The Ravens

[Rob0729]

From what you described they shouldn't drop that much if at all. The biggest issue for them is avoiding injuries.

Huh?!?

What I described is a perfect receipt for both teams to potentially go from the elite teams of the AFC to being teams that miss the playoffs. May not happen, but it is definitely a possibility.

 

[WhiZa]

Huh?!?

What I described is a perfect receipt for both teams to potentially go from the elite teams of the AFC to being teams that miss the playoffs. May not happen, but it is definitely a possibility.

Ravens I can agree since Suggs is a beast and probably won them a couple extra games. They do have depth at his position though that should compestae for his loss. The Steelers are just a year older. It shouldn't mean they'll be worse because of it.

 

[JackBauer]

The Steelers are just a year older. It shouldn't mean they'll be worse because of it.

It does when the number of key players on defense are as old as they are, accounting for the lack of quality replacements.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

will be interesting to see what Dalton does in his Sophomore year.

Cinci have a lot of expectation to live up to.

In the past they've usually tanked in moments like this.

Thats true they usually do flounder in mid season but I think its time for a changing of the guard in the North...The Steelers have lost 3 very big leaders and captains on that team as someone mentioned above and the Ravens will have to rely on a defense that has several key players heading into their mid 30s.

Cincinnati is far from a juggernaut,but they are improving and up and coming,unlike Cleveland which is destined for the cellar for at least the next several years.

I think the Ravens at worst will still be a wild card...I see the Steelers in mid pack this season on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

 

[BradyFTW!]

It's that time of the season - Football season about to begin. Around this time of the year I like to go around to our rival teams websites and our own, and see whats new, whats going on, what changes have been made, etc.. etc...

One thing I have noticed the past couple of years - and it seems odd to me - is that everyone thinks we have no shot at beating the Ravens. This seems to be a common theme across the football world.

I don't get it.

Yes, we always have a hard time with them. Yes, Brady seems to get happy feet when we play them. For the most part though, we usually beat them. Unless I'm misremebering (palinism!), haven't we only like lost once to them in like the last 10 match-ups?

What am I missing? Why does it seem to be a "given" to everyone that we will lose to Baltimore this year? Last year too if I recall correctly. We lose 10% of the time to them and its an automatic loss for us now??

I've visited several of our rivals' forums - jets, fins, bills, steelers, ravens, broncos, and chargers - they all pretty much say the same thing about us:

"Ripe for the picking"
"Easy schedule"
"No way they beat the Ravens"
"Brady slow and old"
"Defense is crap"

These seem to be the most common arguments about us sucking. And the Ravens beating us seem to be a no-brainer to pretty much everyone.

Are the Ravens really that much better? I admit I do get nervous when we play them (more so than other teams), but if history is a glimpse into the future, wouldn't that say that more than likely we'd beat the Ravens?

I guess I just don't understand the thinking that we have no shot against the Ravens. Especially since we've beaten them so often in the past. If it was just one or two rival teams fans that thought this, I'd just write it off to hatred, but from what I've seen it seems to be most all fans. Even some of our own that think this.

Have the off-season changes really put us that far behind the Ravens where its a almost a given that we have no shot at winning?

SMH.

Same arguments they use every year, and every year they're wrong. Nothing will change this time.

 

[Rob0729]

Ravens I can agree since Suggs is a beast and probably won them a couple extra games. They do have depth at his position though that should compestae for his loss. The Steelers are just a year older. It shouldn't mean they'll be worse because of it.

Several things:

- How do the Ravens have depth at the OLB position. They lost both starters from last year. They drafted to replace one and lost the other to injury after the draft. Their starters are Courtney Upshaw (a rookie) and Paul Kruger who is often injured (missed 7 games his rookie season and 5 games his second year). Their back ups are Sergio Kindle, Albert McClellan, and William Chavis. They are trusting a rookie and a guy who can't stay on the field as starters. They have zero NFL starts between them.
- The Steelers showed age on their defense down the stretch and they are another year older as a group. That is a big deal considering more than half their starters are on the wrong side of 30. There is a good chance that three or four of them hit the age wall and see significant decline in production. They may not, but when an already old defense gets another year older the team is playing with fire.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Several things:

- How do the Ravens have depth at the OLB position. They lost both starters from last year. They drafted to replace one and lost the other to injury after the draft. Their starters are Courtney Upshaw (a rookie) and Paul Kruger who is often injured (missed 7 games his rookie season and 5 games his second year). Their back ups are Sergio Kindle, Albert McClellan, and William Chavis. They are trusting a rookie and a guy who can't stay on the field as starters. They have zero NFL starts between them.
- The Steelers showed age on their defense down the stretch and they are another year older as a group. That is a big deal considering more than half their starters are on the wrong side of 30. There is a good chance that three or four of them hit the age wall and see significant decline in production. They may not, but when an already old defense gets another year older the team is playing with fire.

The Steelers defense goes as Polamalu goes.

They will have a harder time replacing him than the Patriots will have with TB.

 

[IllegalContact]

pernell mcphee is a more than capable replacement for jarrett johnson, and while upshaw is not a direct replacement for suggs, he's a good ball player and will likely not be a liability.

it is going to come down to whether flacco can get any better and when lewis hits a wall.

I think the ravens will still give the pats trouble.....especially in baltimore

Several things:

- How do the Ravens have depth at the OLB position. They lost both starters from last year. They drafted to replace one and lost the other to injury after the draft. Their starters are Courtney Upshaw (a rookie) and Paul Kruger who is often injured (missed 7 games his rookie season and 5 games his second year). Their back ups are Sergio Kindle, Albert McClellan, and William Chavis. They are trusting a rookie and a guy who can't stay on the field as starters. They have zero NFL starts between them.
- The Steelers showed age on their defense down the stretch and they are another year older as a group. That is a big deal considering more than half their starters are on the wrong side of 30. There is a good chance that three or four of them hit the age wall and see significant decline in production. They may not, but when an already old defense gets another year older the team is playing with fire.

 

[Shockt327]

Year	Opp	Result	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD 	Int	Rate
2011	BAL	W 23-20	22	36	61.60%	239	0	2	57.5
2010	BAL	W 23-20	27	44	61.40%	292	1	2	69.5
2009	BAL	L 14-33	23	42	54.80%	154	2	3	49.1
2009	BAL	W 27-21	21	32	65.60%	258	1	0	100.8
2007	BAL	W 27-24	18	38	47.40%	257	2	1	76.3
2004	BAL	W 24-3	15	30	50.00%	172	0	0	67.6

Really, It's pretty much a miracle that the Patriots have managed to win so often with their franchise QB playing so consistently awful against Balt. Just awful.

 

[PlainOldEd]

Year	Opp	Result	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD 	Int	Rate
2011	BAL	W 23-20	22	36	61.60%	239	0	2	57.5
2010	BAL	W 23-20	27	44	61.40%	292	1	2	69.5
2009	BAL	L 14-33	23	42	54.80%	154	2	3	49.1
2009	BAL	W 27-21	21	32	65.60%	258	1	0	100.8
2007	BAL	W 27-24	18	38	47.40%	257	2	1	76.3
2004	BAL	W 24-3	15	30	50.00%	172	0	0	67.6

Really, It's pretty much a miracle that the Patriots have managed to win so often with their franchise QB playing so consistently awful against Balt. Just awful.

So the key seems to be to keep Brady's QB rating above 50. Guaranteed win!!

 

[12ClutchFactor]

Year	Opp	Result	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD 	Int	Rate
2011	BAL	W 23-20	22	36	61.60%	239	0	2	57.5
2010	BAL	W 23-20	27	44	61.40%	292	1	2	69.5
2009	BAL	L 14-33	23	42	54.80%	154	2	3	49.1
2009	BAL	W 27-21	21	32	65.60%	258	1	0	100.8
2007	BAL	W 27-24	18	38	47.40%	257	2	1	76.3
2004	BAL	W 24-3	15	30	50.00%	172	0	0	67.6

Really, It's pretty much a miracle that the Patriots have managed to win so often with their franchise QB playing so consistently awful against Balt. Just awful.

And it's worth noting that in 2007 he really didn't play that terribly. There was some hellacious wind that night that carried all intermediate to deep throws off target, so passing options were limited. Also, in 2010, that was the first game after the Moss trade and first game with Deion Branch back. They didn't start clicking again until the fourth quarter and overtime.

 

[Kid~Brady]

Screw the Ravens, I'm more worried about that week 15 game!

 

[Rob0729]

pernell mcphee is a more than capable replacement for jarrett johnson, and while upshaw is not a direct replacement for suggs, he's a good ball player and will likely not be a liability.

it is going to come down to whether flacco can get any better and when lewis hits a wall.

I think the ravens will still give the pats trouble.....especially in baltimore

To replace Suggs without downgrading the defense, Upshaw has to be the DROY. Anything less and he is a significant downgrade. Suggs last year was a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate with 14 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 2 INTs, and 70 tackles. Upshaw just not being a liability is a huge downgrade for their defense.

 

[Marqui]

To replace Suggs without downgrading the defense, Upshaw either has to be the DROY. Anything less and he is a huge downgrade. Suggs last year was a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate with 14 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 2 INTs, and 70 tackles. Upshaw just not being a liability is a huge downgrade for their defense.

Didn't he win it?

 

[Rob0729]

Didn't he win it?

You are right. Forgot. For some reason I thought someone else won it.

Replacing the DPOY with a rookie is likely to be a huge blow even if the rookie has a monster season.

 

[12ClutchFactor]

You are right. Forgot. For some reason I thought someone else won it.

Replacing the DPOY with a rookie is likely to be a huge blow even if the rookie has a monster season.

Not to mention that Reed, despite this being the usual act, doesn't seem to be all in as of right now. Also, Ray Lewis has supposedly dropped some weight in an effort to stay on the field more. No one knows if this will work or backfire though with a possible decline in strength.

 

[JackBauer]

and while upshaw is not a direct replacement for suggs, he's a good ball player and will likely not be a liability.

And you know this from his extensive time in the NFL, I'm sure.

 

[stinkypete]

I'm far from sold on Baltimore for the following reasons:

(1) Defensive losses. Not just the Suggs injury, but the losses of key run stopping defensive starters (Jarrett Johnson, Corey Redding) combined with the advancing age of Lewis and Reed. Every year we expect age and injuries to catch up with a team, but it WILL happen at some point. For the Ravens defense to approach form, they need several young players to step up in full time roles...Pernell McPhee, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones, Sergio Kindle, Courtney Upshaw and Jimmy Smith all need to step up in bigger roles.

(2) Offensive line age and depth. The Ravens are relying on Matt Birk, Bobbie Williams and whatever's left of Bryant McKinnie to hold together. It's a tall order, and it's well established that Michael Oher at LT is not a strength.

(3) Schedule. Baltimore's schedule includes a gauntlet of Cinci, @Philly, Pats, @KC, Dallas, @Houston, @Pittsburgh in their first 9 games, with games later on against Pitt, the Giants, Denver and San Diego.

I think this is a 9-7 team, which might be enough to make it against a potentially weak wild card field.

 

[WhiZa]

Why is everyone so hung up on age as a major factor in the demise of a team? Yes players past their prime won't perform as well statistically than the year before, but the drop off is hardly noticeable. Certainly not enough for a team to go from top-5 to just average in 1 year.

 

[Ive_Killed_People]

Why is everyone so hung up on age as a major factor in the demise of a team? Yes players past their prime won't perform as well statistically than the year before, but the drop off is hardly noticeable. Certainly not enough for a team to go from top-5 to just average in 1 year.

So you dont think players 'get old' in the NFL significantly from season to season? You couldnt be more wrong. Ray Lewis,Ed Reed,hell even Ray Rice are all on borrowed time.