probem w defense is one dimensional talent

i was at game sunday,and besides the fact that the team and fans(seems a malaise of gradual fan support this year,maybe because of orioles?no excuse for team at all,but mayb fan excitement) thought this was an automatic win,when they announced the starting defense,I KNEW WE WERE IN TROUBLE....i dont care if lombardi is the coach.....a coach needs horses to run the race....our defense has too many one dimensional players to be effective...and thats where batch and his experience took advantage...when ayanbadejo,mcphee,jones,kruger...ravens looking pass,these guys AWFUL against run..audible out of pass to run
upshaw,mcclain,kemo,mcclellan
obviously audible out of run to pass
and w half of suggs,reed,ngata, and 0 lewis,webb,ellerbee
and i know there is tons of situational substitutions all game BUT,these guys are awful outside of their "specialty"
my observation...batch mayb a 100 years old,but thats experience that can easily recognize opportunities against glaring weaknesses,sorry

oh yeah..and mt cody...RUN ONLY(maybe!)

I think your post is spot on. This team is too reliant on "package" and "rotation" players--these guys play on run downs, these guys on pass downs, but make sure everybody rotates out a lot. The result is a lot of one-dimensional players and is there a SINGLE PLAYER on the Ravens defense that strikes fear in your heart?

I think this is also connected to another problem--team speed. Or lack of it. This team is woefully lacking in explosive defensive players. The Ravens defense used to be about 11 players swarming to the ball, shutting down the outside run with speed, coming up fast in the secondary to tackle for short gains or knock the ball away. When was the last time you saw a defensive player make a spectacular athletic play?

Ed Reed did it on Sunday, but he also busted a lot of coverages and was responsible for some of the holes in zone... even so, the guy is out there trying, he's one of the only defensive players with a real killer instinct. His body is just letting him down.

Where's the ILB knifing through the line to make a tackle for loss? Where's the DB making a leaping PD or pick? There's just no speed, no athleticism, no swagger to this defense. Not even with Suggs back.

and if pollard wasnt a raven..we'd have a damn defense reminicent of the 81 colts
"THAT BOY B BALLIN'!"
ravens mvp this year by far,if u ask me

Corey Graham had an athletic INT and he looked good overall. He looks to be our best CB by a decent amount, imo (not including Webb obviously).

But I agree in general. Too specialized and just not very good.

Our ILBs especially; even Ellerbe has issues. They slide around vs attacking gaps and get blocked too easily. Or they crash the wrong gap wildly without noticing the RB run past them.

And in coverage they simply stink (Ellerbe is decent in the flat and relative to the others). Reed sometimes is off gambling, but most times it is simply our safeties are too deep relative to where the ILBs stop covering or pass the guy through. It was like Celek and Philly all over again. I don't even think our ILBs are too slow for that responsibility I just think they are too inexperienced or their football IQ is too low.

I've been clamoring for them to draft athletes in the front seven for 5 years. Too many fat guys who can't run.

I sit high up in Section 523, close to the tunnel where the players emerge.

I swear that when I saw #96 Kemoeatu waddling onto the field after being introduced, I thought to myself "damn I can run faster than that dude". And I am sure I can.

Oh, I'm also 52 yrs old.

You fellas hit the nail on the head. I know football is a game of specialization to some degree, and many NFL players are freaks of nature in some manner, but if the Ravens are starting a dude who can at best waddle, this team is screwed.

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Originally Posted by Terpsfan82

I've been clamoring for them to draft athletes in the front seven for 5 years. Too many fat guys who can't run.

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Originally Posted by scottie b

i was at game sunday ... when they announced the starting defense,I KNEW WE WERE IN TROUBLE....i dont care if lombardi is the coach.....a coach needs horses to run the race

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Ozzie has to find a way to put more talent on the field. JJ may not be what he once was but he would be a vast improvement to our defense, I think that losing redding hurt the most. Next years draft round 1 best olineman available and them straight defense. Draft a linebacker cut McClain, draft a DT/NT cut kemo. We have so many holes and suggs and ngata aren't old but they are also close to if not already 30. The high draft picks the last couple years just have not panned out(Cody,Kruger, kindle,Gooden) we have solid players to build around(Ellerbe, Webb,pollard,suggs,ngata,McPhee,upshaw)

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Originally Posted by JCroUSAF

...we have solid players to build around(Ellerbe, Webb,pollard,suggs,ngata,McPhee,upshaw)

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I would add Arthur Jones to that list.

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Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

I would add Arthur Jones to that list.

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Agreed.

He's really been a bright spot this season.