tsylvester Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 After a demolition of the Browns, the Texans come to town in this win or go home time of year. Yes, the Texans scored on offense and defense, making the talking heads beam with how great their rookie quarterback played in his first playoff game. Make no mistake, he looked poised, polished, every bit professional as he threw darts, dropped dimes, tore a apart one of the supposed top defense in the regular season. But, the Cleveland defense had been on a downward spiral, giving up 20 points or more in 4 of their last six games, and to some pretty putrid offenses. We have to go all the way back to Week one of the regular season for the last time these two teams met, a game the Ravens won, 25-9. A lot has changed since then, a rookie quarterback has grown up, so too has the Ravens offense, now fully engaged with their new offensive system. Neither team is the same as the ones that squared off all those weeks ago. The Texans are playing with house money, first year head coach, rookie quarterback, but the Ravens seem to be on a mission. Yes, there might be a monkey on Lamar's back, needing to win in the playoffs after what appears to be another MVP performance in the regular season. The defense of the Ravens also has something to prove. Yes, they finished in the top 6, tied for 1st in takeaways, 31, 1st in pts allowed, 16.5 pts per game, and in sacks, 60. But 2 of the top 5 defenses in the regular season got shredded, their respective pass rushes disappeared, can the Ravens defense pick up where they left off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varaven45 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Tsy, After watching a few underdogs upset and even blowout the favorites, combined with our 2 weeks off, I have no clue as to what to expect Saturday. I would be no more surprised to see us get blown out like the Browns or win convincingly. These 9-8 and 10-7 teams are playing with house money and have nothing to lose - see Green Bay. Houston has 0 to lose, no one is expecting squat from them, and a hot QB. Tsy, these weaker, underdog teams are out playing the big dogs and I see Houston giving us all we can handle and then some. As a 9.5 point underdog, I see the Texans easily covering the spread and pulling the upset would not surprise me. Nothing this season has surprised me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 The Ravens' defense is good. Is it good enough? Can MacDonald work his magic one more time? Will Lamar have a zoned in day like he's been having? The weather is going to be windy and cold. Which team, if either, adapts to that? Will Kyle Hamilton be the difference maker? Is he healthy? Questions, questions, questions. The answers come in just 5 more days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 This team knows that last year, without Lamar for the last games, the playoff game, they still almost made a run. Lamar hears the whispers about him not playing well in the playoffs. This team knows that they lost games because they lost focus. This team watched Tampa, Packerd, Houston, step up, beat heavily favored teams. They watched those top teams play flat, no energy, in a fog. The leaders on this team, I fully believe, will take all of this, and more, and make sure that they are ready for anything this Saturday. How will it go? Well, that is why they play the games. One at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Just bc you know doesnt mean you internalize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 Andrews had a very good practice yesterday according to Harbs, good news “I think today was his best showing, so far,” Harbaugh said in his press conference. “He really took a big step — what you saw today, we saw as well. So, it’s encouraging. We’ll just have to see how it goes.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Why do you believe a word that comes out of his mouth. As often as he has been caught in lies he has no value there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 5 hours ago, tsylvester said: Andrews had a very good practice yesterday according to Harbs, good news Zay Flowers and Oweh were also at practice today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 12 hours ago, papasmurfbell said: Why do you believe a word that comes out of his mouth. As often as he has been caught in lies he has no value there. I take it all with a grain of salt. Come on, you know me better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I dont believe a single word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Here is a good read about the "monkey on his back" https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39321242/nfl-playoffs-divisional-round-ravens-lamar-jackson-texans-super-bowl OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- After the Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed on New Year's Eve, players joyfully commemorated the season by taking group pictures while holding a newspaper whose headline read "AFC's Best." They let loose in the locker room by dancing in the middle of the floor, where even coach John Harbaugh showed off his moves. Amid the celebratory chaos, quarterback Lamar Jackson barely cracked a smile. He dapped up teammates with a stoic look on his face, which has become his usual postgame demeanor this season. "We've got more to do," he told them. Jackson understands he is entering his proving ground -- a postseason that will either change the narrative from his first six seasons in the NFL or continue to underscore his most discussed shortcoming. Few quarterbacks have dominated in the regular season and then disappointed in the postseason like Jackson. At 27, he's in line to become the youngest two-time NFL Most Valuable Player since the merger (edging the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes by just over nine months), and he's won more regular-season games (58) than any quarterback at his age. But Jackson has struggled at the most critical part of the season, going 1-3 in the playoffs with four total touchdowns and seven turnovers. The only quarterback to win more than 50 games in his first six seasons and have fewer postseason victories is Andy Dalton (0-4). When the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional round Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), Jackson begins the most important stretch of his career. "Lamar's always had a single-minded focus, but I don't think I've ever seen it quite like this," Harbaugh said. "He's been that way since the offseason when we talked, since he came to OTAs [organized team activities], since training camp, [he's been] one day at a time, locked in. That's kind of how he's approached it. It's been reflected in how he's practiced and how he's played." Jackson has essentially gotten everything he wanted over the past year, although it wasn't pretty at the beginning. After a protracted standoff that featured Jackson asking for a trade and the Ravens granting him permission to seek one, the sides came together on a five-year, $260 million contract that made him one of the highest-paid players in league history. He got a playcaller in offensive coordinator Todd Monken to help him elevate his passing game. He received an improved supporting cast at wide receiver -- including first-round pick Zay Flowers and free agent Odell Beckham Jr. -- to lessen the burden on his shoulders. The last unchecked box is hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is not lost on anyone around Jackson. WHEN JACKSON DISCUSSES an adjustment on a route, Beckham knows how the talk is likely going to end. "I'm trying to win a Bowl," Jackson tells him. When Jackson hangs out with teammates, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley knows it's only a matter of time before Jackson blurts it out. "I just want a Super Bowl," Jackson says. In the practices leading up to the 56-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Jackson told teammates: "Make it to February." "He won't be satisfied until we get a Super Bowl," Stanley said, "so I know what I'm getting in my quarterback." Jackson's former quarterbacks coach, James Urban, once described Jackson's fixation with the Super Bowl as an obsession. Others see it more as a personal mission. "I don't think Lamar feels that it's his way to shut the haters up," said Robert Griffin III, an ESPN analyst who was a Ravens backup quarterback for the first three seasons of Jackson's career. "I think it's his way to say 'I told you so.' It's more self-validation than it is to rub in the face of his haters. "Do you want me to play receiver? I told you I was a quarterback. You want to call me a running back? I told you I was a quarterback. You want to say I shouldn't have been drafted in the top 10 or been the first pick, I told you I was going to bring them a Super Bowl." The previous time Jackson led Baltimore to a No. 1 seed, the rallying cry was "Big truss." This year, Jackson's mantra is "Locked in." Jackson has gained a different appreciation for the opportunity after missing the past two postseasons with season-ending injuries. He's also played his best against the best, recording 10 victories against teams that finished with winning records -- the most by a quarterback in a single season since at least 2000. The changes in Jackson captured the attention of Hall of Fame middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the only player who was on the Ravens' two Super Bowl championship teams. "I'm putting all my chips on 8," Lewis said when asked if Jackson can win a Super Bowl. "I'm watching his maturity, I'm watching his patience in the pocket. "But I'll also tell you: 8 has a different look in his eye." IN JANUARY 2021, the last time Jackson played in a postseason game, he did something he had never done before. After staring down tight end Mark Andrews, Jackson was picked off in the red zone for the first time in his 41-start career. Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson returned Jackson's interception 101 yards for a touchdown in a 17-3 loss at Buffalo. This is the most puzzling aspect of Jackson's career. In the regular season, Jackson's 65.0 Total QBR is the seventh best in the NFL since 2018. In the playoffs, his 41.5 QBR is the second worst among quarterbacks with multiple postseason starts over that same span -- topping only Mitchell Trubisky. This season has been slightly different. When Jackson was a unanimous-choice MVP in 2019, he led the NFL in touchdown passes (36) and broke the rushing record for QBs (1,206). This year, he's outside the top 10 in passing yards (3,678 was 15th) and TD passes (24 was 11th). He also didn't rush for 1,000 yards (821). Yet the Ravens (13-4) had their second-highest win total. The fact that they've been able to win with some of the numbers he's put up," Griffin explained, "that to me is Lamar saying, 'I'm OK with managing this game if I have to. I don't need to run for 100 or throw for 300. If I throw for 150 and run for 20 and we win the game, that's all that matters. "That's where he's had the biggest growth. He now understands that sometimes the dynamic play is taking the checkdown. Sometimes the dynamic play is throwing the ball away, living to fight another day." Jackson knew he needed better targets in the passing game. According to Griffin, Jackson remarked a few years ago how there was a clear difference when throwing the ball to the likes of Keenan Allen in the Pro Bowl. This past offseason, Jackson asked Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta if the team could add free agents Beckham or DeAndre Hopkins, and Baltimore responded by signing Beckham to a one-year, $15 million deal. During past postseasons, Jackson primarily threw to Marquise Brown, Willie Snead IV and Miles Boykin. Now, he's passing the ball to Beckham, Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, all of whom were first-round picks. "Oh, Lamar can't win in the playoffs. Oh, Lamar only got one playoff win. OK, great," Lewis said. "But maybe we didn't have a good enough team to go ahead and do that. "That's why I think as his big brother, I'm throwing him the advice, 'Bro, we must win. Not Lamar must win.'" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 It's really good that Lamar is locked in. He has to remain 'in the zone' and hopefully the rest of the offense is getting the message. I think Roquan will keep the defense on point. The current window for us is closing. 20 free agents coming up and not much cap space. It will be awhile before we have as good a chance to win a ring again. The future is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Lamar has struggled in the cold and wind, Saturday is going to be both, in major ways. So he has a chance to keep his feet under him, get the right cleets to keep from slipping as he usually does. Just throw the ball, not try to direct it in the wind. Andrews looks like he is going to play, I hope not. Frozen field broken ankle, get one more week of rest in, they can win this game without him. They will need him against either the Bill's or the Chiefs, and especially in Super Bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Yeah, I agree. Hold him out this week and let him play some next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Humphrey is now out for the game, that calf is being a grinch.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Humphrey's really been having his problems the last few years. I wish he could play. He's pretty damned good in the slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Yeah, but I think they have the depth for this game, just keep that jackrabbit from going over the top. They will need Humph for the hopefully next 2 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Andrews out for this game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I'm glad they're sitting Andrews. I think it's wise. Likely has been outstanding. I think they'll Andrews next week though. I wonder if our defensive strategy will be the same one we used against them in game 1. Show Stroud a ton of different looks and keep the pressure on him. Here's hoping our 2 offensive tackles can keep the Texans defensive ends from sandwiching Jackson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 One issue with Likely his lack of blocking. Andrews is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 Kolar is a decent blocker, and of course Richard. If Lamar is on target and gets an escape route to buy time, this game could be over by half time I expect the defense will employ a different strategy than the first game, start out 2 high, maybe match up zone under or straight man under. But a lot of stunts to confuse their offensive line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Who do they have active as the 45? Also Kolar is not a threat as a receiver so he is a bit of a tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldno82 Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 It's true that Kolar isn't as much of a threat as a receiver but we have thrown to him the last 2 games just enough to keep them honest. If Lamar is still zoned in, we should win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papasmurfbell Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 That also depends on coaching. If Im hiuston I bring the run hard and heavy from the opening possession. Keep our D on the field all day. When they start loading the box is when CJ starts to capitalize. I have been astonished how poorly so many have tried to attack us for months now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsylvester Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 If they don't beat themselves with turnovers and penalties, whoopi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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