One Winning Drive: Third Time, Still No Respect

[cometrally]

Just like the Ravens blew the Steelers out of the water twice this year already. Oh wait...

 

His point is that we are CAPABLE of beating the Stealers handily (and I agree), but that for some reason we are content with a short run-short run-incomplete pass style of offense that is totally devoid of all imagination and trickery, while the Stealers are never afraid to be gimmicky against us. They pull out all the stops to beat us - offensively, defensively and sometimes on special teams - and STILL most times only manage to beat us by a FG or two. Imagine the outcome if we stopped playing so offensively tentative.

[SpearSrai]

His point is that we are CAPABLE of beating the Stealers handily (and I agree), but that for some reason we are content with a short run-short run-incomplete pass style of offense that is totally devoid of all imagination and trickery, while the Stealers are never afraid to be gimmicky against us. They pull out all the stops to beat us - offensively, defensively and sometimes on special teams - and STILL most times only manage to beat us by a FG or two. Imagine the outcome if we stopped playing so offensively tentative.

 

Get out of my head! You nailed it, thanks for saving me the time.

 

Btw, something I realized in the last 3-4 days... Cam Cameron used to OC under Marty Schottenheimer, the guy who is known for his terribly conservative playoff playcalling. Playcalling so bad that he can go 14-2 in the regular season, but still be fired outright for his playoff tactics. I'm starting to think a little Marty-ball rubbed off on Cam, and I don't like it.

[yagersports]

I guarantee it, if we open up the playbook before we have to, we lose the game. We do not want to be in a slinging contest with any team at this point.

 

Flacco could get lucky and do some good things, but the chances of him throwing for 300 yrds and a couple of TDs is very remote against this Pitt team. I'll eat crow and admit that I was wrong if this occurs, but realistically we need to play to our STRENGTHS.

 

All successful organizations play to their strengths while minimizing the impact of weaknesses. Check any book on leadership, management, or success. The afore mentioned statement is always an underlying theme. Passing the ball is not a strength of the Ravens team at this juncture. I guarantee it will be next year, but at this point this team is just not ready to be gun slinging.

 

Also, the liklihood of a gimmick play working against a geat disciplined Steeler defense is very minimal.

 

I think a good medium between opening up the play book and gimick plays would be to call a few of the following plays:

 

1. It would be nice to see a few WR screens. Clayton is pretty elusive if given the opportunity in space. It would also stretch the defense some and allow the quick hit to the TE more often.

 

2. Can I get 2-3 screen passes to Willis McGahee on third down. Willis, not McClain, should be given the ball in that situation, he's more of playmaker.

 

3. It would be nice to see a couple of reverse plays. Those can work even against good disciplined defenses.

[SpearSrai]

Just because we run the ball relentlessly, even when it's not working, that doesn't make it a 'team strength'.

 

And Ray Rice needs to be catching passes out of the backfield... There's no reason not to do this.

[ForceEight]

Just because we run the ball relentlessly, even when it's not working, with a 'tram strength'.

 

And Ray Rice needs to be catching passes out of the backfield... There's no reason not to do this.

Unless he's still injured, which I think might be the case. He didn't seem like much more than a decoy last week.

[SpearSrai]

Unless he's still injured, which I think might be the case. He didn't seem like much more than a decoy last week.

 

They've been saying he's completely ready to go for both playoff games. Harbaugh said, after Miami, that he was ready, but the flow of the game did not allow him to put him in.

[ForceEight]

They've been saying he's completely ready to go for both playoff games. Harbaugh said, after Miami, that he was ready, but the flow of the game did not allow him to put him in.

Which is what led me to the conclusion that he might have been a decoy.

[yagersports]

A quick note about Strengths.......you don't have to be great at something for it to be a strength. Strength is relative to the entity you're describing. Even the Detroit Lions had strengths.......just thier's were considerably weaker than the rest of the NFL lol!

 

I got the same feeling about Rice, you would think that with his abilities he'd be given the ball. I agree with Srai about Rice on the screen passes, he would be a great one on those types of plays as well. However it seems either the team has no faith in him at this point, or he really is still a bit hobbled.

[SpearSrai]

A quick note about Strengths.......you don't have to be great at something for it to be a strength. Strength is relative to the entity you're describing. Even the Detroit Lions had strengths.......just thier's were considerably weaker than the rest of the NFL lol!

 

If we add more short, quick routes into the mix (instead of just going for the deep ball every time we pass) I think we would be better at moving the chains through the air than via handoffs. Just because we pound the ball, that doesn't make it a 'strength'...it just means that's what we do. And we're one of the worst teams in the NFL at YPC.

 

Maybe you could say our offense doesn't really have a strength.

 

Rolle being out makes me think that we're going to need to put up some points to have a chance in this one. We don't want to waste our first 3 drives pounding the ball, and then be down 21-3 at halftime.