5+ 5- Ravens

[3rivers]

+

1. the win was the goal and they got it

2. Spillane, Highsmith  and Buggs,  really made plays 

3. being resilient and getting back into the game , everyone

4. ben got his game going later, kept the team going 

5. the defence won it at the end despite having given up lots of yards.  

Good pressure all day, and the scheme appears to work vs Jackson despite the stats not being great for run defence The win was a solid team effort, I liked how the team stayed the course and weathered the storm to get the win. 

 

_

1. Heyward and Alualu injury

2. lots of yards given up on the ground (if that matters of all things) 

3. still not a solid 4 quarters

4. some OC play calling, seems like we just want to punt asap when near our end zone instead of moving the chains

5. a few plays were given up that I didn't like, thought we should have had  them. 

Jackson is a nightmare to defend or at least had me concerned the entire game. I know the stats he had might not be flashy but as a fan of the oppomnenet, it was quite a game and every play was a threat.  Too bad there were some serious injuries that affects the game, but this has happened often this year.  Refs were a down at times, but overall probably tolerable. I still think the league should offer a few coaches challenges for DPI though. 

 

[Dcash4]

Ups:

1) Beating the Ravens

2) in Baltimore

3) with Lamar at QB

4) while turning him over 4 times with a total of 7 against the Steelers

5) and gaining 2 games on them for the North. 

Downs:

1) None come to mind. Why do you ask?

Edited November 2, 2020 by Dcash4

[3rivers]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

Ups:

1) Beating the Ravens

2) in Baltimore

3) with Lamar at QB

4) while turning him over 4 times with a total of 7 against the Steelers

5) and gaining 2 games on them for the North. 

Downs:

1) None come to mind. Why do you ask?

we always have 5 of each, sometimes we forget how to count on one of the other .  This was quite a game, what a team effort.

[43M]

Ups

1.  Big win

2.  Young players stepping up

3.   Clutch defensive stands

4.  Ben back to managing the game well

5.   OL was solid against good defense.

 

Downs

1.   Injuries on both sides 

2. Refs, as always.

3.  Overly conservative play calling on offense will hurt us at some point

4. Defense was very inconsistent outside of splash plays.

5.  Knowing Juju wont be back next year.

[August4th]

9 hours ago, 43M said:

5.  Knowing Juju wont be back next year.

sucks that the cap is gonna chip away at this team this offseason. I can't remember another offseason where we lost several young key players

hopefully the FO does a good job at replacing the lost talent. 2020 draft is a great start.

Edited November 3, 2020 by August4th

[August4th]

would be cool if Ben took like a 20 mil cut this offseason lol

[Dcash4]

9 hours ago, 43M said:

2.  Young players stepping up

This has been so big for us this year and really makes me feel good about the more immediate future rather than thinking this year was the last run (though, its still the best change IMO). 

This draft class, especially with their situation, has been incredibly impactful. Spillane looks like a dude. Layne has played well so far. Chuks has given us no drop off. Edmunds has been good. I thought Buggs played well. Then you have the Watt, Minkah, DJ, JuJu, etc part of the equation. 

9 hours ago, 43M said:

5.  Knowing Juju wont be back next year.

The one thing I do think we can consider is how much easier it will be to manage a first year cap hit by a signing this offseason and that he wont be breaking the bank on a $18m-$20M contract. This year proves he isn't a top dog 1 -- so the $14m-$16m range is probably about right. The big thing will be JuJu's desire to either hit FA or be a Steeler.

I definitely think he is leaning out the door, but I still think there is a pretty darn good chance he is back. But it may just be because I am an optimist and dont want to watch my 3rd jersey in the last 2 years be irrelevant. 

[Dcash4]

53 minutes ago, August4th said:

would be cool if Ben took like a 20 mil cut this offseason lol

I do think that there is a little hope here in an extension for Ben being kinder based on Brady, Brees, and Rivers. They all ring in at the $25m/year mark. So while its tough to look at guys like Garropolo and Brissett at $27, Tannehill at $29, and Carr at $25.5 and sign Ben for less -- the other age bracket guys are doing it, so maybe that helps. 

But, if Ben wants his money (which I am ultimately an advocate of for players), its gonna be hard to get below a $30M number with where the contracts are now. 

 

[43M]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

This has been so big for us this year and really makes me feel good about the more immediate future rather than thinking this year was the last run (though, its still the best change IMO). 

This draft class, especially with their situation, has been incredibly impactful. Spillane looks like a dude. Layne has played well so far. Chuks has given us no drop off. Edmunds has been good. I thought Buggs played well. Then you have the Watt, Minkah, DJ, JuJu, etc part of the equation. 

The one thing I do think we can consider is how much easier it will be to manage a first year cap hit by a signing this offseason and that he wont be breaking the bank on a $18m-$20M contract. This year proves he isn't a top dog 1 -- so the $14m-$16m range is probably about right. The big thing will be JuJu's desire to either hit FA or be a Steeler.

I definitely think he is leaning out the door, but I still think there is a pretty darn good chance he is back. But it may just be because I am an optimist and dont want to watch my 3rd jersey in the last 2 years be irrelevant. 

The thing is we dont really NEED Juju.   I really like him, but we arent going to give him top end money or anywhere close to it IMO.   

NOW, the fact that Dionte cant seem to stay healthy and James Washington is set to be a free agent after 2021 makes the chances better, but still low.   

[Dcash4]

22 hours ago, 43M said:

The thing is we dont really NEED Juju.   I really like him, but we arent going to give him top end money or anywhere close to it IMO.   

NOW, the fact that Dionte cant seem to stay healthy and James Washington is set to be a free agent after 2021 makes the chances better, but still low.   

Don’t really disagree with anything you said. I do have a different view though on replacement. We can’t keep drafting receivers in the top rounds (1-3/4). We currently have a top 60 player (Washington) not playing because of how much we invest and in the position. He has even lost out on snaps to McCloud on field right now. 

Depth is great, but continually pounding one position will eventually hurt. We could absolutely use the 60th pick of the draft for depth or impact at a plethora of other positions and losing JuJu with Washington’s loss on deck probably means we are forced to draft another next year. 

It really depends on what you consider “top end money”. JuJu isn’t getting the $22m mark of the top guys. It’s pretty clear looking at the list of dudes that one thing is not like the other and it’s JuJu. He does fit nicely into the $16-14m range, which is a good spot for him and the team. Considering DJ and Claypool have multiple years until their big money would hit and carrying a receiving group as good as we would have for less than $20m would be pretty easy to swallow. That first year hit, since we would sign him next offseason can be extremely manageable. Looking at past deals, it’s pretty normal to save $5m or so off the yearly average in year one ($15m/ year, with a year 1 $10m hit). Michael Thomas is a pretty good example for a team tight to the cap as he carriers a $19.2m yearly number but founded $7m in year 1. 

I just overall think his cap number and is far more appetizing than it’s made out to be in most cases. 

TLDR: I think JuJus well worth his price tag at 23, his price isn’t as bad as it’s made out, 2021 can be managed easier by signing this offseason, and allowing us to take a year off from drafting the position could be pivotal to replacing other positions.