Game’s Turning Point

[mmi16]

The first FG was the turning point. Against KC you either get TD's or you lose.

Had the Ravens scoring drives ended in TD's they would have won on Busker's failed kicks.

[FuzzyDice]

The turning point was when the media was burying the Chiefs saying their offense was struggling and their defense had regressed vs the playoffs last year. You just knew the Chiefs were going to try to make this a statement game.

Also I'm sure a lot of us predicted G-Ro would abandon the run at the first opportunity because that's just what this team does. God forbid this team sticks to what they do best.

[StalkRavenMad]

It was the Titans gameplan on defense. It's not a mystery

^This^

You had 11 guys within 7 yards of the LOS. It's going to be impossible to run against that look. You are going to get a lot of 1 and 2 yard gains because its too many defender to block. You have got to be able to make people pay for crowding the LOS. I would love to know why was it that Lamar was getting so frustrated on the field. I bet a dollar to a donut Lamar saw that single high and zero look and wanted to take shots down field and GRo wasn't calling those plays. My first play would have been a play action pass and throw the ball deep to Hollywood or Duvernay. Even if you don't hit on the deep ball you plant the seed in Spags mind and he has to back off. They never threatened KC down the field and were constantly looking at 8 and 9 in the box. I don't care how good your run game is you can't effectively run against stacked boxes.

[s.r.genovese]

One of the big issues is that the teams are learning if you bring pressure the line can’t block long enough for receivers to get deep. Last years line was pretty good at picking up blitzes so Lamar made them pay but they aren’t keeping Lamar nearly as clean this year. Also they are better at corralling Lamar and not letting him blow by them for 10 yards when they blitz. Lamar is going to have to adjust his approach to the blitz by finding and understanding his hots and understanding how the teams are playing his scrambles.

[Paintballguy]

One of the big issues is that the teams are learning if you bring pressure the line can’t block long enough for receivers to get deep. Last years line was pretty good at picking up blitzes so Lamar made them pay but they aren’t keeping Lamar nearly as clean this year. Also they are better at corralling Lamar and not letting him blow by them for 10 yards when they blitz. Lamar is going to have to adjust his approach to the blitz by finding and understanding his hots and understanding how the teams are playing his scrambles.

I'd love to see the all22 on plays against the blitzes to see the route combos. I feel like they should've had easy blitz beaters dialed up.

Typically Lamar shreds blitzes, but he looked lost against the Chiefs.

[StalkRavenMad]

One of the big issues is that the teams are learning if you bring pressure the line can’t block long enough for receivers to get deep. Last years line was pretty good at picking up blitzes so Lamar made them pay but they aren’t keeping Lamar nearly as clean this year. Also they are better at corralling Lamar and not letting him blow by them for 10 yards when they blitz. Lamar is going to have to adjust his approach to the blitz by finding and understanding his hots and understanding how the teams are playing his scrambles.

Lamar understood where hits hots were the only thing is KC understood also and were sitting on the hots. When you literally have 11 guys within 7 yards of the LOS your hot is going to have to make someone miss or it will be a 2-3 yard gain. They had to stretch the field and make KC respect the deep ball. Im not saying get away from the run. However if you back them up than that will open up run lanes. This is a game where you miss Hayden Hurst. With him you can still line up in your 13 or 12 personnel but have the ability to stretch the field with both MAndrews and HH and the back working underneath. Boyle isnt the down field threat that HH is which makes it tough to do anything but run out of 12 and 13 personnel.

[WrongBaldy]

Mahomes said it in post game interview that everyone www saying how ravens gonna destroy them that was the motivation they needed.

[Peterpan]

I think the turning point came even earlier than that. I know everyone loved the run-heavy first drive but I think Roman's panic started then.

I'll explain, the first play was a run up the middle, it could have gone for more if Ingram had hit the hole quicker but whatever. Then play 2 was a well blocked run only Ingram took an age to get to the outside and the linebackers had come across by then. Then Roman immediately went to our best weapon, a designed Lamar run. From then on, the drive featured far too many Lamar runs.

It was as if Roman had decided the running game wasn't working and reached for his biggest gun when, in reality Gus or Dobbins would have turned those first 2 plays into a first down. I get that you want to establish Lamar's running threat early but it seemed as if Roman was saying, this is the only play I can rely on.

It seemed like Roman was panicking already and from that on point on his playcalling consisted of too many of what he would consider his safest, failsafe plays - Lamar runs and passes to Hollywood and Andrews - rather than RB runs and passes to the other receivers which would been less obvious and would have given KC's very average defense much more to think about and to defend.

Very very accurate observation. I thought I was the only one who noticed that!!

[edromeo]

I hated the first drive. After the national narrative is "lamar is a great running QB who occasionally throws" they come out and cement it by running every single play. And settling for a FG when you know you need 30+ points

I agree with you about settling for a FG but I have no problem with the running. If they can't stop the run, I would literally run it until they can stop it. Consistently.

I want the opponents inability to stop the run the focal point of the offense.

I don't care about the narratives. You have to play to the strength of your team and that strength is Lamar; the passing game is only functional because of him. When you look at the individual pieces and scheme it is clear that Lamar was/is the driving force.

They identified the weakness in the passing game in the offseason as outside and deep but didn't even try to execute an outside the numbers passing game.

[Paintballguy]

I agree with you about settling for a FG but I have no problem with the running. If they can't stop the run, I would literally run it until they can stop it. Consistently.

I want the opponents inability to stop the run the focal point of the offense.

I don't care about the narratives. You have to play to the strength of your team and that strength is Lamar; the passing game is only functional because of him. When you look at the individual pieces and scheme it is clear that Lamar was/is the driving force.

They identified the weakness in the passing game in the offseason but outside and deep but didn't even try to execute an outside the numbers passing game.

Lamar threw 0 passes from 10-20 yards outside the left hash and 1 outside the right hash. They played right into KC's game plan.

Pretty sure KC just flooded the MOF and the Ravens just went right against it.

[edromeo]

Lamar threw 0 passes from 10-20 yards outside the left hash and 1 outside the right hash. They played right into KC's game plan.

Pretty sure KC just flooded the MOF and the Ravens just went right against it.

Even on the hail mary at the end of the game KC was still playing man to man on the outside w/ no safety help

[Mmcclend]

Did anybody else see during our two minute drive the chiefs sending like 5 zero blitzes in a row? I’ve never seen that level of disrespect.