My random thoughts, opinions, and statistical analysis about yesterday and our successful season

[LukeDaniel]

I logged on here excited to read all the uplifting comments about our Ravens, but it seems that the mood here isn't quite as upbeat as it should be. So, rather than reading through several dozen posts laced with headscratching opinions about how we're too conservative or Flacco is too inaccurate, I'm just going to post my thoughts, plus some stats, and let you guys make any comments you want. It does get frustrating that some of us here collectively can't even stop for one day to enjoy our prosperity.

1) Can we officially end the debate whether Ray Rice is a complete/franchise/3 down back???? The guy finished 2nd in the NFL rushing with 1360 yards. He also averaged 4.7 yards/carry. He scored 12 rushing TDs. I laugh at how some people here who claim to be Raven fans will take a player like Rice, who we are insanely blessed to have wearing our uniform, and downgrade him lower than any non-Raven fan would. How any rational contributor here could ever complain about him not being an everydown back eludes me, but I think he proved all you negative nellies wrong...yet again.

2) Ray Rice should be the hands down selection as the 1st team All Pro Running back this year. There really isn't another back that I could even put up next to him as legitimate competition. Foster missed too much time. MJD ran away with the rushing title, but still came up 100 yards short of RR's total yardage amount and also was well shy of his TD mark. I guess the only guy worth putting up against Rice is Lesean McCoy. However, I think Rice's big week 17 made the choice a bit more obvious for the voters. McCoy did outscore Rice in TDs 20 to 15, but Rice had nearly 450 more yards than McCoy. Also, I think the voters will consider that Rice did this all while playing for one of the league's top 5 teams in the league,s toughest defensive division. McCoy had a great 2011, but I think the Eagles collective underachieving hurts McCoy's chance.

3) We need to start talking about Ray Rice, not only as an everydown/franchise back, but as a potential HOFer. What he has done in the last 3 seasons is highly impressive. He's finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in total yards from scrimmage in those three seasons. He's topped 2000 YFS twice. He currently occupies the 43rd, 47th, and 121st spots on the single-season yards from scrimmage list....all before his 25th birthday. He joined Marshall Faulk as the only player in NFL history to have multiple 1200 rush/700 receiving seasons. Faulk did so for 4 straight seasons from age 25-28, which is awfully impressive, but Rice could easily match that.

4) One last thing about Rice that is somewhat interesting. Rice entered December as the NFL's 208th leading rusher in terms of career yards. He exited the game yesterday, as the 153rd rusher of all-time. That's pretty good indication of how insanely good he was down the stretch.

5) Suggs should win DPOY. I'm not saying this as a Ravens fan lobbying for him winning the award, but as a prognosticator. From a statistical standpoint, the only player who makes a case to even compete with him is Jared Allen. I doubt Allen gets it for a 3-13 team though. The last few weeks, the national media seems to be following the momentum behind Sizzle being DPOY. I heard four seperate media outlets yesterday who mentioned him as the frontrunner for the award. I'm projecting Suggs as having a 2011 AV (for you PFR junkies) of 21. That's the type of season that takes you from a borderline "outside looking in" HOF candidate to someone who is now a very viable HOF candidate.

6) I believe the Ravens should have 4 first team All Pros this year. Suggs, Rice, Leach, Ngata. I also believe Yanda should be one, but I doubt he gets first team, and would put his chances at 2nd team as 50/50.

7) Lardarius Webb finished the 2011 season without having surrendered a single TD pass all year. Did anyone notice if AJ Green was on the field yesterday? Webb should be a pro bowler and I'd like to see anyone make an argument for anyone not named Revis to be placed on the All Pro team ahead of him.

8) Jimmy Smith and Cary Williams each played their best games of the year yesterday as well. We have Webb, Williams, Smith, Carr, and Gorrer under contract for 2012, plus Chykie Brown. Part of me wonders if we could find a taker for Chris Carr in swap for the 4th rounder we gave up for Evans. I like Carr, and I recognize that you can never have enough DBs, but the Raven secondary seems quite capable without Carr. Carr is a great tackler by the way. He hasn't done much for us this year, but he did make two big tackles yesterday that prevented big plays.

9) Jamie Dukes yesterday made some idiotic, Dukes-esque comment about how poor Flacco played yesterday and how he would have to play better in order for the Ravens to have a chance at the Super Bowl. This cemented him as the dumbest football analyst alive. Flacco was very good yestrerday. He didn't exactly wow you, but he was the posterchild of efficiency. His throws were clean, crisp, accurate, and he NEVER ONCE PUT THE BALL IN DANGER. Great effort by Joe. To reinforce Dukes' stupidity, what he called an effort that needed to improve, was in reality EXACTLY what the Ravens need to get from Joe to win the Super Bowl. If he can go on the road in New England in 3 weeks and only throw 4 incompletions with zero turnovers, we are headed to Indy. Flacco had a 112 passer rating against a borderline elite defense in swirling winds. Great effort, even if it was conservative

[Paintballguy]

Also, can we end the bs about Rice not having "breakaway speed". I remember some posters saying Rice didn't have that "extra gear" to get away from people. Well he did twice yesterday.

Jamie Dukes is a troll. Flacco played excellent yesterday. He did everything he was asked to do, and he was robbed of some stats by a huge drop by Evans.

[BleedPurple92]

Also, can we end the bs about Rice not having "breakaway speed". I remember some posters saying Rice didn't have that "extra gear" to get away from people. Well he did twice yesterday.

Jamie Dukes is a troll. Flacco played excellent yesterday. He did everything he was asked to do, and he was robbed of some stats by a huge drop by Evans.

Never understood that speed thing. It definitely wasn't because of his 40 time because Ray Ran a 4.4 40 at the combine. Not sure where that myth came from.

[pslholder96]

For the most part I agree with your observations especially the one regarding all the negativity coming from within our fanbase. It's okay to voice an opinon but put some rational thought behind it.
This board is start to look very much like the sun forum and that's why I left. Too many posters attacking one another. Where's the respect among our fellow posters. Debate the post and not the poster is what I say.

We are very bless fanbase and it boggles the mind why we can't enjoy a division championship even for one day. Yes the ravens are not perfect and I get that. Every team has flaws but to expect a Packers/Saints like peformance every week is not realistic.

Regarding Ray Rice. Spot on about his value to the Ravens but I would caution you on the HOF talk though. He's definately trending there but his body of work (while impressive) is minimal. Let's revisit this in a couple of years maybe.

TSizzle. What can you say. A key 3rd down sack forcing the bengals to kick a FG pulling to within 8 points was huge. Then a forced fumble which by far was the biggest play of the game. And by the way he led the league this year with 7.

[pickles]

Never understood that speed thing. It definitely wasn't because of his 40 time because Ray Ran a 4.4 40 at the combine. Not sure where that myth came from.

Well, to be fair, he doesn't take every run he gets past the 2nd level to the house so to some of the brilliant football minds which populate this forum he doesn't have break away speed.

[Haloti92]

The myth comes from him being caught from behind many times. As for a 40 time, that is good for 40 yards, breakaway speed refers to top speed, not how fast you can get to your top speed. All that said, Rice had enough to get into the endzone twice yesterday from long range, which should silence some of the 'lack of breakaway speed' criticism. The guy is a monster even if you concede that he lacks 'breakaway speed.' I hope we pay him, and the negotiations go smoothly (not much bickering or back and forth).

[Justlovemybirds]

Excellent Post! After what the Ravens accomplished yesterday I just can't bring myself to dedicate one keystroke to something negative, I'm just going to enjoy this win for the next couple of weeks.

I too was very surprised that AJ Green was essentially shut out yesterday, I'd expected a stat line something like 5 catches 75 yds 1 td at least.

As far as Jamie Dukes go, he cemented his idiocy this off-season with his "source" (probably a messageboard) saying that Flacco wasn't working hard enough in the offseason.

[pickles]

I don't think Suggs gets a 21 AV; I'd be surprised if he got above a 20 which even the great Lewis has only topped once.

IMO, as great as Suggs' season has been, its still below several of Lewis' campaigns, and Reed's 08 and 04, which to my mind is the best season a Raven's defender has every had, and for some reason is only totaled a 15 AV. I think it was a pretty parallel season to AD's 2006, albeit in different ways. We truly have been blessed over the last decade plus w some outstanding defenses and individual performances.

Edit: How the hell does Boulware's 01 grade out as a 9 AV? 15 sacks, 4 FF, 4 PD, 1 FR, 45 TKLS. Seriously? A 9?

[JMUpurkfool]

One of the best posts I've read here in a long time.

Go Ravens.

[BcRaven]

40 speed isn't everything. Rice has the knack to follow Vonta's blocks, reacts quickly to holes the Oline provides, and knows how to get to the 2nd level. AND he has a nose for the end-zone... Bc

[ballhawk]

great post Luke. i agree about Rice. if we can get another 4 years or so out of him, playing at near the level he has the past 3, he will go down as one of the alltime great ravens and a possible HOFer. him and Suggs (and ngata) are the 2 best players on the team right now.

it has been a great season and the Ravens certainly lived up to my expectations. I called 12-4/top 2 seed before the season. didn't think we would lose to who we did...but also never really dreamed we would sweep the division and go undefeated at home. SB or not, this has been a great season. hopefully we can have our cake and eat it too come february

[bacchys]

Great OP!

I'd like to point out something else. This team swept a division that is sending three teams to the playoffs. I'm pretty sure that's never been done, even in the years of 5 team divisions and three wild cards.

The AFC North is clearly the best division in the NFL this year, and the Ravens are the division champs.