Room for optimism (or maybe just less pessimism) from Sunday's game

**Haloti92** · 10-23-2013, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by JoeCool5

Optimism is not permitted on this site.

Precious irony! ;)

**saintmatthew** · 10-23-2013, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ravens44

But that's what the NFL is...a game of inches.
The Ravens are losing most of the inches at critical times...those same ones they used to win.

Our best DB is Webb, but he was burned on the long touchdown against the Pack...who's fault? did he have any safety help? did Rodgers get the safety to bite on a fake or move him with his eyes?

That fake was the best I've seen in a long time. I was fooled watching on TV despite having a better view of Rodgers than any player in the secondary did.

**Bigfish** · 10-23-2013, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

I don't know how much the new faces affect it, but Jamison Hensley actually said it well in his ESPN blog yesterday (which I didn't read until just now.) Last year, the Ravens were 5-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer. So far this season, they're 1-3.

The bottom line is that they are just making a few less plays than the other team. If they tighten up their execution and just get a little bit better all the way around, there's a good chance they can start winning those close games again.

You hit the nail on the head. A few plays in each game could have changed the outcome. And in the three close games we lost I don't feel the team has played anywhere near their potential. If we come out of the break firing on all cylinders this thing could be turned around to get into the playoffs. It'll be tough to win the division, wildcard is possible.

**Beau Petard** · 10-23-2013, 12:18 PM

JC5-
Your comment is well-taken, and IMHO often reflects the "jump off the bridge" reaction often seen after a loss. But I think it's a little bit of whistling past the graveyard to not recognize what appear to be relatively serious problems with the Ravens performances this season, or otherwise ignore stuff that they are not doing well (e.g., running game, O-line blocking, etc.)

That being said, I think JBK adds the right amount of perspective to swing the pendulum back to where it ought to be.

**Haloti92** · 10-23-2013, 12:23 PM

The Steelers game was close, as was the Packers game. We certainly could have won either with a smidgen better play or one or two things going our way. But the only issue with this thinking might be: just how good are the Steelers. They seemed to play against us better than they had been playing, so perhaps we didn't play down to them as much as they played up to us (granted the level wasn't too high on either side).

For us, I think it all comes down to sorting some stuff out (blocking schemes, STs, run defense) during the bye week, and then beating Cleveland and Cincy. We still have a decent path to the division if we win both of those games and take care of Pittsburgh at home on Thanksgiving. Winning our division could very well take less (in terms of overall record) than getting a wildcard, so the divisional games are extra big.

If we are sitting at 5-4 after Week 10, I like our chances.

I also think the road game at Cleveland will be tough, maybe tougher than the home game against Cincy. Both games will require good efforts (better than our home effort against Cleveland, for example)

**JohnBKistler** · 10-23-2013, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by GaTechRavens

WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THIS?

Literally all you have to do is look at the standings. 9-7 still makes the playoffs...also, for some reason, we still rest our starters in the final game of the season in this scenario.

My bad...I thought there was another 9-7 team. There wasn't.

Regardless, the overall point is that between 4th-and-29 and a missed FG, the Super Bowl Champions were THAT close to not making the playoffs..it goes to show you how razor thin the margin of winning and losing is in the NFL.

**saintmatthew** · 10-23-2013, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Haloti92

The Steelers game was close, as was the Packers game. We certainly could have won either with a smidgen better play or one or two things going our way. But the only issue with this thinking might be: just how good are the Steelers. They seemed to play against us better than they had been playing, so perhaps we didn't play down to them as much as they played up to us (granted the level wasn't too high on either side).

For us, I think it all comes down to sorting some stuff out (blocking schemes, STs, run defense) during the bye week, and then beating Cleveland and Cincy. We still have a decent path to the division if we win both of those games and take care of Pittsburgh at home on Thanksgiving. Winning our division could very well take less (in terms of overall record) than getting a wildcard, so the divisional games are extra big.

If we are sitting at 5-4 after Week 10, I like our chances.

I also think the road game at Cleveland will be tough, maybe tougher than the home game against Cincy. Both games will require good efforts (better than our home effort against Cleveland, for example)

Not sure if them benching Weeden for Cambell makes this game easier or more difficult but I think their brief morale surge is already on it's way back down.

**lobachevsky** · 10-23-2013, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Haloti92

If we are sitting at 5-4 after Week 10, I like our chances.

Concur. After the Chicago game in Week 11 come 3 straight home games, all of them winnable if the current issues have been (to some extent) addressed.

I also think the road game at Cleveland will be tough, maybe tougher than the home game against Cincy. Both games will require good efforts (better than our home effort against Cleveland, for example)

More or less agree. IMO either they win them both or they lose them both. If the Ravens lose to the Browns the week before, they'll play the Bengals game with the 12th man smothered under a shroud of desperation & fatalistic gloom.

**arnie_uk** · 10-23-2013, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by pslholder96

This! For years the Ravens have won the ugly tight games by being able to make a few more plays then their opponents. This year we are on the wrong end of it further exposing our lack of execution 7 games into the season. Had we pulled out just one more game going 4-3 heading into the bye I think the vibe around here would have changed just a little because most folks predicted this record going into the bye.

for years the defense made that clutch play, stopping the game winning drive, or getting the ball back with enough Time for the offense to score. Just look at the away game to Pitts 2 years ago.

Reed came up huge on I think 2 plays in a row and got the offense the ball back, joe goes 92 yards I like 60 seconds and we win the game.

The defense no longer, well thus far, this year, can get it done in the clutch. That's the biggest change. Is it experience where reed and Lewis have a sixth sense for what play is? Or what because the defense just isn't clutch this year.

**Haloti92** · 10-23-2013, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by saintmatthew

Not sure if them benching Weeden for Cambell makes this game easier or more difficult but I think their brief morale surge is already on it's way back down.

I tend to agree (about Cleveland's overall trajectory/morale).

I think that after a bye, where hopefully we buckle down on our biggest issues (run defense and running game), we should be able to handle Cleveland, even in Cleveland.

But I am most worried about their defense, frankly. They shut us out at home for half, and allowed 14 points total. Combine a bit of crowd noise, and we may see a similarly low output from our offense unless we really sort some issues out over the bye. That said, Campbell-led Browns offense doesn't really scare me, so worst case scenario, imo, is a another very low-scoring, close game. Best case scenario is like the semi-standard (over the past few years), 24-10 type of win.

**JoeCool5** · 10-23-2013, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Beau Petard

JC5-
Your comment is well-taken, and IMHO often reflects the "jump off the bridge" reaction often seen after a loss. But I think it's a little bit of whistling past the graveyard to not recognize what appear to be relatively serious problems with the Ravens performances this season, or otherwise ignore stuff that they are not doing well (e.g., running game, O-line blocking, etc.)

That being said, I think JBK adds the right amount of perspective to swing the pendulum back to where it ought to be.

I never said or intimated the team does not have issues. I've watched every game and can see that for myself. But most people on here and other sites' forums are already canceling the season when there are NINE games left and with us trailing Cincy by only TWO games in the division. So, when I see the word "optimism" in a subject title it makes me try to bring everyone back to the "reality" that permeates this and other sites: the season is over!

**JoeCool5** · 10-23-2013, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by arnie_uk

for years the defense made that clutch play, stopping the game winning drive, or getting the ball back with enough Time for the offense to score. Just look at the away game to Pitts 2 years ago.

Reed came up huge on I think 2 plays in a row and got the offense the ball back, joe goes 92 yards I like 60 seconds and we win the game.

The defense no longer, well thus far, this year, can get it done in the clutch. That's the biggest change. Is it experience where reed and Lewis have a sixth sense for what play is? Or what because the defense just isn't clutch this year.

Our defense was ranked 17th last year!!