Before you sell all your purple gear, consider...

**AirFlacco** · 12-14-2010, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Mista T

How about this: this is pure bullshit! If you and the other Harbaugh/Mattison defenders want to continue to live in la-la land, be my guest. There is so much talent on this team it's ridiculous, yet here we go again: blow yet another big 4th Q lead, try to sit on it, don't pressure the opposing QB.

Under this coaching regime, we won't get close to seeing your "one ring in that time" unless the owner steps in and demands better coaching.

Here, here and nobody agrees more than Ray who thought we've been wasting his
great defenses all those years.

It's been 8 years since Ozzie gutted the SB team and
we still made the POs in 03 and 06 and should have gone deeper then.
We made it again in 08 and 09 and were 2 and out and 1 and out.

Billick blew the POs in 03 with 8 pro bowlers, so we have been building
for a long time.

Even Boldin said in club house there's more talent on this team than
the SB team he was on 2 years ago.

**baltimore_hokie** · 12-14-2010, 12:45 PM

All of this perspective and logic is making my brain hurt.

**WxKevin** · 12-14-2010, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

One poster even said he almost wanted us to miss the playoffs just so we'd dump Harbs.

I swear if somebody who claims to be a Ravens fan ever said that to me in real life I would have to go medieval on their ass.

**pyite32** · 12-14-2010, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by WxKevin

I swear if somebody who claims to be a Ravens fan ever said that to me in real life I would have to go medieval on their ass.

I did not say that. I was pissed and I said I ALMOST wish we don't make the playoffs so some changes will be made. I wasn't referring to Harbs, I like him I was mostly thinking of Cam, Mattison, O-Line, Flacco's leash, aging defense. I don't actually wish we miss the playoffs, I was making a point on how big of a shake up we really need. I am sorry in my annoyed state last night that I didn't make my point eloquently.

**GaRaven** · 12-14-2010, 01:04 PM

I just keep looking at it for what it is....Other than the Bengals game....we have lost LATE to three teams with a combined record of 32-7. We are a few plays away from 12-1 and also a few plays away from 7-6....this is just the nature of the NFL. Winning UGLY is still winning.

Last night I was furious about the defensive scheme after taking 28-7 lead....who the hell knows whether Harbaugh and Mattison will or won't admit to the mistake. Yet, take a look at the end of the game...from the TD/2pt conversion until the first Texan drive. They ran two plays and on BOTH plays, we were able to get pressure unlike the entire second half. The bend don't break philosophy CAN'T work unless the offense can sustain drives and add points....so again, the failure to adjust and PLAYING NOT TO LOSE BULLSHIT must stop!!

**ActualSpamBot** · 12-14-2010, 01:05 PM

Read what I said you said. I accurately relayed your statement. You said you almost wanted us to miss the playoffs.

**pyite32** · 12-14-2010, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by ActualSpamBot

Read what I said you said. I accurately relayed your statement. You said you almost wanted us to miss the playoffs.

Well either way I was making a point, I just didn't elaborate.

My point is that there are MAJOR problems with this team and I am worried a winning record will cover them up in the off season. I do not know what changes exactly need to be made but something needs to change.

I still think Harbs is the right guy for the job, I am not happy with Cam and Mattison right now, we need help on the O-line, and it's time to live or die giving flacco control of the O at the line of scrimmage.

**octscotts** · 12-14-2010, 01:12 PM

I like Harbs and I'm not even pissed that he called the fans out last week. I'm happy to hear something out of him other than "it was a hard-fought game against a great opponent, blah, blah, blah". Show me some fire, I'm cool with that. And I'm not asking for his head. I realize that the coaches aren't the ones out there executing, BUT they're the ones drawing up the plays, they're the ones that must make adjustments and it's just not happening. Is that personnel problems? We have one of the, if not the best receiving corps in the NFL and we don't score points. There's an OL problem, for sure, but you should be aware of that and adjust your play-calling to compensate for that.

I'm sorry. I can't be satisfied with making the playoffs. Does that make me spoiled? Fine, I don't care. But making the playoffs means nothing if you don't progress. I'm sick and tired of one and dones. Every year we make the playoffs and then we lose for some reason and in the offseason we promiss to fix it. First it was a QB but now we have Joe. Then it was he had no weapons and we got Boldin, Stallworth and Housh. If you cut my arm off, I freaking bleed purple. I LOVE THIS TEAM!!! But DAMN, it's week 15. We should not have the same damn problems and making the same damn mistakes as we did in first part of the season. And we're running out of time to fix it. We play that game last night against any playoff-contender and we'll be sitting at home again watching somebody else hoist the trophy.

**trailhiker85** · 12-14-2010, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by baltimore_hokie

All of this perspective and logic is making my brain hurt.

Not to worry. Perspective and logic never last long.

Despite the Ravens' problems that most of us agree do exist, the team has already matched their 2009 regular season win total with three games yet to be played. What seems to get very little attention is the fact that Pittsburgh is having a much better year than they did in '09.

For the sake of argument, let's say that weren't the case. Let's say that the Steelers were only 7-6 right now and that the Ravens were easily atop the AFCN with 9-4. You'd be looking at a likely No. 2 seed for the postseason with exactly the same Ravens performance. Had this been the case, I really wonder if we'd be hearing quite as much coach-bashing.

**Corey** · 12-14-2010, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by trailhiker85

Not to worry. Perspective and logic never last long.

Despite the Ravens' problems that most of us agree do exist, the team has already matched their 2009 regular season win total with three games yet to be played. What seems to get very little attention is the fact that Pittsburgh is having a much better year than they did in '09.

For the sake of argument, let's say that weren't the case. Let's say that the Steelers were only 7-6 right now and that the Ravens were easily atop the AFCN with 9-4. You'd be looking at a likely No. 2 seed for the postseason with exactly the same Ravens performance. Had this been the case, I really wonder if we'd be hearing quite as much coach-bashing.

Pitt got better but Cinci got worse.

But I hadnt even noticed that we had matched last years win total. At this point last season we were what a game above .500. Thats not to shabby of an improvement.

**festivus** · 12-14-2010, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Hound

Also, props to houstonraven and Galen sevinne. Good level headed posters.

Now there's something I never thought I'd read about Houston.

Look how far you've come, my man. :)

The Ravens are winning. Excellent. I love wins.

The Ravens are underperforming. They just are. The running game has been terrible and the defense has for whatever reason not executed in the 4th quarter *repeatedly* this season. The offense has not been able to sustain drives in the 4th to finish games.

Those are facts.

You can read them and choose not to be concerned, if you want. I choose to be concerned.

I also won't apologize for being concerned about Harbaugh's temper & tone in public or in front of the media. I hope it's nothing but there have been enough indicators that I won't apologize for being concerned.

One final note: The fan who says we are 9-4 so there shouldn't be any complaining is, I suppose, the same fan who will say we are 4-9 and ZOMG [head explodes]. That's fine, I guess, but I think the better course is not to connect your level of despair/confidence/whatever to the win/loss record of the team.

I'll still be here, calm as a cucumber, when the team sucks in two/four/six/eight years, and gets that 4-9 record. Because there's a lot going on besides wins and losses, and if all I needed to know was 9 wins, why would I bother coming to a message board?

So. I'll keep posting my praise & complaints when earned, whatever our record at the time.

Sounds fair? Good.

**trailhiker85** · 12-14-2010, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Corey

Pitt got better but Cinci got worse.

But I hadnt even noticed that we had matched last years win total. At this point last season we were what a game above .500. Thats not to shabby of an improvement.

Right. The point is that we live in a tough division and that being in 2nd place at this juncture isn't necessarily an indictment of your team. The Ravens should be playing better than they are, but in my view it's hardly time to throw in the towel in disgust.