you also predicted in your other thread Ravens would lose to the Browns, which made you lose all credibility, if you ever had any.
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That's crazy. They stuck with the run all game yesterday... Probably too much a couple times...They aren't going to run on 3rd and 10 and expect to pick up a first down. Overall, they've played better D since Ray has been out.
As far as the O struggling yesterday... they rely on a rhythm, when you don't pick anything on 1st down against a D who is getting fired up, you will struggle. That happened for about 30 minutes yesterday. I think handing the ball to Rice on every 1st down when they were struggling, was a mistake they made a couple times yesterday... Maybe a screen or dump off to Rice on 1st or 2nd down instead of 3rd and 10 would be a good idea at times.
I also, don't see us losing to the Redskins.
I know they still play the game... but it sounds like they may have packed it in for the season already...
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_r...SI&eref=fromSI
Yet when it mattered, the offense kicked back into gear and scored 11 points to put the game away. They found their footing and finished things off.
And they didn't abandon the run at all. The Browns adjusted and stopped the run. We were running on 1st down most of that game. It just took the offense a while to re-adjust to what the Browns were doing.
We are going to be 7-2 before we hit our tough stretch. That's likely going to be 2nd in the AFC as they are now, and still leading the division. So at the least, we should be playing for the division lead when we go to Pittsburgh.
Exactly. I agree 100%
Sorry but some of you should move to NY and become Yankee fans. You have that same entitled whiny obnoxious attitude they have. I cant believe some of the comments I have read.
This team lost its defensive leader, its best CB and is still having issues with playcalling and yet they managed to win a game on the road against a team that had won 2 of their past 3. We win a divisional road game and you all whine it was not a good enough win??? Seriously? We have the 2nd best record in the AFC despite all the injuries and other issues. What the hell else do you all expect. I am sorry maybe I am not being fair but if I did not know our record and came on here I would think we are 2-6 instead of 6-2. Get a grip.
It just stupid. If we lose to Oakland at home then start whining.
They really did not stop the run. Play calls changed the point of attack.
Adjust 6 3 and outs?!?!?!?!??!?! WOW
Where was a slant?
Once again, run, run and wait for it, chuck it 30 yards down the field with a Oline that is swiss cheese. Fking BRILLIANT!:slaphead:
Well, this is about what I expected when I started this thread--a storm surge of unsupported optimism spiked with snide "you're not really a fan" flotsam & jetsam, with the occasional voice of reason trying to be heard over the howling windbags...
Those of you who worked yourselves into a froth over criticism of the Ravens' play last Sunday are saying more about your infantile notions of fannishness than anything else. The main reason y'all want us to "just shut up" (or "go to NY & become Yankee fans") is because you know most of the criticism is warranted & you hope that by squeezing your eyes shut & sticking your fingers in your ears & shouting 6-2, 6-2, 6-2! at the top of your lungs you can keep the evil spirits away.
Good luck with that.
Getting back to the issues at hand:
1) Anyone who takes comfort in the D only giving up 5 FGs yesterday needs to recognize that Weeden was under no real pressure for most of the game but still made a passle of unforced errors--missing receivers, not noticing others who were wide open--& his pass-catchers didn't do much to help him out. Every one of the QBs the Ravens will face in the remainder of the season is better than Brandon Weeden. Every one of those teams has better receivers than the Browns.
2) Last Sunday the Ravens offense looked really good for a quarter, then awful for the next two quarters, & finally woke up to score the winning TD. (No credit for the last FG, gaining only 4 yards from where the Browns turned the ball over on downs.) What happened in the 2nd & 3rd quarters? Can this offense figure out a way to move the ball & score for 4 quarters, or even for 3?
Here are the justifications for optimism that I see:
- The defense clearly concentrated on stopping Richardson & forcing Weeden to win the game, which turned out well; no one on the remaing schedule has as good a RB, so the emphasis will shift to controlling the passing game
- Ellerbe & Corey Graham stepped up their games
- The OL played better, at least in the first quarter, & the O came up with big plays when it needed them
- Three of the toughest games left are at home, where the Ravens have been close to unbeatable
- The team plays up to top competition
- The O went into a shell because they didn't want to show anything to future opponents
- Even great QBs have off days, & anything can happen
Problem is, most of these "reasons" are wishful thinking. At best they rely on past performances that may or may not be applicable to the current state of the team.
Other than the first quarter last Sunday, this team has shown no significant improvement in scheme, technique, or level of play coming out of the bye. There is no reason to believe they'll be any better at stopping a quality offense even at home with a good QB than they were at holding down Brady or Romo. There is a little more reason to thinnk that the offense can put up points when it has to.
But frankly, I see no way for the Ravens to reach 10 or 11 wins that doesn't involve a large helping of luck. And luck cuts both ways--a lot of the "anything" that "can happen" is bad stuff. They could just as easily end up 8-8. Even 7-9.
The most distressing thing to me is that I don't think this coaching staff knows how to deal with current conditions. Harbaugh has always played things conservatively; his philosophy has been to minimize the role of chance & trust that his players are simply better than the opponent. It's pretty clear that isn't the case this year. If they want to make the dance, they're going to have to start taking chances in order to "steal" games that on paper they should lose. But they don't act as if they've gotten the message & I don't have much confidence they know how to act on it even when (if) they do.
(FTR, I would rather not see what I've described above; I have no grudge against anyone on the staff or roster [& have no patience with anyone who wishes them ill in the interest of carrying one out]; and I would infinitely prefer seeing them win than being able to say "I told you so.")