Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Norwich, England
    Posts
    2,093

    If no Rice again this week, a question.

    OK, if we are without Rice again this week against the Cowboys, who do you line up next to Flacco in the shotgun in the backfield in passing situations? McGahee was there pretty much exclusively on Sunday and to be quite frank we saw why he never played on 3rd downs before. I remember a few threads & posters (myself included) asking why McGahee always came out on third downs (under Billick particularly) and we found that answer out on Sunday. To be quite frank he sucked, his hands are terrible and he can't block. For a third down back in obvious passing situations that's not acceptable and he's a liability there.

    So the question I'd ask is who do you put back there this week if we're without Rice? They like to send both OLBs off of the edge or switch up to a four man line in obvious passing situations so we might need to keep someone in.

    Do you:

    - Stick with McGahee?

    - Stick Heap in the backfield and line up Wilcox at TE if we have one?

    - Stick Wilcox in the backfield and not move Heap around?

    - Stick both TEs in the backfield and go 3 wide?

    - Stick Neal in the backfield and forget having a receiving threat?


    This conundrum and the lack of Rice really does expose a lack of another even halfway competent blocking back on this team, big hole exposed by the lack of Rice destroying our depth in the backfield, nobody else doing anything to compliment McClain. McGahee needs to buck his ideas up and get his arse in gear if we're going to stick with him, though I'm not sure we have much choice.





  2. #2

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    They'll stick with McGahee. But the whole point is to avoid obvious passing 3rd downs by mixing it up on 1st and 2nd.

    Pissburgh didn't have to guess what we were gonna do Sunday and it helped them greatly.





  3. #3

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Missing Rice on Sunday was a huge loss that doesn't get talked about much.

    To answer your question, I don't care what they do but it better not be exclusively McGahee.

    PP





  4. #4

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    I really like the idea of sending out 2 TEs and no RB in that situation. Then when the huddle breaks, the defense could be facing any one of a number of formations.

    Realistically I think it will be McGahee. But in my personal fantasy football, it would be Wilcox or Heap, with the other lined up at TE, depending on the play call.

    I want to say Neal, but I think putting Lorenzo Neal in a single back set might cause a tear in the spice time continuum.

    Good question.
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Now live from Pittsburgh for work
    Posts
    6,847

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Quote Originally Posted by purplepoe View Post
    Missing Rice on Sunday was a huge loss that doesn't get talked about much.

    To answer your question, I don't care what they do but it better not be exclusively McGahee.

    PP
    Agreed on both points. I was really worried prior to the game with what they would do and prayed Willis would step up. So much for that.





  6. #6

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Put Ngata in the RB position. He seems to be playing every other position and doing it well.
    I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman!





  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Southern PA
    Posts
    6,854
    Blog Entries
    3

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Quote Originally Posted by festivus View Post
    I want to say Neal, but I think putting Lorenzo Neal in a single back set might cause a tear in the spice time continuum.
    Spice Time Continuum?






  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Now live from Pittsburgh for work
    Posts
    6,847

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Quote Originally Posted by 4G63 View Post
    Spice Time Continuum?

    Damn, I knew following Dune would come in handy





  9. #9

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Yes, the spice time continuum is on Reisterstown Road, somewhere near the Owings Mills Home Depot, you can smell it as you drive past sometimes.

    Oh wait, that's McCormick.

    I knew it was something. :)
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





  10. #10

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Figurs might be worth a try on passing downs. He probably can't block but he's got the speed to break a long one if he gets a little room to manuever after making the catch.

    I dunno. We're running out of good options when Rice is out given the way Mcgahee has (not) been catching the ball.





  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Sparks, MD
    Posts
    631

    Re: If no Rice again this week, a question.

    Troy Smith -- we need to use his athleticism. Think that getting him in on an option play or 2 (NOT the suggs package but just in as a QB) could be another way of opening up our offensive options.

    Saw America's Game about the 1990 Giants -- there's a great story about Jeff Hofstedler wanting to play so bad as a backup quarterback that he used to play special teams routinely. So why not be creative?





Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Link To Mobile Site
var infolinks_pid = 3297965; var infolinks_wsid = 0; //—->