power hitting first baseman The point? He wasn't worth this team breaking the bank because another version with a different name would become available this off-season (through trade or free agency). So, if a guy that is a once in a lifetime power hitter comes along... go ahead and make the signing for every last penny. Because we're never getting another chance at that. If a guy like Tex (in the form of Fielder or Gonzalez or whoever) comes along, then we just have to base it on price. If the price is right, you take him. If the price is too high, you pass. Because another one will come along another day. I don't think there has to be any order is the bottom line. If Albert Pujols were available, this team should make every possible effort to get him because, contenders or not, if you can sign him for 7-10 years, your team is that much better for that long. If the bat comes, take the bat. If it doesn't come, don't worry. Get the pieces into place when it makes sense - financially as much as anything else.

You're probably right on both accounts - I mean, he'd probably be starting on this team this year. But he was benched for a reason last year and his benching seemed to help this team. I'm really no McAlister basher. I just think his play last year and late the year before was subpar (perhaps still better than what we have now - but I don't want decent or average, I want good).

I didn't pretend it did. Meanwhile, your random predictions that show up Thurs-Fri have just as little to do with real football...

It's not about Harbs. I've dissed Harbs. I think he's right about the kick and punt coverage as well as our return game. I even dissed Hauschka myself for missing that kick. It has to be made. The end. But it's more about Crav coming on here every f'n week and refusing to actually talk football, and instead talking his bullshit "*** I'm stupid for thinking this game is easy ***" and "we're 11-3 against the NFC in the last 2.5 years" and "no way favre even has 10 yards against us" And then? And then when we lose he comes back and thinks I want to hear his take on the problems of this team? According to Crav last last week, Thursday thru Saturday, this team had no problems. The only reason he's pointing out problems is that the team made him look bad when his predictions didn't come true. Sorry Crav... I know it's the dick thing to say... but it bothers the shit out of me. Talk real football Thursday-Saturday every week and then maybe I'll take your opinions Sunday-Wednesday seriously.

I don't see anything wrong with Ray's play. I don't see anything wrong with Reed's play. Talking about replacing them to "sure up this defense" is just silly. We'll need to replace them when they are done. Ray is no where near done. We need a pass rusher. Yes. Absolutely. We need some corners. Yes. Absolutely. But Ray and Reed are no part of the problem we have right now. And even if Ray starts falling off another step, he'll still be better than most in the league. And giving him some support from stronger corners or a powerful pass rusher will only make him better. One hole on a defense can make everyone look bad. One hole can make everyone adjust their play in ways that make the whole unit look bad. Those holes are in the pass rush and the secondary... Ray and others are overextending themselves trying to support/fix those holes, which they simply can't do.

In fairness to Hauschka... Stover missed his first 3 from 40+ last season... He only has 3 attempts from over 40... that's hardly a large sample size or enough to base anything on... I don't know if we win with Stover. I don't know if Hauschka can make that kick regularly. I don't know much of anything. All I know is that he didn't make it yesterday and he needed to. I want someone that can make that kick regularly. If Hauschka makes 12 of 12 from 40+ the rest of the way, we'll still remember this kick, but it will be hard to say he sucks. Meanwhile, Crav... it's always the same story. You run your mouth, you have so many reasons this team should apparently never lose. If we do lose in a game like this, you've point your finger. If we lose bigger, you blame everyone. And yet you never stop to consider that the same things happen in every game we win. Maybe your predictions just fucking suck.

Cmac was a bum last year and I'm glad we let him go. Perhaps we're regretting not having his presence, but not his attitude... and is there any evidence he's even healthy enough to play? Last year our secondary play actually improved when Fabian took over for CMac... so I don't know why we're acting like he was some god of corner play in the last 2 years...

Watching the Jets-Bills now... I think my problem is if you miss that kick wide, you miss it wide ACROSS the uprights... not to the same side you're on. I'd rather see you push it too far, than pull it and have the ball never even been in an area that would be 'good.' Same thing happened with Lindell 10 minutes ago in Jets-BIlls.

Brady starting second half no matter... and in shotgun... and first play of the half, roughing the QB... This could get ugly fast...

Of course... Like I said, eventually it reaches that point. But my first reaction is never to just blame the kids... and it should never just be to blame the players. There are obvious areas we need to see improvement, and we're not seeing it. And if the answer is playing Webb instead... then play Webb. But if you don't make that change, it's still your fault to some extent.

Our secondary was at least good enough to mostly contain the Patriots all game long... they needed some questionable penalties to move the ball on us... The Titans are down 38-0 in the first half on innumerable connections between Brady and Moss/Welker/everyone

Well, but any teacher will tell you that they are not succeeding or achieving their best until their students are learning. I can shove as much as I want down my students throats about the US Constitution... but if I test them and they all fail, it's not just they who are failing. I have failed. Again, perhaps Mattison is expecting too much from his players. Perhaps he is trying to fit square pegs into round holes. If you can't make the peg round, make the hole square. If the players can't execute the plays and schemes, change the plays and schemes. Certainly at some point the blame shifts to the players... certainly there is always some blame on the players, even... but with how disorganized and confused our secondary looks, time after time, I have to believe that Mattison (or someone under him) isn't doing everything there is to be done. The second TD of the day, where it appeared Fabian was picked by Bernard Berrian... the pick was illegal, sure... but Fabian didn't have a play anyway. Both CBs were trying to cover Berrian... neither was even looking at the other receiver. And from his position, Fab had no chance. Mattison has to be able to fix that.