Wild Card Ravens vs Bengals

[vmax]

 

We have 1 more week of football. Meaningful games in January. A fans dream! 

ESPN's computer matchup up indicator gives the Ravens a 28.3% chance.   I really like the Ravens chances. This is not the injury decimated roster that the Bengals are used to bullying.  Cincinnati’s final 10 drives ended with seven punts, a Burrow fumble on a strip-sack by rookie David Ojabo, a turnover on downs and a field goal. 

Burrow was 25 for 42. 59%. 1 TD 80.9 rating. We can make it worse next week with Ojabo and Calais.

The Bengals running game; 20 carries. 55 yards. 2.8 ypc. They will have to throw.

 In the two regular-season games against the Ravens this year, Burrow has thrown for 217 yards and 215 yards, respectively. Can the Ravens keep a lid on him and the passing attack for a third time? 

3rd down stats for both team's suck. Ravens 6 for 16. Bengals 5-15

Believe it or not Ravens have more total yards. 386 to 257. That's because the Ravens gifted them 3 scores on turnovers. 

It will be interesting to see the injury reports this week. Especially for Lamar, JK and Gus. 

Right now, it's safe to say that both teams hate each other.... Why put-up false pretenses?

Edited January 9, 2023 by vmax

[vmax]

#1. If they are to have a chance at winning the Ravens have to win in the trenches.
#2 They have to get a lot of pressure and make life Hell for Burrow.
#3 No turnovers
#4 No drive killing penalties. 
#5 they need all hands-on deck. This means Lamar and Gus.
#6 All 3 phases have to show up and work in tandem to control the game. Offense, Defense and Special Teams.
#7 Be the more physical team.

 Is all of that going to happen?

No.

Yet they need to accomplish as much of these objectives as the can in order to have a chance.

Edited January 9, 2023 by vmax

[varaven45]

Agreed and great synopsis Max !  It's about the LOS, wrapping up Burrow, and pounding the rock down their throats - ALL 4 QUARTERS.       

[tsylvester]

I'm gonn be lazy and copy/paste what I said in the Sunday's game thread

Overall, very good pressure on Burrow from the front four, they should have had five maybe six sacks. They just have to contain and relax when they get to him.

If they can do that, stop the turnovers, the Ravens have a chance to beat the Bengals next week.

They played a simple defense, I expect something more this week. They also did not use a lot complex route combinations on offense, that too, I expect to change.

Will the defense be able to keep the pressure up? Provide the same coverage, break up those passes?

Will the Bengals drop those touchdown passes? Burrow over throw one?

As much as we like to credit the defense, and we should, the Bengals also missed on a wide open touchdown & dropped two others that were in their hands, granted with tight coverage.

[papasmurfbell]

With such a large lead and the Ravens not playing well we saw sincy start playing a safe offense style for the 2nd half.

[vmax]

mison Hensley • TweetShift
BOT
 — Today at 5:43 PM
Ravens' final 2022 rankings on offense

Total yards: 16th (338.8)
Rush: 2nd (160.0)
Pass: 28th (178.8)
Scoring: 19th (20.6)

3rd down: 11th (41.7%)
4th down: 26th (40%)
Red zone: 30th (45.8%)

[vmax]

At this moment I don't think we'll see Lamar start Sunday. Just a gut feeling hunch. I think Lamar makes it to practice because he wants to play so bad. I also think the knee and the rust is too much for him to overcome.

 

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by vmax

[oldno82]

I hope his knee doesn't lead to surgery of some type.

[tsylvester]

3 hours ago, oldno82 said:

I hope his knee doesn't lead to surgery of some type.

Not likely, MCL's  are pretty simple if there was no tear. Rest & rehab + time. Depending in the sprain they can be 1-3 weeks to 4-6. Frankly, many, most players will play on the sprain if the game is important enough, especially if they are at their "window".

Why it is taking so long for Lamar to be ready is a mystery.

Frankly without  a healthy Lamar, the Ravens are going to be blown out. But hey, two other teams are starting rookie quarterbacks in the playoffs.

The Phins are a completely different team without Tua, who is still have concussion symptoms this far out, now that is a real problem, long term.

Purdy in San Fran is the shocker, but the playoffs are a different animal, we shall see. In the big games for Iowa State he did not play very well...

We got out post season present, Smith signed

[vmax]

Jamison Hensley on Twitter
“Ravens practice report (Wednesday)

9 players not present:

QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
RB Gus Edwards (concussion protocol)
CB Brandon Stephens (ill)
OT Ronnie Stanley*
G Ben Powers
DE Calais Campbell*
OLB Jason Pierre-Paul*
OLB Justin Houston
LS Nick Moore
*-Likely rest days”

No way Lamar can get in game shape. Huntley might be a smoke screen too. Very concerned that we don't see Gus.

 

[vmax]

 

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by vmax

[vmax]

 

[oldno82]

3 hours ago, vmax said:

Jamison Hensley on Twitter
“Ravens practice report (Wednesday)

9 players not present:

QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
RB Gus Edwards (concussion protocol)
CB Brandon Stephens (ill)
OT Ronnie Stanley*
G Ben Powers
DE Calais Campbell*
OLB Jason Pierre-Paul*
OLB Justin Houston
LS Nick Moore
*-Likely rest days”

No way Lamar can get in game shape. Huntley might be a smoke screen too. Very concerned that we don't see Gus.

 

That pretty much sums it all up, Max. I doubt Edwards will or should play with the concussion he sustained last week. Jackson is a puzzle wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma. He plays to his own tune. Who knows if he shows up or not? Not practicing for 5 weeks has got to lead to a ton of rust.

I'm not sure we want to continue the Lamar experience next year. I'm am rapidly moving to the trade him for picks camp. Not all the way there yet, but it's within sight.

 

 

 

[vmax]

15 hours ago, oldno82 said:

That pretty much sums it all up, Max. I doubt Edwards will or should play with the concussion he sustained last week. Jackson is a puzzle wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma. He plays to his own tune. Who knows if he shows up or not? Not practicing for 5 weeks has got to lead to a ton of rust.

I'm not sure we want to continue the Lamar experience next year. I'm am rapidly moving to the trade him for picks camp. Not all the way there yet, but it's within sight.

 

 

 

I'm getting there too. Slowly. You have to have your franchise player playing in December and January. This is 2 years in a row now.

[vmax]

[vmax]

[papasmurfbell]

On 1/11/2023 at 11:14 AM, oldno82 said:

I hope his knee doesn't lead to surgery of some type.

PCLs are almost impossible to do surgically.  Its on the inside of the knee.

[oldno82]

Yeah but I'm afraid of what more they may find after the season if he's really not improving.

[papasmurfbell]

The only way you go in is to repair and tear.  Now what worries me is we get to the summer and Lamar cant pass a physical from another team bc his knee is not right.

[vmax]

Jeff Zrebiec •
 — Today at 2:10 PM
RB Gus Edwards (concussion) returned to practice. He was wearing a non contact jersey and foam protection on his helmet. 

Huntley's throwing. Like 5 yard passes. Looks like a diversion to me. 

Jamison Hensley • 
 — Today at 2:16 PM
Ravens practice report (Thursday)

Not practicing
QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
CB Brandon Stephens (illness)
LS Nick Moore (illness)
OL Trystan Colon

[tsylvester]

2 hours ago, oldno82 said:

Yeah but I'm afraid of what more they may find after the season if he's really not improving.

He fell on his knee, it is not as if he was cutting, or if someone hit him on the side of the knee while it was planted.

It is a simple injury if it is just a sprain. Since they did do the MRI and did not find a tear, it is just as simple as healing, boom done.

[papasmurfbell]

He was driven onto his knee with the weight of the tackler.  The MRI missed the scar tissue in Dobbins.

[tsylvester]

46 minutes ago, papasmurfbell said:

He was driven onto his knee with the weight of the tackler.  The MRI missed the scar tissue in Dobbins.

Yes but a tackle like that is unlikely to create a tear in the pcl. That comes from being hit in the side of the knee while the foot is planted.

I am sure they did contrast with the mri to make certain

[papasmurfbell]

You are describing the way an ACL tears.

[tsylvester]

1 hour ago, papasmurfbell said:

You are describing the way an ACL tears.

A pcl tears the same way essentially.

While Harbs did not rule Jackson out,this is very interesting. He ruled him self out on social media

J

ackson tweeted. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I've suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a [grade 3 sprain]. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable. I'm still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can't give a 100% of myself, to my guys and fans. I'm still hopeful we still have a chance."

Quite odd