Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[baltimoreRebel]

51 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

Apparently there's a Brian Poole trade rumor saga popping on twitter, which means nothing- but with DeCosta we can't rule anything out. Sounds like he's a really good SCB, so I'd guess we'd be bringing him in to replace Tavon short term. 🤷‍♂️

I'm all about CBs, so Poole(haha, get it?)  the trigger if you're feeling it EDC.

 

Poole is sneaky and scrappy. Really like that dude. 

[DreamKid]

43 minutes ago, baltimoreRebel said:

Poole is sneaky and scrappy. Really like that dude. 

We definitely need the help, with like four healthy CBs left. Hope EDC can swing something.

[DreamKid]

Random, but I know you'll like this clip @Danand

 

[Danand]

My draftcrushes doesn't come any bigger than Budda Baker and Antoine Winfield Jr. 

No matter how much I want olines and couldn't keep my hands off myself thinking of us drafting Forrest Lamp, I can't deny my background as a DB when it comes to my biggest crushes, usually undersized but energetic, technique sound DB's.

[baltimoreRebel]

These stat lines smacked me in the face this morning.. 

[Danand]

Stats should never stand alone. 

Those stats are marginally better in his 3rd year against mostly lesser opponents/more favorable matchups. In 2019 we faced Chiefs, the very bad Browns game and a good Steelers defense. 

If we have to take anything from 2019 to 2020, it is that we can hope we pick up the pace offensively after the bye, which was roughly the same time we took off last year. The Seahawks game was a close one and we made it a 2 score game on the 4 on 1 "LETS GO FOR IT" and the Marcus Peters interception.

Compared the second half of the 2019 season to what we have seen this year from an offense with a year in the system and only losing two players in Yanda and Hurst, we do not look like an offensive powerhouse, no matter what the stats say.

[SalvadorsDeli]

Yeah I mean I think some of this is just expectations. Some of the things that last year we would have all lost our minds over and been played on loop for weeks - like Lamar's TD runs against Washington or Philly, are just sort of treated as pedestrian now. Expectations were probably unfairly high but the reality is that staying the same feels like stagnation to a lot of people. Even if our offense is playing reasonably well, the fact that it hasn't improved since last year has a lot of people feeling disappointed. 

It makes me a little sad honestly because it seems like we're getting away from appreciating Lamar for what he is.  It feels like even among us staunch Lamar defenders everyone has internalized the criticism that nothing really matters other than his development as a pocket passer. The only time people were really excited and complimentary of our offense all year was after Week 1 when he destroyed the Browns through the air. The KC game has now left such a bad taste in everyone's mouth that people have just stopped caring what Lamar does if he's not lighting it up through the air. 

And FWIW I don't think it's just fans either. The frustration from Lamar and a lot of the guys on offense is palpable - if you just judged their public comments about the team in postgame interviews, etc. you would never in a million years think this team is 5-1. I admire the desire to improve but it seems like it's getting in Lamar's head a little too much that all that matters to him are his passing numbers. He needs to ease up/relax a little more and just let the game come to him a little more. 

In any case, to the extent we've all been looking for a game that can try and get the bad taste of the KC game out of our mouths, it's this coming week. Couldn't be set up any better really, in terms of reversing the narrative - Steelers are undefeated, with the #1 defense, it's a huge rivalry game - if Lamar actually goes out there and balls out and, then we're going to see the narrative shift right back in his direction. I do worry though that a repeat of the KC game could be extremely damaging for him psychologically. Huge huge game for this group. 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by SalvadorsDeli

[sp6488]

It probably won’t be against the Steelers this week, but I’ve got a feeling Lamar posts a bonkers stat line in a game one of these coming weeks. Think @diamondbull424 alluded to it recently, but I think he’s gonna pop off for something like 21/24, 275 yards, 4 TD soon. 

[baltimoreRebel]

56 minutes ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

Yeah I mean I think some of this is just expectations. Some of the things that last year we would have all lost our minds over and been played on loop for weeks - like Lamar's TD runs against Washington or Philly, are just sort of treated as pedestrian now. Expectations were probably unfairly high but the reality is that staying the same feels like stagnation to a lot of people. Even if our offense is playing reasonably well, the fact that it hasn't improved since last year has a lot of people feeling disappointed. 

It makes me a little sad honestly because it seems like we're getting away from appreciating Lamar for what he is.  It feels like even among us staunch Lamar defenders everyone has internalized the criticism that nothing really matters other than his development as a pocket passer. The only time people were really excited and complimentary of our offense all year was after Week 1 when he destroyed the Browns through the air. The KC game has now left such a bad taste in everyone's mouth that people have just stopped caring what Lamar does if he's not lighting it up through the air. 

And FWIW I don't think it's just fans either. The frustration from Lamar and a lot of the guys on offense is palpable - if you just judged their public comments about the team in postgame interviews, etc. you would never in a million years think this team is 5-1. I admire the desire to improve but it seems like it's getting in Lamar's head a little too much that all that matters to him are his passing numbers. He needs to ease up/relax a little more and just let the game come to him a little more. 

In any case, to the extent we've all been looking for a game that can try and get the bad taste of the KC game out of our mouths, it's this coming week. Couldn't be set up any better really, in terms of reversing the narrative - Steelers are undefeated, with the #1 defense, it's a huge rivalry game - if Lamar actually goes out there and balls out and, then we're going to see the narrative shift right back in his direction. I do worry though that a repeat of the KC game could be extremely damaging for him psychologically. Huge huge game for this group. 

 

Fantastic run down here. I agree with everything you've said. Establishing the run game early is key, stick to it and don't give up a big lead. They're undefeated and we're 5-1. The narrative right now is that they're the best team in the NFL. We need to have an underdog mentality and smack them directly in the mouth. Foot on the gas all the way through. 

Edited October 26, 2020 by baltimoreRebel

[diamondbull424]

2 hours ago, baltimoreRebel said:

Fantastic run down here. I agree with everything you've said. Establishing the run game early is key, stick to it and don't give up a big lead. They're undefeated and we're 5-1. The narrative right now is that they're the best team in the NFL. We need to have an underdog mentality and smack them directly in the mouth. Foot on the gas all the way through. 

I sort of agree but also disagree. I certainly wouldn’t lead with the run, but I do agree that we will need to get the grown game going for sure.

The Steelers have an excellent pass rush, but arguably even better has been how dominant they’ve been with stuffing the run. They’ve given up by far the lowest amount in the NFL at only 2.27 adjusted line rushing yards. The next closest teams are all clumped in the mid to low 3’s like Tampa Bay, etc.

Long story short, the Steelers have been absolutely beyond elite at shutting down the run. Which isn’t to say we shouldn’t go strength on strength. But with how our guards have struggled, I think we’ve got to find a way to move their LBs back a bit. Getting Duvernay and Hollywood involved in short passes early will be crucial to opening things up for Andrews and our run game IMO.

I’d go with some bubble screens to Duvernay to give us a sort of quasi run game off the short pass. That and get him and Hollywood running slants. Get Hollywood running some comeback and hitch routes. Should be easy throws to get Lamar in rhythm early. Maybe some short out routes for Nick Boyle where he fakes a block and then can pick up 3-4 yard plays to get us on schedule. Dink and dunk early and then once they’re on their heels a little bit and once we get the defensive personnel we like on the field, we go no huddle and bludgeon them with Gus and Ingram up the middle to wear them down.

Then take opportune shots for the deep pass off PA once we’re in field goal range.

 

[sp6488]

3 hours ago, baltimoreRebel said:

Fantastic run down here. I agree with everything you've said. Establishing the run game early is key, stick to it and don't give up a big lead. They're undefeated and we're 5-1. The narrative right now is that they're the best team in the NFL. We need to have an underdog mentality and smack them directly in the mouth. Foot on the gas all the way through. 

Yea kind of crazy how much of conventional wisdom it’s become that they’re the best team in the AFCN. 

[drd23]

7 hours ago, baltimoreRebel said:

These stat lines smacked me in the face this morning.. 

Those numbers don't translate to more advanced metrics that look at things like drive efficiency though (which happen to align with what a lot of us have observed on the field).    We have the 20th ranked pass offense by DVOA so far this season compared to the #1 pass offense last season, for example

[DreamKid]

lol Fantasy owners were warned to stay away from our backfield

 

[drd23]

I don't play re-draft fantasy football anymore (been only in dynasty leagues for a few years now), but I would have thought that it was pretty obvious that our RB rotation would be bad for fantasy this year.  Did people think that JKD would take over all of Ingram's snaps from last year or something?

[diamondbull424]

JKD was the only back of ours I had/have confidence in. You figure an injury to another RB would be all he’d need to see double the touches. If he doubles his touches and he’s got a strong chance at a big play/game. But I also didn’t draft him to rely on but simply to stash in the event of an injury to Ingram occurring. I think he’s my potential ticket to a playoff championship. A late season injury coupled with JKD going off is the scenario I’m envisioning. But we’ll see.