Things I just don't understand...

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 11-19-2007, 01:47 PM

I'm not going to comment on the magnet that is Kyle.

I jsut have a couple questions that I have raised before and have been verified by watching that game yesterday.

Issue #1. For the love of god...WHY IS MCGAHEE NOT ON THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN? Is it blocking? I saw McGahee with the exception of one play have an excellent day pass blocking. I mean, from diving across Boller to just push his man to give Kyle a chance to throw to completely stonewalling passrushers. Is it catching the ball? Obviously not...He may be the best back we have at catching the ball out of the backfield since Priest. Is it making plays in space...the man doesn't have the speed he once had, but he has tremendous feet and a mean stiff arm. And he makes a lot of plays on his own. What the hell are you doing taking out your most consistant offensive playmaker by far on the most important down of all? For crying out loud, Stop outsmarting yourself Billick and Ricky and get the ball in your playmakers hands. Willis should be touching the ball 25-30 times a game.

Issue #2. Why did we waste a draft pick on Figurs? I understand he had that game where he just couldn't catch anything, but he seems to have recovered from it. I'm tired of Ed Reed thinking he can return every punt for a TD...and when he decides to make a fair catch, he does it on the 4 yard line or when nobody is within 15 yards of him. Maybe put him back there every now and then, but not 2-3 times a game...he is not a PR. And if you are gonna have Ross back there fumbling the ball, why not let Figurs do it..at least he can get more than 2 yards a return. All that talk about us having a poor mans devin hester and we are scared to put him back there...even when the other guys are just as bad if not worse. Put him back there and let him earn his money and gain some confidence back.

Issue #3. Where the hell is Rhrys Lloyd? Why do we keep signing this guy if we aren't ever going to use his leg? I love Matt, but he just can't kick off anymore. So we go up gainst one of the best returners in the leage and have Stover kick line drives to the 5...none of out players even get into the picture to tackle him until he is already at the 25 yardline. Unreal. If there was a game to activate him, this was it...negate Cleveland almost ALWAYS starting around thier 40, and this is a different game. A couple touchbacks sure would have been nice...or even giving our guys to get a shot on him before he is near the 30.

Maybe I'm just not that smart, but I think these are logical issues that most would understand.

**Fiesty Ravens Chic** · 11-19-2007, 03:04 PM

For the love of God I would like all 3 of your concerns to be answered...but I do not think they will be answered on here.

Actually I have the answer....FIRE BILLICK!

**ClericBlackDave** · 11-19-2007, 03:04 PM

Hey I agree with everything you said.

A lot of it has to be on Billick, but you have to think Newsome, as the personel guy, has a say too.

Figurs needs to be the guy back there. Cory Ross is a joke, and really should be cut. His overall skill set just doesn't really project to do anything well on special teams, defense, or offense.

On McGahee, I think you gotta understand that McGahee can't be out there EVERY snap, especially with the ammount of contact he's having to run through out there.

My biggest issue is not using 3 WRs and shotgun more often. It works.

**Losac** · 11-19-2007, 03:10 PM

Well said Woodlawn.

You always see McGahee jogging off the field on EVERY single third down. His pass protection looked amazing too. He's willing to lay his body out on a blitz pickup and saved Boller yesterday. Not to mention, the guy can catch. I can't think of a better guy you'd want as your check down man on third down.

The return situation is a joke. Ross can't do anything, and Reed doesn't know when to fair catch it and when to let it bounce. Why in the world would anyone fair catch a punt at the 5 yd line?

As for Lloyd, all we heard coming into the season was how he would be an asset on kickoffs, but I don't think he's been active for one game this year. A total waste.

**Jggjaron** · 11-19-2007, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Losac

As for Lloyd, all we heard coming into the season was how he would be an asset on kickoffs, but I don't think he's been active for one game this year. A total waste.

I think if we weren't so injured are the DB position and the DL he would have been active for a few more games, but we have been needing to carry the extra DB's and DE's

Hopefully he will be active more in the coming weeks because from the looks of yesterday's game Stover is losing some of the magic in his leg. The field goals seemed lower then his normal, and he doesn't have the range he use to.

**purplepoe** · 11-19-2007, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

I'm not going to comment on the magnet that is Kyle.

I jsut have a couple questions that I have raised before and have been verified by watching that game yesterday.

Issue #1. For the love of god...WHY IS MCGAHEE NOT ON THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN? Is it blocking? I saw McGahee with the exception of one play have an excellent day pass blocking. I mean, from diving across Boller to just push his man to give Kyle a chance to throw to completely stonewalling passrushers. Is it catching the ball? Obviously not...He may be the best back we have at catching the ball out of the backfield since Priest. Is it making plays in space...the man doesn't have the speed he once had, but he has tremendous feet and a mean stiff arm. And he makes a lot of plays on his own. What the hell are you doing taking out your most consistant offensive playmaker by far on the most important down of all? For crying out loud, Stop outsmarting yourself Billick and Ricky and get the ball in your playmakers hands. Willis should be touching the ball 25-30 times a game.

Issue #2. Why did we waste a draft pick on Figurs? I understand he had that game where he just couldn't catch anything, but he seems to have recovered from it. I'm tired of Ed Reed thinking he can return every punt for a TD...and when he decides to make a fair catch, he does it on the 4 yard line or when nobody is within 15 yards of him. Maybe put him back there every now and then, but not 2-3 times a game...he is not a PR. And if you are gonna have Ross back there fumbling the ball, why not let Figurs do it..at least he can get more than 2 yards a return. All that talk about us having a poor mans devin hester and we are scared to put him back there...even when the other guys are just as bad if not worse. Put him back there and let him earn his money and gain some confidence back.

Issue #3. Where the hell is Rhrys Lloyd? Why do we keep signing this guy if we aren't ever going to use his leg? I love Matt, but he just can't kick off anymore. So we go up gainst one of the best returners in the leage and have Stover kick line drives to the 5...none of out players even get into the picture to tackle him until he is already at the 25 yardline. Unreal. If there was a game to activate him, this was it...negate Cleveland almost ALWAYS starting around thier 40, and this is a different game. A couple touchbacks sure would have been nice...or even giving our guys to get a shot on him before he is near the 30.

Maybe I'm just not that smart, but I think these are logical issues that most would understand.

Rack it.

Im done trying to figure out why this team does certain things.

PP

**StingerNLG** · 11-19-2007, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

Issue #1. For the love of god...WHY IS MCGAHEE NOT ON THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN? Is it blocking? I saw McGahee with the exception of one play have an excellent day pass blocking. I mean, from diving across Boller to just push his man to give Kyle a chance to throw to completely stonewalling passrushers. Is it catching the ball? Obviously not...He may be the best back we have at catching the ball out of the backfield since Priest. Is it making plays in space...the man doesn't have the speed he once had, but he has tremendous feet and a mean stiff arm. And he makes a lot of plays on his own. What the hell are you doing taking out your most consistant offensive playmaker by far on the most important down of all? For crying out loud, Stop outsmarting yourself Billick and Ricky and get the ball in your playmakers hands. Willis should be touching the ball 25-30 times a game.

I think they feel Musa Smith should be the 3rd down back to give Willis a break. It's all I got man. Musa is a good runner and can block. But his route running out of the backfield is suspect.

Issue #2. Why did we waste a draft pick on Figurs? I understand he had that game where he just couldn't catch anything, but he seems to have recovered from it. I'm tired of Ed Reed thinking he can return every punt for a TD...and when he decides to make a fair catch, he does it on the 4 yard line or when nobody is within 15 yards of him. Maybe put him back there every now and then, but not 2-3 times a game...he is not a PR. And if you are gonna have Ross back there fumbling the ball, why not let Figurs do it..at least he can get more than 2 yards a return. All that talk about us having a poor mans devin hester and we are scared to put him back there...even when the other guys are just as bad if not worse. Put him back there and let him earn his money and gain some confidence back.

This pissed me off to no end yesterday. If he's just going to be the KR, then we wasted this pick. With his speed and mobility, I'm betting he would have gotten out from the 4 yard line yesterday.

Corey Ross should have been cut from the team.......by the second quarter. He has no business out there on an NFL football field. He is slow, and he has "LB" hands. And by "LB" I mean Lamont Brightful. There was no good reason for him to be close to the field yesterday.

Issue #3. Where the hell is Rhrys Lloyd? Why do we keep signing this guy if we aren't ever going to use his leg? I love Matt, but he just can't kick off anymore. So we go up gainst one of the best returners in the leage and have Stover kick line drives to the 5...none of out players even get into the picture to tackle him until he is already at the 25 yardline. Unreal. If there was a game to activate him, this was it...negate Cleveland almost ALWAYS starting around thier 40, and this is a different game. A couple touchbacks sure would have been nice...or even giving our guys to get a shot on him before he is near the 30.

This one is a head-scratcher for sure. Don't worry, it won't be long before Phil Savage figures out the timing between the signings and releasings, and picks him up.

**ravenwoman** · 11-19-2007, 09:14 PM

Great Post Woodlawn,

Everyone tries to make coaching football harder than it is. To answer your questions, it is because we do not have a smart coaching staff (Rex Ryan excluded). Our front office makes a few good picks, but makes serious mistakes as well. I listen to the Billick press conferences and he says nothing. He has no answers for anything. I have a question for him: "What do you do in practice all week?" In addition, our media throws him the same softball questions every week. They all must be friends.

**Tspot-D-Ravenator** · 11-19-2007, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by Jggjaron

I think if we weren't so injured are the DB position and the DL he would have been active for a few more games, but we have been needing to carry the extra DB's and DE's

Hopefully he will be active more in the coming weeks because from the looks of yesterday's game Stover is losing some of the magic in his leg. The field goals seemed lower then his normal, and he doesn't have the range he use to.

The wind was blowing hard yesterday and Stover was kicking them low so the wind wouldn't hinder the distance. Works fine on field goals..Doesn't work on kick-offs too well though...He tried, but failed...At least he tried