Saturday's NST Ravens Show

**Beerracuda** · 08-24-2008, 03:23 PM

By the way everything has looked so far, yes, it looks like a long season. Remember though, not everything is always as it appears to be.

Seems to me that in 2000, at one point we had a 5-4 record, and had just suffered through our 5th straight game without a TD. That game was a 9-6 loss at home to Pittsburgh. A game that saw us switch QBs from Tony Banks to Trent Dilfer, with no immediate change in play noticeable. That game also happened to be our 3rd straight loss, and we had only scored a grand total 15 points in those 3 games combined. Looked pretty bad at the time. That 9-6 loss at home to Pitt was the last game we would lose that season, or post-season.

Now, of course, we had probably the best defense of all time during that season, and I'm certainly not comparing that D to this year's D. My point is that no matter how bad things may look (as they did midway through 2000), you just never know how things will eventually turn out. Just enjoy the fact that football is back, and we have the next 5 months to discuss the current team. Even with all the negativity, it's certainly better than discussing the "good old days of the Colts", during the span of time of March 1984 through September 1996. Any football is better than no football.

**Brandon** · 08-25-2008, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by festivus

Don't knock NST, Houston. They get the story right, and early, more often than the other local sports talk stations.

People can listen to whoever they want, but I'll take Casey Willet and Rob Long over "the Bulldog" and Anita Marks any day. Idiots.

RACK THAT

**HoustonRaven** · 08-25-2008, 02:09 PM

Festivus,

We got into this last season. I check in on their stream from time to time and its all the same unsourced rumor I heard when I lived in town. They find a nut every now and then but its nothing more then a message board with sound ... IMHO, of course! :)

I do agree with you on one front -- Marks and Bulldog are just awful.

**festivus** · 08-25-2008, 07:50 PM

Oh yeah. I'd blocked that out. Man, you were pissing me off back then. :)
:toast:

**Mike B** · 08-25-2008, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Purpleguy

Why shouldn't people start blaming Ozzie? They were blaming Billick for years. He's gone, and we may have our worst season in history. I think it would be unfair to blame Harbaugh if we have a bad year. Problems like this team has usually start from the top down.

If Ozzie is to blame it is not based on talent judgement but on cap management. We do not have the cap room to replace maybe the best left tackle who ever played. We do not have the cap room to fix the secondary which right now is ravaged by injury. Your right it is unfair to blame Harbaugh, other than the fact that hitting every day for a team that got hit hard by injuries may have more macho than wise. Any one heard from the esteemed wind bag football expert from our local newspaper on how well the live practices are working.
Before we jump off the Key Bridge let's keep in mind a few thing to qualify the mess we have seen this pre season.
1. No Ed Reed, no C Mac, very little Samari Rolle or Fabian Washington.
2. No Kelly Greg, Halotti Ngata, Dwan Edwards and very little of T Pryce, or T. Suggs.
3. Very little Ray or JJ.
On Offense.
1. A mess at QB, that is likely to remain.
2. No D, Williams or Todd Heap, very little from Mark Clayton.
3. No Gaither (might not be a big deal) and no Terry who should be playing left tackle.
All that said, some of these injuries are repeaters of multiple repeaters but we have not seen anything closely resembling the team that we hope to see. If the injuries carry through the regular season that it does not take a genius to figure out we are in trouble. If the walking wounded return we should be competitive.
The Ravens led the NFL in injury games last year and maybe that is what we are in for. As a Ravens fan, I am willing to wait to see the final product and even if it is bad I will be in my seat in the upper deck for every play.
I will not be calling talk shows to rip the team, GM or coach even though if I had my way Brian would still be here.

**ClericBlackDave** · 08-25-2008, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by TRAP

PP - Good one.

People forget, we're still an infant organization, especially compared to Chi, GB and Philly and Oz won the SB as a baby GM within 5 yrs of coming here and people want him out?

Yet, both Ozzie and Eric have publicly said they accept responsibility for not giving Billick enough players to save his job.

Ozzie drafted so many good players over the years he had to pay them or let a lot of them go because of the CAP and keeping guys like Ray and Suggs prohibits him from getting a good offense.

Remember Jaimie Sharper who was part of the greatest linebacking corps ever? He left because Oz couldn't pay him. Do you know what # he wore? 55 - same as Suggs who's just about the best linebacker in the game. He replaced 1 star with another one. He has Reed now but when he's gone something tells me the new Safety, the karate kid will be another great Safety. He's made tons of plays in camp and the preseason. It's like a factory with Oz.

Ozzie's problem isn't drafting defense, its drafting OFFENSE. We have very little true offensive talent, especially from the draft.

Ozzie, apart from his failed play at T.O., has never got us a good WR. We should be trying to trade for Boldin right now, but you don't hear anything.

Ozzie has been decent at the RB position between J.Lewis, McGahee, Ray Rice, Chester Taylor, etc. BUt that was mostly due to a lesson learned about RB depth from the failure of the 2001 season.

Ozzie has been basically terrible dealing with the O-line since hits with Ogden and Mulitalo.

Ozzie has been terrible with QBs. Part of that could be blamed on Billick, but mostly I look at Ozzie.

We have a gaping hole at TE.

Overall, Ozzie has been pretty putrid at getting offensive talent in here.

**RavensDomination** · 08-26-2008, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by ClericBlackDave

Ozzie's problem isn't drafting defense, its drafting OFFENSE. We have very little true offensive talent, especially from the draft.

Jason Brown, Ben Grubbs, Marshall Yanda, Todd Heap, Mark Clayton, Ray Rice. All drafted.

Ozzie, apart from his failed play at T.O., has never got us a good WR. We should be trying to trade for Boldin right now, but you don't hear anything.

Well first off we never hear anything from the Ravens concerning trades. This is just common sense. Secondly, why would the Cardinals want to trade one of the reasons why they aren't completely horrible? Boldin and Fitzgerald keep them competitive, they would want a lot in return. You have to give up something to get something. Also Mark Clayton is a good WR but he was injured last year. Mason was a great free agent pick up as well.

Ozzie has been decent at the RB position between J.Lewis, McGahee, Ray Rice, Chester Taylor, etc. BUt that was mostly due to a lesson learned about RB depth from the failure of the 2001 season.

McGahee wasn't drafted by us. Ozzie has always stayed true to the best player available method, they don't draft for need. RB's are a dime a dozen we just got unlucky in 2001 with none being available after Jamal's injury.

Ozzie has been basically terrible dealing with the O-line since hits with Ogden and Mulitalo.

Terrible? Haha. We have one of the youngest, best up and coming interior o-lines in the NFL. Ben Grubbs will be a staple at LG for years to come, Jason Brown made waves at guard and is playing great at center, and Yanda is a perfect guard who played well at a much harder RT last season. They are all so young, if they stay healthy we'll have a great interior o-line. Terry was a 2nd round pick who is decent as well, I just don't understand why they force him at RT when he played well at LT last year. If you put Terry at LT that would be one position, RT, that we have a hole at. I say good job Ozzie.

Ozzie has been terrible with QBs. Part of that could be blamed on Billick, but mostly I look at Ozzie.

Has he? Chris Redman is still in the NFL and even started a few games last year. Boller sucks but Derek Anderson made a pro bowl last season. Who else is there really? Jury is still out on Smith and Flacco, but Flacco looks promising and Smith will probably start the season.

We have a gaping hole at TE.

Because of injury. Is that Ozzie's fault? Plus Wilcox is coming back and Heap will be healthy by week 1. I wouldn't say "gaping."

Overall, Ozzie has been pretty putrid at getting offensive talent in here.

Simply not true.

If anything I would criticize Ozzie for drafting offensive lineman after drafting Boller. We should have built up the o-line first before drafting a QB.

**camdenyard** · 08-26-2008, 03:29 PM

Sure he failed at QB but just remedied that with Flacco who will be good in a year or two.

And how do you know this?

Listen, I think Flacco has a chance to be a good QB because of his physical tools and the intangibles. At the same time, I can show you a dozen first-round flops who had all of that too.

Saying he's the QB of the future is one thing, but saying he will be good in a year or two when he's not had to dodge a single regular season bullet is a stretch.

**Greg** · 08-26-2008, 03:57 PM

Drafted QBs are crapshoots and to this point Ozzie has sevened out quite a bit.

**RavenTD** · 08-26-2008, 04:05 PM

Look you know it is getting annoying people saying we as fans are quitting on the team by spouting doom and gloom.Anyone posting on this board about the Ravens is a Raven fan in my book.

Anyone who can suffer watching this offense suck year after year and still post on this forum is a Raven fan.

Everyone moaning and worrying about what is going on,is a Raven fan.

Its as simple as that.We are putting down,our hopes,our fears,our worries.
Which ever angle you are looking at it.Deep down we are all Raven fans.

We have not given up on the season.It hasn't even begun yet.We will all cheer our heads off when there is a TD.And cry when there is a turnover.But the signs are there to see across the roster,that things are going to be tough in 08.

We are just putting our hard hats on and preparing for it.

You are here,you care.You are a Raven fan.:respect

**RavensDomination** · 08-26-2008, 10:48 PM

I don't get the pessimism either. I don't watch football to be negative. I am negative about politics, stupid bosses, society, etc. Football is the getaway for me to be positive and optimistic. I don't understand why people would even watch when they are just going to bash whatever happens. Like the guy that pointed out when we were 13-3 people were still bitching. It's so true! Why watch? Enjoy it for what it is, even if we suck have fun tailgating and hope for next season. Doom and gloom is no fun, at least not for me. I guess some people are just negative with everything.

**Bez513** · 08-27-2008, 12:50 PM

You can't fault the callers...they are the right to their opinions like we all do. While I disagree that we need to get rid of anyone I really am not an optimist for this upcoming season. Sorry....but it's the way I see it right now. We have too many injuries to key people. I don't think we'll win more than 5 games this year. I hope they prove me wrong and I'll still be there on Sunday rooting them on no matter what.