Random Ravens Thoughts: New Forum Edition

[diamondbull424]

7 minutes ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

I disagree with our punishment, tbh, but it's whatever. How you just fine a team $250k for a coach violating protocols (and probably other people, too) is just beyond me. Furthermore, the team didn't even fire him. They just suspended him a couple weeks then silently let him back into his job like nothing happened.

Agreed. I think we should’ve lost at least a day 3 draft picks based on precedent. But I also thought the Titans situation was worse, as they blatantly disregarded stay at home orders. So if both teams had been fined day 2 picks, I wouldn’t have been against the punishment.

I also would’ve fined the team more money. Though I suppose owners are probably being as understandable with these fines as possible because the state the league is in with COVID-19 from a financial standpoint. Probably don’t want to risk fining an owner millions of dollars when he’s already keeping franchises afloat until he can earn back his money in future seasons.

2 minutes ago, wackywabbit said:

I don't necessarily disagree with that if some of the reports are true. But, I also found the stories that painted him as the supervillain of a virus outbreak far too simplistic to be fully accepted. We likely won't get enough info properly verified for me to fully convinced he needs to lose his job.

Yeah, I was always skeptical that has was a supervillain too. Like how could he make it around the facility as often as he had without anyone reporting him, unless it was complicit.

It seems unlikely to me with guys like Judon/Dez not bringing a mask to their respective press conferences the last couple weeks, Peters not wearing a mask on the plane, etc... that a S&C coach tough guy would be the only one not wearing his mask on a team full of tough guys.

It honestly wouldn’t shock me if our squad was STILL found to be going maskless when they’re not in front of a camera or have NFL personnel up and down their building.

[wackywabbit]

3 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

Agreed. I think we should’ve lost at least a day 3 draft picks based on precedent. But I also thought the Titans situation was worse, as they blatantly disregarded stay at home orders. So if both teams had been fined day 2 picks, I wouldn’t have been against the punishment.

Did the Titans lose a pick? I thought they did not.

My take is/was that draft picks shouldn't be in the equation. Take away draft picks for competitive issues where a team tries to get an advantage. Otherwise you get into the waters of other off field incidents that should/shouldn't be punished on a team-wide level.

[diamondbull424]

14 minutes ago, wackywabbit said:

Did the Titans lose a pick? I thought they did not.

My take is/was that draft picks shouldn't be in the equation. Take away draft picks for competitive issues where a team tries to get an advantage. Otherwise you get into the waters of other off field incidents that should/shouldn't be punished on a team-wide level.

Sorry for the confusion. I meant I thought BOTH of us should’ve lost a pick. There situation I felt was worse, but their also wasn’t any precedent or explicit rules to say they COULDNT do what they did (even if it was blatantly common sense for everyone else).

So I think a 3rd day pick would’ve made sense for them- at worst. While our infraction wasn’t quite as bad IMO, but we did break a rule that was explicitly stated and thus I also would’ve provided a 3rd day pick punishment as well... same as I would’ve fell upon the Titans.

Edit: But had the NFL punished the Titans as hard as I would’ve (2nd round pick to set a point about compliance) than I would’ve also enforced the Ravens with a 2nd.

I felt the Titans should’ve been hit harder, but at worst they deserved a 4th round pick docked.

However even considering their lack of punishment with the Titans, I think we still deserved a 5th/6th round pick based on the fact that the Titans didn’t “technically” break a rule, while we did.

Edited December 28, 2020 by diamondbull424

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

Steelers are playing Mason Rudolph against the Browns this weekend, so looks like the Browns will make the playoffs after all.

[SalvadorsDeli]

Our schedule for 2021 is starting to look clearer - most of it was predetermined obviously with us rotating on to the AFC West and NFC North, but interesting thing to note is the addition of the 17th game, which for us will be facing the team that places the same as us in the NFC West, so either the Rams or Cardinals. 

Home games: Steelers, Bengals, Browns, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, Chargers

Away games: Steelers, Bengals, Browns, Lions, Bears, Raiders, Broncos 

If we beat Cincinnati, we play the 2nd place schedule, which means adding Miami for sure, the Colts (most likely, unless the Titans choke the division away), and the winner of this weekend's ARI/LAR game. Home vs. away is TBD.

If we lose to Cincinnat (assuming CLE beats PIT's backups next week)i, we play the 3rd place schedule, which means adding New England, Houston, and the loser of ARI/LAR to the schedule. 

Getting Chiefs and Packers at home w/ crowds back will be fun, you'd expect at least one if not both to be primetime games. A chance to make up for the Chiefs fiasco this year. 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by SalvadorsDeli

[diamondbull424]

7 hours ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

Getting Chiefs and Packers at home w/ crowds back will be fun, you'd expect at least one if not both to be primetime games. A chance to make up for the Chiefs fiasco this year. 

Plus I’m sure the Chiefs and Packers will want “revenge” after losing to us in the AFCCG and SB respectively.

[SalvadorsDeli]

 

 

[ThatJaxxenGuy]

On 12/29/2020 at 9:14 AM, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

Steelers are playing Mason Rudolph against the Browns this weekend, so looks like the Browns will make the playoffs after all.

Never doubt the Browns ability to Brown it up and lose. I called that Jets loss for sure, and could see them blowing it this week against Pittsburgh team 2

[diamondbull424]

5 hours ago, ThatJaxxenGuy said:

Never doubt the Browns ability to Brown it up and lose. I called that Jets loss for sure, and could see them blowing it this week against Pittsburgh team 2

It’s funny. I initially predicted the Browns loss to the Jets, but then when the Jets benched Q.Williams, I thought they were going for the Tank for Trevor route. 😂

That and I didn’t want to jinx it. Then covid happened over there for them and it was like the universe made its will known.

[diamondbull424]

9 hours ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

 

 

This is beautiful coaching for sure. Allows Dobbins to still play loose, not wearing about a fumble sending him into the doghouse for a few weeks like we seemingly saw with Jonathan Taylor after we played Indy, seemed like they weren’t using him as much in the games that followed.

I can’t wait to see what Dobbins looks like in the playoffs, in college dude consistently had his best performances in the biggest games. No doubt in my mind that if Dobbins wasn’t dealing with a high ankle sprain and playing in those wet field conditions against Clemson, Ohio State wins that game after Dobbins rushes for 250+ yards. Dude had like 150 yards in the first half alone. The game didn’t change until he was forced to not finish the game. He’s such an X-factor.

[DreamKid]

30 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

I can’t wait to see what Dobbins looks like in the playoffs, in college dude consistently had his best performances in the biggest games.

That's where Patrick Queen cemented himself as well. Made his bones during LSU's championship run and became their defensive MVP. Hopefully he can repeat that trajectory for us as we approach the postseason tourney.

Then you have Madubuike exploding onto the scene too. With him, Yanny, and a healthy Calais we have an actual triumvirate of pass rushers that can hit home quick with no help. Pair that with the combo of Judon/Bowser, and you have the makings of a four man rush we've been waiting on for what seems like an eternity. Of course this comes at a time when our absurd CB depth has been ravaged with injuries, but I'll take it nonetheless. The fewer bodies required to disrupt the QB the better. 

Our Top 3 picks have a chance to nail their Rookie legends into Ravens' history. I'm excited to see what kind of impact they can pull out of themselves to close out the season.

[diamondbull424]

8 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

That's where Patrick Queen cemented himself as well. Made his bones during LSU's championship run and became their defensive MVP. Hopefully he can repeat that trajectory for us as we approach the postseason tourney.

Then you have Madubuike exploding onto the scene too. With him, Yanny, and a healthy Calais we have an actual triumvirate of pass rushers that can hit home quick with no help. Pair that with the combo of Judon/Bowser, and you have the makings of a four man rush we've been waiting on for what seems like an eternity. Of course this comes at a time when our absurd CB depth has been ravaged with injuries, but I'll take it nonetheless. The fewer bodies required to disrupt the QB the better. 

Our Top 3 picks have a chance to nail their Rookie legends into Ravens' history. I'm excited to see what kind of impact they can pull out of themselves to close out the season.

Though with Smith it seems like he’s probably able to play, but we’ve just been holding him back to keep him healthy for a playoff run. We know he’s good the moment he steps onto a football field, I bet they’re just letting him rest up his back and shoulder so he’s 100% for the stretch run.

Peters is the only one I’m slightly concerned with. Those calf injuries can be a problem- as we’ve seen with Ingram and Campbell two years running. Hopefully its far more mild and these three weeks out gets him back healthy.

Because with Averrett back on his best life, Jimmy likely back healthy, Marlon and Peters in tow... with THAT pass rush activating, I like our chances to finally be able to beat the Chiefs if it came down to it. We can get the needed pressure on Mahomes, especially with that downtrodden OL they’re rolling out.

 

Which also would hold true to our matchup with the Steelers. We have the corners to crowd the line and without as many defensive pieces on their end as last time, I can’t see them slowing down our rushing attack... that’s even more dangerous than it was the first time we played them. Spillane was a difference maker in that game, even if he’s back next week for a playoff game (assuming we handle business against the Bengals) than is it realistic to expect him to be ready to chase Lamar Jackson and Dobbins speed to the edges, especially with no Bud Dupree.

[wackywabbit]

14 hours ago, SalvadorsDeli said:

 

 

I'll fight any of these guys who say hArBaUgH iS oN tHe Hot SeAt AnD sHouLd Be CoAcHiNg FoR hIs JoB at every bump in the road.

[RavensfanRD]

50 minutes ago, wackywabbit said:

I'll fight any of these guys who say hArBaUgH iS oN tHe Hot SeAt AnD sHouLd Be CoAcHiNg FoR hIs JoB at every bump in the road.

That's where that Love/Hate relationship with Harbs come in. Love his passion when he wanted all the smoke with the Titans on the field. And then, you have things like this where you see players love and fight for him. Just wish he'd slap certain folks when they do wild things. But we've been playing well as of late, so that's for another day.

[diamondbull424]

So I was ruminating on the Sam Koch situation some and I was just thinking... could this be JUST the situation that Justin Tucker needs to boost his HOF chances post career?

I mean it’ll take a lot of things going right for him to make the HOF, but what if he could add to his public resume in-game punts that straight up boom and land within the 10 or 20 yard line... not much, but anything he can do to help his chances is fine by me.

EDIT: And yes, I know the team recently added Townsend to the roster at punter just in case. But Horton attempting to play coy with their plans at punter, have intrigued me about the idea of Tucker booming a punt for 65 yards or something.

Edited January 1, 2021 by diamondbull424