Methods to beat the Steelers D

[ravensnhokies]

Yes the Steelers D is excellent. Dinking and dunking down the field just doesn't work. One consistent way it appears to beat the Steeler is to throw deep with posts patterns or deep seam patterns between the cornerbacks and the safeties. Case in point the Justin Gage TD pass in the Titans-Steelers game. It was a great pass by Collins b/c it arrived right before Troy P got there, but you have to make these type of big plays in order to beat their D. Remember in 2006, Clayton toasted Troy P on a post pattern for TD. Yes it was a great throw by McNair, but again, you gotta make those plays. Brady has had some really good success against the Steelers (what team hasnt he had success against), and he would always throw that deep pattern and beat their safeties. (Brady: 2005 Championship game against Pitt with the Deion Branch, and last year regular season game with Moss). Flacco has gotta throw it deep about 5-6 times and hopefully he will hit on 1 or 2 times. I really think this a key to beating them. Last week, he hit 2 against the Titans. Sure one of them was a great adjustment on a jump ball by Clayton, but the receiver always has the advantage b/c they are reacting to the flight of the ball. The DB is chasing the receiver first, and then reacting to the ball. Even if that ball got picked, the Titans would have been down inside the 10. During our 13-9 loss, I do not remember Flacco going deep once, and if he did, it was once or twice. If he goes 0-5 on deep balls, we lose, but 1 or 2, now we gotta a game....

I have noticed how we really miss DWill, b/c we really only have 2 receivers. Not that DWill was a game changer, but he was another option that D has to respect. Marcus Smith is an invisble man out there. Why even cover him? I know everyone is complaining that our offense is pretty damn vanilla recently, but a lot of times, we only have 2 receivers going out on a pass play. 2 receivers are a lot easier to cover then 3 or 4. The Steelers can be beat by spreading them out with 4 receivers, but with one being Copper or Smith, the risk of having less blockers in to protect Flacco outweighs the reward. Losing DWill has really limited this. If we do have the 2 receiver patterns, I would like to install a RB wheel route against a Steeler LB. It worked nicely for the Colts on Rhodes' game winning TD reception to beat the Steelers.

[Maverick11]

I agree with this, and also thing we need to utilize Heap and McGahee/Rice/McClain both int he seam and in the flats!

[Fanman]

Ummmm....see the thread on Cameron's playcalling.

I agree w/ you guys we need to open it up at least a little vs Pitts.

FM

[Maverick11]

Yes, we need to open it up...but one of these plays Flacco is going to try to do too much with these double coverage deep balls and it will bite us in the A$$

[RAVENOUS52]

I think it's worth the risk to open things up a lot more with Flacco than we have in the past. The Stoolers are game-planning for a specific game plan and we need to force them to make drastic halftime adjustments.

[Bez513]

Any its good to know Troy P has a calf injury so we may be able to get one past him.

[ravensnhokies]

Yes, we need to open it up...but one of these plays Flacco is going to try to do too much with these double coverage deep balls and it will bite us in the A$$

Of course its field position related... You take these shots between the your own 40 and their 30. Inside your 30 is risky unless its a one on one 9 route.

[RavenDavey]

Flacco has gotta throw it deep about 5-6 times and hopefully he will hit on 1 or 2 times. I really think this a key to beating them. Last week, he hit 2 against the Titans. Sure one of them was a great adjustment on a jump ball by Clayton, but the receiver always has the advantage b/c they are reacting to the flight of the ball.

Flacco will throw deep and just remember, both of these long balls were into the wind at tennessee. Perfect spiral to Mason and great adjustment by Clayton.

I do believe that Cam will stretch the field and go vertical against Pit. Barring severe weather or high winds, we should be successful!!

[RavenScallywag]

i know we've sort've limited his role in the offense, but what about having Figurs go deep once or twice? He had that long catch in the Texans game and if you run him out there as a 3rd receiver, maybe he gets a mismatch with a safety on him? The only problem there is his WR skills are pretty limited, so if they've got good coverage on him, you can't rely on him to get a jump ball or anything like that.

[Benny8444]

I would say the Ravens should go out passing as the Steelers will start the game with 8 guys in the box. That way they will have to guess run or pass on 2nd and 3rd down. This can be a game where Flacco could pass over 30 times. I also think we need to throw deep to Clayton at least twice and possibly Mason faking a out pattern.

[Rex Thunder]

Ummmm....see the thread on Cameron's playcalling.

I agree w/ you guys we need to open it up at least a little vs Pitts.

FM

Truthfully- if you guys are honest about it, it had nothing to do with Cam's playcalling in the last game vs the Steelers. Flacco overthrew Mason in the endzone TWICE! It was the execution that failed. The playcalling was maybe a tad conservative- but well orchestrated in the fact that we got the chances downfield had we connected. Opening it up is fine as long as you don't expect throwing every first and second down.

I do think we need to play with a little less caution- but I also know that if we execute better in that last game- we'd have won.

[ravensnhokies]

If you have Figurs in slot going deep, it will open up the middle for the X receiver. Would work maybe once or twice, but you run the risk of pressure on Flacco with the 3 receiver set. I wish Figurs could run something other than a straight line.