Quick Thoughts on the game.

[OutsideRzAcE]

• Cam's 3rd Q play calling was atrocious. Ray has been running through huge holes in the first 6 qtrs and he puts it all on Flacco's arm when it's time to seal the deal?
  
• Even with the pathetic play calling, the Ravens would have beat this team with refs that knew what they were doing. The lack of holding calls on the Eagles secondary was pathetic. Then after barely calling any of the holding/interference calls in the secondary, to take a TD off the board for an iffy offensive pass interference call was maddening. The refs had bad calls against each team (I don't think any of the rougher calls were legit).
  
• Justin Tucker was amazing.
  
• Even 30# lighter, Ray is a liability covering the middle of the field in the dime/prevent.
  
• With 2 Minutes left, 2 time outs and a kicker that had already made a 56 and 51 yarder, Flacco should have been able to win this for the Ravens. The last two passes were choke city...i'm a little surprised considering that he's been there/done that when it comes to coming through in the 2 minute drill.
  
• Bernard Pollard is a beast...the D really missed him
  
• If anyone had any doubts, Pitta is the shit and Dickson is garbage.
  

[Dunno]

• Dean Pees is a really really bad fit as D coordinator of the Ravens.
  

[vmax]

The Muddle offense was a muddle in the second half. Cam and Joe think it's designed for throwing.

 

The Ravens ran the ball only 33% of their plays. Therefore they ignored the most productive aspect of their game Sunday. They lost time of possession and gave Vick 10 more plays to beat them.

486 yards of offense could have been whittled down and the Ravens might have left with the win.

 

The Muddle is supposed to have the opposite effect where the offense gets to run more plays. You need a defense that can get off the field on 3rd downs to work in tandum to achieve that objective. Didn't happen. They got murdered on 3rd and long.

The secondary had a ton of communication break downs.

 

Special Teams had a very good game.

 

Turnovers. With the Eagles turning the ball over so much, this was another sign to play more cerebral, run the ball, and protect the rock. The object is to win the game....not score fantasy points. Instead the Ravens kept throwing and returned the favor.

 

Something was wrong with Joe in the second half. Cam needs to see when his accuracy is falling off and go to Rice to help him out.

 

This is starting off like last season when the team struggled to find their identity. It will take a few weeks for this to happen.

[cravnravn]

Relying on a kicker to win you games is not going to win you many games in the NFL.

 

Joe going 5 for 28 and a pick in the second half.

 

Defense on the field entirely too long, the no huddle is nice, but going no huddle and 3 and out is deadly to a D

[RavenMad]

My thoughts:

 

I f'ing hate the week after a loss. It takes until Friday before I feel less depressed. It's even worse when my other fav teams in other sports fail to win and give me a lift after a Ravens loss.

[oldno82]

The first half and second halves were like two different games. I think the Ravens defense really missed Pollard after he got hurt and it must be more than a coincidence that Joe collapsed in the second half after taking a rib injury. From the sideline shots I saw it looked like he was in pain.

 

The refs stank too but you can't do anything about that.

 

The defense is missing the pressure that Suggs, Johnson, and Redding supplied last year. There was some pressure on Vick but not nearly like there would have been if those guys had been in there. I fear the defense is going to be a letdown this year.

 

Cam, whom I praised last week, was slow to realize Joe was hurt/not himself in the second half and should have run the ball when we had it 3rd and 1 on the last series we had at the end of the game. All we needed was about 20-30 more yards to give Tucker a decent shot.

 

When you go 5 for 28 in passing in the second half, something is drastically wrong. Its been mentioned in the Sun that our receivers started getting jammed at the line in the second half and couldn't get open except for Pitta. The Eagles made adjustments at halftime and we didn't.

 

Without Pollard our defense doesn't have enough of that 'fear' component that its had for the last dozen years.

 

Time to regroup and get healthy with the Pats, who also lossed, coming to town next Sunday.

[cravnravn]

If Pitta was the only one getting seperation then we sure in the heck didnt exploit it, the way Vick exploited our D with Calek, the cat had 157 yards receiving

[papasmurfbell]

I thought Cam was the man. Pees going to prevent with 4:47 left had me going...

[oldno82]

Pressure on our offensive line was also intense. We had real trouble pass blocking against their ends. Our 2 OTs were unable to stop the outside rush.

Pitta caught a lot of passes but by the time the second half rolled around Joe was going downhill. Again, I suspect that was due to his ribs---and the Eagles pass rush.

[oldno82]

Our defense isn't up to past standards either: we've given up 808 yards in just 2 games and 592 have been through the air.

[vmax]

How do you know Joe had a rib injury?

[vmax]

On Vicks performance:

 

• When hit or hurried: 9 of 15, 181 yards, no touchdowns, one interception.

• When not pressured: 14 of 17 for 190 yards, one touchdown, one interception.

 

 

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/09/16/week-2/index.html#ixzz26m9Pjeqy

[varaven45]

Outside,

 

Good points. Not surprising, we underperfomed in Philly after shooting our wad opening night against a division foe.

So we get the bad game out of our sysem and begin addressing the problems in time for NE game:

 

This team after at least two years of ineptitude at converting 3rd or 4th and short, has got to rediscover the running game.

Passing on 3rd or 4th and 1 blows and needs to be corrected.

We paid Rice big time to carry the rock. Let him carry the rock ! That will take the pressure off Joe and give the D a breather.

 

Our secondary needs a thumper, especially since Ray and LB corps is such a liability in pass coverage. If Pollard is out

for New England or for an extended time, opposing teams TEs will feast on our pass D.

 

While Suggs is out, Peas is going to have to innovate and send the house a whole lot more. Otherwise, our secondary is going to get worked.

 

Its early but this team has just got to finish to win games. Most of the other teams are in the same boat.

 

Time to right the ship !

[oldno82]

How do you know Joe had a rib injury?

He said so after the game and Harbaugh did too.

[cravnravn]

He said so after the game and Harbaugh did too.

 

 

The cause for the lack of separation can be debated. Was the Eagles secondary really that good and Ravens receivers that bad? Or were the replacement refs letting defenders get away with more contact and holding? But that’s a different topic for another time.

Zrebiec’s note to consider: “I also think that Flacco was affected by the hit that he took to the rib cage early in the second half though he’d never admit it.”

Flacco did take more hits than the team would have liked.

While the Eagles were only able to muster two sacks on the day, they hit Flacco six times and he was hurried another nine. He was under pressure during 35 percent of his throws.

Flacco did admit after the game that his ribs were “rolled up on a little bit” on the first play of the second half. But hedidn’t say whether it affected his play.

“There might be a little bit of a health issue with Flacco,” our own John Eisenberg told WNST yesterday. “I think he got popped in the ribs pretty good.”

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Late-For-Work-920-Would-Flacco-Admit-If-Injury-Affected-Performance-/adcfd1c2-9114-4adc-bd0b-fb154554533a

[papasmurfbell]

Our defense isn't up to past standards either: we've given up 808 yards in just 2 games and 592 have been through the air.

 

But the players say Pees is great.

[cravnravn]

 

But the players say Pees is great.

 

 

And you expect them to say what

[varaven45]

 

 

 

And you expect them to say what

 

Exactly. That's what Bosox players were saying about Francona last year after the pizza and beer parties in the clubhouse . Peas better be lighting fires under their arses !

[papasmurfbell]

I don't expect them to say he blows. I just saying that people here pointing out that the players saying this or that has no meaning.

[vmax]

Rossbergs off my hot seat for a week.

Special Teams was good. The Ravens need to consistently win that phase of the game.

[oldno82]

Pees is not impressing me so far...I missed the 'wreak havoc' philosophy of Pagano. Actually, losing Pagano may have had even more impact than losing Jarret Johson and Redding.