Peter King on The Ravens

[TL24x7]

I'm not a big fan of power rankings, particularly those compiled in May. However this piece from Peter King is a perfect example of why we are all better off dialing into journalists who cover the teams individually instead of national guys like King who barely scratch the surface. It's not their fault. I'm a fan of guys like King but they just can't get to all of the nooks and crannies like the local coverage can.

Leave analysis to the locals. The national guys seem more adept at getting the breaking stories.

From my experiences with the Ravens, big news is fed to the national guys. If the locals catch wind of breaking stories, it's as if they sit on it so they don't upset their good standing with the team. Information, during the Harbaugh era, has been on lock down.

With that said, here's the Ravens excerpt from King's piece...

LINK

BALTIMORE RAVENS: RANK 18TH

​Additions: An underrated one in jack-of-all-backs Danny Woodhead, the former Charger, to be Joe Flacco’s security blanket … The secondary got reshaped with two starters (Brandon Carr, Tony Jefferson) in free agency and a third contributor (Marlon Humphrey) in the first round. Carr’s been okay in tight coverage and adds this bonus: He’s the most durable corner in football over the past nine years.

Subtractions: DT Timmy Jernigan was shipped to Philadelphia … WR Steve Smith Sr. retired, RT Ricky Wagner signed with Detroit, C-G Jeremy Zuttah and FB Kyle Jusczyk landed in San Francisco … Pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil wasn’t resigned, DE Lawrence Guy defected to New England and, unfortunately, promising LB Zach Orr retired because of a medical condition.

Key coaching/front-office moves: Lots of staff juggling. Greg Roman arrived as senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach … Chris Hewitt replaced Leslie Frazier as secondary coach … Craig Ver Steeg (a Joe Flacco favorite) and coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will share QB coaching duties … Joe D’Alessandris succeeded Juan Castillo (now in Buffalo) as OL coach.

Decisive schedule span: Weeks 11 through 14, coming out of the bye. Two very tough road games (at Green Bay, at Pittsburgh) sandwich Houston and Detroit at home.

Why I have the Ravens 18th: As with many teams in the middle of this list, the Ravens could go either way. I could see them win 11; I could see them lose 10. The Ravens are in a four-year funk. They’re 32-34 over the past four seasons, with only one playoff appearance. There’s no sign owner Steve Bisciotti is considering blowing up anything. He shouldn’t; John Harbaugh still has the pulse of this team. Question is, can Joe Flacco, in year two after knee surgery, take this team farther than he has since the Super Bowl? Last year was his most accurate season ever (64.9 percent), but he lost two pairs of sure hands (Smith retired, Juszczyk went to San Francisco) and desperately needs to bond with Woodhead to give Baltimore 80 to 90 easy chains-moving completions. Defensively, for about the 68th year in a row, the Ravens need a significant pass rush season from Terrell Suggs. Problem is, Suggs turns 35 this year. He’s had two Achilles surgeries. The secondary should be markedly better.

Most important factor to this team this year: The offense being better than the one that seven times was held under 20 points last season. Again, so much of that is up to Flacco.

Ravens prediction in 10 words or less: A 5-1 finish saves jobs in Baltimore.

[HbgPARavenfan]

Last year was his most accurate season ever (64.9 percent),

desperately needs to bond with Woodhead to give Baltimore 80 to 90 easy chains-moving completions.

Defensively, for about the 68th year in a row, the Ravens need a significant pass rush season from Terrell


Most important factor to this team this year: The offense being better than the one that seven times was held under 20 points last season. Again, so much of that is up to Flacco.

So Peter King, like most National media, has no fing clue about the ravens. I swear we are like a blackhole for media coverage.

People still think we've had the 2000 ravens defense here the past 4 years.

He quotes Flacco as having his best comp %...and fails to mention it was his worst year basically?

He didnt choke of laughter when he said We need woodhead to get 80-90 receptions? lol

if Woodhead has 50+ receptions we're going 0-16.

How about "The ravens have attempted to build a dominate defense, yet need to find /get help or have young players have breakout years at WR,TE, RT , C and Flacco needs to play better"

idk man the media pisses me off when it comes to Baltimore coverage, I think thats why we get the "Whiney" monicker....no one knows wtf they're talking about

[GreatWhiteNorthRaven]

Yeah that;s annoying. Flacco being blamed is just wild.

He needs to be better, btu to make it sound like that's the fundamental issue with this offense is just ridiculous.

[BlackBeak]

I thought the fundamental issue last year was Trestman/Recovering from Trestman.

He was a fundamental problem. Joe is not a fundamental problem. Joe can and does win.

1. Trestamn architected a style of offense that didn't leverage the expertise Kubiak had built up with the outside zone running scheme; i.e. he threw the baby out with the bathwater. Replaced the baby with mpre bathwater.
2. He failed to deliver the promise of a WC offense; i.e. the conceptually, the type of offense is supposed to pry open spaces in the field that creates running and downfield openings, especially as the game wears on. Neither ever materialized as running always got worse as the game went on and Joe had his worst YPA year ever.
3. What was it the worst running year ever for the Ravens or just John Harbaugh? Can't recall. (and I actually liked West and Dixon). Whatever they were doing never worked. No apparent philosophy.
4. Checkdown city.
5. Never wore down a single team. I hate that. I have always enjoyed that the Ravens could wear teams down.
6. Put it all together and Trestman was a big fat nothingburger.

There were a lot of injuries to the line, but damn that offense was a shambles, and I would argue for Marty that you can't just correct broken when the playbook and what everybody has practiced all along is the problem, especially mid-season. It's an unreasonable ask of anyone. I get that Marty didn't prove a whole lot, but what can you reasonably expect?

I like that were starting anew without Castillo. I like the Roman empire and the return of smashmouth, and that Chargers line coach is for real. Unless Marty is a dick and so stupid he hates full-time employment at a high salary, he should be able to embrace working with Roman's concepts. Marty doesn't seem like a dick to me. His accent is weird though

Anyhow, I think Marty is driving the car right now. Success will ride more with him than anyone. Health being critical, he has the right kinds of pieces, or likely will before the season. Peter King is right, the offense needs to be better than last year. But Joe can make that possible. He needs Marty to give him keys to a decent ride.

[DarthSizzle55]

I thought the fundamental issue last year was Trestman/Recovering from Trestman.

He was a fundamental problem. Joe is not a fundamental problem. Joe can and does win.

1. Trestamn architected a style of offense that didn't leverage the expertise Kubiak had built up with the outside zone running scheme; i.e. he threw the baby out with the bathwater. Replaced the baby with mpre bathwater.
2. He failed to deliver the promise of a WC offense; i.e. the conceptually, the type of offense is supposed to pry open spaces in the field that creates running and downfield openings, especially as the game wears on. Neither ever materialized as running always got worse as the game went on and Joe had his worst YPA year ever.
3. What was it the worst running year ever for the Ravens or just John Harbaugh? Can't recall. (and I actually liked West and Dixon). Whatever they were doing never worked. No apparent philosophy.
4. Checkdown city.
5. Never wore down a single team. I hate that. I have always enjoyed that the Ravens could wear teams down.
6. Put it all together and Trestman was a big fat nothingburger.

There were a lot of injuries to the line, but damn that offense was a shambles, and I would argue for Marty that you can't just correct broken when the playbook and what everybody has practiced all along is the problem, especially mid-season. It's an unreasonable ask of anyone. I get that Marty didn't prove a whole lot, but what can you reasonably expect?

I like that were starting anew without Castillo. I like the Roman empire and the return of smashmouth, and that Chargers line coach is for real. Unless Marty is a dick and so stupid he hates full-time employment at a high salary, he should be able to embrace working with Roman's concepts. Marty doesn't seem like a dick to me. His accent is weird though

Anyhow, I think Marty is driving the car right now. Success will ride more with him than anyone. Health being critical, he has the right kinds of pieces, or likely will before the season. Peter King is right, the offense needs to be better than last year. But Joe can make that possible. He needs Marty to give him keys to a decent ride.

well, I have learned more from this post than King.

[Bawlamer]

I can't compare Joe with last year that's for sure. He was coming off an injury and that messed with his head. Really, he shouldn't have even been playing. IMO it was too soon for that type of injury(s). Joe's OL, OC, WRs, Running backs, TEs ..name it has been anything but stable. Even the idea they wanted Joe to play with bare minimum rehab should show what they think about the offense. It's the hand Joe has been dealt which is further evidence that Harbaugh and Ozzie care less about the Offense. Really is there anyone that can do it on their own? He is not Unitas or Brady. But they had or have more consideration than Joe. You can't turn a pair into a fullhouse with drawing the right cards. I've been pessimistic about Joe in the past but until they deal him what's needed I can't and won't expect a winning hand. I hope, for Joes sake, Ozzie gets lucky and finds good players to build a good OL and someone that can hang onto the ball.

[srobert96]

I thought the fundamental issue last year was Trestman/Recovering from Trestman.

He was a fundamental problem. Joe is not a fundamental problem. Joe can and does win.

1. Trestamn architected a style of offense that didn't leverage the expertise Kubiak had built up with the outside zone running scheme; i.e. he threw the baby out with the bathwater. Replaced the baby with mpre bathwater.
2. He failed to deliver the promise of a WC offense; i.e. the conceptually, the type of offense is supposed to pry open spaces in the field that creates running and downfield openings, especially as the game wears on. Neither ever materialized as running always got worse as the game went on and Joe had his worst YPA year ever.
3. What was it the worst running year ever for the Ravens or just John Harbaugh? Can't recall. (and I actually liked West and Dixon). Whatever they were doing never worked. No apparent philosophy.
4. Checkdown city.
5. Never wore down a single team. I hate that. I have always enjoyed that the Ravens could wear teams down.
6. Put it all together and Trestman was a big fat nothingburger.

There were a lot of injuries to the line, but damn that offense was a shambles, and I would argue for Marty that you can't just correct broken when the playbook and what everybody has practiced all along is the problem, especially mid-season. It's an unreasonable ask of anyone. I get that Marty didn't prove a whole lot, but what can you reasonably expect?

I like that were starting anew without Castillo. I like the Roman empire and the return of smashmouth, and that Chargers line coach is for real. Unless Marty is a dick and so stupid he hates full-time employment at a high salary, he should be able to embrace working with Roman's concepts. Marty doesn't seem like a dick to me. His accent is weird though

Anyhow, I think Marty is driving the car right now. Success will ride more with him than anyone. Health being critical, he has the right kinds of pieces, or likely will before the season. Peter King is right, the offense needs to be better than last year. But Joe can make that possible. He needs Marty to give him keys to a decent ride.

Great Post! Agree with everything you said. I will add that Joe was not fundamentally sound early in the season. He was throwing while falling back and not stepping into throws at all. Probably not totally comfortable with the knee. He did get much better towards the end of the season.

King also fails to mention that the Ravens invested two high picks in guys that can get after the QB.

[Rygar64]

The problem does in fact go back to Tony's original post: the national guys have no idea what's happening with this team...the problem is, the local guys don't either. The result is rampant, wild and misinformed speculation on message boards and sportstalk radio and a fan base left with "columnists"(not sports journalists) takes on the state of the Ravens. No scoops, no "interesting" tidbits, no insight into the internal machinations. We basically have our team's record, what the PR staff approves for the public, and 2 pressers a year with the FO. when a team is winning, that is enough, but when a team has been losing or just meandering near average, lack of information cause massive amounts of consternation. I can't tell if I'm worse off than you guys that actually live in Baltimore...I try from time to time to stream some of the local radio guys, but it is god-awful. How can a town with a team as storied as the O's and an NFL team with 2 freaking SB titles since 2000 have such shitty sports coverage??!! I've never been able to understand it.

[bt12483]

It isnt a 4 year funk.

This is why fly by analysis is dumb.

2013 was a SB hangover year.

2015 was the injury year and a new OC.

2016 was a recover from injury year where the OC happened to get shit canned.

2014 was a great season.

If you simply lump the 4 years after the SB altogether, you miss a lot

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[JoeCool5]

Peter King is too busy this time of year -- and any time of year, for that matter -- massaging Belicheat's private area to offer any kind of substantial analysis of an NFL team that is not located in New England.

[DeltaRaven]

Didn't this guy predict a Super Bowl appearance for us in 2015.

[Bawlamer]

It isnt a 4 year funk.

This is why fly by analysis is dumb.

2013 was a SB hangover year.

2015 was the injury year and a new OC.

2016 was a recover from injury year where the OC happened to get shit canned.

2014 was a great season.

If you simply lump the 4 years after the SB altogether, you miss a lot

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Don't forget who we let go during that span of time.