Are we still blaming Castillo?

[OutsideRzAcE]

Apparently his running scheme has been dropped for the past two games, and yet we still can't run the ball. It's starting to appear that he may have been the scapegoat for what is just an underperforming group of guys. I still don't think we should be soliciting running game advice from the Eagles, but the problems on this team go far beyond his presense and attempt to install that ill fated read and react scheme.

[cravnravn]

I dont who to blame now, this team is just bad right now.

 

And honestly I thought we turned the corner early in the game when Rice had a run of 5 yards and then another for 4 yards..The next 9 carries he totaled 8 yards.

 

This is just a team not clicking at all

[vmax]

Combination of both IMO.

The players are not executing so the blocking scheme doesn't matter but they should get some scheme that plays to their strength....if there is opne.

 

Watching NFL Redzone yesterday I saw RB's hitting the hole fast, accelerating, getting that burst.

I have not seen one running play from Pierce or Rice do that all year.

[Robjr83]

We're still using that zone blocking.... They were talking about it during the game. I saw a play towards the end of the game were Oher got blown up trying to do it.

[papasmurfbell]

It takes some time to untrain bad habits.

[ravinmaniac52]

Oher had the worse game ever.

 

It is the zone blocking, this isn't the first time we have TRIED to use it.

 

 

 

Watching NFL Redzone yesterday I saw RB's hitting the hole fast, accelerating, getting that burst.

I have not seen one running play from Pierce or Rice do that all year.

 

It isn't just the RBs that look slow, the line is just as slow.

 

For what they are running or wanting to, these big boys up front aren't made that way.

[RavenMad]

There was 1 stretch play to the left side where the Browns LB overshot the play but reached out with a flailing arm at Ray Rice. Ray went down for a loss. The play was setup nicely and in years past Ray would have had a big gain but now he can't even break a 1 arm tackle. So even when the plays do work they don't because the RBs can't do anything with it.

[cravnravn]

There was 1 stretch play to the left side where the Browns LB overshot the play but reached out with a flailing arm at Ray Rice. Ray went down for a loss. The play was setup nicely and in years past Ray would have had a big gain but now he can't even break a 1 arm tackle. So even when the plays do work they don't because the RBs can't do anything with it.

 

Its funny, but Pierce is falling into the same habits as Rice, why dont they just sit Ray rice, make him inactive for a game, let Pierce and Leach carry the workload..What do we have to lose at this point?

[papasmurfbell]

They did that already this yr.

[oldno82]

There was 1 stretch play to the left side where the Browns LB overshot the play but reached out with a flailing arm at Ray Rice. Ray went down for a loss. The play was setup nicely and in years past Ray would have had a big gain but now he can't even break a 1 arm tackle. So even when the plays do work they don't because the RBs can't do anything with it.

I've noticed that too. This year, Ray can't seem to stand upright anymore once he's touched. I think he's got NFL running back burnout. Great guy but we may have to move on.

[vmax]

Here's a "Pro" vote from Bobbie Williams....

 

 

Thirteen years after he was drafted by the Eagles, Williams remains close with Castillo, as is the case with many of Castillo’s former pupils. Williams still has a lot of respect for Castillo, who is now the run game coordinator for the Ravens, and credits him for helping him kick-start a long, successful NFL career.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s a very stand-up gentleman, a very intelligent man,” Williams said in a Thursday phone interview. “He’s an awesome coach. He has produced many talented guys -- finding them, working them and building them up. His resume as an offensive line coach definitely speaks for itself, what he did in Philadelphia. He’s going to get the best out of you. I am proud to have been coached by him.”

Williams is enjoying retirement, spending more time with his family and at his church. He clearly misses being around his old teammates and co-workers, and sends them all his best. He has been keeping tabs on the Ravens from afar -- and the Bengals, whom the Ravens host Sunday -- and he thinks it’s only a matter of time until Castillo and the Ravens get their sluggish running game going.

“It will happen. They’ve got the right guys there to make it happen,” Williams said. “Just with a couple more tweaks here and there, as far as scheming and guys getting on the same page, it will be there. The running game will pop wide open, and then it will be like, ‘that’s the Ravens we know.’ ”

Williams said that Castillo’s version of the zone-blocking running game, which has been scrutinized in recent weeks, is not much different from that they used last season.

“With Juan, it’s close to the same fit. It’s the zone,” Williams said. “You stretch it and you let your back find the hole, which is similar to what Ray [Rice] has been used to. Juan is about producing physical guys up front, guys that are nasty.”

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-sports-blitz-ravens-bobbie-williams-juan-castillo-20131108,0,102019.story#ixzz2k5wZ40X5

[rastaman831226]

No one has said Juan Castillo is a bad coach. It's just that the assignments in Castillo's version of the zone blocking scheme just don't sit well with the Ravens' talent on this line. This Oline just can't grasp this version nor do they buy into it. Add a sub par Center who cannot make the correct line calls or handle NT's at this level to the mix and you get an Oline that looks a step slow, confused and in general overwhelmed. Dumping Castillo will solve half the problem - replacing Gradkowski will solve the other half.

[dc.]

I still blame Juan. Rice's inability to even know his blocking assignment in most pass schemes, and the way it's limited the dump off to him is a piece of evidence I think has been overlooked. If it were just talent or just Rice or just the OL we wouldnt have the level of failures we've seen.

[vmax]

I still blame Juan. Rice's inability to even know his blocking assignment in most pass schemes, and the way it's limited the dump off to him is a piece of evidence I think has been overlooked. If it were just talent or just Rice or just the OL we wouldnt have the level of failures we've seen.

 

 

Level of failures is right.

Epic Fails.

[oldno82]

Really hate to say this but, it's time to bench Rice and start Pierce and let him play to see if he's the replacement we need. Pierce could also benefit from the experience and Ray is done.

[oldno82]

Gradowski has to go after the season unless Shipley can play which I doubt. We miss Osemele badly too but overall the line play sucks and when there is a hole or an opportunity Ray Rice goes down lack a sack of potatoes.

[GrubberRaven]

Friggen Jensen is healthy, why aren't we using him???

[ravinmaniac52]

Friggen Jensen is healthy, why aren't we using him???

I don't understand, he doesn't even come in with the big line. Give the guy a chance. You didn't keep the guy on the roster when you could have placed him on the IR. Play the guy please

[dc.]

Gradowski has to go after the season unless Shipley can play which I doubt. We miss Osemele badly too but overall the line play sucks and when there is a hole or an opportunity Ray Rice goes down lack a sack of potatoes.

You don't think Pierce has gotten the touches to show that Rice is the problem? Pierce's failures are as egregious as Rice's and only give more life to the argument that the issue is bigger than the back.

[oldno82]

Pierce was running a whole lot better than Rice today and averaged almost 4 yards/carry. Pierce looks like he's well now.

 

The line does suck but Pierce has a better chance of making something out nothing.

[RavenMad]

The line is terrible. Part of that is the scheme and the assignments, part of that is the talent on the line and part is the injuries.

 

There was 1 play that Rice got blamed for whiffing on a pass block by the announcers. When they showed the replay it was inside pressure from a guy that was lined up in the A gap over Grad's left shoulder. The ball was snapped and Grad took a step to the right with both arms extended out. The guy to his right was in the B gap between the RG and RT so why he was trying to help out there and not doing anything about the guy that was lined up almost directly opposite him I don't know. I also don't know why he was trying to help out our All Pro RG instead of helping a C playing LG. His token attempt at pass blocking did nothing to help Rice who then had to try and block a DT about 100lbs bigger than him. Ray is a decent blocker but he had no chance.

 

That said Pierce ran better than Rice when he got the chance. Not great but better. Ray is dancing too much and going down on first contact a lot more than he ever did. Even when he caught the ball in space he danced around too much and turned a 6,7,8 yard gain into a 3,4,5 yard gain. It's very frustrating to watch the running game fall apart because all of the ingredients for a decent run game have gone rotten all at the same time.