Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[Danand]

Coming from the RRR thread, I think it would do wonders for Lamars game if he could hit the out and the "Derrick Mason special" throws to convert 2 and 3 downs. 

We don't need him to be a star at QB as a thrower, just eliminate the big flaws and incorporate more of the clutch throws. We are still build to be a 20-30 points offense with a defense and ST to carry those games to victory.

That means Lamar has to complete 2-3 drives for TD plus 1-4 FG drives a game - just like he did last year, but with a little more throwing and a little less running by himself.

Teams like the Viking, Seahawks, Texans, Titans are build that way too.

[DreamKid]

lol. 

 

[sp6488]

Watching Around the Horn at the gym. Talking about the Browns, a bunch of comments that “the Steelers are still the team to beat in that division, but the Browns will give them some competition.” Not one mention of the Ravens, who actually won the division last year. 

[DreamKid]

21 minutes ago, sp6488 said:

Watching Around the Horn at the gym. Talking about the Browns, a bunch of comments that “the Steelers are still the team to beat in that division, but the Browns will give them some competition.” Not one mention of the Ravens, who actually won the division last year. 

All these teams are wholly unprepared for what the Ravens are going to bring, and it's looks like the media is desperate to remain ignorant as well. TBH it's more likely that the Browns and Steelers will be WINLESS at the bye than both atop the division at the end of the regular season. 

Browns' first 7 opponents-

1. Titans ?

2. at Jets ?

3. Rams  L

4. at Ravens L

5. at 49ers  L

6. Seahawks  L

-Bye-

7. at Patriots  L

Steelers' first 7 opponents-

1. at Patriots  L 

2. Seahawks   L

3. at 49ers   L

4. Bengals  ?

5. Ravens  L

6. at Chargers  L

-Bye-

7. Dolphins  ?

 

That's how I'm looking at it. From there you have the Browns with a 1st year head coach, and a team full of dopes. And Tomlin, one of the most overrated coaches in football. Trying to stave off the rot and corrosion that comes with a losing club staring at an early postseason shutout. Watching how sharply and quickly the divisional narrative shifts will be hilarious. 

It always goes this way. We're largely written off early, and then when the field is narrowed later- we finally get some legit looks. Which I've grown to be fine with. It helps feed our us against them/the hype mentality that Harbaugh is gifted at weaponizing. The Ravens are young, hungry, and explosive. Teams in the AFCN are going to get burnt.

[DreamKid]

 

[DreamKid]

 

[Danand]

Rick can make some pretty decent arguments when he decides not to just goof around. He mostly does this though, when there are other experts on the sets and he takes the interviewer/entertainer role.

I wrote it on twitter as well, but I truly believe many many many experts and fans and whoever is commenting on Lamar Jackson, ONLY saw the highlights from games and then the playoff game. That playoff game was the one game that stood out from the 8 games he played. Rick refer to the Chiefs game, and that was truly a great game from Lamar even though he doesn't have the passing numbers the fantasy focused media and fans wants to see.

[M.10.E]

2 hours ago, Danand said:

Rick can make some pretty decent arguments when he decides not to just goof around. He mostly does this though, when there are other experts on the sets and he takes the interviewer/entertainer role.

I wrote it on twitter as well, but I truly believe many many many experts and fans and whoever is commenting on Lamar Jackson, ONLY saw the highlights from games and then the playoff game. That playoff game was the one game that stood out from the 8 games he played. Rick refer to the Chiefs game, and that was truly a great game from Lamar even though he doesn't have the passing numbers the fantasy focused media and fans wants to see.

Honestly most people that actually watch every snap of Lamar like the qualities he's shown as an NFL QB. Keeps his eyes up field, doesn't scramble at the first sign of pressure and can make accurate throws most of the time. He just has that one pass every 10 attempts where it looks like an absolute duck that makes highlights.

[baltimoreRebel]

Just came across this tweet today and it sort of makes you wonder. The NFL handling of Tyreek Hill's case is a little odd. 

What could have the NFL found on Smith that was worse than what Hill was caught saying in audio recording. 

[DawgX]

On 7/17/2019 at 8:12 PM, DreamKid said:

All these teams are wholly unprepared for what the Ravens are going to bring, and it's looks like the media is desperate to remain ignorant as well. TBH it's more likely that the Browns and Steelers will be WINLESS at the bye than both atop the division at the end of the regular season. 

Browns' first 7 opponents-

1. Titans ?

2. at Jets ?

3. Rams  L

4. at Ravens L

5. at 49ers  L

6. Seahawks  L

-Bye-

7. at Patriots  L

Steelers' first 7 opponents-

1. at Patriots  L 

2. Seahawks   L

3. at 49ers   L

4. Bengals  ?

5. Ravens  L

6. at Chargers  L

-Bye-

7. Dolphins  ?

 

That's how I'm looking at it. From there you have the Browns with a 1st year head coach, and a team full of dopes. And Tomlin, one of the most overrated coaches in football. Trying to stave off the rot and corrosion that comes with a losing club staring at an early postseason shutout. Watching how sharply and quickly the divisional narrative shifts will be hilarious. 

It always goes this way. We're largely written off early, and then when the field is narrowed later- we finally get some legit looks. Which I've grown to be fine with. It helps feed our us against them/the hype mentality that Harbaugh is gifted at weaponizing. The Ravens are young, hungry, and explosive. Teams in the AFCN are going to get burnt.

lol

[bmorecareful]

As far as the Tyreek Hill situation the NFL obviously wants Mahomes to be the new Aaron Rodgers and keeping his top weapon available helps this come to fruition... Hill not getting suspended after already having issues in college is a complete joke and shows there is no real continuity in the leagues disciplinary policy... I feel sorry for the woman and the child in this case because it’s clear he has issues and unfortunately for victims of domestic abuse it’s usually not taken seriously until it’s too late... As far as our team is concerned the one area I think that is going to truly surprise this year is gonna be the pass rush... the media tends to portray our losses of Z and Suggs as so great from the standpoint of talent but to the contrary I believe our actual talent level at outside backer is essentially the same... A lot of our pressures/sacks last year we’re schemed up with blitz packages and stunts... Smith was more so the beneficiary of receiving the majority of the snaps than his actual dominance on the field... Suggs is a top 5 all time Raven and clearly he will be missed... But his usage was down a lot last year and his impact plays were minimal as well.... And let’s be honest C.J. is a terrible coverage linebacker and was grossly overpaid... Somebody had to say It

Edited July 21, 2019 by bmorecareful

[Danand]

I think CJ Mosley is a very good linebacker – mostly healthy, a great communicator and able to set up the defense. He can read and react and doesn’t make many mistakes – he fills alleys pretty well and knows where the ball is going. He also can find the football and create turnovers.

Overall a very reliable linebacker who can do it all in the middle of the defense.

Him and Weddle in combination on the other hand, were two very cerebral players with some speed deficiencies which I think showed – especially against a Tyreek Hill type of player. Ofc they should not have to handle him in man coverage, but also in zone coverage they were too slow to turn and tackle.

Mosley got payed more than he is worth, but I don’t think he was as bad as some on the fanbase have tried to make him after his departure.

In my opinion, the biggest contributor we lost regarding the ability to make plays was Zardarius Smith. Suggs, Mosley and Weddle all had reached the point in their careers where their best contribution was not making mistakes and being great readers of what happened on offense.

The question is if we will lose some ability to stop plays, when we don’t have the same experience on the field and we have to rely more on speed and athleticism.

[DreamKid]

12 minutes ago, Danand said:

In my opinion, the biggest contributor we lost regarding the ability to make plays was Zardarius Smith. Suggs, Mosley and Weddle all had reached the point in their careers where their best contribution was not making mistakes and being great readers of what happened on offense.

The question is if we will lose some ability to stop plays, when we don’t have the same experience on the field and we have to rely more on speed and athleticism.

It's important to remember that we did add Earl Thomas and Pernell McPhee, who possess the same qualities as those departed players.

I think Mosley has been completely misrepresented by most people. He's kind of painted as this down in and down out, all around/versatile, safe and reliable linebacker. Which really isn't who he is. Mosley actually has a pretty big boom or bust quality ingrained into him. 

CJ is a smart player who knows where he and everyone else should be or go play to play. That, and strong instincts are his calling cards. The problem is he lacks the athletic talent and skill to actualize most of what he sees. This was true at his peak, and is even more so now. Mosley isn't strong or physical enough to be a consistent force against the run or ball carriers. He isn't explosive enough to be efficient/impactful as a blitzer. Honestly, Mosley was actually the most consistent when in coverage. His shortcomings in the realm are rightly highlighted(and were exploited), but he has a feel your average LB doesn't. - That profile is paired with a growing list of injuries, concussions, and a trigger that had become questionable. 

Weddle in many ways was the same player, just older. 

Mistake free players are valuable, but I think that characterization let's Mosley and Weddle off the hook in a way. For all the times they didn't make a mistake, how many times did they also not make a play?

I think Earl Thomas is vastly superior to Eric Weddle, and rather than just a component- he'll be a true weapon. I view our situation at ILB largely the same. Young and Peanut are faster, more explosive, more versatile, and ultimately I believe they can make plays at a significantly better clip than Mosley. They're players you can weaponize. With how the rules are slanted against the defense, and how the top OCs take advantage of match ups. You need a fast defense that can get you off the field and make plays. I think we'll field that in 2019.

As for EDGE, all we can do is hope our young guys step up. Suggs and ZDS brought layered contributions and impact. I'm really curious as to what role Pernell will take on. Will he step right into ZDS's designated interior rush role? Or will some combination of Willie Henry, Zach Sieler, and Chris Wormley nab it?

[Danand]

44 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

Mistake free players are valuable, but I think that characterization let's Mosley and Weddle off the hook in a way. For all the times they didn't make a mistake, how many times did they also not make a play?

This is where I am at as well. While I do think you are a bit harsh on Mosley, he is not the young player who against the Colts forced his way through two blockers to take down the ball carrier on a screen for 1-2 yards. Those were the kind of plays who seperated him from other linebackers early in his career. 

But as you mentioned, both he and Weddle made plays equal to what they were expected to make, but not many plays that could be categorized as special plays. Earl Thomas can do that and should be viewed as an upgrade - also combined with the fact that we should have an opportunity to play Tony Jefferson more to his strengths. I hope they will play him more like an extra linebacker and then rotate at the linebacker spot so we can get Onwuasor and Young fresh on the field to make the explosive plays they did last year.

McPhee should take Suggs role, but preferably on fewer snaps. Suggs played close to all snaps last year I believe, which will lead to us not having the same experience on the side opposite Judon whenever McPhee is off the field. It is in those instances I hope the better athleticism from other players can make a positive difference rather than a liability. I have voiced my concerns about our outside linebackers before, and they will have to prove to be more boom than busts from snap to snap.

I really hope the Z. Smith role can be handled by Willie Henry. I listened to the latest Ken McKusick podcast, and he mentioned that the other Dlinemen had a sack rate per unit on 3-6 % off their snaps, while Henry was an outlier with a sack per unit on 20 % of the snaps with him on the field. That says something about the disruption he was able to create when on the field.

[bmorecareful]

Suggs snap count was actually his lowest in years... it increased as the season went on but he had several games in the 60 and 70s last year with his low being 48% in the opener and his high being 87% in week 11 which also makes sense cause we were coming off a bye.... https://subscribers.footballguys.com/teams/teampage-rav-6.php

My point about Smith was he was an opportunistic player with one year of plus productivity... very Paul Kruger esque... I think we can get that production from our scheme and have a bigger year from Judon who is the better player imo with him getting more consistent snaps... Mosley just isn’t worth 17 million dollars... nothing about his game says he should be even in The conversation for top paid linebacker but good for him and his agent...I see the jets getting out of that contract in two seasons... same with Smith... he was also vastly overpaid and I doubt he sees the end of his contract...