4th and 1 in 3rd with 34 seconds

I didn't mind that went for it on 4th and 1. I would have rather a better play and have Ray Rice on the field.

I wanted them to go for it but I didn't like the play call and Rice should be in the game. the QB sneak, if Flacco would've gotten low he may've gotten it. Honestly they could've just ran that again on 4th.

This is outrageous. If your football team can't get a short yard on 4th and 1 they should pack up, go home, and find another career.

Going for it on a short 4th and 1 is correct all the time, every time, no matter what. The problem is they didn't do it SMART. When you get in a 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 situation, you RUN UP TO THE LINE AND QUICK SNAP THE QB SNEAK. It's the simplest thing in the world, and the Patriots did it like 6 times vs. the Jets the other night.

Playing STUPID football is taking 45 seconds to decide what you want to do, line up, show your hand with your formation, and then run a slow-developing run into the teeth of the defense--exactly what the Ravens did. You don't NEED to do that.

If you don't want to run the quick sneak for whatever reason, you DO have other options, but the key to winning in 1 yard to go situations is catching the defense off guard. You're very rarely going to win at the point of attack when you telegraph plays as badly as the Ravens do and run them as sloppily.

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Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I have no problem with going for it on 4th and 1 with how the game was going, but it's ridiculous to not have Rice in the game in that situation. I know Pierce is supposedly a "big back" or whatever, and he's been good in his limited role, but if I'm going for it, I'm going for it with my best offensive player on the field. Not that the end result was any fault of Pierce, just don't understand the logic in going with anyone but your best player in such a crucial situation.

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More importantly, run to your strength - the play should have been run to the Ravens strong side! They had their 'muscle' on the left, and chose the right....bad move!!

Wally Williams summed it up perfectly this morning on 105.7. The reason the Ravens can't sneak the ball is because the sneak is all dependent on OL push. If you're running a QB sneak behind your center and the center is not getting any push what so ever (even getting pushed backwards) then your sneak will never be successful. Let's face it, Matt Birk was a great player, but now he's basically running on fumes. Anytime he's not getting help he loses vs. his assignment. He's a liability one on one. I really hope Gradkowski is ready by next year because if he's not they'll have to spend another draft pick on a center or get one via free agency again.

I like what I've seen out of Gradkowski, but he has to get stronger. He seems to have good feet and good technique, but between the season and the off-season, he needs to put on muscle.

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Originally Posted by bmorecareful

This is outrageous. If your football team can't get a short yard on 4th and 1 they should pack up, go home, and find another career.

Going for it on a short 4th and 1 is correct all the time, every time, no matter what. The problem is they didn't do it SMART. When you get in a 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 situation, you RUN UP TO THE LINE AND QUICK SNAP THE QB SNEAK. It's the simplest thing in the world, and the Patriots did it like 6 times vs. the Jets the other night.

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Agreed. I'm very conservative by nature when it comes to going for it or taking the points, but I had no problem with going for it there. They needed inches, they should be able to get inches.

As you said, a guy like Bill Belichick doesn't even blink about going for it there.

I love that people think having Rice in the game on that 4th down and 1 would have changed the outcome.

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Originally Posted by RavensNTerps

I love that people think having Rice in the game on that 4th down and 1 would have changed the outcome.

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I agree with you. The chargers had it diagnosed and were in the backfield. Rice would not have changed that reality. The play called sucked. I don't mind going for forth and 1 - but until we consistently win the LOS battles- I think this was a terrible call.

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Originally Posted by ravenjoe

More importantly, run to your strength - the play should have been run to the Ravens strong side! They had their 'muscle' on the left, and chose the right....bad move!!

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This. Remember, Flacco checked out of the original play and ran the ball away from the strong side blocking.

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Originally Posted by Cj34

Wally Williams summed it up perfectly this morning on 105.7. The reason the Ravens can't sneak the ball is because the sneak is all dependent on OL push. If you're running a QB sneak behind your center and the center is not getting any push what so ever (even getting pushed backwards) then your sneak will never be successful.

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:word

Birk has been a warrior and overachiever for his entire career, but he's definitely on his last legs.

This one might have actually been on Flacco. After thinking about it, it seems like the sneak was on. However, when Flacco saw the LBs crowd up for it, he checked out, into option B. Now, option B sucked, because if you are going to run anything in that situation outside of the seam, you need Rice in the game. If you are going to run it up the gut, which might have been the original call, you use Pierce.

Personally, I would have went for the sneak again and was convinced that they were thinking the same.

So, either the original call was a sneak that Flacco checked out of, or a run up the gut, in which case, he correctly checked out of it, but with an even worse plan B call.