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ExtremeRavens: The Sanctuary

Who to watch tonight


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Joe Platania did his homework. He's probably the best eyes and ears we have covering camp.

He thinks Josh Johnson has a shot at beating out Mallett if he gives another strong performance.

 

 

 

3. DT Willie Henry
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound rookie from Michigan has been, perhaps, the least-discussed member of the "Fourth-Round Five" batch of draft picks. Because he was drafted, his place on the team is secure, but he has shown flashes of being a real playmaker and disruptive force on a defensive line that could be among one of the AFC's, if not the league's, deepest and most talented units. He has made the backfield a second home this month.

4. RB Kenneth Dixon
Last week, Terrance West was part of the watch list, and he showed league observers how hard he has been working since training camp with a two-touchdown performance. But it was Dixon who led the team in rushing against Carolina with 44 yards on nine carries -- a nearly 5-yard per-carry average -- showing the quick cuts, great instincts and good foot speed that got him into the end zone 87 times at the college level. Plus, he will be working on a faster turf surface in Indianapolis this week.

5.DE Matt Judon
A fifth-round pick from Division II Grand Valley State, Judon led all of college football in sacks last year, but his small-school background and lower-level opposition still didn't put him high on anyone's radar. But as Judon gets more reps, he is starting to show why he was, at the very least, a draftable commodity. Judon led the Ravens against the Panthers with five tackles and a sack, and if he can stack performances like that throughout the next three games, he could be the real find of the entire 11-man draft class...https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/08/19/ten-ravens-to-watch-in-preseason-matchup-against-colts

 

 

....and Waller has definitely been looking damn good. He's a playmaker.

Going to be a fun night. :gorave:

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Johnson, Moore and Butler looked great on that final drive. Aiken picking up where he left off.

 

The D looks the same as last year. No pressure on the QB, 3rd and long is a guaranteed first down, out of position and piss poor tackling. there were 3 or 4 good plays; the fumble recovery, some batted down passes, Canady's play in the end zone...but they keep giving up 5,287 yards.

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I worry this team is worse than even I think. Imagine if that defense faced a first team offense for a FULL GAME!

 

There is no depth on the offensive line- NONE. Jensen as to go, he is still just flat out terrible- Yes, I watched him, that line all game. They need to bring in a camp cut, a fee agent, even if they have to guarantee the contract......

 

The rookie looked good again, though, he still has no power, failed on many attempts to block down on stretch plays away. This line is going to take a long time to get going, one injury, and this offense will be sunk. Even with a healthy line, I am not sure they will be able to run the ball consistently, certainly will continue to struggle with short yardage.

 

The defense, oy.... Where to start? Mosely, still late to holes, biting hard on play fake, or even play action away, having to turn and burn to get to his coverage area or hold the running back leaking out...

 

Orr, very nice, we have found our weak side backer, quick to diagnose, quick to get there and a solid tackler. His coverage is still a bit weak, but with his athleticism, and intelligence, I expect that to improve quickly.

 

We have ONE safety, ONE. Not two, not three, not four; ONE and he is at the end of his career, though still solid. They cannot cover at all, not man, not zone.

 

I know, the hero of the game, Levine playing linebacker in dime, yippie, nice play. But he is slow, can't cover man, and is not a consistent tackler. He is good at the line of scrimmage, but that is all.

 

The secondary is atrocious, Webb can still tackle, who knows if he is going full speed, but he has a long way to go cover wise. Smith has clearly lost a step, this secondary is going to be burned early & often.

 

Some excellent talent on the defensive line, good depth there, four-three, three-four, five-two,, they can run all those fronts. Good foot speed too so stunts and stems should work well.... However, little strength/power or stamina, thus little pressure without an all out blitz.

 

Torch- the new name for this defense....

 

I also think they keep Josh Johnson over Mallet, as Mallet said after the game; Johnson is fleet of foot and can do things he, Mallet, cannot.

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11 penalties for 91 yards. Total Ravens yards was only 251 so that makes for a big night of 160 yards.

Ravens lose time of possession 26:47 to 33:13

1st downs Ravens 16. Indy 23.

5 of 14 on 3rd down.

 

 

One reason to be concerned: The Ravens' deep running back group has failed to break any long runs. Justin Forsett, Buck Allen, Kenneth Dixon and West all averaged fewer than 3.6 yards per carry. No one had a run longer than 9 yards against an Indianapolis defense that ranked 25th against the run in 2015.http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/29241/ravens-top-colts-but-concern-for-starting-defense-continues-to-build

 

The O line can't run block.

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Everybody-calm down! It's the frickin' preseason. Two freakin' games! We won both of them. Yes, we gave up a total of 171 yards on three defensive drives against two pro bowl QB's. both games. That does not mean they won't correct these problems. Stop crying like a bunch of sissy girls and get behind your team. Wusses.

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This defense will have to play bend but don't break defense. As bad as the secondary has been, we have tightened up in the redzone. If we keep the long plays in front of us, but play tight in the redzone, that is a successful formula ala 2012. If we give up the big plays for touchdowns and are weak in the redzone, it will be last year all over again. On defense our ability hold to 3 instead of 7 will define our season.

 

If we are going to judge the defense for getting torched in the preseason, by that same logic we also have to give them credit for holding up in the redzone.

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And how long has our O been lacking a running game? Since we had the 3 headed monster - Rice, McGahee and LRon McClain, Prior to that, the Jamal Lews era.

 

Otherwise, we haven't had a strong running game and have stopped trying to convert 3rd or 4th and 1. It won't change until we change coaches, attitude and personnel.

 

Since Ray and Reed retired, the team has lost its swagger on both sides of the ball. The guys who have any - SSS and Suggs - are at the end of their careers. We need a couple of 20 something hell raisers and hooligans who can kick butt and take names.

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And how long has our O been lacking a running game? Since we had the 3 headed monster - Rice, McGahee and LRon McClain, Prior to that, the Jamal Lews era.

 

Otherwise, we haven't had a strong running game and have stopped trying to convert 3rd or 4th and 1. It won't change until we change coaches, attitude and personnel.

 

Since Ray and Reed retired, the team has lost its swagger on both sides of the ball. The guys who have any - SSS and Suggs - are at the end of their careers. We need a couple of 20 something hell raisers and hooligans who can kick butt and take names.

The run game was awesome under Kubiak but other than that good point. We haven't had a consistent identity. Kubiak leaving really set us back.

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"Preseason"

True, for the vets, no big deal. For the young players trying to make it in the NFL, a very big deal. Score means nothing to me, play more so and those guys by & large cannot play at this level.

 

 

Moore impressed me with his hands. In college, coming out, he was a body catcher with inconsistent hands. He has showed excellent hands making contested catches, a bright spot per se.

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Why is Castillo the problem?

 

 

Good questions, is he, is he just part of the issue? Is it the decision makers of talent along the line, in the secondary, at wide out? We have changed coaches over the year; offensive coordinator, secondary coach, defensive coordinator, receiver coaches, yet over the years, what has changed at those positions despite changing players too?

 

With Kubs, as pointed out, the line worked well, but the secondary, the defense, the wide outs, aside from the established vet, have not improved much at all.

 

This year, some big names in coaching have joined the secondary to help straighten it up. More new names for players, so far, no way of knowing if the improvements at coaching will help.

 

Sure, this is just two games, pre season games, the level of energy is a bit different, teams play vanilla defense/offense. But if the players can't even hold up to just playing simple zone or man, and, against opponents who likely will not be in the NFL this season, what does that say?

 

This holds up the same for the offensive line.

 

Is it the person choosing the players? The coaches (many are new) the players (some new)?

 

Since this has been an issue for longer than some of the coaches have been here, and there are different names at the positions, maybe it is the evaluater (s)....

 

 

I am sure the starting offensive line will work things out to some extent. However, the depth is not there, not at guard, certainly not at tackle if one of them gets hurt.

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When he has been tinkering with the OL and the run game it has sucked. Rice's last yr. They bring in Kubes and he has complete authority and the OL plays well. He leaves and the line is mediocre again.

I don't think you are starting the facts here. Kubiak and Castillo have the same zone running philosophy, they worked well together. The same chemistry isn't/wasn't there with Caldwell and Trestman.

 

Ts, has it right, this goes way above Castillo. Everything I've read the players love Castillo and his instruction. It's Ozzie's fault for not getting the proper talent compatible with the scheme, it's Harbaugh's fault for tinkering with the scheme so often. KO said as much at his Raiders press conference. We are too inconsistent with our philosophy to develop an identity. That's not the offensive line coach's doing, that falls on the head coach and the front office.

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Same old same old from the D. Common denominator is Dean Pees as DC. Get someone that can design a pass rush/blitz and see if things look better. Or we can continue to watch our D-Linemen run straight ahead into the O-Line and put zero pressure on the QB. When our LBs blitz they do exactly the same. They run straight into an O-lineman and get stonewalled.

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Then how come it works like crap before Kubes then worked so well for Kubes then went back to crap after Kubes? Are you sure it is the same system they run? With the same ppl Kubes got more production. That is not Ozzie.

That falls on the offensive coordinator and head coach to make the offensive system work. There has to be chemistry in the offensive philosophy between the coaches. It was not there with Castillo and Caldwell, and it is currently not there with Castillo and Trestman. Offensive coordinator has the final say. If it continues to not gel, then it is up to the head coach to either get an offensive line coach that shares the same philopshy as Trestman, or if Harbaugh is hell bent on having a zone blocking system, get a new OC that shares that philopshy.

 

The talent level also speaks to how fantastic of a coach Kubiak is.

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