Hayden Hurst traded to Falcons

**Rygar64** · 04-13-2020, 04:15 PM

If a person is convinced that Lamar can't throw or read a defense, all the stats and video evidence in the world is not going to change that.

**NjRavensFan** · 04-13-2020, 04:20 PM

Serjously though, the blueprint the Titans shared for stopping this team is to let us move the ball at will, but keep us out of the end zone by intercepting passes that bounce off our receivers hands, and repeatedly stuffing us on 4th and short in a way that hadn’t happened all season. I’m not sure how easy that “blueprint” will be to replicate lol

**Rygar64** · 04-13-2020, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by darb72

Okay, taken by itself this is a horrible post but when taken in context with this...
... it makes a bit more sense.

You're argument is that Lamar can be a good passer, he just needs more attempts to make things click. I agree with you that we need to solidify the passing game and that means giving Lamar more throws. I disagree that he's not a refined passer or capable of dissecting a defense. Both of those areas can be improved on, yes, since he's only been in the league two years. But the thing I liked most about Lamar coming out of college was his passing ability. If you go back and watch tape, he's a better passer than any of the other QB's from that draft.

Remember, we were 14 and 2 last season with one of those loses coming to the eventual Super Bowl champs. We didn't have to let Lamar throw the ball all over the field because we were very rarely down.

I am not by any means saying Lamar can't improve on some aspects of his game. At 23 years old and with the apparent fire that's burning in his belly, I believe he will continue to work on areas that need improvement.

However, to talk as if the UNANIMOUS MVP of the freaking NFL can simply be beat by some generic plan to stack the box borders on the absurd IMO. To further suggest that not being able to read a defense or to throw to WRs as the reason they lost to the Titans, well that just seems like a person didn't even watch the game.

**NjRavensFan** · 04-13-2020, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by darb72

Okay, taken by itself this is a horrible post but when taken in context with this...
... it makes a bit more sense.

You're argument is that Lamar can be a good passer, he just needs more attempts to make things click. I agree with you that we need to solidify the passing game and that means giving Lamar more throws. I disagree that he's not a refined passer or capable of dissecting a defense. Both of those areas can be improved on, yes, since he's only been in the league two years. But the thing I liked most about Lamar coming out of college was his passing ability. If you go back and watch tape, he's a better passer than any of the other QB's from that draft.

Remember, we were 14 and 2 last season with one of those loses coming to the eventual Super Bowl champs. We didn't have to let Lamar throw the ball all over the field because we were very rarely down.

He literally said “load the box and we’re toast because Lamar can’t throw the football”. There’s no way to spin that to make it anything less than a horrendous take lol

Not only has Lamar been great at reading defenses his entire career dating back to college, not only did his technique and ball placement improve tremendously last year, not only did he lead the league in TD passes, but he was objectively the best QB in the NFL specifically when teams “load the box” lol.

There is nothing remotely defensible about that post aside from the fact that the offense will be better off by investing in dynamic receivers and throwing more. But that’s not because Lamar needs more reps to become an adequate passer, but specifically because he’s *already great at it* and we would do well to take more advantage of that.

**Shas** · 04-13-2020, 04:22 PM

There is no data I can point to, but I think Lamar got too hyped up in the two playoff games. With experience I hope he learns to relax and trust the players around him who got him there. Ironically, he needs Big Truss.

**Shas** · 04-13-2020, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by NjRavensFan

He literally said “load the box and we’re toast because Lamar can’t throw the football”. There’s no way to spin that to make it anything less than a horrendous take lol

Again, as I had noted in the quote stream, he had a near perfect QB rating and 6 TDs when teams went cover zero and loaded the box.

**Desert Raven** · 04-13-2020, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

There is no data I can point to, but I think Lamar got too hyped up in the two playoff games. With experience I hope he learns to relax and trust the players around him who got him there. Ironically, he needs Big Truss.

I think that’s exactly it. In the playoff games he doesn’t appear as ‘loose’. I have no data or anything to support that claim other than his body language which says he appears to be taking the fun out of it somewhat and overthinking it.

**Rygar64** · 04-13-2020, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Desert Raven

I think that’s exactly it. In the playoff games he doesn’t appear as ‘loose’. I have no data or anything to support that claim other than his body language which says he appears to be taking the fun out of it somewhat and overthinking it.

That is a much more logical take than AB offered. I would also add that losing his top 2 weapons to injury was a factor...oh and I think Derrick Henry just ran for another 16 yards.

**Desert Raven** · 04-13-2020, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Rygar64

That is a much more logical take than AB offered. I would also add that losing his top 2 weapons to injury was a factor...oh and I think Derrick Henry just ran for another 16 yards.

And Gus Edwards is still not being used. Coaching decisions and the defense still get more blame from me than LJ, even if LJ looked like he played a bit too uptight early in the game.

**NjRavensFan** · 04-13-2020, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

There is no data I can point to, but I think Lamar got too hyped up in the two playoff games. With experience I hope he learns to relax and trust the players around him who got him there. Ironically, he needs Big Truss.

I mean this is largely true but his teammates also reallyyyy let him down in both. In the first game the OL got shredded beyond recognition. Someone was immediately in his face on just about every drop back. I think just about any 21 year old QB would get rattled in that situation, yet he still led an incredible 4th quarter rally and we had the ball back with a chance to go win the game when Orlando Brown gave up the first sack of his career to seal it.

Last year was just a mess. It wasn’t Lamar’s best game but he was the least of our worries. The defense got punched in the mouth and the drops from the receivers were insane, including one that got tipped to Byard for a pick in the red zone and another from Roberts that would’ve been a long TD. Iirc the first drive of the game Lamar and the offense were casually strolling down the field before the aforementioned tip drill interception deep in Tennessee territory. It reminded me a lot of Joe’s early career, when he would have us on the doorstep only for Housh, Clayton, Evans etc to drop a huge pass.

I do think Lamar could learn to relax a bit in the postseason, but I also think he’s performed well in both playoff games, if not at his best. And he has time to settle in. When Joe was 22 he was still playing 1-AA football.

**darb72** · 04-13-2020, 04:52 PM

Lamar turned the ball over three times in the Titans loss, his receivers dropped 5 passes, our RB's had a combined 9 carries, the defense couldn't stop Henry, and our coaches decided for some inexplicable reason that we should let Lamar run a QB sneak not once but twice on 4th and 1 instead of the RPOs that had been extraordinarily successful through out the season.

Despite all of that, we had a chance until the very end. If a team makes those mistakes against us, the game is over by halftime and RGIII is out there auditioning in the second half.

**JimZipCode** · 04-13-2020, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

There is no data I can point to, but I think Lamar got too hyped up in the two playoff games.

I think it's right there on the tape. That first passing play (4th play from scrimmage), where he hurried to throw it to Andrews on the sideline for 12 yds rather than let Boykin's route develop for the TD deep. When he forced it to Marquise instead of taking the easy pass in the middle of the field to Hurst, who had a lot of green in front of him. Lamar was hurrying things and forcing his decisions, instead of letting things open up.

Didn't play with nearly the poise he had all season.

Originally Posted by Shas

With experience I hope he learns to relax and trust the players around him who got him there.

Agreed.

I think with two postseasons of "not playing his game", and another year as The Man, I think we'll see an absolute assassin in the playoffs next time.