The Good, Bad & Ugly: Ravens @ Bucs

[Bhcforlife]

I like the idea of Doss playing in the slot when we go 3-wide, but who is the other outside receiver apart from Torrey? I just don't want it to be Jacoby. Even if they think Doss is the answer to slot receiver, I still have major questions about Jacoby being the #2.

Am I alone in feeling that Harbaugh gave Jacoby the start last night based on seniority and what he did last year in the playoffs? Based on camp reports that nobody had really separated themselves, I feel that's the case. I just think they know him well enough to know he is best used sparingly as a receiver, not really worried about them going with him long term in that spot.

[wickedsolo]

I think you hit the nail on the head Bhc.

No one has separated themselves.

That doesn't mean everyone stinks, that just means no one has overly excelled.

[NCRAVEN]

Am I alone in feeling that Harbaugh gave Jacoby the start last night based on seniority and what he did last year in the playoffs? Based on camp reports that nobody had really separated themselves, I feel that's the case. I just think they know him well enough to know he is best used sparingly as a receiver, not really worried about them going with him long term in that spot.

Said the same thing to a friend today.

I am actually excited about the potential of the young guys. I just don't like how it seems Jones is automatically #2

[Rxdoxx]

Smith caught long touchdown passes from Joe Flacco totaling 133 yards on his first three career receptions, a huge first half that sparked a franchise record-setting day on offense by the Baltimore Ravens in a 37-7 rout of the defenseless St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&hl=en&ct=clnk Sept 25, 2011

We have to remember that the 1st game Sun 9/11/11 vs Pitt Torrey had ZERO targeted and receptions. And the second game he had ZERO targeted and receptions ve Tenn on 9/18/11.
Then he exploded week 3
And week 4 he had 1 reception for 5 yds vs the Jets.

Just saying that if he was judged as the current WR he would have sat on the bench.
Put LaQuan in the slot for the next 2 games, worst thing we can do is discard losers like Torrey looked like after his first 2 regular season games.
We got the WR talent, just have to let it emerge before we kill it with a retread.

[celticrob]

I root for Laquan but he has had his opportunity before and hasn't performed. He wasn't very good on teams last year. He was responsible for numerous jacoby returns being called back for penalty. At the end of the year Harbs was so frustrated he put him on ir for the rest of the year. LW is competing with Reed and Reed is far superior on teams. Reed didn't play against Denver and our special teams unit was awful without him. Again I root for LW but he seems to be just a great "preseason"player.

[camdenyard]

Put LaQuan in the slot for the next 2 games, worst thing we can do is discard losers like Torrey looked like after his first 2 regular season games. We got the WR talent, just have to let it emerge before we kill it with a retread.

We got lucky with Torrey. Ozzie hasn't exactly lit it up drafting WRs. Frankly, I don't have a good feeling about any of these guys except Melette.

Question you've gotta ask is, do you want to go into the season with Torrey and a bunch of other guys who have never consistently caught the ball? Joe has had great posession guys (Mason, Boldin, Pitta). Now the very real possibility exists that he won't have one except Rice. And if it is Torry and Rice and a bunch of "eh" pass catchers, you know what's going to happen. Torrey will be doubled and a spy will be on Rice. And Joe will be going down a lot more than he has.

Okay, that is the pessimistic angle but it's not unrealistic. I think Ozzie will wait until after the second PS game and if someone doesn't step up, he'll pull the trigger. If he does, I hope it's mot a Kevin Johnson or a (ugh) Evans.

The Ravens cannot give Joe $120 million and then give him Torrey and a bunch of maybes to work with.

[The Excellector]

To be fair, Torrey had a serious drop issue in the preseason and was rather inconsistent during his rookie season. None of us saw that performance in St. Louis coming except the Sword of Light.

Laquan, for example, had drop issues last year. Young players are going to deal with inconsistency. I think the team recognizes that now, which is why they are willing to work through those issues, because they won't develop their own guys until they do. Otherwise, Torrey would have been really buried on the depth chart if you just went by his first preseason.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

To be fair, Torrey had a serious drop issue in the preseason and was rather inconsistent during his rookie season. None of us saw that performance in St. Louis coming except the Sword of Light.

Laquan, for example, had drop issues last year. Young players are going to deal with inconsistency. I think the team recognizes that now, which is why they are willing to work through those issues, because they won't develop their own guys until they do. Otherwise, Torrey would have been really buried on the depth chart if you just went by his first preseason.

Other than Mellete and Brown, we are past their first preseason.

This is Doss's 3rd year. Reed's 4th. Quans 3rd. Other than Thompson, these guys have been here for years.


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[CRZA938]

I am not ready to give up on Thompson yet. He has great speed and by all accounts great route running. I think he will step up, if the foot/ankle injury isn't too severe.

All I hear about is Thompson's 4.3 speed, but he plays slower than that.

[The Excellector]

Other than Mellete and Brown, we are past their first preseason.

This is Doss's 3rd year. Reed's 4th. Quans 3rd. Other than Thompson, these guys have been here for years.


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Constantly passed over for vets you knew weren't going to get benched, hogging reps with the first team.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Constantly passed over for vets you knew weren't going to get benched, hogging reps with the first team.

The vets were clearly better players. Maybe we should let Webbie go so we can start Asa Jackson since he doesn't get on the field either.


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[The Excellector]

The vets were clearly better players. Maybe we should let Webbie go so we can start Asa Jackson since he doesn't get on the field either.


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No, but we shouldn't bring in another vet CB.