varaven45
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Posts posted by varaven45
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I thought the exact same thing this past Sunday! The defense did not have the swagger they have had in the past, heck that they even had this preseason or even in the Pats game. The Vikings came right out and smacked us in the mouth. The defense looked lathargic and like they still had the momentum sucked out of them from the previous week against the Bengals. Very rarely had I seen an offense come out and pound the ball down our throats for 14 points on the first two drives. This loss of confidence concerns me a lot, it is like the defense is listening to what the media is saying and do not believe themselves that they are good.
TCleetz.
I have no clue how we come out vs Denver. I am very impressed with the Broncos and dont see us beating them right now. But one never knows.
I'll say this- if we lose, I see this team "tanking it" the rest of the season. Our team's confidence (esp on D) is shot and a loss to Denver would be a dagger. We would not recover and would become Titan like (in my opinion).
Just saying....
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After watching the Vikings game on NFL Replay last night (my first watch), my thoughts on the D:
1. I agree with VMax on many points -our pass rush is not potent or consistent, plain and simple. Suggs, Ngata and Co needs to pump up the pass rush to a new level.
2. Our DC is not making adjustments. Case in point: In Vikes game, our 2nd half D was no better and our pass D was deplorable. I could not believe Frank Walker's embarrasingly weak cover skills. How is this guy even in the league ? Anyone ?
Back to the point, In Broncos-Chargers game, Nolan makes halftime adjustments and essentially shut down Rivers and Co in the 2nd half. In our game vs Chargers, we made no adjustments and Rivers smoked us the whole game !
In fact, other than Cleveland (who doesnt have a legit NFL QB), we have not stopped a QB all season, have we ?
3. Our DL is getting punched in the mouth (esp Vikings game). Either Gregg and Pryce are aging vets and Ngata is hurt, or we are playing stout OLs every game. Regardless, our TOP and LOS control is lacking big time.
4. Our pass D just doesnt play with the same intensity, physicaliity, and DISCIPLINE as other teams. How do teams like Houston and Cleveland essentially stop or slow down Carson Palmer and Bengals, while he passes at will against us ? Am I missing something ?
5. Lastly, our D just doesnt have IT right now. Its going to take a miracle, divine intervention, freak defensive play (pick 6 or fumble return for TD) to change this thing around.
I am sticking with this team, through thick and thin, but dont see a turnaround until we replace our secondary (sans Reed) with some GAMERS. As a wise person once said, you cant make chicken salad with chicken poop. Our secondary is the latter !
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I agree with dc, Ray and Reed are not part of the problem at all. Lewis is still out there making plays, and is getting sideline-to-sideline no problem. Lewis just does not look as good because the ILB next to him is not doing his job of taking on blocks (why isn't Ellerbe playing? He is much better than Gooden!), thus linemen are able to wall Ray off.
DC and Cleetz,
You make good points. My point is that Ray and Ed are aging(Ed mostly with neck impingement). The legit weaknesses are our insufficient pass rush, Landry and our "soft" CBs-yes, they are soft.
Maybe its time to mix it up - bye week. Lets give Ellerbe a shot - maybe he or McClain can give us a better pass rush, Webb a spurt in the CB spot, try Nak or Zib for Landry.
We need to retool the D before the season completely goes down the drain !
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VMax,
I am with you and feel your pain.
Our D is not shot but darn close. A couple of good pieces, too many bad ones.
We missed a huge opportunity to draft a decent CB or safety the past 2 years. Now, we are sadly, helplessly watching the result.
I dont see the situation improving this year. We are going to watch our D get beat down the rest for the year.
To fix it, in my opinion, we need to draft and/or acquire 3-4 starters:
1. A dominant pass rusher on the DL.
2. A force in the middle - Ray's best days are behind him.
3. A shutdown corner (for the 1st time in 10 years).
4. An Ed Reed replacement (is that possible ?)
Until then, you're right - there are going to be a lot of 33-31 type games.
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Cleetz,
I dont think we are a bad team either. Just a slightly better than average team with an occasionally strong but dysfunctional offense and a defense with many holes, esp at CB and pass rushers.
We'll get smacked around tomorrow on their turf (similar to last years Indy game), return home at 3-3, lick our wounds and get ready for Denver game.
Our season will hinge on that game.
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Bengals have pretty much shut down B. Marshall, Jennings, Santonio, Edwards and Mason. They've taken the other teams number one receiver away all year. Yesterday just made it 5 out of 5.
Bearcat 7777,
Hats off to you guys. Your team showed up yesterday. Your team has been overlooked up until now. It will be interesting to see how you guys respond as leaders of the AFCN.
Good luck to you the rest of the season except for next month in Cincy.
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Because of drops, the Bengals left 3 scores on the field. Factor in their turnovers and this game was a blowout.
The score did not describe the beatdown.
The Ravens have serious problems.
To salvage this season, the Offense will have to be a high powered, high scoring offense because the D can't rush the passer and the secondary can't cover. It's too late this year to find and replace corners. The Ravens can't hide it. They have been exposed.
VMax,
BINGO !!! We should have seen it last year in the beatdowns against Pittsburgh and the Colts.
We failed to address and missed the boat on corners in the draft. The year's not over but we need to retool our D with some stealth pass rushers and CBs/safeties in the offseason.
In the meantime, we can all squirm in our seats watching the our secondary struggle the rest of the season.
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Losing humbles us all, doesnt it. Eight days ago, we were #1 and thinking Super Bowl.
Two losses and we've seemingly hit rock bottom.
Lets see what sort of character this team has.
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Cant argue with Mike on this one. We stunk, got punched in the mouth, played uninspired, undisciplined ball in all phases of the game. Other than Reed's pick 6 and Rice's TD run, there was nothing positive from this game.
Harbaugh has got his work cut out for him.
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Used to be Shannon Sharpe's comment leading up to a big game.
Problem is... we never showed up. Forget the penalties and flags. How do you explain:
- a 80 yd pass play to Chris Henry
- a buck twenty yards by Cedrick Benson
- a six yard yd by Carson Palmer on 4th and 1 (final drive).
This team has lost its focus, discipline, swagger.
This team was flat out punched in the mouth by a slightly above average team in the Bengals.
The Bengals arent jack squat compared to the Vikings.
The bye week wont come soon enough after next Sunday.
We are going to learn alot about Coach Harbaugh in the next 2-3 games.
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I actually think it is quite the opposite, the key to beating the Bengals is containing Cedric Benson (the league's fourth leading rusher) who has been a catalyst for the Bengals offense. Take out the fourth quarter, and Palmer has been very pedestrian. In other words, if we stop Benson early and our offense continues to take advantage of scoring opportunities, Palmer will be forced into playing catch-up. Then we can really bring the pass rush (Palmer has been sacked nine times this season) and force Palmer into some bad throws (he has been making poor decision this season). But if we let the Bengals stick around, and they still have the run game at their disposal, then Palmer becomes dangerous spreading the field. Benson has been a huge part of that offense, he is averaging 4.4 YPC, but is leading the league in rushing attempts with 84 (so 21 attempts per contest). In other words, the Bengals have been able to play at their own pace on offense because of their ability to run the ball. Stop the run, and the Bengals no longer have that luxury.
Keep in mind, Palmer is completing under 60% of his passes this season (57.7%), and has thrown five INTs to only six TDs. Also, we have held Palmer to an average of just 197.4 passing yards with four total touchdown passes and three INTs in the last five meetings (granted the Bengals won three out of those five meetings). The bottom line is do not let the Bengals hang around, because then we could be in trouble. As long as we play like we have been playing so far this season by dominating the line of scrimage, efficient passing, and dominant run defensive play, we should be fine (as long as we don't kill ourselves with penalties).
Beg to differ, T Cleetz but Palmer is the key. Always has. Props to Benson - he's very good. But the pass D has been our achilles so far this year.
Time will tell.
GO RAVENS !!
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I am glad to hear most everyone is giving props to Bengals - especially since they are 1 bad luck Brandon Stokely tipped catch from being 4 and 0.
Regardless of what a few homers might say, this is a huge game. I am sure Harbs has our guys approaching this game as a quasi playoff game. With the Vikings lurking in 2 weeks, we absolutely need to win this game.
To me, the most important keys to winning this game is shutting down Palmer and the passing game. He has been our achilles heel in many games, esp in the 4th quarter.
To shut him down, our D needs to come up with its most complete game of the season. The D line needs to wreak havoc, the LB corps must pressure and sack Palmer mulitple times, and the secondary needs to play its best game of the season. They have multiple WR options and they are all good - Caldwell, Coles, Henry, and Ocho. If we dont contain these guys for 60 minutes, it will be a tough day.
if our D has a big day, I believe the other phases - offense, ST - will fall into place.
In closing, our D needs to step up in huge way. In many ways, a favorable outcome of this game and the balance of the season hinges heavily on our D getting its swagger back and keeping it.
Thoughts ?
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FYI - Just reported on ESPN.
Another weapon for Sanchez, one less for Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn
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Man, Burgess must feel like a yo-yo between Bmore and Beantown !
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BallTMore,
I am feeling it too. The Pats, Vikes and Bengals will all be tough games. If we were to take 2 out of 3 and go into the bye 5-1, then I am one happy camper.
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He has to have one of the top 5 or so in the league so far?
I love it...hopefully for the rest of his career him and Matt Ryan will become the Brady/Manning comparison!
Side note, all the excitement over our new offense, did anyone see that our boy Kyle started yesterday in St. Louis
Yeah, I saw Boller came in for an injured Bulger. Bulger got banged up in the 1st half.
Boller threw a nice TD pass but the hapless Rams still came up short.
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It's amazing. Flacco and the offensive line are scary right now.
And the D jumped back into the top 10 at #7..
Life is good now eh?
Joe had a helluva game and the guy has moxey, doesnt he ?
Big numbers indeed against KC, SD and Cleveland ! Now the test comes Sunday @ NE.
We'll know a lot more about this team a week from today
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Seriously...it's hard to get excited about themm...no...it's impossible.
This year I gave away the Lions game and watch!.... the Lions will be a better team than the Browns.
Fortunately I was there for Jamal's record breaking game...I called his 1st TD(about 82 yards) in that game when I saw the teams line up..the hole was huge...and that ball hadn't been snapped yet!
Jamal ran over that franchise soooo bad that they were shell shocked and had to sign him. All they saw was 2003...not what he had become...
He may not play Sunday (hamstring/thigh/ but he didn't do much last year against the Ravens...Jamal Lewis rushed 12 times for 56 yards in the first Ravens/Browns meeting. It was 19 attempts for 49 yards the second time.(from Ravens website)
It's a divisional game and both teams are familiar with each other...they will "come to Play"...whatever their definition of "playing" is....the Browns do play the Ravens tough, so who knows...maybe it will be a fun game.
I want to see the secondary get their act together.
I think Quin has been sacked 9 times...let's see the D sack him 9 times on Sunday.
The Browns have scored what???.....1 TD in the last 33 quarters???? They have the worst offense in the AFC but... they have Brady Quinn!
If the Ravens D let's them score 2-3 TD's, then we're in for a long season folks. It's over.
Max,
There is an old adage that might apply to our pass D this year: first time against KC was a mistake, second time (against SD) revealed a trend, third time (Cleveland) would be a problem.
If they score 2-3 TDs, claims of a lousy pass D will have been validated and major corrections will be in the offing. If, on the other hand, they come up big this weekend, maybe they can build from that and carry it up to NE next weekend.
After this weekend, there shouldn't be any doubt.
e have a major pass rush/secondary problem.
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Too high. I'd rather be the "hunter" than being "hunted".
Still, awesome to be viewed as No 1 !
GO RAVENS !!
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The pass D (or lack thereof) continues to be function of two things we have seen for at least the past 2-3 years: lack of strong corners and a declining pass rush. Most NFL insiders and scouts have zoned in on this deficiency. Its obvious.
How do we fix it ? Short of trading or drafting, nothing.
I dont know what happens but unless our CBs make signicant improvements, Suggs gets better conditioned, and Pryce and/or JJ pick up their "sack" game, we can resign ourselves to holding our collective breaths every 4th quarter the rest of the season.
It will be interesting to see how Harbs and Mattison correct these weaknesses.
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Our chances of being successful are dependant on three keys:
1. Defensively, our pass rush has to be relentless and suffocate Rivers all day long. No letup !
2. Offensively, our OL has to dominate LOS and spring the 3 headed monster free.
3. ST's- Control Sproles, control Sproles and control Sproles. Oh, and Hauscha needs to be on.
If we are spot on on all three, we will be successful Sunday. Anything less, not successful.
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I hear Kendra (I mean Hank) is signing with Indy - according to ESPN. No link- sorry guys !
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Hes a good special teamer thats familiar with JohnnyH, his WR numbers aren't that bad either with 14 YPC..Bring him in? Air Joe could always use another weapon.
Posted Yesterday, 11:00 AM
Geez, I dont guess Dmaese would be too excited over talk the Iggles might let Hank Baskett go (to make room for Jeff Garcia)and we might be potential suitors. Anyone hear this ? I wouldn't mind Baskett (esp if his wife Kendra comes with the deal).
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Geez, I dont guess Dmaese would be too excited over talk the Iggles might let Hank Baskett go (to make room for Jeff Garcia)and we might be potential suitors. Anyone hear this ? I wouldn't mind Baskett (esp if his wife Kendra comes with the deal).
Ozzie needs to get better
in Baltimore Ravens
Posted
DC,
Maybe its Ozzie's early going away gift to Rolle ?