Suggs throws Pees under the bus

[boller4president]

That's the problem:
With Jimmy Smith -- Incredible Hulk;
Without Jimmy Smith -- Bruce Banner.

Beginning with the playoff loss to the Patriots in 2014 it feels like we've been watching the same plot play out repeatedly. Jimmy Smith gets hurt; Ravens defense drops to mediocre or worse.

Why, just today the NFL Network rebroadcast the Ravens-Giants game from 2016. (Part of a promotion to hype the return of Odell Beckham). The Ravens radio broadcast featured audio of Dean Pees explaining how important it is, how effective a defense can be -- when the opponent is made one dimensional. The audio aired at time when the Ravens defense was dominating the Giants. Then...

About fifteen minutes later Jimmy Smith gets injured.

Odell Beckham finishes with 222 yards and two TDs. Manning throws for more than 400 yards.

Wooden stake, silver bullet, kryptonite, big zit on prom night -- you knew it was going to happen and worse still, that if it did happen, the guy in charge couldn't overcome it.

They weren't bad with Pees. They were vulnerable. And it's vulnerability that invites self-doubt and emboldens opponents.

A change was needed.

I'm fine with changing the DC I just don't expect the results to be much better. Last year defense was very, very good as good as you can be in todays NFL.

What needs to change is the offense. Flacco needs to play better. We need our WR to show they can get consistently open. We need our running game to be productive more then in short spurts.

Our O line needs to stay healthy and perform well. That is what will make the real difference because that is where the improvement needs to happen.

[WrongBaldy]

That's the problem:
With Jimmy Smith -- Incredible Hulk;
Without Jimmy Smith -- Bruce Jenner.

Beginning with the playoff loss to the Patriots in 2014 it feels like we've been watching the same plot play out repeatedly. Jimmy Smith gets hurt; Ravens defense drops to mediocre or worse.

Why, just today the NFL Network rebroadcast the Ravens-Giants game from 2016. (Part of a promotion to hype the return of Odell Beckham). The Ravens radio broadcast featured audio of Dean Pees explaining how important it is, how effective a defense can be -- when the opponent is made one dimensional. The audio aired at time when the Ravens defense was dominating the Giants. Then...

About fifteen minutes later Jimmy Smith gets injured.

Odell Beckham finishes with 222 yards and two TDs. Manning throws for more than 400 yards.

Wooden stake, silver bullet, kryptonite, big zit on prom night -- you knew it was going to happen and worse still, that if it did happen, the guy in charge couldn't overcome it.

They weren't bad with Pees. They were vulnerable. And it's vulnerability that invites self-doubt and emboldens opponents.

A change was needed.

ftfy

[srobert96]

This was his full statement

“One, it’s his intelligence. He has a very high football IQ,” Suggs said of Martindale. “I’m very excited because of how he coaches. He’s taken the handcuffs off the guys. Sometimes a player can be shackled just by the rules that come with [playing] the defense. But I think Wink is just going to allow us to go make plays. Just be that fast-moving defense that this city and our fans love. That’s why I’m very excited for the season. It’s going to be fun, especially with this personnel that we have.”

To me that is actually pretty telling. You don't even have to read between the lines what he's trying to say.

It seems as though Suggs is saying that the bend but don't break defense was more about not making a mistake rather than playing aggressive and dictating what the offense does. While some players were in position it was wrong to put them in that position. What we saw with CJ in coverage. While he was in the right position he was not able to do what was necessary to be successful the way the defense was called. Same on the coverage with Brown. If you are going to put a guy 1 on 1 with Brown on a 3rd and long you have to make sure you get a pass rush and not only rush 3 guys.

[purple_city39]

I wasn't a fan of our DC but the defense played well honestly can't really see them playing much better regardless of Wink. We were top in turnovers top 5 in overall defense. We gave up some late drives but all defenses do.

People criticize Pees for the cover defenses but as soon as Jimmy went down we were forced to change some things. No team was going to send all out blitzes with just Humphrey and Carr.

Nah, it's more than that. Scheme matters. Let's go back a decade to the 2008 defense with Rex as DC. McAlister, easily the top CB, and he only plays 5-6 games. Fabian Washington starts 12 games, the pass rush ends the year with 34 sacks (25 below first place) and still ended as the #2 pass defense in the league. You can't convince me that Marlon Humphrey, even as a rookie, was not better than Fabian Washington. The very next season, with most of the same players still here, Washington looks horrible with a new DC (Mattison).

The players are important, but an above average DC can make a defense flat out better.

[The Excellector]

Nah, it's more than that. Scheme matters. Let's go back a decade to the 2008 defense with Rex as DC. McAlister, easily the top CB, and he only plays 5-6 games. Fabian Washington starts 12 games, the pass rush ends the year with 34 sacks (25 below first place) and still ended as the #2 pass defense in the league. You can't convince me that Marlon Humphrey, even as a rookie, was not better than Fabian Washington. The very next season, with most of the same players still here, Washington looks horrible with a new DC (Mattison).

The players are important, but an above average DC can make a defense flat out better.

Not to mention Frank Walker played significant minutes that year as well.

[ClericBlackDave]

The way Pees would lose with the Pees-vent D would stop us from having any chance on offense to win the game, either.

Pees gets to 3rd and long, plays soft coverage and gives up first down. Wash, Rinse, repeat. Kill the clock, gives up the game winning score to opponent, offense gets back ball with no clock.

If you are aggresive like Winks might be on 3rd and 4th and longs, you may either get the stop to close out the game, OR give up the immediate big play TD that at least gives the ball back to us with 1-2 minutes left to work. Or, give up a normal chunk of yards, but you are perptually trying to win the game, rather than try to not lose the game.


Pees was bad.

[Justlovemybirds]

Both Brandon Williams, Matt Judon and Marlon Humphrey (whose only been with the team for a year) echoed the same sentiments as Suggs during their OTA interviews. They feel less restricted under Wink and they're allowed to operate more freely within the system so that they can play faster.

Mind boggling Pees couldn't figure that out.

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[Terpsfan82]

Both Brandon Williams, Matt Judon and Marlon Humphrey (whose only been with the team for a year) echoed the same sentiments as Suggs during their OTA interviews. They feel less restricted under Wink and they're allowed to operate more freely within the system so that they can play faster.

Mind boggling Pees couldn't figure that out.

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Even more mind boggling that Harbaugh allowed that bullshit.

[QuothDaRaven]

I don’t know about all this “I feel less restricted” and “the handcuffs are coming off” bullshit. You’re NFL pros. Make plays.

Part of playing defense is playing your responsibility, whether it’s beating the man in front of you or collapsing a pocket or covering a TE or whatever it is. You’re “restricted” for a reason.

I love that they feel like they can be themselves and have the freedom to go out and dominate, that’s great. But don’t act like it was anything but fucking missed tackles that let AB score. Don’t act like our DEs couldn’t beat tackles one on one or our DTs couldn’t collapse the pocket because they were “handcuffed.”

Our defense has had its share of problems and Pees gets the lion share of the blame, I get it. But it’s a little irritating to hear guys exult at how free they are now when they were perfectly free to make plays and tackles for years and just ... didn’t.


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[purple_city39]

I don’t know about all this “I feel less restricted” and “the handcuffs are coming off” bullshit. You’re NFL pros. Make plays.

Part of playing defense is playing your responsibility, whether it’s beating the man in front of you or collapsing a pocket or covering a TE or whatever it is. You’re “restricted” for a reason.

I love that they feel like they can be themselves and have the freedom to go out and dominate, that’s great. But don’t act like it was anything but fucking missed tackles that let AB score. Don’t act like our DEs couldn’t beat tackles one on one or our DTs couldn’t collapse the pocket because they were “handcuffed.”

Our defense has had its share of problems and Pees gets the lion share of the blame, I get it. But it’s a little irritating to hear guys exult at how free they are now when they were perfectly free to make plays and tackles for years and just ... didn’t.


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Sure missed tackles let AB score back in that Christmas game (Mosley whiffed hard), but that doesn't mean there wasn't a scheme issue as well. Watching AB abuse Carr one on one for an entire game while it was painfully obvious Carr couldn't cover him alone is a scheme issue. Judon is a pretty good pass rusher who seems to drop into coverage far more than he rushes the passer. That's being handcuffed and a scheme issue. I honestly don't understand why Williams said he was handcuffed, but I'll also acknowledge that I don't know what's going on that deeply with the defense that an actual player would know.

But when multiple players, at each level of the defense (line, linebacker, secondary) make a similar comment, there's probably more too it then message board fans would know

[QuothDaRaven]

Sure missed tackles let AB score back in that Christmas game (Mosley whiffed hard), but that doesn't mean there wasn't a scheme issue as well. Watching AB abuse Carr one on one for an entire game while it was painfully obvious Carr couldn't cover him alone is a scheme issue. Judon is a pretty good pass rusher who seems to drop into coverage far more than he rushes the passer. That's being handcuffed and a scheme issue. I honestly don't understand why Williams said he was handcuffed, but I'll also acknowledge that I don't know what's going on that deeply with the defense that an actual player would know.

But when multiple players, at each level of the defense (line, linebacker, secondary) make a similar comment, there's probably more too it then message board fans would know

I hear you and I understand how scheme issues can cause problems. I just think some of our players have played godawful football too and are thankful to have a scapegoat. In any case, they’ve made their bed and they have to lie in it now. We better get better-than-average or even career years out of multiple players at each level of the defense now that the “handcuffs” have come off...


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[Ravenswintitle]

I hear you and I understand how scheme issues can cause problems. I just think some of our players have played godawful football too and are thankful to have a scapegoat. In any case, they’ve made their bed and they have to lie in it now. We better get better-than-average or even career years out of multiple players at each level of the defense now that the “handcuffs” have come off...


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Yeah that's the downside to all of this crowing by the defense. Going to be pretty tough to improve on last year but that's what they've set themselves up to prove