Playoff Picture- The Final 7

[diamondbull424]

13 hours ago, DreamKid said:

It's a bird, it's a plane, ...... nope... it's just another article mocking the club-

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000990167/article/john-harbaugh-on-postseason-hopes-were-not-dead

-Harbaugh, in essence, is correct. Baltimore is firmly in play for a wild-card entry. This time of year is a boon to all those who strive to keep all 32 teams alive for the postseason -- the Ravens check the box.

But the concept that a defense-oriented team -- light on exciting weapons and averaging 23 points a game -- is about to threaten a high-flyer like the Chiefs?

No.

We can float for ages in these lift-up-the-league fever dreams, but the Ravens are about as far as one can travel from a realistic Super Bowl entry. This will be sorted out soon enough.-

 

Notice how they mention the Chiefs and not the Saints, who coincidentally through 10 games are the league's top scoring offense?  Doing so would defeat the purpose of creating an article slanted against us. Through the last 7 games, we've come the closest to beating the Saints and just missed going to OT against them off a fluke Tuck miss.

So sick of this BS. I want us to crush the noise once again. None of these hoes want to see us winning. 

 

 

 

Yeah tbh I think while our defense has weaknesses, when our players and coordinators are on their A game, this defense has the ability to slow down teams like the Patriots, Saints, etc. Obviously we can’t stop them, but I definitely think we can hold them to about 24-30 points. And none of those teams have defenses that keep me from believing our options can’t put up that number of points on them. Especially with a Lamar Jackson offense that is killing the clock with effective runs and third down gains and tiring down defenses that are having to chase him down and play off balance.

If Lamar can just progress a little more in the passing game to clean up his decision making, he IMO gives us the best chance to win moving forward. Not because he’s better than Flacco. But because his impact on our rushing game and the ability to kill the clock is our best chance to slow down opposing offenses. Limit their chances to score and we can win games with effective drives.

With Flacco and our horrid running game, we’re forced to have to out duel opposing QBs while giving them more time on the field to figure things out.

Just imagine if Lamar plays versus the Saints, perhaps they don’t have enough drives to figure out the way to beat our defense was to break huddle and run a play within seconds so that our defense didn’t have enough time to show opposite looks of what they were going to do and get back in position before the snap. It also limited their ability to communicate and make adjustments to their looks based upon the opposing offensive looks they were facing. Since then the Panthers and Steelers used the same strategy to attack us as well to good success.

[DreamKid]

7 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

Just imagine if Lamar plays versus the Saints, perhaps they don’t have enough drives to figure out the way to beat our defense was to break huddle and run a play within seconds so that our defense didn’t have enough time to show opposite looks of what they were going to do and get back in position before the snap. It also limited their ability to communicate and make adjustments to their looks based upon the opposing offensive looks they were facing. Since then the Panthers and Steelers used the same strategy to attack us as well to good success.

Teams have known how to attack us since the 1st Bengals game. Tempo, Scheme mismatches that target the middle of the field, get the ball out quickly, run at our perimeter etc. I don't think they're coming upon big revelations while playing us. The Saints drove down the field on their 1st Drive of the game. 

What's also dangerous about your proposition is the assumption that Jackson would be as effective against the best rush defense in the league(Saints) as he was the worst(Bengals). 

I respect your take though. I also understand the massive excitement behind Jackson and what our future can be. I'm one of LJ8's biggest supporters. I just can't jump aboard the "upgrade" train.

-BTW, DB I know you're referencing something a little different and more thought out. Specifically the benefits going forward with a Jackson lead offense, factoring in him executing at a higher level. I'm just taking on the general concept of an upgrade that some people are tossing around. 

Contending that Lamar would be an upgrade over Flacco is little different than saying a Rookie QB would make us a nearly undefeated team. Which is where I take issue. 

Say you take away 1 Touchdown from every team we played this year, and then add 1 Touchdown for us. In order to simulate the effect of an upgraded offense that would also offer superior clock control, theoretically lead by Lamar Jackson.  

In that scenario we're a 9-1 team. Led by a Rookie QB. Which frames how ridiculous the ease with which people scream upgrade truly is.

I just can't ignore what Flacco has done this year.

It's easy to point to the recent Panther and steeler games, but harder to accept that beyond the 1st Cinci game Flacco has been everything we needed him to be up to before those 2 games. With no running game, poor play calling, and spastic pass protection that is only now starting to settle in.

Flacco lead 2 GW drives against the Browns, 1 was stopped by the Refs and the other Crabtree's hands. Against the Saints, Flacco had us tied against the best team in football with them coming off their Bye. The Cinci game was a TNF short week Away Game. The Panther game was a disaster for all phases of the team. Then in the steeler game, he was injured on the 1st drive and along with some errors still kept us in it. 

None of that is to excuse instances of Flacco playing poorly, but the situation needs to be analyzed correctly. Joe has been a valuable asset this season and should be again as we move forward. 

 

 

[diamondbull424]

Yeah, Flacco is still the better quarterback and still gives us the best chance to win, at this point. Missing also in your counter to my Saints point is that an even more “green” Lamar is playing perhaps we have more issues with line protections and playcalls and decision making. What’s more I don’t know if Gus Edwards had made his prescence enough known for him to be playing with LJ8 and outside of GE, Collins and Buck Allen weren’t particularly impressive.

That said, I don’t think Lamar is that far off from providing more benefit in helping us win games then current Flacco. Veteran Flacco hasn’t progressed leaps and bounds beyond where rookie Flacco was at the end of his first season. Which is a clutch thrower with an arm cannon that generally does a good job protecting the ball, but will make a few boneheaded passes a game.

If Lamar can turn throws like that amazing Chris Moore reception from that level of accuracy to leading him on the play for a bigger gain, while adding into his repertoire a good deep ball he can use at the NFL, than I think he would be ready to offer us a superior chance. The threat of his legs and the opening up of the rushing attack because of it trumps much of the arm talent Flacco has above him.

[DreamKid]

3 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

If Lamar can turn throws like that amazing Chris Moore reception from that level of accuracy to leading him on the play for a bigger gain, while adding into his repertoire a good deep ball he can use at the NFL, than I think he would be ready to offer us a superior chance. The threat of his legs and the opening up of the rushing attack because of it trumps much of the arm talent Flacco has above him.

Going forward that's what we'll have to hope he develops into. Combine that version of Lamar with our young pieces on defense, and we can contend for years.

[DreamKid]

 

[M.10.E]

Beat Falcons, Bucs and Browns.

[DreamKid]

That should take care of them.

 

[berlin calling]

week 17 could become the same disaster for this team as last seasons week 17 game. Browns coming on strong and even if they are out of the playoff race by then i guess they'd play hard to eliminate the Ravens.

[RavensfanRD]

2 hours ago, berlin calling said:

week 17 could become the same disaster for this team as last seasons week 17 game. Browns coming on strong and even if they are out of the playoff race by then i guess they'd play hard to eliminate the Ravens.

They're going to get wrecked. I don't care who's at QB. I shall not be let down again. 

[wackywabbit]

Win and a Colts loss makes it a great weekend for us. The sneaky team to watch is the Broncos, who have a cake last 4 games (with the Chargers potentially having nothing to play for in week 17), though we do have the H2H on them.

I'm actually not sure who helps us more with a loss in the Steelers-Chargers game. If the Steelers lose, the division isn't completely out of reach, the Chargers may be locked into #5 early (which means they might rest against us in week 16), or may try harder against the Broncos in week 17 to get the division. OTOH, the Chargers wild card spot may also be reachable as a path in with 2 losses (and we beat them).. or forcing the Broncos and Chargers to play for one spot.

[sp6488]

9 minutes ago, wackywabbit said:

Win and a Colts loss makes it a great weekend for us. The sneaky team to watch is the Broncos, who have a cake last 4 games (with the Chargers potentially having nothing to play for in week 17), though we do have the H2H on them.

I'm actually not sure who helps us more with a loss in the Steelers-Chargers game. If the Steelers lose, the division isn't completely out of reach, the Chargers may be locked into #5 early (which means they might rest against us in week 16), or may try harder against the Broncos in week 17 to get the division. OTOH, the Chargers wild card spot may also be reachable as a path in with 2 losses (and we beat them).. or forcing the Broncos and Chargers to play for one spot.

Charger win tonight would make division VERY attainable IMO. Steelers still need to play NE and NO. 

[DreamKid]

4 hours ago, sp6488 said:

Charger win tonight would make division VERY attainable IMO. Steelers still need to play NE and NO. 

 

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

I don't want to get my hopes up about the division because we all know what happens when this team gives us hope late in the year, but you guys are absolutely right this division is VERY much up for grabs right now with our schedule + Pittsburgh's schedule. Conner's injury for them is also very untimely.

[diamondbull424]

40 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

 

I think this team needs to come out with the same passion they had this game because I definitely see Kansas City as a bearable team. I’ve said it a few weeks ago and recent events with the loss of Hunt and Watkins having durability issues, that only reinforces my opinion. They’re going to be a very tough team, particularly because we have no one to guard Kelce (though I definitely like Chuck Clark on him a lot more than I like Tony Jefferson) and Hill has tremendous speed and quickness that will be a difficult guard for both Smith and Carr if they draw that coverage.

That all said, they have a defense that is similar to the ones we’ve faced over the last few games, which should allow us to control the clock and make some plays offensively and our corners have been tested with all kinds of receivers from AJ Green to Antonio Brown to Emanuel Sanders to Julio Jones, etc. and they’ve proven to be up to the task.

Our team has always had good enough luck with traveling to Kansas City in the past and I think all in all, I’m not convinced that we can’t win this game. It’ll be tough but I actually think we matchup much better with Kansas City than we matchup with the Chargers. So we need to win this game, else week 17 will come down to a game where the Browns would be salivating to play spoilers. And Tampa Bay is a very inconsistent team but their QB is likely fighting for his job and NFL career prospects so they’re going to come out playing tough regardless of record. They also seem to always play us well IIRC. 

[AngusMcFife]

29 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

I think this team needs to come out with the same passion they had this game because I definitely see Kansas City as a bearable team. I’ve said it a few weeks ago and recent events with the loss of Hunt and Watkins having durability issues, that only reinforces my opinion. They’re going to be a very tough team, particularly because we have no one to guard Kelce (though I definitely like Chuck Clark on him a lot more than I like Tony Jefferson) and Hill has tremendous speed and quickness that will be a difficult guard for both Smith and Carr if they draw that coverage.

That all said, they have a defense that is similar to the ones we’ve faced over the last few games, which should allow us to control the clock and make some plays offensively and our corners have been tested with all kinds of receivers from AJ Green to Antonio Brown to Emanuel Sanders to Julio Jones, etc. and they’ve proven to be up to the task.

Our team has always had good enough luck with traveling to Kansas City in the past and I think all in all, I’m not convinced that we can’t win this game. It’ll be tough but I actually think we matchup much better with Kansas City than we matchup with the Chargers. So we need to win this game, else week 17 will come down to a game where the Browns would be salivating to play spoilers. And Tampa Bay is a very inconsistent team but their QB is likely fighting for his job and NFL career prospects so they’re going to come out playing tough regardless of record. They also seem to always play us well IIRC. 

It looks like it might be cold next week in KC, that could help the Ravens defense slow their attack. 

And it seems the D has trouble when QBs can go no-huddle and make calls at the line to get us in bad personnel groupings (Big Ben kills us with this). But Andy Reed likes to call most plays with a huddle, so that gives our D a chance to match up properly. I don't know if Mahomes is ready yet to run an offense like Brady or Brees.