Jump to content
ExtremeRavens: The Sanctuary

One Winning Drive: Vikings Full of Weapons


ExtremeRavens

Recommended Posts

First look at the Vikings so far this season and there’s just one thing to say: there’s a lot of talent on that team and a lot of people to be afraid of.c4107786-9fc5-4746-bb70-d463d109d201.jpg

Brett Favre: He’s not even the most important piece on this team, but he has shown several times this season what he’s capable of. The game-winning throw in Week 3 against the 49ers was the manifestation of every fear we need to have about Favre.

Adrian Peterson: Stat for stat, pound for pound, yard for yard: there is no better back in the league right now. The Ravens struggled against the Bengals and Cedric Benson, and Peterson outdoes Benson is just about every way.

Big Receivers: Bernard Berrian is the vet and is 6′1. The rookie Percy Harvin is the leading receiver and is 5′11. But the real threat to the Ravens is the young gun with a few seasons under his belt, Sidney Rice, who comes in at 6′4. All three can burn.

EJ Henderson: The former Terp doesn’t get enough credit for his presence and power in the Vikings defense. He leads the defense in tackles and his impact his felt on every play, just like a certain Raven we know.

Jared Allen: The country wonderboy has 6.5 sacks and last week returned a fumble for a touchdown. Allen is in his prime and can rush with the best of them.

The Williams Brothers: Overlooked so far this season, the big boys in the middle of the Vikings defense stuff the run, put a good push on pass plays and keep the rest of the defense free to do the fun stuff.

All in all… It’s a pretty overwhelming roster to glance at. Some of the names might not be as big as others, but the numbers are all there. I wasn’t buying into the all the hype preseason - and I’m still not sure this is “the best team Favre’s ever been on” - but they have been seriously impressive over the season’s first five games. They boast the only rush defense in the league that can rival the Ravens and pair it with perhaps the league’s best rushing attack. Those two statements alone make them one of the league’s toughest teams.

The Ravens will have to win this game by shutting down Adrian Peterson and forcing Brett Favre into his occasionally woeful ways.



View the full article
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would really suck to take a 3-game losing streak into the bye

IMHO it'll be tough to avoid. Your game is on the road. The Vikings are riding an incredible high after last weeks win. After facing the #1 NFL rusher last week, the Ravens are looking at the #2.

 

If your new HC Harbaugh has some new tricks up his sleeve, he best be pulling them out, because depending upon your aging defense just ain't cutting it anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO it'll be tough to avoid. Your game is on the road. The Vikings are riding an incredible high after last weeks win. After facing the #1 NFL rusher last week, the Ravens are looking at the #2.

 

If your new HC Harbaugh has some new tricks up his sleeve, he best be pulling them out, because depending upon your aging defense just ain't cutting it anymore.

 

That's the problem, our defense is no longer aging vets. The guys that are killing us are the young corners and the young linebackers. The vets are still playing great, the young guys like Gooden, Barnes, McClain, Foxworth, Carr, and Washington are not stepping up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the problem, our defense is no longer aging vets. The guys that are killing us are the young corners and the young linebackers. The vets are still playing great, the young guys like Gooden, Barnes, McClain, Foxworth, Carr, and Washington are not stepping up.

If Ray Lewis being a step behind rookie WR Caldwell for the game winning TD isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is. If Cedric Benson running all over the entire Baltimore defense for well over 100 yards isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is.

 

BTW McClain is a fullback. Washington is a wide receiver. They play on your offense. Unless some really wild position changes occur on the Ravens team, there is no way these two players could step up and help your crew playing defense, except for the fact Kelly Washington could teach Ray Lewis a few dance moves. I've never seen a black man dance so poorly since Bill Cosby did the lead in to his sitcom. laugh.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Ray Lewis being a step behind rookie WR Caldwell for the game winning TD isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is. If Cedric Benson running all over the entire Baltimore defense for well over 100 yards isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is.

 

BTW McClain is a fullback. Washington is a wide receiver. They play on your offense. Unless some really wild position changes occur on the Ravens team, there is no way these two players could step up and help your crew playing defense, except for the fact Kelly Washington could teach Ray Lewis a few dance moves. I've never seen a black man dance so poorly since Bill Cosby did the lead in to his sitcom. laugh.gif

 

 

Jameel McClain is a LB and Fabian Washington is a DB.

Giving up only 2 100 yard rushers in over 60 games is not a sign of the times. Every team in the NFL would love to have that stat. Peterson might make it 3, but the Ravens D will be very strong against the run this year...their front 7 is very deep and talented.

 

The Ravens D had a lot of turnover in personel over the last year and the new guys are developing. Just like the Bengals D started off last year poorly but got better as the season progressed, so will this D as they settle in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also didn't noticed Ray Lewis behind Caldwell on the game winning TD... well, maybe he was, but Caldwell was manned up by Carr... who fell down. Ray was supposed to be the underneath help - holding down the middle - not much he can do when the CB is on the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Ray Lewis being a step behind rookie WR Caldwell for the game winning TD isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is. If Cedric Benson running all over the entire Baltimore defense for well over 100 yards isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is.

 

BTW McClain is a fullback. Washington is a wide receiver. They play on your offense. Unless some really wild position changes occur on the Ravens team, there is no way these two players could step up and help your crew playing defense, except for the fact Kelly Washington could teach Ray Lewis a few dance moves. I've never seen a black man dance so poorly since Bill Cosby did the lead in to his sitcom. laugh.gif

 

Caldwell was not Ray's man, Carr was maned-up on Caldwell in the slot. If you watch the replay, Caldwell grabs Carr's facemask and throws him to the ground. No call. Ray was trying to get over once he realized Carr was on the ground, there was no chance he could have made that play.

 

As for McClain and Washington, like max said, Jameel McClain is an ILB, and Fabian Washington is a CB. You really think I do not know what positions these guys play as a Ravens fan? Like I said, at this point I would love to have the aging vets C-mac, Rolle, and Ivy playing right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Ray Lewis being a step behind rookie WR Caldwell for the game winning TD isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is. If Cedric Benson running all over the entire Baltimore defense for well over 100 yards isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is.

 

As for Benson running over our defense, don't be so fast to blame that on Ray. And a change of times? That was one game, prior to which we were first in the league against the run not having allowed a 100-yard rusher in 39 games. Now, if this happens again over the next few weeks, I'll be inclined to agree. For now I very much like what we have up front with Ngata, Gregg, Pryce, Suggs, Bannan, Edwards, Talavu and McKinney.

 

I think a lot of people underestimate how well Bart Scott and Ray Lewis worked together. Scott the past two years, when his sack numbers decreased and he became a true ILB, did a lot of the dirty work in taking on blocks from guards, centers and fullbacks. Ray is no different than last year, I don't buy the lost a step jargon at all (obviously he isn't 25, but he's no different than he was at 31, 32). One just needs to look how badly Tavares Gooden is doing, the guy is routinely getting blasted into the secondary. As a result, those blockers are sliding off and able to seal off Ray. On plays where Ray is able to flow, he still shows the athleticism to go sideline-to-sideline with no problem. It is just without Scott linemen are having an easier time getting to Ray.

 

Ellerbe, McClain, and Gooden are all smaller, athletic ILBs who are not yet adept at taking on linemen. Scott and Ray had a good thing going. When the play would come to Scott's side, Scott would engage the lineman's outside shoulder with his inside shoulder to protect the outside letting Ray flow underneath to get the tackle on the inside. When the play went the other way, it was Ray who would engage letting Scott flow over to make the play. With Gooden, he gets blocked too easily causing congestion inside and not letting Ray get the pursuit angles he is used to in getting the tackle. So instead of Ray being able to make the tackle within three yards of the line of scrimmage, he is having to make the tackles five, six yards downfield.

 

Hartwell, Sharper, Scott, all of these guys were bangers who were willing to take on blocks. None of the guys we have next to Ray now are bangers. Maybe we should give more 4-3 fronts to protect Ray.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...