Pass Rush Improvements

[NC Raven]

Suggs for me is the main difference. I know "next man up" and all that, but the fact is there's a reason why some guys on a team make $8 million a year and other guys make 500k.

Your stars have to play like stars, because the salary cap dictates that a bunch of players have to fit within limited roles. Those roles are defined in large part by what the star players do.

When Reed is healthy he takes away half the downfield passing area or more. Which is why we haven't been inclined to overpay for FA CBs (with the exception of Foxworth). Similarly, because a healthy Ngata takes up so much attention, we haven't had to spend on a big time DE (Cory Redding and Trevor Pryce were bargain buys, very good but not the big dollar FA superstars).

When those stars are out, or playing less than 100%, of course the role players aren't going to turn into Suggs or Reed or Ngata. If they could do that, then we wouldn't need to pay those guys all that money, would we? No. If Paul Kruger was as good as Suggs and Ellerbee was as good as Lewis and...... so on, there would never be a drop off on the defense, ever.

So Suggs coming back definitely has done more for the D than anything, as it should. Now lets hope Ngata is good to go And lets get McPhee healthy again, and we might just piece this D back together after all.

The dream would be to sweep Pitt and give Reed and Ngata plenty of snaps off down the stretch and have the most hellacious D possible (given no Webb, and likely no J Smith, or at least a less than 100% version of him) for the playoffs. I think a fully healthy Ravens D, with the players currently on the roster, will still be quite formidable, and home field in the playoffs would make this team the favorite to get to the SB.

Keep believing!!!!!!!! :happyanim

[The Excellector]

The return of Terrell Suggs allowed them to fit certain players back into the roles that best suit them. Paul Kruger is more of a pass rusher, as is Pernell McPhee. Now, McPhee has been hurt, but you've seen Kruger play better with less responsibility. He still gets swept away on the edge, in run defense, but he is in the picture with the pass rush. They'll be able to do the same with Pernell McPhee. This also helps to keep your pass rushers fresh. Right now, DeAngelo Tyson looks more like the properly suited 5 technique anyway.

[Ravenous1]

The return of Terrell Suggs allowed them to fit certain players back into the roles that best suit them. Paul Kruger is more of a pass rusher, as is Pernell McPhee. Now, McPhee has been hurt, but you've seen Kruger play better with less responsibility. He still gets swept away on the edge, in run defense, but he is in the picture with the pass rush. They'll be able to do the same with Pernell McPhee. This also helps to keep your pass rushers fresh. Right now, DeAngelo Tyson looks more like the properly suited 5 technique anyway.

:word

Getting Suggs back has been huge. The Ravens of old who never give up a 100yd rusher they will never be this year but I also do not expect to see them as bad as they were in the first half. The mounting injuries in the secondary are pretty concerning though.