This is a seriously good team.

[Corey]

I'm not sure what you mean by struggle. Do you think the Ravens will be bad?

Lamar almost certainly won't be as good as his unanimous MVP season, we won't break the rushing record again and the Ravens are unlikely to be as injury free as last year, but the team still has a chance to be better.

The defense has could well be better and we'll still be a good running team but the real chance to improve lies in Roman's willingness to take advantage of the opportunities Lamar and the running game gives us in the passing game. We didn't do enough straight play action, screens, bootlegs, long hand-offs/YAC passes, RPOs - we didn't do enough of anything frankly and we left so much meat on the bone last season.

I'm not expecting Roman to become a genius designer of passing plays. He can just steal a few ideas from Reid, Payton, Shanahan etc and fit them into our dominant running game. Imagine the potential.

No Roman offense has ever taken sufficient advantage of its passing potential but he's never had a QB with the intelligence and understanding of the game that Lamar has. The lack of practice time might hurt our chances of really transforming the passing game but if we can add a few more strings to our bow the offense might really become undefendable. I just hope it's not a philosophical block that's stifling the chance for a really creative passing game (ie. Roman just doesn't want to pass much).

Not bad but I think if LJ doesn't repeat that performance we will certainly not be as dominant as last year.

[Shrubbs]

We lost Yanda in 2017 and the line was fine. That was before Stanley fully broke out and before Zeus Jr was on the team.

Definitely looks better than 2017.

[Bhcforlife]

i think you're grossly underestimating this defense. even with RG3 i think this team could go 8-8 or 9-7 given our division and schedule.

I just don't agree. Maybe it's because I have zero faith in RG3 and think he's terrible. The defense will be good to great with a Lamar Jackson offense that either gets us ahead by 30 points like last year or that keeps them off the field 2/3 of the game like last year. I don't see this defense being one of those generationally good defenses which it would have to be to carry RG3 to 9 wins. I don't see the pass rusher that every defense like that has. Maybe I am wrong.

If we can agree on one thing, lets hope that it doesn't happen lol.

[QtR Nevermore]

I just don't agree. Maybe it's because I have zero faith in RG3 and think he's terrible.

I'm with you on RG3. I think McSorley passed the ball better last preseason than I've ever seen from RG3, either in the preseason or the regular season. I can't see any reaon to keep him unless Lamar really does rely on him, as people sometimes say.

[WNCRavensFan]

This is the most complete team the Ravens have ever had on paper to start a season.

Am I wrong?

[QtR Nevermore]

Let's get a bunch of carries for Patrick Ricard.

I think you might be picturing your own idea of a football team rather than the Ravens roster.

More carries for Ricard or Boyle isn't going to keep us ahead of the chains. We only ran Ricard in short yardage situations because short yards are all you're going to get out of him. He isn't fast enough to gain more, except maybe on the outside if he's dragging DBs down the field. They haven't shown any sign of using Gus as a FB either.

We might get a few rushing yards from Hollywood or Duvernay on short passes or screens but that just WCO stuff. It won't help the running game.

[Bhcforlife]

This is the most complete team the Ravens have ever had on paper to start a season.

Am I wrong?

I dunno...2006 was pretty stacked going into the season, especially defensively. Their DL was Ngata, Pryce, and Gregg. LBs were Lewis, Scott, Suggs, and Thomas. JJ was a reserve on that team! Then the secondary had McAlister, Rolle, and Reed. Offense was no slouch either, although admittedly other than WR, the 2020 group is definitely better at nearly every position.

[Bhcforlife]

I'm with you on RG3. I think McSorley passed the ball better last preseason than I've ever seen from RG3, either in the preseason or the regular season. I can't see any reaon to keep him unless Lamar really does rely on him, as people sometimes say.

Agreed. I don't really see any reason for RG3 to be on the team either. We've had him mentoring Jackson for 2 years now. Save the cap space, go with McSorley, if LJ gets hurt, results are going to be the same whether its Trace or RG3 IMO.

[WNCRavensFan]

I dunno...2006 was pretty stacked going into the season, especially defensively. Their DL was Ngata, Pryce, and Gregg. LBs were Lewis, Scott, Suggs, and Thomas. JJ was a reserve on that team! Then the secondary had McAlister, Rolle, and Reed. Offense was no slouch either, although admittedly other than WR, the 2020 group is definitely better at nearly every position.

I think Lamar Jackson over an old Steve McNair buries the 2006 team. We had high hopes for McNair but Jackson is the reigning MVP.

Defensively yeah, I'd give the nod to 2006 because of the LB unit. That was a truly great defense overshadowed by the 2000 team.

[edromeo]

I don't understand how someone can look at McSorely and think he's better then Griffin.

[mmi16]

But, but we have no true #1 WR. All great teams have at least three of those....

More teams have won SB's without TRUE #1 receivers than have won with them. There are many more things to SB winners than just a #1 receiver.

[StalkRavenMad]

They should start figuring out now how to avoid losing playoff games. Run more. Be conservative. Take fewer risks. Be more confident that run first will win in the end. If Lamar has 2 weeks off, he might be a little rusty. Run Ricard up the middle 3 times and then punt if necessary. It won't take long for the defense to be worn down by tackling Ricard over and over again. You can't go in with the idea that if luck isn't on your side, you're going to lose. The Ravens should be the better team, the Ravens should have the premiere running offense, and that premiere running offense should be enough to get the win. Sometimes it seemed like the Ravens thought that it was the risk taking in the context of the running that got them the wins, when it was really simply the dominant running that got it done. If you look at the play by play from the playoff loss, it was the appearance of nervousness, the desire to get back in front immediately, the lack of confidence that superiority over 60 minutes would get it done.


Ravens Drives

# Quar Time LOS Plays Len Yds Result
1 1 11:42 RAV 20 7 3:53 44 Interception (short field Titans 7)
2 1 3:36 RAV 25 6 3:43 20 Downs (short field Titans 7)
3 2 14:45 RAV 26 3 1:12 2 Punt
4 2 11:13 RAV 10 12 5:21 59 Field Goal
5 2 2:32 RAV 5 14 2:32 91 Field Goal

6 3 15:00 RAV 24 13 5:05 58 Downs (Ravens lose 3)
7 3 6:54 RAV 25 1 0:10 -5 Fumble (short field Titans 7)
8 3 4:16 RAV 25 8 2:31 44 Interception
9 4 14:49 RAV 12 10 3:45 88 Touchdown
10 4 6:25 RAV 20 10 1:58 64 Downs (Ravens lose 3)
11 4 2:45 RAV 24 10 1:56 55 Downs (Ravens lose 3)

The general rule for 4th downs - in the playoffs - should be (if we aren't talking 4th Q) - on your side of the field - punt. If you're in FG range - kick the FG. Go for it if you're not in FG range and you're on their side of the field. If the other team might be better (not the Titans), loosen those rules, but the Ravens should be the better team next year. The Ravens gave the Titans a short field by going for it instead of punting, they got 7. The Ravens failed on 4th instead of FG 3 times. 9 points. If they had followed those rules, 21 to 21. Or 22 to 21, if they had kicked the extra point.

That leaves aside the 3 turnovers on pass plays, which I think are unnecessarily risky when you're the best running team in NFL history. 2 short field TDs by the Titans based off those pass game TOs. Without those 2 Titans TDs based off of those 2 short field pass game TOs, Ravens 22, Titans 7.

to sum up, when you're better, and the Ravens should be great
1) don't give them the ball on your side of the field, make them work for points
2) take the points when you can get them
the Ravens would have won if they did either one of those things (basically).

Specifically, more running, punting and field goals. When you have 3 or 4 run threats on the field at the same time, it's more difficult for them to stop your run game by stopping one of your 2 run threats. 9 carries by the running backs, or non-QBs? No. Not enough.

If it were only that easy. You can't be one dimensional at any level much less the highest level. What made the run game so dreaded was the 36/6. When you have a guy that throws 36 TDs and just 6 ints that instills the fear of God in DCs. With the Ravens being able run the way they were and LJ being the threat he was as a passer defenses couldnt key on one thing.

There is a bit of luck in these win or go home scenarios. When you have a best of series type situation more times than not the better team will win. With the win or go home there is more of a 50/50 type situation. The Titans capitalized on everything that they had to capitalize and the Ravens caught no breaks. That ball to Andrews is a ball that he had caught all season. Going for it on 4th down wasn't some spare of the moment gamble it was analytically driven and it was a part if what the team was last year. You cant ask a team to not be who you are in the playoffs, because then you would make the team tight because they arent doing what they are accustomed to doing. Had they not went for it and lost then everyone would have been saying they deviated from who they were all year and it cost them the game. Should they have run the ball more? You could say they and no one would disagree. However you can't be exclusively a run team because teams would just load the box. I suspect Tennessee did just that (load the box) which dictated pass the ball and the TOs happened. It happens in sports some times it just isnt your day and that day wasn't the Ravens day.