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  1. #1

    But it was 23-0!

    Preseason Opener 8/13/09 vs. Redskins

    It’s hard to imagine as one-sided a game. The 23-point difference might easily have been 37. Yet as far as how this game reflects upon the Ravens chances this season, the results were mixed.

    Below, I have given a number of Ravens a grade from +3 to -3 reflecting how much my perception of their impact on the 2009 Ravens changed from their play on Thursday. I didn’t waste time rating starters, players who have no place on the team, or anyone for whom I don’t think I have any data for a judgment. The players here are all rookies or on the cusp of making the team.

    Cousins (-3): The guy simply can’t handle tackle in the NFL. In addition to the 3 holding calls, he has poor run blocking technique. Go back to the first plays of the game and you’ll see he tried to chop his opponent down on 3 straight plays and missed twice. I don’t think the Ravens can risk either of their remaining QBs by putting him at LT for another preseason game.

    Harper (-2): The Ravens will keep trying with him because they must. On Thursday, the QBs threw to him 12 times and he caught just 4, displaying both poor hands and concern for contact. He had a nice TD route which was delivered right on the money by Smith. Was anyone else watching that reminded of the Banks to Lewis TD that gave the Ravens a 29-26 lead on 9/10/2000 vs. the Jags? Same play, same coverage, same spot on the field, a little more yardage Thursday. If you want to pick something positive, I’d say he got decent separation.

    Marcus Smith (-3): A catch, a drop, and what will likely be a season-ending injury. It couldn’t have gone much worse.

    Washington (+1): He was a pleasant surprise. Had only 1 catch in 2 years at NE after 4 years/72 catches playing behind the big 3 in Cincinnati. He’ll be 30 next Friday and I think he could fill a 2000 Billy Davis role at this point, but if he needs to step up as the 3rd receiver, the Ravens have problems.

    Wheelright (-1): He was thrown to 3 times without a reception, but came close to blocking a punt. This is a team stocked with special teams players. They need another player or 2 who can separate and catch the football.

    Webb (+2): Looked great in Ivy’s old role as a nickel that can rush the passer. Didn’t give up on plays and I think he’ll force his way into some role on this defense. His pressure caused Brennan to misfire on Martin’s pick.

    Peerman (-1): Tentative as a runner and receiver. He ran several plays with both hands on the ball in the open field. It looked odd and I hope it’s correctable. Picked his lane well on the TD. The fumble did not help his cause. I was a little surprised that he entered after Parmele.

    Lawrence (+1): On Thursday night, he looked like a more natural runner and receiver than Peerman.

    Beck (-2): He does not have good mobility and with his build, he’s at great risk of injury. Even if his shoulder is not hurt this time, it’s a temporary reprieve.

    Martin (+1): It was good to see Martin get the pick, but I’m not convinced his versatility at safety is going to be of great value to the Ravens given their current personnel. Reed and Landry are entrenched starters. The 3rd safety for any dime schemes will most likely be Nakamura and he’d also get the nod if a starter went down. Zibby is physical and lends versatility to the pass rush, is a core special teams player, and potential returner for both kicks and punts. For whatever reason, the Ravens used him as the deep safety when he was in Thursday, but last year he was effective near the LoS. The Ravens appear to be committed to using Webb at corner, but I’m not sure that die is cast. If there is a player that could play so effectively that he demands the first secondary slot available, it’s Webb. I don’t think of Martin as a physical player and he plays in a secondary that was woefully short of good tacklers last season with the loss of Landry, Reed’s injury, and 3 elfin corners. Martin is young (24, only 5 months older than Webb), but if the Ravens have decided he’s too slow or doesn’t have the hips to play on the outside, he has limited value to this team.

    Edwards (+1): It was a good game for Dwan after a miserable 2007. Dwan’s always been a negative tweener for me. At 6’3”, 290, he’s a little small to play DT, but when he played heavier he could barely move. While his size and post-college physique would be ideal at end, he was much too slow off the snap to either make an effective initial pass rush move or gain position to set the edge. By eyeball he still looked slow off the snap Thursday, but I want to take some time this week to review his plays and do some timing/ranking. Additional depth on the defensive line is good, but if Gregg is healthy, the Ravens have 4 solid DT bodies (Ngata, Bannan, McKinney) plus 2 PS candidates (Divens, Talavou), so he needs to make the team as a backup end. Focusing on the positive, Edwards had 3 tackles. He pursued well and cleaned up nicely for the stuff when Nakamura turned Mason inside on his stretch left (Q2, 5:18).

    McClain (-1): He led the team with 6 tackles and was very active, but if he is going to play inside, he needs to wrap up better. He missed 2 sacks. Gooden (5 tackles) and McClain both got a long look Thursday and this is shaping up to be the most interesting battle of camp.

    Ellerbe (+1): Very nice tackle on the opening kickoff set the tone for a good day. He was inserted late on defense and did not record a tackle. With the Ravens depth at LB, Prescott Burgess appears to be walking dead. I don’t know if the Ravens will be able to keep both him and Phillips.

    Kruger (+1): I thought he should have got credit for Bannan’s sack and he played well against the Redskins’ dregs. I can’t say I was impressed with what he did with Samuels.

    Oher (+3): Auspicious pro debut. Some of the stories we heard seem to be true. He stayed with his run blocks all the way to the whistle and showed some decent judgment leaving a block which might have been ruled a chop block otherwise. He showed some decent positional skills on a 1st quarter draw where both he and Cousins allowed the edge rushers to overcommit outside. He looks tough as hell and the cut he suffered was a classic. Want something more? The man can really move for a tackle. He was asked to pull at least twice and he’ll get much better at deciding what to do when he gets to the 2nd level. I’d see him as a significant asset to the Ravens on screen plays.

    Drew (-2): OK, let’s get this straight. The Ravens have serious injury concerns at TE and probably need to find 2 guys they can count on to stay healthy and catch a few balls besides Heap and Smith. Heap didn’t catch a ball, but he played very sparingly. LJ Smith ran a nice route for 1 big play. The Ravens threw twice to Smolko, with his reception nullified by penalty. They threw twice to Edgar Jones, who caught them both for 15 yards. However, despite 52 passes spread among 17 (!) receivers for more than 400 yards, Davon Drew was never the intended receiver. Drew was in the game at the end. Does that mean he’s dropped below Smolko on the depth chart?
    Last edited by Filmstudy; 08-15-2009 at 07:26 AM.





  2. #2
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Thanks, interesting read, and no real disagreement.
    I posted some thoughts here http://ravens24x7.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40454
    And would like your take on Phillips(-1), Foster(+2), Cook (-3), and Parmale (0) to see if we are on the same page there. Only one I can see possibly making the roster out of those 4 is Phillips because of where we drafted him, if not then PS. Foster has an outside chance with a big hill to climb for a smurf to beat out a beanpole, but he has to be Mason-esque with every ball that comes his way.





  3. #3
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Always worth repeating that your input is always well received (more so that some of our WR's with straight passes!) Thanks.





  4. #4

    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Thanks, FS.

    I thought Harper looked bad, even on the TD catch he somehow managed to bobble a ball in his breadbasket all the way to the back of the endzone. I would like to see one of these back of the pack guys emerge as a quality 3d receiver, I suppose Washington is now the Most Likely To...

    But if that's our biggest concern then I guess there is reason to hope for a good season.
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





  5. #5

    Re: But it was 23-0!

    I love this kind of stuff.

    I agree with the report on Harper but would grade him as a (+1) for my change in expectations for him because he did get seperation and started to catch the ball after the bad drops. If it was Demetrius Williams with those drops the grade would be different but Harper is basically a rookie all over again and likley will improve off this performance.

    Parmale seems to have a hold on the 3rd RB spot right now. I think he is the best style of the back ups as the 3rd guy and back up short yardage guy to McClain. Because of his running power as well as the extra reps he got in last year and winning the strong man comp, he should have an edge on the new guys in winning some depth chart battles especially on special teams.

    Cousins had a very bad day, and I do not want him at LT protecting one of the top 2 QBs, but he had a tough matchup, and while he did get beat he did not give up. I actually liked the holding penalties and the second effort, even though it was not good enough. They got Chris Chester to learn how to block so I am not giving up hope for Cousins.

    Figurs (+3) I was pretty sure he was not going to make the team before Smith got hurt. He does have crazy speed and he showed decent hands although bad footwork on the sideline. He was well past his DB though and adjusted to an underthrow leading him out of bounds. I think Flacco will be better able to use his speed than Smith. Just having the threat of him out htere running 70 yard fly patterns should be enough to draw coverage unless he proves he can not catch. Not getting beat up in the return game should give him a chance at WR. His punt return skills are still terrible seeking the sideline instead of 7 yards, but we do not need a return man we need a deep threat.



    :T2:





  6. #6
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Film, you are the man as always. Two things I have.

    Quote Originally Posted by Filmstudy View Post
    Cousins (-3): The guy simply can’t handle tackle in the NFL. In addition to the 3 holding calls, he has poor run blocking technique. Go back to the first plays of the game and you’ll see he tried to chop his opponent down on 3 straight plays and missed twice. I don’t think the Ravens can risk either of their remaining QBs by putting him at LT for another preseason game.
    I don't understand how he will make the team other than the fact that they simply need a body to fill in at T now that Adam Terry is out. Oneil was the better half of horrible Thursday, and you are absolutely correct; this guy is going to get our QB's hurt. He reminded me a whole lot of Ethan Brooks.


    Harper (-2): The Ravens will keep trying with him because they must. On Thursday, the QBs threw to him 12 times and he caught just 4, displaying both poor hands and concern for contact. He had a nice TD route which was delivered right on the money by Smith. Was anyone else watching that reminded of the Banks to Lewis TD that gave the Ravens a 29-26 lead on 9/10/2000 vs. the Jags? Same play, same coverage, same spot on the field, a little more yardage Thursday. If you want to pick something positive, I’d say he got decent separation.
    I think you graded Harper a little harshly. Those drops were not good, but he rebounded very well especially on the touchdown pass. And while he had poor hands at the beginning, he was still running solid routes and was open a lot. I think he just needs a little more pre-season time to get the jitters out and he'll be ok.

    I would have said (0) at this point.

    Washington (+1): He was a pleasant surprise. Had only 1 catch in 2 years at NE after 4 years/72 catches playing behind the big 3 in Cincinnati. He’ll be 30 next Friday and I think he could fill a 2000 Billy Davis role at this point, but if he needs to step up as the 3rd receiver, the Ravens have problems.
    He does run a great slant route though. Big target to hit. As I said in another thread, if I am 3rd and 3 and I need a quick slant to get the first down, I'm going to him more often than not. I don't see Washington as a deep threat though, and that continues to be our Achilles heel on offense.

    Drew (-2): OK, let’s get this straight. The Ravens have serious injury concerns at TE and probably need to find 2 guys they can count on to stay healthy and catch a few balls besides Heap and Smith. Heap didn’t catch a ball, but he played very sparingly. LJ Smith ran a nice route for 1 big play. The Ravens threw twice to Smolko, with his reception nullified by penalty. They threw twice to Edgar Jones, who caught them both for 15 yards. However, despite 52 passes spread among 17 (!) receivers for more than 400 yards, Davon Drew was never the intended receiver. Drew was in the game at the end. Does that mean he’s dropped below Smolko on the depth chart?
    I think you may have answered your own question. He was in the game way to late to indicate to me he had a chance to make the team, or at the most make the practice squad.





  7. #7
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    I agree with the report on Harper but would grade him as a (+1) for my change in expectations for him because he did get seperation and started to catch the ball after the bad drops. If it was Demetrius Williams with those drops the grade would be different but Harper is basically a rookie all over again and likley will improve off this performance.
    Didn't he also finish with a drop or two?

    You can't teach good hands. Maybe if he got on the Jugs machine several hours a day he would get better at holding onto the ball. Beyond that, he alligator armed the passes over the middle. If you are going to shy away from hits going over the middle you are not an NFL WR. Every player I can recall being like this has never improved on it. That tall guy Billick was in love with whose name is escaping me at the moment is a perfect example. Got stuff on the sidelines and back of the end zone, but over the middle was useless. If you line up outside and the defender knows you are scared to go over the middle his job gets a whole lot easier.

    I hope I am wrong, because Harper was getting open.





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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    Beyond that, he alligator armed the passes over the middle. If you are going to shy away from hits going over the middle you are not an NFL WR. Every player I can recall being like this has never improved on it. That tall guy Billick was in love with whose name is escaping me at the moment is a perfect example. Got stuff on the sidelines and back of the end zone, but over the middle was useless. If you line up outside and the defender knows you are scared to go over the middle his job gets a whole lot easier.

    I hope I am wrong, because Harper was getting open.
    Glad to see that I'm not alone in sensing that.

    And, BTW, are you sure you want to be reminded of names like Clarence Moore and Randy Hymes? Maybe I should have left you in the "name escaping me" bliss.





  9. #9
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Clarence Moore, and reminding of the name doesn't matter when I can mentally still see his play. He actually made some nice catches in the end zone (2 on the Jets comeback in NY from Boller) and on the sideline. But over the middle he was a scared little puppy (I would be too, but nobody is paying my 6 or 7 figures to take that hit).

    Hymes I don't think was scared as much as he just didn't put the effort in to being a good route runner. I recall Hymes making a lot of nice catches all over the place in preseason, but he just couldn't get open against top CBs and safeties because he was a lazy route runner.





  10. #10

    Re: But it was 23-0!

    I can see the Hymes and Moore comparisons but I think Harper has a little more speed and change of direction. The skinny post drop was a classic aligator arm, unacceptable drop. The hot sauce on the slant was forgivable, not an easy catch, and at least one of them was clearly pass inerference.

    I do not think we need him to be Colston. Just a slightly better version of Clarence Moore should be good enough to make an impact as the 3rd or 4th WR.



    :T2:





  11. #11
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    Didn't he also finish with a drop or two?

    You can't teach good hands. Maybe if he got on the Jugs machine several hours a day he would get better at holding onto the ball. Beyond that, he alligator armed the passes over the middle. If you are going to shy away from hits going over the middle you are not an NFL WR. Every player I can recall being like this has never improved on it. That tall guy Billick was in love with whose name is escaping me at the moment is a perfect example. Got stuff on the sidelines and back of the end zone, but over the middle was useless. If you line up outside and the defender knows you are scared to go over the middle his job gets a whole lot easier.

    I hope I am wrong, because Harper was getting open.
    He finished with a ball that was thrown a bit far unless he stretched out on the sideline for it. But it wasn't like his first drops.

    He took hits over the middle. I just think he was getting the game jitters. I'm not ready to pass on him with one preseason game.





  12. #12
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    Re: But it was 23-0!

    He took hits over the middle. I just think he was getting the game jitters. I'm not ready to pass on him with one preseason game.
    That he took the hit doesn't mean much. He flinched and pulled his arms in (alligator arms) to protect his body. This is a natural reaction, but some WRs have the ability to ignore it and go get the ball. He is in the NFL and this is something that WRs that have gotten this far either do or don't. And of those who do flinch, I have never seen one get over it.

    It wasn't jitters IMnsHO, it was alligator arms. Yeah, he took the hit, after he pulled his arms in to protect himself.





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