oldno82

This team has fallen apart right in front of our eyes. I feel stupid for believing all the sports experts who said before the season started that the Ravens were loaded for a Super Bowl run. This team has a lot of talent at all the skill positions but is deficient on the offensive line and lacks a real star pass rusher. They are sickening to watch. Lamar has big, big problems...he doesn't seem to be able to get the ball out quickly and that's a necessity with our lack of pass protection. I think Monk could have had him roll out more this season as our pocket is too often insecure. Combine that with his poor ball security and you have a recipe for disaster. Some people say we don't run enough. But so many times we send Henry straight ahead into a brick wall. We don't use Keaton Mitchell enough either. I could go on and on, but the coaching is in need of major changes. I think it's time for Harbs to go. And if he's not going to negotiate a new deal, Lamar can go with him. The team needs those cap resources elsewhere. All in all, a pathetic premature ending to this year's football season for Ravens fans.

This was without a doubt the most disgusting and depressing performance I've seen in many years. Save yourself a waste of time, Tsyl, and don't bother to watch the rest of the game.

Let's consider our current problem. We have an injured QB with declining running skills but competent passing skills at worst. We have an O-line that could use a massive infusion of new talent. We have an aging RB who seems to have both lost a step and who is suffering from the O-line's inability to create holes. Our receivers are damned good. The D is already a work in progress with a good secondary but with limited talent at LB and D-line. Finally, our franchise QB is about to hit the last 2 years of his contract with a massive cap hit unless it's re-worked or he's traded or he realizes the effect that the 2 years big outlay keeps the team from improving and thus renegotiates his contract. I'd say the optimal solution is to get Lamar to stay here with a renegotiated deal/extension. The trick here is that he needs to be agreeable to that goal. If he is not, then we have to hope we can trade him. Whether he stays or goes we still need a lot of resources poured into the O-line and D-line pass rush. We won't be able to do that quickly if he stays unless he gets a new more cap friendly contract. No new contract means the team will just wilt away and die over the next 2 years. If Lamar stays with a more cap friendly contract, we can actively go about re-doing the O-line and D-line/pass rush and stay competitive for several more seasons. If he leaves we've got to find a new franchise QB and as Tsyl points out, that could be a long and frustrating task. And we still have to re-build the O-line and D-line/pass rush anyway. So the key to me is, does Lamar, and his Mom, really want to put us in cap hell and be a losing team for the next 2+ years? Or, does he sign up for lower cap hits and we can start grooving again sooner? The answer to that is all in Lamar and his Mom's hands.

Well, there never seems to be a complete absence of teams making stupid trades.

Hamstring, knee, ankle, and toe. Add a bad pass protecting offensive line to that and what do you got?

I certainly am not advocating a $300 mil deal...just saying it is the team's problem regarding the cap hit for the next two seasons. I don't know what the solution is but it is definitely NOT another big contract. I loved what Lamar has accomplished over the last several years but I agree that his performance this year MAY be indicative of him coming to the end of the line. He has really taken a beating this year with all the injuries and his running days might be over. He can still perform as a pocket passer but we don't have an O-line to protect him. So the question is 'what do we do now?'.

Isn't he under contract for the next two years? At $70+ mil a year if I remember right. The pressure would be on the F.O. to reduce that size cap hit, not Lamar. Maybe he's not feeling 'generous' for some reason. Who knows, really, what goes on in his mind. So what I'm saying is that he may be feeling put off by what the cap hit staff wants him to do. It would sure explain his recent lethargy. On the other hand, it's got to affect his performance if he's got hamstring, knee, ankle, and now a toe problem. For whatever reason, he isn't the Lamar we're used to seeing. It could be business or physical issues coupled with a lousy offensive line. There are so many things we do not know. All we see is the result. All we can do is speculate.

We are hurt by Lamar's being hurt. I think he's really banged up and has also lost a step running. Ironically, his passing has been pretty damned good---when he gets time to throw! I also gotta wonder if contract negotiations with the Front Office aren't going well. He has a cap hit over $70 million next year and the year after and the team was supposed too be working on that with him. This is really where we could use some critical but sensible reporting by the sports media! Maybe give us some insight.

Not optimistic about a Ravens' win. If they don't get fired up for this game and lose it we can kiss this season goodbye and I haven't seen any signs over the last 5 games to give me reason to think differently. Lamar's banged up, the O-line is a mess, and the defense will be exposed if Burrow plays. I hope I'm proved wrong.

I'm OK. Thanks for asking. Just been taking a break from dealing with how this team wins so ugh-ly for the last 5 games. I can only stand to read/talk about them so much because they look like they're a lost team. No emotion or energy from either the players or coaching staff. I can only blame Harbs but my better half says his wife is ill though I haven't been able to confirm that. I also think Lamar's banged up body coupled with the lousy O-line play makes the offense, well, offensive.

This should be the game where the Ravens get well on offense and defense. Another ugly win will cement them as pretenders not contenders. A loss would be as devastating as the Bills game for the team and fans. In hindsight, I think the Bills loss really screwed up the heads on this year's Ravens. They were so confident they'd win that they forgot to play a full 60 minute game. It was a psychological blow that coupled with the eventual 9 injuries destroyed the team's swagger. Now they are a mere shell of the team that started the season. There's a lot to blame here on Harbs for letting his team get away from themselves and not finding a way to get them back on track. DeCosta has to share the blame for the poor offensive line and the lack of, yet again, a game changing pass rusher on defense. And of course the players take the blame for not staying motivated enough to play better for those first several games. All of which is to say, they can only redeem the season by winning out and going on a deep playoff run. The schedule is in their favor. Now they have to act on ir.

Opportunity for Keaton Michell and Dez Walker though Browns D is tough.

Lamar has a balky knee now to go along with his hamstring issue. Bateman has a high ankle sprain and is out for Sunday's game. Humphrey is debating whether or not to have finger surgery that would keep him out 2-3 weeks. The injury bug has bitten again.

Clearly there are major problems with the offensive line. As you pointed out, Lamar barely has time to get the ball off and he knows harassment is coming on each and every pass play whether the opponent blitzes or not. In fact, that's the killer on both lines: the offense struggles to contain a 4 man rush and the defense can't generate a 4 man rush. I think the personnel are the problem as well as the O-line coach. Faalele and Vorhees just don't seem to have 'it' and the D-line, not quite as bad, misses Madds. Our Edge Rushers may be improving, especially with Dre'Mont who showed promise and our second round pick who seems to get a little better each week, but the interior rush is non-existent. Of course, the first priority for the interior lineman on the D line is run containment and they've done pretty well with that. As for Cleveland....good defense and new offense is going to mean we just can't steamroll them, but we ought to be able to beat the Browns and improve to .500 while, hopefully, the Steelers keep losing as they get into the meat of their schedule.

Yes. He looked like a completely different player. Hope he can pull out of it quickly.

That's a rarity!

This is a really good point and the ol coach dufus said at the time, he wouldn't make any changes right away but probably would later. That was a red flag I noticed at the time and it looks like it has been borne out.

I don't know if the vikes are interested in trading McCarthy. That's tempting for us, but not for them, methinks.

Well, that is an interesting thought that Lamar would want to leave. I don't think he does, but I think it is something he has to think about because I believe the Ravens don't have a clue on how to handle the renegotiation process with him. They can't afford the current out years for sure. The cap can't handle it. But there's been a lot of foot dragging on getting a new deal done. Don't know for sure if that's on Lamar, the Ravens, or both, but nothing has been getting done. Ditto in that nothing being done was the 'solution' to the Andrews situation. The Ravens seem like they don't want to trade or pay so Andrews or maybe even Lamar may leave, or ask to be traded in the latter's case. I'm just bummed that our front office is the opposite of pro-active. They appear to be indecisive to the point of paralysis. Why is that? Is it DeCosta, Harbs, Bisciotti? Do too many hands have to reach a consensus to get anything done? I just don't know.

It has become a bit like politics: there are no straight answers ever given. Never get caught in a statement that may leave you accountable. I think the lesson learned is that they aren't going to make major changes mid-season under any circumstances, anymore. Whatever happens to the team will be decided after the season, i.e, new coach(es), new players, new FO personnel. We aren't going to get any changes until then. And, who knows? Maybe this ship will right itself and have a deep playoff run. Our last SB team dropped 4 of their last 5 games. Our first SB team won 5 games without the offense scoring a TD. All we can do really now as fans is watch and bear it.

Gonna be a tough one. At this point, I don't think we can pull this one out but we a have a chance; I'd say we have a 40% chance of winning this one. Blame the usual suspects: weak D-line and O-line.

The same thought occurred to me.

Seems like a weak move just to make a move.I don't see where he brings much more than Oweh.

Well, he's been injured for 22 games over the last 2 years and has only 3 sacks so far this year, so I dunno.

Lack of depth and poor coaching explain most of why this season is different than last. We really miss our deceased O-lne coach and Orr can't handle the D alone, at least not yet. Right now the onus is on Harbaugh to keep up a high level of morale on the team as they swim through the next several weak opponents. And if Orr still isn't cutting it, let him go and give the job to Pags.