Bad running or bad coaching?

[dc.]

I know it's the topic of the day... and I fully agree that it's as much a problem of the offensive line as it as anything else, but I still like to make my point sometimes.

 

First, to anyone who says we 'tried to establish the running game' last night... that's false. In the 2nd half, even including the run that ended the half, we ran 7 times out of 17 plays by my count. That's less than 50% for those non-math majors out there. And it isn't like our pass game was blowing it up in the second half what with the sacks and incompletions. So given the choice between running for a 2.6 yard gain and getting sacked... I'd just rather run it.

 

And what the FRICKITY FRACK were John and Cam thinking on the 3rd and 2 with 2:50 left? They both tried to defend it today which is even more pathetic. I could care less about "what needed to happen for a first down." That play and that drive are about eating clock and nothing more. First down or no, I'll take the 40 seconds off the clock (aka - 25% of the time left in the game) more than a first down. Period. There is no defending that play or that call.

 

With the exception of the Denver game, I cannot remember one game this year where I felt like this team actually tried to run on a regular basis. Even in other games where we were successful - Atlanta early, New England - we just plain outdumb ourselves.

 

Bah and humbug.

 

 

 

That said... I'll take 9-4 any day. I just don't know if I can survive even a 12-4 record if it is all played like this.

[dc.]

Addendum...

 

Did anyone else see Cam Cameron early last week saying that Polamalu showed him a hole in his blocking schemes and that he fixed them? What does he have to say now? Either he's throwing his line under the bus or he didn't fix crap. Argh.

 

 

Addendum 2...

 

There was a great comment on the Ravens Insider blog by a fan today about how the Ravens are like the 01 Ravens with Grbac. We hated Grbac like no other but it was hardly his fault with everything going wrong around him. You can't throw your way into victories every game ... at least not with how slightly above average our passing game is.

[oldno82]

Addendum...

 

Did anyone else see Cam Cameron early last week saying that Polamalu showed him a hole in his blocking schemes and that he fixed them? What does he have to say now? Either he's throwing his line under the bus or he didn't fix crap. Argh.

 

 

I absolutely agree. And it wasn't just once, there were numerous blitzes off the edge we didn't even block. Joe is going to get killed one day.

[vmax]

They started off pounding it and that first TD drive was sweet. They had good run/pass balance right up to when they made it 14-0.

 

Then they got pass happy...forgot about the run...look at the drive sheets...scored a TD but that was it.

[thundercleetz]

Are you guys talking about the same run game that averaged 2.6 yards per carry? The run game didn't do anything for us on our touchdown drives with the exception of a couple of cheap draw plays that gained decent yardage. Flacco consistently had to convert 2nd/3rd & long situations. The run game was pathetic and if we were were hardly pounding it, unless you consider how we pounded it against the brick wall the Texans run defense put up against us.

[OutsideRzAcE]

How can you say they didn't try to establish the run? They wanted to establish the run so badly they brought back the jumbo package. You don't put O'Neil cousins out there for his pass blocking. If they only ran the ball 7 out of 17 times in the 2nd half, it's because it hadn't been working all game.

[OutsideRzAcE]

Are you guys talking about the same run game that averaged 2.6 yards per carry? The run game didn't do anything for us on our touchdown drives with the exception of a couple of cheap draw plays that gained decent yardage. Flacco consistently had to convert 2nd/3rd & long situations. The run game was pathetic and if we were were hardly pounding it, unless you consider how we pounded it against the brick wall the Texans run defense put up against us.

 

Sorry, I started my reply and got distracted. I pretty much echo your thoughts.

[varaven45]

Neither. Bad, very bad OL. Cant make chicken salad w/chicken poop !

[dc.]

How can you say they didn't try to establish the run? They wanted to establish the run so badly they brought back the jumbo package. You don't put O'Neil cousins out there for his pass blocking. If they only ran the ball 7 out of 17 times in the 2nd half, it's because it hadn't been working all game.

 

But look at the drive charts and in the second half the passing was just as pathetic - sack and incompletes leading to 3rd and long(er).

 

And again, the final drive of the 2nd half was just atrocious coaching-wise. Whether the run is working or not, you have to run there for the time benefit. It's that simple.

[ForceEight]

But look at the drive charts and in the second half the passing was just as pathetic - sack and incompletes leading to 3rd and long(er).

 

And again, the final drive of the 2nd half was just atrocious coaching-wise. Whether the run is working or not, you have to run there for the time benefit. It's that simple.

In retrospect, sure. But hindsight is 20/20, and the odds all game were well in favor of converting a 3rd and 2 through the air versus running for it. I don't question the decision at all. I just question (as far as that play goes) the execution.

[OutsideRzAcE]

Yea at the time I didn't mind the decision to throw there, and I still won't second guess it, even considering what happened. If our line was mowing them over like they were at the end of the Bucs game, they probably would have kept running it. Obviously considering what happened, I do see the point of those who say we should have ran it just to take time off the clock - I just think they really wanted to avoid putting our D back on the field and they felt a pass was the best chance to do that considering how unproductive our running game had been.

 

As for the passing game in the 2nd half. It was definitely terrible - mainly because of all the pressure Houston was getting. But all their success up to that point in the game had come on Flacco's arm, so it's not hard to see why when the running game continued to sputter, they elected to go back to the pass.

[ForceEight]

Yea at the time I didn't mind the decision to throw there, and I still won't second guess it, even considering what happened. If our line was mowing them over like they were at the end of the Bucs game, they probably would have kept running it. Obviously considering what happened, I do see the point of those who say we should have ran it just to take time off the clock - I just think they really wanted to avoid putting our D back on the field and they felt a pass was the best chance to do that considering how unproductive our running game had been

Moreover, I don't think the Texans would have had any trouble scoring with 40 fewer seconds, either.

[dc.]

In retrospect, sure. But hindsight is 20/20, and the odds all game were well in favor of converting a 3rd and 2 through the air versus running for it. I don't question the decision at all. I just question (as far as that play goes) the execution.

 

What odds? Our passing game was just as defunct in the 2nd half as our running game. If not worse.

 

Meanwhile, there is a KNOWN about running the game... getting almost to the 2 minute warning with the clock.

 

And it's hardly hindsight... like many, I was cursing as the play happened. How could you not freaking run?

 

 

Moreover, I don't think the Texans would have had any trouble scoring with 40 fewer seconds, either.

 

That's about as absurd a statement as I've ever heard. The only thing we know is that with all that time they needed at least some of that 40 seconds. The defense was crumbling, but it was holding out as best it could. It certainly could have changed that final drive dramatically and likely would have.

 

If anything, the only positive is that instead of ending on a note of "we almost broke and probably would have" we ended on the note of "coming back and showing some guts... after breaking"