Ravens to Make Playoffs, says stat guys

**Jeremiah W** · 09-03-2008, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Just when I think you're coming back down to reality, you go and say something like this.

Find me the 9 wins on our schedule when we're basically the same team from last year, only a new head coach, a banged up O line and a VERY green starting QB.

I'll wait.

None of the teams on the schedule have the injuries we do .... not one. I can name 2 teams in the divison, let alone the NFL, that are better then we are right now.

Again, I admire your hope but this is so far out of reality. Save this post -- I will eat my words if I am wrong, but I dont think I am.

Have you seen the injury reports coming out of Clown Town? The staph infections alone are responsible for taking out the only possesion WR I was worried about matching up with. The CB situation for them is way worse than what we dealt with last year already. The season has not even started, and they have worse starting CBs than we had week 17. DA has missed a lot of time with a concussion and they have not been able to protect the back ups.
If Winslow or Edwards, or Jamal or DA go down, so do the Clowns.

The Bungles are the Bungles. Carson Palmer has never won in the NFL. Fantasy football he is a monster, but in reality, he is going to take another busted face when he plays the Ravens. They never play well against us, but somehow under Billick the most ridiculous defense in football found 12 free turnovers every year by pushing the parameters instead of just pounding the football. How are the Bungles going to stop the run? How are they going to get the run game going? If they don't, how are they going to protect Palmer, and keep Ocho Stinko and TJ from getting jacked up?

The Steelers are the team we all know and love. They come on down to Harm City and overpay for tickets, just to watch the Squealers get run off the feild. 4 out of the last 5 times anyway. They are the one team that always brings out the best in the Ravens, so I love to see them twice a year.
They face the same schedule we do with a few of the touger matchups on the road along with SD and NE instead of Miami and Oakland. I don't think they will have a better O line than we will, and I know our defense is better if C Mack and Rolle are healthy.

**hatepaste** · 09-03-2008, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by 12jg34

I know the Film Study Guy on this site follows Football Outsiders, but I haven't seen too many people discussing their predictions on this site. (I'm sure somebody has, but I just haven't come across the discussion.) I suggest that you start b/c Football Outsiders are predicting that the Ravens will make the playoffs with a 9-7 record this year.

For those of you who don't know, Football Outsiders are to football what Bill James is to baseball. In other words, they crunch numbers and from them, make predictions about teams and individual players. They have come up with, for example, the Curse of the 370 Carries theory, which says that RBs who carry the ball more than 370 times in a season are usually no more good (or not good for a couple of years b/c of the beating that comes with carrying the ball so much). See Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander.

Football Outsiders predict that the Ravens will win with a 9-7 record mainly because they have an easier schedule than the Steelers. The Ravens play the Dolphins and Raiders, while the Steelers play the Pats and Chargers.

If you go to ESPN's homepage, look under "Bill Simmons" picture, and click on his "BS Report" to hear some of their NFL predictions this year, including what they had to say about the Ravens.

I hate comments about "easier schedule". The Ravens and Steelers have basically the same schedule. So while the Steelers play the Pats and Chargers instead of Dolphins and Raiders, they also get to play the bad-record Ravens twice. While the Ravens have to add a first-place Steelers (twice) to their record. In the end, it's all the same. It's just the two games against last place teams for the Steelers is in their division, and the two games against first place teams for the Ravens are in their division.

**Greg** · 09-03-2008, 05:17 PM

So was this prediction of theirs made prior to or after the major wave of injurys we sustained as well as the QB outcome?

More to the point, was this prediction made after a wave of bong hits?

Carson Palmer has never won in the NFL.

They did go 11-5 in 2005.

**Jeremiah W** · 09-03-2008, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Greg

More to the point, was this prediction made after a wave of bong hits?

They did go 11-5 in 2005.

Wow 11 and 5. McNair won 13. So what. How about a playoff apearance? All they can do is put on a show, and if you fumble and bungle away the ball hey may fall ass backward into a win.

**RavenTD** · 09-03-2008, 07:06 PM

All hail coach speak.

One game at a time.

At present anyone could be right.But half of you sound sensible and half laughable.There is only 1 team going to the playoffs from the AFCN in 08.
And it won't be the Ravens,not even close.

But I admire your purple glasses .Just don't throw a hissy fit when things start heading south.

**RAVENOUS52** · 09-03-2008, 08:19 PM

A .500 record would be great in my eyes.

Anything more would simply be the stars and planets coming into perfect alignment.

Do you really think throwing Flacco into the blast furnace that is the starting QB position on an NFL squad as a rookie will turn him into Johnny U? Or even Bert Jones?!!

**Mista T** · 09-03-2008, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by TRAP

I'll be excited with 1 win this year and the first pick in the 09 draft.

I am so glad that the players, coaches, and front office don't think like that, or I'd turn in my PSLs.

**camdenyard** · 09-03-2008, 10:28 PM

Wow 11 and 5. McNair won 13. So what. How about a playoff apearance? All they can do is put on a show, and if you fumble and bungle away the ball hey may fall ass backward into a win.

Blame Palmer because the Stooler took out his knee on the 2nd play of a home wild card game. Yeah, that's smart.

I'll be excited with 1 win this year and the first pick in the 09 draft.

:grbac:

**riprulz8** · 09-04-2008, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by Jeremiah W

Have you seen the injury reports coming out of Clown Town? The staph infections alone are responsible for taking out the only possesion WR I was worried about matching up with. The CB situation for them is way worse than what we dealt with last year already. The season has not even started, and they have worse starting CBs than we had week 17. DA has missed a lot of time with a concussion and they have not been able to protect the back ups.
If Winslow or Edwards, or Jamal or DA go down, so do the Clowns.

The Bungles are the Bungles. Carson Palmer has never won in the NFL. Fantasy football he is a monster, but in reality, he is going to take another busted face when he plays the Ravens. They never play well against us, but somehow under Billick the most ridiculous defense in football found 12 free turnovers every year by pushing the parameters instead of just pounding the football. How are the Bungles going to stop the run? How are they going to get the run game going? If they don't, how are they going to protect Palmer, and keep Ocho Stinko and TJ from getting jacked up?

The Steelers are the team we all know and love. They come on down to Harm City and overpay for tickets, just to watch the Squealers get run off the feild. 4 out of the last 5 times anyway. They are the one team that always brings out the best in the Ravens, so I love to see them twice a year.
They face the same schedule we do with a few of the touger matchups on the road along with SD and NE instead of Miami and Oakland. I don't think they will have a better O line than we will, and I know our defense is better if C Mack and Rolle are healthy.

Actually, we've been the Stoolers in Baltimore the last FIVE times from 2003-2007.