Thoughts about today's game - and the way forward

**lovefootball** · 09-14-2015, 08:39 AM

Let's keep in mind the traveling curse.Some teams do well with it and others don't.

Keeping the game close and being in it till the end is a good sign. Getting blown out or Flacco getting hurt would have really been bad. Shame about Suggs,he'll be hard to replace with his skills and on the field leadership. But losing Flacco would have been reason to believe the Ravens season was done for.

**lovefootball** · 09-14-2015, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by ERey

Good thoughts. Don't disagree with much. But I think the Ravens still win 10 or 11 games. I think the cards were just stacked against them yesterday. The loss sucks because if either SSR or Crockett makes a play they win. I didn't expect the game to be that close. I also think Webb will play well this year. He's a good corner. He's not Jimmy Smith, but most teams don't have two shut down corners. If teams have one great corner and one good one then they're ahead of the game.

At this point , the secondary has potential to help win games . last year they lost games.

**JohnBKistler** · 09-14-2015, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by lovefootball

Keeping the game close and being in it till the end is a good sign. Getting blown out or Flacco getting hurt would have really been bad.

That's the week one (or any week) doomsday scenario for me.

And I saw the entire season flash before my eyes in that first series on the (no-call*) horse collar tackle. Flacco was very, very lucky his leg did not get caught under him or we would be looking at Matt Schaub for the rest of the season.

*And yes, I know the rule is written to state "if the QB is between the hash marks...." blah, blah, blah....but in this day-and-age where safety is (presumably) paramount, and the league pays a special emphasis for protecting the QB...I fail to see why that type of play should be constrained by the player's position on the field and not left up the the discretion of the official as to whether it was illegal...many other Personal Foul penalties are left to the official's judgement. Flacco and the Ravens dodged a serious bullet.

**HbgPARavenfan** · 09-14-2015, 08:57 AM

My Review:

We have No Wide Receivers. Flacco didn't have a great game, but hit TWO players in the HANDS at the end of the game, One ball was flat out Dropped, the other Contested, but you could argue should have been caught.

Our WRs are killing us again as expected, Our oline looked bad against good DE/OLB.

Our defense: We pressed more than we normally do, so we did better then I expected.

**QuothDaRaven** · 09-14-2015, 09:02 AM

I think what has most people feeling down, besides the brief glimpse of hope that was crushed, is that the offense is still looking as ineffective as they did in the preseason. In the preseason everyone chalked it up to Trestman not wanting to show his hand. Now in game one that same inability to string together a drive or show any semblance of a coherent plan is giving people a sinking feeling.

Sure the Broncos have a great D, but offensive coordinators make adjustments and I'm not sure we saw them until the 2 minute drive.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Yogidriver** · 09-14-2015, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by HbgPARavenfan

My Review:

We have No Wide Receivers. Flacco didn't have a great game, but hit TWO players in the HANDS at the end of the game, One ball was flat out Dropped, the other Contested, but you could argue should have been caught.

Our WRs are killing us again as expected, Our oline looked bad against good DE/OLB.

Our defense: We pressed more than we normally do, so we did better then I expected.

I think it needs to be pointed out that both balls were under thrown. Flacco gets either ball deeper into the end zone and Denver doesn't contest either catch.

The defense played a great game, but as good as Manning is, he is a statue back there. Not every QB they play will just fall down when pressured. Defense has potential, but they may not be as good as they looked yesterday.

**Ravenswintitle** · 09-14-2015, 09:21 AM

You know your defense is playing well when the home crowd boos their offense. No better feeling in the world, I love that shit.

Was great to hear them booing Manning a company yesterday.

**goldenelite28** · 09-14-2015, 09:33 AM

Seriously just think back to the opener at home last year.
Remember how bad that was?? Didn't really doom the whole season.

Just win next week and we should be fine.

**wickedsolo** · 09-14-2015, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Yogidriver

I think it needs to be pointed out that both balls were under thrown. Flacco gets either ball deeper into the end zone and Denver doesn't contest either catch.

Yea, I call BS on that premise. He put those balls into a spot where the receivers could make a play on them. Senior went up and had the ball in his hands. That ball wasn't under-thrown. If it were, the defensive back there would have had a play on it, he didn't. He stuck his hand up and cause Senior to lose focus for a split second.

The second pass to Gilmore was a bit lofty (Joe threw off his back foot), but it was basically a jump ball situation. There was a defender behind Gilmore (Darian Stewart IIRC) so, putting the ball further back would have made it even harder for Gilmore to come down with it. Gilmore had the ball in his hands and came down, but the defender made a great play and forced it out of his hands. Frankly, this just wasn't a good play design IMO. You don't throw jump balls into a crowd. Gilmore is 6'6", so it isn't like he's some small dude. However, he's no Megatron or Gronk. He's not going to come down with those types of passes a majority of the time.

**wickedsolo** · 09-14-2015, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

You know your defense is playing well when the home crowd boos their offense. No better feeling in the world, I love that shit.

Was great to hear them booing Manning a company yesterday.

:word

**bt12483** · 09-14-2015, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

You know your defense is playing well when the home crowd boos their offense. No better feeling in the world, I love that shit.

Was great to hear them booing Manning a company yesterday.

And we let em off the hook.

Manning is 11-1 in his last 12 games against us.

And ina few of those he played liked shit, but our offense was even worse.

**WrongBaldy** · 09-14-2015, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

That's the week one (or any week) doomsday scenario for me.

And I saw the entire season flash before my eyes in that first series on the (no-call*) horse collar tackle. Flacco was very, very lucky his leg did not get caught under him or we would be looking at Matt Schaub for the rest of the season.

*And yes, I know the rule is written to state "if the QB is between the hash marks...." blah, blah, blah....but in this day-and-age where safety is (presumably) paramount, and the league pays a special emphasis for protecting the QB...I fail to see why that type of play should be constrained by the player's position on the field and not left up the the discretion of the official as to whether it was illegal...many other Personal Foul penalties are left to the official's judgement. Flacco and the Ravens dodged a serious bullet.

i literally gasped from some air because i kept my breath on that play