Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[DreamKid]

Here's some very early Madden 19 game play with the Ravens, and yes Lamar was subbed in lol. Wonder how many people are going to be doing that...

- Looks like we have 3 "Star" players: Marshal Yanda, Brandon Williams, Eric Weddle.

- Typical trash EA. The game looks the exact same and there is no uniqueness at all. Just skins with stats attached. Lamar Jackson moves the exact same way Flacco and every other QB does, just with different speed. They do all this work to make NBA Live have players as close as possible to real life with their movements, mannerisms, and style. Yet do none of the same for Madden and the NFL's star players. Oh well, it's not like I expected anything different. 

 

[M.10.E]

Holy, that looks AWFUL. I haven't played Madden in years, but glad to see it's the same game. 

[DreamKid]

Garbage stats for our players.

 

[diamondbull424]

I haven’t played in such a long time, but it makes no sense to me that an elite kicker is rated in the mid 80s. Also the fact that Terrell Suggs isn’t one of the top players on the team is ridiculous.

[sp6488]

I find it interesting that so much of the forum community (at least those putting together mocks at this point) is convinced that the Ravens will be picking top-10 in 2019.

[diamondbull424]

On 6/22/2018 at 3:59 PM, sp6488 said:

I find it interesting that so much of the forum community (at least those putting together mocks at this point) is convinced that the Ravens will be picking top-10 in 2019.

Well we do seem to have some terrible luck with injuries. And we have a tough schedule. I could see it playing out that way.

I think it’s more likely that we’re in the top 10 of picks or the bottom of picks this season. I don’t see middle of the pack this year. Things either fall apart or we’re making a deep playoff run. Just my prediction though... which means very little, especially considering we haven’t even played a preseason game.

[wackywabbit]

I don't see a bottom-out season as likely at all. There is too much depth. The offense and close game luck could not have been worse for half a season+ last year and we still had a winning record. If things are that dire again, Jackson will come in with no tape on him and win games. 

[coordinator0]

Yeah, I would be surprised at that too. It's far from Flacco staying healthy or bust like years past. And there's too much depth on the team otherwise. It's been way more about how that talent is utilized than the team actually lacking talent these last few years. 

For the most part. There have been some epic injury stretches that it would be hard to expect any team to overcome. When the roster has 20% of guys that are just in-season replacements for those who went on IR then yeah the talent is lacking overall.

[RavensfanRD]

Madden looks garbage. Lamar Jackson looks 'boxy' like its his NFL Blitz form or something. So glad I don't waste money on it anymore. Last real Madden I played regularly was 2011. Pass! lol

Oh, and the Ravens are going to the AFC conference game under the leadership and guidance of Joe Flacco. AND YOU CAN QUOTE ME, SON!

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

Every year I want to believe Madden will be different, but my goodness I cannot get over how bad this game looks. It's the same game as last year, but worse. This looks so bad. Throw in how they're rated our players and how Jackson's player model looks and I'm not going near this game except for on PC where I'll get it for free eventually.

[sp6488]

On 6/26/2018 at 3:46 PM, Darth Pees said:

Every year I want to believe Madden will be different, but my goodness I cannot get over how bad this game looks. It's the same game as last year, but worse. This looks so bad. Throw in how they're rated our players and how Jackson's player model looks and I'm not going near this game except for on PC where I'll get it for free eventually.

This is what happens when one company has exclusive rights to a whole league/sport.  No incentive to innovate since people will buy it anyway with no real competition.

[sp6488]

On 6/23/2018 at 10:01 PM, diamondbull424 said:

Well we do seem to have some terrible luck with injuries. And we have a tough schedule. I could see it playing out that way.

I think it’s more likely that we’re in the top 10 of picks or the bottom of picks this season. I don’t see middle of the pack this year. Things either fall apart or we’re making a deep playoff run. Just my prediction though... which means very little, especially considering we haven’t even played a preseason game.

 

On 6/24/2018 at 10:25 PM, wackywabbit said:

I don't see a bottom-out season as likely at all. There is too much depth. The offense and close game luck could not have been worse for half a season+ last year and we still had a winning record. If things are that dire again, Jackson will come in with no tape on him and win games. 

 

On 6/24/2018 at 10:32 PM, coordinator0 said:

Yeah, I would be surprised at that too. It's far from Flacco staying healthy or bust like years past. And there's too much depth on the team otherwise. It's been way more about how that talent is utilized than the team actually lacking talent these last few years. 

For the most part. There have been some epic injury stretches that it would be hard to expect any team to overcome. When the roster has 20% of guys that are just in-season replacements for those who went on IR then yeah the talent is lacking overall.

I disagree, @diamondbull424, I think this team is more likely to be in the playoffs than a top-10 pick.  That said, I think middle-of-the-pack (like pick 16-ish) is well-within the realm of possibilities considering how we finished the last two seasons.  I think we have gotten better (granted, who doesn't think that about their team?) and we have had a terrible rash of injury luck (and other freaky things, like the end of that one Jax game) the last two seasons that just isn't sustainable.  Further, we've had one top-10 pick in the last decade and like two in the past 15 years.  Ultimately, I think 11-5 is far more likely than 5-11.  Again, not saying a top-10 pick is impossible, but I think the seeming consensus that we'll finish significantly worse next season is a bit odd.  If I had to weight where we end up between bottom-third/middle-third/top-third of the league, it would be something like 15%/55%/30%.

[Danand]

If we have the same amount of injuries or if either the offense/defense completely implode I could see us getting no more than 5 wins this year. The most like is 7-9/9-7 season, which I think we should embrace. We just don't have the high quality players on the team.

The Ravens for the past many seasons has been a very solid team all around with a low ceiling and high floor, especially when it comes to individual play. We don't have that 1-3 players who will make the final play with the game on the line. What we can do is stay around and be somewhat relevant, beat the teams in our 7-9/9-7 bracket and the teams in the brackets below that, and lose to the better teams with better players.

I don't see one addition this year or a player ascending to a degree where we talk about an elite player. Especially on offense it will be a tug-of-war to get something going all year.

[wackywabbit]

10 hours ago, Danand said:

If we have the same amount of injuries or if either the offense/defense completely implode I could see us getting no more than 5 wins this year. The most like is 7-9/9-7 season, which I think we should embrace. We just don't have the high quality players on the team.

Nah... but you have fun doing that.

I have high expectations. We have talent throughout the defense at every level. I think we see the leap from Tyus Bower and/or Tim Williams being one of the big developments. Combine that with an elite special teams and, I'll confidently state, a top-tier head coach, and an average offense will hold up fine. The biggest gap on the team is still a lack of offensive playmakers, but the line should be good. I'm expecting a strong season from a motivated Flacco as long as he stays reasonably healthy, and even if not we have the fallback of unleashing LJ8 now.

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

On 6/28/2018 at 8:31 AM, wackywabbit said:

Nah... but you have fun doing that.

I have high expectations. We have talent throughout the defense at every level. I think we see the leap from Tyus Bower and/or Tim Williams being one of the big developments. Combine that with an elite special teams and, I'll confidently state, a top-tier head coach, and an average offense will hold up fine. The biggest gap on the team is still a lack of offensive playmakers, but the line should be good. I'm expecting a strong season from a motivated Flacco as long as he stays reasonably healthy, and even if not we have the fallback of unleashing LJ8 now.

So Danand said we should embrace a 9-7 season, are you saying we should expect 10+ wins out of this team, with this offense, with this QB, against this schedule?

Bills 

@Bengals

Broncos

@Steelers

@Browns

@Titans

Saints

@Panthers

Steelers

(bye)

Bengals

Raiders

@Falcons

@Chiefs

Bucs

@Chargers

Browns

 

That's a very tough schedule if those teams aren't suffering major injuries (like the Packers were when we faced them - like the Raiders when they were missing Carr last year, etc.). I'm curious where you see our 10+ wins coming from. We're gonna have to actually beat actual good teams this year to earn that record.