vmax

I got to let go of the worrying. At this point I have very limited expectations....well...I don't expect them to cave like the Jets. I'm going to sit down Monday night and enjoy some good football...root for the Ravens and hope they get the O train rolling. Bitter as Sunday nights loss was, there was some very good football played by certain Ravens and units.

"I find it hard to argue with this..." My only worry is the fans and media running him out of town. We bitch so much...myself included.

Wow! I need some time for that to sink in.

It's everybody fault. You can't pin it on one or two persons. The O line is not getting the job done in the run game (31st in ypc) and in pass protection. It starts and ends there. Joe is playing well but conservative...scared to turn it over...and I don't think he moves in the pocket well or sees the whole field. Maybe it's lack of time. Joe is good enough to make more big plays than that offense is producing. Cam has his share of the blame too...he does not adjust to the game quick enough...sometimes not at all...the play calling is not creating rythmn or momentum...or points. I do think he gets the most out of his players but they are not executing properly. Harbaugh's fault for not putting his foot down earlier and saying this is not acceptable...maybe he did but we'll never know. Don't wish for another HC or OC. It could take a decade to find replacements as good as them. Every year 5-8 HC heads roll with no real change in those teams fortunes....maybe 20% end up better off...most search for years...that's years of losing football guys.

Then why do I keep making them?

I won't challenge you on this for now. I'll take this as a sobering influence. I see the Ravens finishing out 3-1...don't know who the loss will be against...I guess it will be whoever the Ravens wear black pants against...they can't win in them. If 3-1 happens they will be a tough out in the playoffs. Very tough....even on the road. Losing Heap hurts bigtime.

Thanks for the heads up. Reading their board is hilarious.

Naaa...that would be The Steeler Unleash Hell collapse. I don't think it will be a *** I'm stupid for thinking this game is easy ***. The Texans can score but they can't defend. The Browns are playing solid football but their offense is pretty bad. And yes...the Ravens can't beat the Bengals...but I think they will. The fact is that the Ravens don't get blown out or fall apart like the Jets. If they lose it's close. They are better than every team on their schedule with the possible exception of the Saints like OTR said....and that is a match up problem. After watching most teams this year I think the Ravens, with their flaws, are a cut above most.

Here's what Harbaugh has to say.... “We’ve got to find a way to run the ball better, for one thing. I think that’s something that’s really important. I’m disappointed in the fact that we haven’t run the ball for a better yard-per-carry-type average. I think we’re capable of doing better than that, and I think that establishes a lot of other things. And that’s the kind of football team that we believe in being, and we just haven’t been able to get on track there. That would take a lot of pressure off a lot of the other elements, so that’s important. Protection is important; we’ve got far too many sacks, far too many pressures, and it goes on everybody. It’s coaches, it’s Joe [Flacco], it’s the backs, it’s the offensive line, it’s all of us. But, that’s got to be really dramatically reduced. To me, that leads to the other areas.” I don’t’ think we are consistent. Right now we’re not good at all on third down as a rule. A lot of that is because we’re in third-and-longs a lot. So, there are a lot of things that go into that. We’re not good in the red zone in terms of putting the ball in the end zone like we should. And, therefore, we don’t score enough points. We should be an offense that’s scoring a heck of a lot more than 10 points in any particular football game. We had an opportunity to go down there and at least kick a field goal on one occasion and we got ourselves sacked out of the fringe. That’s where we are right now. We’ve got to get better. We’re not good enough on offense, there’s no question about it. I don’t think we’re good enough in all phases, but that particular area, we should be doing better and we need to.” We didn’t close games out against good teams at times. We’ve closed out some games this year, but we’ve also not closed out some games. I think if you look at all of our games, we don’t ever get blown out by anybody, do we? We’ve got a bunch of guys that know how to fight, and so when we do lose, and we lose close ones. That’s not closing out. So, I’m disappointed in the four games we lost that we didn’t close them out. We’ve got to find a way to get that done in the next four weeks.” Generally, I think our coaches do a fabulous job in all ways, and yet, not good enough – not good enough to win that one yesterday. And that’s how we’ve all got to look at it.”

They missed everything...tackles, blocks, passes, catches...surprised they didn't miss the bus home. Leonard can't be the difference in all that. This is a smoke and mirrors team. They are not nasty. Punch them in the mouth like the Ravens and Pats did and they fold.

...the Ravens look like a shoe-in to make the playoffs with the Colts and Chargers taking it on the chin this weekend. Just take care of business...they have a 2 game lead over any serious contenders for the wild card spot.

As Johnny U said, "Talk is cheap." They looked like some JV team. I watched the Bart Scott segment before the game(very weak)...Bart on how nasty he is...then got to watch him wander around lost on the field...like the rest of his team mates.

1. Nobody successfully runs on the Steelers. 2. When the Ravens run the ball it looks like "Here's our token committment to the run" in our scheme of things. They don't stick with it. Therefore #3 3. The play action fake is a big part of Cam's passing attack and it is no longer respected. It's ignored. They can't sell it because they only run at specific times. Now it's "Here's our play action fake just as you expected...Hey!... Why are you in pass coverage?!". 4. No feel for the flow of the game. It's like they follow a blue print or plan that has no flexability...so the offense never can find a natural rythmn based on what they can successfully do that day. They have to "Stick with the plan".

I don't think Cam's the problem and don't want to lose him. He may be part of the problem with being overly protective of any kind of lead. I'll blame Cam for calling a pass on 2nd and 5 with the ball at the Ravens 43. 2 more runs would have eaten clock and Steeler time outs. If no 1st down then a punt and the Steelers have to go 80+ yards for the game winning TD...something they couldn't do all night. I'd look at John Matsko and Andy Moeller before Cameron. They may be doing a great job but it starts and ends with the line. It's Flacco too...he's needs better movement in the pocket, better pocket awareness and still can't read the whole field. Cam knows this and is trying to work with this limitation.

Don't know BallT. He stated the obvious... I admire him for that and it's good to know he feels as let down as I feel. How will the team respond? Not like Tomlin's "Unleash Hell" BS. I think this will make them better...the sense of urgency and the glimpse that their dream can only be taken away from them by themselves will help them be a 60 minute team from here on out.

The underachieving for me is being Hot/cold, disappearing for quarters, inconsistent, and yes...not living up to potential. Not doing what they should (because the talent is there). NO KILLER INSTINCT. It's the Ferdinand the Bull Offense. Underachieving because they do not execute.

I'll say it again. It goes back to the pre season when Rice got next to 0 carries. Cam tried to do an LT with Ray...take the pre season off and save it for the regular season. It back fired. The line cannot road grade. They must have forgot.

Ravens Offense = Epic Fail Ozzie got the coaches and owner what they wanted...good RB's, QB, solid WR's so teams couldn't shut down the passing game by blanketing one man (Mason)...an atheletic O line so it would not be a 1 dimensional group...TE's out the gazoo... He brought in good character players, hard working passionate players. Reasoning? Create too many mismatches for teams to defend. Have an offense that can win the shoot outs. Be able to defeat the Big Boys. Get to a Super Bowl. And he mortgaged the defense to do it! In return he has a 17th ranked scoring offense. Average. 10 points in the most significant game of the season! They played hard. They didn't quit. They failed.

You're right Spen. Don 't understate this....not when I froze my ass off on another day the offense took off.

I'm so bundled up I look like that kid in "Christmas Story".

OK!

Definately! Let's catch up. Kick off is around 8:15-8:30 right? How about 7? Going to be a long cold night but it will be well worth it. I'll be wearing a really cool Ravens leather jacket...old school with RAVENS down the right arm...hoodie and purple Ravens ski cap....be with my brother. Don't let him fool you...he's as crazy as I am. I got that feeling of a special game...the kind of game where you are so glad that you were there.

You may want to fly USTair one more time and shread your seat. Remember: Don't get mad. Get even.

The Ravens could be close to 100% which is amazing considering the time of year.

You never know crav...the fans yelling adds about 10mph... From wjz... Then this... Joe throws good on windy days...plus Cundiff will get a lot of touchbacks with the wind at his back. The Steeler kicker will have a bad day.