Shame on you Ray Lewis

[cravnravn]

 

Ray Lewis has shown little hesitation critiquing his former team of 17 years in his new role as an ESPN analyst.

He continued Sunday morning, prior to the Ravens-Jets matchup, and this time Lewis’ target was Flacco.

Flacco is enduring his worst statistical season of his career, including a career-high 14 interceptions, but per CSNBaltimore.com, Lewis said the quarterback isn’t really playing differently than in years past. Lewis says the difference is that he lacks a supporting cast to compensate for his mistakes.

"When I was playing with Joe Flacco, Joe Flacco wasmaking these same mistakes back then, but our defense always found a way to bail him out," Lewis said during ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown.

Lewis said that in order for Flacco to flourish, the offense needs more balance with a successful running attack, meaning Flacco can’t carry the offense all on his own.

“There’s no real balance that [the] Baltimore Ravens have right now and they want to make Joe Flacco – they gave him $100 million, I understand that – they want to make Joe Flacco a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. He’s not that type of guy. He’s a system type of guy that if you have the balance – that you have running the ball, doing the things you need to do – then Joe Flacco excels.”

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Late-For-Work-1125-Ed-Reed-Got-What-He-Asked-For-With-Joe-Flacco/b0d74843-8cba-4478-8503-c15218e60ad6

 

[papasmurfbell]

He 100% spot on.

[Robjr83]

Ray's right... He said you got to run the ball to create balance. This offense isn't built to pass %80 of the time.

[oldcrow]

yeh

who wants someone to be unbiased and tell the truth. cuts like a knife

 

you just want him to wear the purple tinted glasses?

[deeshopper]

I remember when Ray Lewis was a more menacing middle linebacker when there was big defensive line in front of him. It's always easy to talk about someone else's performance in a certain system.

[cravnravn]

Defense has always been the Ravens motto, so for Ray to say that they have to "bail him out" is just wrong

[Geronimo]

Ray hit the nail right on the head, and Dee you're absolutely right, ray was a more menacing MLB with big DT's , but that doesn't make what he said about Flacco any less true, i've been saying the exact thing on here this whole season so i know where he's coming from.

[Money]

Ray hit the nail right on the head, and Dee you're absolutely right, ray was a more menacing MLB with big DT's , but that doesn't make what he said about Flacco any less true, i've been saying the exact thing on here this whole season so i know where he's coming from.

 

Looks like you and Ray Ray are two peas in a pod.

[vmax]

Until now, the Ravens offense always ran through Ray Rice.

Joe needs a running game and a line that can block. Give him that and it's another SB. So yea...he's a system QB.

All the QB's in the NFL are.

 

It's smart. When facing a good rushing attack, defenses have to bring more players into the box. Where Joe comes in is that when defenses crowd the box he can burn them deep because his receivers are facing man coverage.

If defenses stay back in coverage, the running game kills them.

 

Well...that is not there now.

 

Joe had a damn good game for getting sacked 4 times, hit 6 times and 30-40 mph winds. He's one of the few who can go into Mile High in December and January and put a hurting on you.

[oldno82]

You can't knock Joe's performance this past Sunday. He was efficient and effective on long and short passes. There were also a couple of drops. His problem is consistency and that gets magnified when there's no running attack and the O-line is letting them swarm in.

 

To sum up:

 

1) Joe isn't Tom Brady

2) He was lights out in the playoffs last year and the SB and brought us a championship.

3) Other times he can be found wanting

4) We had no choice but to pay him the money he got because somebody else would have and we would have to start a multi-year search for somebody as good

5) Ray's defense didn't bail him out in the playoffs and SB,

 

Do I wish he was a young Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Sure. But he is what he is and we can win with him with a balanced attack and a decent O-line.

 

He proved it last year.

[papasmurfbell]

yeh

who wants someone to be unbiased and tell the truth. cuts like a knife

 

you just want him to wear the purple tinted glasses?

The truth is most important. If you lie to yourself you can't fix yoru issues.

 

Defense has always been the Ravens motto, so for Ray to say that they have to "bail him out" is just wrong

They did. Joe rarely throws the kind of pass like sunday over Jones' sholder. Miost times Joe throws all over the place and his WR's have to make major corrections.

 

You can't knock Joe's performance this past Sunday. He was efficient and effective on long and short passes. There were also a couple of drops. His problem is consistency and that gets magnified when there's no running attack and the O-line is letting them swarm in.

 

To sum up:

 

1) Joe isn't Tom Brady

2) He was lights out in the playoffs last year and the SB and brought us a championship.

3) Other times he can be found wanting

4) We had no choice but to pay him the money he got because somebody else would have and we would have to start a multi-year search for somebody as good

5) Ray's defense didn't bail him out in the playoffs and SB,

 

Do I wish he was a young Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Sure. But he is what he is and we can win with him with a balanced attack and a decent O-line.

 

He proved it last year.

I think Joe looked pretty damned good Sunday.

[rastaman831226]

Ray nailed it again. And it only reinforces what I've been saying on this board. Joe Flacco is a high maintenance slightly above average NFL QB. Joe Flacco is getting paid Elite level money. Joe Flacco is clearly not an Elite level NFL QB. Joe Flacco is an overpaid high maintenace slightly above average NFL QB.

[cravnravn]

Ray nailed it again. And it only reinforces what I've been saying on this board. Joe Flacco is a high maintenance slightly above average NFL QB. Joe Flacco is getting paid Elite level money. Joe Flacco is clearly not an Elite level NFL QB. Joe Flacco is an overpaid high maintenace slightly above average NFL QB.

 

How in the hell is Joe high maintenance? hes on the cusp of a 6th straight playoff appearance with a crap TE crew, a crap RB crew, a crap O-line.

[Geronimo]

 

How in the hell is Joe high maintenance? hes on the cusp of a 6th straight playoff appearance with a crap TE crew, a crap RB crew, a crap O-line.

craven aren't you picking the steelers on thanxgiving?

[cravnravn]

craven aren't you picking the steelers on thanxgiving?

 

craven aren't you picking the steelers on thanxgiving?

I cant do that, Im still a homer

[Geronimo]

i could have sworn you picked us to lose this game, talking about how ben is in the no huddle now and they look good , so you were picking the steelers

[cravnravn]

That was my thoughts two weeks ago, it looks like Pitt is trying to gain momentum Im thinking we shut down their game Thursday, we cant come out and play a game as we did in Cleveland

[OutsideRzAcE]

You can't knock Joe's performance this past Sunday. He was efficient and effective on long and short passes. There were also a couple of drops. His problem is consistency and that gets magnified when there's no running attack and the O-line is letting them swarm in.

 

To sum up:

 

1) Joe isn't Tom Brady

2) He was lights out in the playoffs last year and the SB and brought us a championship.

3) Other times he can be found wanting

4) We had no choice but to pay him the money he got because somebody else would have and we would have to start a multi-year search for somebody as good

5) Ray's defense didn't bail him out in the playoffs and SB,

 

Do I wish he was a young Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Sure. But he is what he is and we can win with him with a balanced attack and a decent O-line.

 

He proved it last year.

 

Good summation. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with Ray's comments if he would have left out the part about the defense bailing Joe out. It certainly wasn't true last year. I will add that while it has been Ray's tendancy not to hold back punches when talking about the Ravens, his criticisms have always come in a self serving manner.

They're missing leadership because Ed and I aren't there.

Flacco isn't that great and my defense bailed him out.

But I shouldn't be too harsh because if Ray is anything, he's consistent. It's not just his criticisms that are self serving, it's also his praise. During the playoff run last year, whenever he was asked for his reaction to a great play made by a teammate, his comments went something like this:

Reporter: "What did you think about Flacco's bomb to tie the game against Denver?"

Ray: "Well I went up to Joe and I said it's your time to lead us"

Reporter: "How about that run back by Jacoby?"

Ray: "I touched his chest during halftime and I just told him, do what you do"

I'm paraphrasing of course, but you get the idea. It's Ray's world.

[rastaman831226]

 

How in the hell is Joe high maintenance? hes on the cusp of a 6th straight playoff appearance with a crap TE crew, a crap RB crew, a crap O-line.

High maintenance? Joe Flacco needs the best O-line, the best receivers, and the best coaching to be successful. Just what Ray was truthfully saying. Joe Flacco does not make his sorrounding talent better nor can he be relied upon to put the team on his shoulders and win games by himself. That makes Joe Flacco an average to slightly above average NFL QB who is playing under an Elite NFL QB contract. That makes Joe Flacco an overpaid NFL QB. Don't you agree?

[papasmurfbell]

High maintenance? Joe Flacco needs the best O-line, the best receivers, and the best coaching to be successful. Just what Ray was truthfully saying. Joe Flacco does not make his sorrounding talent better nor can he be relied upon to put the team on his shoulders and win games by himself. That makes Joe Flacco an average to slightly above average NFL QB who is playing under an Elite NFL QB contract. That makes Joe Flacco an overpaid NFL QB. Don't you agree?

[deeshopper]

[papasmurfbell]

You need to tell him.

[rastaman831226]

C'mon, too deep for you?

[Money]

High maintenance? Joe Flacco needs the best O-line, the best receivers, and the best coaching to be successful. Just what Ray was truthfully saying. Joe Flacco does not make his sorrounding talent better nor can he be relied upon to put the team on his shoulders and win games by himself. That makes Joe Flacco an average to slightly above average NFL QB who is playing under an Elite NFL QB contract. That makes Joe Flacco an overpaid NFL QB. Don't you agree?

 

Huh??? Joe had none of that last year. He had a decent O-line, decent receivers and decent coaching. He had to deal with changes on the line all year as well as a major coaching change.

 

What Joe needs to be successful is to NOT have a HORRENDOUS O-line (which is exactly what he has this year). There isn't a QB in this league that is successful with a horrible line. Most of the successful QBs have good to exceptional lines.

[cravnravn]

High maintenance? Joe Flacco needs the best O-line, the best receivers, and the best coaching to be successful. Just what Ray was truthfully saying. Joe Flacco does not make his sorrounding talent better nor can he be relied upon to put the team on his shoulders and win games by himself. That makes Joe Flacco an average to slightly above average NFL QB who is playing under an Elite NFL QB contract. That makes Joe Flacco an overpaid NFL QB. Don't you agree?

No way in hell, wasnt it Ray that bitched that we didnt have any beef in front of him, and then the FO goes out and drafts Ngata?

 

Please tell me when the Ravens had these best recievers? 1996? Joe makes the best of what he has, Boldin was nothing more then a TE. Jones is not a #1, Torrey isnt a #1, but some how we still get it done