McKinnie Gone? (Merged)

**Tspot-D-Ravenator** · 08-25-2012, 01:35 AM

For the life of me, I can't understand how anyone can say McKinnie shouldn't be our LT this year! I heard people calling in 105.7 today, saying Oher should be our starting LT and McKinnie should be benched :insane: . I am watching the game again tonight and I have focused on the left side of the o-line and he and Osemele look pretty good together.

I even saw McKinnie getting out to the second level quickly on that one nice run by Bobby Rainey that was called back because of a holding call on K.O. McKinnie did make a few mistakes, but he was playing next to a ROOKIE LG in Osemele. That coverage sack in the final seconds of the second quarter was a coverage/push up the middle on Birk, which caused chaos in front of Flacco in which McKinnie lost his block on his man thus his guy sacking Flacco.

I understand the animosity against McKinnie, but people need to get off his case and get behind him. This includes Vinny Cerato. McKinnie's looking very well for the first time starting in a pre-season game. Michael Oher is NOT a left tackle...just sayin'

**leachisabeast** · 08-25-2012, 05:32 AM

The reason people are calling for it is because Michael Oher has just played better on the left side in the pre season so far. Idk what game you were watching, but there were times when McKinnie just stood there and did nothing.

**Carey** · 08-25-2012, 09:55 AM

Im gonna just repost my post from the Jax gamethread, i was in the Mckinnie for LT boat a couple weeks ago....

I've been cautiously optimistic about Oher at LT but your right in preseason he's outplayed Mckinnie. He also looks to be in great shape and better equipped to handle the new pace we are playing at, plus KO has been tremendous at RT, i'll have to re-watch last nights game to see just how he faired at LG(I was mostly looking at Joe's footwork, offensive personnel, etc.). The best combo of players looks to be Oher,Williams,Birk,Yanda,KO.

If Mckinnie were taking snaps at RT maybe you could make it Mckinnie vs. Williams for a starting nod but Mckinnie never seems to really get after it in the run game and again KO has been very good over there. I think you have to go with the best combo...personally a couple weeks ago i thought Mckinnie being late then put on the 2nd unit was a blessing in disguise because he'd have to work hard and grind to get his starting position back, and for all we know he could be working very hard but Oher and KO are bringing it, and that lineup as a whole i feel is really gelling. I think we have our starting unit now.

**wickedsolo** · 08-25-2012, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by Carey

Im gonna just repost my post from the Jax gamethread, i was in the Mckinnie for LT boat a couple weeks ago....

I've been cautiously optimistic about Oher at LT but your right in preseason he's outplayed Mckinnie. He also looks to be in great shape and better equipped to handle the new pace we are playing at, plus KO has been tremendous at RT, i'll have to re-watch last nights game to see just how he faired at LG(I was mostly looking at Joe's footwork, offensive personnel, etc.). The best combo of players looks to be Oher,Williams,Birk,Yanda,KO.

If Mckinnie were taking snaps at RT maybe you could make it Mckinnie vs. Williams for a starting nod but Mckinnie never seems to really get after it in the run game and again KO has been very good over there. I think you have to go with the best combo...personally a couple weeks ago i thought Mckinnie being late then put on the 2nd unit was a blessing in disguise because he'd have to work hard and grind to get his starting position back, and for all we know he could be working very hard but Oher and KO are bringing it, and that lineup as a whole i feel is really gelling. I think we have our starting unit now.

:word

I think the problem is who is the better player between McKinnie and Bobby Williams at this point. I think it is safe to say that Birk, Yanda, KO, and Oher are the top 4 OL'men right now on the team. Any way you slice it, those guys are the top 4 and should be on the field. So, to me, it comes down to who is going to be the better player...McKinnie at LT or Williams at LG?

I think when you look at it that way, McKinnie wins out almost every time and since he can really only play LT, that kicks KO down to LG, which is fine, and Oher over to RT, which is also fine.

Fans and posters on this board need to let Oher's past LT performances go. They need to get over the team moving on from Gaither and putting Oher at LT. What Oher did 2 years ago is completely irrelevant now. If Oher can hang at LT and play really well, which this pre-season he has DEFINITELY improved a lot from 2 years ago, then it shouldn't matter if it is Oher at LT or not. I was concerned about Oher's size (not the prototypical LT "length"), but he really is incredibly athletic, driven, and he has that nasty streak that McKinnie really just doesn't have. Is Oher in fallible? No way. I'm sure he'll give up sacks, but Oher held his own against Detroit's starting line and Atlanta's starting line and both he and KO were impressive in both of those instances. McKinnie got punked by Mincey twice and as a result got Flacco sacked twice including a sack/strip.

I do still think that McKinnie can be a starting LT for Baltimore and like I said above, I believe that he is probably a better LT than Bobby Williams is a LG at this point of their respective careers, but if they opt to go with Williams at LG and put Oher at LT and KO at RT, then this OL will still be successful and - IMO - potentially more so.

**JAB1985** · 08-25-2012, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

:word

I think the problem is who is the better player between McKinnie and Bobby Williams at this point. I think it is safe to say that Birk, Yanda, KO, and Oher are the top 4 OL'men right now on the team. Any way you slice it, those guys are the top 4 and should be on the field. So, to me, it comes down to who is going to be the better player...McKinnie at LT or Williams at LG?

I think when you look at it that way, McKinnie wins out almost every time and since he can really only play LT, that kicks KO down to LG, which is fine, and Oher over to RT, which is also fine.

Fans and posters on this board need to let Oher's past LT performances go. They need to get over the team moving on from Gaither and putting Oher at LT. What Oher did 2 years ago is completely irrelevant now. If Oher can hang at LT and play really well, which this pre-season he has DEFINITELY improved a lot from 2 years ago, then it shouldn't matter if it is Oher at LT or not. I was concerned about Oher's size (not the prototypical LT "length"), but he really is incredibly athletic, driven, and he has that nasty streak that McKinnie really just doesn't have. Is Oher in fallible? No way. I'm sure he'll give up sacks, but Oher held his own against Detroit's starting line and Atlanta's starting line and both he and KO were impressive in both of those instances. McKinnie got punked by Mincey twice and as a result got Flacco sacked twice including a sack/strip.

I do still think that McKinnie can be a starting LT for Baltimore and like I said above, I believe that he is probably a better LT than Bobby Williams is a LG at this point of their respective careers, but if they opt to go with Williams at LG and put Oher at LT and KO at RT, then this OL will still be successful and - IMO - potentially more so.

Ive held ohers past against him. Hes looked improved and more comfortable, but is preseason. He looked good in preseason the year he was awful too. I think you hit it on the head though. Top 5 OL play and thats mckinnie not williams. Doesnt even matter what oher can or cant do at LT. Eith what hes shown, albeit PS id be willing to give him a shot, but id also give KO a shot, but next year not this one.

Those against mckinnie, i get it, but that game the other night he showed really improved run blockong. Hes struggled in the past but he was getting to the second level on some of those run plays. Id recommend rewatching it if you can with an open mind. I dont think he played bad let alone as bad as some are saying. Oher arguably played worse on the right side and continues to have issues with flase starts. Sugar offense may not be the best for him honestly. Im not sure but it seemed like a lot of the run plays to the right were duds barely getting back to LOS. Left were usually gainers at least. Just my opinion. I think just as some have issues with Oher and let it blind them somes issues with mckinnie blind them. At the end of the day i want Ws i dont really care whos where as long as thats the end result.

**steelerhater** · 08-25-2012, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

The reason people are calling for it is because Michael Oher has just played better on the left side in the pre season so far. Idk what game you were watching, but there were times when McKinnie just stood there and did nothing.

I didn't think McKinnie played particularly well in the Jacksonville game either, but I still want him out there on opening night (as opposed to Oher).

**Tspot-D-Ravenator** · 08-25-2012, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

The reason people are calling for it is because Michael Oher has just played better on the left side in the pre season so far. Idk what game you were watching, but there were times when McKinnie just stood there and did nothing.

Seriously? That was his first time with the starters and the first time ever with K.O. I think people don't want McKinnie because of his past..

**TheJoeFlaccoShow** · 08-25-2012, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Tspot-D-Ravenator

Seriously? That was his first time with the starters and the first time ever with K.O. I think people don't want McKinnie because of his past..

Don't waste your time. People let their hate for McKinnie cloud their judgement.
It is quite comical to he honest with you.

These people actually think the Ravens should cut a starting caliber LT right before the season, and severely hurt our depth, Super Bowl chances and talent level.on the o line because they are still mad he reported a week late.

Get the hell over it already. Crying about it every single day isn't changing anything.

**leachisabeast** · 08-25-2012, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by TheJoeFlaccoShow

Don't waste your time. People let their hate for McKinnie cloud their judgement.
It is quite comical to he honest with you.

These people actually think the Ravens should cut a starting caliber LT right before the season, and severely hurt our depth, Super Bowl chances and talent level.on the o line because they are still mad he reported a week late.

Get the hell over it already. Crying about it every single day isn't changing anything.

Go back and watch film this pre season and tell me that McKinnie has looked better than Oher at LT. Hell go back and watch film on him in 2011, I don't get how McKinnie gets credit for being this mysterious premium left tackle.

To me it has absolutely NOTHING what so ever to do with McKinnie and his attitude in the past (btw, it's not really all that in the past, he missed the first few days of TC to party on South Beach). It's to do with how he plays now, in this offense. McKinnie was good 2 or 3 years ago, but has looked slow and old since his last season with Minnesota. he is no where near as good as Oher is as a run blocker, and actually gave up more sacks and pressures than Oher gave up in 2010.

This has to do with Oher being a better player not a being a better player off the field.

**TheJoeFlaccoShow** · 08-25-2012, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Go back and watch film this pre season and tell me that McKinnie has looked better than Oher at LT. Hell go back and watch film on him in 2011, I don't get how McKinnie gets credit for being this mysterious premium left tackle.

To me it has absolutely NOTHING what so ever to do with McKinnie and his attitude in the past (btw, it's not really all that in the past, he missed the first few days of TC to party on South Beach). It's to do with how he plays now, in this offense. McKinnie was good 2 or 3 years ago, but has looked slow and old since his last season with Minnesota. he is no where near as good as Oher is as a run blocker, and actually gave up more sacks and pressures than Oher gave up in 2010.

This has to do with Oher being a better player not a being a better player off the field.

McKinnie has been a starting LT for 8 years now, and Oher has SUCKED there every time he has played in REAL game situations. REPEATEDLY.

These are facts, not biased opinions about two fucking worthless preseason games.

**leachisabeast** · 08-25-2012, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Tspot-D-Ravenator

Seriously? That was his first time with the starters and the first time ever with K.O. I think people don't want McKinnie because of his past..

It's not that at all, like I said, Oher has just played better at LT, and is in MUCH better shape to play in this style of offense. McKinnie played with the second team last week vs the Lions, and struggled, against second stringers. Plus, if we are going to continue this sugar huddle offense into the regular season, McKinnie isn't the best fit for it at his size and age now (but neither is Williams, or even arguably Birk).

So like Wicked says, it's really McKinnie vs Bobbie Williams, not KO vs McKinnie IMO. KO has played well all pre season, I'd say he's actually a better fit at RT than LG from what I've seen of him as well.