This Ain’t Ravens Talk

[DreamKid]

2 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

Dude was an athletic freak. SMH. Oh well, I guess this isn’t Pokémon, you can’t catch them all.

Ozzie's final pick too, just makes it hurt more. I legit saw Richard Seymour upside with him.

It's like Ash releasing the final pokemon that Professor Oak ever found and gave him, and it might've been a Dratini level future potential boon for the squad too. If we want to keep the 20 year old references going lol.

[diamondbull424]

1 hour ago, DreamKid said:

Ozzie's final pick too, just makes it hurt more. I legit saw Richard Seymour upside with him.

It's like Ash releasing the final pokemon that Professor Oak ever found and gave him, and it might've been a Dratini level future potential boon for the squad too. If we want to keep the 20 year old references going lol.

Literally back after researching whether or not they ever did finish the Pokémon series. 😂

But yeah, I think whenever people put forth the “we don’t go to practice narratives” I think it’s important to remember cases like Zack Seiler. He was a young player that was displaying potential within our defense in year one that just sort of got lost in the shuffle. Very similar to Zadarius Smith on that front, how he sort of got lost in the shuffle some.

We’ve made some very weird decisions with personnel all over the place. Whether guys don’t practice how they play or if the coaches just don’t typically like relying on young players or what, there are definitely examples of guys that breakout when they get their opportunities. Or seemingly perform only to be buried again, rookie Tyus Bowser as an example. Heck Tyus Bowser is now only receiving 20% of defensive snaps while Judon sees 70%. I could see if Judon was an absolute wrecking crew, but bringing his snaps down to 55% to find a way to get Bowser more time wouldn’t likely hurt much... considering how much worse can our run defense get?... and considering Bowser has looked more impressive against the run than Judon from what I’ve paid attention to.

[DreamKid]

7 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

I could see if Judon was an absolute wrecking crew, but bringing his snaps down to 55% to find a way to get Bowser more time wouldn’t likely hurt much..

It's probably more price tag than anything. 

The aren't going to pay Judon 17 Mill to sit on the bench. Yanny coming in was always going to be a death sentence for Tyus. Will be interesting FA with Bowser, he has legit reasons to not want to come back here. 

[diamondbull424]

36 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

It's probably more price tag than anything. 

The aren't going to pay Judon 17 Mill to sit on the bench. Yanny coming in was always going to be a death sentence for Tyus. Will be interesting FA with Bowser, he has legit reasons to not want to come back here. 

Which means it opens up pass rushers as a draft need... though I think I’d rather we just roll with what we have and focus our draft resources towards getting Lamar an ELITE possession weapon and legit blocking upgrades along the interior. Yannick, Ferguson, Ward, and a day 3 guy. Roll with that. I have faith that Wink can scheme up a pass rush, even with trash. I have little faith that our offense can get back to top 5-10 status without a legit receiving weapon added.

[drd23]

4 hours ago, DreamKid said:

Pain.

 

Apparently he's been living in an RV.  I guess he can afford to get something a little more permanent now

[DreamKid]

3 hours ago, drd23 said:

Apparently he's been living in an RV.  I guess he can afford to get something a little more permanent now

He'll probably get the talk from his parents now. "You know Zach, the whole RV thing was cute and really showed your dedication/humbleness but honey I think it's time you start showing a little more professional image".  Mom talk for "Stop being eccentric and begin to live how I want-...again". 

Edited November 18, 2020 by DreamKid

[diamondbull424]

Playoff Picture. Probably doesn’t deserve its own thread, but here is the current playoff picture, considering COVID could end the season at any moment, the Ravens have to constantly keep themselves in the top 7 teams, regardless of how it happens. Can’t rely on the late season SOS to get us into the dance. Anyways:

3. Titans = 7-3
4. Bills = 7-3
5. Browns = 7-3
6. Raiders = 6-3, game against Chiefs later tonight
7. Dolphins = 6-3, game currently playing, Dolphins down 13-10 to the Broncos at half time.
8. Colts = 6-3, game currently playing, Packers up 21-14 at the two minute warning
9. Ravens = 6-4, wheels haven’t yet fallen off, but if they lose to the Steelers on Thursday... wheels will certainly be falling.
10. Patriots = 4-6, they’re really only one game back considering they have the tie breaker.

[BareYourTeeth]

2 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

Playoff Picture. Probably doesn’t deserve its own thread, but here is the current playoff picture, considering COVID could end the season at any moment, the Ravens have to constantly keep themselves in the top 7 teams, regardless of how it happens. Can’t rely on the late season SOS to get us into the dance. Anyways:

3. Titans = 7-3
4. Bills = 7-3
5. Browns = 7-3
6. Raiders = 6-3, game against Chiefs later tonight
7. Dolphins = 6-3, game currently playing, Dolphins down 13-10 to the Broncos at half time.
8. Colts = 6-3, game currently playing, Packers up 21-14 at the two minute warning
9. Ravens = 6-4, wheels haven’t yet fallen off, but if they lose to the Steelers on Thursday... wheels will certainly be falling.
10. Patriots = 4-6, they’re really only one game back considering they have the tie breaker.

"Ravens = 6-4, wheels haven’t yet fallen off, but if they lose to the Steelers on Thursday... wheels will certainly be falling."

 

That's the toughest game left on the schedule. You know the other teams in the hunt have to play the rest of their games on their schedule too right? And they're remaining games probably aren't quite as easy as ours

[diamondbull424]

15 minutes ago, BareYourTeeth said:

"Ravens = 6-4, wheels haven’t yet fallen off, but if they lose to the Steelers on Thursday... wheels will certainly be falling."

 

That's the toughest game left on the schedule. You know the other teams in the hunt have to play the rest of their games on their schedule too right? And they're remaining games probably aren't quite as easy as ours

Did you ignore the entire part about COVID could end this season at any moment? The NFL owners have already agreed to a 16 team playoff plan that could end the season at any moment. If the Ravens drop below even the top 8, the season could end at almost any time and we end up on the outside, not looking in. If we do, the wheels will have officially fallen off. Losing to the Steelers, if things don’t go their favor with the above games, and the Ravens could find themselves back two games in the race.

The game against the Browns also isn’t some sort of guarantee either. So absolutely, if they drop this game against the Steelers, it puts them in a position where they’ll constantly have to hope OTHER teams cant handle business as opposed to controlling their own fate. Wheels equal control, how would losing to the Steelers, somehow equal them controlling their own fate the rest of the way? Whereas a loss could certainly signal the wheels beginning to fall.

Edited November 22, 2020 by diamondbull424

[RavensTillIDie]

24 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

Playoff Picture. Probably doesn’t deserve its own thread, but here is the current playoff picture, considering COVID could end the season at any moment, the Ravens have to constantly keep themselves in the top 7 teams, regardless of how it happens. Can’t rely on the late season SOS to get us into the dance. Anyways:

3. Titans = 7-3
4. Bills = 7-3
5. Browns = 7-3
6. Raiders = 6-3, game against Chiefs later tonight
7. Dolphins = 6-3, game currently playing, Dolphins down 13-10 to the Broncos at half time.
8. Colts = 6-3, game currently playing, Packers up 21-14 at the two minute warning
9. Ravens = 6-4, wheels haven’t yet fallen off, but if they lose to the Steelers on Thursday... wheels will certainly be falling.
10. Patriots = 4-6, they’re really only one game back considering they have the tie breaker.

I was playing with the ESPN playoff machine, and assuming all those other teams lose tonight. If we SOMEHOW find a way to beat the Steelers, it's going to be VERY hard for the Ravens to not win out and end up 12-4 and as the 5th or 6th seed. Which is nuts to me after a game like today. So many of those teams we are in competition with have to either play each other or the Steelers or Chiefs down the stretch, whereas we get to play some of the worst teams in the league coming up. It's going to be REALLY impressive if we manage to lose our upcoming games and end up out of the playoffs. Even though I have my doubts that the team as currently constructed will be able to make any noise in the playoffs, failing to make it given the schedule is immediate grounds for termination of the entire coaching staff, IMO. 

 

Edit: But yeah, agreed about the Covid situation. Remainder of the schedule could all be moot if things shutdown prematurely. 

[diamondbull424]

Also the “terrible teams” on our schedule have all begun to figure things out and turn things around. The Giants have begun to get a grip on their OL challenges from earlier in the season. The Cowboys have now started to get a grip on their defense and put together a functioning offense. Both teams that will be competing earnestly for their divisions down the stretch.

Then throw in the Browns, who have been playing quality football. I think 11-5 is a record that can virtually guarantee us a playoff appearance, but I don’t think 10-6 guarantees the playoffs and instead it will come down to tie-breakers, some of which we already don’t have going in our favor. So if we lose to the Steelers, we don’t guarantee we stay within the top 8 teams and we also could find ourselves within a situation where we end up 10-6, while also missing the playoffs as the 8th or 9th seed because the other top teams in the conference finished with the same exact record.

[M.10.E]

49 minutes ago, diamondbull424 said:

Also the “terrible teams” on our schedule have all begun to figure things out and turn things around. The Giants have begun to get a grip on their OL challenges from earlier in the season. The Cowboys have now started to get a grip on their defense and put together a functioning offense. Both teams that will be competing earnestly for their divisions down the stretch.

Then throw in the Browns, who have been playing quality football. I think 11-5 is a record that can virtually guarantee us a playoff appearance, but I don’t think 10-6 guarantees the playoffs and instead it will come down to tie-breakers, some of which we already don’t have going in our favor. So if we lose to the Steelers, we don’t guarantee we stay within the top 8 teams and we also could find ourselves within a situation where we end up 10-6, while also missing the playoffs as the 8th or 9th seed because the other top teams in the conference finished with the same exact record.

Agreed. Besides the Bengals and the jags, I’m not marking anything as a victory. This defense does show up versus crappy offenses though so that helps. Very worried about the browns game now.  

[DreamKid]

I'm as low on this current Ravens team as anyone, but I think there's a solid chance we win out to close the season.

The Steelers are nowhere near as good as their record would have some believe, the Browns are the Browns, and frankly- the Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, and now Burrowless Bengals are all trash heap teams.

I'm expecting a strong finish for the regular season, one that will allow failing components like Roman to keep their job. And then the traditional first round exit in the playoffs we've now grown accustomed to in the Harbaugh-Jackson era. Sounds about right to me.

[RavensTillIDie]

2 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

I'm expecting a strong finish for the regular season, one that will allow failing components like Roman to keep their job. And then the traditional first round exit in the playoffs we've now grown accustomed to in the Harbaugh-Jackson era. Sounds about right to me.

The good news is, if the remainder of the season does play out, we are looking at either playing at the Colts/Titans or the Bills/Dolphins in the first round. Comparatively speaking, I would have a TINY bit more confidence in possibly earning a first round win in that scenario vs having to play the Chiefs or Steelers.

[DreamKid]

1 minute ago, RavensTillIDie said:

The good news is, if the remainder of the season does play out, we are looking at either playing at the Colts/Titans or the Bills/Dolphins in the first round. Comparatively speaking, I would have a TINY bit more confidence in possibly earning a first round win in that scenario vs having to play the Chiefs or Steelers.

Even a largely symbolic playoff win against a scrub team like the Dolphins/Colts would be worth something significant to this squad imo. We need to sell hope going forward. So that would be a good scenario for us. 

The Ravens have an undeniably dark cloud hanging over their heads right now.